Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Dec 1988
Compensation status and symptoms reported by patients with chronic pain.
This study examined the initial symptoms of patients with chronic pain who were (n = 70) or were not (n = 52) involved in some aspect of the compensation system--worker's compensation, litigation, or Social Security Disability Insurance. Analyses indicated that compensation patients were discriminable from noncompensation patients (p less than 0.0001). ⋯ The groups did not seem to differ in severity of pain or psychologic distress. These data are consistent with studies indicating that compensation patients are not "symptom magnifiers," although the data do indicate that the life disruptions reported by these patients may be greater than those reported by patients not involved in compensation systems.
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Nov 1988
Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow localized by short segment stimulation.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the differences in the amplitudes of the compound muscle action potentials of the hypothenar muscles and the differences in conduction times. Differences in shoot segment responses were determined by stimulating the ulnar nerve at 2-cm intervals across the elbow in 20 normal adults. Thirteen ulnar nerves on the left side and 12 nerves on the right of 14 men and six women were studied for motor nerve conduction velocity. ⋯ Using the same short segment stimulation technique, ulnar nerve motor conduction was also studied in 13 patients with suspected ulnar neuropathy at the elbow in order to localize the nerve lesion. Conduction time only was abnormal in one patient, both conduction time and amplitude in nine, amplitude only in one, and conduction time and mild reduction in amplitude in two. It was concluded that short segment stimulation of the ulnar nerve at the elbow is useful in localizing the exact site of entrapment/compression of the nerve at the elbow.
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Oct 1988
Spasticity in spinal cord injured patients: 2. Initial measures and long-term effects of surface electrical stimulation.
Electrical stimulation of paralyzed muscles has been shown to affect their spasticity, especially in patients with hemiplegia. But little has been reported on the long-term effects of such stimulation on individuals with spinal cord injury. This paper documents initial quadriceps spasticity in 31 spinal cord injured subjects, and the effect of four to eight weeks of reconditioning using electrical stimulation. ⋯ Most participants had increased spasticity after four weeks of reconditioning but not after eight weeks. However, only eight subjects completed eight weeks of reconditioning. Subjects who had the greatest increases in spasticity also had the greatest gains in stimulated torque, both after four and eight weeks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Sep 1988
Pediatric closed head injury: outcome following prolonged unconsciousness.
This report describes outcomes for a group of 26 children who remained unconscious longer than 90 days after traumatic brain injury. Twenty children regained consciousness; 11 are able to communicate. ⋯ In this series, children with the best recovery (IQ greater than or equal to 70) were predicted by minimal cerebral atrophy, demonstrated by computerized brain scan (CT scan) performed two months after injury (p = 0.001). In subjects over 12 years old, minimal CT atrophy predicted a good outcome with 89% accuracy.