BACKGROUND Post-stroke spastic dysarthria (PSSD) is a motor speech impairment that impacts patient communication and quality of life. Liuzijue Qigong (LQG), a traditional Chinese method of breath training, could serve as an effective treatment for PSSD. This study compared the effects of conventional speech therapy and conventional speech therapy combined with LQG in patients with PSSD. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seventy patients with PSSD were randomly divided into a control group (conventional speech therapy, n=35, 77.14% cerebral infarction, 22.86% cerebral hemorrhage) and experimental group (LQG combined with conventional speech therapy, n=35, 85.71% cerebral infarction, 14.29% cerebral hemorrhage). Conventional speech therapy included relaxation, breath control, organ articulation, and pronunciation training. LQG involved producing 6 different sounds (Xu, He, Hu, Si, Chui, and Xi) accompanied by breathing and body movements. Patients were treated once a day, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks. The Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment scale (FDA), speech articulation, maximum phonation time (MPT), loudness, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA) were evaluated. RESULTS At 4 weeks, the experimental group showed significant improvements compared with the control group in the change of FDA (13.26±6.84 vs 18.03±5.32, P=0.028), speech articulation (63.17±22.40 vs 76.51±15.28, P=0.024), MPT (1.34±1.30 vs 3.89±3.98, P<0.001), loudness (3.46±2.74 vs 7.14±2.56, P=0.009), MoCA (19.40±3.72 vs 22.20±5.30, P=0.020), total effective rate (68.57% vs 88.57%, P=0.041). CONCLUSIONS LQG, when combined with conventional speech therapy, enhanced the comprehensive speech ability of patients with PSSD compared with conventional treatment alone.

Advances in Neuromodulation Techniques for Aphasia Rehabilitation: A Comprehensive Review - Article abstract #947213

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) combined with cognitive training in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), and to investigate its effects on systemic inflammatory biomarkers: homocysteine (Hcy), C-reactive protein (CRP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Methods: In this single-center, randomized, sham-controlled trial, 69 PSCI patients received 4 weeks of daily cognitive training combined with either real iTBS (target: left DLPFC; 1200 pulses per session at 80 % of resting motor threshold, total 20 sessions) or sham stimulation. Assessments were conducted at baseline (week 0) and week 4, including measures of global cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE], Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]), executive function (Frontal Assessment Battery [FAB]), activities of daily living (Barthel Index [BI]), domain-specific cognitive subscores (forward/backward digit span [FDS/BDS], delayed recall, attention), and inflammatory biomarkers (Hcy, CRP, LDH). Data were analyzed using two-way mixed General Linear Models (GLM) to assess main and interaction effects of Time and Group. Results: Significant Time effects were observed for all cognitive and biochemical measures (p < 0.001), indicating overall improvement after intervention. Significant Time × Group interactions favored the iTBS group for MMSE, MoCA, BI, FDS, BDS (p < 0.05), suggesting enhanced gains in global cognition, executive function, and working memory. Serum LDH showed a greater reduction in the iTBS group (p < 0.05), while decreases in Hcy and CRP were comparable between groups. Correlation analysis revealed that reductions in LDH and Hcy were significantly associated with improvements in MMSE, MoCA, FAB, and working-memory subscores in the iTBS group (r = −0.334 to −0.525, p < 0.05), supporting a metabolic-cognitive coupling effect. Conclusions: iTBS applied to the left DLPFC, combined with cognitive training, produces superior improvements in global cognition, executive function, and daily living ability compared with cognitive training alone in PSCI patients. The concomitant reduction in LDH suggests potential anti-inflammatory or neuroprotective mechanisms underlying these cognitive benefits. LDH may thus serve as a sensitive peripheral biomarker for neuromodulation-induced recovery in PSCI rehabilitation. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/ , identifier ChiCTR2300076109.

Introduction Although emerging evidence supports the short-term efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), including repetitive TMS (rTMS) and theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TBS-TMS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for managing patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), their clinical utility in managing CMP remains inconclusive. This uncertainty may arise from methodological limitations, including heterogeneity in treatment parameters such as stimulation targets and dosages. Additionally, safety profiles for these non-invasive brain stimulation interventions in patients with CMP remain insufficiently reported, with limited data on adverse events, cumulative risks and long-term safety outcomes. Hence, in this scoping review protocol, we aim to systematically (1) identify and map the stimulation targets and dosages of TMS and tDCS used in previous studies to treat patients with CMP; (2) summarise the rationale for using the stimulation targets and dosages of TMS and tDCS; and (3) summarise the reports on the safety of TMS and tDCS in managing patients with CMP, including whether safety was reported and how it was described. Methods and analysis We will adopt Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework and report findings according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Two authors will independently screen articles and extract data from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase, including publications from inception to 1 August 2025. Discrepancies regarding study inclusion will be resolved through consultation with a third author. We will synthesise results using descriptive statistical methods. Ethics and dissemination This scoping review does not require ethical approval. The findings will be disseminated through presentation at national or international conferences and peer-reviewed publication. Trial registration details Open Science Framework (Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/8HFBZ).

Impact of Tai Ji Yunshou with Visual Feedback on Balance and Mobility in Stroke Patients - Article abstract #948817

In tracheostomised patients, achieving successful liberation from mechanical ventilation (MV) and subsequent decannulation remains challenging. Diaphragmatic performance directly affects decannulation outcomes, and its monitoring is especially useful in prolonged MV. Bedside ultrasound is non‑invasive, dynamic, and repeatable, enabling quantitative assessment of diaphragmatic excursion, thickness, and thickening fraction. This narrative review summarises current evidence on diaphragm ultrasound during weaning preparation in tracheostomised patients and clarifies how evidence from endotracheal tube (ETT) extubation studies may translate to this population. A literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Wanfang Data identified 87 records. After screening, 17 studies were included. Data were extracted on ultrasound parameters [diaphragmatic thickening fraction (DTF), diaphragmatic excursion (DE), thickness] and ventilator liberation outcomes. The search used keywords “bedside ultrasound”, “diaphragmatic function”, “tracheotomy”, “MV”, and “decannulation”, limited to English/Chinese publications within the last 10 years, with no age or country restrictions. Main ultrasound parameters include DE and DTF. Higher DTF and adequate DE are generally associated with successful ventilator liberation, yet reported thresholds vary by patient population, ventilator support level, spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) protocol, and measurement technique. Evidence directly derived from tracheostomised cohorts is limited; thus, external validity of cut‑offs derived from extubation cohorts should be interpreted with caution in tracheostomised patients. Integrating diaphragm ultrasound with lung and cardiac ultrasound may improve prediction of weaning outcomes. Bedside diaphragm ultrasound is a practical adjunct for assessing respiratory pump function during ventilator liberation planning. In tracheostomised patients, it should be used to support multidisciplinary decision-making for ventilator liberation and, as a separate step, decannulation readiness. Reported ultrasound cut-offs are context-dependent and should not be used as standalone criteria. Future research should prioritize standardized measurement protocols and prospective validation in tracheostomised populations.