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Background: The isokinetic dynamometry is considered a gold standard in muscle strength testing. The reliability of lower limb isokinetic strength measurements has not been thoroughly evaluated. Objective: To examine the test−retest reliability of isokinetic ankle plantar and dorsiflexion, ankle inversion and eversion, knee extension and flexion and hip abduction and adduction strength in physically active adults using Biodex System 4 Pro. Methods: Peak torques (PTs) and average peak torques (APTs) of the dominant and nondominant lower limbs were tested twice in 19 physically active adults 7 to 14 days apart. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) values varied from excellent to moderate and coefficient of variation of typical error (CVTE) values were 6.6–19.5%. Change in the mean expressed as a percent varied from −3.1% to 9.6%. There was no difference in the reliability between PT and APT values. Dominant lower limb was more reliable in every case if there was difference between limbs. Conclusion: Test−retest reliability of isokinetic ankle, knee and hip strength in physically active adults using Biodex System 4 is mostly good or excellent. However, the observed range of the random variation has to be noted when using it in scientific follow-up studies or evaluation of patient progress in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data is based on detecting low-frequency signal fluctuations in functionally connected brain areas. These synchronous fluctuations in resting-state networks have been observed in several studies with healthy subjects. In this study, we explored if independent component analysis (ICA) can be used to localize the sensorimotor area from resting-state fMRI data in patients with brain tumors. Finger-tapping activation task and resting-state blood-oxygenation-level-dependent fMRI data were acquired from 8 patients with brain tumors and 10 healthy volunteers. Sensorimotor task independent components (ICtask) were used to verify resting-state independent components (ICrest) individually. In addition, sensorimotor ICrests were compared between the groups and no significant differences were detected in volume, spatial correlation or temporal correlation. These results show that it is possible to localize a sensorimotor area from resting-state data using ICA in patients with brain tumors. This offers a complementary method for assessing the sensorimotor area in subjects with brain tumors who have difficulties in performing motor paradigms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The isokinetic dynamometry is considered a gold standard in muscle strength testing. The reliability of lower limb isokinetic strength measurements has not been thoroughly evaluated., Objective: To examine the test-retest reliability of isokinetic ankle plantar and dorsiflexion, ankle inversion and eversion, knee extension and flexion and hip abduction and adduction strength in physically active adults using Biodex System 4 Pro., Methods: Peak torques (PTs) and average peak torques (APTs) of the dominant and nondominant lower limbs were tested twice in 19 physically active adults 7 to 14 days apart., Results: The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) values varied from excellent to moderate and coefficient of variation of typical error (CV TE ) values were 6.6-19.5%. Change in the mean expressed as a percent varied from -3.1% to 9.6%. There was no difference in the reliability between PT and APT values. Dominant lower limb was more reliable in every case if there was difference between limbs., Conclusion: Test-retest reliability of isokinetic ankle, knee and hip strength in physically active adults using Biodex System 4 is mostly good or excellent. However, the observed range of the random variation has to be noted when using it in scientific follow-up studies or evaluation of patient progress in clinical settings.

While the prognosis of acute childhood leukemia has improved, long-term survivors are increasingly experiencing late effects of the treatment. Cranially irradiated survivors are predisposed to the development of CNS tumors. Our aim was to describe the incidence of secondary brain tumors and to define the significance of treatment-related risk factors and host characteristics in a cohort of childhood leukemia survivors. Our cohort consisted of 60 consecutive cranially irradiated adult survivors of childhood leukemia treated in Oulu University Hospital (Oulu, Finland); MRI of the brain was performed on 49. The sites of the tumors, their histology, and details of the leukemia treatment were determined. Of the 49 patients, 11 (22%) 1-8 years of age at the time of diagnosis developed meningioma later in life, while no other brain tumors were seen. In this cohort, the development of meningioma seemed to show undisputable linkage with long latency periods (mean, 25 years; range, 14-34 years) and an increasing incidence 20 years after the treatment (47%). Three patients had multiple meningiomas, two had recurrent disease, and one had an atypical meningioma. Age at the time of irradiation, gender, or cumulative doses of chemotherapeutic agents showed no significant association with the development of meningiomas. The high incidence of meningiomas in this study was associated with long follow-up periods. Although the cohort is small, it seems probable that the increasing incidence of meningioma will shadow the future of cranially irradiated leukemia survivors. Systematic brain imaging after the treatment is therefore justifiable.