Objective To evaluate associations betweenMTHFD1 gene G1958A polymorphism and the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods We electronically searched databases including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, and WanFang Data from inception to June 2016 to collect case-control studies of the correlation between the G1958A polymorphism inMTHFD1 and the risk of NTDs. Two reviewers independently screened the studies, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies, and then, meta-analysis was performed using Stata 12.0 software. Results Thirteen case-control studies were included, involving 1 724 NTDs infants, 1 485 mothers and 774 fathers with NTDs offspring. The results of meta-analysis showed that there was significant association betweenMTHFD1 gene G1958A polymorphism and increased risk of NTDs in infants (AAvs. GG: OR=1.437, 95%CI 1.100 to 1.878,P=0.008; AA+AGvs. GG: OR=1.187, 95%CI 1.031 to 1.367,P=0.017; Avs. G: OR=1.210, 95%CI 1.050 to 1.394,P=0.008). However, there was no association between biparentalMTHFD1 gene G1958A polymorphism and NTDs in the offspring. Conclusion The current evidence shows thatMTHFD1 gene G1958A polymorphism may be a genetic risk factor for NTDs. Due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.
Objective To explore the effect of smart powered hip exoskeleton-assisted gait training on lower limb motor function in stroke patients. Methods Stroke patients hospitalized at the China Rehabilitation Research Center (Beijing Bo’ai Hospital) between December 2023 and March 2025 were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned to either the exoskeleton group or the conventional gait training group (control group). All patients received conventional rehabilitation therapy, including occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Additionally, the exoskeleton group underwent gait training with a smart hip-powered exoskeleton. The control group received conventional gait training using traditional rehabilitation methods. Functional assessments were conducted before treatment, after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment using the following scales: Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale for Lower Extremity (FMA-LE), Fugl-Meyer Balance Assessment Scale (FMA-B), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), 6-Minute Walk Test, Modified Barthel Index (MBI). Patients in the exoskeleton group underwent subjective satisfaction assessment after 4 weeks of treatment. Results A total of 29 patients were included. Among them, there were 15 cases in the exoskeleton group and 14 cases in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in gender, age, stroke type, disease duration, and hemiplegic side between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in motor function indicators between the two groups before and after treatment (P>0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, FMA-LE, FMA-B, and MBI scores in both groups were higher than before treatment (P<0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, the FMA-LE score in the foreign group showed an improvement (P<0.05), while the control group showed an improvement until 4 weeks later (P<0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, there was a statistically significant difference in the improvement rate of FMA-LE between the two groups (Z=−2.076, P=0.041). After 4 weeks of treatment, the subjective satisfaction of patients in the exoskeleton group was relatively high, with an average score of 33.07±4.96. Conclusions Smart powered hip exoskeleton-assisted gait training combined with conventional rehabilitation can improve lower limb motor function, balance, activities of daily living, and walking capacity in post-stroke patients. The exoskeleton demonstrated superior efficacy in enhancing lower limb function compared to conventional training. Patients demonstrated high acceptance of the exoskeleton-assisted gait training in terms of safety and comfort.