The impact of cognitive function deficits and their recovery on functional outcome in subjects affected by ischemic subacute stroke: results from the Italian multicenter longitudinal study CogniReMo.

Background: The recovery of independence in activities of daily living is a fundamental goal of rehabilitation programs in subjects affected by subacute stroke. Rehabilitation is focused both on motor and cognitive aspects, and some evidence has reported cognitive deficits as prognostic factors of motor recovery. However, rehabilitation is a dynamic process during which executive functions and motor functions should be improved.

'Less is more': validation with Rasch analysis of five short-forms for the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust Personality Questionnaires (BIRT-PQs).

Background: Previous analyses demonstrated a lack of unidimensionality, item redundancy, and substantial administrative burden for the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust Personality Questionnaires (BIRT-PQs).

Objective: To use Rasch Analysis to calibrate five short-forms of the BIRT-PQs, satisfying the Rasch model requirements.

Methods: BIRT-PQs data from 154 patients with severe Acquired Brain Injury (s-ABI) and their caregivers (total sample = 308) underwent Rasch analysis to examine their internal construct validity and reliability according to the Rasch model.

Neuropsychological changes and cranioplasty: A group analysis.

Background: Cranioplasty is the surgical answer to cranial defect due to decompressive craniectomy in order to increase patient's safety and for cosmetic reasons. Two main neurological sequelae of skull breaches have been described and cranioplasty has been suggested as a way to treat these neurological symptoms, but its effects on cognitive and motor functions are still unclear.

Materials And Methods: In order to better elucidate if and to what extent the cranioplasty affects the whole array of cognitive functions or just some specific domains, 29 patients were studied pre- and post-cranioplasty, with structured assessments of memory, attention, language and executive functioning performed ~ 4 months and 1 month before cranioplasty and 1 month and 6 months after surgery.

Effectiveness of prism adaptation in neglect rehabilitation: a controlled trial study.

Background And Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness on neglect recovery of a 2-week treatment based on prism adaptation (PA) in comparison to an analogous visuomotor training performed without prisms, ie, neutral pointing (NP).

Methods: Twenty neglect patients were divided into 2 matched groups, one was submitted to PA (PA group) and the other to NP (NP group) for 10 daily sessions over a period of 2 weeks. After the end of NP treatment, the patients in the NP group were also submitted to PA treatment.

Can vision of the body ameliorate impaired somatosensory function?

Viewing the body is reported to improve tactile acuity [Kennett, S., Taylor-Clarke, M., & Haggard, P.