Virtual Reality Self Co-Embodiment: An Alternative to Mirror Therapy for Post-Stroke Upper Limb Rehabilitation.

We present Virtual Reality Self Co-embodiment, a new method for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation. It is inspired by mirror therapy, where the patient's healthy arm is involved in recovering the affected arm's motion. By tracking the user's head, wrists, and fingers' positions, our new approach allows the handicapped arm to control a digital avatar in order to pursue a reaching task.

Cross-cultural Diagnostic Validity of the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT) in a Sample of Older Adults.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the 32-item version of the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT) in participants from 2 ethnic groups (European Americans [EA; n = 106] and Hispanic Americans [HA; n = 175]) with 3 diagnostic groups (cognitively normal [CN], n = 94, mild cognitive impairment [MCI], n = 148, and dementia, n = 39).

Method: An Item Response Theory model was used to evaluate items across ethnicity and language groups (Spanish and English), resulting in a 24-item version. We analyzed the MINT discriminant and predictive validity across diagnostic groups.

Stability in cognitive classification as a function of severity of impairment and ethnicity: A longitudinal analysis.

Objective: The interaction of ethnicity, progression of cognitive impairment, and neuroimaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease remains unclear. We investigated the stability in cognitive status classification (cognitively normal [CN] and mild cognitive impairment [MCI]) of 209 participants (124 Hispanics/Latinos and 85 European Americans).

Methods: Biomarkers (structural MRI and amyloid PET scans) were compared between Hispanic/Latino and European American individuals who presented a change in cognitive diagnosis during the second or third follow-up and those who remained stable over time.

Sex significantly predicts medial temporal volume when controlling for the influence of ApoE4 biomarker and demographic variables: A cross-ethnic comparison.

Objective: To explore the relationship between age, education, sex, and ApoE4 (+) status to brain volume among a cohort with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).

Method: One hundred and twenty-three participants were stratified into Hispanic ( = 75) and White non-Hispanic (WNH, = 48). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted with age, education, sex, and ApoE4 status as predictor variables and left and right combined MRI volumes of the hippocampus, parahippocampus, and entorhinal cortex as dependent variables.

Improvement in Disease Activity in Refractory Juvenile Dermatomyositis Following Abatacept Therapy.

Objective: This open-label, 24-week study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of abatacept in patients with refractory juvenile dermatomyositis (DM).

Methods: Ten patients ≥7 years of age with moderate disease activity were enrolled in a 24-week study to examine the safety of subcutaneous abatacept and patient responses to the treatment. The primary endpoint was the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies (IMACS) group Definition Of Improvement (DOI).