Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation
-
Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Sep 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: effect on peripheral nerve conduction, mechanical pain threshold, and tactile threshold in humans.
To investigate the effect of different transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) parameters on nerve conduction in the human superficial radial nerve and on peripheral mechanical pain threshold (MPT) and tactile threshold (TT), and to further the current knowledge of the neurophysiologic effects of TENS. ⋯ The findings from this study suggest that at least part of TENS-mediated hypoalgesia is a consequence of a direct peripheral effect of TENS, although a "central" effect may not be excluded.
-
Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Sep 1998
Long-term survival of children and adolescents after traumatic brain injury.
To obtain information on long-term mortality risk and life expectancy after traumatic brain injury (TBI), to improve planning and for counseling patients and their families. In contrast to the literature for spinal cord injury and other disabilities, there have been few such reports for TBI. ⋯ The chief predictors of mortality were basic functional skills such as mobility and self-feeding. After the initial high-risk period, mortality risk for TBI was much lower than for similarly functioning persons with cerebral palsy (a comparison group), although after 10 years the two sets of mortality rates had largely converged. For high-functioning persons, life expectancies were only 3 to 5 years shorter than for the general population. By contrast, the remaining life expectancy for those without mobility 6 months after injury was only 15 years.