Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Cardiac Telerehabilitation Program in Chronic Heart Failure: Design and Rationale of the TELEREHAB-HF Study.

Despite strong guideline recommendations, participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) among patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) remains low due to logistical, geographical, and psychosocial barriers. Telerehabilitation may help overcome these limitations by offering remote, structured exercise programs supported by digital technologies. The TELEREHAB-HF study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an 8-week, home-based cardiac telerehabilitation program compared to standard in-person rehabilitation in patients with CHF.

Psychic and Cognitive Impacts of Cardiovascular Disease: Evidence from an Observational Study and Comparison by a Systematic Literature Review.

: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are frequently associated with psychiatric and cognitive comorbidities. These conditions have been shown to significantly impact quality of life and clinical outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and cognitive deficits in patients with CVD and to compare the results with existing evidence in the literature.

Dynamic Computer-Aided Navigation System in Dentoalveolar Surgery and Maxillary Bone Augmentation in a Dental Setting: A Systematic Review.

: Dynamic computer-aided navigation systems are a real-time motion tracking technology widely applied in oral implantology and endodontics to enhance precision and reduce complications. However, their reliability, accuracy, and usability in dentoalveolar surgery and maxillary bone augmentation remain underinvestigated. : A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted and registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024610153).

Expert consensus on feasibility and application of automatic pain assessment in routine clinical use.

Background: Pain is often difficult to assess, particularly in non-communicative patients. While artificial intelligence (AI)-based objective Automatic Pain Assessment (APA) systems are a promising solution, their clinical implementation raises essential questions, primarily regarding clinician acceptance.

Methods: We conducted a survey-to-consensus investigation on the feasibility and application of APA for clinical use.

Effectiveness and Adherence of Pharmacological vs. Non-Pharmacological Technology-Supported Smoking Cessation Interventions: An Umbrella Review.

: Smoking cessation has a crucial public health role. To overcome non-technological and technology-based smoking cessation intervention limitations, technology-supported programs were developed. : The present umbrella review aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness (≥6 months) of pharmacological vs.

The Association of C-Mill With Traditional Physical Therapy Rehabilitation in a Multiple Sclerosis Patient: A Case Report.

A 55-year-old woman with Multiple Scleroris (MS) was referred to undergo a course of conventional physical therapy and cognitive robotic rehabilitation. The neurological examination revealed ataxic gait, dysmetria, nystagmus, cognitive impairment of attention and memory, weakness in the four limbs. To improve balance and walking skills, 20 gait and balance rehabilitation sessions was prescribed, based on conventional physiotherapy and virtual reality.

Reviewing Mobile Dental Apps for Children with Cognitive and Physical Impairments and Ideating an App Tailored to Special Healthcare Needs.

: Children with special healthcare needs (SHCNs) face various physical, developmental, sensory, behavioral, or cognitive challenges affecting oral health and highlighting the need for specialized and more accessible oral and dental care. Mobile health (m-health) applications have emerged as a promising solution to bridge oral health education gaps and improve dental care access. This narrative review aimed to examine the available dental m-health applications designed for children with cognitive and physical impairments, exploring the perspectives of children, parents/caregivers, and dentists regarding their use and potential contribution to oral health.

Observational protocol on neuropsychological disorders in cardiovascular disease for holistic prevention and treatment.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. In view of the close correlation between the functions of the body, which cannot be examined in a piecemeal manner but as an integrated system, a holistic approach allows for a comprehensive assessment of the patient. Our study aims to (i) examine the connection between CVD and cognitive deficits; (ii) examine the presence of anxiety and depression; (iii) evaluate the presence of dysphagia, pneumophonic coordination disorders, respiratory and sleep disorders; (iv) analyze the impact of CVD on the caregiver; and (v) evaluate the effectiveness of psychoeducational intervention.

Exploring the Role of Voice Assistants in Managing Noncommunicable Diseases: A Systematic Review on Clinical, Behavioral Outcomes, Quality of Life, and User Experiences.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent a leading cause of global mortality, demanding innovative approaches to management. Voice assistants (VAs) have emerged as promising tools in healthcare, offering support for self-management, behavioral engagement, and patient care. This systematic review evaluates the role of VAs in NCD management, analyzing their impact on clinical and behavioral outcomes, quality of life, usability, and user experiences while identifying barriers to their adoption.

Accelerating Recovery: A Case Report on Telerehabilitation for a Triathlete's Post-Meniscus Surgery Comeback.

Meniscus injuries are common among endurance athletes, requiring structured rehabilitation to restore function and facilitate a safe return to sport. Traditional in-person rehabilitation may not always be accessible or feasible for high-performance athletes. Telerehabilitation, incorporating virtual reality, motion tracking, and telemonitoring, offers an innovative approach to guided recovery.

Retrospective Study on Short-Term Reverse Cardiac Remodeling in Obese Patients Undergoing Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Severe obesity is closely associated with an increased risk of comorbidities and alterations in cardiac structure and function. The primary objective of this study was to investigate cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and ventricular remodeling in individuals from an obese population eligible for bariatric surgery. The secondary objective was to evaluate changes in anthropometric, clinical laboratory, and echocardiographic measurements 12 weeks after surgery compared to baseline values.

The Use of Audiovisual Distraction Tools in the Dental Setting for Pediatric Subjects with Special Healthcare Needs: A Review and Proposal of a Multi-Session Model for Behavioral Management.

Background: A Special Health Care Need (SHCN) is characterized by any type of physical, mental, sensorial, cognitive, emotional, or developmental condition that requires medical treatment, specialized services, or healthcare interventions. These conditions can negatively impact oral health as SHCN children can hardly cooperate or communicate and experience higher levels of dental fear/anxiety, which interfere with regular appointments. The present narrative review aims to analyze the use of audiovisual (AV) tools in dental setting for the management of SHCN children during dental treatment and to evaluate their effectiveness in anxiety/behavior control from the child, dentist, and care-giver perspectives.

An explainable model for predicting Worsening Heart Failure based on genetic programming.

Heart Failure (HF) poses a challenge for our health systems, and early detection of Worsening HF (WHF), defined as a deterioration in symptoms and clinical and instrumental signs of HF, is vital to improving prognosis. Predicting WHF in a phase that is currently undiagnosable by physicians would enable prompt treatment of such events in patients at a higher risk of WHF. Although the role of Artificial Intelligence in cardiovascular diseases is becoming part of clinical practice, especially for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, its usage is often considered not completely reliable due to the incapacity of these models to provide a valid explanation about their output results.

Artificial Intelligence and Heart-Brain Connections: A Narrative Review on Algorithms Utilization in Clinical Practice.

Cardiovascular and neurological diseases are a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Such diseases require careful monitoring to effectively manage their progression. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers valuable tools for this purpose through its ability to analyse data and identify predictive patterns.

Optimisation of Remote Monitoring Programmes in Heart Failure: Evaluation of Patient Drop-Out Behaviour and Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives.

Heart failure (HF) is a growing epidemic, affecting millions of people worldwide, and is a major cause of mortality, morbidity, and impaired quality of life. Traditional cardiac rehabilitation is a valuable approach to the physical and quality-of-life recovery of patients with cardiovascular disease. The innovative approach of remote monitoring through telemedicine offers a solution based on modern technologies, enabling continuous collection of health data outside the hospital environment.

Telerehabilitation: A Solution for Patients After Hip Fracture?

- Hip fracture is the most common cause of hospitalization in frail geriatric subjects due to osteoporosis and recurrent falls. The clinical practice guidelines for rehabilitation after surgery in patients with hip fractures recommend to start treatment early. However, the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic between December 2019 and January 2020 forced to lockdown.

A Set of Possible Markers for Monitoring Heart Failure and Cognitive Impairment Associated: A Review of Literature from the Past 5 Years.

Background: Heart failure is an epidemiologically relevant disease because of the aging population and widespread lifestyles that promote it. In addition to the acute event, it is possible for the disease to become chronic with periodic flare-ups. It is essential to study pathology from a diagnostic and prognostic point of view and to identify parameters for effective monitoring.

Wearable Technologies and AI at the Far Edge for Chronic Heart Failure Prevention and Management: A Systematic Review and Prospects.

Smart wearable devices enable personalized at-home healthcare by unobtrusively collecting patient health data and facilitating the development of intelligent platforms to support patient care and management. The accurate analysis of data obtained from wearable devices is crucial for interpreting and contextualizing health data and facilitating the reliable diagnosis and management of critical and chronic diseases. The combination of edge computing and artificial intelligence has provided real-time, time-critical, and privacy-preserving data analysis solutions.

Healthcare worker burnout during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: experiences from an intensive neurological rehabilitation unit.

Objective: The study aim was to investigate the prevalence of behavioral symptoms and burnout in healthcare workers in an intensive neurological rehabilitation unit in Messina, Italy, during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy.

Methods: Forty-seven healthcare workers (including neurologists, physiatrists, nurses and rehabilitation therapists) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from February 2020 to June 2020. Participants were administered the following psychometric tests to investigate burnout and related symptoms: the Maslach Burnout Inventory, which measures emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment; the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS); the Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale (PSAS); the Dyadic Adjustment Scale; and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ).

Artificial Intelligence in Hypertension Management: An Ace up Your Sleeve.

Arterial hypertension (AH) is a progressive issue that grows in importance with the increased average age of the world population. The potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in its prevention and treatment is firmly recognized. Indeed, AI application allows personalized medicine and tailored treatment for each patient.

In vivo probabilistic atlas of white matter tracts of the human subthalamic area combining track density imaging and optimized diffusion tractography.

The human subthalamic area is a region of high anatomical complexity, tightly packed with tiny fiber bundles. Some of them, including the pallidothalamic, cerebello-thalamic, and mammillothalamic tracts, are relevant targets in functional neurosurgery for various brain diseases. Diffusion-weighted imaging-based tractography has been suggested as a useful tool to map white matter pathways in the human brain in vivo and non-invasively, though the reconstruction of these specific fiber bundles is challenging due to their small dimensions and complex anatomy.

Feasibility, Usability, and Customer Satisfaction of the Tele-COVID19 Project, Sicilian Model.

: In March 2020, COVID-19 pandemic affected the world. All countries, to limit viral transmission, imposed quarantine. This emergency exerted personal, social, economic, and psychological impact on people.