Uekusa Gakuen University

自分を受け入れてくれる他者（受容的他者）の視点取得を伴う筆記開示が自己受容や精神的健康に与える影響について検討するために実験を行った。参加者は筆記開示を1回のみ行い，受容的他者の視点に立って出来事や自分自身を評価した。その結果，介入直後の出来事に関する認知が有意に改善し，1週間後の自己受容および精神的健康の有意な改善が見られた。ネガティブな出来事に関する1回のみの筆記開示を行う群では介入効果は得られなかった。ネガティブな出来事を振り返ったうえで受容的他者の視点を取得することが自己受容や精神的健康の改善を促進する可能性が示唆された。

As humans, we constantly change our movement strategies to adapt to changes in physical functions and the external environment. We have to walk very slowly in situations with a high risk of falling, such as walking on slippery ice, carrying an overflowing cup of water, or muscle weakness owing to aging or motor deficit. However, previous studies have shown that a normal gait pattern at low speeds results in reduced efficiency and stability in comparison with those at a normal speed. Another possible strategy is to change the gait pattern from normal to step-to gait, in which the other foot is aligned with the first swing foot. However, the efficiency and stability of the step-to gait pattern at low speeds have not been investigated yet. Therefore, in this study, we compared the efficiency and stability of the normal and step-to gait patterns at intermediate, low, and very low speeds. Eleven healthy participants were asked to walk with a normal gait and step-to gait on a treadmill at five different speeds (i.e., 10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 m/min), ranging from very low to normal walking speed. The efficiency parameters (percent recovery and walk ratio) and stability parameters (center of mass lateral displacement) were analyzed from the motion capture data and then compared for the two gait patterns. The results suggested that step-to gait had a more efficient gait pattern at very low speeds of 10–30 m/min, with a larger percent recovery, and was more stable at 10–60 m/min in comparison with a normal gait. However, the efficiency of the normal gait was better than that of the step-to gait pattern at 60 m/min. Therefore, step-to gait is effective in improving gait efficiency and stability when faced with situations that force us to walk slowly or hinder quick walking because of muscle weakness owing to aging or motor deficit along with a high risk of falling.

Due to the currently ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is strongly recommended to wear facemasks to minimize transmission risk. Wearing a facemask may have the potential to increase dyspnea and worsen cardiopulmonary parameters during exercise; however, research-based evidence is lacking. We investigated the hypothesis that wearing facemasks affects the sensation of dyspnea, pulse rate, and percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation during exercise. Healthy adults (15 men, 9 women) underwent a progressive treadmill test under 3 conditions in randomized order: wearing a surgical facemask, cloth facemask, or no facemask. Experiment was carried out once daily under each condition, for a total of 3 days. Each subject first sat on a chair for 30 minutes, then walked on a treadmill according to a Bruce protocol that was modified by us. The experiment was discontinued when the subject’s pulse rate exceeded 174 beats/min. After discontinuation, the subject immediately sat on a chair and was allowed to rest for 10 minutes. Subjects were required to rate their levels of dyspnea perception on a numerical scale. Pulse rate and percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation were continuously monitored with a pulse oximeter. These parameters were recorded in each trial every 3 minutes after the start of the exercise; the point of discontinuation; and 5 and 10 minutes after discontinuation. The following findings were obtained. Wearing a facemask does not worsen dyspnea during light to moderate exercise but worsens dyspnea during vigorous exercise. Wearing a cloth facemask increases dyspnea more than wearing a surgical facemask during exercise and increases pulse rate during vigorous exercise, but it does not increase pulse rate during less vigorous exercise. Wearing a surgical facemask does not increase pulse rate at any load level. Lastly, wearing a facemask does not affect percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation during exercise at any load level regardless of facemask type.

The cognitive–evaluative (C–E) dimension of pain is commonly observed in patients with a relatively long duration of pain. However, little is known about the effects of pain relapse on the C–E dimension of pain. Moreover, the improvement process of the C–E dimension of pain following treatment is unknown. The objective of this case report was to (a) demonstrate that the C–E dimension was affected in the acute phase of neuropathic pain in cases of pain relapse, and (b) demonstrate the improvement process of the C–E dimension of pain. A woman was diagnosed with low back pain (LBP) and sciatica. The patient had previously experienced symptoms of LBP and sciatica; thus, this episode was a case of pain relapse. At the beginning of rehabilitation, the C–E dimension of pain was present in addition to the sensory–discriminative (S–D) dimension of pain. It was observed that improvement of the C–E dimension of pain was delayed in comparison with that of the S–D dimension of pain. The C–E dimension of pain was observed with pain relapse even though it was in the acute phase of pain. This case provides a novel insight into the C–E dimension of pain. Moreover, the delay in improving the C–E dimension of pain indicates a difference in the improvement process for each pain dimension.

Autonomic respiratory rhythm is generated in the neuronal networks in the lower brainstem, and the generated neural respiratory output is transmitted to respiratory muscles via cranial and spinal cord motor nerves to control upper airway patency and intrathoracic pressure. Among the respiratory neuronal networks, the pre-Botzinger Complex located in the bilateral ventrolateral medulla is the kernel for respiratory rhythm generation. In this chapter, we overview the localization of the neuronal networks and anatomical and physiological connectivity among the respiratory neurons. We also introduce the influential theories on the physiological mechanisms of respiratory rhythm generation and discuss how respiratory rhythm is disturbed in pathological conditions.

This study was conducted to clarify the ground reaction force exerted on the foot during athletic movements and to demonstrate the effects of reach balance training (RB-T) on toe grip strength as an injury prevention exercise. RB-T was undertaken for 2 weeks by 11 male college basketball players and 22 healthy male college students (including 10 participants in the control group). The vertical ground reaction forces during athletic movements were measured using ground reaction force meters. Before and after RB-T intervention, toe grip strength was measured with a toe grip strength meter, and distances of the center of pressure (COP) to the center of the foot during movement were measured using a three-dimensional motion analyzer. The vertical ground reaction force during athletic movement was highest during take-off and decreased in the following order: single-leg front landing, single-leg lateral landing, and turning. The toe grip strength of the BT group and the T group increased after RB-T intervention. For the BT group, RB-T also tended to decrease the COP lateral distance on turning in the dominant leg and the COP front distance on turning and take-off in both legs. RB-T could improve the toe grip strength and stabilize the COP position.

In this research, we suggest a methodology for getting joint angles by Kinect sensor for rehabilitation evaluation support. We measured the motion of the arm of a patient with hemiplegia before and after the rehabilitation, and showed the range of the motion by using genetic algorithm. The range after the rehabilitation was bigger than before the rehabilitation. Based on this result, our methodology is able to evaluate the change of the motion before and after the rehabilitation for patients with hemiplegia.

〔目的〕Diagnosis Procedure Combination （DPC）導入前後での入院期間，理学療法開始時および終了時のBarthel Index （BI）への効果を分析すること．〔対象〕入院中に理学療法を実施した患者171名とした．〔方法〕DPC導入前後の，理学療法開始までの日数，理学療法実施日数，理学療法開始時および終了時のBIを比較した．さらにDPC導入と理学療法，それぞれの前後におけるBIの変化を，退院先別に分析した．〔結果〕DPC導入により，理学療法開始までの日数と理学療法実施日数の短縮，高いBIでの退院がみられた．また退院先四群間とそれぞれのBIで有意差を認めた．〔結語〕DPCが早期理学療法開始，入院期間短縮，高いBIでの退院につながり，さらに高いBIで理学療法を開始できれば，早い在宅復帰を見込むことができる．