Retrospective case-control study to compare exoskeleton-assisted walking with standard care in subacute non-traumatic brain injury patients.

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.

Network Analysis of Neurobehavioral Symptom Patterns in an International Sample of Spanish-Speakers with a History of COVID-19 and Controls.

(1) Background: Psychometric network analysis provides a novel statistical approach allowing researchers to model clusters of related symptoms as a dynamic system. This study applied network analysis to investigate the patterns of somatic, cognitive, and affective neurobehavioral symptoms in an international sample of Spanish-speaking individuals with a history of COVID-19 positivity and non-COVID controls; (2) methods: the sample (n = 1093) included 650 adults from 26 countries who reported having previously tested positive for COVID-19 (COVID+) through a viral and/or antigen test (average of 147 days since diagnosis). The control group (COVID-) was comprised of 443 adults from 20 countries who had completed the survey prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) results: relative to the COVID- network, the COVID+ network was very well-connected, such that each neurobehavioral symptom was positively connected to the network.

Measurable residual disease study through three different methods can anticipate relapse and guide pre-emptive therapy in childhood acute myeloid leukemia.

Purpose: Although outcomes of children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have improved over the last decades, around one-third of patients relapse. Measurable (or minimal) residual disease (MRD) monitoring may guide therapy adjustments or pre-emptive treatments before overt hematological relapse.

Methods: In this study, we review 297 bone marrow samples from 20 real-life pediatric AML patients using three MRD monitoring methods: multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC), fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Moderate, Little, or No Improvements in Neurobehavioral Symptoms among Individuals with Long COVID: A 34-Country Retrospective Study.

(1) Background: Some people with COVID-19 develop a series of symptoms that last for several months after infection, known as Long COVID. Although these symptoms interfere with people's daily functioning and quality of life, few studies have focused on neurobehavioral symptoms and the risk factors associated with their development; (2) Methods: 1001 adults from 34 countries who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 completed the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory reporting the symptoms before their COVID-19 diagnosis, during the COVID-19 infection, and currently; (3) Results: Participants reported large-sized increases before vs. during COVID-19 in all domains.

An international study of post-COVID sleep health.

Objectives: COVID-19 has infected millions of people worldwide, with growing evidence that individuals with a history of infection may continue to show persistent post-COVID symptoms (long COVID). The aim of this study was to investigate sleep health in an international sample of individuals who reported previously testing positive for COVID-19.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Gamified Neurorehabilitation Strategies for Post-stroke Motor Recovery: Challenges and Advantages.

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.

Walking improvement in chronic incomplete spinal cord injury with exoskeleton robotic training (WISE): a randomized controlled trial.

Study Design: Clinical trial.

Objective: To demonstrate that a 12-week exoskeleton-based robotic gait training regimen can lead to a clinically meaningful improvement in independent gait speed, in community-dwelling participants with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI).

Setting: Outpatient rehabilitation or research institute.

Robotic Kinematic measures of the arm in chronic Stroke: part 2 - strong correlation with clinical outcome measures.

Background: A detailed sensorimotor evaluation is essential in planning effective, individualized therapy post-stroke. Robotic kinematic assay may offer better accuracy and resolution to understand stroke recovery. Here we investigate the added value of distal wrist measurement to a proximal robotic kinematic assay to improve its correlation with clinical upper extremity measures in chronic stroke.

Robotic Kinematic measures of the arm in chronic Stroke: part 1 - Motor Recovery patterns from tDCS preceding intensive training.

Background: Effectiveness of robotic therapy and transcranial direct current stimulation is conventionally assessed with clinical measures. Robotic metrics may be more objective and sensitive for measuring the efficacy of interventions on stroke survivor's motor recovery. This study investigated if robotic metrics detect a difference in outcomes, not seen in clinical measures, in a study of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) preceding robotic therapy.

Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome Negatively Impacts Physical Function, Cognitive Function, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Participation.

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.

Pain Reduction after Short Exposure to Virtual Reality Environments in People with Spinal Cord Injury.

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).

Adaptive Esports for People With Spinal Cord Injury: New Frontiers for Inclusion in Mainstream Sports Performance.

People with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) are at risk of feeling socially disconnected. Competitive esports present an opportunity for people with SCI to remotely engage in a community. The aim of this study is to discuss barriers to esports participation for people with SCI, present adaptive solutions to these problems, and analyze self-reported changes in social connection.

Postintensive Care Syndrome in Survivors of Critical Illness Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019: Cohort Study From a New York City Critical Care Recovery Clinic.

Objective: Determine the characteristics of postintensive care syndrome in the cognitive, physical, and psychiatric domains in coronavirus disease 2019 ICU survivors.

Design: Single-center descriptive cohort study from April 21, to July 7, 2020.

Setting: Critical care recovery clinic at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Multisensory, Nature-Inspired Recharge Rooms Yield Short-Term Reductions in Perceived Stress Among Frontline Healthcare Workers.

We are currently facing global healthcare crisis that has placed unprecedented stress on healthcare workers as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is imperative that we develop novel tools to assist healthcare workers in dealing with the significant additional stress and trauma that has arisen as a result of the pandemic. Based in research on the effects of immersive environments on mood, a neuroscience research laboratory was rapidly repurposed using commercially available technologies and materials to create a nature-inspired relaxation space.

Remote Patient Monitoring for Home Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in New York: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

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.

Effectiveness of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation to improve muscle strength and motor functionality after incomplete spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) against sham on muscle strength and motor functionality after incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI).

Setting: University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Paired Associative Stimulation as a Tool to Assess Plasticity Enhancers in Chronic Stroke.

Background And Purpose: The potential for adaptive plasticity in the post-stroke brain is difficult to estimate, as is the demonstration of central nervous system (CNS) target engagement of drugs that show promise in facilitating stroke recovery. We set out to determine if paired associative stimulation (PAS) can be used (a) as an assay of CNS plasticity in patients with chronic stroke, and (b) to demonstrate CNS engagement by memantine, a drug which has potential plasticity-modulating effects for use in motor recovery following stroke.

Methods: We examined the effect of PAS in fourteen participants with chronic hemiparetic stroke at five time-points in a within-subjects repeated measures design study: baseline off-drug, and following a week of orally administered memantine at doses of 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg, comprising a total of seventy sessions.

Clinical improvement with intensive robot-assisted arm training in chronic stroke is unchanged by supplementary tDCS.

Background: Intensive robot-assisted arm training in the chronic phase of stroke recovery can lead to clinical improvement. Combinatorial therapeutic approaches are sought to further optimize stroke recovery. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is one candidate to combine with robotic training, as transient increases in excitability and improvements in motor behavior have separately been reported.

Robotic Arm Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke Patients With Aphasia May Promote Speech and Language Recovery (but Effect Is Not Enhanced by Supplementary tDCS).

This study aimed to determine the extent to which robotic arm rehabilitation for chronic stroke may promote recovery of speech and language function in individuals with aphasia. We prospectively enrolled 17 individuals from a hemiparesis rehabilitation study pairing intensive robot assisted therapy with sham or active tDCS and evaluated their speech ( = 17) and language ( = 9) performance before and after a 12-week (36 session) treatment regimen. Performance changes were evaluated with paired -tests comparing pre- and post-test measures.

tDCS does not enhance the effects of robot-assisted gait training in patients with subacute stroke.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, which can modulate cortical excitability and combined with rehabilitation therapies may improve motor recovery after stroke.

Objective: Our aim was to study the feasibility of a 4-week robotic gait training protocol combined with tDCS, and to study tDCS to the leg versus hand motor cortex or sham to improve walking ability in patients after a subacute stroke.

Methods: Forty-nine subacute stroke patients underwent 20 daily sessions (5 days a week for 4 weeks) of robotic gait training combined with tDCS.

Improved grasp function with transcranial direct current stimulation in chronic spinal cord injury.

Background: Recovering hand function has important implications for improving independence of patients with tetraplegia after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique that has potential to improve motor function.

Objective: To investigate the effects of one session of 1 mA, 2 mA, and sham anodal tDCS (a-tDCS) in the upper extremity (hand) motor performance (grasp and lease) in patients with chronic cervical SCI.