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Dev Med Child Neurol 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Department of Pediatric Neurology, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Pediatric.

Aim: To evaluate early dystonic features in children and adolescents with SGCE-myoclonus-dystonia.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, 49 patients (26 females and 23 males) with SGCE-myoclonus-dystonia (aged 15y 2mo, SD 12y) with childhood-onset (2y 10mo, SD 1y 10mo) dystonia were examined using a standardized video recorded protocol. Dystonia was rated using the Writer's Cramp and Gait Dystonia Rating Scales. Read More

N Am Spine Soc J 2022 Jun 22;10:100128. Epub 2022 May 22.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) is associated with prolonged hospital stays and increased complications; however, its role in symptom severity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among spine patients is unknown. We determined 1) prevalence of preoperative CI; 2) associations between CI and preoperative pain, disability, and HRQoL; and 3) association between CI and postoperative improvements in HRQoL.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of 453 consecutive adult spine surgery patients between October 2019 and March 2021. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2022 Jul 8;100:33-36. Epub 2022 Jun 8.

University of Pennsylvania, Department of Neurology, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States. Electronic address:

Motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD) are heterogeneous and well-studied; non-tremor features of postural instability and gait dysfunction (PIGD) have been linked to worse outcomes and Alzheimer's disease (AD) co-pathology. However, these features are understudied in Lewy body dementias (LBD). Here we perform retrospective analysis of a unique cohort of LBD (n = 30) with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) data collected at baseline in proximity to cerebrospinal fluid collection to test the hypothesis that LBD patients with a positive AD biomarker profile (LBD + AD = 13) would have higher PIGD burden compared with LBD patients without AD biomarker positivity (LBD-AD = 17). Read More

Aging Clin Exp Res 2022 Jun 23;34(6):1419-1427. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Unit of Geriatrics, S. Maria Nuova Hospital, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Background: Clinical severity of pneumonia in older persons increases the risk for short-term mortality. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) may provide further insight in prognostic stratification.

Aims: To investigate whether CGA may improve prognostic stratification among older patients with pneumonia admitted to hospital. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Dec;100(48):e27805

Department of Radiology, Taizhou People's Hospital, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China.

Abstract: This study aims to investigate whether there is imaging evidence of disrupted hypothalamic functional connectivity (FC) in patients with diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and relationships with cognitive impairment.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired from acute patients with diagnosed DAI (n = 30) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 30). We first assessed hypothalamic FC with seed-based analysis. Read More

Ann Phys Rehabil Med 2022 Mar 2;65(5):101627. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Rehabilitation Department for Children with Acquired Neurological Injury, Saint Maurice Hospitals, Saint Maurice, France; Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, LIB, CNRS, INSERM, F-75006, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, GRC 24 Handicap Moteur et Cognitif et Réadaptation (HaMCRe), Paris, France. Electronic address:

Background: Childhood severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of long-lasting acquired disability, but predicting long-term functional outcome remains difficult.

Objectives: This study aimed to 1) describe the functional outcome at 1 and 7 years post-TBI; 2) determine the initial and concurrent factors associated with long-term outcome; and 3) evaluate the predictive value of functional status, overall disability level and intellectual ability measured at 1 year post-injury to determine 7-year clinically meaningful outcomes.

Methods: Among the children (<16 years) consecutively included over 3 years in the Traumatisme Grave de l'Enfant (TGE) prospective longitudinal cohort study after accidental severe TBI, we studied the outcomes of 39 survivors at 1 and 7 years post-injury. Read More

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021 Dec 16;51(12):581-601. Epub 2021 Nov 16.

Objective: To determine whether adding hip treatment to usual care for low back pain (LBP) improved disability and pain in individuals with LBP and a concurrent hip impairment.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Seventy-six participants (age, 18 years or older; Oswestry Disability Index, 20% or greater; numeric pain-rating scale, 2 or more points) with LBP and a concurrent hip impairment were randomly assigned to a group that received treatment to the lumbar spine only (LBO group) (n = 39) or to one that received both lumbar spine and hip treatments (LBH group) (n = 37). Read More

Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl 2021 Sep 15;3(3):100132. Epub 2021 May 15.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tokyo Bay Rehabilitation Hospital, Chiba, Japan.

Objectives: To investigate the physical, cognitive, and psychological factors related to daily step count in patients with subacute stroke.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: A subacute rehabilitation ward with 160 beds. Read More

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2022 03 28;30(3):372-382. Epub 2021 Jul 28.

Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns University Hopkins School of Medicine (CBM, J-MSL, CUO), Baltimore, MD.

Objective: The aims of this study are to describe the chronology of functional disabilities in primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and to examine associations between psychiatric comorbidities and functional disabilities.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective data analysis using subjects enrolled at Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers between 2005 and 2019. Data were obtained from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center database. Read More

Expert Rev Neurother 2021 09 26;21(9):1051-1058. Epub 2021 Aug 26.

Director Of Rehabilitation Neuropsychology; Director, SRN Disorders Of Consciousness Program; Project Director, Spaulding-Harvard TBI Model System, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA; And Consulting Neuropsychologist, Department Of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; And Professor, Department Of Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Objective: To determine minimally clinically important differences (MCIDs) for Disability Rating Scale (DRS), Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Subscale (FM-UE), Fugl-Meyer Lower Extremity Subscale (FM-LE), and Fugl-Meyer Motor Scale (FMMS) in patients with chronic motor deficits secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods: Retrospective analysis from the 1-year, double-blind, randomized, surgical sham-controlled, Phase 2 STEMTRA trial (NCT02416492), in which patients with chronic motor deficits secondary to TBI (N = 61) underwent intracerebral stereotactic implantation of modified bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal (SB623) cells. MCIDs for DRS, FM-UE, FM-LE, and FMMS were triangulated with distribution-based, anchor-based, and Delphi panel estimates. Read More

J Parkinsons Dis 2021 ;11(4):1995-2003

Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and an important cause of disability. Screening facilitates early detection of CI and has implications for management. Preclinical disability is when patients have functional limitations but maintain independence through compensatory measures. Read More

JAMA Neurol 2021 08;78(8):982-992

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Importance: Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the US and worldwide. Few studies have enabled prospective, longitudinal outcome data collection from the acute to chronic phases of recovery after msTBI.

Objective: To prospectively assess outcomes in major areas of life function at 2 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months after msTBI. Read More

Phys Ther 2021 11;101(11)

Department of Physical Therapy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the construct validity and overall appropriateness of test score interpretation of 4 shoulder-related patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures for use in a population of patients with head and neck cancer using Rasch analysis.

Methods: One hundred eighty-two individuals who had received a neck dissection procedure within the past 2 weeks to 18 months were recruited for this cross-sectional psychometric study. Rasch methodologies were used to investigate scale dimensionality, scale hierarchy, response scale structure, and reliability of Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), QuickDASH, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and Neck Dissection Impairment Index (NDII). Read More

Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2021 Jul 6;33:159-167. Epub 2021 May 6.

Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King's College London, London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Background: Childhood-onset hyperkinetic movement disorders (HMD), including dystonia are notoriously difficult to treat and there are limited studies showing successful medical, surgical or non-pharmacological interventions.

Methods: This prospective study used grouped data (n = 22) from two studies of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) Approach for patient-selected goals. Eligibility included aged 6-21 years, deep brain stimulation in place, with manual ability classification system level I-IV. Read More

Neuroreport 2021 05;32(7):588-595

Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University.

Objective: Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a common pathological process after traumatic brain injury, which may cause survivors severe functional disorders, including cognitive impairment and physical disability. Recent literature indicated lateral hypothalamus and medial hypothalamus damage during DAI. Thus, we aim to investigate whether there is imaging evidence of hypothalamic injury in patients with DAI and its clinical association. Read More

Cureus 2021 Mar 7;13(3):e13754. Epub 2021 Mar 7.

Orthopedics and Traumatology, King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital Lahore, Lahore, PAK.

Objective:  The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of conservative and surgical treatment in cerebral palsy children by evaluating the Medical Research Council (MRC) grading system, modified Ashworth scale, and Barthel Activities of Daily Life (ADL) scale.

Method: This prospective case series was performed using a non-probability consecutive sampling technique at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital, Lahore from October 2011 to November 2013. Two hundred children of all ages, having cerebral palsy diagnosed on history and clinical examination were enrolled in the study. Read More

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021 26;17:945-955. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Japan Medical Office, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests the presence of cognitive impairment in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), which affects their psychosocial function and quality of life (QoL). PERFORM-J (Prospective Epidemiological Research on Functioning Outcomes Related to MDD in Japan) is an observational, multicenter study to assess longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms, psychomotor speed, subjective cognitive function, and psychosocial function.

Methods: Five hundred and eighteen Japanese outpatients with MDD initiating new antidepressant monotherapy (first-line or switch from previous drug) as part of their routine medical care participated in this study. Read More

JMIR Res Protoc 2021 Mar 17;10(3):e22805. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the second highest cause of disability worldwide. Standard treatments for MDD include medicine and talk therapy; however, approximately 1 in 5 Canadians fail to respond to these approaches and must consider alternatives. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe, noninvasive method that uses electrical stimulation to change the activation pattern of different brain regions. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 02 25;18(5). Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy.

Chronic pain and dysautonomic symptoms deteriorate Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients' health-related quality of life with serious repercussions on social life and even on sleep. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis can identify cardiovascular autonomic control impairment in subclinical condition. The aim of the present observational cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between dysautonomic symptoms, quality of life status and cardiovascular autonomic profile. Read More

Neural Plast 2021 1;2021:8815144. Epub 2021 Feb 1.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Purpose: This study is aimed at investigating brain structural changes and structural network properties in complete spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, as well as their relationship with clinical variables.

Materials And Methods: Structural MRI of brain was acquired in 24 complete thoracic SCI patients (38.50 ± 11. Read More

Adv Ther 2021 03 4;38(3):1567-1583. Epub 2021 Feb 4.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University-MacAnxiety Research Centre, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of agomelatine on anxious symptoms and functional impairment in a pooled dataset from randomized placebo-controlled trials for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Methods: Data from three randomized, placebo-controlled trials that evaluated the efficacy of agomelatine 25-50 mg were pooled. The short-term (12 weeks) efficacy of agomelatine was assessed in regards to (1) anxious symptoms using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), and (2) functional impairment using the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Read More

J Affect Disord 2021 03 24;282:448-453. Epub 2020 Dec 24.

Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: To assess the effect of insulin resistance (IR) on treatment response to the antidepressant, vortioxetine, in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of an 8-week, open-label clinical trial. Ninety-five adults in a primary care setting experiencing a major depressive episode were included. Read More

Dement Neuropsychol 2020 Dec;14(4):387-393

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - Natal, RN, Brazil.

Background: The functional capacity of elderly individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) progressively declines.

Objective: To verify the influence of sociodemographic, clinical, staging, mobility, and postural and cognitive balance data on the impairment of the functional capacity of elderly individuals with AD.

Methods: This observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was performed at the Physiotherapy Department of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2021 04 16;63(4):480-487. Epub 2020 Dec 16.

Department and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of a virtual reality rehabilitation system of wearable multi-inertial sensors to improve upper-limb function in children with brain injury.

Method: Eighty children (39 males, 41 females) with brain injury including cerebral palsy aged 3 to 16 years (mean age 5y 8mo, SD 2y 10mo) were assessed as part of a multicentre, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. The intervention group received a 30-minute virtual reality intervention and a 30-minute session of conventional occupational therapy while the control group received 60 minutes of conventional occupational therapy per session, with 20 sessions over 4 weeks. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Nov;99(47):e23331

General Practice Department, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai.

Depression has become a growing health issue in the world and is projected to become a leading cause of global burden. However, there is little scientific research on the factors associated with depression in people with disabilities in China. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore the prevalence and related factors of depression among people with disabilities in communities in mainland China. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2020 Oct 17;80:11-15. Epub 2020 Aug 17.

Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. Electronic address:

Objectives: Subacute combined degeneration (SCD) is a demyelinating disease commonly caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Several studies have been reported SCD could be accompanied by anemia. However, the correlation between anemia and clinical severity of SCD patients is unclear. Read More

Braz J Med Biol Res 2020 7;53(11):e8930. Epub 2020 Oct 7.

Department of Neurology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China.

This study aimed to investigate whether the routine administration of escitalopram for three months would improve the prognosis of patients with ischemic stroke and decrease the plasma copeptin level. A total of 97 patients with acute cerebral infarction were randomly allocated to receive escitalopram (5-10 mg once per day, orally; n=49) or not to receive escitalopram (control group; n=48) for 12 weeks starting at 2-7 days after the onset of stroke. Both groups received conventional treatments, including physiotherapy and secondary prevention of stroke. Read More