Fatigue After Stroke Educational Recovery Program: A Prospective, Phase III, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Poststroke fatigue affects ≈50% of patients with stroke, causing significant personal, societal, and economic burden. In the FASTER (Fatigue After Stroke Educational Recovery) study, we assessed a group-based educational intervention for poststroke fatigue.

Methods And Results: Two hundred patients with clinically significant fatigue were included and randomized to either a general stroke education control or fatigue management group (FMG) intervention and assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 months.

Evaluating Speaker-Listener Cognitive Effort in Speech Communication Through Brain-to-Brain Synchrony: A Pilot Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Investigation.

Purpose: We explore a new approach to the study of cognitive effort involved in listening to speech by measuring the brain activity in a listener in relation to the brain activity in a speaker. We hypothesize that the strength of this brain-to-brain synchrony (coupling) reflects the magnitude of cognitive effort involved in verbal communication and includes both listening effort and speaking effort. We investigate whether interbrain synchrony is greater in native-to-native versus native-to-nonnative communication using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

The influence of neighbourhood equity on parkrunners in a British city.

Physical activity benefits both physical and mental health. Specific events may augment participation in physical activity at a population level. Parkrun is a popular, free, weekly, timed 5 km run or walk in public spaces located in five continents.

Economic analysis of the 'Take Charge' intervention for people following stroke: Results from a randomised trial.

Objective: To undertake an economic analysis of the Take Charge intervention as part of the Taking Charge after Stroke (TaCAS) study.

Design: An open, parallel-group, randomised trial comparing active and control interventions with blinded outcome assessment.

Setting: Community.

Methodology of the fatigue after stroke educational recovery group randomized controlled trial.

Rationale: Post-stroke fatigue affects up to 92% of stroke survivors, causing significant burden. Educational cognitive behavioral therapy fatigue groups show positive results in other health conditions.

Aims: FASTER will determine if educational cognitive behavioral therapy fatigue management group reduces subjective fatigue in adults post-stroke.

The effect of the Take Charge intervention on mood, motivation, activation and risk factor management: Analysis of secondary data from the Taking Charge after Stroke (TaCAS) trial.

Objective: To use secondary data from the Taking Charge after Stroke study to explore mechanisms for the positive effect of the Take Charge intervention on physical health, advanced activities of daily living and independence for people after acute stroke.

Design: An open, parallel-group, randomised trial with two active and one control intervention and blinded outcome assessment.

Setting: Community.

Taking Charge after Stroke: A randomized controlled trial of a person-centered, self-directed rehabilitation intervention.

Background And Purpose: "Take Charge" is a novel, community-based self-directed rehabilitation intervention which helps a person with stroke take charge of their own recovery. In a previous randomized controlled trial, a single Take Charge session improved independence and health-related quality of life 12 months following stroke in Māori and Pacific New Zealanders. We tested the same intervention in three doses (zero, one, or two sessions) in a larger study and in a broader non-Māori and non-Pacific population with stroke.

A scoping study of interventions to increase the uptake of physical activity (PA) amongst individuals with mild-to-moderate depression (MMD).

Background: Depression is the largest contributor to disease burden globally. The evidence favouring physical activity as a treatment for mild-to-moderate depression is extensive and relatively uncontested. It is unclear, however, how to increase an uptake of physical activity amongst individuals experiencing mild-to-moderate depression.

Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Aging Frailty: A Phase II Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Aging frailty, characterized by decreased physical and immunological functioning, is associated with stem cell depletion. Human allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (allo-hMSCs) exert immunomodulatory effects and promote tissue repair.

Methods: This is a randomized, double-blinded, dose-finding study of intravenous allo-hMSCs (100 or 200-million [M]) vs placebo delivered to patients (n = 30, mean age 75.

Allogeneic Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Infusions for Aging Frailty.

Background: Impaired endogenous stem cell repair capacity is hypothesized to be a biologic basis of frailty. Therapies that restore regenerative capacity may therefore be beneficial. This Phase 1 study evaluated the safety and potential efficacy of intravenous, allogeneic, human mesenchymal stem cell (allo-hMSC)-based therapy in patients with aging frailty.

Incidence of Transient Ischemic Attack in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2011 to 2012.

Background And Purpose: There have been few recent population-based studies reporting the incidence (first ever) and attack rates (incident and recurrent) of transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Methods: The fourth Auckland Regional Community Stroke study (ARCOS IV) used multiple overlapping case ascertainment methods to identify all hospitalized and nonhospitalized cases of TIA that occurred in people ≥16 years of age usually resident in Auckland (population ≥16 years of age is 1.12 million), during the 12 months from March 1, 2011.

Healthy cities as catalysts for caring and supportive environments.

'Caring and Supportive Environments' are fundamental to a social model of health and were a core theme of Phase V (2009-13) of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. Deploying the methodology of realist evaluation, this article synthesizes qualitative evidence from 112 highly structured case studies from 68 Network cities and 71 responses to a General Evaluation Questionnaire, which asked cities to analyze city attributes and trends. A schematic model was developed to describe the interaction between action targeted toward children, migrants, older people and action on social and health services, health literacy and active citizenship-the six subtopics clustered within the theme Caring and Supportive Environments.

European Healthy Cities evaluation: conceptual framework and methodology.

This paper presents the methodology, programme logic and conceptual framework that drove the evaluation of the Fifth Phase of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. Towards the end of the phase, 99 cities were designated progressively through the life of the phase (2009-14). The paper establishes the values, systems and aspirations that these cities sign up for, as foundations for the selection of methodology.

Policymaking in European healthy cities.

This paper assesses policy development in, with and for Healthy Cities in the European Region of the World Health Organization. Materials for the assessment were sourced through case studies, a questionnaire and statistical databases. They were compiled in a realist synthesis methodology, applying theory-based evaluation principles.

Healthy Cities Phase V evaluation: further synthesizing realism.

In this article we reflect on the quality of a realist synthesis paradigm applied to the evaluation of Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. The programmatic application of this approach has led to very high response rates and a wealth of important data. All articles in this Supplement report that cities in the network move from small-scale, time-limited projects predominantly focused on health lifestyles to the significant inclusion of policies and programmes on systems and values for good health governance.

Is a healthy city also an age-friendly city?

Healthy Ageing is an important focus of the European Healthy Cities Network and has been supported by WHO since 2003 as a key strategic topic, since 2010 in cooperation with the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities. Based on the methodology of realist evaluation, this article synthesizes qualitative evidence from 33 structured case studies (CS) from 32 WHO European Healthy Cities, 72 annual reports from Network cities and 71 quantitative responses to a General Evaluation Questionnaire. City cases are assigned to three clusters containing the eight domains of an age-friendly city proposed by WHO's Global Age-friendly City Guide published in 2007.

Developing a framework for estimating the potential impact of obesity interventions in a European city.

Obesity is a global challenge for healthy populations. It has given rise to a wide range of public health interventions, focusing on supportive environments and lifestyle change, including diet, physical activity and behavioural change initiatives. Impact is variable.

Stroke rehabilitation services in New Zealand: a survey of service configuration, capacity and guideline adherence.

Aim: To provide an up-to-date account of stroke rehabilitation services in all District Health Boards (DHB) in New Zealand in 2013.

Method: An online survey was completed by clinicians at all 38 facilities in New Zealand providing rehabilitation services following acute stroke.

Results: There was some evidence of stroke rehabilitation specialisation, particularly in larger DHBs (seven of eight large DHBs provided a dedicated stroke rehabilitation unit or designated beds).

European national healthy city networks: the impact of an elite epistemic community.

National healthy cities networks (NNs) were created 20 years ago to support the development of healthy cities within the WHO Europe Region. Using the concept of epistemic communities, the evolution and impact of NNs is considered, as is their future development. Healthy cities national networks are providing information, training and support to member cities.

Age-friendly cities of Europe.

This article summarizes how members of the European Healthy Cities Network have applied the 'healthy ageing' approach developed by the World Health Organization in their influential report on Active Ageing. Network Cities can be regarded as social laboratories testing how municipal strategies and interventions can help maintain the health and independence which characterise older people of the third age. Evidence of the orientation and scope of city interventions is derived from a series of Healthy Ageing Sub-Network symposia but principally from responses by 59 member cities to a General Evaluation Questionnaire covering Phase IV (2003-2008) of the Network.

Developing a model to estimate the potential impact of municipal investment on city health.

This article summarizes a process which exemplifies the potential impact of municipal investment on the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in city populations. We report on Developing an evidence-based approach to city public health planning and investment in Europe (DECiPHEr), a project part funded by the European Union. It had twin objectives: first, to develop and validate a vocational educational training package for policy makers and political decision takers; second, to use this opportunity to iterate a robust and user-friendly investment tool for maximizing the public health impact of 'mainstream' municipal policies, programs and investments.

Intersectoral planning for city health development.

The article reviews the evolution and process of city health development planning (CHDP) in municipalities participating in the European Network of Healthy Cities organized by the European Region of the World Health Organization. The concept of CHDP combines elements from three theoretical domains: (a) health development, (b) city governance, and (c) urban planning. The setting was the 77 cities which participated in Phase IV (2003-2008) of the network.

City health development planning.

The objective of this evaluation was to review the evolution and process of city health development planning (CHDP) in municipalities participating in the Healthy Cities Network organized by the European Region of the World Health Organization. The concept of CHDP combines elements from three theoretical domains: (a) health development, (b) city governance and (c) urban planning. The setting was the 56 cities which participated in Phase III (1998-2002) of the Network.