Action observation treatment may improve daily living activities and verb recovery in Parkinson's disease-dementia: findings from a preliminary randomized controlled trial.

Background And Objectives: Action observation treatment (AOT) is a novel rehabilitation approach aimed to the recovery of both motor and linguistic deficits in subjects with brain lesions. The aim of the present randomized controlled study was to assess the benefits of AOT treatment in the activities of daily living (ADLs) and in the linguistic abilities of the patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) at mild-moderate stage (Hoehn & Yahr's stage scale: 2-3).

Methods: Twenty patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to an experimental group (submitted to AOT) or to a control group.

Effects of Phytosome on Sleep Quality: Results of a Prospective, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, and Cross-Over Study.

Background: standardised extracts, characterised by the presence of hydroxycinnamic acids, have been experimentally demonstrated to be endowed with anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia pharmacological actions. These effects, probably attributable, at least in part, to the role played by rosmarinic acid on GABA-T, have not always been observed in a reproducible manner in humans, perhaps due to the poor bioavailability of these compounds.

Methods: as nutraceuticals and botanicals could be an alternative option to prescription medications for alleviating symptoms of mild anxiety and insomnia, we have verified in a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and cross-over study the supporting role on sleep quality played by a highly standardised extract, formulated as Phytosome™ (MOP) to improve the oral bioavailability of its active polyphenolic components.

Efficacy of Blis K12 in the Prevention of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Physically Active Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study investigates the efficacy of K12 in preventing upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in healthy adults. URTIs are a common issue, particularly in physically active individuals, leading to significant disruptions in daily life. Probiotics, such as K12, have emerged as a potential preventive strategy for these infections.

European brown hare syndrome virus and other lagoviruses of interest.

This focus article was prepared by Paul Duff of the APHA Wildlife Expert Group, with support from David Everest (APHA Pathology Department), Lucy Martindale (APHA Surveillance Intelligence Unit), Alex Barlow (Wildlife Network for Disease Surveillance), Mara Rocchi (Moredun Research Institute) and Antonio Lavazza (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Italy).