Mechanical Energy Recovery during Walking in Patients with Parkinson Disease.

The mechanisms of mechanical energy recovery during gait have been thoroughly investigated in healthy subjects, but never described in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether such mechanisms are preserved in PD patients despite an altered pattern of locomotion. We consecutively enrolled 23 PD patients (mean age 64±9 years) with bilateral symptoms (H&Y ≥II) if able to walk unassisted in medication-off condition (overnight suspension of all dopaminergic drugs).

Towards proactive active living: patients with Parkinson's disease experience of a multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation treatment.

Background: Non-pharmacological approaches to PD disease management seem to be a growing and promising field of investigation. Indeed interesting new perspectives are forthcoming from studies on physical rehabilitation and on physical exercise.

Aim: To qualitatively describe the rehabilitation experience of Parkinson Disease patients taking part in a multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation treatment (MIRT) consisting of four weeks of physical therapy and exercise, with three daily sessions, five days a week.

Sarcopenia and Dynapenia in Patients With Parkinsonism.

Objectives: To estimate prevalence of sarcopenia and dynapenia in outpatients with Parkinson disease (PD) and to investigate their association with the features of the disease.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A specialized tertiary care center.

Multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation treatment improves sleep quality in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Sleep disturbances are among the most common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), greatly interfering with daily activities and diminishing life quality. Pharmacological treatments have not been satisfactory because of side effects and interactions with anti-parkinsonian drugs. While studies have shown that regular exercise improves sleep quality in normal aging, there is no definitive evidence in PD.

Pisa Syndrome in Parkinson's Disease: Electromyographic Aspects and Implications for Rehabilitation.

Pisa Syndrome (PS) is a real clinical enigma, and its management remains a challenge. In order to improve the knowledge about resting state and during maximal voluntary muscle contraction (MVMC) of the axial muscles, we described the electromyography results of paraspinal muscles, rectus abdominis, external oblique, and quadratus lumborum of both sides of 60 patients. Electromyography was assessed at rest, during MVMC while bending in the opposite direction of the PS and during MVMC while bending in the direction of the PS.

Rehabilitation of hypomimia in Parkinson's disease: a feasibility study of two different approaches.

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients frequently have an impairment of facial expression both in voluntary and spontaneous emotional expression. Aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a rehabilitation program for hypomimia in patients with PD, comparing two different approaches. Thirty-six patients with PD were included: 20 patients received a rehabilitative intervention for hypomimia either with a DVD showing exercises focused on facial muscles (PD-group-A) or with a therapist-guided facial rehabilitation with a proprioceptive/recognition approach (PD-group-B).

Crossover versus Stabilometric Platform for the Treatment of Balance Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Study.

Balance dysfunctions are a major challenge in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous studies have shown that rehabilitation can play a role in their treatment. In this study, we have compared the efficacy of two different devices for balance training: stabilometric platform and crossover.

Balance Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: The Role of Posturography in Developing a Rehabilitation Program.

Balance dysfunction (BD) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disabling symptom, difficult to treat and predisposing to falls. The dopaminergic drugs or deep brain stimulation does not always provide significant improvements of BD and rehabilitative approaches have also failed to restore this condition. In this study, we investigated the suitability of quantitative posturographic indicators to early identify patients that could develop disabling BD.

Intensive Rehabilitation Enhances Lymphocyte BDNF-TrkB Signaling in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

Background In a combined animal and human study, we have previously found that a 5-day treatment that enhances cortical plasticity also facilitates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling and increases activated TrkB and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) association in both the cortex and the peripheral lymphocytes. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), in general, show decreased cortical plasticity, as demonstrated by electrophysiological and behavioral studies. Here, we test the hypothesis that an exercise program that improves motor function and seems to slow down symptom progression can enhance BDNF-TrkB signaling in lymphocytes.

Differences in muscle strength in parkinsonian patients affected on the right and left side.

Background: Muscular weakness is a frequent cause of instability that contributes to falls in Parkinson's disease (PD). Isokinetic dynamometry is a method of muscle assessment useful to measure the muscular strength giving a quantification of the weakness, but only few studies about isokinetic assessment were performed in PD. The aims of the study were to evaluate the muscle strength in PD and to investigate the differences in patients affected on the right and left side.

Early outcome of high energy Laser (Excimer) facilitated coronary angioplasty ON hARD and complex calcified and balloOn-resistant coronary lesions: LEONARDO Study.

Aim: An innovative xenon-chlorine (excimer) pulsed laser catheter (ELCA X80) has been recently used for the treatment of complex coronary lesions, as calcified stenosis, chronic total occlusions and non-compliant plaques. Such complex lesions are difficult to adequately treat with balloon angioplasty and/or intracoronary stenting. The aim of this study was to examine the acute outcome of this approach on a cohort of patients with coronary lesions.

Intensive rehabilitation treatment in early Parkinson's disease: a randomized pilot study with a 2-year follow-up.

Background: Although physical exercise improves motor aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD), it is not clear whether it may also have a neuroprotective effect. Objective. In this 2-year follow-up study, we determined whether intensive exercise in the early stages of the disease slows down PD progression.

Comparing the effects of hydrotherapy and land-based therapy on balance in patients with Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled pilot study.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of a hydrotherapy treatment in patients with Parkinson's disease and the effectiveness of this treatment on balance parameters in comparison to a traditional land-based physical therapy.

Design: A randomized single-blind controlled trial.

Setting: Outpatients.

Disexecutive functions and depression in patients with Parkinson disease: the impact on rehabilitation outcome.

Background: Studies relating to patients with Parkinson disease that assess neuropsychologic, psychologic, and clinical aspects are very uncommon.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of executive functioning (impaired vs. not impaired) or depression (depressed vs.

Rapid spontaneous resolution of fibromatosis colli in a 3-week-old girl.

Fibromatosis colli is an uncommon benign, congenital fibrous tumor or pseudotumor of the sternocleidomastoid muscle that manifests in infancy. In some of these patients tightening of the muscle results in torticollis. We report the case of a 3-week-old child, who presented with a neck mass localized in the left side with reduced mobility of the head.

Management of breast cancer during pregnancy.

Introduction: Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is one of the most common malignancies during pregnancy. Since maternal age at the time of pregnancy is increasing, PABC rate is expected to increase. Diagnostic delays are common.

Intensive rehabilitation increases BDNF serum levels in parkinsonian patients: a randomized study.

Background: Exercise may decrease the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) in humans and reduce PD symptoms in animal models. The beneficial effects have been linked to increased levels of neurotrophic factors.

Objective: We examined whether intensive rehabilitation treatment reduces motor disability in patients in the early stages of PD and increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum levels.

Short- and long-term efficacy of intensive rehabilitation treatment on balance and gait in parkinsonian patients: a preliminary study with a 1-year followup.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease in which gait and balance disturbances are relevant symptoms that respond poorly to pharmacological treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a 4-week inpatient multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation treatment (MIRT) is effective in improving balance and gait and whether improvements persist at a one-year followup. We studied 20 PD inpatients (stage 3 Hoehn-Yahr) who underwent a MIRT.

The beneficial role of intensive exercise on Parkinson disease progression.

In the last decade, a considerable number of articles has shown that exercise is effective in improving motor performance in Parkinson disease. In particular, recent studies have focused on the efficacy of intensive exercise in achieving optimal results in the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson disease. The effects of intensive exercise in promoting cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation in animal models are reported in a large cohort of studies, and these neuroplastic effects are probably related to increased expression of a variety of neurotrophic factors.

Metastasis of breast carcinoma to intracranial meningioma.

A patient who had been treated for bilateral breast carcinoma subsequently developed a metastatic breast lesion in a meningioma. Although it is not uncommon for more than one tumor to occur in the same patient, metastases from one tumor into another tumor are rare (''tumor to tumor'' phenomenon). Meningiomas are the most common primary, intracranial tumors to harbor metastases, the majority of which arise from breast and lung carcinomas.