A fronto-insular-parietal network for the sense of body ownership.

Neuropsychological disturbances in the sense of limb ownership provide unique opportunities to study the neurocognitive basis of body ownership. Previous small sample studies that showed discrete cortical lesions cannot explain why multisensory, affective, and cognitive manipulations alter disownership symptoms. We tested the novel hypothesis that disturbances in the sense of limb ownership would be associated not only with discrete cortical lesions but also with disconnections of white-matter tracts supporting specific functional networks. We drew on an advanced lesion-analysis and Bayesian statistics approach in 49 right-hemisphere patients (23 with and 26 without limb disownership). Our results reveal that disturbances in the sense of ownership are associated with lesions in the supramarginal gyrus and disconnections of a fronto-insular-parietal network, involving the frontal-insular and frontal inferior longitudinal tracts, confirming previous disconnection hypotheses. Together with previous behavioral and neuroanatomical results, these findings lead us to propose that the sense of body ownership involves the convergence of bottom-up, multisensory integration, and top-down monitoring of sensory salience based on contextual demands.

Role of LCF scale as an outcome prognostic index in patients with traumatic brain injury.

The disabling effects of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) present a significant healthcare concern to developed countries. In order to achieve a reliable prognosis, validated assessment scales are used to monitor the cognitive outcome, like the Level of Cognitive Functioning Scale, or the overall functional outcome, namely the Functional Independence Measure and Glasgow Outcome Scale. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of Level of Cognitive Functioning Scale (LCF) as an outcome prognostic index in patients with TBI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients with TBI with a mean age of 44.9 years (SD 20.915) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were evaluated at admission and at discharge using the Glasgow Outcome Scale, Functional Independence Measure, and Level of Cognitive Functioning Scale. The Glasgow Outcome Scale was also implemented at 6 months after discharge (OUTCOME.GOS), whereas the LCF was used twice a week throughout hospitalization. For our purpose, we named LCF at admission LCFa, whereas permanence in the same LCF value (number of days), LCFaL. RESULTS: Δ.GOS, Δ.FIM (Δ = difference between value at discharge and at admission), and OUTCOME.GOS were significantly affected by age, length of stay, LCFa, and LCFaL. CONCLUSION: The LCF can give a valuable indication to the prognosis of patients with TBI besides monitoring changes in cognitive function. This allows for individual rehabilitation plan, and long-term management strategies could be developed more quickly upon patient's discharge. Consequently, valuable healthcare and social care resources could be assigned correctly.

Recovery from tactile agnosia: a single case study.

In a patient suffering from tactile agnosia a comparison was made (using the ABABAB paradigm) between three blocks of neuropsychological rehabilitation sessions involving off-line anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (anodal-tDCS) and three blocks of rehabilitation sessions without tDCS. During the blocks with anodal-tDCS, the stimulation was administered in counterbalanced order to two sites: i) the perilesional parietal area (specific stimulation) and ii) an occipital area far from the lesion (nonspecific stimulation).Rehabilitation associated with anodal-tDCS (in particular in the perilesional areas) is more efficacious than without stimulation.

The role of F-18 FDG PET/CT in the prognosis of patients with hypoxic/anoxic brain injury after cardio-circulatory arrest.

BACKGROUND: Advances in resuscitation techniques have resulted in more patients surviving cardio-circulatory arrest (CA) and consequently developing hypoxic/anoxic brain damage. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography scan) with F-18 FDG (F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose) during the early rehabilitative hospitalization phase in determining the V/C (Vermis/Cerebellar) ratio as a prognostic index to predict patient outcome, as defined by clinical evaluation scales. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective study of 37 consecutive adult patients admitted to the neurorehabilitation center between January 2011 and June 2019. Functional status was measured by the following clinical scales: FIM (Functional Indipendence Measure), LCFS (Levels of Cognitive Functioning Scale), GOS (Glasgow Outcome Scale) and CRS-R (Coma Recovery Scale-Revised). PET/CT with F-18 FDG as a functional imaging technique was used to calculate the V/C ratio as a ratio between the metabolism of the vermis and of the Cerebellar Hemisphere. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation was observed between the V/C ratio and the delta values (difference between discharge and admission value) for each clinical evaluation scale (Delta FIM: P=0.0014; Delta LCFS P=0.0003). A statistically significant difference was observed between the V/C ratio of patients with LCFS ≥4 that showed an improved outcome (defined as an improvement of at least two points in LCFS), and that of patients with LCFS <4 that did not improve (P=0.0011). A V/C ratio cut-off of 1.5 corresponded with a positive predictive power of 80% and a negative predictive power of 82%; a value <1.5 predicted a better outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical evaluation scales when associated with F-18 FDG PET/CT measurement of metabolism, provide a more reliable prognosis. This allows for more focused rehabilitation treatment and better management of family members' expectation.

A novel treatment for malignant spasticity: The therapeutic use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Spasticity is a clinical condition secondary to central nervous system damage, which impairs patients' mobility and quality of life. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to the spinal roots responsible of the spasms might represent a non-invasive therapy. The present are the preliminary results of the first clinical use of this novel technique.

Hand Erosive Osteoarthritis and Distal Interphalangeal Involvement in Psoriatic Arthritis: The Place of Conservative Therapy.

Hand erosive osteoarthritis (HEOA) and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) with DIP involvement are common diseases affecting the hand. Both of them evolve with a progressive limitation in grip due to limited range of motion of the affected joints and stenosing tenosynovitis. Pharmacological options currently available (corticosteroids and clodronate or Idrossicloroquine) for the treatment of EHOA are mostly symptomatic and currently there are no effective drugs able to modify the course of the disease. In addition, data on drug effectiveness of PsA with DIP involvement are lacking. Conservative therapy should be considered in order to reduce pain and improve hand functionality. There are many studies debating a wide range of non-pharmacological intervention in the management of HEOA: joint protection program, range of motion and strengthening exercise, hand exercise with electromagnetic therapy, application of heat with paraffin wax or balneotherapy, occupational therapy and education. Concerning conservative treatment strategies to treat PsA, on the contrary, current evidence is still weak. Further research is needed to find the correct place of physical therapy to prevent stiffness and ankylosis due to the vicious circle of inflammation-pain-immobility-rigidity.