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Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Neurological Disorders
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Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Neurological Disorders

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Assessments".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 3344

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Carolina Lagares-Franco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Statistics and Operative Research, University of Cadiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain
Interests: biostatistics; research methodology; mental health
Dr. Manuel Rodríguez-Huguet

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Cádiz, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
Interests: physical therapy; physical rehabilitation; musculoskeletal disorders; pain management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Physiotherapy and clinical rehabilitation offer different approaches for the assessment and management of neurological disorders. As of now, there has been considerable research regarding physical therapy and clinical rehabilitation areas; however, standardized protocols for the clinical assessment and key therapies of neurological pathologies requiring physical therapy interventions are still needed.

An early diagnosis, with subsequent access to evidence-based rehabilitative and/or psychological treatments, can promote recovery—albeit not all patients respond to the currently available treatments. We are currently experiencing great advances in neurorehabilitation medicine for people who have suffered a neurological injury or disease and people with disabilities.

Therefore, it is critically important that physiotherapists constantly develop their knowledge and techniques. This Special Issue aims to serve for the discussion of all aspects of motion analysis, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation studies, including evaluation, treatment, and prevention.

For this SI, I would like to invite researchers to contribute their expertise, insights, and findings in the form of novel and original research articles and reviews based on studies of pain and functionality in neurological disorders. We invite manuscript submissions for inclusion in a Special Issue of Healthcare, entitled " Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Neurological Disorders”. Studies using quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, or systematic reviews with or without metanalysis are considered.

Prof. Dr. Carolina Lagares-Franco
Guest Editor

Dr. Manuel Rodríguez-Huguet
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physiotherapy
  • pain
  • functionality
  • neurological
  • nerve
  • rehabilitation
  • physical therapy
  • stroke
  • neurological disorders
  • balance
  • gait

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 435 KiB  
Article
Prevalence of Stroke in Spain and Its Impact on Quality of Life: Socioeconomic Inequalities and Access to Rehabilitation
by Ismael García-Campanario and Maria Jesus Vinolo-Gil
Healthcare 2025, 13(9), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13091075 - 6 May 2025
Viewed by 400
Abstract
Stroke is a cerebrovascular syndrome due to a sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain that causes transient or permanent damage. Despite advances in the field of medical science, stroke is still common and continues to have a significant effect on quality [...] Read more.
Stroke is a cerebrovascular syndrome due to a sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain that causes transient or permanent damage. Despite advances in the field of medical science, stroke is still common and continues to have a significant effect on quality of life. Objective: The objective of the study was to analyze the prevalence of strokes in Spain, considering differences in sociodemographic factors, functional limitations, and access to rehabilitation, with special attention to sex-related disparities. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the latest European Health Survey in Spain carried out between 2019 and 2020 on a total of 22,072 people. Individuals over 16 years of age with a medical diagnosis of stroke were selected for this study. Sociodemographic variables, self-perception of health, limitations in daily activities, level of physical activity, and access to rehabilitation treatment were analyzed. Descriptive measures and inferential tests were applied for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of strokes occurring in Spain was estimated at 2.02%, which is lower than European figures. Men tend to have strokes at younger ages (50% between 36 and 73 years), while women report a poorer quality of life after the incident. Most patients had not received rehabilitation services in the last year. Conclusions: Given the aging population, it is essential to reinforce prevention, early detection and rehabilitation therapies to improve quality of life and reduce the burden of care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Neurological Disorders)
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16 pages, 1261 KiB  
Article
Lokomat vs. Conventional Therapy—Impact on Gait Symmetry in Hemiparetic Patients: Preliminary Clinical Study
by Marina Potašová, Peter Mačej, Eva Moraučíková, Patrícia Shtin Baňárová and Peter Kutiš
Healthcare 2025, 13(8), 929; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13080929 - 18 Apr 2025
Viewed by 290
Abstract
Background/Objectives: One of the primary goals of neurorehabilitation after stroke is gait reeducation, as it provides the patient with greater autonomy and enhances their safety in daily activities. A preliminary clinical study was undertaken to determine whether robotic gait reeducation using the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: One of the primary goals of neurorehabilitation after stroke is gait reeducation, as it provides the patient with greater autonomy and enhances their safety in daily activities. A preliminary clinical study was undertaken to determine whether robotic gait reeducation using the Lokomat device is more effective than conventional therapy in achieving gait symmetry. Methods: The research group consisted of 107 patients, with an average age of 63.54 years, all in the subacute stage of hemiparesis. These patients underwent 4 weeks of neurorehabilitation and were assigned into experimental and control groups. The patients in the experimental group underwent neurorehabilitation (20 sessions) and twice-weekly walking on the Lokomat device (10 sessions). The control group received equivalent neurorehabilitation and conventional gait reeducation. We monitored the return of ideal limb loading (to a 50:50 ratio) and the restoration of the step length on the paretic limb to a physiological length (73 cm), as well as the subsequent restoration of gait symmetry. The measurements were performed using the HP Cosmos Zebris Treadmill FDM-T device. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was conducted within each group to analyze the effectiveness of gait reeducation before and after therapy. To compare the results between the two groups, the Mann–Whitney test (α = 0.05) was employed. Results: There was no significant difference between the robotic and conventional therapy groups (p = 0.432 (>0.05)). A significant change occurred only in the control group in the 50:50 limb loading parameter (p = 0.042). There were no significant changes in the other parameters. Conclusions: Under the conditions of our study, robot-guided gait reeducation did not appear to be more effective than conventional therapy. The monthly duration of gait reeducation is insufficient to achieve a symmetrical gait in patients with spastic hemiparesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Neurological Disorders)
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Review

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18 pages, 640 KiB  
Review
The Methodological Quality of Studies on Physical Exercise in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
by Alexandrina Cavalcante Rodrigues Nitz, Maria João Campos, Ana Amélia Moraes Antunes, Emilly da Silva Freitas, Chrystiane Vasconcelos Andrade Toscano and José Pedro Ferreira
Healthcare 2024, 12(20), 2039; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12202039 - 15 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2039
Abstract
Introduction: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses point to the benefits of physical exercise for adolescents with cerebral palsy, improving physical conditioning, muscle strength, balance, and walking speed. However, given the high number of reviews that include randomized and non-randomized studies, it is increasingly necessary [...] Read more.
Introduction: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses point to the benefits of physical exercise for adolescents with cerebral palsy, improving physical conditioning, muscle strength, balance, and walking speed. However, given the high number of reviews that include randomized and non-randomized studies, it is increasingly necessary to assess the methodological quality of these reviews. This scoping review investigated the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of physical exercise in adolescents with cerebral palsy to elucidate the methodological limitations of the research and the priorities to be observed in future research. Method: The electronic search used PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Studies published between 2016 and 2023 were selected. The terms used were “cerebral palsy” combined with “physical fitness”, “exercise”, and “physical activity”. Results: A total of 219 original reviews were selected. Of these, 19 reviews were included for data analysis. AMSTAR2 was used to assess the methodological quality of the reviews. Three reviews presented high methodological quality (15.78%) and three had moderate methodological quality (15.78%). The remaining reviews had low or critically low methodological quality, according to AMSTAR2. Interpretation: This study evidenced that systematic reviews have variable methodological quality and that new studies are still needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Neurological Disorders)
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