Postural balance, mobility, and handgrip strength one year after hospitalization due to COVID-19.

Background: Symptoms such as impairment of postural balance, mobility and muscle strength can last up to 12 months post COVID-19 hospitalization, need to be better understood, as they can have repercussions in activities of daily living.

Research Question: What happens to postural balance, mobility, and handgrip strength of COVID-19 patients after hospitalization?

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted with patients of both sexes, aged ≥18, admitted to hospital diagnosed with COVID-19. Outcomes were assessed at 1, 4, 6, and 12 months post-discharge, including: postural balance - Brief-Balance Evaluation Systems Test, mobility - Timed "Up & Go" Test, and handgrip strength - dynamometry.

What attributes of digital devices are important to clinicians in rehabilitation? A cross-cultural best-worst scaling study.

Background: Digital interventions are becoming increasingly popular in rehabilitation. Understanding of device features which impact clinician adoption and satisfaction is limited. Research in the field should be conducted across diverse settings to ensure digital interventions do not exacerbate healthcare inequities.

Risk Factors for the Impairment of Ambulation in Older People Hospitalized with COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

(1) Background: Some older people hospitalized with COVID-19 have experienced reduced ambulation capacity. However, the prevalence of the impairment of ambulation capacity still needs to be established. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of, and identify the risk factors associated with, the impairment of ambulation capacity at the point of hospital discharge for older people with COVID-19.

Landscape changes in the Cerrado: Challenges of land clearing, fragmentation and land tenure for biological conservation.

Land clearing, low levels of protection, and high biodiversity make the Brazilian Cerrado a hotspot for biological conservation. However, one of the most active agricultural frontiers in Brazil is located in this region. We thus aimed to evaluate the current trends of deforestation and fragmentation of the Cerrado, from 1986 to 2019; and the contribution of land tenure and farm size to the Cerrado conservation.

eHealth in Geriatric Rehabilitation: An International Survey of the Experiences and Needs of Healthcare Professionals.

While eHealth can help improve outcomes for older patients receiving geriatric rehabilitation, the implementation and integration of eHealth is often complex and time-consuming. To use eHealth effectively in geriatric rehabilitation, it is essential to understand the experiences and needs of healthcare professionals. In this international multicentre cross-sectional study, we used a web-based survey to explore the use, benefits, feasibility and usability of eHealth in geriatric rehabilitation settings, together with the needs of working healthcare professionals.

Effectiveness of Multimodal Training Compared to a Uni-Modal Walking Intervention on Postural Control, Strength, Gait Speed and Flexibility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Multimodal training may induce positive effects in different physical domains. Compared to unimodal training, multimodal training allows similar effect sizes at lower overall training volumes. Studies are needed to investigate the potential value of multimodal training with systematic training, especially compared to other exercise-based interventions.

Exergaming in the treatment of gait, balance, and quality of life in Parkinson's disease: Overview of systematic reviews.

Introduction: Postural instability and gait impairments are common in people with PD, both of which have a negative effect on their quality of life. Systematic reviews have demonstrated benefits of using exergaming in enhancing these outcomes. However, there is no consensus over whether exergaming therapy is better than conventional physical therapy for enhancing gait, balance, and quality of life.

Prediction of intensive care admission and hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients using demographics and baseline laboratory data.

Introduction: Optimized allocation of medical resources to patients with COVID-19 has been a critical concern since the onset of the pandemic.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the authors used data from a Brazilian tertiary university hospital to explore predictors of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and hospital mortality in patients admitted for COVID-19. Our primary aim was to create and validate prediction scores for use in hospitals and emergency departments to aid clinical decisions and resource allocation.

Aging-related predictive factors for oxygenation improvement and mortality in COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients exposed to prone position: A multicenter cohort study.

Background: Elderly patients are more susceptible to Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and are more likely to develop it in severe forms, (e.g., Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome [ARDS]).

Applicability of an immersive virtual reality system to assess egocentric orientation of older adults.

Background: Spatial orientation is a cognitive domain frequently compromised in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and may be one of its first clinical manifestations. Some studies have shown that allocentric integration with egocentric spatial information seems to be impaired in this pathology. There is no consensus on how best to assess spatial orientation and traditional tests lack ecological validity, but, recently, virtual reality (VR) has provided new opportunities for this assessment.

Immersive Virtual Tasks with Motor and Cognitive Components: A Feasibility Study of Adults and Older Adult Fallers and Nonfallers.

The objective of the present study was to compare the feasibility, safety, and satisfaction of an immersive virtual reality system developed specifically for cognitive-sensory-motor training among older adult fallers and nonfallers and adult individuals. This was a cross-sectional observational study, and 20 adults, 20 nonfaller older adults, and 20 faller older adults were assessed. The primary outcome was feasibility assessed with safety and satisfaction measures.

Functional impact on adults and older people after hospitalization by Covid-19.

Background And Objectives: Hospitalization by Covid-19 can cause persistent functional consequences after hospital discharge due to direct and indirect effects of SARS-COV-2 in several organs and systems of the body added to post-intensive care syndrome and prolonged bed rest. These impacts can lead to dependency in activities of daily living, mainly in older people due to aging process and functional decline. This study aimed to compare the effects of hospitalization by Covid-19 on functional capacity of adults and older people and to identify its associated factors.

Comparison of the Effects of an Exergame-Based Program with Conventional Physiotherapy Protocol Based on Core Areas of the European Guideline on Postural Control, Functional Mobility, and Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Randomized Clinical Trial.

Impairment of postural control and functional mobility are debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition to limiting performance in activities of daily living, it is associated with a higher prevalence of falls in this population. Particularly, dysfunction in postural control does not respond to dopaminergic replacement therapy, but physiotherapy can improve this outcome in patients with PD.

Functional Recovery Groups in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients and Their Associated Factors: From ICU to Hospital Discharge.

Objectives: To analyze functional recovery groups of critically ill COVID-19 survivors during their hospital stay and to identify the associated factors.

Design: Prospective observational multicenter study.

Setting: Demographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables were collected, and physical and functional status were evaluated.

Ambulation capacity, age, immunosuppression, and mechanical ventilation are risk factors of in-hospital death in severe COVID-19: a cohort study.

Importance: Despite ambulation capacity being associated with a decreased level of physical activity and survival may be influenced by the functional capacity, studies have not addressed the association between ambulation capacity and death in patients hospitalized by COVID-19.

Objective: To verify the functional, clinical, and sociodemographic risk factors associated with in-hospital death in individuals with severe COVID-19.

Methods: It is a cohort retrospective study performed at a large tertiary hospital.

Roland-Morris disability questionnaire is bidimensional and has 16 items when applied to community-dwelling older adults with low back pain.

Purpose: To explore the evidence of the internal structure validity of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire in older adults with low back pain.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of psychometric testing involving 528 older adults with low back pain. Internal structure validity was explored by exploratory factor analysis and semi-confirmatory factor analysis.

Applicability of an immersive virtual reality system for assessing route learning in older adults.

Unlabelled: Spatial orientation is defined as the ability to find one's way around an environment, follow familiar routes, recognize places, and learn new routes. Spatial disorientation is one of the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and traditional cognitive evaluation lacks ecological validity. Therefore, new assessment methods are needed for the early identification of this cognitive impairment.

Impact of prone positioning on patients with COVID-19 and ARDS on invasive mechanical ventilation: a multicenter cohort study.

Objective: To identify factors that lead to a positive oxygenation response and predictive factors of mortality after prone positioning.

Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter, cohort study involving seven hospitals in Brazil. Inclusion criteria were being > 18 years of age with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, being on invasive mechanical ventilation, having a PaO2/FIO2 ratio < 150 mmHg, and being submitted to prone positioning.

Physical and pulmonary capacities of individuals with severe coronavirus disease after hospital discharge: A preliminary cross-sectional study based on cluster analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the physical and pulmonary capacities of hospitalized patients with severe coronavirus disease and its correlation with the time of hospitalization and complications involved.

Methods: A total of 54 patients, aged ≥18 years of both sexes, were evaluated 2-4 months after hospital discharge in São Paulo, Brazil. The physical characteristics analyzed were muscle strength, balance, flexibility, and pulmonary function.

Social isolation due to COVID-19: impact on loneliness, sedentary behavior, and falls in older adults.

Objectives: The World Health Organization has recommended social isolation to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Thus, feelings of loneliness, sedentary behavior, and predisposition to falls have been reported more often due to the adoption of social isolation, especially for older adults. The objective of this study was to compare older adults' loneliness, sedentary behavior, and occurrence of falls before and during social isolation due to the pandemic as well as to analyze the association of loneliness with sedentary lifestyle and falls in older adults.

Physical activity level is associated with gait performance and five times sit-to-stand in Parkinson's disease individuals.

Background: Physical activity (PA) level is decreased in individuals with Parkinson´s disease (PD). To increase the PA level improves both motor and non-motor symptoms of this population. It is known that gait performance and five times sit-to-stand (FTSTS) are associated with PA level; therefore, it is of great relevance for rehabilitation purposes to understand whether these variables may predict PA level of individuals with PD.

A multidimensional program including standing exercises, health education, and telephone support to reduce sedentary behavior in frail older adults: Randomized clinical trial.

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a multidimensional program including home-based standing exercises, health education, and telephone support for the reduction of sedentary behavior in community-dwelling frail older adults. The secondary aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and adherence of the program.

Study Design: A single-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Two Immersive Virtual Reality Tasks for the Assessment of Spatial Orientation in Older Adults with and Without Cognitive Impairment: Concurrent Validity, Group Comparison, and Accuracy Results.

Objective: Spatial disorientation is common in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and preclinical individuals with AD biomarkers. However, traditional neuropsychological tests lack ecological validity for the assessment of spatial orientation and to date, there is still no gold standard. The current study aimed to determine the validity and accuracy of two virtual reality tasks for the assessment of spatial orientation.

Is domestic agricultural production sufficient to meet national food nutrient needs in Brazil?

Reducing the impacts of agriculture on the environment is one of the greatest challenges of this century. In Brazil, it is often argued that more land use change is needed to achieve food security. However, analyses seeking to understand the dynamics between agricultural production for exports and food intended for the Brazilian population have not approached the question if national agriculture is sufficient to provide Brazilians with the necessary nutrients, according to nutritional recommendations.