Exploring the Feasibility of Bidirectional Control of Beta Oscillatory Power in Healthy Controls as a Potential Intervention for Parkinson's Disease Movement Impairment.

Neurofeedback (NF) is a promising intervention for improvements in motor performance in Parkinson's disease. This NF pilot study in healthy participants aimed to achieve the following: (1) determine participants' ability to bi-directionally modulate sensorimotor beta power and (2) determine the effect of NF on movement performance. A real-time EEG-NF protocol was used to train participants to increase and decrease their individual motor cortex beta power amplitude, using a within-subject double-blind sham-controlled approach.

Effect of transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation on spasticity in upper motor neuron conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Study Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Objectives: To determine the effect of non-invasive transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) on spasticity, activity limitations and participation restrictions in various upper motor neuron diseases.

Methods: Six databases including CINAHL plus, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, MEDLINE, SCOPUS and Web of Science were searched for the relevant records from January 2008 to December 2022.

Toward Understanding the Environmental Risks of Combined Microplastics/Nanomaterials Exposures: Unveiling ZnO Transformations after Adsorption onto Polystyrene Microplastics in Environmental Solutions.

Over recent decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the manufacture of engineered nanomaterials, which has inevitably led to their environmental release. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is among the more abundant nanomaterial manufactured due to its advantageous properties, used for piezoelectric, semiconducting, and antibacterial purposes. Plastic waste is ubiquitous and may break down or delaminate into smaller microplastics, leaving open the question of whether these small polymers may alter the fate of ZnO through adsorption within aquatic media (tap-water and seawater).

Collaborative leadership to support sustainability in practice for dietitians as allied health professionals.

Background: Allied health professionals (AHPs) have an important role to support the Greener National Health Service (NHS) agenda. Dietitians are AHPs who are already demonstrating strong influence on food sustainability advocacy. There is call for more collaboration across the health professions to optimise "green" leadership in the pursuit of planetary health.

Functionality and Quality of Life with Parkinson's Disease after Use of a Dynamic Upper Limb Orthosis: A Pilot Study.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, neurodegenerative movement disorder, whose symptoms have a negative impact on quality of life and functionality. Although its main treatment is pharmacological, non-pharmacological aids such as the dynamic elastomeric fabric orthosis (DEFO) merit an evaluation. Our objective is to assess the DEFO in upper limb (UL) functional mobility and in the quality of life of PD patients.

The experiences of uncertainty amongst musculoskeletal physiotherapists in first contact practitioner roles within primary care.

Aim: The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of uncertainty amongst Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioners working in primary care.

Background: The Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner role involves advanced physiotherapists providing an alternative to the GP by acting as first point of contact for people presenting to primary care with musculoskeletal conditions. Limited research into the role exists but the first-contact aspect, clinical complexity and time pressures are deemed to contribute to uncertainty within the role.

The discrimination of self from other as a component of empathy.

Despite the centrality of empathy in human social life, there is no widely agreed definition or characterization of the concept of empathy. A common thread in many of the proposed definitions, however, is that empathy presupposes the discrimination of self and other on the grounds that, to empathize with another individual, the mental state of the target individual must first be distinguished from the empathizer's own mental state. The purpose of this study is to investigate this proposal empirically.

Plastic pollution requires an integrative systems approach to understand and mitigate risk.

To date, much effort has been placed on quantifying plastic pollution and understanding its negative environmental effects, arguably to the detriment of research and evaluation of potential interventions. This has led to piecemeal progress in interventions to reduce plastic pollution, which do not correspond to the pace of emissions. For substances that are used on a global scale and identified as hazardous, there is a need to act before irreversible damage is done.

Plastic pollution: the science we need for the planet we want.

Plastics are incredibly versatile materials that can bring diverse societal and environmental benefit, yet current practices of production, use and disposal have negative effects on wildlife, the environment and human health leading to growing concern across public, policy makers and industry. This Special Issue in Emerging Topics in Life Sciences describes recent advances in our understanding of the consequences of plastic pollution. In particular, it examines their potential to act as vectors for chemicals and pathogens in the environment; evaluates the effects of plastic pollution on biogeochemical cycling, ecosystem functioning and highlights the potential for enhanced effects in environments that are already subject to substantive changes in their climate.

Supporting the couple relationship following dementia diagnosis: A scoping review.

There is now a significant body of research demonstrating the importance of supporting the couple's relationship for people living with dementia. Maintaining a strong relationship has been demonstrated to slow cognitive decline in dementia, reduce the caregiver's sense of burden and may delay the need for transfer into residential care. However, the potential for healthcare practitioners to deliver interventions to support the couple's relationship in the community remains largely unexplored.

Effectiveness of employment-based interventions for persons experiencing homelessness: A systematic review.

Employment is frequently desired by persons who experience homelessness yet is often elusive. Little is known about the range and effectiveness of employment-based interventions evaluated in existing literature on key psychosocial outcomes including employment participation, mental well-being, housing tenure, community integration and substance use. To identify and synthesise existing studies, we conducted a systematic review of effectiveness using the methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Telerehabilitation for people with physical disabilities and movement impairment: development and evaluation of an online toolkit for practitioners and patients.

Purpose: Telerehabilitation has increasingly been used since the COVID-19 pandemic but with limited guidance available on undertaking physical assessments using remote methods. We aimed to provide such guidance by developing a Telerehab Toolkit, an online information and training resource for practitioners, patients, and carers on telerehabilitation for people with physical disabilities and movement impairment.

Materials And Methods: Development and evaluation of the toolkit were informed by the Knowledge to Action framework and took place iteratively in two phases-knowledge creation and action.

Patient-to-Patient Interactions During the Pain Management Programme: The Role of Humor and Venting in Building a Socially Supportive Community.

Objectives: Social support is most positively perceived when there is an optimal match between a patient's need for communication and the purpose of their interaction. Maladaptive communication patterns may inhibit social bonding or mutual support, negatively impacting clinical outcomes. This study aimed to identify how people with chronic pain naturalistically converse together about their pain in the context of a Pain Management Programme (PMP).

Telerehabilitation for physical disabilities and movement impairment: A service evaluation in South West England.

Unlabelled: RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Telerehabilitation was used to ensure continued provision of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was a lack of guidance on how to use it safely and effectively for people with physical disabilities and movement impairment. In this service evaluation, we aimed to collate information on practitioner and patient experiences, challenges and facilitators, and examples of best practice to inform the development of an online toolkit and training package.

Methods: Guided discussions were carried out with 44 practitioners, 7 patients and 2 carers from five health and social care organisations in South West England, and analysed thematically.

The Relationship of Cobalamin and/or Folate to the Patient-Centred Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

To examine the relationship of vitamin B12 and folate concentrations to cognitive function, fatigue measures, physical function, quality of life (patient-centred outcomes) and homocysteine plasma concentrations (intermediate marker of cobalamin and folate deficiency) for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Systematic searches for eligible articles of MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science and OpenGray databases were conducted from 1983 in March 2021. Heterogeneity, Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) and Confidence Intervals (CI) calculated using Random Effects Model.

A Systematic Review of Neurofeedback for the Management of Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Neurofeedback has been proposed as a treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) motor symptoms by changing the neural network activity directly linked with movement. However, the effectiveness of neurofeedback as a treatment for PD motor symptoms is unclear.

Aim: To systematically review the literature to identify the effects of neurofeedback in people with idiopathic PD; as defined by measurement of brain activity; motor function; and performance.

Scope, context and quality of telerehabilitation guidelines for physical disabilities: a scoping review.

Objective: To identify the available guidance and training to implement telerehabilitation movement assessments for people (adults and children) with a physical disability, including those recovering from COVID-19.

Design: Rapid scoping review.

Included Sources And Articles: PubMed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, PEDro, UK Health Forum, WHO, National Archives and NHS England were searched using the participant-concept-context framework from 2015 to August 2020.

Task specific dystonia - a patients' perspective.

Background: Task specific dystonia (TSD) is a subtype of dystonia with no cure and significant limitations on treatments. Few studies have investigated the outcomes of rehabilitative therapy from the patient's perspective.

Purpose Of The Study: This study explored the interventions that patients have utilized and their perceived effectiveness in treating and managing their TSD, specifically musicians' dystonia (MD) and writer's dystonia (WD).

Balance Right in Multiple Sclerosis (BRiMS): a feasibility randomised controlled trial of a falls prevention programme.

Background: Balance, mobility impairments and falls are problematic for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The "Balance Right in MS (BRiMS)" intervention, a 13-week home and group-based exercise and education programme, aims to improve balance and minimise falls. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of undertaking a multi-centre randomised controlled trial and to collect the necessary data to design a definitive trial.

Vestibular rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis comparing customised with booklet based vestibular rehabilitation for vestibulopathy and a 12 month observational cohort study of the symptom reduction and recurrence rate following treatment for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Background: Symptoms arising from vestibular system dysfunction are observed in 49-59% of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Symptoms may include vertigo, dizziness and/or imbalance. These impact on functional ability, contribute to falls and significant health and social care costs.

Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions to treat orthostatic hypotension in elderly people and people with a neurological condition: a systematic review.

Objective: The objective of this review was to summarize the best available evidence regarding the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions to treat orthostatic hypotension (OH) in elderly people and people with a neurological condition.

Introduction: Orthostatic hypotension is common in elderly people and people with a neurological condition and can interfere with or limit rehabilitation. Non-pharmacological interventions to treat OH could allow for longer and earlier mobilization, which is recommended in national clinical guidelines for rehabilitation in the acute or sub-acute phase following stroke or other neurological conditions.

Physical activity for people living with dementia: carer outcomes and side effects from the perspectives of professionals and family carers.

Background: Adherence to physical activity is challenging for people living with dementia, and largely dependent on carers' involvement. Carers are likely to support physical activity based on their perceived balance between benefits and potential side effects of such intervention for both patients and themselves. Professionals also have a role in terms of optimising such interventions not only for people with dementia but also their carers.

A systematic review of occupational therapy interventions in the transition from homelessness.

Background: Although systematic and scoping reviews have identified a range of interventions for persons experiencing homelessness, no known reviews have captured the range and quality of intervention studies aimed at supporting a transition from homelessness.

Objectives: To capture the range and quality of occupational therapy intervention studies aimed at supporting a transition to housing following homelessness.

Method: Using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines, we conducted a systematic review including a critical appraisal and narrative synthesis of experimental studies.