Molecular characterization of the circadian clock in patients with Parkinson's disease-CLOCK4PD Study protocol.

Introduction: Circadian rhythms (CRs) orchestrate intrinsic 24-hour oscillations which synchronize an organism's physiology and behaviour with respect to daily cycles. CR disruptions have been linked to Parkinson's Disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder globally, and are associated to several PD-symptoms such as sleep disturbances. Studying molecular changes of CR offers a potential avenue for unravelling novel insights into the PD progression, symptoms, and can be further used for optimization of treatment strategies.

Evaluation of walking activity and gait to identify physical and mental fatigue in neurodegenerative and immune disorders: preliminary insights from the IDEA-FAST feasibility study.

Background: Many individuals with neurodegenerative (NDD) and immune-mediated inflammatory disorders (IMID) experience debilitating fatigue. Currently, assessments of fatigue rely on patient reported outcomes (PROs), which are subjective and prone to recall biases. Wearable devices, however, provide objective and reliable estimates of gait, an essential component of health, and may present objective evidence of fatigue.

Digital health and patient adherence: A qualitative study in older adults.

Introduction: Computer confidence and computer self-efficacy can impact an individual's perceived ease of use and usefulness of technology, ultimately determining adherence to digital healthcare services. However, few studies focus on assessing the impact of non-clinical factors on the efficacy and adherence to digital healthcare platforms.

Objective: We aimed to analyse the role of non-clinical factors (i.

Identification of Fatigue and Sleepiness in Immune and Neurodegenerative Disorders from Measures of Real-World Gait Variability.

Current assessments of fatigue and sleepiness rely on patient reported outcomes (PROs), which are subjective and prone to recall bias. The current study investigated the use of gait variability in the "real world" to identify patient fatigue and daytime sleepiness. Inertial measurement units were worn on the lower backs of 159 participants (117 with six different immune and neurodegenerative disorders and 42 healthy controls) for up to 20 days, whom completed regular PROs.

Single-shot, high-repetition rate carrier-envelope-phase detection of ultrashort laser pulses.

We propose a single-shot, high-repetition rate measurement scheme of the carrier-envelope phase offset of ultrashort laser pulses. The spectral fringes resulting from f-2f nonlinear interferometry, encoding the carrier-envelope-phase, are evaluated completely optically via an optical Fourier transform. For demonstration, the carrier-envelope-phase of a 200 kHz, few-cycle optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) laser system was measured employing an interferometer as a periodic optical filter.

Intake of added sugar, fruits, vegetables, and legumes of Portuguese preschool children: Baseline data from SmartFeeding4Kids randomized controlled trial participants.

Introduction: The SmartFeeding4Kids (SF4K) program is an online self-guided intervention for parents with the propose of changing parental feeding practices and children's dietary intake, focusing on the intake of added sugars, fruit, vegetables, and legumes. This paper aims to describe children's dietary pattern at baseline through a 24-h food recall, the SmartKidsDiet24.

Methods: Overall, 89 participants recorded at least one meal of the 3-day food recall.

A protocol for the evaluation of a wearable device for monitoring of symptoms, and cueing for the management of drooling, in people with Parkinson's disease.

Drooling is a common symptom of Parkinson's Disease (PD) experienced in up to 70% of people with PD (PwP). Drooling can be a major problem in PwP leading to adverse physical and psychosocial issues. Current medical treatments decrease the production of saliva, whereas the problem is due to decreased swallowing frequency, not over production of saliva.

Personalised Gait Recognition for People with Neurological Conditions.

There is growing interest in monitoring gait patterns in people with neurological conditions. The democratisation of wearable inertial sensors has enabled the study of gait in free living environments. One pivotal aspect of gait assessment in uncontrolled environments is the ability to accurately recognise gait instances.

SmartFeeding4Kids, an online self-guided parenting intervention to promote positive feeding practices and healthy diet in young children: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Caregivers' influence on young children's eating behaviors is widely recognized. Nutritional interventions that focus on the promotion of children's healthy diet should actively involve parents, focusing on their feeding behaviors and practices.

Methods: This work aims to describe the development and study protocol of the SmartFeeding4Kids (SF4K) program, an online self-guided 7-session intervention for parents of young (2-6 years old) children.

Kinematic and Clinical Outcomes to Evaluate the Efficacy of a Multidisciplinary Intervention on Functional Mobility in Parkinson's Disease.

Functional mobility (FM) is a concept that incorporates the capacity of a person to move independently and safely to accomplish tasks. It has been proposed as a Parkinson's disease (PD) functional and global health outcome. In this study, we aimed to identify which kinematic and clinical outcomes changes better predict FM changes when PD patients are submitted to a specialized multidisciplinary program.

Photo-Realistic Interactive Virtual Environments for Neurorehabilitation in Mild Cognitive Impairment (NeuroVRehab.PT): A Participatory Design and Proof-of-Concept Study.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by cognitive, psychological, and functional impairments. Digital interventions typically focus on cognitive deficits, neglecting the difficulties that patients experience in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The global conjecture created by COVID-19 has highlighted the seminal importance of digital interventions for the provision of healthcare services.

Gait Kinematic Parameters in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review.

Background: Gait impairments are common and highly disabling for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. With the development of technology-based tools, it is now possible to measure the spatiotemporal parameters of gait with a reduced margin of error, thereby enabling a more accurate characterization of impairment.

Objective: To summarize and critically appraise the characteristics of technology-based gait analysis in PD and to provide mean and standard deviation values for spatiotemporal gait parameters.

Restless legs syndrome in Parkinson's disease: clinical characteristics and biochemical correlations.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that responds to dopaminergic drugs, indicating a common pathophysiology with Parkinson's disease (PD). The prevalence of RLS was estimated in a group of PD patients and its clinical and biochemical characteristics were analysed. Forty-eight patients with PD were evaluated into two groups, with and without RLS.