Objective: Neurocognitive impairment is common after cardiac surgery but few studies have examined the relationship between postoperative neuropsychological test performance and everyday behavior. The influence of postoperative cognitive impairment on car driving has previously not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate neurocognitive function and driving performance after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods: Twenty-seven patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with standard cardiopulmonary bypass technique and 20 patients scheduled for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) under local anesthesia (control group) were enrolled in this prospective study conducted from April 1999 to September 2000. Complete data were obtained in 23 and 19 patients, respectively. The patients underwent neuropsychological examination with a test battery including 12 tests, a standardized on-road driving test and a test in an advanced driving simulator before and 4–6 weeks after intervention.

Results: More patients in the coronary artery bypass grafting group (n=11, 48%) than in the percutaneous coronary intervention group (n=2, 10%) showed a cognitive decline after intervention (P=0.01). In the on-road driving test, patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting deteriorated after surgery in the cognitive demanding parts like traffic behavior (P=0.01) and attention (P=0.04). Patients who underwent percutaneous intervention deteriorated in maneuvering of the vehicle (P=0.04). No deterioration was detected in the simulator in any of the groups after intervention. Patients with a cognitive decline after intervention also tended to drop in the on-road driving scores to a larger extent than did patients without a cognitive decline.

Conclusion: This study indicates that cognitive functions important for safe driving may be influenced after cardiac surgery.

Objectives To compare patients with coronary artery disease and healthy controls with respect to cognitive function and driving performance.

Design and setting A controlled study conducted between April 1999 and January 2001.

Subjects Forty-four patients with stable coronary artery disease scheduled for cardiac intervention with coronary artery bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention. Forty volunteers of similar age without symptoms of coronary artery disease served as controls.

Main outcome measures On-road driving scores in five specific test areas with a rating scale from 1 to 5. Neuropsychological test scores, including 12 tests.

Results Compared with controls, patients with coronary artery disease had lower scores in all areas of the on-road driving test (p<0.05) and in the neuropsychological tests assessing psychomotor speed, visual and verbal memory, focused attention and simultaneous capacity (p<0.05). The difference between the groups in the on-road driving test appeared to be more pronounced among those above 65 years-of-age. Both patients and controls rated their performance significantly higher than the traffic inspector (p<0.05).

Conclusions Cognitive function and driving performance may be impaired in patients with coronary artery disease.

In order to identify and describe a pattern in bus and coach incident related injuries and fatalities, and to suggest possible future measures for improvement of bus and coach safety, a literature analysis was performed. The results formed a multi-faceted pattern, which briefly can be described as follows, women travelled more frequently by bus as compared to men. Injuries sustained predominantly affected women 60 years of age and older. Of all traffic fatalities in Europe, bus and coach fatalities represented 0.3-0.5%. In the OECD countries, the risk of being killed or seriously injured was found to be seven to nine times lower for bus and coach occupants as compared to those of car occupants. Despite the fact that fatalities were more frequent on rural roads, a vast majority of all bus and coach casualties occurred on urban roads and in dry weather conditions. Boarding and alighting caused about one-third of all injury cases. Collisions were a major injury-contributing factor. Buses and coaches most frequently collided with cars, but unprotected road users were hit in about one-third of all cases of a collision, the point of impact on the bus or the coach being typically frontal or side. Rollovers occurred in almost all cases of severe coach crashes. In this type of crash projection, total ejection, partial ejection, intrusion and smoke inhalation were the main injury mechanisms and among those, ejection being the most dangerous. A 2-point belt may prevent passenger ejection, but in frontal crashes when the upper abdominal parts and the head hit the seatback in front, it could, however, contribute to head and thoracic injuries. Hence, a 3-point belt provides the best restraint in rollovers and frontal crashes. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The risk for injuries in rollover coach crashes are dependent on whether the occupants are belted or not. However, the influence of the different belt systems for reducing injuries has remained unclear. Since many injuries sustained are caused by impacts with the interior, passenger interactions or ejection through a window, the advantages by proper seat belt systems are evident. In this study, representing the most common serious crash scenario for serious injury, 128 injured in rollover cases were analysed with regard to the injury outcome, mechanisms and the possible injury reduction for occupants when using a safety belt. Furthermore, the different belt systems were compared to explain their contribution to increased safety. Based on medical reports and questioning of the passengers, the injuries sustained are recorded according to the AIS classification. The next step was the identification of the injury mechanisms, using the passenger statements as well as results from numerical occupant simulations. It is important to mention that this study was purely focused on detection of the injury mechanism to avoid the reported injuries. The possibility of additional injuries due to the wearing of a belt were not taken into account. However, the analysis of the 128 injured showed a considerable increase in safety for belted occupants through limiting interior contacts, minimising passenger interaction and reducing the possibility of ejection. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction: There is little information available on the effects of problem-based undergraduate curricula on doctors and their performances after graduation. Therefore, we conducted a questionnaire study of all graduates of the new medical programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Link÷ping University. Methods: All 446 medical students who had graduated from the new programme were asked to fill in a questionnaire about selected activities during their studies and their careers after graduation. They were also asked to evaluate the quality of their undergraduate education retrospectively. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive, multivariate and bivariate approaches. Results: A total of 77% of the graduates responded. They showed a high degree of overall contentment with their undergraduate education and felt well prepared for professional life during their preregistration period and specialist education (mean = 4.0 on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 0 to 5). They felt especially well prepared in terms of skills for communication with patients, collaboration with other health professionals and development of critical thinking/scientific attitudes. The students' age at the beginning of their studies correlated positively with their contentment as graduates, especially in terms of preparation for patient communication and collaboration with other health professionals. No differences between students originally admitted via a local admission procedure and those admitted via a national procedure were detected concerning retrospective evaluation of undergraduate medical education. Conclusion: Graduates of the new curriculum showed a high degree of satisfaction with their undergraduate education and its preparation of them for medical practice. Specifically, they were very content with the particular emphases of the new curriculum.

Aim: To verify the occurrence of cognitive impairment in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) and to provide a more detailed description of the impairment's character and context. Methods: Thirty (30) patients with chronic WAD and 30 matched healthy controls completed a cognitive test battery. Four computerised tests were used: a) two different types of cognitive tasks (reaction time vs. working memory) and b) two types of information processing (verbal vs. spatial). Before testing and after every randomised subtest, subjects rated their pain level on a visual analogue scale. Results: A worse overall performance among patients with WAD and, specifically, worse results concerning working memory tasks were found. Post-hoc testing revealed a statistically significant difference concerning the single variable "verbal reaction time". Pain intensity among patients increased significantly during testing. Pain intensity after the subtest for verbal mental reaction time (independent of test sequence) was significantly correlated with results in this subtest, the more pain, the more time was needed. Conclusion: Compared to healthy controls, patients performed worse overall. Concerning verbal reaction time, the impairment was correlated with pain intensity. The findings support the hypothesis that pain might be one important factor leading to cognitive impairment in patients with chronic WAD.

Chronic musculoskeletal pain has biological, psychological and social components. This review deals with the biological factors, with emphasis on the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Studies on central sensitization of pain-transmitting neurons, changes in endogenous pain modulation that give rise to pain disinhibition, referred pain, pain-related decrease in muscle strength and endurance, and pain generators in deep tissues are reviewed. In FMS there is strong scientific support for the statement that the biological part of the syndrome is a longstanding or permanent change in the function of the nociceptive nervous system that can be equated with a disease. Further research is necessary in order to determine which methods are best for diagnosis of the pain hypersensitivity in clinical practice. FMS may be the far end of a continuum that starts with chronic localized/regional musculoskeletal pain and ends with widespread chronic disabling pain. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective. To compare in a pilot study the effect of two physical therapies, the Mensendieck system (MS) and body awareness therapy (BAT) according to Roxendal, in fibromyalgia patients and to investigate differences in effect between the two interventions. Methods. Twenty female patients were randomized to either MS or BAT in a program lasting 20 weeks. Evaluations were tender point examination and questionnaires, including visual analog scales (pain intensity at worst site, muscular stiffness, evening fatigue, and global health), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Quality of Life Scales, Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES), and disability before, immediately after, and at 6 and 18 months followup. Results. The BAT group had improved global health at 18 months followup, but lower results than the MS group. The MS group had improved FIQ, ASES other symptoms, and pain at worst site at 18 months followup. Conclusion. In the present pilot study, MS was associated with more positive changes than BAT.

The aim of this investigation was to study in healthy women the effect of a moderately intensive physical exercise session on the pressure pain thresholds of tendon, bone and muscle. Twenty-four healthy women in the 7-14th day of the menstruation cycle took part in a 60-min exercise class. Pressure pain thresholds were measured by electronic algometer at four points before and after the class. Habitual exercise habits and perceived class exercise intensity were recorded. There was no change in pressure pain sensitivity at any site. Increased pressure pain thresholds tended to be linked to older age and later day in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. In conclusion, a single session of moderate exercise in an exercise setting outside the healthcare system or the laboratory did not increase pressure pain thresholds at group level in healthy women.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of the Feldenkrais intervention, in fibromyalgia patients. Methods: Twenty fibromyalgia patients started Feldenkrais intervention done as one individual and two group sessions weekly for 15 weeks. Nineteen started a group-based pain education program followed by a pool program. Test and self-report questionnaires were administered at the start, at six month follow up, and at the end of intervention. Results: After the Feldenkrais intervention improvement in balance and trends to better lower extremity muscle function were shown, but the improvements were not maintained. Conclusions: No sustained benefit of the Feldenkrais intervention compared to a pool program was seen. Methodological problems are discussed. ⌐ 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

The study was performed to investigate the relationship between perceived muscle tension and electromyographic hyperactivity and to what extent electromyographic (EMG) hyperactivity relates to personality traits in fibromyalgics. Thirty-six females with fibromyalgia performed isokinetic maximal forward flexions of the shoulder combined with surface EMG recordings of the trapezius and infraspinatus muscles. Signal amplitude ratio and peak torque were calculated in the initial and endurance test phases. Pain intensity, perceived general and local shoulder muscle tension, and personality traits using the Karolinska Scales of Personality were assessed pre-test. Neither perceived muscle tension nor muscular tension personality trait correlated with EMG muscle hyperactivity. Perceived general muscle tension correlated with aspects of anxiety proneness (including muscle tension) of the Karolinska Scales of Personality. Pain intensity interacted with many of the variables. We propose that when patients with fibromyalgia report muscle tension that they may be expressing something other than physiological muscle tension.

Objectives: To compare detection and pain thresholds in the skin of female fibromyalgia patients who were either ketamine responders or ketamine nonresponders.

Methods: Detection thresholds to innocuous warmth, of cold, heat or cold pain, and touch and dynamic touch sensation were determined in the skin. Pressure pain thresholds, local and widespread pain intensity, and pain duration were also registered.

Results: Ketamine nonresponse was associated with more pronounced hypersensitivity for thermal pain [especially cold pain] than ketamine response.

Conclusions: Blockade of N-metyl-D-aspartic acid receptors by ketamine and the recording of pain thresholds in the skin, especially for cold pain, might reveal different mechanisms of allodynia.

Kapitel om rehabiliteringsmedicinens utveckling och nuvarande plats i sjukvården samt begrepp och metodik inleder boken. I två delar ges därefter rehabiliteringsmedicinska aspekter på de dominerande sjukdomsgrupperna - komplexa smärttillstånd respektive skador och sjukdomar i nervsystemet. Som avslutning beskrivs bland annat  stressrelaterade tillstånd. Läroboken är avsedd för grundutbildning av läkare, arbetsterapeuter och sjukgymnaster, logopeder samt för läkare under AT-tjänstgöring. Den är också lämplig som introduktion i specialistutbildningen i rehabiliteringsmedicin, geriatrik, neurologi och smärtlindring. Vidareutbildningar av olika vårdyrkesgrupper kan ha nytta av boken och den kan också användas som referenslitteratur av yrkesverksamma med intresse för rehabiliteringsmedicin.

Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate how adults with spinal cord injury assess their satisfaction regarding various aspects and use of their manual wheelchair. Method. The Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST 2.0) together with seven additional questions was sent to 205 adults with SCI. Results. One hundred and twenty-four responses were available. The QUEST 2.0 showed a high level of satisfaction with manual wheelchair properties. However, the respondents were less satisfied with the services offered. Ease of use and comfort were identified as most important. Eighty-nine percent of the respondents rated their level of satisfaction as 'quite satisfied' or 'very satisfied' in ease of using a manual wheelchair compared with 68% of the respondents that were 'quite satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the level of comfort. A greater satisfaction of ease in propulsion indoors compared with sitting comfort in various activities was found. Conclusions. A discrepancy was shown between users not being as satisfied with comfort in sitting in various activities as opposed to satisfaction with propulsion. This indicates the need for increased knowledge and developments concerning individual solutions, incorporating comfort as well as ease of use of a manual wheelchair.

Objective: This study identifies baseline predictors of future activity limitation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To reinforce the utility of instruments assessing functional ability/activity limitation, we used reference data from healthy referents.

Methods: This study includes 189 patients (69% women) with recent-onset RA (onset of joint swelling not more than 12 months at diagnosis) in a prospective cohort ("the Swedish TIRA project") during 27 months from 1996 through 1998. Regular followups were done for a period of 5 years, and 123 healthy persons (50% women) were recruited as referents. Hand function was assessed by the "grip ability test (GAT)" and "signals of functional impairment" (SOFI). Grip force was measured with the electronic device Grippit^TM. Activity limitation was assessed with the Swedish version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ).

Results: Throughout the study and for both sexes, GAT, grip force, SOFI-hand, and HAQ were significantly different for the patients compared to healthy referents. In the healthy referents, HAQ was mainly related to age and GAT, whereas in RA HAQ was most obviously linked to grip force. Five years after diagnosis only 8% of HAQ outcome was explained by the baseline measures: HAQ, grip force, SOFI-lower limb, sex, walking speed, and GAT.

Conclusion: Our study provides valuable reference data for several functional ability and activity limitation measures. The HAQ score was explained by different variables in healthy referents compared to patients with RA. Five years after diagnosis only 8% of HAQ outcome was explained by the variables assessed at inclusion.

          Kapitel om rehabiliteringsmedicinens utveckling och nuvarande plats i sjukvården samt begrepp och metodik inleder boken. I två delar ges därefter rehabiliteringsmedicinska aspekter på de dominerande sjukdomsgrupperna - komplexa smärttillstånd respektive skador och sjukdomar i nervsystemet. Som avslutning beskrivs bland annat  stressrelaterade tillstånd. Läroboken är avsedd för grundutbildning av läkare, arbetsterapeuter och sjukgymnaster, logopeder samt för läkare under AT-tjänstgöring. Den är också lämplig som introduktion i specialistutbildningen i rehabiliteringsmedicin, geriatrik, neurologi och smärtlindring. Vidareutbildningar av olika vårdyrkesgrupper kan ha nytta av boken och den kan också användas som referenslitteratur av yrkesverksamma med intresse för rehabiliteringsmedicin.

Objective: To describe pain and associated variables in a prevalence group of persons with a sustained spinal cord injury (SCI) in the Swedish capital and its surroundings. Setting: Spinalis SCI Unit (outpatient clinic), Stockholm, Sweden. Design: Assessment over a 12-month period in a yearly health control. Subjects: Four hundred and fifty-six SCI patients. Results: Two hundred and ninety-one out of 456 SCI patients (63.7%) suffered from pain, and in 45.7% of these it was classified as being neurogenic. Aching pain was the most used descriptor (38.5%). The onset of pain was commonly within three months (73.5%). In 70.4% of patients pain occurred below the level of the lesion. Most patients identified pain as coming from one (55.0%) or two (28.2%) body regions. Rating of the general pain intensity on a visual analogue scale (VAS) was 46 out of 100 and rating of the worst pain intensity was 78 out of 100. Ninety-four out of 276 patients (32.3%) considered that their quality of life was significantly affected by pain. Conclusion: Pain was most common in patients with incomplete lesions (ASIA impairment grade D) and there was a correlation between pain and higher mean age at injury and between pain and female gender.

Objective. Previous research has shown that elderly and disabled travelers using Special Transportation Services (STS) are injured without being involved in a vehicle crash. In order to estimate the true costs for these vehicle-related injuries, the focus needs to be adjusted towards an incident/traveler-oriented perspective. The aim of the project was thus to utilize such a perspective, in order to make a best estimation of the true costs for injury incidents, related to STS in Sweden. Methods. In order to address the chosen perspective, a mixed-method approach was used, involving quantitative as well as qualitative research methods applied on four different sets of data, the hospital-based material (n = 32), two sets of STS material (n = 127), and interview-based material (n = 1,000). Results. The results showed that the injury incidence rate in STS is considerable, i.e., 3.2 per 100,000 trips (ranging from 1.5-1.9 in STS taxis and 3.6-5.6 in STS special vehicles). However, this high incidence rate is not due to road traffic crashes, but to non-collision injury incidents involving elderly and frail passengers, easily sustaining injuries from minor to moderate external violence. Typically, this violence is affecting an older female STS user, while entering and exiting the vehicle. The true costs were estimated to be $35 million per annum or $2.6 per trip. Conclusion. Future injury prevention measures should thus focus on safety in entering and exiting procedures.

  Kapitel om rehabiliteringsmedicinens utveckling och nuvarande plats i sjukvården samt begrepp och metodik inleder boken. I två delar ges därefter rehabiliteringsmedicinska aspekter på de dominerande sjukdomsgrupperna - komplexa smärttillstånd respektive skador och sjukdomar i nervsystemet. Som avslutning beskrivs bland annat  stressrelaterade tillstånd. Läroboken är avsedd för grundutbildning av läkare, arbetsterapeuter och sjukgymnaster, logopeder samt för läkare under AT-tjänstgöring. Den är också lämplig som introduktion i specialistutbildningen i rehabiliteringsmedicin, geriatrik, neurologi och smärtlindring. Vidareutbildningar av olika vårdyrkesgrupper kan ha nytta av boken och den kan också användas som referenslitteratur av yrkesverksamma med intresse för rehabiliteringsmedicin.

The study examined the effects of manual control locations on two groups of randomly selected young and old drivers in relation to visual time off road, steering wheel deviation and safety perception. Measures of visual time off road, steering wheel deviations and safety perception were performed with young and old drivers during real traffic. The results showed an effect of both driver's age and button location on the dependent variables. Older drivers spent longer visual time off road when pushing the buttons and had larger steering wheel deviations. Moreover, the greater the eccentricity between the normal line of sight and the button locations, the longer the visual time off road and the larger the steering wheel deviations. No interaction effect between button location and age was found with regard to visual time off road. Button location had an effect on perceived safety: the further away from the normal line of sight the lower the rating. © 2006 Taylor & Francis.

We studied the effects of individualised growth hormone (GH) substitution, aiming at normal insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels, on biomechanical output and surface electromyogram (EMG) of isokinetic muscle strength and endurance performance in 18 hypopituitary adults and compared with 17 matched healthy controls. The muscle function tests consisted of isokinetic contractions of the right knee extensors, from which torque and EMG were recorded. Three patients were excluded from the final analysis of the muscle function tests due to technical errors and one control subject moved from the area during the study. We found that GH-deficient adults without GH substitution were weaker and had less endurance than healthy control subjects. At the group level, plasma levels of IGF-I were normalised but generally no significant effects upon biomechanical output and EMG were found after dose titration and 6 months of a constant GH dose. However, subjects with the largest changes in IGF-I had significantly better biomechanical output and EMG compared to those with small changes in IGF-I. This finding may indicate that the net increase in IGF-I levels is critical for improvements in biomechanical output, EMG and perception of fatigue to occur.

Objective. To investigate if muscle tension according to the surface electromyogram (EMG) of the shoulder flexors is increased in consecutive patients with fibromyalgia (FM) or chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD). Methods. A total of 59 consecutive patients with FM (n = 36) or chronic WAD (n = 23) performed 100 maximal isokinetic contractions combined with surface electromyography of the trapezius and infraspinatus. A randomized group of pain-free female (n = 27) subjects served as control group. Peak torque initially (Pti) and absolute and relative peak torque at endurance level (PTe, PTer) were registered as output variables, together with the EMG level of unnecessary muscle tension, i.e., the signal amplitude ratio (SAR). Results. The patient groups had a higher level of unnecessary tension initially and at the endurance level. The patients had lower absolute output (PTi and PTe), but the relative levels (PTer) did not differ comparing all 3 groups. Subjects with FM had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than the other groups. BMI did not influence the SAR but correlated positively with PTi. Conclusion. The results confirmed earlier findings that groups of patients with chronic pain have increased muscle tension and decreased output during dynamic activity compared to pain-free controls. However, the results indicated there is heterogeneity within groups of patients with the same chronic pain disorder and that not all patients with chronic pain have increased muscle tension.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the effects of gender and age in a population-based sample of clinically healthy subjects on: (1) strength, endurance and perception of fatigue, (2) mean frequency (MNF) of the electromyogram (EMG), and (3) the ability to relax between active contractions (signal amplitude ratio, SAR) of the surface EMG of an isokinetic shoulder forward flexion test. With this aim we have analysed aspects of the validity of MNF as an indicator of fatigue, using peak torque as a criterion variable. The subjects were 27 men and 28 women (age range: 20-60 years), who were obtained by random sample from the official census lists (participation rate: 66%). The peak torque and surface EMG of two portions of the trapezius, deltoid and infraspinatus muscles were recorded throughout 100 repetitive maximal isokinetic shoulder forward flexions. No significant differences in the perception of fatigue and relative endurance levels of peak torque and work were found between males and females. Males were significantly stronger than females and, on average, females produced approximately 60% of the output of the males, 76% after normalisation for body mass. The men had significantly lower MNF endurance levels for three of the investigated muscles. When controlled for age and body mass, the men had a significantly higher MNF of the deltoid muscle than did the females. These differences were only found for the deltoid muscle. Significant correlations existed between the MNF of the four muscles and biomechanical output, indicating criterion validity for the MNF variable with respect to fatigue. There were no significant effects of gender or age on the ability to relax between repetitive contractions (SAR). The higher prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints of the neck-shoulder region in females cannot be explained by a higher intrinsic muscle tension. Age, gender, body mass index and biomechanical output can have significant effects upon MNF. These effects are important considerations in the interpretation of MNF, for instance in ergonomic situations.

  Kapitel om rehabiliteringsmedicinens utveckling och nuvarande plats i sjukvården samt begrepp och metodik inleder boken. I två delar ges därefter rehabiliteringsmedicinska aspekter på de dominerande sjukdomsgrupperna - komplexa smärttillstånd respektive skador och sjukdomar i nervsystemet. Som avslutning beskrivs bland annat  stressrelaterade tillstånd. Läroboken är avsedd för grundutbildning av läkare, arbetsterapeuter och sjukgymnaster, logopeder samt för läkare under AT-tjänstgöring. Den är också lämplig som introduktion i specialistutbildningen i rehabiliteringsmedicin, geriatrik, neurologi och smärtlindring. Vidareutbildningar av olika vårdyrkesgrupper kan ha nytta av boken och den kan också användas som referenslitteratur av yrkesverksamma med intresse för rehabiliteringsmedicin.

Cystic lesions of the spinal cord (syringomyelia) may occur after spinal cord injury. Posttraumatic syringomyelia may result in a myelopathy causing symptoms of sensory and motor loss, as well as worsening spasticity, pain, hyperhidrosis, and autonomic dysreflexia. Shunting of the cyst cavity along with untethering of the scarred spinal cord is widely accepted as the treatment of choice. However, the long-term stabilization of the progressive myelopathy caused by a posttraumatic cyst is suboptimal because of arachnoidal rescarring, shunt tube blockage, and cyst reexpansion. A new neurosurgical strategy to overcome the complication of cyst reexpansion was designed. Experimental studies have shown the successful use of embryonic spinal cord grafts, including human grafts, to obliterate induced spinal cord cavities in rats. The authors report the first use of solid human embryonic spinal cord grafts to successfully obliterate 6 cm of a large cyst cavity in a patient becoming myelopathic from a posttraumatic cyst. The grafts are well visualized by MRI to the 7-month postoperative follow-up and cyst obliteration is seen in the region where the grafts were placed.

Research on driver behaviour over the past two decades has clearly demonstrated that the goals and motivations a driver brings to the driving task are important determinants for driver behaviour. The importance of this work is underlined by statistics: WHO figures show that road accidents are predicted to be the number three cause of death and injury by 2020 (currently more than 20 million deaths and injuries p.a.). The objective of this second edition and of the conference, on which it is based, is to describe and discuss recent advances in the study of driving behaviour and driver training. It bridges the gap between practitioners in road safety, and theoreticians investigating driving behaviour, from a number of different perspectives and related disciplines. A major focus is to consider how driver training needs to be adapted, to take into account driver characteristics, goals and motivations, in order to raise awareness of how these may contribute to unsafe driving behaviour, and to go on to promote the development of driver training courses that considers all the skills that are essential for road safety.As well as setting out new approaches to driver training methodology based on many years of empirical research on driver behaviour, the contributing road safety researchers and professionals consider the impact of human factors in the design of driver training as well as the traditional skills-based approach. The readership includes road safety researchers from a variety of different academic backgrounds, senior practitioners in the field of driver training from regulatory authorities and professional driver training organizations such as the police service, and private and public sector personnel who are concerned with improving road safety.

In order to investigate the transport mobility situation for children with autism spectrum disorders, questionnaires from 1,631 parents were analysed. The results showed that almost 3 out of 4 parents were worried when their child was transported by school transport or by the Special Transport System. Transports in the family vehicle caused worry among almost half of the parents. The parents' worries were justified by the fact that the children were not transported according to general safety recommendations. Moreover, it was common for the children to be transported with unfamiliar drivers, as well as with unknown passengers, which is known to be quite problematic. Transport mobility adaptation to this particular group of children with disabilities refers merely to implementation of knowledge and a specific, well-structured approach among the drivers towards the children during the ride, rather than to physical/mechanical adaptation of the vehicles.

Purpose. The importance of the visual system as the input channel for sensory information necessary when driving is often stated. There are several reports on differences in visual search strategies between experienced and inexperienced drivers, as well as in relation to the roadway. However, the results are ambiguous and are not sampled by similar procedures. Based on previous findings, the aim of the present study was to gain further knowledge on these differences by testing the hypotheses that inexperienced drivers, in comparison to experienced drivers, fixate closer to the vehicle, fixate more often on in-vehicle objects, spread their fixations less along the horizontal meridian, fixate more often on relevant traffic cues, and fixate more often on objects classified as potential hazards. Methods. Data from eye-tracker recordings of visual search strategies of the driver in real-world traffic were used for the analyses. Results. The results confirmed all stated hypotheses regarding differences between inexperienced and experienced drivers, with the exception of fixations closer to the vehicle, in which ambiguous results were found. Conclusions. The present study provides normative data for the understanding of the development of visual search strategies among drivers. The methodology used in the present study, i.e., to combine a quantitative analysis with a qualitative analysis proved, to be useful to compare visual search strategies among inexperienced and experienced drivers. Copyright © 2005 American Academy of Optometry.

    Kapitel om rehabiliteringsmedicinens utveckling och nuvarande plats i sjukvården samt begrepp och metodik inleder boken. I två delar ges därefter rehabiliteringsmedicinska aspekter på de dominerande sjukdomsgrupperna - komplexa smärttillstånd respektive skador och sjukdomar i nervsystemet. Som avslutning beskrivs bland annat  stressrelaterade tillstånd. Läroboken är avsedd för grundutbildning av läkare, arbetsterapeuter och sjukgymnaster, logopeder samt för läkare under AT-tjänstgöring. Den är också lämplig som introduktion i specialistutbildningen i rehabiliteringsmedicin, geriatrik, neurologi och smärtlindring. Vidareutbildningar av olika vårdyrkesgrupper kan ha nytta av boken och den kan också användas som referenslitteratur av yrkesverksamma med intresse för rehabiliteringsmedicin.

Objective. To investigate the prevalence of current and chronic pain and their relationship to pain intensity, sex, age, income, employment status, citizenship, marital status, urban residence, occupational activity, and healthcare-seeking based on a representative sample from a Swedish county. Methods. A cross-sectional survey using a postal questionnaire was sent to a representative sample (n = 9952) of the target population (284,073 people, age 18-74 yrs) in a county (Östergötland) in southern Sweden. A questionnaire was mailed and followed by 2 postal reminders if necessary. Results. The participation rate was 76.7% (n = 7637), nonparticipants were on average younger, male, and earned less money. The overall point prevalence of pain was 48.9%. The corresponding one-month period prevalence was 63.0%, and pain on several occasions during the previous 3 months was reported by 61.3% of participants. The prevalence of chronic pain (pain > 3 months) was 53.7%. Female sex, age, and sick leave/early retirement were generally of significant importance in the regressions of pain. No sex factor was found in the regressions of pain frequency and pain intensity. Chronic pain - especially frequent and intensive pain - showed clear associations with healthcare-seeking and occupational activity. Conclusion. High prevalence of current pain (48.9%) and chronic pain (53.7%) were found in this community-based study. Being female, older, and on sick leave or early retirement were generally of significant importance in the regressions of pain. Chronic pain showed clear associations with healthcare-seeking and occupational activity, indicating considerable socioeconomic costs.

Syftet med rapporten är att sammanfatta det vetenskapliga underlaget rörande effekter, biverkningar samt kostnadseffektivitet för metoder som används för att behandla långvarig, icke-cancerrelaterad smärta. Behandling som innebär öppen kirurgi har exkluderats från genomgången.

Syftet med rapporten är att sammanfatta det vetenskapliga underlaget rörande effekter, biverkningar samt kostnadseffektivitet för metoder som används för att behandla långvarig, icke-cancerrelaterad smärta. Behandling som innebär öppen kirurgi har exkluderats från genomgången.

  Kapitel om rehabiliteringsmedicinens utveckling och nuvarande plats i sjukvården samt begrepp och metodik inleder boken. I två delar ges därefter rehabiliteringsmedicinska aspekter på de dominerande sjukdomsgrupperna - komplexa smärttillstånd respektive skador och sjukdomar i nervsystemet. Som avslutning beskrivs bland annat  stressrelaterade tillstånd. Läroboken är avsedd för grundutbildning av läkare, arbetsterapeuter och sjukgymnaster, logopeder samt för läkare under AT-tjänstgöring. Den är också lämplig som introduktion i specialistutbildningen i rehabiliteringsmedicin, geriatrik, neurologi och smärtlindring. Vidareutbildningar av olika vårdyrkesgrupper kan ha nytta av boken och den kan också användas som referenslitteratur av yrkesverksamma med intresse för rehabiliteringsmedicin.

This study is an investigation of the relationship between muscle morphology and surface electromyographic (EMG) parameters [mean frequency of the power spectrum (MNF), signal amplitude (root mean square, RMS) and the signal amplitude ratio (SAR, i.e. the ratio between the RMS level during the passive part of the contraction cycle and the RMS level during the active part of the contraction cycle)] during 100 maximal dynamic knee extensions at 90░.s-1. Each contraction cycle comprised of 1 s of active knee extension and 1 s of passive knee flexion. The surface EMG was recorded from the vastus lateralis muscle. Twenty clinically healthy subjects participated in the study, and muscle biopsy samples of the vastus lateralis were obtained from 19 of those subjects. The relationships between muscle morphology and EMG were investigated at three stages of the test: initially, during the fatigue phase (initial 40 contractions), and at the endurance level (the final 50 contractions). Major findings on correlations are that SAR and MNF tended to correlate positively with the proportion of type 1 fibres, and RMS correlated positively with the proportion of type 2 muscle fibres. The muscle fibre areas showed little correlation with the EMG variables under investigation. The results of the present study showed that the three EMG variables of a dynamic endurance test that were investigated (RMS, MNF and SAR were clearly correlated with the proportions of the different fibre types, but only to a small extent with fibre areas. These findings contradict some of the theoretical models of the EMG, especially for parameters in the frequency domain.

A number of studies have been published that have used variables of the electromyogram (EMG) power spectrum during dynamic exercise. Despite these studies there is a shortage of studies of the validity of surface EMG registrations during repetitive dynamic contractions with respect to fatigue. The aim of this study was to investigate if the surface EMG variables mean frequency (MNF [Hz]) and the signal amplitude (RMS [μV]) are valid indicators of muscular fatigue (defined as “any exercise-induced reduction in the capacity to generate force or power output”) during maximum repeated isokinetic knee extensions (i.e. criterion validity using peak torque).

Twenty-one healthy volunteers performed 100 isokinetic knee extensions at 90° s^-1. EMG signals were recorded from the vastus lateralis, the rectus femoris and the vastus medialis of the right thigh by surface electrodes. MNF and RMS of the EMG together with peak torque (PT [Nm]) were determined for each contraction. MNF showed consequently higher correlation coefficients with PT than RMS did. Positive correlations generally existed between MNF and PT. The majority of the subjects had positive correlations between RMS and PT (i.e. decreases both in PT and in RMS).

In conclusion, at the individual level MNF generally — in contrast to RMS — showed good criterion validity with respect to biomechanical fatigue during dynamic maximum contractions.

       Kapitel om rehabiliteringsmedicinens utveckling och nuvarande plats i sjukvården samt begrepp och metodik inleder boken. I två delar ges därefter rehabiliteringsmedicinska aspekter på de dominerande sjukdomsgrupperna - komplexa smärttillstånd respektive skador och sjukdomar i nervsystemet. Som avslutning beskrivs bland annat  stressrelaterade tillstånd. Läroboken är avsedd för grundutbildning av läkare, arbetsterapeuter och sjukgymnaster, logopeder samt för läkare under AT-tjänstgöring. Den är också lämplig som introduktion i specialistutbildningen i rehabiliteringsmedicin, geriatrik, neurologi och smärtlindring. Vidareutbildningar av olika vårdyrkesgrupper kan ha nytta av boken och den kan också användas som referenslitteratur av yrkesverksamma med intresse för rehabiliteringsmedicin

I denna rapport sammanfattas det vetenskapliga underlaget för behandling av långvariga smärttillstånd. Smärta vid cancer innefattas inte. Smärtlindrande effekter, liksom biverkningar och andra negativa konsekvenser av behandling berörs samt hälsoekonomiska aspekter.

Background: The ability to reproduce head position can be affected in patients after a neck injury. The repositioning error is commonly used as a measure of proprioception, but variations in the movement might provide additional information. Methods: The axis of motion and target performance were analyzed during a head repositioning task (flexion, extension and side rotations) for 24 control subjects, 22 subjects with whiplash-associated disorders and 21 with non-specific neck pain. Questionnaires regarding pain intensity and fear avoidance were collected. Head position and axis of motion parameters were calculated using a helical axis model with a moving window of 4°. Findings: During flexion the whiplash group had a larger constant repositioning error than the control group (-1.8(2.9)° vs. 0.1(2.4)°, P = 0.04). The axis was more inferior in both neck pain groups (12.0(1.6) cm vs. 14.5(2.0) cm, P < 0.05) indicating movement at a lower level in the spine. Including pain intensity from shoulder and neck region as covariates showed an effect on the axis position (P = 0.03 and 0.04). During axial rotation to the left there was more variation in axis direction for neckpain groups as compared with controls (4.0(1.7)° and 3.7(2.4)° vs. 2.3(1.9)°, P = 0.01 and 0.05). No significant difference in fear avoidance was found between the two neck pain groups. Interpretation: Measuring variation in the axis of motion together with target performance gives objective measures on proprioceptive ability that are difficult to quantify by visual inspection. Repositioning errors were in general small, suggesting it is not sufficient as a single measurement variable in a clinical situation, but should be measured in combination with other tests, such as range of motion.

OBJECTIVE: Four programmes based on educational and cognitive principles but with a variation in total length and number of staff/patient contact hours were compared in order to gain further insight into the importance of the format of the programme for the final outcome.

DESIGN: A prospective non-randomized intervention study with 191 persons with fibromyalgia. Data were collected before, after and at 1-year follow-up. Participants served as their own controls. Results within and between the programmes were calculated.

METHODS: Clinical investigations before and after intervention. Questionnaires were answered before, after and at 1-year follow-up.

RESULTS: Most instruments showed no significant improvements after the programme. However, some improvements were found in important variables such as attitudes, self-efficacy, vitality and "days feeling well". Results were unchanged at the 1-year follow-up and 16 persons had started working. Seven had ceased working. Participants reported frequent use of coping strategies in everyday life. No major differences could be found between the programmes. Conclusions: More comprehensive programmes did not produce better results at group level. Also short and less costly interventions based on educational and cognitive principles were valuable for persons with longstanding fibromyalgia. More attention must be given to evaluating the clinical effect of programmes.

Purpose. To explore disability in women with fibromyalgia with a focus on their work situation. Method. Review of literature on work status of women with fibromyalgia. Results. Major differences exist between studies in reported disability and in the percentages of women working. Limitations caused by pain, fatigue, decreased muscle strength, and endurance influence work capacity. However, 34-77% of the women work. Individual adjustments in the work situation are reported. When the women find a level that matches their ability, they continue to work and find satisfaction in their work role. Many factors besides degree of impairment or disability influence whether clients with longstanding pain can remain in their work role or return to work after sickness leave. Conclusion. The total life situation, other commitments, type of work tasks, the ability to influence the work situation, and the physical and psychosocial work environment are important factors in determining whether a person can remain in a work role. More knowledge is needed about how to adjust work conditions for people with partial work ability to the benefit of society and the individual.