Dance Exergames for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis With Narrative Synthesis.

BACKGROUND: A systematic review and meta-analysis with narrative synthesis was conducted to evaluate the impact of dance exergaming on older adults' health-related outcomes and its feasibility, usability, and safety. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to December 7, 2023. Interventional studies using immersive or nonimmersive virtual reality platforms conducted on older adults ≥60 years old were eligible. Meta-analysis was conducted using the random effects model by pooling mean differences (MD) or standardized mean differences. Outcomes were narratively synthesized when meta-analysis was not possible. RESULTS: Forty-three articles from 37 studies were included (n = 1 139 participants at baseline). Postintervention, dynamic balance measured using Berg Balance Scale (pooled MD = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.73-3.57, p < .0001), Timed-Up-and-Go times (pooled MD = -1.04, 95% CI: -2.06 to -0.03, p = .04), choice stepping reaction time (pooled MD = -92.48, 95% CI: -167.30 to -17.67, p = .02), and movement time (pooled MD = -50.33, 95% CI: -83.34 to -17.33, p = .003) were significantly better in the experimental group compared to the control group. Adherence ranged from 76.5% to 100%, whereas attrition ranged from 9.1% to 31.9%. Most participants completed the intervention with no or minimal adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Dance exergames are effective, feasible, usable, and safe for older adults. Further research is needed as the findings were limited by small sample sizes. Many studies could not be included in the meta-analysis as outcomes were too varied.

Characterizations of microRNAs involved in the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) fruit juice on hyperuricemia in mice.

Background: Hyperuricemia is generally defined as the high level of serum uric acid and is well known as an important risk factor for the development of various medical disorders. However, the medicinal treatment of hyperuricemia is frequently associated with multiple side-effects. Methods: The therapeutic effect of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) fruit juice on hyperuricemia and the underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated in mouse model of hyperuricemia induced by potassium oxonate using biochemical and high-throughput RNA sequencing analyses. Results: The levels of serum uric acid (UA) and xanthine oxidase (XOD) in mice treated with noni fruit juice were significantly decreased, suggesting that the noni fruit juice could alleviate hyperuricemia by inhibiting the XOD activity and reducing the level of serum UA. The contents of both serum creatinine and blood urine nitrogen of the noni fruit juice group were significantly lower than those of the model group, suggesting that noni fruit juice promoted the excretion of UA without causing deleterious effect on the renal functions in mice. The differentially expressed microRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia in mice were identified by RNA sequencing with their target genes further annotated based on both Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases to explore the metabolic pathways and molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect on hyperuricemia by noni fruit juice. Conclusion: Our study provided strong experimental evidence to support the further investigations of the potential application of noni fruit juice in the treatment of hyperuricemia.

MicroRNAs Involved in the Therapeutic Functions of Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) Fruit Juice in the Treatment of Acute Gouty Arthritis in Mice Induced with Monosodium Urate.

We investigated the functions of microRNAs in the therapeutic effects of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) fruit juice on mouse models of acute gouty arthritis induced with monosodium urate (MSU). Compared with the model group (treated with MSU), mice in both the positive control group (treated with both MSU and colchicine) and noni fruit juice group (treated with MSU and noni fruit juice) showed a significantly decreased degree of paw swelling in 5 days, as well as the contents of two types of proinflammatory cytokines (i.e., NALP3 and TNF-α). Based on the next-generation sequencing technology, a total of 3896 microRNAs (234 known and 3662 novel) were identified in mice treated with noni fruit juice. A large amount of differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in the noni fruit juice group, suggesting the significant effects of noni fruit juice on the mice with acute gouty arthritis, while the different patterns of change in the numbers of both upregulated and downregulated miRNAs in both noni fruit juice and positive control groups indicated that the mice of acute gouty arthritis may be regulated by differential mechanisms between the treatments of noni fruit juice and colchicine. The target genes of microRNAs involved in the pathogenesis and pathology of acute gouty arthritis in mice were identified and further annotated by both Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Our results revealed the therapeutic effects of noni fruit juice on acute gouty arthritis in mice with a group of microRNAs involved in the pharmacological mechanisms of noni fruit juice, providing scientific evidence to support both the agricultural cultivation and pharmacological significance of noni plants.

Facilitating effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on motor imagery brain-computer interface with robotic feedback for stroke rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor imagery brain-computer interface (MI-BCI) with robotic feedback for stroke rehabilitation. DESIGN: A sham-controlled, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Patients recruited through a hospital stroke rehabilitation program. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects (N=19) who incurred a stroke 0.8 to 4.3 years prior, with moderate to severe upper extremity functional impairment, and passed BCI screening. INTERVENTIONS: Ten sessions of 20 minutes of tDCS or sham before 1 hour of MI-BCI with robotic feedback upper limb stroke rehabilitation for 2 weeks. Each rehabilitation session comprised 8 minutes of evaluation and 1 hour of therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Upper extremity Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment (FMMA) scores measured end-intervention at week 2 and follow-up at week 4, online BCI accuracies from the evaluation part, and laterality coefficients of the electroencephalogram (EEG) from the therapy part of the 10 rehabilitation sessions. RESULTS: FMMA score improved in both groups at week 4, but no intergroup differences were found at any time points. Online accuracies of the evaluation part from the tDCS group were significantly higher than those from the sham group. The EEG laterality coefficients from the therapy part of the tDCS group were significantly higher than those of the sham group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a role for tDCS in facilitating motor imagery in stroke.