Effect of yoga-based exercises on functional capacity, dyspnea, quality of life, depression, anxiety, and sleep of infected healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective clinical trial.

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the effect of yoga-based exercises on functional capacity, dyspnea, quality of life, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients and methods: Forty-one COVID-19-infected healthcare professionals (35 females, 6 males; mean age: 39.7±6.5 years; range, 28 to 55 years) who were actively working during the subacute period were included in the prospective controlled study between March 2021 and September 2021. The participants were divided into two groups: the yoga-based exercise group (YBEG; n=26) and the nonintervention group (n=15). Besides routine recommendations, the YBEG performed stretching, relaxation, isometric strengthening, breathing, and meditation exercises of 60 min twice a week for eight weeks. Clinical outcome was measured with flexibility tests (shoulder flexibility and sit and reach tests), hand grip strength, 6-min walk test, dyspnea score, Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory, Short Form 36 (SF-36) quality of life, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) before and after eight weeks in both groups. Results: Beck anxiety scores, IPAQ scores, PSQI, SF-36 pain, and social functioning subparameters were positively statistically significant in the YBEG (p<0.05). The only parameter found to be insignificant in time and between groups was the SF-36 mental health subparameter (p>0.05). In addition, the YBEG had significant improvements in muscle strength, flexibility, functional capacity, physical activity level, quality of life, anxiety, depression levels, and sleep scores between before and after the eight-week intervention period (p<0.05). Conclusion: Yoga programs have led to an increase in functional capacity and physical performance, a decrease in anxiety and depression complaints, and an increase in the quality of life in healthcare professionals who were in the process of returning to work during the post-COVID-19.

Applying the WHO ICF framework to long COVID patients with persistent respiratory symptoms.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate long COVID patients with persistent respiratory symptoms through the application of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Patients and methods: This national, prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted with 213 patients (118 females, 95 males; median age 56 years; range, 20 to 85 years) with long COVID between February 2022 and November 2022. The ICF data were primarily collected through patient interviews and from the acute medical management records, physical examination findings, rehabilitation outcomes, and laboratory test results. Each parameter was linked to the Component Body Functions (CBF), the Component Body Structures (CBS), the Component Activities and Participation (CAP), the Component Environmental Factors (CEF), and Personal Factors according to the ICF linking rules. Analysis was made of the frequency of the problems encountered at each level of ICF category and by what percentage of the patient sample. Results: In the ICF, 21 categories for CBF, 1 category for CBS, and 18 categories of CAP were reported as a significant problem in a Turkish population of long COVID patients with persistent respiratory symptoms. Furthermore, eight categories for CEF were described as a facilitator, and four as a barrier. Conclusion: These results can be of guidance and provide insight into the identification of health and health-related conditions of long COVID patients with persistent respiratory symptoms beyond the pathophysiological aspects, organ involvement, and damage of COVID-19. The ICF can be used in patients with long COVID to describe the types and magnitude of impairments, restrictions, special needs, and complications.

COVID-19, cardiac involvement and cardiac rehabilitation: Insights from a rehabilitation perspective - State of the Art.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, many novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have experienced multisystem involvement or become critically ill and treated in intensive care units, and even died. Among these systemic effects, cardiac involvement may have very important consequences for the patient's prognosis and later life. Patients with COVID-19 may develop cardiac complications such as heart failure, myocarditis, pericarditis, vasculitis, acute coronary syndrome, and cardiac arrhythmias or trigger an accompanying cardiac disease. The ratio of COVID-19 cardiac involvement ranges between 7 and 28% in hospitalized patients with worse outcomes, longer stay in the intensive care unit, and a higher risk of death. Furthermore, deconditioning due to immobility and muscle involvement can be seen in post-COVID-19 patients and significant physical, cognitive and psychosocial impairments may be observed in some cases. Considering that the definition of health is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being", individuals with heart involvement due to COVID-19 should be rehabilitated by evaluating all these aspects of the disease effect. In the light of the rehabilitation perspective and given the increasing number of patients with cardiac manifestations of COVID-19, in this review, we discuss the rehabilitation principles in this group of patients.

The unilateral hemispatial neglect phenomenon in right hemiplegia.

One of the most important perceptual function disorders following a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the unilateral hemispatial neglect phenomenon (UHNP). In this case report, we present a 73-year-old male patient with UHNP accompanying right hemiplegia, which was identified with detailed examination. Clinical picture was characterized by right-sided hemiparesis in the upper right shoulder and relative weakness in the right leg. Patient was tested on hemineglect (HN) with star cancellation test and detailed neuropsychological evaluation. This article highlight the latest findings regarding the cognitive-behavioral syndrome of neglect for hemiplegia that occur following left hemisphere stroke.

Pulmonary rehabilitation principles in SARS-COV-2 infection (COVID-19): The revised guideline for the acute, subacute, and post-COVID-19 rehabilitation.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious infection disease, which may cause respiratory, physical, psychological, and generalized systemic dysfunction. The severity of disease ranges from an asymptomatic infection or mild illness to mild or severe pneumonia with respiratory failure and/or death. COVID-19 dramatically affects the pulmonary system. This clinical practice guideline includes pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) recommendations for adult COVID-19 patients and has been developed in the light of the guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 provided by the World Health Organization and Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Health, recently published scientific literature, and PR recommendations for COVID-19 regarding basic principles of PR. This national guideline provides suggestions regarding the PR methods during the clinical stages of COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 with its possible benefits, contraindications, and disadvantages.