Li-Fong Lin

Taipei Medical University | TMU · School of Gerontology and Long-Term Care

Objective: To evaluate the effect size of core stabilization exercise for prenatal and postnatal women through measures of urinary symptoms, voiding function, pelvic floor muscle strength and endurance, quality of life, and pain scores. Design: The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials...

Background: Aging is key to inclusion, and it should be taken into account when designing every place of human activity. However, the implementation of such guidelines often fails the human-centric aspiration as health and design domain interpretation gaps impede the suitable reading and implementation strategies. Purpose: This study aimed to un...

Background The proportion of older adults and individuals with disabilities in the general population increases each year. Thus, clinical clerkships designed for physiotherapy interns should provide more than simply knowledge and skills. For such interns to be able to handle the requirements of their future jobs, clerkships must enable them to deve...

Background: Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) is a practical treatment that can complement conventional rehabilitation by providing high-intensity repetitive training for patients with stroke. RAGT systems are usually either of the end-effector or exoskeleton types. We developed a novel hybrid RAGT system that leverages the advantages of both ty...

Background: With the annually increasing ratio of individuals with disabilities in an aged society, clinical clerkships for physiotherapy interns should provide more than just knowledge and skills. The cultivation of interns’ empathy and positive attitudes toward patients to meet future job requirements is essential. In this study, we explored the...

Turning difficulties are common in patients with stroke. The detrimental effects of dual tasks on turning indicate a correlation between turning and cognition. Cognitive impairment is prevalent after stroke, and stroke patients with mild cognitive impairment had a poorer turning performance than did stroke patients with intact cognitive abilities....

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation of the legs in patients with heart failure. Methods Data were obtained from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases until August 12, 2021. We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of functional electrical stimulation applied to the leg...

Stroke results in paretic limb disabilities, but few studies have investigated the impacts of stroke on muscle perception deficits in multiaxis movements and related functional changes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate stroke-related changes in muscle perceptions using a multiaxis ankle haptic interface and analyze their relationships wit...

Critical shoulder angle (CSA) is the angle between the superior and inferior bone margins of the glenoid and the most lateral border of the acromion and is potentially affected during a rotator cuff tear (RCT). Acromioplasty is generally performed to rectify the anatomy of the acromion during RCT repair surgery. However, limited information is avai...

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) to health has increased, including to COVID-19. This study aimed to provide a clear overview of COVID-19-related AI publication trends using longitudinal bibliometric analysis. A systematic literature search was conducted on the Web of Science for English language peer-reviewed articles related to AI...

The number of migrant workers in Taiwan increases annually. The majority is from Indonesia and most of them are female caregivers. This study aims to determine the access to health services and the associated factors among Indonesian female domestic workers in Taiwan. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from February to May 2019, usi...

Background Healthcare workers are usually the first responders during outbreaks and are instrumental in educating the populace about the prevention of different diseases and illnesses. The aim of this study was to assess the association between healthcare workers’ characteristics and knowledge, attitudes and practices toward Zika virus. Methods Th...

Purpose Osteosarcopenic adiposity (OSA), which is described as the concurrent occurrence of osteopenia, sarcopenia, and adiposity, can lead to frailty and increase the risk of physical disability in elderly women. Progressive elastic band resistance exercise training (peRET) is considered a safe and feasible exercise intervention for elderly women...

Background: People with cognitive impairment are susceptible to fall. Previous studies regarding balance and gait enrolled patients with various severity of dementia. Quantification of the balance and gait performance of people with cognitive impairment may help identify their postural instability and fall risks. Aim: We investigated the differe...

Objective This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of high-intensity functional exercise among older adults with dementia. Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, we collected articles published before August 2020 from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to evaluate the effect of high-intensity...

Background The critical shoulder angle (CSA) is the angle between the superior and inferior bony margins of the glenoid and the most lateral border of the acromion. Although studies have reported that the CSA is associated with rotator cuff tears (RCTs), few studies have examined the accuracy of the CSA for predicting RCTs in patients with shoulder...

Background Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease responsible for gait disabilities and cognitive impairment, which affect functional performance. Robot-assisted gait training is an emerging training method to facilitate body-weight–supported treadmill training in many neurologic diseases. Through this study, we aimed to determine the efficacy...

Background: Young patients with stroke are typically the economic support of their families and societies, and their return to work (RTW) is crucial to maintaining their quality of life. However, the identification of RTW-related factors of different aspects is complicated and a systematic analysis of these factors is lacking. Aim: To develop a...

The vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles at the knee joint play important roles for coordination, stability, and posture control. However, no currently available device records muscle activity while simultaneously warning users regarding abnormal muscle activity. This study used a commercialized electromyography sensors p...

Electromyography (EMG) sensors have been used to study the sequence of muscle contractions during sit-to-stand (STS) in post-stroke patients. However, the majority of the studies used wired sensors with a limited number of placements. Using the latest improved wearable technology with 16 sensors, the current study was a thorough investigation to ev...

Objectives Autoimmune connective tissue diseases (ACTDs) commonly involve the shoulder joint; however, clinical epidemiological studies investigating their association with tendons are scant. Rotator cuff (RC) tears can cause shoulder disability, and surgical intervention is usually required. The study investigated RC repair surgery risk in ACTD pa...

Background Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at a higher risk of many types of cancer. However, specific investigation of the risk of prostate cancer and the influence of COPD pharmacotherapy in patients with COPD is lacking. This study investigated the risk and influence of COPD pharmacotherapy on risk of prostate canc...

Background: Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) was widely used in stroke rehabilitation and was more efficient than repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in terms of inducing larger motor evoked potential and producing longer effects. To our knowledge, the outcomes are not available combining rehabilitation and iTBS for improving m...

Background: Lateral epicondylitis is frequently seen in racquet sport players and the treatments are usually symptomatic rather than curative. Taping therapy is cheap and easy to apply in the sport field. In this study we valued the effectiveness of Kinesio taping (KT) on immediate pain control for patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis. Met...

Bilateral upper-limb motor imagery has been demonstrated to be a useful mental task in electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). By contrast, few studies have examined bilateral lower-limb motor imagery, and all of them have focused on imaginary foot movements. The left–right classification accuracy reported in these stud...

Background: With age, body composition often changes with functional limitations in elderly adults. What kind of body composition evaluation method had better correlation with physical capacity is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between body composition and physical capacity aged people. Methods: 56 males (mean age...

In the Funding section, one of the grant numbers from Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare is missing. The correct grant numbers are 105-SHH-HCP-06 and 106TMU-SHH-05. There are errors in the author affiliations. The affiliations should appear as shown here: Chun-De Liao1,2, Jau-Yih Tsauo¹, Dun-Jen Hsiao³, Tsa...

Background: Obesity can limit physical capacity and lower physical activity levels in elderly people. Low physical activity levels may be mediated by autonomic dysfunction with decreased heart rate variability (HRV). However, the relationship between autonomic dysfunction and low physical capability remains unclear. This cross-sectional study inve...

Heart rate variability of participants stratified on age and gender. (DOCX)

Background: The potential benefits of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), applied either alone or as a combination treatment, on recovery of lower extremities after stroke have been insufficiently studied. Objective: To evaluate the effect of priming with 1-Hz rTMS over contralesional leg motor area with a double cone coil prior...

Background: Robot-assisted gait training has been introduced as a practical treatment adjunctive to traditional stroke rehabilitation to provide high-intensity repetitive training. The design of robots is usually based on either the end-effector and exoskeleton method. The novel Robot Gait Training System (RGTS), a hybrid mixed type of end-effecto...

Background: The effective self-management and treatment of long-term disability after stroke depends greatly on the health literacy of patients. The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q) is a comprehensive and theory-based measure that captures multiple self-perceived competencies of health literacy and covers a diverse range of...

We compared subjective and objective measurements of symptoms of dizziness and postural stability in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) during the first week following the injury. We recruited 244 patients with mTBI and 105 controls. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance w...

Background: Wearable devices based on inertial measurement units through wireless sensor networks have many applications such as real-time motion monitoring and functional outcome assessment of stroke rehabilitation. However, additional investigations are warranted to validate their clinical value, particularly in detecting the synergy patterns of...

Background Sarcopenia is associated with loss of muscle mass and an increased risk of physical disability in elderly people. However, the prevalence of sarcopenia has increased in obese elderly populations. The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical efficacy of elastic resistance exercise training (RET) in patients with sarcopenic obesi...

Background: Gout commonly involves joint inflammation, and clinical epidemiological studies on involved tendons are scant. Rotator cuff tears are the most common cause of shoulder disability, and surgery is one of the choices often adopted to regain previous function. Purpose: To investigate the risk of receiving rotator cuff repair surgery amon...

In lower-limb rehabilitation, there is a specific group of patients that can perform voluntary muscle contraction and visible limb movement provided that the weight of his/her leg is fully supported by a physical therapist. In addition, this therapist is necessary in guiding the patient to switch between hip-only and knee-only motions for training...

Objective: To investigate the effects of Kinesio taping for stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain. Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Subjects: Twenty-one stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain within 6 months of stroke onset in the rehabilitation ward of a medical university hospital in Taiwan. Methods:...

Background: Sarcopenia involves age-related decreases in muscle strength and muscle mass, leading to frailty and disability in elderly people. When combined with obesity, it is defined as sarcopenic obesity (SO), which can result in more functional limitations and metabolic disorders than either disorder alone. Aim: The aim of this study was to...

Although various kinds of motor imageries have been used for BCI applications, imaginary lower limb stepping movement has not been studied yet. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibilities of using electroencephalography (EEG) signal to classify imaginary lower limb stepping movements and to design a robust motor imagery classifier...

Background. Neuropathic pain associated with sympathetic overactivity can be effectively relieved by light irradiating the region near stellate ganglion (SGI), applied as an alternative to a conventional sympathetic blockade. The clinical effect of SGI on heart rate variability (HRV) and its association with pain outcomes require investigation. Obj...

Although the association between depressive disorders and osteoarthritis (OA) has been studied, the association of other psychiatric disorders with OA remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether psychiatric disorders are risk factors for OA. The data were obtained from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 of Taiwan. We collected the a...

Objective: The Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients (PASS) is used to assess static and dynamic balance of stroke patients. PASS has demonstrated good measurement properties for reliability and validity, but its predictive effect for ambulation in stroke patients has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the pred...

Objective: This study evaluated the reliability and validity of a convenient method that uses the real-time feedback surface electromyography (sEMG) to control muscle activation while measuring the MEP recorded from the quadriceps muscle in patients with stroke. Methods: It measured the MEP parameters as well as the clinical assessment at initia...

Objective: To evaluate whether balance training after total knee replacement surgery improves functional outcomes and to determine whether postoperative balance is associated with mobility. Design: A prospective intervention study and randomized controlled trial with an intention-to-treat analysis. Setting: The rehabilitation center of a university...

This study evaluated the effects of continuous passive motion (CPM) on accelerated flexion after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and whether CPM application measures (i.e. initial angle and daily increment) are associated with functional outcomes. A retrospective investigation was conducted at the rehabilitation centre of a university-based teaching...

In lower-limb rehabilitation programs, patients that suffer from neuromuscular disorders with manual muscle test (MMT) level 2 are able to perform voluntary muscle contraction and visible limb movement provided that a therapist assists the patient to eliminate the weight of his/her leg. In addition, the physical therapist is clinically needed to gu...

To determine the survival of patients with stroke for up to 10 years after a first-time stroke and to investigate whether stroke rehabilitation within the first 3 months reduced long-term mortality in these patients. We used the medical claims data for a random sample of 1 million insured Taiwanese registered in the year 2000. A total of 7767 patie...

Previously, we reported the use of an International Classification of Functioning (ICF) core set that can provide a holistic framework for evaluating the risk factors of falls; however, data on the feasibility of applying this core set are lacking. To investigate the feasibility of applying the fall--related ICF risk--factor core set in the case of...

Objective: To evaluate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on mobility among patients with substantial leg impairment after subacute stroke. Design: Double-blinded, stratified, randomized trial involving a sham control group. Participants: Patients who developed unilateral hemiplegia after first-ever subacute str...

Purpose: The Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) is a frequently used measure that assesses instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). However, the measurement properties of the FAI are largely unknown for patients with traumatic limb injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement properties of a Chinese version of the FAI, in...

Objective: This study examined the disparities in balance functions and sensory integration in patients with mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) and healthy controls. Participants: One hundred and seven patients with mTBI and 107 age- and sex-matched controls were recruaited for this study. Primary measures: Symptoms of dizziness, balance fu...

Objective Obesity is associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis, and the incidence of obese patients requiring a total knee replacement (TKR) has increased in recent years. A high body mass index (BMI) may influence post-TKR rehabilitation outcomes. We investigated the effects of obesity on functional mobility outcomes following post-TKR r...

Objective: To analyze how acupuncture therapy affects balance in patients experiencing their first stroke and to identify the stroke group with greatest improvement in balance after acupuncture intervention. Design: Retrospective case-control study. Setting: Ward of a medical university hospital. Participants: A total of 629 stroke patients...

To apply the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) model to fall prevention by developing an ICF core set for fall risks in acute rehabilitation settings. Fall risk factors were identified based on a systematic review of the literature, and linked to ICF categories. A consensus process was conducted using a Delph...

Introduction: Smooth the patient treatment process to promote one of the important indicators of the quality of medical services. According to statistics released by the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 90% of orthopedic physical therapy patients are subject to the treatment apparatus, diathermy equipment operational functions normally provide...

Introduction: To wash your hands is to improve personal hygiene, prevention of infectious diseases is the easiest and most effective way. Hand-washing is the basic strategy of infection control in hospitals and that is the most important program for the prevention of hepatitis A, shigellosis, typhoid, intestinal virus, as well as SARS and other inf...

Detection of fever has become an essential step in identifying patients who may have severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or avian influenza. This study evaluated infrared thermography (IRT) and compared the influence of different imagers, ambient temperature discrepancy, and the distance between the subject and imager. IRT-digital infrared the...