Gait trainer combined with traditional physiotherapy increase the chance of improving gait performance in children with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy.

Introduction: Oral mucositis (OM) is an unavoidable condition of the oral cavity that accompanies chemotherapy for various malignant cases. Chemotherapy-induced oral Mucositis (COM) is a frequent complication due to mucotoxic drugs and is known to deteriorate the general health significantly, while negatively affecting the quality of life (QOL). Studies have reported that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) promotes the tissue healing. The objective of the present study was to explore the efficacy of gallium-arsenide (GaAs) laser in treating COM and its impact on inflammatory cytokine levels in patients receiving chemotherapy for various malignancies. Methods: A total of 80 patients with COM received LLLT 6 days/week. OM was graded according to the World Health Organization (WHO) grading scale. The outcome parameters were the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) measured before, during and after administration of LLLT. Results: After LLLT, a significant decrease was found in the mean values of mucositis grade from 2.35 ± 0.695 to 1.13 ± 0.333 after (P < 0.001). A significant reduction in the level of TNF-α was found after LLLT among breast cancer patients (P = 0.0045), but not in head and neck cancer and lymphoma patients. A significant reduction was also found in IL-6 level after treatment among head and neck and breast cancer patients (P = 0.0307 and 0.019, respectively). Conclusion: The use of GaAs LLLT in treating COM in patients with various malignancies is well tolerated by patients, it results in improvement of mucositis, however; mechanism of action does not seem to be completely linked to the change of pro or anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Repetitive task practice therapy combined with electrical stimulation can improve skilled hand performance in terms of hand motor function, skills and range of motion in stroke patients.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been used as an alternative to moderate-intensity exercise training. Research has shown that HIIT produces better effects on glycemic control and hence the cardiometabolic risk in prediabetes. This randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the effect of low-volume HIIT (LV-HIIT) with high-volume HIIT (HV-HIIT) on A1C and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in overweight adults with prediabetes. The trial included 60 young adults with prediabetes (32 male, 28 female). Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three equal-sized groups (n = 20): an LV-HIIT group (10 × 1-minute intervals at an interval intensity of ∼90% HR max on a treadmill separated by 1 minute of easy recovery, with total exercise of 25 minutes/session), an HV-HIIT group (4 × 4-minute intervals at 90% of HR max with 3 minutes of active recovery at 70% of HR max between intervals, with total exercise of 40 minutes/session), and a control group (no exercise intervention). Exercise programs consisted of 3 sessions/week for 12 successive weeks. All participants followed a low-calorie diet for the 12-week intervention period. A1C and FBG were measured before and at the end of the 12-week trial. There were statistically significant effects on A1C and FBG from both exercise interventions (P <0.05). LV-HIIT and HV-HIIT significantly reduced A1C and FBG; however, HV-HIIT yielded a greater reduction in A1C than LV-HIIT (26.07 vs. 14.50%) and in FBG (17.80 vs. 13.22%) after exercise training, respectively. HIIT was found to be effective for glycemic control in prediabetes, with HV-HIIT being more effective than LV-HIIT in reducing A1C, FBG, and progression to type 2 diabetes in young adults with prediabetes.

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