Ricerc@Sapienza

Objective: Spastic dystonia is one of the positive phenomena of the upper motor neuron syndrome (UMNS). It is characterised by the inability to relax a muscle leading to a spontaneous, although stretch-sensitive, tonic contraction. Although spastic dystonia is a recognized cause of muscle hypertonia, its prevalence among hypertonic muscles of stroke subjects has never been investigated. Differently from spasticity, which is an exaggerated stretch reflex, spastic dystonia is viewed as an efferent phenomenon, due to an abnormal central drive to motoneurons.

Objective: The primary aim is to verify the effectiveness of an aquatic training (AT) in inpatients with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (sTBI) on balance. The secondary aims are to explore the effects on gait, activities of daily living, and quality of life, comparing to a land-based conventional protocol. Methods: Two-arm, randomized controlled trial. Twenty inpatients with sTBI, Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8, and Level of Cognitive Functioning ≥7 were recruited and randomly assigned to the aquatic therapy group (ATG) or to the Conventional Training Group (CTG).

Background: Many studies hypothesize that people who have suffered stroke could benefit from water-based exercises to improve their strength and ability to perform the activities of daily living. Objective: The study aim was to compare the effects of a water-based sequential preparatory approach (SPA) and conventional aquatic therapy in improving motor functions and quality of life in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Thirty-three chronic stroke outpatients diagnosed with hemiplegia were recruited and randomly assigned to the experimental or control group.