Hideki Arai

A patient with stroke, severe hemiplegia, and limited potential for independent walking was able to achieve a modified level of independent walking after a cumulative 100 km of gait training using lower‐limb orthoses. Patients with limited potential for independent walking may benefit from sufficient gait training.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association between skeletal muscle mass index and falls in patients with functional impairment. Design: This retrospective cohort study was implemented at a convalescent rehabilitation ward. Patients with no measurement of skeletal muscle mass index and bed-ridden patients were excluded from this study. Patients were dichotomized into the low skeletal muscle mass index group and the high skeletal muscle mass index group. The occurrence of fall was assessed according to skeletal muscle mass index groups. Results: Of the 327 included patients, 231 (71%) were assigned to the low skeletal muscle mass index group. In total, 66 patients (20%) experienced at least one fall, and a total of 102 falls occurred. The incidence of falls for the low skeletal muscle mass index group was not significantly greater than that for the high skeletal muscle mass index group (4.9 per 1000 patient-days vs. 4.5 per 1000 patient-days, P = 0.9). Low skeletal muscle mass index was not significantly associated with one or more incidents of falls (odds ratio [95% confidence intervals] = 0.6 [0.3–1.17]). Conclusions: This study found that skeletal muscle mass index was not significantly associated with falls in patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and the convalescent rehabilitation ward achievement index (CRWAI) in older patients with functional impairment.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a single rehabilitation center in Japan to include patients admitted to the convalescent rehabilitation ward because of neurological disease, motor disorder, or disuse syndrome. Patients with missing SMI data, those who died or were transferred to other hospitals due to comorbidities, those aged less than 65 years, and those hospitalized for <7 days were excluded from the study. We divided patients into two groups based on their SMI – the high SMI group (SMI ≥7.0 kg/m2 in men and SMI ≥5.7 kg/m2 in women) and the low SMI group (SMI <7.0 kg/m2 in men and SMI <5.7 kg/m2 in women); we then evaluated the association between SMI and the CRWAI score.Results: Of the 319 recruited patients, 84 (26%) were in the high SMI group. The medians and interquartile ranges of the CRWAI scores in the high SMI and low SMI groups were 38.6 (23.1–61) and 31.8 (10.1–57.5), respectively (P=0.029). A high SMI was independently and negatively associated with the CRWAI score (β=− 0.16, P=0.014).Conclusions: Our study showed that a high SMI was an independent factor negatively influencing the CRWAI score in older patients in a convalescent rehabilitation ward.

Purpose: This study evaluates the effect of introducing active gait training (AGT) to patients who are severely disabled with nasogastric tube feeding or gastrostoma on the recovery of oral feeding. Patients and Methods: We conducted a historical cohort study at a single rehabilitation center in Japan between January 2013 and December 2019. In this study, 154 severely disabled patients with nasogastric tube feeding or gastrostoma due to neurological diseases or disuse syndrome admitted in a rehabilitation ward were included, and their median age was 84 years. AGT was systematically implemented in August 2016, which consisted of using orthosis or assistance from physical therapists. We compared the recovery of oral feeding between periods before (Pre-AGT) and after (Post-AGT) the introduction of AGT. Results: Among the 154 severely disabled patients included, 59 (38%) were admitted in the Post-AGT period. Twenty-eight (30%) and 54 patients (92%) started gait training in the Pre-AGT and Post-AGT periods, respectively (p < 0.001). Significantly more patients recovered oral feeding in the Post-AGT than in the Pre-AGT periods (49% vs 19%, respectively; p < 0.001). After the introduction of AGT, the adjusted hazard ratio for the recovery of oral feeding was 4.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.9– 8.3; p < 0.001). Conclusion: After the introduction of AGT to patients, increased recovery of oral feeding was observed in this retrospective evaluation. AGT should be considered for patients with tube feeding to help them recover oral feeding even if patients were severely disabled and required full assistance during gait training.

Introduction: Although patients commonly experience psychological disorders such as depression following cerebrovascular events, mania is extremely rare. Here we present a patient who experienced secondary mania while being hospitalized in a convalescent rehabilitation ward following cerebral infarction. Case: The patient was a 70-year-old man who was hospitalized at our hospital for convalescent rehabilitation after suffering mild right hemiplegia and higher brain dysfunction following cerebral infarction. During hospitalization, the patient experienced a progression-free course. Upon awakening on day 26 after hospitalization, the patient suddenly showed signs of mania. The symptoms included elevated mood, pressured speech, hyperactivity, insomnia, and agitation; these symptoms caused problems in his daily life at the hospital. On day 29 after hospitalization, the patient was referred to a psychiatric hospital as an outpatient. He was diagnosed with organic manic disorder and was hospitalized. The patient was administered lithium carbonate (Limas®; 400 mg daily) and risperidone (Risperdal®; 2 mg daily). Because the mania persisted for more than 1 week, he was diagnosed with secondary mania. His manic state gradually improved, and he was transferred to our hospital. He was able to undergo rehabilitation without any problem and with no exacerbation of mania. The patient was discharged on day 139 after readmission. Discussion: In cases where patients with cerebrovascular disorders display abnormal behavior, it becomes necessary to differentiate between secondary mania and social behavior disorder. Because mania has a negative impact on the patient’s hospitalization and convalescence, if secondary mania is suspected, early consideration of psychiatric treatment is required.