Effectiveness of a home-based computerized cognitive training in Parkinson's disease: a pilot randomized cross-over study.

Introduction: Cognitive symptoms are common in Parkinson's Disease (PD), and digital interventions like telerehabilitation other an accessible way to manage these symptoms. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a Home-Based Computerized Cognitive Training (HB-CCT) program in individuals with PD using a pilot randomized cross-over design.

Methods: Twenty-five participants (mean age 69.

Psychological predictors of negative treatment outcome with Erenumab in chronic migraine: data from an open label long-term prospective study.

Background: Monoclonal antibodies (mABs) targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway represent the first disease-specific preventive migraine therapy. Growing evidence suggests that they are effective in the preventive treatment of difficult-to-treat patients. In this study, we evaluated the psychological predictors of the outcome of treatment with the anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody erenumab in patients with chronic migraine (CM).

Validity of the Severity of Dependence Scale for detecting dependence behaviours in chronic migraine with medication overuse.

Aims: In this study, we tested the validity of the Severity of Dependence Scale in detecting dependence behaviours in patients with chronic migraine and medication overuse (CM + MO) using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire as gold standard measures.

Methods: Four hundred and fifty-four patients with CM + MO filled in the Severity of Dependence Scale and the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire and underwent a psychological evaluation for the diagnosis of substance dependence according to the DSM-IV criteria.

Results: Sixty-nine percent of subjects (n = 313) presented substance dependence according to the DSM-IV criteria.

Diagnostic Validity of the Smart Aging Serious Game: An Innovative Tool for Digital Phenotyping of Mild Neurocognitive Disorder.

Background: The Smart Aging Serious Game (SASG) is an ecologically-based digital platform used in mild neurocognitive disorders. Considering the higher risk of developing dementia for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), their digital phenotyping is crucial. A new understanding of MCI and VCI aided by digital phenotyping with SASG will challenge current differential diagnosis and open the perspective of tailoring more personalized interventions.

The Smart Aging Platform for Assessing Early Phases of Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Smart Aging is a serious game (SG) platform that generates a 3D virtual reality environment in which users perform a set of screening tasks designed to allow evaluation of global cognition. Each task replicates activities of daily living performed in a familiar environment. The main goal of the present study was to ascertain whether Smart Aging could differentiate between different types and levels of cognitive impairment in patients with neurodegenerative disease.

Analysis of Feasibility, Adherence, and Appreciation of a Newly Developed Tele-Rehabilitation Program for People With MCI and VCI.

Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI) are at a high risk of progressing to dementia. Recent guidelines indicate the importance of promoting multidimensional and multi-domain interventions to prevent further decline. Due to its growing effectiveness, comparable to conventional face-to-face interventions, the use of technology is gaining relevance.

The Use of a Virtual Reality Platform for the Assessment of the Memory Decline and the Hippocampal Neural Injury in Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Validity of Smart Aging Serious Game (SASG).

Due to the lack of pharmacological treatment for dementia, timely detection of subjects at risk can be of seminal importance for preemptive rehabilitation interventions. The aim of the study was to determine the usability of the smart aging serious game (SASG), a virtual reality platform, in assessing the cognitive profile of an amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) population, its validity in discriminating aMCI from healthy controls (HC), and in detecting hippocampal degeneration, a biomarker of clinical progression towards dementia. Thirty-six aMCI and 107 HC subjects were recruited and administered the SASG together with a neuropsychological evaluation.

Negative Short-Term Outcome of Detoxification Therapy in Chronic Migraine With Medication Overuse Headache: Role for Early Life Traumatic Experiences and Recent Stressful Events.

Early traumatic experiences and Stressful episodes appear to be associated to the development and perpetuation of chronic pain disorders and to dependence-related behaviors. The present study evaluated whether these factors can be predictors, together with psychiatric conditions, of the outcome of a detoxification treatment in patients suffering from chronic migraine and medication-overuse headache in a 2-month follow-up. Consecutive patients undergoing a detoxification program as therapy for treating chronic migraine and medication overuse headache at the Pavia Headache Center were analyzed.

Design and implementation of a Serious Game on neurorehabilitation: Data on modifications of functionalities along implementation releases.

The measurement of users' perception of functionalities in the use of Serious Games (SGs) along technology implementation phases may lead to effective changes for developing successful user-centered learning tools in the medical field. In the present data article, data about usability functionalities along two cycles of validation of a SG on neurorehabilitation with final users are described. The key principles of usability model used to collect and analyze data and the evaluation tool are presented.

Tackling frailty and functional decline: Background of the action group A3 of the European innovation partnership for active and healthy ageing.

Ageing populations represent a challenge to the sustainability of current healthcare systems. The need to balance these demographic changes with gains in healthy life years and quality of life (QoL) constitutes an additional challenge. Aware of this, the European Commission (EC) launched the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIPonAHA) in 2012.

Smart Aging Platform for Evaluating Cognitive Functions in Aging: A Comparison with the MoCA in a Normal Population.

Smart Aging is a Serious games (SGs) platform in a 3D virtual environment in which users perform a set of screening tests that address various cognitive skills. The tests are structured as 5 tasks of activities of daily life in a familiar environment. The main goal of the present study is to compare a cognitive evaluation made with Smart Aging with those of a classic standardized screening test, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

Serious games for screening pre-dementia conditions: from virtuality to reality? A pilot project.

Conventional cognitive assessment is based on a pencil-and-paper neuropsychological evaluation, which is time consuming, expensive and requires the involvement of several professionals. Information and communication technology could be exploited to allow the development of tools that are easy to use, reduce the amount of data processing, and provide controllable test conditions. Serious games (SGs) have the potential to be new and effective tools in the management and treatment of cognitive impairments Serious games for screening pre-dementia conditions: from virtuality to reality? A pilot project in the elderly.

Differences in the personality profile of medication-overuse headache sufferers and drug addict patients: a comparative study using MMPI-2.

Background: Medication-overuse headache (MOH) refers to headache attributed to excessive use of acute medications. The role of personality needs studies to explain the shifting from drug use to drug abuse. The main aim of this study is to study personality, according to Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, comparing MOH, episodic headache, substance addicts (SA) vs healthy controls.

Medication-overuse headache and personality: a controlled study by means of the MMPI-2.

Objective: The main aim of this study involves comparing the personality profiles of patients with medication-overuse headache (MOH) and episodic headaches, in order to elucidate the role of personality characteristics, according to one of the most widely used and validated personality assessment tool: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2).

Background: Many studies have assessed the personality of headache patients by means of MMPI-2 only using clinical and content scales. In this study the supplementary scales were also used as they evaluate different aspects of personality, particularly broad personality characteristics, generalized emotional distress and behavioral dyscontrol.