A Novel Perspective on Neuronal Control of Anatomical Patterning, Remodeling, and Maintenance.

While the nervous system may be best known as the sensory communication center of an organism, recent research has revealed a myriad of multifaceted roles for both the CNS and PNS from early development to adult regeneration and remodeling. These systems work to orchestrate tissue pattern formation during embryonic development and continue shaping pattering through transitional periods such as metamorphosis and growth. During periods of injury or wounding, the nervous system has also been shown to influence remodeling and wound healing. The neuronal mechanisms responsible for these events are largely conserved across species, suggesting this evidence may be important in understanding and resolving many human defects and diseases. By unraveling these diverse roles, this paper highlights the necessity of broadening our perspective on the nervous system beyond its conventional functions. A comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions and contributions of the nervous system throughout development and adulthood has the potential to revolutionize therapeutic strategies and open new avenues for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This review highlights an important role for the nervous system during the patterning and maintenance of complex tissues and provides a potential avenue for advancing biomedical applications.

A Tandem Cycling Program: Feasibility and Physical Performance Outcomes in People With Parkinson Disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) have motor and nonmotor impairments that interfere with exercise participation. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and physical performance outcomes of a community-based indoor tandem cycling program that was designed to facilitate a higher cadence, consistency, and intensity of training. METHODS: Forty-one participants with mild to moderate PD were enrolled. A high-cadence cycling protocol using mechanically augmented (or forced) exercise on a tandem bicycle was adapted for our program. Participants cycled 3 times per week for 10 weeks. Feasibility measures included program retention, attendance, and adverse events, as well as the ability to reach training goals for heart rate (HR) and cadence. Physical performance outcomes included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand (FTSTS) Test, Timed Up and Go (TUG), and gait parameters during usual and fast-paced walking. RESULTS: Program feasibility was demonstrated with a high attendance rate (96%) and retention rate (100%). There were no adverse events. The majority of participants reached their exercise training goals for target HR (87%) and cadence (95%). Statistically significant physical performance improvement (P < 0.05) was observed across domains of gait, balance, and mobility, suggesting a slowing or reversal of functional decline as a result of this cycling program. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Program feasibility and improved physical performance outcomes were demonstrated in individuals with mild to moderate PD participating in a community-based indoor tandem cycling program.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see supplemental digital content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A146).

Fetal Concerns Program: a model for perinatal palliative care.

Advances in fetal diagnostics have resulted in families facing a pregnancy complicated by a fetal health concern. Perinatal literature supports that these families benefit from extensive counseling and education presented by a multidisciplinary team. In the program described in this article, perinatal palliative care planning is offered to families who have been told that their fetus has a potentially lethal prognosis. Called the "Fetal Concerns Program," it was developed to address the complex needs of families whose fetus has anomalies. This article reviews perinatal palliative care concepts and describes the Fetal Concerns Program's development as a perinatal palliative care service within a broader program. The special role of the nurse coordinator of the Fetal Concerns Program is highlighted.