Publications by authors named "Erica Breyman"

Article Synopsis
  • Neuropathic pain (NP) from spinal cord injury (SCI) is often tough to manage, and this study explores the potential of immersive virtual reality (IVR) as a pain relief method with little existing evidence.
  • The pilot study involved 22 participants who tested two types of IVR environments (scenic and somatic) against a control setting over a month-long period, assessing their impact on pain levels.
  • Results indicated that the scenic VR environment significantly reduced pain symptoms compared to the other setups, highlighting the importance of enjoyment and presence in the VR experience, and suggesting the need for customized IVR pain therapies.
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Background: In recent decades, there has been a widespread adoption of digital devices among the non-disabled population. The pervasive integration of digital devices has revolutionized how the majority of the population manages daily activities. Most of us now depend on digital platforms and services to conduct activities across the domains of communication, finance, healthcare, and work.

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Background: Advanced technologies are increasingly used to address impaired mobility after neurological insults, with growing evidence of their benefits for various populations. However, certain robotic devices have not been extensively investigated in specific conditions, limiting knowledge about optimal application for healthcare.

Objective: To compare effectiveness of conventional gait training with exoskeleton-assisted walking for non-traumatic brain injury during early stage rehabilitation.

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Despite the prevalence of dysautonomia in people with Long COVID, it is currently unknown whether Long COVID dysautonomia is routinely accompanied by structural or functional cardiac alterations. In this retrospective observational study, the presence of echocardiographic abnormalities was assessed. Left ventricular (LV) chamber sizes were correlated to diagnostic categories and symptoms via standardized patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires.

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Post-acute infection syndromes may develop after acute viral disease. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 can result in the development of a post-acute infection syndrome known as long COVID. Individuals with long COVID frequently report unremitting fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and a variety of cognitive and autonomic dysfunctions.

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Background And Purpose: Strict blood pressure (BP) control is a universally accepted therapeutic intervention in the prevention of secondary stroke, yet this remains difficult when patients return home postinjury. This study aimed to investigate the application of the remote patient monitoring (RPM) of BP in patients after stroke, or who were at immediate risk of stroke, and the subsequent outcomes relating to triage and escalation of care.

Methods: This was a single-center proof-of-concept study.

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SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in the development of a constellation of persistent sequelae following acute disease called post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) or Long COVID . Individuals diagnosed with Long COVID frequently report unremitting fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and a variety of cognitive and autonomic dysfunctions ; however, the basic biological mechanisms responsible for these debilitating symptoms are unclear. Here, 215 individuals were included in an exploratory, cross-sectional study to perform multi-dimensional immune phenotyping in conjunction with machine learning methods to identify key immunological features distinguishing Long COVID.

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COVID survivors frequently experience lingering neurological symptoms that resemble cancer-therapy-related cognitive impairment, a syndrome for which white matter microglial reactivity and consequent neural dysregulation is central. Here, we explored the neurobiological effects of respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection and found white-matter-selective microglial reactivity in mice and humans. Following mild respiratory COVID in mice, persistently impaired hippocampal neurogenesis, decreased oligodendrocytes, and myelin loss were evident together with elevated CSF cytokines/chemokines including CCL11.

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Purpose Of Review: Stroke is the leading cause of permanent motor disability in the United States (US), but there has been little progress in developing novel, effective strategies for treating post-stroke motor deficits. The past decade has seen the rapid development of many promising, gamified neurorehabilitation technologies; however, clinical adoption remains limited. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the recent literature surrounding the adoption and use of gamification in neurorehabilitation after stroke.

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Survivors of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection frequently experience lingering neurological symptoms, including impairment in attention, concentration, speed of information processing and memory. This long-COVID cognitive syndrome shares many features with the syndrome of cancer therapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Neuroinflammation, particularly microglial reactivity and consequent dysregulation of hippocampal neurogenesis and oligodendrocyte lineage cells, is central to CRCI.

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Objective: This report describes persistent symptoms associated with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) and the impact of these symptoms on physical function, cognitive function, health-related quality of life, and participation.

Design: This study used a cross-sectional observational study design. Patients attending Mount Sinai's post-acute COVID-19 syndrome clinic completed surveys containing patient-reported outcomes.

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Emerging literature suggests that virtual reality (VR) may be a viable therapy for neuropathic pain (NP). This pilot study aimed to investigate the immediate effect of VR in reducing NP in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Eight individuals with chronic NP after SCI were recruited and underwent consecutive exposure to scenery and somatic virtual environments (VE).

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Telehealth was frequently used in the provision of care and remote patient monitoring (RPM) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Precision Recovery Program (PRP) remotely monitored and supported patients with COVID-19 in their home environment. This was a single-center retrospective cohort study reviewing data acquired from the PRP clinical initiative.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a global public health emergency, overwhelming health systems worldwide and forcing rapid adoption of telemedicine strategies. The COVID-19 Precision Recovery Program (PRP) is a remote patient monitoring (RPM) clinical program that was deployed by a New York health system to perform physiologic and symptomatic monitoring for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 diagnoses. The present cross-sectional descriptive study reports retrospective data collected from the PRP during the COVID-19 crisis in New York.

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To evaluate if the offering of Fitbit technology led to changes in cardiovascular health metrics in a cohort of older adults. A retrospective cohort study was developed in two community-embedded health monitoring sites, located in aggregate housing communities for older adults in Westchester County, NY. Participants included older adults (55 years or older) enrolled in the Telehealth Intervention Programs for Seniors (TIPS) initiative, a community-embedded remote patient monitoring initiative.

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