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Fulltext Functional Outcomes in Spinal Tuberculosis: A Review of the Literature

Yong LN, Ahmedy F, Yin KN, Engkasan JP

Asian Spine J, 2021 Jun;15(3):381-391.
PMID: 32951405 DOI: 10.31616/asj.2020.0086

Spinal tuberculosis often leads to neurological deficit and subsequent deterioration in functional outcomes. This review assesses the recent evidence on functional outcomes in spinal tuberculosis, highlighting functional recovery, assessment tools for functional measures, and associative factors for functional recovery. Using PubMed, a literature search was done using the terms "spinal tuberculosis," "tuberculous spondylitis," "tuberculous spondylodiscitis," and "functional outcome" for original articles published between January 2010 and December 2019. A total of 191 search results were found. Detailed screening showed that 19 articles met the eligibility criteria: 13 of these focused on surgical methods, four on conservative management, and two on rehabilitation approaches. The outcome measures used for functional assessment were the Oswestry Disability Index (11 articles), Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (n=3), modified Barthel Index (n=2), Functional Independence Measure (n=2), and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (n=1). Functional outcome was mainly affected by pain, spinal cord compression, and inpatient rehabilitation. No significant difference in functional outcome was found between conservative management and surgery for cases with uncomplicated spinal tuberculosis. Most studies focused on surgery as the mode of treatment and used pain-related functional measures; however, these assessed functional limitations secondary to pain, and not neurological deficits. Further studies may consider examining functional outcomes in spinal tuberculosis by utilizing spinal cord-specific functional outcome measures, to evaluate outcome measures as a prognostic tool, and to measure functional outcomes from specific rehabilitation interventions.
Fulltext Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Polymorphism and Aphasia after Stroke

Lee NT, Ahmedy F, Mohamad Hashim N, Yin KN, Chin KL

Behav Neurol, 2021;2021:8887012.
PMID: 34367374 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8887012

Stroke is one of the most deliberating causes of mortality and disability worldwide. Studies have implicated Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene as a genetic factor influencing stroke recovery. Still, the role of BDNF polymorphism in poststroke aphasia is relatively unclear. This review assesses the recent evidence on the association between the BDNF polymorphism and aphasia recovery in poststroke patients. The article highlights BNDF polymorphism characteristics, speech and language interventions delivered, and the influence of BNDF polymorphism on poststroke aphasia recovery. We conducted a literature search through PubMed and Google Scholar with the following terms: "brain derived-neurotrophic factor" and "aphasia" for original articles from January 2000 until June 2020. Out of 69 search results, a detailed selection process produced a total of 3 articles that met the eligibility criteria. All three studies included Val66Met polymorphism as the studied human BDNF gene. One of the studies demonstrated insufficient evidence to conclude that BDNF polymorphism plays a role in poststroke aphasia recovery. The remaining two studies have shown that Met allele genotype (either single or double nucleotides) was associated with poor aphasia recovery, in either acute or chronic stroke. Carriers of the Val66Met polymorphism of BDNF gave a poorer response to aphasia intervention and presented with more severe aphasia.
Clinical presentation of post-COVID pain and its impact on quality of life in long COVID patients: a cross-sectional household survey of SARS-CoV-2 cases in Bangladesh

Kabir MF, Yin KN, Jeffree MS, Ahmedy FB, Zainudin MF, Htwe O, et al.

BMC Infect Dis, 2024 Apr 04;24(1):375.
PMID: 38575878 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09267-3

BACKGROUND: Pain is one of the prevalent Long COVID Symptoms (LCS). Pain interferes with the quality of life (QoL) and induces disease burden.
PURPOSE: The study aimed to elicit the clinical presentation of pain and determine the relationships between QoL and pain in LCS.
METHODS: This household cross-sectional study of 12,925 SARS-CoV-2 cases between July and December 2021 was carried out in eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Stratified random sampling from the cases retrieved from the Ministry of Health was employed. Symptom screening was performed through COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale, and long COVID was diagnosed according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS (Version 20.00).
RESULTS: The prevalence of pain in long COVID was between 01 and 3.1% in the studied population. The study also found five categories of pain symptoms as LCS in Bangladesh: muscle pain 3.1% (95% CI; 2.4-3.8), chest pain 2.4% (95% CI; 1.8-3.1), joint pain 2.8% (95% CI; 2.2-2.3), headache 3.1% (95% CI; 2.4-3.8), and abdominal pain 0.3% (95% CI; 0.01-0.5). People with LCS as pain, multiple LCS, and longer duration of LCS had significantly lower quality of life across all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF (P
Profile of long COVID symptoms needing rehabilitation: a cross-sectional household survey of 12,925 SARS-CoV-2 cases between July and December 2021 in Bangladesh

Kabir MF, Yin KN, Jeffree MS, Ahmedy FB, Jahan S, Islam MW, et al.

Arch Public Health, 2023 Jul 17;81(1):132.
PMID: 37461092 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-023-01140-0

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It is important to determine the profile of long COVID (LC) symptoms within the scope of rehabilitation in Bangladesh. This study's objective was to estimate the newly experienced long COVID symptoms needing rehabilitation by determining the prevalence and spectrum of impairments due to LC in Bangladesh.
METHODS: A Cross-sectional household survey of 12,925 COVID-19 patients confirmed by RT-PCR from 24 testing facilities in Bangladesh. LC was diagnosed according to WHO working group definition. COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS) was used to determine the symptom responses, symptom severity, new long COVID symptoms, and scope of rehabilitation.
RESULTS: The population proportion of LC symptoms requiring rehabilitation interventions are 0.22 [95% CI, 0.20-0.24] in Bangladeshi people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. Among them, 0.08 [95% CI, 0.07-0.09] had mild, 0.07 [95% CI, 0.06-0.09] had moderate, and 0.05 [95% CI, 0.04-0.06] had severe long COVID symptoms (LCS). There was a significant positive correlation between LCS and functional disabilities (r = 0.889, p
Fulltext Collaborative capacity building for strengthening rehabilitation services in Sabah, Malaysia: a partnership between university hospital and state health department

Ahmedy F, Yin KN, Sybil Shah S, Darsin Singh SK, Amat NAF, Francis FA, et al.

J Rehabil Med, 2025 Feb 05;57:jrm40166.
PMID: 39907216 DOI: 10.2340/jrm.v57.40166

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to outline the foundational framework for strengthening rehabilitation services in Sabah, Malaysia, through a collaborative capacity-building initiative between Hospital Universiti Malaysia Sabah (HUMS) and the Sabah State Health Department (JKNS). By focusing on academic, research, and service capacity-building, this partnership seeks to address the rehabilitation needs of the local population, particularly for individuals with functional limitations.
METHODS: The collaboration integrates HUMS's academic and clinical strengths with JKNS's existing rehabilitation services. Key components include developing postgraduate training for rehabilitation medicine, expanding community-based rehabilitation outreach services, and establishing a referral network between hospitals and community healthcare providers.
RESULTS: The partnership has resulted in the implementation of a comprehensive framework that enhances academic capacity, fosters research collaboration, and improves rehabilitation service delivery across Sabah. This approach is aligned with the WHO's Rehabilitation 2030 initiative, advocating for stronger integration of rehabilitation into healthcare systems.
CONCLUSION: The collaborative efforts between HUMS and JKNS demonstrate the critical role of partnerships between academic institutions and public health departments in strengthening rehabilitation services. This model offers a replicable strategy for influencing policy development and ensuring resource allocation to meet the growing rehabilitation needs in underserved regions.