COVID-19 after two years: trajectories of different components of mental health in the Spanish population.

AIMS: Our study aimed to (1) identify trajectories on different mental health components during a two-year follow-up of the COVID-19 pandemic and contextualise them according to pandemic periods; (2) investigate the associations between mental health trajectories and several exposures, and determine whether there were differences among the different mental health outcomes regarding these associations. METHODS: We included 5535 healthy individuals, aged 40-65 years old, from the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative (BBHI). Growth mixture models (GMM) were fitted to classify individuals into different trajectories for three mental health-related outcomes (psychological distress, personal growth and loneliness). Moreover, we fitted a multinomial regression model for each outcome considering class membership as the independent variable to assess the association with the predictors. RESULTS: For the outcomes studied we identified three latent trajectories, differentiating two major trends, a large proportion of participants was classified into 'resilient' trajectories, and a smaller proportion into 'chronic-worsening' trajectories. For the former, we observed a lower susceptibility to the changes, whereas, for the latter, we noticed greater heterogeneity and susceptibility to different periods of the pandemic. From the multinomial regression models, we found global and cognitive health, and coping strategies as common protective factors among the studied mental health components. Nevertheless, some differences were found regarding the risk factors. Living alone was only significant for those classified into 'chronic' trajectories of loneliness, but not for the other outcomes. Similarly, secondary or higher education was only a risk factor for the 'worsening' trajectory of personal growth. Finally, smoking and sleeping problems were risk factors which were associated with the 'chronic' trajectory of psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support heterogeneity in reactions to the pandemic and the need to study different mental health-related components over a longer follow-up period, as each one evolves differently depending on the pandemic period. In addition, the understanding of modifiable protective and risk factors associated with these trajectories would allow the characterisation of these segments of the population to create targeted interventions.

El impacto del nivel educativo en las valoraciones cognitivas de los pacientes jóvenes ingresados en rehabilitación tras un ictus isquémico / The impact of educational level on cognitive assessments in young patients admitted to rehabilitation after ischaemic stroke

Introducción y objetivo: Proponemos valorar el impacto del nivel educativo en las pruebas cognitivas al ingreso y al alta tras un periodo de rehabilitación cognitiva en los pacientes jóvenes tras un ictus isquémico. Materiales y métodos: Consideramos educación secundaria y superior (grupo A) y menos de 6 años de educación reglada (grupo B). Comparamos A y B mediante χ2 y Kruskal-Wallis. Estudiamos A y B como predictores de memoria verbal y de trabajo al alta. La memoria verbal y la memoria de trabajo las valoramos al ingreso y al alta mediante Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) y DIGITS del test Barcelona, espectivamente. Resultados: Analizamos n=277 pacientes (55% pertenecientes al grupo A, 51 años de edad media) ingresados a un centro especializado en España entre 2009 y 2019.Encontramos diferencias significativas (p<0,05) al ingreso, todas en favor del grupo A en las valoraciones de la atención, la inhibición, la visuopercepción, la visuoconstruccion, la fluencia verbal y la comprensión.En DIGITS y RAVLT-aprendizaje encontramos diferencias al ingreso. En DIGITS y RAVLT-reconocimiento encontramos diferencias al alta, todas en favor del grupo A. No encontramos diferencias en la edad, en la severidad, en el tiempo hasta el ingreso, ni en el tiempo de estadía ingresados.Tampoco encontramos diferencias en las ganancias cognitivas ni en la eficiencia del tratamiento en las pruebas de memoria.Los grupos A y B no predicen RAVLT (R2=0,53) ni DIGITS (R2=0,48). Conclusiones: El grupo A puntúa mejor en el 63% de las pruebas al ingreso y en el 75% de las pruebas al alta, los grupos A y B son similares en ganancias y eficiencia en las pruebas de memoria.(AU)

Introduction and objective: We propose to assess the impact of educational level on cognitive tests at admission and discharge after a period of cognitive rehabilitation in young patients after ischaemic stroke. Materials and methods: We considered secondary and higher education (group A) and less than 6 years of formal education (group B). We compared A and B using χ2 and Kruskal–Wallis. We studied A and B as predictors of verbal and working memory at discharge. Verbal and working memories were assessed at admission and discharge using Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and DIGITS of the Barcelona Test respectively. Results: We analysed n=277 patients (55% belonging to A, mean age of 51 years) admitted to a specialised centre in Spain between 2009 and 2019.We found significant differences (P<.05) at admission, all in favour of A in the assessments of attention, inhibition, visuoperception, visuoconstruction, verbal fluency and comprehension.In DIGITS and RAVLT-learning we found differences at admission. In Digits and RAVLT-recognition we found differences at discharge, all in favour of A. We found no differences in age, severity, time at admission, or length of stay in hospital.Nor did we find differences in cognitive gains or treatment efficiency in memory tests.The groups A and B did not predict RAVLT (R2=.53) or DIGITS (R2=.48). Conclusions: A scores better in 63% of tests at admission and in 75% of tests at discharge, A and B are similar in gains and efficiency on memory tests.(AU)

Rehabilitación en régimen de ingreso en adultos en edad laboral tras un ictus isquémico: análisis clinicofuncional desde una perspectiva de género / Inpatient rehabilitation of working-age adults with ischemic stroke: comparing men and women clinical and functional characteristics at admission and predicting functionality

Introducción: El papel del género en la independencia funcional en las actividades de la vida diaria tras un ictus isquémico es aún controvertido. Proponemos: a) comparar características clínicas de hombres y mujeres en el momento del ingreso a rehabilitación hospitalaria; b) comparar su independencia funcional en el ingreso y en el alta, y c) identificar predictores de independencia funcional. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de cohortes retrospectivo observacional. Se incluyeron variables descritas en estudios previos en comparaciones ingreso-alta y en regresión lineal multivariante de la Functional Independence Measure (FIM) en el momento del alta, la ganancia, la eficiencia y la efectividad. Resultados: Se estudió a 144 pacientes (33%, mujeres) admitidos a rehabilitación en un centro español (= 3 semanas tras un ictus isquémico). Los hombres eran mayores (p = 0,003), un 19,6% diabéticos (un 6,4% de las mujeres; p = 0,03) y un 52,6% fumadores (un 72,3% de las mujeres; p = 0,02). No observamos diferencias significativas en la FIM en el momento del ingreso, del alta, la ganancia, la eficiencia ni la efectividad (FIM total, motora ni cognitiva). El análisis de regresión identificó el sexo (beta = –0,13), la gravedad (beta = –0,25) y la FIM total en el momento el ingreso (beta = –0,69) como predictores de la ganancia de la FIM total (R2 = 0,42). Las mismas variables predicen la FIM total en el alta: género (beta = –0,12), gravedad (beta = –0,23) y FIM total en el ingreso (beta = 0,59) (R2 = 0,51). La FIM en el ingreso (beta = –0,64), la gravedad (beta = –0,24), la edad (beta = –0,17) y el tiempo de estancia hospitalaria (beta = –0,45) predicen la eficiencia de la FIM total (R2 = 39,9). El modelo de efectividad de la FIM explica únicamente el 13,5% de la varianza. Conclusiones: No encontramos diferencias funcionales entre hombres y mujeres. El sexo es un predictor significativo, pero no explica la mitad de la varianza.(AU)

Introduction: The role of gender in functional independence for activities of daily living after ischemic stroke is still controversial. We aim to a) compare clinical characteristics of men and women at inpatient rehabilitation admission b) compare their functional independence at admission and discharge c) identify predictors of functional independence. Materials and methods: Retrospective observational cohort study. State-of-the-art variables were used for admission and discharge comparisons and to predict total FIM (Functional Independence Measure) at discharge, FIM gain, FIM efficiency and FIM effectiveness using multivariate linear regressions. Results: 144 patients (33% women) admitted to inpatient rehabilitation in a Spanish specialized center, with less than 3 weeks since ischemic stroke onset were included. Men were older (p = 0.039), 19.6% of men had diabetes mellitus (6.4% of women) (p = 0.038), with 52.6% of men being non-smokers (72.3% of women) (p = 0.022). No significant differences were observed in FIM at admission, discharge, FIM gain, efficiency or effectiveness (total, motor either cognitive FIM). Regression analysis identified sex (b = –0.13), stroke severity (b = –0.25) and admission total FIM (b = –0.69) as significant predictors of total FIM gain (R2 = 0.42). The same variables predicted discharge total FIM: sex (b = –0.12), severity (b = –0.23) and admission total FIM (b = 0.59) (R2 = 0.51). FIM efficiency was predicted by admission total FIM (b = –0.64), severity (b = –0.24), age (b = –0.17) and length of stay (b = –0.45) (R2 = 39.9%). FIM effectiveness model explained only 13.5% of the variance. Conclusions: No functional differences between men and women in any independence measure were found. Sex was a significant predictor but leaving half of the variance unexplained.(AU)

Inpatient rehabilitation of working-age adults with ischemic stroke: comparing men and women clinical and functional characteristics at admission and predicting functionality. / Rehabilitación en régimen de ingreso en adultos en edad laboral tras un ictus isquémico: análisis clinicofuncional desde una perspectiva de género.

INTRODUCTION: The role of gender in functional independence for activities of daily living after ischemic stroke is still controversial. We aim to a) compare clinical characteristics of men and women at inpatient rehabilitation admission b) compare their functional independence at admission and discharge c) identify predictors of functional independence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective observational cohort study. State-of-the-art variables were used for admission and discharge comparisons and to predict total FIM (Functional Independence Measure) at discharge, FIM gain, FIM efficiency and FIM effectiveness using multivariate linear regressions. RESULTS: 144 patients (33% women) admitted to inpatient rehabilitation in a Spanish specialized center, with less than 3 weeks since ischemic stroke onset were included. Men were older (p = 0.039), 19.6% of men had diabetes mellitus (6.4% of women) (p = 0.038), with 52.6% of men being non-smokers (72.3% of women) (p = 0.022). No significant differences were observed in FIM at admission, discharge, FIM gain, efficiency or effectiveness (total, motor either cognitive FIM). Regression analysis identified sex (ß = -0.13), stroke severity (ß = -0.25) and admission total FIM (ß = -0.69) as significant predictors of total FIM gain (R2 = 0.42). The same variables predicted discharge total FIM: sex (ß = -0.12), severity (ß = -0.23) and admission total FIM (ß = 0.59) (R2 = 0.51). FIM efficiency was predicted by admission total FIM (ß = -0.64), severity (ß = -0.24), age (ß = -0.17) and length of stay (ß = -0.45) (R2 = 39.9%). FIM effectiveness model explained only 13.5% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: No functional differences between men and women in any independence measure were found. Sex was a significant predictor but leaving half of the variance unexplained.

TITLE: Rehabilitación en régimen de ingreso en adultos en edad laboral tras un ictus isquémico: análisis clinicofuncional desde una perspectiva de género.Introducción. El papel del género en la independencia funcional en las actividades de la vida diaria tras un ictus isquémico es aún controvertido. Proponemos: a) comparar características clínicas de hombres y mujeres en el momento del ingreso a rehabilitación hospitalaria; b) comparar su independencia funcional en el ingreso y en el alta, y c) identificar predictores de independencia funcional. Materiales y métodos. Estudio de cohortes retrospectivo observacional. Se incluyeron variables descritas en estudios previos en comparaciones ingreso-alta y en regresión lineal multivariante de la Functional Independence Measure (FIM) en el momento del alta, la ganancia, la eficiencia y la efectividad. Resultados. Se estudió a 144 pacientes (33%, mujeres) admitidos a rehabilitación en un centro español (= 3 semanas tras un ictus isquémico). Los hombres eran mayores (p = 0,003), un 19,6% diabéticos (un 6,4% de las mujeres; p = 0,03) y un 52,6% fumadores (un 72,3% de las mujeres; p = 0,02). No observamos diferencias significativas en la FIM en el momento del ingreso, del alta, la ganancia, la eficiencia ni la efectividad (FIM total, motora ni cognitiva). El análisis de regresión identificó el sexo (beta = ­0,13), la gravedad (beta = ­0,25) y la FIM total en el momento el ingreso (beta = ­0,69) como predictores de la ganancia de la FIM total (R2 = 0,42). Las mismas variables predicen la FIM total en el alta: género (beta = ­0,12), gravedad (beta = ­0,23) y FIM total en el ingreso (beta = 0,59) (R2 = 0,51). La FIM en el ingreso (beta = ­0,64), la gravedad (beta = ­0,24), la edad (beta = ­0,17) y el tiempo de estancia hospitalaria (beta = ­0,45) predicen la eficiencia de la FIM total (R2 = 39,9). El modelo de efectividad de la FIM explica únicamente el 13,5% de la varianza. Conclusiones. No encontramos diferencias funcionales entre hombres y mujeres. El sexo es un predictor significativo, pero no explica la mitad de la varianza.

[The impact of educational level on cognitive assessments in young patients admitted to rehabilitation after ischaemic stroke]. / El impacto del nivel educativo en las valoraciones cognitivas de los pacientes jóvenes ingresados en rehabilitación tras un ictus isquémico.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: We propose to assess the impact of educational level on cognitive tests at admission and discharge after a period of cognitive rehabilitation in young patients after ischaemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We considered secondary and higher education (group A) and less than 6 years of formal education (group B). We compared A and B using χ2 and Kruskal-Wallis. We studied A and B as predictors of verbal and working memory at discharge. Verbal and working memories were assessed at admission and discharge using Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and DIGITS of the Barcelona Test respectively. RESULTS: We analysed n=277 patients (55% belonging to A, mean age of 51 years) admitted to a specialised centre in Spain between 2009 and 2019. We found significant differences (P<.05) at admission, all in favour of A in the assessments of attention, inhibition, visuoperception, visuoconstruction, verbal fluency and comprehension. In DIGITS and RAVLT-learning we found differences at admission. In Digits and RAVLT-recognition we found differences at discharge, all in favour of A. We found no differences in age, severity, time at admission, or length of stay in hospital. Nor did we find differences in cognitive gains or treatment efficiency in memory tests. The groups A and B did not predict RAVLT (R2=.53) or DIGITS (R2=.48). CONCLUSIONS: A scores better in 63% of tests at admission and in 75% of tests at discharge, A and B are similar in gains and efficiency on memory tests.

Modelling Ecological Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapies for Building Virtual Environments in Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND: Brain Injury (BI) has become one of the most common causes of neurological disability in developed countries. Cognitive disorders result in a loss of independence and patients' quality of life. Cognitive rehabilitation aims to promote patients' skills to achieve their highest degree of personal autonomy. New technologies such as virtual reality or interactive video allow developing rehabilitation therapies based on reproducible Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), increasing the ecological validity of the therapy. However, the lack of frameworks to formalize and represent the definition of this kind of therapies can be a barrier for widespread use of interactive virtual environments in clinical routine. OBJECTIVES: To provide neuropsychologists with a methodology and an instrument to design and evaluate cognitive rehabilitation therapeutic interventions strategies based on ADLs performed in interactive virtual environments. METHODS: The proposed methodology is used to model therapeutic interventions during virtual ADLs considering cognitive deficit, expected abnormal interactions and therapeutic hypotheses. It allows identifying abnormal behavioural patterns and designing interventions strategies in order to achieve errorless-based rehabilitation. RESULTS: An ADL case study ('buying bread') is defined according to the guidelines established by the ADL intervention model. This case study is developed, as a proof of principle, using interactive video technology and is used to assess the feasibility of the proposed methodology in the definition of therapeutic intervention procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed methodology provides neuropsychologists with an instrument to design and evaluate ADL-based therapeutic intervention strategies, attending to solve actual limitation of virtual scenarios, to be use for ecological rehabilitation of cognitive deficit in daily clinical practice. The developed case study proves the potential of the methodology to design therapeutic interventions strategies; however our current work is devoted to designing more experiments in order to present more evidence about its values.

Rehabilitación cognitiva en daño cerebral adquirido: variables que median en la respuesta al tratamiento / Cognitive rehabilitation in acquired brain injury: variables mediating treatment response

Objetivo. Identificar qué variables se relacionaban con la respuesta a un programa de rehabilitación cognitiva en una población de pacientes con daño cerebral adquirido. Material y métodos. En este estudio retrospectivo participaron 528 pacientes con daño cerebral adquirido que recibieron rehabilitación cognitiva en nuestro centro entre febrero de 2008 y enero de 2013. Mediante análisis de regresión logística se analizó la respuesta al tratamiento (variable dependiente). La respuesta al tratamiento se calculó a partir de las diferencias entre las exploraciones neuropsicológicas pre- y post-tratamiento para las variables atención, memoria y funciones ejecutivas. Resultados. La edad en el momento de la lesión (OR = 0,97; 95% CI: 0,96-0,98) y el lugar donde se realizó el tratamiento (OR = 0,45; 95% CI: 0,27-0,73) se asociaron positivamente con una mejor respuesta al tratamiento para el índice atencional. En el caso del índice mnésico fueron la edad (OR = 0,98; 95% CI: 0,96-0,99), etiología (OR = 0,63; 95% CI: 0,39-1) y lugar de realización del tratamiento (OR = 0,48; 95% CI: 0,29-0,79); tales variables también resultaron significativas para el índice ejecutivo. Conclusiones. Los resultados sugieren que parte de las diferencias interindividuales observadas en la respuesta al tratamiento cognitivo en pacientes con daño cerebral adquirido podrían ser explicadas por las variables edad, etiología y lugar de realización del tratamiento (AU)

Objective. To identify the variables related to response to a cognitive rehabilitation program in a population of patients with acquired brain injury. Material and methods. This retrospective study included 528 patients with acquired brain injury who received cognitive rehabilitation at our center between February 2008 and January 2013. We used logistic regression analysis to examine the impact of predictive variables on treatment response (dependent variable). Differences between pre- and post-treatment neuropsychological assessment were used to calculate treatment response in the domains of attention, memory, and executive function. Results. For the attention index, the variables positively associated with better treatment response were age at the time of injury (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.96-0.98) and place of treatment (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.27-0.73). For the memory index, the variables positively associated with better treatment response were age (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96 to 0.99), etiology (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.39 to 1) and place of treatment (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.79); these variables were also significant for the executive index. Conclusions. These findings suggest that part of the inter-individual differences in response to cognitive rehabilitation in patients with acquired brain injury could be explained by age, etiology and place of treatment (AU)

Cognitive neurorehabilitation based on interactive video technology.

Cognitive impairment is the main cause of disability in developed societies. New interactive technologies help therapists in neurorehabilitation in order to increase patients' autonomy and quality of life. This work proposes Interactive Video (IV) as a technology to develop cognitive rehabilitation tasks based on Activities of Daily Living (ADL). ADL cognitive task has been developed and integrated with eye-tracking technology for task interaction and patients' performance monitoring.

The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation with visual illusion in neuropathic pain due to spinal cord injury: an evoked potentials and quantitative thermal testing study.

BACKGROUND: Neuropathic pain (NP) is common in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. One of its manifestations is a lowering of pain perception threshold in quantitative thermal testing (QTT) in dermatomes rostral to the injury level. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with visual illusion (VI) improves pain in SCI patients. We studied whether pain relief with tDCS + VI intervention is accompanied by a change in contact heat- evoked potentials (CHEPs) or in QTT. METHODS: We examined 18 patients with SCI and NP before and after 2 weeks of daily tDCS + VI intervention. Twenty SCI patients without NP and 14 healthy subjects served as controls. We assessed NP intensity using a numerical rating scale (NRS) and determined heat and pain thresholds with thermal probes. CHEPs were recorded to stimuli applied at C4 level, and subjects rated their perception of evoked pain using NRS during CHEPs. RESULTS: Thirteen patients reported a mean decrease of 50% in the NRS for NP after tDCS + VI. Evoked pain perception was significantly higher than in the other two groups, and reduced significantly together with CHEPs amplitude after tDCS + VI with respect to baseline. Pain perception threshold was significantly lower than in the other two groups before tDCS + VI intervention, and increased significantly afterwards. CONCLUSION: Two weeks of tDCS + VI induced significant changes in CHEPs, evoked pain and heat pain threshold in SCI patients with NP. These neurophysiological tests might be objective biomarkers of treatment effects for NP in patients with SCI.

Do traditional executive measures tell us anything about daily-life functioning after traumatic brain injury in Spanish-speaking individuals?

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between traditional executive function measures and everyday competence in Spanish-speaking individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Thirty-two TBI patients (24 men, eight women) with an age range of 17-59 years (mean age = 30.73 years; SD = 13.34) were administered a battery of performance-based executive function measures. Such measures included the Trail Making Test part B, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Colour Word Interference Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Letter-Number Sequencing. Behavioural manifestations of executive deficits were assessed by the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A). Patient's everyday functioning was examined with the Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS). MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Traditional performance-based executive measures correlated significantly, although moderately, with the PCRS; this relationship was more significant in the Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Trail Making Test part B. A significant correlation was obtained between the BRIEF-A clinical scales and patient's everyday competence as measured by the PCRS. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings suggest that traditional performance-based executive measures reveal some degree of ecological validity or real-world relevance, providing relevant information for predicting everyday competence after moderate-to-severe TBI.

White matter integrity related to functional working memory networks in traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores the functional and structural patterns of connectivity underlying working memory impairment after severe traumatic axonal injury. METHODS: We performed an fMRI n-back task and acquired diffusion tensor images (DTI) in a group of 19 chronic-stage patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and evidence of traumatic axonal injury and 19 matched healthy controls. We performed image analyses with FSL software and fMRI data were analyzed using probabilistic independent component analysis. Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps from DTI images were analyzed with FMRIB's Diffusion Toolbox. RESULTS: We identified working memory and default mode networks. Global FA values correlated with both networks and FA whole-brain analysis revealed correlations in several tracts associated with the functional activation. Furthermore, working memory performance in the patient group correlated with the functional activation patterns and with the FA values of the associative fasciculi. CONCLUSION: Combining structural and functional neuroimaging data, we were able to describe structural white matter changes related to functional network alterations and to lower performance in working memory in chronic TBI.

Motor and gait improvement in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury induced by high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on lower extremities motor score (LEMS) and gait in patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). METHOD: The prospective longitudinal randomized, double-blind study assessed 17 SCI patients ASIA D. We assessed LEMS, modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), 10-m walking test (10MWT), Walking Index for SCI (WISCI II) scale, step length, cadence, and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test at baseline, after the last of 15 daily sessions of rTMS and 2 weeks later. Patients were randomized to active rTMS or sham stimulation. Three patients from the initial group of 10 randomized to sham stimulation entered the active rTMS group after a 3-week washout period. Therefore a total of 10 patients completed each study condition. Both groups were homogeneous for age, gender, time since injury, etiology, and ASIA scale. Active rTMS consisted of 15 days of daily sessions of 20 trains of 40 pulses at 20 Hz and an intensity of 90% of resting motor threshold. rTMS was applied with a double cone coil to the leg motor area. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in LEMS in the active group (28.4 at baseline and 33.2 after stimulation; P = .004) but not in the sham group (29.6 at baseline, and 30.9 after stimulation; P = .6). The active group also showed significant improvements in the MAS, 10MWT, cadence, step length, and TUG, and these improvements were maintained 2 weeks later. Following sham stimulation, significant improvement was found only for step length and TUG. No significant changes were observed in the WISCI II scale in either group. CONCLUSION: High-frequency rTMS over the leg motor area can improve LEMS, spasticity, and gait in patients with motor incomplete SCI.

Abnormal activation of the motor cortical network in idiopathic scoliosis demonstrated by functional MRI.

The aetiology of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) remains unknown, but there is growing support for the possibility of an underlying neurological disorder. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can characterize the abnormal activation of the sensorimotor brain network in movement disorders and could provide further insights into the neuropathogenesis of IS. Twenty subjects were included in the study; 10 adolescents with IS (mean age of 15.2, 8 girls and 2 boys) and 10 age-matched healthy controls. The average Cobb angle of the primary curve in the IS patients was 35° (range 27°-55°). All participants underwent a block-design fMRI experiment in a 1.5-Tesla MRI scanner to explore cortical activation following a simple motor task. Rest periods alternated with activation periods during which participants were required to open and close their hand at an internally paced rate of approximately 1 Hz. Data were analyzed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM5) including age, sex and laterality as nuisance variables to minimise the presence of bias in the results. Compared to controls, IS patients showed significant increases in blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activity in contralateral supplementary motor area when performing the motor task with either hand. No significant differences were observed when testing between groups in the functional activation in the primary motor cortex, premotor cortex and somatosensory cortex. Additionally, the IS group showed a greater interhemispheric asymmetry index than the control group (0.30 vs. 0.13, p < 0.001). This study demonstrates an abnormal pattern of brain activation in secondary motor areas during movement execution in patients with IS. These findings support the hypothesis that a sensorimotor integration disorder underlies the pathogenesis of IS.

Clasificación internacional del funcionamiento, de la discapacidad y de la salud en Rehabilitación: de la teoría a la práctica / The international classification of functioning, disability and health in rehabilitation: from the theory to the practice

Objetivo: La Clasificación internacional del funcionamiento, de la discapacidad y de la salud fue creada en el 2001 con el fin de proporcionar un marco conceptualmente universal para clasificar y describir el funcionamiento, la discapacidad y la salud desde una perspectiva biopsicosocial. El uso de esta clasificación es enormemente útil en el campo de la Rehabilitación, ya que permite describir el estado de salud de un paciente de forma global, universal y, además, etiológicamente neutral. Resultados: No obstante, la gran cantidad de categorías de la Clasificación internacional del funcionamiento, de la discapacidad y de la salud la hacen poco práctica en la realidad diaria, por lo que el objetivo de este artículo es el de presentar las diferentes iniciativas que existen sobre el desarrollo de nuevas herramientas de trabajo basadas en ella que posibilitan su uso en las diferentes prácticas profesionales (AU)

Objetive: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was created in 2001 with the aim of promoting a universally accepted conceptual framework to classify and describe functioning, disability and health from a biopsycosocial perspective. This classification is very useful in the rehabilitation field because it provides a way of describing the health status of a patient based on an universally globally agreed perspective and moreover neutral. Results: Nevertheless, the great number of categories from the ICF, makes it unpractical for the daily reality, therefore the objetive of this article is to present the diferent initiatives that exist in the developing of different new tools to posibilitate the use of the ICF in different sectors (AU)

Referred sensations and neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury.

It has been proposed that painful and non-painful referred sensations (RSs) are associated with reorganization of sensory pathways in patients with complete spinal cord injury (SCI). In order to investigate the referred sensation (RS) phenomenon and its correlation with neuropathic pain (NP) 48 patients with complete SCI, 24 with chronic NP and 24 without pain or paraesthesias were studied using clinical examination and neurophysiological tests. Patients reporting RSs were re-examined at 2 and 10weeks after the first examination. We defined the presence of RS as sensations perceived below the injury level in response to touch and pinprick stimuli in various body points above the injury level. The examination was carried out by one researcher applying the stimuli to the patient under two visual conditions (open and closed eyes), and then asking the patient to make tactile self-stimulation. Seven patients with SCI and NP (29%) reported RS below the injury level. RS were well located and consistently evoked at repeated examinations. Touch and pinprick stimulation elicited similar RS that were non-painful in six patients and painful in one. Visual feedback did not change RS perception and characteristics. None of the patients in the SCI group without NP presented RS. In conclusion, our results indicate that RS is relatively frequent in patients with complete SCI and NP. The common occurrence of RS in patients with NP and the location of the sensations in the same area as NP suggest that pain and RS share common pathophysiological mechanisms.

Programa clínico de telerrehabilitación cognitiva en el traumatismo craneoencefálico / Clinical program of cognitive telerrehabilitation for traumatic brain injury

Objetivo: Validar clínicamente los servicios de rehabilitación cognitiva a través de sistemas de telemedicina (plataforma PREVIRNEC) en personas con traumatismo craneoencefálico (TCE) moderado o grave. Pacientes y Métodos: Ochenta pacientes con TCE moderado o grave; edad media: 36 años (DE=18,19 años); puntuación media en la Glasgow Coma Scale: 6,8 (DE= 3,6). La duración del tratamiento rehabilitador fue 50 sesiones durante 10 semanas. Se valoró la posible mejora cognitiva mediante las diferencias entre las puntuaciones en la exploración neuropsicológica pre y post-tratamiento. Tras finalizar el tratamiento se evaluó la competencia cotidiana del paciente con el Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS). Resultados: En función de las puntuaciones en el PCRS los pacientes fueron divididos en dos grupos (grupo pacientes con competencia cotidiana adecuada y grupo pacientes sin competencia cotidiana adecuada). Se observaron diferencias significativas entre ambos grupos en el número de tareas para la rehabilitación de la atención y funciones ejecutivas realizadas con un porcentaje de aciertos elevado (p=0,026 y p=0,040, respectivamente). Conclusiones: El programa de rehabilitación cognitiva basado en sistemas de telemedicina (plataforma PREVIRNEC) mejoró las funciones cognitivas tratadas (atención, memoria y funciones ejecutivas) y el nivel de competencia cotidiana de los pacientes (AU)

Objetive: The purpose of this study was to validate clinically the cognitive rehabilitation services based on telemedicine systems (PREVIRNEC platform) for persons with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Patients and Methods. Eighty patients with moderate or severe TBI; mean age: 36 years; the mean Glasgow Coma Scale score at injury was 6,8 (SD= 3,6). Cognitive rehabilitation took place in 50 sessions during 10 weeks. Differences between pre- and post-treatment neuropsychological test scores were used to measure patient’s improvements in the domains of attention, memory and executive functions. Patient’s everyday competence after rehabilitation was examined with the Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS). Results. Patients were divided in two group based in PCRS scores (patients with and without adequate everyday competence). There was observed a significant difference between both groups on number of task performed on higher rang of right responses in attention and executive rehabilitation tasks (p=0,026 and p=0,040, respectively). Conclusions. The cognitive rehabilitation program based on telemedicine systems (PREVIRNEC platform) improves attention, memory, and executive functions and the patient’s everyday competence (AU)

Funciones ejecutivas e integración social en pacientes con traumatismo craneoencefálico moderado y grave / Executive functions and social integration in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury

Objetivo: Valorar el papel de las funciones ejecutivas como variable predictora del nivel de integración social en pacientes con traumatismo craneoencefálico (TCE) moderado y grave. Material y método: Participaron en el estudio 26 pacientes con TCE moderado o grave ingresados en un hospital de neurorehabilitación. Al alta del tratamiento neurehabilitador se realizó la exploración de las funciones ejecutivas; el nivel de integración social se valoró dos años después del alta. Resultados: Tanto los pacientes que presentaban un nivel de integración social adecuado como los pacientes que mostraban niveles de integración social inadecuados a los 2 años del alta obtuvieron resultados similares en los test ejecutivos administrados al alta del tratamiento. Conclusiones: Los test utilizados no permiten predecir la influencia de las funciones ejecutivas en el nivel de integración social. Se discute la idoneidad de estos test para valorar la influencia de las funciones ejecutivas en la integración social de aquellas personas que han sufrido un TCE

Objective: To investigate the role of executive functions as predictor variable of social integration in persons with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Material and method: A sample of 26 patients with moderate to severe TBI participated in this study. Participants were recruited from a neurorehabilitation hospital. Measures of executive functioning were administered at discharge of neurorehabilitation treatment; social integration was assessed two years after discharge. Results: Patients who presented an appropriate level of social integration two years after discharge and patients that showed inadequate levels of social integration obtained similar results in executive tests administered at treatment discharge. Conclusions: Used tests don’t allow predicting the influence of executive functions in social integration. We discuss the suitability of these tests to value the influence of executive functions in social integration for those affected by TBI

Neuropsychological profile of persons with anoxic brain injury: differences regarding physiopathological mechanism.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To determine the neuropsychological profile of persons with anoxic brain injury. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A retrospective study on a population of persons with anoxic brain injury admitted to a Brain Injury Unit (Institut Guttmann, Spain) from 1995-2003. The sample was divided according to physiopathological mechanisms in two sub-groups: ischemic anoxia (21 cases) and hypoxemic anoxia (11 cases). Functions assessed included orientation, attention, language, visuo-perceptive and visuo-constructive processing and verbal memory. RESULTS: Neuropsychological assessment showed diffuse cognitive impairment in all assessed functions. Episodes of ischemic anoxia caused more severe verbal memory and learning problems than episodes of hypoxemic anoxia. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that memory problems are the most prominent and relevant impairment, although all other cognitive functions are also impaired, affecting both memory itself and general behaviour. Statistical analysis also provides preliminary evidence on the different profile of memory impairment whether cerebral anoxia had hypoxic or ischemic origin.

Mapping of the human visual cortex using image-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation.

We describe a protocol using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to systematically map the visual sensations induced by focal and non-invasive stimulation of the human occipital cortex. TMS is applied with a figure of eight coil to 28 positions arranged in a 2x2-cm grid over the occipital area. A digitizing tablet connected to a PC computer running customized software, and audio and video recording are used for detailed and accurate data collection and analysis of evoked phosphenes. A frameless image-guided neuronavigational device is used to describe the position of the actual sites of the stimulation coils relative to the cortical surface. Our results show that TMS is able to elicit phosphenes in almost all sighted subjects and in a proportion of blind subjects. Evoked phosphenes are topographically organized. Despite minor inter-individual variations, the mapping results are reproducible and show good congruence among different subjects. This procedure has potential to improve our understanding of physiologic organization and plastic changes in the human visual system and to establish the degree of remaining functional visual cortex in blind subjects. Such a non-invasive method is critical for selection of suitable subjects for a cortical visual prosthesis.

Prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as add on treatment in depression.

A growing number of studies report antidepressant effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with major depression. The hypothesis that high frequency (20 Hz) rTMS (HF-rTMS) may speed up and strengthen the therapeutic response to sertraline in MD was tested. Twenty eight patients who had not yet received medication for the present depressive episode (n=12) or had failed a single trial of an antidepressant medication (n=16) were started on sertraline and randomised to receive either real of sham HF-rTMS. HF-rTMS was applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal area in daily sessions (30 trains of 2 s, 20-40 s intertrain interval, at 90% motor threshold) on 10 consecutive working days. The results suggest that in this patient population, HF-rTMS does not add efficacy over the use of standard antidepressant medication.