Upper limb function is one of the most affected domains in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), as self-reported by 50% of patients. Heterogeneous results have been found about the correlation ...between objective and subjective upper limb function. The aim of the present study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies presenting data on the strength of association between the gold standard for 9-Hole Peg Test scores and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) of manual ability. Primary research studies including assessments of 9-Hole Peg Test scores and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures were searched in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Meta analytical calculations were performed using a random-effects model. We retrieved
n
= 27 studies including
n
= 75 distinct effect sizes (
N
of subjects = 3263). The central tendency analysis showed a strong correlation between 9-HPT scores and PROMs (
r
= 0.51, 95% CI 0.44, 0.58). Moderator analysis showed the effect size to be significantly larger in studies with a mean or median EDSS level indicating severe disability. The publication bias hypothesis was not supported; instead, we noted that studies based on larger samples also tend to report stronger effect sizes. Results of the study indicate that the correlation between 9-HPT and PROMs is strong, although the constructs measured by these instrument does not fully overlap. The correlation between 9-HPT and PROMs was stronger in larger studies and when samples include a sizeable subgroup of PwMS with severe disability, pointing out the importance of sample diversity.
Abstract
Objective
COVID-19 has been associated with neurological complications such as Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Several cases have been reported but without functional outcome data after ...intensive rehabilitation and medium-term follow-up.
Methods
In this observational study, patients were admitted in 2019 and 2020 to inpatient rehabilitation for GBS and were examined using the Barthel index, GBS-Disability Scale, and Medical Research Scale-sum score at admission, discharge, and at least 6 months after onset of symptoms. All the participants received personalized, goal-oriented inpatient rehabilitative treatment for the recovery of self-sufficiency in everyday life.
Results
Eleven people with GBS—3 cases related to COVID-19—were admitted in 2019 and 2020 to inpatient rehabilitation. Eight patients with GBS not related to COVID-19 experienced a high complication rate during inpatient rehabilitation, with 2 deaths due to sepsis. In this cohort, a higher prevalence than expected of acute motor axonal neuropathy was also detected. The COVID-19–related GBS group did not have any complications. After a mean of 10.11 months (SD = 4.46 months), 55.55% of patients regained autonomous walking.
Conclusion
COVID-19–related GBS appeared to have a better clinical outcome than GBS that was not COVID-19 related. A higher than usual prevalence of acute motor axonal neuropathy form was encountered. More follow-up studies are needed to understand whether the recovery of GBS related to COVID-19 might be different from that of GBS unrelated to COVID-19.
Impact
No data are currently available on the follow-up of GBS in the COVID-19 era and on the functional outcome of those patients. This study provides important information indicating that GBS related to COVID-19 might have a better clinical outcome than GBS unrelated to COVID-19.
The upper extremities limitation represents one of the essential functional impairments in patients with cervical spinal cord injury. Electromechanics assisted devices and robots are increasingly ...used in neurorehabilitation to help functional improvement in patients with neurological diseases. This review aimed to systematically report the evidence-based, state-of-art on clinical applications and robotic-assisted arm training (RAT) in motor and functional recovery in subjects affected by cervical spinal cord injury. The present study has been carried out within the framework of the Italian Consensus Conference on "Rehabilitation assisted by robotic and electromechanical devices for persons with disability of neurological origin" (CICERONE). PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) databases were systematically searched from inception to September 2021. The 10-item PEDro scale assessed the study quality for the RCT and the AMSTAR-2 for the systematic review. Two different authors rated the studies included in this review. If consensus was not achieved after discussion, a third reviewer was interrogated. The five-item Oxford CEBM scale was used to rate the level of evidence. A total of 11 studies were included. The selected studies were: two systematic reviews, two RCTs, one parallel-group controlled trial, one longitudinal intervention study and five case series. One RCT was scored as a high-quality study, while the systematic review was of low quality. RAT was reported as feasible and safe. Initial positive effects of RAT were found for arm function and quality of movement in addition to conventional therapy. The high clinical heterogeneity of treatment programs and the variety of robot devices could severely affect the generalizability of the study results. Therefore, future studies are warranted to standardize the type of intervention and evaluate the role of robotic-assisted training in subjects affected by cervical spinal cord injury.
The aim of the study was to explore the cognitive functions of a large sample of hospitalised subjects with mild symptomatic Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) who were previously independent at home and ...without neurological diseases.
Patients admitted in a COVID-19 Unit for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection between November 2020 and March 2021 were recruited. Inclusion criteria were: being independent at home before the infection, radiologically confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia, positive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction nasopharyngeal swab and no oxygen supplementation at the time of evaluation. Exclusion criteria: cognitive impairment or neurological diseases previous to the infection, delirium episodes, and history of any mechanical ventilation use. They were evaluated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A).
Out of 522 subjects admitted in the COVID-19 Unit, 90 were enrolled mean age = 68.32(11.99); 46M/44F. An impaired MoCA (cut-off < 23) was found in 60 subjects (66.66 %). Pathological scores were obtained by 36.7 % of the subjects with <65 years and 78.3 % of those older than 65 years. A high prevalence of executive function and memory impairment was detected.
The results underline a high rate of cognitive impairment in previously independent mild COVID-19 patients. This might represent a potential threat for the everyday independence of these patients due to the consequences on everyday life activities and work following discharge from hospital. These subjects should, therefore, be monitored in order to allow a better understanding of the progression and consequences of the so-called “Long COVID”.
•High rate of cognitive impairment in previously independent mild COVID-19 patients.•Cognitive impairment is a potential threat for the independence of these patients in everyday life activities and work.•These subjects should be monitored to better understand the progression and consequences of the so-called “Long COVID”.
Upper extremities limitation is a common functional impairment in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS). Novel technological devices are increasingly used in neurorehabilitation to support motor ...function improvement and the quantitative assessment of motor performance during training in patients with neurological diseases. In this review, we systematically report the evidence on clinical applications and robotic-assisted arm training (RAT) in functional recovery in PwMS. PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) databases were systematically searched from inception to March 2021. The 10-item PEDro scale assessed the study quality for the RCT, and the AMSTAR-2 was used to assess the quality of the systematic review. The 5-item Oxford CEBM scale was used to rate the level of evidence. A total of 10 studies (161 subjects) were included. The selected studies included one systematic review, four RCTs, one randomized crossover, and four case series. The RCTs were scored as high-quality studies, while the systematic review was determined to be of low quality. Shoulder range of motion, handgrip strength, and proximal arm impairment improved after RAT. Manual dexterity, arm function, and use in daily life also ameliorated arm function. The high clinical heterogeneity of treatment programs and the variety of robot devices affects the generalizability of the study results; therefore, we emphasize the need to standardize the intervention type in future studies that evaluate the role of robotic-assisted training in PwMS. Robot-assisted treatment seems safe and useful to increase manual dexterity and the quality of movement execution in PwMS with moderate to severe disability. Additional studies with an adequate sample size and methodological rigour are warranted to drive definite conclusions.
Detailed data on post-stroke depression (PSD) in older adults are limited in spite of the high vulnerability of this population to stroke. In fact, PSD prevalence in older adults ranges from 16.0 to ...43.9%; however, timing and instruments of evaluation often differ significantly across all available studies. The etiology, genetic and inflammatory factors, as well as structural brain alterations, are claimed as part of a multifaceted mechanism of action in PSD onset. Thus, the aim of this narrative review was to further elaborate on the prevalence, etiology, diagnosis, consequences and treatment of PSD in older adults. The consequences of PSD in older adults may be devastating, including a poor functional outcome after rehabilitation and lower medication adherence. In addition, lower quality of life and reduced social participation, higher risk of new stroke, rehospitalization, and mortality have been reported. In this scenario, treating PSD represents a crucial step to prevent these complications. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies are currently available. The pharmacological treatment utilizes antidepressant drugs, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TAs) and new multimodal antidepressants (NMAs). Non-pharmacological therapies include psychological interventions and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, while excluding drug administration. In the general population experiencing PSD, SSRIs (sertraline in particular) are the most prescribed, whereas the combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy is underused. Furthermore, about one-third of patients do not receive treatment for PSD. In regard to older adults with PSD, the possibility of more adverse effects or contraindications to antidepressant prescription due to comorbidities may limit the therapeutic window. Although drugs such as citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline, venlafaxine, and vortioxetine are usually well tolerated by older patients with PSD, the few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) specifically considering older adults with PSD have been conducted with fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, reboxetine, citalopram and nortriptyline, often with very small patient samples. Furthermore, data regarding the results of non-pharmacological therapies are scarce. High-quality RCTs recruiting large samples of older adults are needed in order to better manage PSD in this population. In addition, adequate screening and diagnosis instruments, with reliable timing of evaluation, should be applied.
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