Aphasia and activities of daily living in stroke patients.

Background: Few studies have investigated the relationships between aphasia and activities of daily living (ADLs) in stroke patients.

Aim: This study was aimed firstly to determine which task within the ADLs has poorer functional recovery in stroke patients with aphasia after rehabilitation, second to identify which specific task is related to aphasia.

Design: This is a prospective and observational study.

Biodex Fall Risk Assessment in the Elderly With Ataxia: A New Age-Dependent Derived Index in Rehabilitation: An Observational Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate if the Biodex Fall Risk Assessment could provide an age-adjusted index useful for classifying patients at "risk of fall."This was a cohort study conducted on 61 chronic patients, in stable conditions, having a history of ataxia, difficulty in walking or loss of balance, and aged >64 years. These patients were coming from home to our Institute undergoing a period of in-hospital standard rehabilitation.

Functional course of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, characterized by aggressive deterioration of white matter pathways throughout the subcortical brain parenchyma. This disease leads the patient to a total dependence in all activities of daily (ADLs) living in few months. The literature on rehabilitation of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is scanty and, at present, it is unknown whether rehabilitation may modify the course of disability in this disease.

Prediction of functional outcomes in stroke patients: the role of motor patterns according to limb synergies.

Background And Aims: To address the relationships among motor patterns evaluated according to the limb synergies and functional outcomes in stroke patients and clarify which motor pattern was the most important predictor of functional outcomes.

Methods: The study was conducted on 208 patients with primary diagnosis of stroke admitted for in-hospital rehabilitation. At entry, the Fugl-Meyer Scale was administered to assess motor function according to limb synergies.

Determinants of outcome in hip fracture: role of daily living activities.

Background: Very few studies have investigated activities of daily living (ADLs) post hip-surgery as a possible determinant of functional outcome after hip fracture.

Aim: This prospective, observational study aimed to correlate hip-fracture patients' ADLs on admission to in-hospital rehabilitation with their functional outcome post-rehabilitation.

Methods: Of 216 consecutive hip-fracture patients admitted to our Rehabilitation Unit, 204 patients were eligible for the final analyses.

Determinants of functional outcome in hip fracture patients: the role of specific neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Background: The correlation between single neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional outcome in hip fracture patients is little investigated in the literature, and it is not yet established which neuropsychiatric symptoms are the most important determinants of functional outcome.

Aim: To determine which neuropsychiatric symptoms are the most important determinants of functional outcome.

Methods: This prospective study was carried out in 204 consecutive patients with primary diagnosis of hip fracture admitted to our Rehabilitation Unit for a course of rehabilitation.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms and rehabilitation outcomes in patients with hip fracture.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the association between functional recovery and neuropsychiatric symptoms in hip fracture patients undergoing in-hospital rehabilitation. Very few studies have extensively evaluated neuropsychiatric symptoms in hip fracture patients, and the relationship between these symptoms and rehabilitation outcome is not yet clearly defined.

Design: This study was conducted on 200 patients with hip fracture who underwent a rehabilitation program.

Determinants in predicting duration of treatment in an out-patient rehabilitation orthopedic-traumatologic service.

Background: Duration of rehabilitation is an important rehabilitation clinical outcome both from a clinical and administrative point of view. Very few studies have looked at predictors oftreatment duration in out-patient rehabilitation setting especially in patients with orthopedic-traumatologic conditions.

Aim: We undertook a prospective study to assess treatment duration and identify variables predicting this outcome measure (primary outcome) and efficiency in range of motion and activities of daily living (secondary outcome).

"The enemy within". How to identify chronic diseases induced-protein metabolism impairment and its possible pharmacological treatment.

Recent clinical and experimental data show that considerable impairment of protein metabolism occurs in patients with chronic diseases such as heart failure. However, too often the extent of impairment is under-estimated or ignored by most clinicians and no therapy is considered leading to progressive loss of body proteins, increase morbidity, hospital stay and mortality. This paper illustrates the possible biological markers to evaluate general protein metabolism, including quantification of related damage and possible improvement of the metabolism using specific therapeutical metabolic strategies recently studied in a clinical setting.

Effects of treadmill exercise and training frequency on anabolic signaling pathways in the skeletal muscle of aged rats.

Physical exercise is the most effective intervention against sarcopenia of aging; however, the cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating training-induced adaptations are not yet completely understood. Furthermore, it is unclear whether exercise training initiated late in life affects myocyte anabolic signaling in a dose-dependent manner. Hence, we sought to investigate the effects of treadmill exercise and training frequency on anabolic pathways, including insulin signaling, in the skeletal muscle of old rats.

Verbal intelligence in Neglect: the role of anosognosia for hemiplegia.

Aim: General intelligence of patients with neglect has been poorly investigated and data at present are contrasting. Moreover it is not yet defined whether the presence of anosognosia for hemiplegia is associated with intellectual impairment in patients with neglect.

Methods: In this prospective study the authors evaluated the verbal intelligence quotient in neglect patients.

Hypercatabolic syndrome: molecular basis and effects of nutritional supplements with amino acids.

Hypercatabolic syndrome (HS) is a biochemical state characterized by increased circulating catabolic hormones (eg, cortisol, catecholamines) and inflammatory cytokines (eg, tumor necrosis factors, interleukin-1beta), and decreased anabolic insulin effects with consequent insulin resistance. The most important metabolic consequence of HS is the skeletal and cardiac muscle protein breakdown that releases amino acids (AAs), which in turn supports indispensable body energy requirements but also reduces skeletal and cardiac physiologic and metabolic functions. HS occurs in many diseases such as diabetes mellitus, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal and liver failure, trauma, sepsis, and senescence.