Muhammed Al-Jarrah

Introduction. Robotic-assisted gait training is a high-technology rehabilitation intervention that has gained increasing popularity over the past two decades. However, limited research has explored how the parents of children with cerebral palsy perceive this intervention. The aim of this study was to examine parents? perspectives on robotic-assisted gait training with regard to the child?s experience, its effects on impairments, and functional activities. Material and Methods. A total of 24 participants, including 23 mothers of children with cerebral palsy, completed an online cross-sectional survey distributed via SurveyMonkey. The survey was administered two months after completion of 20 sessions of robotic-assisted gait training. Results. All parents (100%) reported that robotic-assisted training was an enjoyable experience for their child and highly valued the quality of communication between the therapist and the child. Parents observed improvements in self-confidence (79.17%), muscle endurance (79.16%), muscle flexibility (66.66%), and reduced muscle tightness (78.26%). Additionally, improvements were noted in standing posture (54.07%), the ability to walk longer distances (62.50%), functional activities in daily life (66.66%), and participation levels (75%). Conclusion. Parents perceived robotic-assisted gait training as an engaging intervention that positively influences physical health, self-confidence, and happiness. Improvements in motor activities, participation in daily life, and quality of life were observed following 20 sessions of robotic-assisted gait training.

Background: The physical therapy profession has grown rapidly in less than a century, increasing its importance, techniques, settings, and the responsibilities provided to its practitioners. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore how undergraduate physiotherapy students view physiotherapy as their future career and their perception of the educational physiotherapy programs in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A questionnaire designed to collect data on students’ perceptions of their profession was delivered to 222 undergraduate physiotherapy students at Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, Jordan. The response rate was 157 (70.72%). Descriptive statistics and the chi-square test were used to analyse the data. Results: Among 157 physiotherapy students, results were collected. Although students were satisfied with being physiotherapy students (p < 0.001), most of the study participants knew about physical therapy from their families, and they were not satisfied with the job opportunities in Jordan. Conclusions: Physiotherapy education in Jordan is rising rapidly. The public, patients, parents, and clinical preceptors in physiotherapy settings must recognize this educational and professional practice. It is noted that some levels of occupational awareness are intermediate. However, it would be beneficial to organize activities such as seminars and interviews in order to increase the level of professional awareness.

Background and Aim: Muscle atrophy is common in Parkinson's disease (PD). Although myostatin has been implicated in muscle atrophy, its expression in PD skeletal muscle has not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the influence of PD induction and exercise training on myostatin expression in the gastrocnemius skeletal muscle. Materials and Methods: Thirty albino mice were randomly selected and separated into three groups of 10 mice each: Sedentary control, sedentary PD (SPD), and exercised PD (EPD). 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and probenecid were used to induce chronic parkinsonism in the PD groups. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of myostatin and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in gastrocnemius muscles of all three groups. Results: Myostatin expression and NF-κB nuclear localization, indicative of its activation, were significantly (p<0.01) higher in gastrocnemius skeletal muscle in the SPD group than in the control and EPD groups. Concomitantly, the average cross-sectional area of gastrocnemius muscle fibers in the SPD albino mice was significantly smaller (p<0.01) than in the control and EPD groups, indicating muscle atrophy. Conclusion: The present data are the first to indicate a correlation between PD induction and myostatin overexpression and NF-κB activation in the gastrocnemius muscle, potentially promoting the muscle atrophy commonly seen in PD.

BACKGROUND We have shown elevated levels of p53 and active caspase-3 in the heart with Parkinson disease (PD). The main aim of this study is to examine the effect of treadmill training on the cardiac expression of p53 and active caspase-3 in the mouse with induced Parkinsonism. METHODS: Thirty randomly selected normal albino mice were equally divided into the following 3 groups: sedentary control (SC), sedentary Parkinson diseased (SPD), and exercised Parkinson diseased (EPD). 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and probenecid (MPTP/p) were used to induce chronic Parkinson disease in the SPD and EPD animals. The expression of p53 and active caspase-3 was investigated, using immunohistochemistry, in the heart in each animal group. RESULTS: Both p53 and active caspase-3 expression was significantly (p value < 0.05) reduced in the PD heart following endurance exercise training. CONCLUSION: Our present data suggest that chronic exercise training reduced PD-induced upregulation of p53 and active caspase-3 in the heart. Thus, our study suggests that inhibiting p53 and/or active caspase-3 may be considered as a therapeutic approach to ameliorate PD cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Induction of Parkinson disease (PD) causes IL-1β and TNF-α upregulation in gastrocnemius skeletal muscles. Endurance exercise suppresses iNOS and HSP90 overexpression in PD skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study is to test the impact

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a worldwide health problem caused by resistance to insulin action. This chronic debilitating diseaseis preceded by a stage, known as prediabetes, in which a healthy lifestyle can delay the disease. The discovery of biochemical changes in prediabetes is important to identify individuals at risk of developing T2DM and in explaining disease pathogenesis. Adiponectin is secreted by fat cells and is linked with insulin resistance. Adiponectin levels are dysregulated in prediabetic subjects. This relationship had not been tested in Jordan. We recruited 130 subjects with prediabetes and 130 control subjects. We measured serum levels of adiponectin and genotyped subjects for three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ADIPOQ gene; rs266729, rs1501299 and rs2241766. In multivariate analysis, we found that serum adiponectin lowers the risk of prediabetes (p = 0.002; odds ratio (OR), 0.764; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.646–0.905). The rs1501299 SNP of the ADIPOQ gene was associated with prediabetes in our population (p = 0.041). Specifically, in multivariate analysis, the GT genotype of rs1501299 increased the risk of prediabetes (p = 0.010; OR, 2.350; 95% CI, 1.231–4.486) as well as the TT genotype (p = 0.006; OR, 4.774; 95% CI, 1.551–14.693). Our findings indicate that serum adiponectin and SNPs in the ADIPOQ gene are associated with prediabetes in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: We have shown elevated levels of p53 and active caspase-3 in gastrocnemius skeletal muscle with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The main aim of this study is to examine the impact of endurance exercise training on the expression of p53 and acti

Previous studies have confirmed that heat shock protein 90 overexpression can lead to dopaminergic neuronal death. This study was designed to further investigate what effects are produced by heat shock protein 90 after endurance exercise training. Immunohistochemistry results showed that exercise training significantly inhibited heat shock protein 90 overexpression in the soleus and gastrocnemius in Parkinson's disease rats, which is a potential therapeutic target for ameliorating skeletal muscle abnormalities in Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, caused by the gradual loss of cells in substantia nigra. Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in a variety of signal transduction pathways that are crucial for maintaining the physiologic functions of nervous system. The aims of this study are: 1) To investigate the expression of the inducible form of NO (iNOS), and compare it to neuronal nitric oxide (nNOS) in the brain of a chronic mouse model of PD and 2) To study the effect of endurance exercise training on the expression of these markers. Method: Mouse models of PD were obtained using 10 doses of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) (25 mg/kg) and probenecid (250 mg/kg) over 5 weeks. Forty C57BL /6 albino mice were randomly divided into four groups: sedentary control (SC, N = 10), exercise control (EC, N = 10), sedentary PD (SPD, N = 10), exercise PD (EPD, N = 10). At the end of training program, nNOS and iNOS were evaluated in the striatum in all animal groups using immunohistochemistry. Results: nNOS showed significant increases in striatum (ST) of SPD mice compared to SC mice ( P > 0.03). There was also decreased expression of nNOS in EC group compared to SC mice, but this decrease was not significant ( P > 0.8). Exercise training significantly decreased the level of nNOS in the EPD compared to SPD, ( P > 0.04). Although, iNOS expression followed almost the same trend as nNOS, but exercise training did not significantly decrease the expression of iNOS in both EC and EPD groups, P > 0.2 and 0.3 respectively. Discussion: The data from this study suggests that 4 weeks of treadmill exercise has a positive impact on the expression of nNOS and iNOS in the striatum of a PD model. This might clear in part the pathogenicity of the diseases and the positive impact of training on PD.

Background and Purpose. Physical therapist (PT) professional (entry-level) education programs are non-existent in most developing countries. The PT professional education programs that do exist in some developing countries may need to upgrade and strengthen their existing curricula. Many of these programs are in significant need of additional PT faculty and advanced education for their existing PT faculty. Efforts to create or enhance PT education programs in developing countries are frequently limited by inadequate human and material resources. Method/Model Description and Evaluation. This paper describes and discusses 4 models of collaboration and international partnerships in which educators and PT education programs in developed countries with more human and material resources partner with universities in developing countries to help establish or enhance PT education programs. Experiences of PT education programs in the US working with programs in Nigeria, Suriname, and Jordan, and a program in Japan working with a program in Mongolia, are presented. Outcomes. The models of collaboration between service and host countries resulted in provision of online education to practicing physical therapists, consultation on curriculum, short-term teaching/consulting for existing and developing programs, and PhD education of foreign PTs with the intention that they return to their country of origin as faculty members in PT programs. Discussion and Conclusion. These case examples of international collaboration serve as models for other PT programs and educators to form similar international partnerships and to develop new models.