The effects of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation on cognitive impairment after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation in improving cognitive function in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment. BACKGROUND: In recent years, computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation has been accepted as a good substitute or supplement for traditional cognitive rehabilitation. Some clinical randomised controlled trials have been carried out, but no relevant systematic evaluations have been performed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of studies involving computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation to provide evidence-based data for its promotion and application. METHODS: Nine databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, OVID, Wanfang Data, CNKI, VIP and SinoMed databases) were systematically searched. Randomised controlled trials that assessed computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation for patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment were included. Two reviewers appraised the risks of bias through the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and performed the meta-analysis, including the assessment of heterogeneity. We follow the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies comprising 1837 participants were included. Compared with conventional therapy alone, the addition of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation significantly improved the global cognition of patients, evaluated using the Montreal cognitive assessment, mini-mental state examination and Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment (p < .01 for all tests). The therapy also significantly improved activities of daily living, assessed using the Barthel index, modified Barthel index and functional independence measure (p < .05 for all tests). CONCLUSION: Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation significantly improved the cognitive function and activities of daily living of patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation can be a valuable technique for cognitive rehabilitation after stroke. It is advantageous for improving patient cognition and restoring the overall functional state of patients. Moreover, the research findings can provide suggestions and inspiration for researchers to implement the proposal, which is conducive to the design of more rigorous and high-quality randomised controlled trials.

Warming needle moxibustion for Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically research the impact of warming needle moxibustion (WNM) for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). METHODS: Four Chinese databases and six English databases were systematically searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving the use of WNM to intervene in AD patients were included. Data were extracted from the included studies and methodological quality was evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention 5.1.0. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS: 8 RCTs comprising 524 patients were included. Most studies had no significant bias. The study showed that WNM was more effective in the treatment of AD than acupuncture or pharmacotherapy. The findings were as follows: MMSE (MD = 1.01, 95%CI: 0.13, 1.90, P = 0.03) and CDR (MD = -0.73, 95%CI: -0.84, -0.61, P < 0.00001) for global cognitive function, ADL (MD = -1.84, 95%CI: -2.47, -1.22, P < 0.00001) for activities of daily living, Syndrome Differentiation Scale of Dementia (SDSD) (MD = -2.67, 95%CI: -3.62, -1.72, P < 0.00001), and the total effective rate of patients (OR = 3.20, 95%CI: 1.90 to 5.38, P < 0.0001). The differences in all indicators were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: WNM might have a significant effect on improving cognitive function and daily living ability, reducing the symptoms of AD, and increase the total effective rate. WNM is an effective non-pharmacological therapy for patients with AD.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing the impact of Baduanjin exercise on cognition and memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of Baduanjin exercise in improving cognition and memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment. DATA SOURCES: Relevant English- and Chinese-language studies published until 15th September 2020 were retrieved from the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, EBSCOhost, OVID, National Knowledge Infrastructure, WANFANG DATA, VIP Information, and SinoMed databases. REVIEW METHODS: Randomized controlled trials assessing Baduanjin exercise in patients with mild cognitive impairment were included. Two researchers independently identified eligible studies and extracted data. Risk-of-bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. RESULTS: This study included 16 randomized controlled trials (1054 participants) from China that used Chinese versions of standardized tests. Most studies had no significant bias, and only one study had a high risk of bias in the random allocation category. Compared with conventional therapy alone, Baduanjin plus conventional therapy significantly improved the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Mini-Mental State Examination scores after 6 months of treatment (P < 0.00001 for both), significantly decreased the tau/Aß1-42 ratio in the cerebrospinal fluid (P < 0.00001), and significantly improved some dimensional scores on the Wechsler Memory Scale and the auditory verbal learning test scores at 6 months (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional therapy, Baduanjin plus conventional therapy significantly improved cognitive and memory function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Baduanjin for executive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents age-related cognitive decline and affects various aspects of cognitive function, including memory, attention, executive function (EF), mental processing speed, speech-language skills, and visual-spatial skills. Among these, the EF is the most likely to decline with increasing age. Existing RCTs have shown that Baduanjin can improve the EF in MCI patients. In this study, we aimed to perform a systematic review to assess the efficacy of Baduanjin in improving the EF of patients with MCI. METHODS: Ten databases [English: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, OVID, and EBSCOhost; Chinese: Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and SinoMed] were systematically searched in April 2021. We herein included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) written in Chinese or English that assessed the effect of Baduanjin on the EF of patients with MCI. Two researchers used the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and assessed the risks of bias and performed a meta-analysis through the RevMan 5.4 software. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) to evaluate the quality of the body of evidence. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines were followed. RESULTS: Sixteen RCTs involving 934 patients with MCI were included. The duration of Baduanjin was 16-24 weeks. The study showed that Baduanjin could significantly improve the EF (P < 0.05) based on the evaluation of the EF of patients with MCI using Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Clock Drawing Test, the Digit Symbol Coding test, and the Trail Making Test. CONCLUSION: Baduanjin significantly improved the EF of patients with MCI.

Can Tai Chi Improve Cognitive Function? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Tai Chi (TC) is a traditional Chinese martial art with demonstrated beneficial effects on physical and mental health. In this study, the authors performed a systematic review to assess the efficiency of TC in different populations' cognitive function improvement. Design: The present systematic review utilized the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (1915-), Wanfang (1998-), VIP (1989-), Chinese Biomedicine databases (1978-), PubMed (1950-), Web of Science (1900-), Cochrane Library (1948-), Embase (1974-), EBSCOhost (1922-), and OVID (1996-) databases to search and identify relevant articles published in English and Chinese from the beginning of coverage through October 17, 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from the beginning of coverage through October 17, 2020 in English and Chinese were retrieved from many indexing databases. Selected studies were graded according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention 5.1.0. The outcome measures of cognitive function due to traditional TC intervention were obtained. Meta-analysis was conducted by using RevMan 5.4 software. We follow the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Results: Thirty-three RCTs, with a total of 1808 participants, were included. The study showed that TC could progress global cognition when assessed in middle-aged as well as elderly patients suffering from cognitive and executive function impairment. The findings are as follows: Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale: mean difference (MD) = 3.23, 95% CI = 1.88-4.58, p < 0.00001, Mini-Mental State Exam: MD = 3.69, 95% CI = 0.31-7.08, p = 0.03, Trail Making Test-Part B: MD = -13.69, 95% CI = -21.64 to -5.74, p = 0.0007. The memory function of older adults assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale was as follows: MD = 23.32, 95% CI = 17.93-28.71, p < 0.00001. The executive function of college students evaluated by E-prime software through the Flanker test was as follows: MD = -16.32, 95% CI = -22.71 to -9.94, p < 0.00001. Conclusion: The TC might have a positive effect on the improvement of cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly people with cognitive impairment as well as older adults and college students.

Preparation and characterization of tungsten carbide confined in the channels of SBA-15 mesoporous silica.

A series of WO3/SBA-15 materials with different Si/W ratios have been prepared by impregnating the host material SBA-15 with aqueous ammonium paratungstate solutions. After temperature-programmed carburization (TPC) in flowing CH4/H2 (20/80 v/v mixture), the materials are converted to the corresponding W2C/SBA-15 species. Both the oxide and carbide materials are characterized using X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, 29Si NMR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and TEM measurements. The XRD results show that after impregnation with different amounts of tungsten and subsequent carburization, the materials retain the mesopore structure of SBA-15. The nitrogen adsorption-desorption results indicate that a thin layer of W2C covers the internal walls of SBA-15. Quantitative 29Si single-pulse excitation MAS experiments and FTIR spectroscopy show that the incorporation of W2C in the channels of SBA-15 is correlated with the formation of Si-O-W bonds. Some Si-O-W bonds are transformed into Si-O-H bonds after carburization. The TEM results show that the thickness of the W2C thin layer is 1.7-1.9 nm in W2C/SBA-15. A model involving a discrete W2C thin layer in the channels of SBA-15 is proposed on the basis of the NMR data. The calculated thickness of the discrete W2C thin layer is consistent with value given by HRTEM.