Neural basis of lower-limb visual feedback therapy: an EEG study in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: Video-feedback observational therapy (VOT) is an intensive rehabilitation technique based on movement repetition and visualization that has shown benefits for motor rehabilitation of the upper and lower limbs. Despite an increase in recent literature on the neurophysiological effects of VOT in the upper limb, there is little knowledge about the cortical effects of visual feedback therapies when applied to the lower limbs. The aim of our study was to better understand the neurophysiological effects of VOT. Thus, we identified and compared the EEG biomarkers of healthy subjects undergoing lower limb VOT during three tasks: passive observation, observation and motor imagery, observation and motor execution. METHODS: We recruited 38 healthy volunteers and monitored their EEG activity while they performed a right ankle dorsiflexion task in the VOT. Three graded motor tasks associated with action observation were tested: action observation alone (O), motor imagery with action observation (OI), and motor execution synchronized with action observation (OM). The alpha and beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event-related synchronization (or beta rebound, ERS) rhythms were used as biomarkers of cortical activation and compared between conditions with a permutation test. Changes in connectivity during the task were computed with phase locking value (PLV). RESULTS: During the task, in the alpha band, the ERD was comparable between O and OI activities across the precentral, central and parietal electrodes. OM involved the same regions but had greater ERD over the central electrodes. In the beta band, there was a gradation of ERD intensity in O, OI and OM over central electrodes. After the task, the ERS changes were weak during the O task but were strong during the OI and OM (Cz) tasks, with no differences between OI and OM. CONCLUSION: Alpha band ERD results demonstrated the recruitment of mirror neurons during lower limb VOT due to visual feedback. Beta band ERD reflects strong recruitment of the sensorimotor cortex evoked by motor imagery and action execution. These results also emphasize the need for an active motor task, either motor imagery or motor execution task during VOT, to elicit a post-task ERS, which is absent during passive observation. Trial Registration NCT05743647.

Percutaneous needle tenotomies: indications, procedures, efficacy and safety. A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous needle tenotomies constitute a promising approach that enables direct access to tendons through minimally invasive interventions. They can be performed rapidly without need for large incisions or general anaesthesia. However, the reported procedures are heterogeneous and currently conducted without guidelines. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the indications for percutaneous needle tenotomies described in the current literature. Our secondary aim was to identify the different procedures reported, as well as their efficacy and their safety. METHODS: A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted to identify original articles that mentioned percutaneous needle tenotomy in humans and reported its application, description, effectiveness or adverse events. Non-percutaneous tendinous surgical procedures and ineligible designs were excluded. The Downs and Black checklist was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: A total of 540 studies were identified from the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and PEDro databases. Fourteen clinical studies met the inclusion criteria and were found to have an acceptable quality (674 individuals, 1664 tenotomies). Our results indicated a wide variety of indications for percutaneous needle tenotomies in children and in adults. We highlighted 24 tendons as eligible targets in the upper and lower limbs. Tenotomies were performed with either 16- or 18-Ga needles, lasted from 1 to 30 min, and were performed using various procedures. Their efficacy was mainly assessed through clinical outcomes highlighting tendon discontinuity on palpation after the procedure. Passive range-of-motion gains after tenotomy were reported for both upper and lower limbs with an estimated 5 % complication rate. CONCLUSION: This is the first review to systematically synthesize all the available evidence on the indications, procedures, efficacy and safety of percutaneous tenotomies exclusively performed with needles. Current evidence suggests that procedures are safe and effective for treating various deformities. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42022350571.

Impact of spinal fusion on severity health status in scoliotic adolescents with polyhandicap.

BACKGROUND: Scoliosis constitutes a prevalent comorbidity in adolescents with polyhandicap and frequently leads to other severe impairments, impacting abilities and requiring complex caregiving strategies. Therefore, spinal fusion surgeries are commonly performed to alleviate pain and provide more comfort. However, spine stabilization has not previously been proven to improve the severity health status of adolescents with polyhandicap according to specific clinical scales. OBJECTIVE: This study describes and compares the severity health status of adolescents with polyhandicap before and after they underwent spinal fusion. METHODS: A monocentric retrospective observational study was conducted in the university hospital centre of Saint-Etienne, France. We included between 2009 to 2020, 30 scoliotic adolescents with polyhandicap who underwent spinal fusion performed with the same surgical technique and the same surgeon. The main outcome was the variation in the Polyhandicap Severity Scale (PSS) score after surgery. Secondary outcomes were variations in PSS subscores, quality of life scores, fronto-sagittal X-ray parameters, and measures of surgical complication rates and lengths of stay. RESULTS: Among 30 adolescents, 27 PSS analyses were performed. We found a significant improvement between pre- and postoperative PSS scores, mainly for pain and respiratory, digestive, and skin disabilities. These improvements were accompanied by significant reductions in pelvic obliquity, in frontal and sagittal curves. The mean hospital length of stay was 45 days. During postoperative period, patients received a personalized postoperative rehabilitation procedure with spasticity and pain treatments, physiotherapy, and verticalization (wheelchair sitting and positioning devices such as contoured seat intended to increase postural stability). The mortality rate was estimated at 7%. At least 1 complication per patient occurred. CONCLUSIONS: We show that spinal fusion surgeries confer a significant improvement in the severity health status in scoliotic adolescents with polyhandicap.

Structural and pathophysiological muscle changes up to one year after post-stroke hemiplegia: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Muscle changes after stroke cannot be explained solely on the basis of corticospinal bundle damage. Muscle-specific changes contribute to limited functional recovery but have been poorly characterized. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We conducted a systematic review of muscular changes occurring at the histological, neuromuscular and functional levels during the first year after the onset of post-stroke hemiplegia. A literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase and CINHAL databases up to November 2022 using a keyword combination comprising cerebral stroke, hemiplegic, atrophy, muscle structure, paresis, skeletal muscle fiber type, motor unit, oxidative stress, strength, motor control. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Twenty-seven trial reports were included in the review, out of 12,798 articles screened. Structural modifications described on the paretic side include atrophy, transformation of type II fibers into type I fibers, decrease in fiber diameter and apparent myofilament disorganization from the first week post-stroke up to the fourth month. Reported biochemical changes comprise the abnormal presence of lipid droplets and glycogen granules in the subsarcolemmal region during the first month post-stroke. At the neurophysiological level, studies indicate an early decrease in the number and activity of motor units, correlated with the degree of motor impairment. All these modifications were present to a lesser degree on the non-paretic side. Although only sparse data concerning the subacute stage are available, these changes seem to appear during the first two weeks post-stroke and continue up to the third or fourth month. CONCLUSIONS: Considering these early pathophysiological changes on both the paretic and non-paretic sides, it seems crucial to promptly stimulate central and also peripheral muscular activation after stroke through specific rehabilitation programs focused on the maintenance of muscle capacities associated with neurological recovery or plasticity.

Virtual Reality for Decreasing Procedural Pain during Botulinum Toxin Injection Related to Spasticity Treatment in Adults: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Botulinum toxin injections are commonly used for the treatment of spasticity. However, injection procedures are associated with pain and procedural anxiety. While pharmacological approaches are commonly used to reduce these, innovative technology might be considered as a potential non-pharmacological alternative. Given this context, immersive virtual reality (VR) has shown effectiveness in the management of procedural pain. Our retrospective pilot study aimed to assess the potential added value of virtual reality in the management of pain and anxiety during intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen adult patients receiving botulinum toxin injections were included. A numerical rating scale was used to assess pain and anxiety during the injection procedure. The patients reported the pain experienced during previous injections without VR before injection and the pain experienced in the current procedure with VR after the end of the procedure. The level of satisfaction of VR experience, whether or not they agreed to reuse VR for the subsequent toxin botulinum injection, and whether or not they would recommend VR to other patients were assessed. RESULTS: The use of virtual reality led to a decrease of 1.8 pain-related points compared to the procedure without technology. No significant improvement in the level of anxiety was reported. Patients were very satisfied with their VR experiences (7.9 out of 10), and many would agree to reuse VR in their next injection procedure (88%) and to recommend the use of VR in other patients (100%). CONCLUSION: VR was useful for managing procedural pain related to botulinum toxin injection in adults, with a high level of satisfaction reported by the patients. VR should be considered as a valuable alternative to pharmacological approaches to manage procedural pain during botulinum toxin injection in adults.

What obstacles to nursing home for Dependent older adults' entry? Analysis of 186 situations resulting from an Inter-Establishment Resident Orientation Commission / Quels freins à l'entrée en Établissement d'hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes ? Analyse de 186 situations issues d'une Commission d'orientation des résidents inter-établissement

The decision to admit an older adult with loss of autonomy to an institution is complex. There are many obstacles to the decision to be referred to an institution and it partly explain long hospital stays and inadequate health care spending. Several of these obstacles have been identified in the literature (medical complexity, psycho-behavioural disorders, social vulnerability, etc.). This work is based on an experiment that aimed at coordinating the players during an "inter-hospital consultation meeting" dedicated to the decision to admit older patients who cannot find a solution immediately. This work aim to identify the obstacles to the referral of patients to HITH services. This is a single-centre descriptive study. It analyses prospective data collected between January 2017 and the end of June 2019. The average length of hospitalisation before leaving the institution is relatively homogeneous according to the different complexity criteria defined, except for heavy dependence and obesity, where in these situations there are longer average lengths of hospitalisation. The absence of complexity criteria is not necessarily associated with a shorter hospital stay. The commission makes it possible to create synergies between players in the same gerontological basin and facilitates the admission of complex cases to hospital.

La décision d'entrée en établissement d'un sujet âgé en perte d'autonomie est complexe. Les freins à la décision d'orientation en établissement expliquent en partie des durées d'hospitalisation longues et à l'origine de dépense de santé inadéquates. Plusieurs de ces freins ont été identifiés dans la littérature (complexité médicale, troubles psycho-comportementaux, vulnérabilité sociale…). À partir d'une expérimentation qui vise la coordination des acteurs lors d'une « réunion de concertation inter-établissement ¼ dédiée à la décision d'entrée de patients âgés ne trouvant pas de solution dans l'immédiat, l'objectif de ce travail est d'identifier les freins à l'orientation des patients en Ehpad. Il s'agit d'une étude descriptive mono-centrique analysant des données prospectives recueillies entre janvier 2017 et fin juin 2019. Les durées moyennes d'hospitalisation avant le départ en institution sont relativement homogènes en fonction des différents critères de complexité définis sauf pour la dépendance lourde et l'obésité où dans ces situations il existe des durées moyennes d'hospitalisation plus longues. L'absence de critère de complexité n'est pas obligatoirement associée à un raccourcissement du séjour hospitalier. La CORIE permet de créer des synergies entre les acteurs d'un même bassin gérontologique et facilite l'entrée en établissement des cas complexes.

A 6-Month Home-Based Functional Electrical Stimulation Program for Foot Drop in a Post-Stroke Patient: Considerations on a Time Course Analysis of Walking Performance.

Foot drop is a common disability in post-stroke patients and represents a challenge for the clinician. To date, ankle foot orthosis (AFO) combined with conventional rehabilitation is the gold standard of rehabilitation management. AFO has a palliative mechanical action without actively restoring the associated neural function. Functional electrical stimulation (FES), consisting of stimulation of the peroneal nerve pathway, represents an alternative approach. By providing an FES device (Bioness L-300, BIONESS, Valencia, CA, USA) for 6 months to a post-stroke 22-year-old woman with a foot drop, our goal was to quantify its potential benefit on walking capacity. The gait parameters and the temporal evolution of the speed were collected with a specific connected sole device (Feet Me®) during the 10-m walking, the time up and go, and the 6-minute walking tests with AFO, FES, or without any device (NO). As a result, the walking speed changes on 10-m were clinically significant with an increase from the baseline to 6 months in AFO (+0.14 m.s-1), FES (+0.36 m.s-1) and NO (+0.32 m.s-1) conditions. In addition, the speed decreased at about 4-min in the 6-minute walking test in NO and AFO conditions, while the speed increased in the FES conditions at baseline and after 1, 3, and 6 months. In addition to the walking performance improvement, monitoring the gait speed in an endurance test after an ecological rehabilitation training program helps to examine the walking performance in post-stroke patients and to propose a specific rehabilitation program.

Time course response after single injection of botulinum toxin to treat spasticity after stroke: Systematic review with pharmacodynamic model-based meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The time-course response after a single injection of botulinum toxin (BoNT) for post-stroke spasticity is debated. We addressed this issue by conducting a systematic review and a pharmacodynamic model-based meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched Medline, PeDro and Google Scholar databases up to March 2020, selecting randomized controlled trials of post-stroke and traumatic brain injury patients with arm or leg muscle hypertonia, comparing BoNT to placebo, or different BoNT preparations. The main outcome was change in Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score. A non-linear mixed effect model was used to estimate maximal toxin and placebo effects (Emax and EPlacebo), the effect disappearance half-life (T1/2off) of BoNT and the doses achieving 50 and 80% of Emax (D50 and D80). The equivalence ratios between different BoNT preparations were calculated from D50 values. Adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Altogether, 2,236 unique records were screened by 2 independent reviewers: 35 eligible trials including 3011 patients (95% post-stroke) were identified. For all BoNT preparations, the BoNT Emax of -1.11 (95% credible interval -1.31; -0.29) was reached at 5 weeks; the maximal placebo effect was -0.30 (-0.37; -0.22). Both D50 and D80 differed significantly by muscle volume. At D50, the equivalence ratio was significantly higher for abobotulinumtoxinA (3.35) than onabotulinumtoxinA and lower for letibotulinumtoxinA (0.41). T1/2off was longer for abobotulinumtoxinA than for onabotulinumtoxinA and the other preparations (13.1 weeks [95% credible interval 7.7; 19.3] vs 8.6 weeks [7.1; 10.1]). Adverse events were minor, with a weak, but significant, dose-response relation for muscle weakness. CONCLUSIONS: This first pharmacodynamic model-based meta-analysis of individuals with stroke revealed that for all BoNT-A preparations, BoNT-A injections to treat spasticity have maximal effect at 5 weeks. The T1/2off was longer for abobotulinumtoxinA than other preparations. Differences between certain BoNT unit scales were also confirmed.

[Compliance with recommendations during a stay in follow-up and rehabilitation care in the elderly, comparison of three intervention strategies]. / SSR, observance des recommandations : trois stratégies d'intervention.

The objective of this study was to compare three hierarchical intervention strategies of an educational program for the prevention of falls in elderly people in a follow-up and rehabilitation care facility, and to evaluate the compliance with the recommendations related to extrinsic risk factors for falls, behavioral and environmental.

Recurrence or Relapse of COVID-19 in Older Patients: A Description of Three Cases.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has infected millions of people worldwide, particularly in older adults. The first cases of possible reinfection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were reported in April 2020 among older adults. DESIGN/SETTING: In this brief report, we present three geriatric cases with two episodes of SARS-CoV-2 infection separated by a symptom-free interval. PARTICIPANTS: The participants of this brief report are three cases of hospitalized geriatric women. MEASUREMENTS/RESULTS: We note clinical and biological worsening during the second episode of COVID-19 for all three patients. Also, there is a radiological aggravation. The second episode of COVID-19 was fatal in all three cases. CONCLUSION: This series of three geriatric cases with COVID-19 diagnosed two times apart for several weeks questions the possibility of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2. It raises questions in clinical practice about the value of testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection again in the event of symptomatic reoccurrence. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:2179-2183, 2020.

[Therapeutic education in elderly over 75 years old living at home A pilot study of 48 patients]. / Éducation thérapeutique du sujet âgé chuteur de plus 75 ans vivant à domicile A propos d'une étude pilote de 48 patients.

Therapeutic patient education (TPE) allows elderly as well as young adults to evaluate patient's self-care and adaptation skills to their own clinical condition. Falling is a symptom present in various chronic diseases, which leads to loss of autonomy, fear of recidivism and frequent admissions into institutions. Study objective was to evaluate at 3 and 6 months the impact of TPE on fall recurrence, perceived quality of life and fear of falling, in elderly over 75 living at home. METHODS: We performed a prospective study comparing two groups: a group participating in day hospital (group "TPE") and a control group (group "Hospitalized") of elderly patient not receiving TPE recruited in short geriatric stays following a fall at home. RESULTS: 28 patients in the "TPE" group and 20 patients in the "Hospitalized" group were included. The "TPE" group reported significantly better perceived quality of life at 3 months and 6 months. At 6 months, fear of falling was twice as high in the "Hospitalized" group than in the "TPE" group. CONCLUSIONS: The group of subjects who was able to benefit from therapeutic education at home had an improved quality of life at 3 and 6 months and a decrease in the fear of falling at 6 months.

Impact of Geriatric Hotlines on Health Care Pathways and Health Status in Patients Aged 75 Years and Older: Protocol for a French Multicenter Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: In France, emergency departments (EDs) are the fastest and most common means for general practitioners (GPs) to cope with the complex issues presented by elderly patients with multiple conditions. EDs are overburdened, and studies show that being treated in EDs can have a damaging effect on the health of elderly patients. Outpatient care or planned hospitalizations are possible solutions if appropriate geriatric medical advice is provided. In 2013, France's regional health authorities proposed creating direct telephone helplines, "geriatric hotlines," staffed by geriatric specialists to encourage interactions between GP clinics and hospitals. These hotlines are designed to improve health care pathways and the health status of the elderly. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the health care pathways and health status of patients aged 75 years and older hospitalized in short-stay geriatric wards following referral from a geriatric hotline. METHODS: The study will be conducted over 24 months in seven French university hospital centers. It will include all patients aged 75 and older, living in their own homes or nursing homes, who are admitted to short-stay geriatric wards following hotline consultation. Two questionnaires will be filled out by medical staff at specific time points: (1) after conducting the telephone consultation and (2) on admitting the patient to a short-stay geriatric medical care. The primary endpoint will be mean hospitalization duration. The secondary endpoints will be intrahospital mortality rate, the characteristics of patients admitted via the hotline, and the types of questions asked and responses given via the hotline. RESULTS: The study was funded by the National School for Social Security Loire department (École Nationale Supérieure de Sécurité Sociale) and the Conference for funders of prevention of autonomy loss for the elderly of the Loire department in November 2017. Institutional review board approval was obtained in April 2018. Data collection started in May 2018; the planned end date for data collection is May 2020. Data analysis will take place in the summer of 2020, and the first results are expected to be published in late 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The results will reveal whether geriatric hotlines provide the most effective management of elderly patients, as indicated by shorter mean hospitalization durations. Shorter hospital durations could lead to a reduced risk of complications-geriatric syndromes-and the domino chain of geriatric conditions that follow. We will also describe different geriatric hotlines from different cities and compare how they function to improve the health care of the elderly and pave the way toward new advances, especially in the organization of the care path. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03959475; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03959475. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/15423.

The Effects of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Walking Performance of Chronic Hemiplegic Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a single session of tDCS over the primary motor cortex of the lower limb (M1-LL) vs. placebo on the walking performance in chronic hemiplegic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Randomized, cross-over, double-blinded study. Eighteen patients with initially complete hemiplegia and poststroke delay >6 months were included. Each patient received a single session of anodal stimulation (2 mA, 20 min) over M1-LL (a-tDCS condition) and a pseudostimulation session (SHAM condition). The order of the two sessions was randomly assigned, with an 11-day interval between the two sessions. The anodal electrode was centered on the hotspot identified with Transcranial magnetic stimulation. The cathode was placed above the contralesional orbitofrontal cortex. Walking performance was evaluated with the Wade test and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), gait parameters with GAITRite, and balance with posturography. These tests were performed during and 1 hour after the stimulation. Baseline assessments were performed the day before and 10 days after each session. RESULTS: The comparison between the 6MWT under a-tDCS vs. SHAM conditions demonstrated a nonsignificant positive effect of the stimulation by 15% during stimulation (p = 0.360) and a significant positive effect of 25% 1 hour after stimulation (p = 0.038). No significant differences were observed for the other evaluations. DISCUSSION: These results showed a significant positive effect of a single session of anodal tDCS of the M1-LL in chronic hemiplegic patients. This proof-of-concept study supports the conduct of clinical studies evaluating the effectiveness of a walking training program associated with iterative tDCS stimulation. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors reported no conflict of interest.