The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of laser therapy in temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in regard to this issue were searched in electronic databases. Three investigators independently screened the eligible studies, and the quality of the included studies was assessed according to the risk of bias tool recommended by the Cochrane handbook. The primary outcome measure was the degree of pain, reported on a visual analog scale (VAS), and the secondary outcome measures were TMJ function, including maximum active vertical opening (MAVO), maximum passive vertical opening (MPVO), left and right lateral movement (LLE, RLE). Pooled effect sizes were calculated using random effects models and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). A total of 28 randomized controlled trials were included. Laser therapy had a more significant effect in terms of VAS (SMD=﹣1.88; 95% CI=﹣2.46 to﹣1.30; P < 0.00001; I² =93%), MAVO (MD = 4.90; 95% CI= 3.29-6.50; P < 0.00001; I² =72%), MPVO (MD=5.8²; 95% CI= 4.62-7.01; P < 0.00001; I² =40%) and RLE (MD = 0.73; 95% CI= 0.23-1.22; P = 0.004; I² = 0%) as compared to placebo group. However, there was no significant difference in LLE between two groups (MD= 0.35; 95% CI=﹣0.31-1.01; P = 0.30; I² =0%). Laser therapy can effectively reduce pain but have small effect on improving mandibular movement of TMD patients. More well-designed RCTs with large sample sizes are needed for further validation. And these studies should report detailed laser parameters and provide complete outcome measure data.

Respiratory muscle weakness often occurs after stroke, which can lead to pulmonary dysfunction (PD). Pulmonary dysfunction prolongs the length of hospital stay and increases the risk of death. In a prospective, randomized, case-control study, we used musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS), and pulmonary function tester to objectively evaluate the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with respiratory muscle training (RMT) in the treatment of PD in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Sixty-two stroke patients with PD were recruited and eventually 60 patients participated in this study. The control group was treated with RMT, and the treatment group was treated with rTMS on the basis of RMT. Treatment occurred five times a week for 8 weeks. Before and after treatment, diaphragmatic thickness (DT), diaphragmatic thickening fraction (DTF) and diaphragmatic mobility (DM) in patients, bilateral chest wall were measured by MSUS. Meanwhile, FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF, and MVV tested by pulmonary function tester was used to evaluate the improvement of lung functional. activities of daily living (ADL) was used as an objective criterion to evaluate the overall functional recovery of patients before and after treatment. After treatment, DT, DTF, and DM values improved significantly in both the affected and unaffected sides. The FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF, MVV, and ADL were all increased after the treatment. Combined treatment showed a stronger increase than that by RMT treatment alone. The study preliminarily shows that rTMS and RMT could improve lung functional after acute ischemic stroke.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) are both recognized for their analgesic effects; however, evidence suggests limitations in their efficacy when applied to knee osteoarthritis (KOA) after stroke. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and cortical activity impact of a dual‐target electrical stimulation approach combining tDCS and TENS in the treatment of KOA after stroke. We hypothesized that the combination of tDCS with TENS could more effectively address KOA after stroke by enhancing brain activity through the induction of neural oscillations. To test this hypothesis, a double‐blind, randomized trial was conducted with 30 participants receiving either TENS + tDCS or TENS + sham tDCS over an 8‐week period, from Monday to Friday. Electroencephalograms (EEGs), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), visual analog scale (VAS), stride length, cadence, 6‐min walk test (6 MWT), knee range of motion (ROM), and quadriceps strength were collected pre‐ and poststimulation. Pain indicators were analyzed using t ‐tests for continuous variables and chi‐square tests for categorical variables, with repeated measures ANOVA employed to explore changes and interactions over time. For EEG analysis, paired t ‐tests were utilized to investigate changes in brain regions before and after treatment on the affected side, with visual analysis conducted subsequently. The results indicated that the combined treatment led to significant improvements in the affected hemisphere, with significant changes observed in α1, α2, and β power. Additionally, significant group× time interaction effects were noted for BPI, VAS, stride length, cadence, and 6MWT. The study concludes that dual‐target electrostimulation using tDCS combined with TENS significantly ameliorates knee joint inflammation following stroke by acting on the cerebral cortex and target organs. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2200064735

Both tai chi and walking can improve the physical health of the elderly, but the effect on the emotional cognitive function of the elderly is unclear. To investigate the effect of long-term walking and tai chi exercise on the emotional cognitive function of the elderly, 63 subjects were recruited in this study according to age and exercise habits, including 16 in the youth control group, 15 in the elderly non-exercise control group, 17 in the elderly walking group, and 18 in the elderly tai chi group. The “learning–test paradigm” of emotional faces was used to measure the subjects’ ability to recognize and remember emotional (negative and neutral) faces. Behavioral and EEG data were recorded during the learning and testing phases. The results showed that there is aging in emotional cognition in older adults compared with younger adults. Long-term walking and tai chi exercise can delay the deterioration of emotional cognitive function in older adults to some extent. Both walking and tai chi exercise can delay the decline in aging-related emotional face recognition function to some extent. Walking exercise can delay the decline in aging-related emotional face memory function to some extent.