A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Therapeutic Recreation Programs for the Elderly.

This study gathered previous research on the effects of therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly conducted in Korea in order to investigate the average effect size as well as the factors that influence the effect sizes. This study connoted findings of individual studies related to therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly from 2000 to 2018. A total of 15 papers were selected for meta-analysis. To analyze the data, a comprehensive meta-analysis 2.0 software program was used. Firstly, the overall mean effect size of the therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly was 0.644, and it was medium size. Secondly, for each dependent variable, the mean effect size on social emotional domain was 0.739, the mean effect size on physical domain was 0.548, and the mean effect size on cognitive domain was 0.485. Thirdly, major factors that influence the effect of therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly appeared to be the program period and hours per session. The results of this study prove that therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly can be an effective way to bring along a positive change, and show that the program period and hours per session are crucial factors in the design of therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly.

Investigation of a Mobile "Serious Game" in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is considered a first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Dysregulation in the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit has been implicated in the pathophysiology of OCD, as have decreased functional connectivity (FC) between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the prefrontal cortex and increased FC between the dACC and the basal ganglia. We hypothesized that a new ERP-inspired mobile "serious game" would improve clinical symptoms in OCD and that symptom improvement would be associated with altered FC within CSTC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen OCD subjects and 15 healthy controls were recruited. All subjects completed questionnaires covering demographic data, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Beck Depressive Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. In addition, all subjects were scanned at baseline to assess brain FC using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: After 3 weeks of gameplay, FC from the left dACC seed to the right frontal precentral gyrus and from the right dACC seed to the left inferior frontal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus, increased in the OCD group. Responders showed increased brain connectivity from the left dACC seed to the right superior frontal gyrus compared with nonresponders. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that serious games may improve symptoms in OCD and that this improvement may be related to increased brain connectivity between the dACC and the prefrontal cortex. Further exploration is needed to assess the potential role of serious games in OCD treatment.

Recreational scuba diving in patients with congenital heart disease: Time for new guidelines.

The number of recreational scuba divers is steadily increasing. In its latest recommendations, the French Federation of Undersea Studies and Sports listed congenital heart disease as a formal and final contraindication to scuba diving. On the other hand, with the progress made in their management, the prognosis and quality of life of patients with congenital heart diseases have improved considerably, enabling them to engage in physical and sports endeavours, which are known to confer general health and psychological benefits. As a consequence, the ability of these patients to dive has become a regular and recurrent issue. We review the various types of scuba diving, the physical performance required for its practice, its effects on cardiovascular function and the elements that need to be considered before recommending whether it can be practiced safely at various levels of difficulty. Because of the diversity and broad heterogeneity of congenital heart diseases, a detailed evaluation of each patient's performance based on clinical criteria common to all congenital heart diseases is recommended.

[Health and recreational localities in the republic of altai and prospects for the development of spa-and-resort services on their basis].

The objective of the present work was to explore low- and mid-altitude valleys and depressions in the northern and central bioclimatic provinces of Gorny Altai for the identification of the health and recreational localities most promising in terms development of spa-and-resort services. The integral estimation of landscape and climatic conditions in conjunction with the quality of hydromineral resources of therapeutic value provided the data that were used by the authors to propose recommendations for the creation of the system of mountain-climate health resorts and touristic-recreational complexes of regional and federal significance at the territory of the Republic of Altai.