Prevalence of pheripheral neuropathy and effects of physiotherapeutic exercises on peripheral neuropathy in people living with Hiv on antiretroviral therapy in Rwanda.

摘要

HIV-associated peripheral neuropathy (PN), and related functional limitations that affect the quality of life (QoL), may now be one of the most formidable challenges in the health care of people living with HIV (PLHIV). The most common PN is distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP). It is likely that there is a high prevalence of PN among PLHIV in Rwanda. The available data on the prevalence of PN are poor and there are none on how PN is associated with functional abilities and the QoL of PLHIV, which can guide management. In addition, current management of PN is mostly related to symptomatic management and is mainly pharmacological which may not rehabilitate the neuromuscular function that has been affected by PN. This thesis planned to re-validate and adapt the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) and the brief peripheral neuropathy screen (BPNS), establish the prevalence of PN, and determine the effects of physiotherapeutic exercises on PN, lower extremity functional limitations and QoL, among Rwandan PLHIV receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).udMethodsudStudy 1 translated LEFS from English to Kinyarwanda, modified it accordingly, and tested its reliability among 50 adult PLHIV on ART. The study also piloted