Hansen Andrew, Bedore Beau, Nickel Eric, Hanowski Kristin, Tangen Sonya, Goldish Gary
Minneapolis VA Health Care System, One Veterans Drive, Research-MS 151, Minneapolis, MN 55417.
J Rehabil Res Dev. 2014;51(2):297-303. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2013.03.0072.
This article describes an inexpensive elastic head support for persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and neck muscle weakness and also presents a case series to examine its effectiveness. The device offers support to the head while the user is seated, standing, and walking, providing support for persons in various stages of ALS. The head support system was tested in seven male patients with ALS. Before and after the 2 wk trial, the subjects answered questions related to their communication efficacy, difficulty swallowing, level of neck discomfort, number of hours being upright before neck discomfort, comfort in social settings, and rating of perceived dyspnea. Subjects also answered specific questions related to the elastic head support after the 2 wk trial. The results suggested that the elastic head support is useful for some, but not all, patients.
本文介绍了一种为肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）患者及颈部肌肉无力者设计的廉价弹性头部支撑装置，并展示了一个病例系列以检验其有效性。该装置在使用者坐着、站立和行走时为头部提供支撑，为处于ALS不同阶段的患者提供支持。头部支撑系统在7名男性ALS患者身上进行了测试。在为期2周的试验前后，受试者回答了与他们的沟通效能、吞咽困难、颈部不适程度、颈部出现不适前直立的小时数、社交场合的舒适度以及感知到的呼吸困难评分相关的问题。在为期2周的试验后，受试者还回答了与弹性头部支撑相关的具体问题。结果表明，弹性头部支撑对部分患者有用，但并非对所有患者都有用。
