Cognitive care at your fingertips: A systematic review of telemedicine potential and barriers in rehabilitation for dementia.

BackgroundDementia is characterized by a deterioration in cognitive functions that impacts everyday tasks and overall life quality, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) being the most prevalent form. As dementia progresses, cognitive rehabilitation, often utilized in conjunction with telemedicine, offers significant support via targeted interventions that enhance autonomy and overall quality of life (QoL).ObjectiveThis systematic review aims to explore the potential and barriers of telemedicine-based cognitive stimulation and training programs for individuals with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Preoperative Health Status and Clinical Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life Improvement After Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery: A Longitudinal Study.

Limited research has examined the relationship between preoperative health status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) undergoing surgery. This study aims to assess the role of clinical, preoperative health and demographic factors on short-term HRQoL and functional outcomes following LSS surgery. : A longitudinal study was conducted on 61 LSS patients (mean age 72.

Thalamus and consciousness: a systematic review on thalamic nuclei associated with consciousness.

Introduction: Consciousness relies on both cortical and subcortical structures and their feedforward and feedback pathways. Within this framework, the thalamus represents a relay station enabling the transmission, reception, and integration of information. However, it is divided into several nuclear groups each composed of functionally heterogeneous nuclei, and, to date, an agreement on which nuclei are most involved in the generation, maintenance, and modulation of consciousness is still lacking.

The assessment of walking skills: Italian version.

Apraxia is a neuropsychological disorder that impairs voluntary, purposeful movements, with "Gait apraxia" specifically affecting walking. Because of the lack of standardized diagnostic tools, in Italian, we translated and adapted the "Assessment of Walking Skills" (AWS) scale, originally developed for identifying gait apraxia in Alzheimer's patients. The AWS includes 42 items that evaluate trunk and leg movements, useful for comparing the performance between patients and healthy controls.

Psychophysiological correlates of science communicators.

We conducted a study in an ecological setting to evaluate the heart rate variability (HRV) of expert communicators during a live national primetime video interview. The study involved 32 expert science communicators, all with mid- to long-term experience in public speaking and outreach work, who were evaluated by an external jury to assess their communication skills. Prior to the experiment, participants completed an online survey to gather socio-demographic data, work-related information, and psychological profiles.

The autonomic response following taVNS predicts changes in level of consciousness in DoC patients.

Advancements in emergency medicine and critical care have significantly improved survival rates for patients with severe acquired brain injuries(sABI), subsequently increasing the prevalence of disorders of consciousness (DoC) such as Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) and Minimally Conscious State (MCS). However, the assessment of conscious states relies on the observation of behavioral responses, the interpretation of which may vary from evaluator to evaluator, as well as the high rate of misdiagnosis, which together pose significant challenges for clinical diagnosis. The study investigates the utility of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in modulating autonomic responses, as evidenced through heart rate variability (HRV), for distinguishing between healthy individuals and DoC patients and for prognosticating patient outcomes.

Multidomain Cognitive Tele-Neurorehabilitation Training in Long-Term Post-Stroke Patients: An RCT Study.

Purpose: Over the past decade, tele-neurorehabilitation (TNR) has emerged as a vital and effective tool for delivering continuous care to stroke patients, playing a key role in enhancing functional recovery and ensuring consistent access to rehabilitation services. In the field of TNR, various protocols are utilized to ensure effective cognitive stimulation at home. Recent preliminary studies highlight the employment of multidomain cognitive interventions, which would seem to induce more stable and relevant cognitive recovery in stroke patients.

Application of Multidomain Cognitive Training in a Tele-Neurorehabilitation Setting for Treatment of Post-Stroke Cognitive Disorders.

Purpose: Cognitive dysfunctions are still very common in the chronic phase of stroke when patients are discharged from neurorehabilitation centers. Even individuals who appear to have made a full clinical recovery may exhibit new deficiencies at home. Here, we present evidence of a novel kind of therapy at home aimed at contrasting the heterogenic evolution of stroke patients using a multidomain cognitive approach.

Neuronutrition and Its Impact on Post-Stroke Neurorehabilitation: Modulating Plasticity Through Diet.

The recovery of neurological deficits after ischemic stroke largely depends on the brain's ability to reorganize its undamaged neuronal circuits and neuronal plasticity phenomena. The consolidated evidence highlights the involvement of the patient's impaired nutritional conditions in post-stroke recovery and unsatisfying rehabilitative outcomes. Standardized nutritional protocols usually applied in hospitalized patients in a rehabilitation setting aim mainly to improve the general health conditions of patients, do not consider the high inter-individual variability in neurorehabilitation outcomes, and are not sufficiently modifiable to provide neuroprotective and restorative dietary patterns that could promote neuronal plasticity and functional recovery during neurorehabilitation.

Clinical and Market Analysis of NanoBEO: A Public-Worth, Innovative Therapy for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)-Emerging Evidence and Its Implications for a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Decision-Making in National Health Systems.

Background: According to scientific literature, some 99% of patients affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) suffer from behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), also known as neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs). In particular, agitation is one of the most difficult disorders to treat. States of agitation represent a very serious problem as they make these subjects dangerous for themselves and others and worsen as the disease advances.

Brain Ischemic Tolerance Triggered by Preconditioning Involves Modulation of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-Stimulated Gene 6 (TSG-6) in Mice Subjected to Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion.

Ischemic preconditioning (PC) induced by a sub-lethal cerebral insult triggers brain tolerance against a subsequent severe injury through diverse mechanisms, including the modulation of the immune system. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6), a hyaluronate (HA)-binding protein, has recently been involved in the regulation of the neuroimmune response following ischemic stroke. Thus, we aimed at assessing whether the neuroprotective effects of ischemic PC involve the modulation of TSG-6 in a murine model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo).

"BrainHeart": Pilot Study on a Novel Application for Elderly Well-Being Based on Mindfulness Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

The rising prevalence of mental illness is straining global mental health systems, particularly affecting older adults who often face deteriorating physical health and decreased autonomy and quality of life. Early detection and targeted rehabilitation are crucial in mitigating these challenges. Mindfulness acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) holds promise for enhancing motivation and well-being among the elderly, although delivering such psychological interventions is hindered by limited access to services, prompting exploration of remote delivery options like mobile applications.

Combining computer-based rehabilitative approach with tDCS for recovering of aphasia: Implications from a single case study.

We present a case of a single left hemisphere temporal-parietal stroke with subacute global aphasia and severe verbal apraxia and moderate dysphagia. The patient underwent a combined transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and language stimulation with Virtual Reality Rehabilitation System (VRRS). Patient was treated in a 1-h session, for 5 days a week, for 4 consecutive weeks.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Deep Venous Thrombosis in Intensive Inpatient Neurorehabilitation Unit.

Unlabelled: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) (deep vein thrombosis and its complication, pulmonary embolism) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients and about 7% of these cases are due to immobility secondary to a neurological impairment. Acquired brain injury (ABI) has also been recognized as one of the main risk factors for VTE. Numerous epidemiological studies have been conducted to assess the risk factors for VTE in institutionalized polytrauma patients, although there is a lack of information about neurorehabilitation wards.

Italian adaptation of the Multidimensional Iowa Suggestibility Scale (MISS).

Background: Suggestibility is a personality trait that reflects a general tendency to accept messages. The Multidimensional Iowa Suggestibility Scale (MISS) is a self-report scale developed to measure the degree of individuals' perceptions of their suggestibility. This study aimed to adapt the MISS in an Italian sample.

Neuroanatomical correlates of peripersonal space: bridging the gap between perception, action, emotion and social cognition.

Peripersonal space (PPS) is a construct referring to the portion of space immediately surrounding our bodies, where most of the interactions between the subject and the environment, including other individuals, take place. Decades of animal and human neuroscience research have revealed that the brain holds a separate representation of this region of space: this distinct spatial representation has evolved to ensure proper relevance to stimuli that are close to the body and prompt an appropriate behavioral response. The neural underpinnings of such construct have been thoroughly investigated by different generations of studies involving anatomical and electrophysiological investigations in animal models, and, recently, neuroimaging experiments in human subjects.

Electrophysiological Screening to Assess Foot Drop Syndrome in Severe Acquired Brain Injury in Rehabilitative Settings.

Background: Foot drop syndrome (FDS), characterized by severe weakness and atrophy of the dorsiflexion muscles of the feet, is commonly found in patients with severe acquired brain injury (ABI). If the syndrome is unilateral, the cause is often a peroneal neuropathy (PN), due to compression of the nervous trunk on the neck of the fibula at the knee level; less frequently, the cause is a previous or concomitant lumbar radiculopathy. Bilateral syndromes are caused by polyneuropathies and myopathies.

The Role of Treatment-Related Parameters and Brain Morphology in the Lesion Volume of Magnetic-Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy in Patients with Tremor-Dominant Neurological Conditions.

Purpose: To determine the best predictor of lesion volume induced by magnetic resonance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy in patients with tremor-dominant symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) patients.

Methods: Thirty-six neurological patients with medication-refractory tremor (n°19 PD; n°17 ET) were treated using a commercial MRgFUS brain system (Exablate Neuro 4000, Insightec) integrated with a 1.5 T MRI unit (Sigma HDxt; GE Medical System).

Fractals in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience.

The fractal dimension of cognition refers to the idea that the cognitive processes of the human brain exhibit fractal properties. This means that certain patterns of cognitive activity, such as visual perception, memory, language, or problem-solving, can be described using the mathematical concept of fractal dimension.The idea that cognition is fractal has been proposed by some researchers as a way to understand the complex, self-similar nature of the human brain.

Cognitive telerehabilitation: an expert consensus paper on current evidence and future perspective.

The progressive improvement of the living conditions and medical care of the population in industrialized countries has led to improvement in healthcare interventions, including rehabilitation. From this perspective, Telerehabilitation (TR) plays an important role. TR consists of the application of telemedicine to rehabilitation to offer remote rehabilitation services to the population unable to reach healthcare.