• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.281-291
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the effects of a rehabilitation program including Koryo Hand-Acupuncture on physical function, self-esteem, and quality of life of post-stroke elderly patients. Method: A nonequivalent control group pre-post test research design was used. Participants in the study were 44 post-stroke elderly people (22 in an experimental group, 22 in a control group) enrolled in a social welfare center and a hospital in K city. Data were collected from April 6 to August 20, 2004. The program consisted of Koryo Hand-Acupuncture, ROM exercise, health education and supportive care. The analyses were carried using frequencies, percentages, $x^2$-test, Fisher exact and t-test with SPSS 10.0. Results: The patients in the experimental group, who took part in the 10-weeks rehabilitation program including Koryo Hand-Acupuncture, had significant increases in shoulder joint flexion, shoulder joint abduction, elbow joint flexion, hip joint flexion, knee joint flexion, knee joint extension, flexibility, self-esteem and quality of life as compared to the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that a rehabilitation program including Koryo Hand-Acupuncture may be utilized as an effective nursing program to improve physical function, self-esteem and quality of life for post-stroke elderly patients.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.23-28
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• 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate functional gait and pulmonary function of patients with subacute or chronic stroke for aperiod after the onset of stroke. Healthy people of similar ages served as a control group. The study focused on the clinical importance of intervention with cardiopulmonary rehabilitation treatment in patients with stroke. Methods: The standard time period used to differentiate the subacute and the chronic stroke groups was six months. Each group, including the control, was allocated 11 subjects. Vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume at one second ($FEV_1$) were measured with a spirometer for each subject. Walk tests (10 m and 6 min) and functional gait tests were then conducted. Results: Significant differences were noted for VC, FVC, and $FEV_1$ between the subacute stroke group and the normal group and between the chronic stroke group and the normal group (p<0.05), but no significant difference was evident between the subacute stroke group and the chronic stroke group (p>0.05). No significant difference was seen between the subacute stroke group and the chronic stroke group in the 6min walk test (p>0.05), whereas a significant difference was observed between the subacute stroke group and the chronic stroke group in the 10 m walk test (p<0.05). Conclusion: The general rehabilitation treatment is effective with respect to functional aspects, but it has limited effect in improving pulmonary function and muscular endurance. Therefore, additional intervention of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is necessary in the rehabilitation treatment process of patients with stroke.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.492-500
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate sexual life in men after stroke Methods: The subjects were 60 post-stroke patients who visited a convalescent center for disabled people in Seoul, Korea. The subjects were discharged from the hospital and received physical therapy. Six items of sexual relationship were used to measure sexual life after stroke. Results: The most common sexual changes identified after stroke included decline in satisfaction, libido, coital frequency, satisfaction, and ability to perform sexual activities. Only 20.0% of the subjects reported that they discussed sexual life with health professionals. Conclusion: The change in sexual life was perceived as negative effects on their attitude toward sexuality. Some attitudes or improper beliefs that could negatively influence sexual readjustment after stroke nay be corrected through adequate counseling. Nurses should present not only accurate information regarding sexual concerns but also they can provide health education and sexual counseling in their practice.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.7.1-7.3
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• 2010

Stroke, also called an attack on the brain, is a complex disease that results from the interaction of many genetic and environmental factors. StrokePortal is a comprehensive resource for information on stroke that integrates and provides essential findings regarding stroke pathology, diagnostics, and treatments, based on Oriental and Western medicine. The stroke information was collected from various sources, such as journal articles, books, websites, and news stories, and it was refined, classified, and stored into a relational database system by automatic classification and manual curation. To provide the stored information effectively to users, a specialized retrieval system, based on web interfaces, was implemented. StrokePortal provides cutting-edge information to experts; interested people, including patients and their families; and investigators to broaden their knowledge of effective treatments for patients and offer many preventive measures. It provides a specialized feature with which users can upload their information and opinions to StrokePortal, which will enrich and mature the content even further. StrokePortal is freely accessible at http://genomics.kribb.re.kr/StrokePortal/.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.792-802
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the adjustment process of middle-aged people in Korea with hemiplegia after a stroke. Method: For this study, the grounded theory method was utilized. Results: After constant comparative analysis, the core category emerged as 'rebuilding the body which was ruined'. In addition, the causal conditions were 'restriction of physical function', and 'loss of roles'. The adjustment process consisted of the 'facing reality phase', 'overcoming depression phase', 'overcoming physical limits phase' and 'reestablishing roles phase' The main strategies in the facing reality phase were 'holding on to a glimmer of hope', 'getting away from the harsh reality' and 'facing up to the reality'. The main strategies in the overcoming depression phase were 'soothing oneself', 'Self-introspection' and 'restoring self-esteem'. In addition, the main strategies in the self-initiative overcoming physical limits phase was 'discovering personal strategies and striving to recover'. The main strategies in the reestablishing roles phase were 'reestablishing a parents' role', 'reestablishing a spouse's role' and 'reestablishing social roles'. Conclusion: In conclusion, even though many middle aged stroke patients remained in the depression phase, most of them who overcame depression strived to conquer physical limits on their own initiative.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1413-1419
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hemispheric damage in body composition of male adults with stroke experiences. The Fourth and Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) with body composition results obtained from the DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) assessments were used for this study. Survey data of 18 post-stroke men and 28 healthy controls were obtained. Both the lean and fat masses of the upper and lower limbs were utilized to compare for the compositions between the limbs in post-stroke subjects. In addition, the effect of exercise habit was also observed for the influence of physical activity in body composition. Mixed results in left and right limb compositions were shown between the groups. When the subjects were further divided based on walking days per week, sedentary (walk ${\leq}2d/wk$) post-stroke group showed significantly greater fat mass and less lean mass than the physically active people (walk ${\geq}3d/wk$). In comparison to the healthy sedentary and physically active controls, two post-stroke groups showed greater variations. The results indicate that physical activity maintains or improve the quality of both the upper and lower limb composition in patients with post-stroke men.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.816-829
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• 2007

Objectives : This study investigated warning signs and stroke presymptoms and their relationship with acute stroke patients in each stroke type. Methods : 217 patients with first-ever acute stroke within 2 weeks as the case group, 146 people without four major risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and ischemic heart disease) as the healthy control group (Normals), and 160 people as the general control group (Controls) were recruited at the Stroke Medical Center in Daejeon University Oriental Medicine Hospital from July 2005 to March 2007 for this case-control study. We analyzed the odds ratio of each warning sign or presymptom by multivariate logistic analysis and evaluated each stroke type, as well as general characteristics such as age, sex, etc. Results : Paralysis or weakness of the face and limbs, visual field disorder or loss of vision or blurred and double vision in eyes or both eyes, and sudden difficulty in speaking or dysarthria showed significant increase respectively in each stroke type. In contrast, numbness or tingling sensation or lowering sensation of the face and limbs, numbness or dead sensation of 1st and 2nd fingers, tension at cervical lesion, blepharospasm, facial spasm, etc. had no significant relation with stroke occurrence. Conclusions : In this study we demonstrated that each presymptom have an influence on each stroke type and have different odds ratio for stroke. We believe this may contribute to interpreting the importance of warning signs or presymptoms for each type of stroke, and more prospective studies are needed.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.15-22
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• 2009

Purpose: This study examined the effect of aquatic exercise on the improvement in physical and pulmonary function after stroke. Methods: Fourteen candidates, who had experienced stroke, were enrolled in this study. The program was carried out three times weekly, 1 hour per session and for 10 consecutive weeks. At pre-treatment and post-treatment, the subjects were tested with a 10 m and 100 m timed gait test, a timed get up and go test, a functional reach test, the difference in thoracic girth at inspiration and expiration, and breaths per minute. The forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were measured using a spirometer. Results: After ten weekends of an aquatic exercise program, the subjects showed a significant difference in all the test results except for the FEV1 (p<0.05). Conclusion: Intervention with this aquatic exercise program can improve the physical and pulmonary function in people who have had a stroke.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.130-141
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to reconsider the necessity of stroke-related educational programs by investigating early symptoms of stroke that emergency medical technicians (EMTs) may experience. Methods: An interview survey was carried out, targeting all EMTs 298 people who were working at 119 fire safety centers and local units in Jeollabuk-do province, from April 1 to 30, 2011. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on ETMs' demographic characteristics, educational level on stroke, and awareness level about early symptoms of stroke and treatment-related characteristics of stroke patients. Results: The results showed that 63.2% of those surveyed had completed the required educational programs on stroke during the past year. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patients' condition was relatively high for women, those who were 30 years under, low position people, emergency service practitioners, emergency medical technicians, and people who have completed education, respectively. It was also turned out that 82.8% of those surveyed took stroke patients to the nearest hospitals first so that they could receive appropriate treatment. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patients' condition in people who have completed education were higher than non-complete. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke was positively correlated with confidence, satisfaction and appropriateness in treatment of stroke patients. Conclusions: These results strongly suggest that it is necessary to operate specialized educational programs to enhance EMTs' appropriate awareness of the early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patient's condition.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.102-108
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• 2018

Objective: To investigate whether the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) clinically defines improvement of Berg Balance Scale (BBS) scores in people with acute stroke in response to rehabilitation. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: Seventy-three participants with acute stroke participated in the study. Balance evaluation was performed using the BBS. All patients received rehabilitation with physical therapy for 4 weeks, 5 times a week, for 2 hours and 20 minutes a day. An anchor-based approach using the clinical global impression was used to determine the MCID of the BBS. The MCID was used to define the minimum change in the BBS total score (postintervention-preintervention) that was needed to perceive at least a 3-point improvement on the global rating of change. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was used to define the cut-off values of the optimal MCID of the BBS in order to discriminate between improvement and no improvement groups. Results: The optimal MCID cut-off point for the BBS change scores was 12.5 points for males with a sensitivity (Sn) of 0.62 and a specificity (Sp) of 0.89, and 12.5 points for females with a Sn of 0.69 and Sp of 0.85. The area under the curve of the ROC curve for all participants were 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72; 0.95, p<0.001), and 0.89 (95% CI, 0.77; 1.00, p<0.001), respectively. Conclusions: The MCID for improvement in balance as measured by the BBS was 13.5 points, indicating that the MCID does clinically detect changes in balance abilities in persons with stroke.