| 11. |
- Dieterich, Angela V., et al.
(author)
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Spatial variation and inconsistency between estimates of onset of muscle activation from EMG and ultrasound
- 2017
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In: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Delayed onset of muscle activation can be a descriptor of impaired motor control. Activation onset can be estimated from electromyography (EMG)-registered muscle excitation and from ultrasound-registered muscle motion, which enables non-invasive measurements in deep muscles. However, in voluntary activation, EMG-and ultrasound-detected activation onsets may not correspond. To evaluate this, ten healthy men performed isometric elbow flexion at 20% to 70% of their maximal force. Utilising a multi-channel electrode transparent to ultrasound, EMG and M(otion)-mode ultrasound were recorded simultaneously over the biceps brachii muscle. The time intervals between automated and visually estimated activation onsets were correlated with the regional variation of EMG and muscle motion onset, contraction level and speed. Automated and visual onsets indicated variable time intervals between EMG-and motion onset, median (interquartile range) 96 (121) ms and 48 (72) ms, respectively. In 17% (computed analysis) or 23% (visual analysis) of trials, motion onset was detected before local EMG onset. Multi-channel EMG and M-mode ultrasound revealed regional differences in activation onset, which decreased with higher contraction speed (Spearman rho amp;gt;= 0.45, P amp;lt; 0.001). In voluntary activation the heterogeneous motor unit recruitment together with immediate motion transmission may explain the high variation of the time intervals between local EMG-and ultrasound-detected activation onset.
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| 12. |
- Engquist, Markus, et al.
(author)
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A 5-to 8-year randomized study on the treatment of cervical radiculopathy : anterior cervical decompression and fusion plus physiotherapy versus physiotherapy alone
- 2017
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In: Journal of Neurosurgery. - : AMER ASSOC NEUROLOGICAL SURGEONS. - 1547-5654 .- 1547-5646. ; 26:1, s. 19-27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the 5- to 8-year outcome of anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) combined with a structured physiotherapy program as compared with that following the same physiotherapy program alone in patients with cervical radiculopathy. No previous prospective randomized studies with a follow-up of more than 2 years have compared outcomes of surgical versus nonsurgical intervention for cervical radiculopathy. METHODS Fifty-nine patients were randomized to ACDF surgery with postoperative physiotherapy (30 patients) or to structured physiotherapy alone (29 patients). The physiotherapy program included general and specific exercises as well as pain coping strategies. Outcome measures included neck disability (Neck Disability Index [NDI]), neck and arm pain intensity (visual analog scale [VAS]), health state (EQ-5D questionnaire), and a patient global assessment. Patients were followed up for 5-8 years. RESULTS After 5-8 years, the NDI was reduced by a mean score% of 21 (95% CI 14-28) in the surgical group and 11% (95% CI 4%-18%) in the nonsurgical group (p = 0.03). Neck pain was reduced by a mean score of 39 mm (95% CI 26-53 mm) compared with 19 mm (95% CI 7-30 mm; p = 0.01), and arm pain was reduced by a mean score of 33 mm (95% CI 18-49 mm) compared with 19 mm (95% CI 7-32 mm; p = 0.1), respectively. The EQ-5D had a mean respective increase of 0.29 (95% CI 0.13-0.45) compared with 0.14 (95% CI 0.01-0.27; p = 0.12). Ninety-three percent of patients in the surgical group rated their symptoms as "better" or "much better" compared with 62% in the nonsurgical group (p = 0.005). Both treatment groups experienced significant improvement over baseline for all outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS In this prospective randomized study of 5- to 8-year outcomes of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment in patients with cervical radiculopathy, ACDF combined with physiotherapy reduced neck disability and neck pain more effectively than physiotherapy alone. Self-rating by patients as regards treatment outcome was also superior in the surgery group. No significant differences were seen between the 2 patient groups as regards arm pain and health outcome.
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| 13. |
- Engquist, Markus, et al.
(author)
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Factors Affecting the Outcome of Surgical Versus Nonsurgical Treatment of Cervical Radiculopathy
- 2015
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In: Spine. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 40:20, s. 1553-1563
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Study Design. Prospective randomized controlled trial. Objective. To analyze factors that may influence the outcome of anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) followed by physiotherapy versus physiotherapy alone for treatment of patients with cervical radiculopathy. Summary of Background Data. An understanding of patient-related factors affecting the outcome of ACDF is important for preoperative patient selection. No previous prospective, randomized study of treatment effect modifiers relating to outcome of ACDF compared with physiotherapy has been carried out. Methods. 60 patients with cervical radiculopathy were randomized to ACDF followed by physiotherapy or physiotherapy alone. Data for possible modifiers of treatment outcome at 1 year, such as sex, age, duration of pain, pain intensity, disability (Neck Disability Index, NDI), patient expectations of treatment, anxiety due to neck/arm pain, distress (Distress and Risk Assessment Method), self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy Scale) health status (EQ-5D), and magnetic resonance imaging findings were collected. A multivariate analysis was performed to find treatment effect modifiers affecting the outcome regarding arm/neck pain intensity and NDI. Results. Factors that significantly altered the treatment effect between treatment groups in favor of surgery were: duration of neck pain less than 12 months (P = 0.007), duration of arm pain less than 12 months (P = 0.01) and female sex (P = 0.007) (outcome: arm pain), low EQ-5D index (outcome: neck pain, P = 0.02), high levels of anxiety due to neck/arm pain (outcome: neck pain, P = 0.02 and NDI, P = 0.02), low Self-Efficacy Scale score (P = 0.05), and high Distress and Risk Assessment Method score (P = 0.04) (outcome: NDI). No factors were found to be associated with better outcome with physiotherapy alone. Conclusion. In this prospective, randomized study of patients with cervical radiculopathy, short duration of pain, female sex, low health quality, high levels of anxiety due to neck/arm pain, low self-efficacy, and a high level of distress before treatment were associated with better outcome from surgery. No factors were found to be associated with better outcome from physiotherapy alone.
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| 14. |
- Enthoven, Paul, et al.
(author)
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Validity, internal consistency and self-rated change of the patient enablement instrument in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain
- 2019
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In: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. - : Medical Journals Sweden AB. - 1650-1977 .- 1651-2081. ; 51:8, s. 587-597
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Patient enablement reflects patient's understanding of and coping with illness. The aim of this study was to investigate the content validity, construct validity, internal consistency and selfrated change (SRC) of the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) in patients with whiplash-associated disorders, cervical radiculopathy and mixed chronic pain treated in different settings.Design: Psychometric analyses. Participants: Patients with disabling non-malignant chronic musculoskeletal pain.Methods: Participants answered questionnaires on disability (Neck Disability Index (NDI) or Functional Rating Index (FRI)), anxiety/depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS) and general health (EuroQol; EQ-5D). Content validity, construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis), internal consistency and cut-off for SRC were investigated for the PEI after treatment. The SRC value was the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve optimal cut-off point.Results: After treatment all items were completed by 516 patients (mean standard deviation (SD) age 45.1 years (SD 10.1), women 75% (n=385)). The 1-factor PEI model had approximate fit to the data. The internal consistency Cronbach's alpha was between 0.878 and 0.929 for the 3 groups. Correlations between the PEI and the NDI/FRI, HADS and EQ-5D were fair to good. The SRCROC for whiplash-associated disorders, cervical radiculopathy and mixed chronic pain groups was 5, 6 and 4 points in the PEI, respectively.Conclusion: The PEI showed fair content validity, construct validity and internal consistency. However, the scale needs further development to improve measurement of change.
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| 15. |
- Falla, D., et al.
(author)
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Perceived pain extent is associated with disability, depression and self-efficacy in individuals with whiplash-associated disorders
- 2016
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In: European Journal of Pain. - : WILEY-BLACKWELL. - 1090-3801 .- 1532-2149. ; 20:9, s. 1490-1501
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundCompletion of a pain drawing is a familiar task in those presenting with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Some people report pain almost over their entire body. Yet the reasons for larger pain extent have not been fully explored. MethodsA novel method was applied to quantify pain extent from the pain drawings of 205 individuals with chronic WAD. Pain extent was evaluated in relation to sex, age, educational level, insurance status and financial status. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to verify whether pain extent was associated with other health indicators including perceived pain and disability, health-related quality of life, pain catastrophizing, anxiety, depression and self-efficacy. ResultsPain extent was influenced by sex ((2):10.392, pamp;lt;0.001) with larger pain extent in women compared to men (7.887.66% vs. 5.406.44%). People with unsettled insurance claims ((2): 7.500, pamp;lt;0.05) and those with a worse financial situation ((2):12.223, pamp;lt;0.01) also had larger pain extent. Multiple linear regression models revealed that, when accounting for age, sex, education, insurance status, financial status and neck pain intensity, pain extent remained associated with perceived disability (pamp;lt;0.01), depression (pamp;lt;0.05) and self-efficacy (pamp;lt;0.001). ConclusionBy utilizing a novel method for pain extent quantification, this study shows that widespread pain is associated with a number of factors including perceived disability, depression and self-efficacy in individuals with chronic WAD. Widespread pain should alert the clinician to consider more specific psychological screening, particularly for depression and self-efficacy, in patients with WAD. What does this study add?Women with chronic WAD, those with unsettled insurance claims and those with poorer financial status perceive more widespread pain. When controlling for these factors, larger pain areas remain associated with perceived pain and disability, depression and self-efficacy. The pain drawing is useful to support psychological screening in people with chronic WAD.
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| 16. |
- Halvorsen, Marie, et al.
(author)
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Dimensions Underlying Measures of Disability, Personal Factors, and Health Status in Cervical Radiculopathy A Cross-Sectional Study
- 2015
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In: Medicine. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS and WILKINS. - 0025-7974 .- 1536-5964. ; 94:24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This cross-sectional study sought to identify dimensions underlying measures of impairment, disability, personal factors, and health status in patients with cervical radiculopathy. One hundred twenty-four patients with magnetic resonance imaging-verified cervical radiculopathy, attending a neurosurgery clinic in Sweden, participated. Data from clinical tests and questionnaires on disability, personal factors, and health status were used in a principal-component analysis (PCA) with oblique rotation. The PCA supported a 3-component model including 14 variables from clinical tests and questionnaires, accounting for 73% of the cumulative percentage. The first component, pain and disability, explained 56%. The second component, health, fear-avoidance beliefs, kinesiophobia, and self-efficacy, explained 9.2%. The third component including anxiety, depression, and catastrophizing explained 7.6%. The strongest-loading variables of each dimension were "present neck pain intensity," "fear avoidance," and "anxiety." The three underlying dimensions identified and labeled Pain and functioning, Health, beliefs, and kinesiophobia, and Mood state and catastrophizing captured aspects of importance for cervical radiculopathy. Since the variables "present neck pain intensity," "fear avoidance," and "anxiety" had the strongest loading in each of the three dimensions; it may be important to include them in a reduced multidimensional measurement set in cervical radiculopathy.
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| 17. |
- Halvorsen, Marie, et al.
(author)
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SHORT- AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON NECK MUSCLE FUNCTION IN CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL
- 2016
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In: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. - : FOUNDATION REHABILITATION INFORMATION. - 1650-1977 .- 1651-2081. ; 48:8, s. 696-704
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To compare short-and long-term changes in neck muscle endurance, electromyography measures of neck muscle activation and fatigue and ratings of fatigue and pain after neck-specific training or physical activity in people with cervical radiculopathy. Design: Randomized clinical trial. Subjects/patients: Seventy-five patients with cervical radiculopathy. Methods: Patients underwent neck-specific training in combination with a cognitive behavioural approach or prescribed physical activity over a period of 14 weeks. Immediately after the intervention and 12 months later, surface electromyography was recorded from neck flexor and extensor muscles during neck endurance tests. Time to task failure, amplitude and median frequency of the electromyography signal, and subjective fatigue and pain ratings were analysed in 50 patients who completed at least one follow-up. Results: A significant increase in neck flexor endurance time was observed for both groups at 14 weeks compared with baseline and this was maintained at the 12-month follow-up (pamp;lt;0.005). No change was identified for the slope of the median frequency. For the neck-specific training group, splenius capitis was less active during neck flexion at both follow-ups (pamp;lt;0.01), indicating reduced muscle co-activation. Conclusion: Both specific and general exercise increased neck flexor endurance, but neck-specific training only reduced co-activation of antagonist muscles during sustained neck flexion.
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| 18. |
- Hermansen, Anna
(author)
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Clinical and patient-reported outcomes after anterior cervical decompression and fusion surgery : A focus on functioning and daily life
- 2015
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF), with or without an intervertebral cage to add support to the fused segment, is an established surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy due to cervical disc disease. High recovery rates and pain reductions after surgery have been reported, with similar results with or without a cage. A few small studies have evaluated neck-related physical function and patient-reported disability with less promising results. No previous studies have evaluated clinical and patientreported measures of functioning or compared the Cloward Procedure with the Cervical Intervertebral Fusion Cage (CIFC) more than 10 year after surgery. No studies have explored the patients’ perspective on surgical outcome Knowledge on long-term functioning may provide a base for improved postoperative care and rehabilitation. Combining the perspectives of clinicians and patients may provide a better understanding of outcome after ACDF surgery than has previously been reported.The overall aim of the thesis was to evaluate long-term functioning after anterior cervical decompression and fusion surgery due to cervical disc disease, and to provide new insights into patients’ experiences of daily life after surgery.The more than 10-year patient-reported outcomes of pain, disability and psychosocial factors (n=77), as well as clinical outcomes of neck-related physical function (n=51) were evaluated and compared between the Cloward Procedure and the CIFC. Preoperative and surgery-related factors of importance for a good outcome in neck-related pain and disability at 10-year follow-up were also identified. Fourteen women were interviewed at 1.5 to 3 years after ACDF to explore their experiences of daily life.There were no differences between the surgical techniques in long-term neck-related pain or patient-reported disability. Secondary outcomes were, with a few exceptions, similar between groups. Neck-related pain decreased after surgery and remained improved from the 2-year to the 10-year follow-up. However, disability ratings remained improved only in the CIFC group. Predictors of a successful outcome in neck-related pain intensity were high preoperative neck-related pain intensity (Odds Ratio 1.06) and nonsmoking (Odds Ratio 3.03). Male gender was the only predictive factor of a successful outcome in neck-related disability (Odds Ratio 4.33). Moderate to severe pain and patient-reported disability were seen in half of the participants at the 10-year follow-up, and neck-related physical impairments were seen in between 18% (cervical flexion) and 82% (neck-muscle endurance) of participants. Daily life was experienced as recovered or improved by women after ACDF surgery. However they were at the same time affected and limited by remaining symptoms. Behaviors and activities were altered to adjust to the symptoms. Social support provided by family, social and occupational networks, and by healthcare professionals were experienced as important in a good daily life.In conclusion: long-term pain, physical function and patient-reported disability were similar between the two ACDF techniques. High preoperative pain intensity, non-smoking and male gender predicted a good long-term outcome. Individuals after ACDF surgery experienced improvements in pain intensity and a good effect of surgery although they simultaneously reported residual or recurrent disability.
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| 19. |
- Hermansen, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Women’s experiences of daily life after anterior cervical decompression and fusion surgery : A qualitative interview study
- 2016
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In: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. - Uppsala, Sweden : Stiftelsen Rehabiliteringsinformation /Foundation for Rehabilitation Information. - 1650-1977 .- 1651-2081. ; 48:4, s. 352-358
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Subjects: Fourteen women aged 39-62 years (median 52 years), were included 1.5 to 3 years after ACDF for cervical degenerative disc disease.Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews were analyzed by qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach.Results: The women described their experiences of daily life in five different ways; Experiences of recovery; Experiences of symptoms in daily life influence feelings and thoughts; Making daily life work; Importance of social and occupational networks; Experiences of the influence of healthcare professionals and interventions on daily life.Conclusion: This interview study provides insight into women’s daily life after ACDF. While improved after surgery, informants also experienced remaining symptoms and limitations in daily life. A variety of mostly active coping strategies were used to manage daily life. Social support from family, friends, occupational networks and healthcare professionals positively influenced daily life. These findings provide knowledge on aspects of daily life that should be considered in individualized postoperative care and rehabilitation in an attempt to provide better outcomes in women after ACDF.
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| 20. |
- Karlsson, Anette, et al.
(author)
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An Investigation of Fat Infiltration of the Multifidus Muscle in Patients With Severe Neck Symptoms Associated With Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorder
- 2016
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In: Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. - : Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT). - 0190-6011 .- 1938-1344. ; 46:10, s. 886-893
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. BACKGROUND: Findings of fat infiltration in cervical spine multifidus, as a sign of degenerative morphometric changes due to whiplash injury, need to be verified. OBJECTIVES: To develop a method using water/fat magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate fat infiltration and cross-sectional area of multifidus muscle in individuals with whiplash associated disorders (WADS) compared to healthy controls. METHODS: Fat infiltration and cross-sectional area in the multifidus muscles spanning the C4 to C7 segmental levels were investigated by manual segmentation using water/fat-separated MRI in 31 participants with WAD and 31 controls, matched for age and sex. RESULTS: Based on average values for data spanning C4 to C7, participants with severe disability related to WAD had 38% greater muscular fat infiltration compared to healthy controls (P = .03) and 45% greater fat infiltration compared to those with mild to moderate disability related to WAD (P = .02). There were no significant differences between those with mild to moderate disability and healthy controls. No significant differences between groups were found for multifidus cross-sectional area. Significant differences were observed for both cross-sectional area and fat infiltration between segmental levels. CONCLUSION: Participants with severe disability after a whiplash injury had higher fat infiltration in the multifidus compared to controls and to those with mild/moderate disability secondary to WAD. Earlier reported findings using T1-weighted MRI were reproduced using refined imaging technology. The results of the study also indicate a risk when segmenting single cross-sectional slices, as both cross-sectional area and fat infiltration differ between cervical levels.
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