From real to virtual prism adaptation therapy: a systematic review on benefits and challenges of a new potential rehabilitation approach.

Prism adaptation (PA) is a sensorimotor technique that has been shown to alleviate neglect symptoms. Due to its demonstrated functional effectiveness, PA has recently been implemented in virtual reality environments. However, research on virtual prism adaptation (VPA) is limited and it lacks a standardized methodological approach. It is crucial to investigate whether VPA can be effective in inducing traditional effect of PA and to have potential utility in a rehabilitation context. Clarifying this aspect would allow the use of VPA in a wider range of contexts and neurological disorders, with the additional opportunity to overcome PA traditional limits. The aim of the present study is to revise current literature on VPA in both healthy individuals and patients highlighting also its advantages and limitations. Studies performed between 2013 and 2023 and fulfilling the inclusion criteria were searched on three electronic databases, by combining the terms "Virtual prism adaptation" and "Virtual prism adaptation therapy. Out of 123 articles, only 16 met the inclusion criteria. The current literature review suggests that VPA may serve as a potentially useful tool for inducing visuomotor adaptation, with most studies conducted in healthy individuals. The high variability in the methodologies observed among studies suggests that more standardized approaches are needed to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying adaptation and aftereffects when PA is administered in a virtual environment. Future studies should also address practical applications and clinical efficacy of VPA, particularly in patients with spatial neglect.

The Impact of Social Cognition Deficits on Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that affects the Central Nervous System by causing demyelination. Social cognition (SC) deficits are common among individuals with MS and can significantly impact their quality of life (QoL) due to difficulties in interpreting social cues and establishing meaningful relationships. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aimed to investigate SC in subjects with MS and its impact on QoL. METHODS: Systematic searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases. After reading the full text of the selected studies and applying predefined inclusion criteria, four studies were included based on pertinence and relevance to the topic. RESULTS: The findings highlight significant associations between SC deficits, social support, fatigue, and QoL outcomes. Cognitive decline was identified as a predictive factor for SC impairment in the MS population, which affects daily activities and relationships, thereby reducing QoL. Moreover, emotional impairments such as depression and anxiety exacerbate these challenges. Enhancing social support networks may improve psychological well-being and disease management in MS. CONCLUSIONS: Although evidence is limited, assessing SC is crucial in the care pathways for MS to develop tailored psychosocial interventions that address the cognitive, emotional, and social facets of the disease, thereby improving overall outcomes and QoL.

Risk Factors and Interventions for Suicide in Huntington's Disease-A Systematic Review.

Background/Objectives: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder causing progressive neurodegeneration which, aside from symptomatic therapies for controlling psychological and motor problems, currently has no effective treatment. People who receive this diagnosis often feel disoriented and lost without guidance. Furthermore, HD patients are estimated to have a two to seven times greater risk of suicide death compared to the general population. The current review investigates the complex relationship between HD and suicide, seeking to identify key risk factors influencing suicidal ideation and behaviour in affected individuals. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies were searched for on the PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases, and 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results: The findings reveal that emotional strain, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and the absence of a cure contribute to heightened suicidal tendencies in HD patients. Critical periods for suicide risk coincide with early symptomatic stages of disease or the successive phase, with the loss of independence impacting on daily functioning. Risk factors associated with HD include a depressive mood, cognitive impairments, and a history of suicide attempts. Conclusions: From a prevention perspective, a comprehensive multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach could enhance the overall well-being of people with HD. In particular, screening for suicidal thoughts in people with HD could mitigate suicide risk.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Fear of Contamination Disorders: A Systematic Review of Healthy and Clinical Populations.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET), particularly immersive Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (iVRET), has gained attraction as an innovative approach in exposure therapy (ET), notably for some anxiety disorders with a fear of contamination component, such as spider phobia (SP) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This systematic work investigates iVRET's effectiveness in modulating disgust emotion-a shared aberrant feature across these disorders. Recent reviews have evaluated VRET's efficacy against in vivo ET. However, emerging evidence also highlights iVRET's potential in diminishing atypical disgust and related avoidance behaviors, expanding beyond traditional fear-focused outcomes. Our systematic synthesis, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, aims to fill this gap by assessing iVRET's efficacy in regulating disgust emotion within both clinical and at-risk populations, identified through standardized questionnaires and subjective disgust ratings. This research analyzes data from eight studies on clinical populations and five on healthy populations, offering an insight into iVRET's potential to mitigate the aberrant disgust response, a common transdiagnostic feature in varied psychopathologies. The findings support iVRET's clinical relevance in disgust management, providing evidence for a broader therapeutic application of iVRET and pointing out the need for more focused and complete investigations in this emergent field.

Towards a Deeper Understanding: Utilizing Machine Learning to Investigate the Association between Obesity and Cognitive Decline-A Systematic Review.

Background/Objectives: Several studies have shown a relation between obesity and cognitive decline, highlighting a significant global health challenge. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have been integrated into clinical practice for analyzing datasets to identify new risk factors, build predictive models, and develop personalized interventions, thereby providing useful information to healthcare professionals. This systematic review aims to evaluate the potential of AI and ML techniques in addressing the relationship between obesity, its associated health consequences, and cognitive decline. Methods: Systematic searches were performed in PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and PsycInfo databases, which yielded eight studies. After reading the full text of the selected studies and applying predefined inclusion criteria, eight studies were included based on pertinence and relevance to the topic. Results: The findings underscore the utility of AI and ML in assessing risk and predicting cognitive decline in obese patients. Furthermore, these new technology models identified key risk factors and predictive biomarkers, paving the way for tailored prevention strategies and treatment plans. Conclusions: The early detection, prevention, and personalized interventions facilitated by these technologies can significantly reduce costs and time. Future research should assess ethical considerations, data privacy, and equitable access for all.

Evidence of Altered Fear Extinction Learning in Individuals with High Vaccine Hesitancy During Covid-19 Pandemic.

Objective: A relevance of fear and concerns about vaccine development and its side effects are suggested to explain COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, evidence supporting the phobic origin hypothesis of hesitancy for COVID-19 and other vaccinations remains indirect and elusive. Method: We addressed this issue by investigating the existence of a relationship between fear conditioning, extinction, and the respective vaccination hesitancy and anxiety scores in a group of 25 individuals. Results: Overall, we show that the general mechanism of fear extinction learning is impaired in individuals with high vaccine hesitancy. State and trait anxiety scores do not account for this result. Conclusions: These findings suggest that attitudes against vaccination could be linked to an altered inhibitory learning process.

Disgust as a transdiagnostic index of mental illness: A narrative review of clinical populations.

Disgust is a basic emotion of rejection, providing an ancestral defensive mechanism against illness. Based on research that documents altered experiences of disgust across several psychopathological conditions, we conducted a narrative review to address the hypothesis that altered disgust may serve as a transdiagnostic index of mental illness. Our synthesis of the literature from past decades suggests that, compared to healthy populations, patients with mental disorders exhibit abnormal processing of disgust in at least one of the analyzed dimensions. We also outline evidence of alterations in brain areas relevant to disgust processing, such as the insula and the interconnected limbic network. Overall, we provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that altered disgust processing may serve as a transdiagnostic index of mental illness.