Economic Evaluation of Telerehabilitation: Systematic Literature Review of Cost-Utility Studies.

Background: Telerehabilitation could benefit a large population by increasing adherence to rehabilitation protocols.

Objective: Our objective was to review and discuss the use of cost-utility approaches in economic evaluations of telerehabilitation interventions.

Methods: A review of the literature on PubMed, Scopus, Centres for Review and Dissemination databases (including the HTA database, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database), Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.

Decreasing subthalamic deep brain stimulation frequency reverses cognitive interference during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Freezing of gait (FOG) represents a major burden for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. High-frequency (130-Hz) subthalamic deep-brain-stimulation (STN-DBS) has been reported to aggravate FOG whereas lowering the frequency to 60-80 Hz improves FOG. To further understand the effects of STN-DBS on FOG, we assessed the effects of 80-Hz and 130-Hz STN-DBS on gait initiation performance, in relation to motor and executive function processing.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with cognitive training for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a combination of cognitive training (COG) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), on cognitive performance, locomotor activity, apathy, caregiver burden and dependence of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: A combination of COG and rTMS was performed in 10 patients with AD (NeuroAD procedure) for a period of 5weeks (one session per day, 5days a week), without maintenance sessions. Patients were evaluated at the end of the treatment (D45) and 6months later (M6) by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Alzheimer disease assessment scale - cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog), various neuropsychological tests and clinical scores specific for locomotor activity, apathy, caregiver burden, and dependence, recorded before the study (baseline).

Rehabilitation of the psychomotor consequences of falling in an elderly population: A pilot study to evaluate feasibility and tolerability of virtual reality training.

Background: A fall in elderly subjects can lead to serious psychological consequences. These symptoms can develop into Fear of Falling with behavioural disorders comparable to PTSD that may severely limit autonomy. Virtual reality training (VRT) could be seen as a worthwhile therapeutic approach for this syndrome since it has been shown to be a useful tool for motor rehabilitation or combat-related PTSD.

Cognitive Impairment Assessment through Visuospatial Memory Can Be Performed with a Modified Walking Corsi Test Using the 'Magic Carpet'.

Background: Subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have disturbances in their spatial navigation abilities and exhibit early deficits in visuospatial short-term memory. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a quantitative (span score) and qualitative (evaluating navigation strategies used) analysis of the Corsi test (usual condition and complex navigation task) would be useful to reveal cognitive decline.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of 15 young adults, 21 healthy elderly subjects and 15 subjects with MCI using the electronic version of the Corsi test (the Modified Corsi Block-Tapping Test, MCBT) and the complex navigation task (the Modified Walking Corsi Test, MWCT).

The Walking Trail-Making Test is an early detection tool for mild cognitive impairment.

Background: Executive function impairment (in particular, mental flexibility) in the elderly, and in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), is strongly correlated with difficulties in performing complex walking tasks. The aim of this study was to determine if the adaptation of a neuropsychological test (the Trail-Making Test), to evaluate executive functions during walking, can be an early detection tool for cognitive impairment.

Methods: Fifty subjects (15 young, 20 older, presumably healthy, and 15 MCI) were first evaluated for cognitive functions (Mini-Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery, and Trail-Making Test) and motor functions (10-meter walking test).

Estimation of the risk factors for falls in the elderly: can meta-analysis provide a valid answer?

The objective of this study was to analyze whether a meta-analysis could allow us to draw useful conclusions about the risk factors for falls in the elderly. A systematic review was carried out of various databases and completed manually. To satisfy the inclusion criteria, an article had to examine a population of subjects aged over 60 years to pertain to falls occurring during daily living activities, and to involve observational or interventional studies.

Dry-land strength training vs. electrical stimulation in sprint swimming performance.

This study was undertaken to compare the effects of dry-land strength training vs. an electrical stimulation program on swimmers. Twenty-four national-level swimmers were randomly assigned to 3 groups: the dry-land strength training program (S), the electrical stimulation training program (ES), and the control (C) group.

Laxatives as a risk factor for iatrogenic falls in elderly subjects: myth or reality?

Background: The multifactorial nature of falls is well known, and several studies on falls in the elderly have reported that laxatives can be a risk factor, but without attempting to discuss possible mechanisms to explain this role.

Objective: We aimed to isolate studies in which the risk factors for falls in the elderly related to laxatives have been evaluated and to carry out a meta-analysis combining the results of all identified good-quality studies.

Methods: Systematic literature review using the keywords 'accidental fall/numerical data' and 'risk factors'.

Psychotropic drugs and falls in the elderly people: updated literature review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To carry out meta-analyses on psychotropic drugs and to provide an update of the risk of falling in the elderly people related to psychotropic drugs.

Design: Meta-analyses of studies on psychotropic drugs.

Results: 177 studies are included, of which 71 have data on risk factors associated with psychotropic drugs.

Effects of a physical training programme on cognitive function and walking efficiency in elderly persons with dementia.

Objectives: To study the effects of physical stimulation based on walking exercises, equilibrium and endurance on cognitive function and walking efficiency in patients with dementia.

Methods: Randomized controlled trial including 31 subjects suffering from dementia (age: 81.8 +/- 5.

Ankle dorsiflexion delay can predict falls in the elderly.

The aim of this study was to investigate the kinematic and kinetic characteristics of walking in healthy non-faller elderly in order to develop predictive parameters for falls. A 1-year prospective trial was completed on a walking circuit with two integrated force platforms and an optoelectronic system for three-dimensional movement analysis. Gait was investigated in 54 volunteers who were healthy people over 60 who had not fallen in the previous year.