Objective: We investigated the changes in circulating irisin levels after community-based exercise and the association of these levels with improvements in muscle strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, and body composition in people with ischemic stroke.Methods: Twenty participants were randomly assigned to either a control or an exercise group. The community-based exercise program (CEP) consisted of 8 weeks of 1 h sessions for 3 days a week. Irisin levels, muscle strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, and body composition were assessed before and after the intervention.Results: Significant improvements were observed in the leg and trunk strength, peak oxygen consumption values, and body composition of the exercise group compared with the control group. In addition, circulating irisin levels were observed to have increased in the exercise group, positively correlated with muscle strength and cardiorespiratory endurance.Conclusion: CEP might be an effective intervention to increase irisin levels and prevent a stroke-related decline in muscle function.

Background: Respiratory disorders result in rehospitalization and premature death of patients with cervical spinal cord injuries (CSCI). Community game-based respiratory muscle training (RMT) programs could reduce secondary complications. Methods: We examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of RMT as a community-based exercise program. Among the 10 included participants (eight male and two female), four, one, one, and four reported C3, C4, C5, and C6 complete injuries, respectively (eight graded by American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale [ASIA] A and two by ASIA B). Their mean age was 43 ± 12.3 y. The time since injury was 10 ± 6.7 y. The participants completed an RMT program for 60 min/day, twice weekly, for 8 weeks. The participants were trained in the use of a newly developed game-based RMT device. The device provides consistent pressure for respiratory muscle strength and endurance training. Seven RMT devices were modified to allow 10 game-based RMT programs. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁), peak expiratory flow (PEF), vital capacity (VC), inspiratory capacity (IC), inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), expiratory reserve volume (ERV), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and peak cough flow (PCF) were measured. Results: There were improvements after RMT compared to pre-RMT in FVC (p = 0.027, 10.62%, 0.22 effect size [ES]), PEF (p = 0.006, 23.21%, 0.45 ES), VC (p = 0.002, 35.52%, 0.60 ES), IC (p = 0.001, 46.94%, 0.81 ES), IRV (p = 0.001, 90.53%, 1.22 ES), MIP (p = 0.002, 97.25%, 1.32 ES), MEP (p = 0.005, 141.12%, 1.07 ES), and PCF (p = 0.001, 35.60%, 0.74 ES). The participants reported a positive impact of the program. Conclusions: Community game-based RMT for individuals with CSCI appears to be safe and feasible. Community exercise with RMT use may have a positive impact on the respiratory measures for patients with CSCI who are vulnerable to respiratory compromise. Trial registration: KCT0005980.

It is essential for stroke patients to maintain their therapy even after discharging inpatient rehabilitation. This is because recovery is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort. Virtual reality exergame training (VRET) is becoming widely used in stroke rehabilitation to improve physical, social, and psychological outcomes. Home-based VRET may be a more convenient and accessible option for stroke rehabilitation. This study will aim to determine the effectiveness of home-based VRET for patients with stroke who have been discharged from the hospital. This trial will randomly assign 120 participants to 8 weeks of either a VRET (intervention group) or daily life (control group). The study will measure cardiopulmonary endurance, muscular strength, functional capacity, gait, activities of daily living, and quality of life. Our main objective is to determine whether it is safe for patients to undergo VRET at home after they have been discharged from the hospital with a doctor’s note. Additionally, we aim to examine whether stroke patients are capable of exercising at home after being discharged from the hospital. This study’s outcome could pave the way for developing more comprehensive exercise protocols for stroke patients. Our findings will provide valuable insights into the efficacy of VRET as a therapeutic tool for stroke patients.

Assistive technology plays an important role in facilitating independent living and a high quality of life for older adults and people with disabilities, who depend on the provision of customized assistive devices for various physical functions. Technological advances such as 3D printers have facilitated responses to some of these needs; however, the lack of relevant policies, information, and services makes proper use of these facilities difficult. Therefore, the National Rehabilitation Center established the AT Open Platform—an open-source sharing platform for AT. The AT Open Platform revitalized the customized assistive device industry by using appropriate advanced technologies. In the AT Open Platform, older adults and those with disabilities propose needs, developers develop solutions for these needs and share products as open sources, and manufacturers provide services for older adults and those with disabilities using open sources. Having these various stakeholders interacting on one platform requires high usability. In this study, the usability of open platforms was evaluated by categorizing each stakeholder (idea proposer, developer, and maker); efficiency was evaluated by thematic think-aloud analysis; effectiveness was evaluated by task analysis; and satisfaction was evaluated using the System Usability Scale and the e-government website UI/UX quality evaluation table. Additionally, the functions, content, and visual designs of the open platforms were evaluated. Through this investigation, we suggested ways to improve open-source assistive device websites to meet the needs of each stakeholder. We expect that this open platform with improved usability will improve user accessibility and make it easier to find and use assistive devices that are essential in daily life.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 8 weeks of resistance circuit training in people with paraplegia due to spinal cord injury.Methods Participants were randomized into experimental and control groups. Although the intensity and sequence of movements of the exercise programs were identical in both groups, the resting time between sets was limited to 1 minute in the experimental group. In the control group, the participants were allowed to rest until they were comfortable. Both groups received 8 weeks of training twice per week. Before and after the program, muscle mass, body fat percentage, fat mass, blood pressure, heart rate, muscle strength and muscular endurance were evaluated, and 6-minute propulsion test was conducted. Additionally, the safety of the program was assessed.Results Twenty-two individuals with paraplegia were enrolled (11 in each group). After the training program, the experimental group showed a significant decrease in the resting blood pressure and improvement in the upper extremity muscle mass, strength, and endurance (p<0.05). Each variable showed significant inter-group differences (p<0.05). Furthermore, none of the participants showed autonomic adverse events, musculoskeletal side effects, or discomfort.Conclusion The results show that resistance circuit training programs with short resting intervals are superior to the usual resistance exercise programs in improving the blood pressure and physical strength and are safe for people with upper thoracic level injuries at T6 or higher.