Publications by authors named "Deborah Fortuna"
Background: Approximately two-thirds of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) complain different degrees of balance dysfunction, but some of them are able to withstand considerable disease burden without an overt balance impairment. Here, we tested the hypothesis that brain and cognitive reserve lessen the effect of MS-related tissue damage on balance control.
Methods: We measured the postural sway of 148 patients and 74 sex- and age-matched healthy controls by force platform under different conditions reflecting diverse neuro-pathological substrates of balance dysfunction: eyes opened (EO), eyes closed (EC), and while performing the Stroop test, i.
Purpose: To determine if high-intensity, task-oriented, visual feedback training with a video game balance board (Nintendo Wii) induces significant changes in diffusion-tensor imaging ( DTI diffusion-tensor imaging ) parameters of cerebellar connections and other supratentorial associative bundles and if these changes are related to clinical improvement in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Materials And Methods: The protocol was approved by local ethical committee; each participant provided written informed consent. In this 24-week, randomized, two-period crossover pilot study, 27 patients underwent static posturography and brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at study entry, after the first 12-week period, and at study termination.
We report a 14-week post-marketing experience on 20 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who started prolonged-release (PR) oral dalfampridine 10 mg twice daily according to European Medicine Agency criteria. They underwent serial static posturography assessments and the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) to investigate whether PR dalfampridine could impact standing balance and self-reported perception of balance. The incidence of accidental falls per person per month was also recorded throughout the study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based rehabilitation of balance using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board System (WBBS) in patients affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods: In this 24-week, randomized, 2-period crossover pilot study, 36 patients having an objective balance disorder were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to 2 counterbalanced arms. Group A started a 12-week period of home-based WBBS training followed by a 12-week period without any intervention; group B received the treatment in reverse order.
Background: Quantitative posturography has been reported as a reliable tool to measure balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, data on its diagnostic accuracy in predicting the occurrence of falls are lacking.
Objective: To determine sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and accuracy of posturography in detecting falls in MS subjects over a 3-month follow-up period.