The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prolonged physical therapy on disability in patients with Parkinson's disease. The study was designed as an open long-term trial over 20 weeks. Twenty slightly to moderately affected parkinsonian patients were included (Hoehn & Yahr stages: 1.5-3). A comprehensive rehabilitation program was applied three times a week in all patients. Pharmacological treatment was kept stable. Evaluations were performed at baseline, at the end of treatment and after 3 months. Following physical rehabilitation, there was a significant improvement in UPDRS (ADL and motor sections) scores, Self-assessment Parkinson's disease Disability Scale, Ten-Meter Walk test and Zung scale for depression. At 3-month follow-up clinical improvements were largely maintained. A sustained improvement of motor skills in PD patients can be achieved with a long-term comprehensive rehabilitation program.

Sixty patients admitted to hospital for hemispherical ischemic stroke causing severe disabilities were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided in two groups: A and B. The patients in group A were given intensive rehabilitative treatment; those in group B were given ordinary rehabilitative treatment. Both treatments lasted 14 days. At the end of that period, the patients of both groups were sent to the same rehabilitation center to continue treatment, using the same methods for all. The patients were evaluated by means of the modified N. I. H. Stroke Scale and the Barthel-Index on the day of enrollment, on the 14(th) and 180(th) day. The results obtained from intensive treatment were no better than those obtained from ordinary treatment. This study shows that there is no point in adopting an intensive rehabilitative treatment for an ischemic stroke in its acute phase: a more expensive and time-consuming effort does not in any way lead to a better outcome.

The clinical effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are now the subject of numerous studies worldwide. But what are the effects of the quarantine imposed by the states that implemented the measures of lockdown? The present research aims to explore, in a preliminary way, the major stress-related symptoms during the lockdown, due to Covid-19, in the Italian population. Subjects were asked to fill out a survey, that traced a line identifying the most relevant psychophysiological symptoms that took into account factors such as perceived stress, body perception, perceived pain, quality of sleep, perceptive variations (i.e., olfactory, gustatory, visual, acoustic, and haptic perception). A network approach formulating a hypothesis-generating exploratory analysis was adopted. Main results of the network analysis showed that the beliefs of having had the Covid-19 was related to individual variables (i.e., gender, working in presence, sleep quality, anxiety symptoms), while the familiarity of Covid-19 disease was related to contextual factors (e.g., number of recorded cases in the Region, working in presence). The self-perception of olfactory and perceptive alterations highlighted a great sensorial cross-modality, additionally, the olfactory impairment was related to the belief of having had the Covid-19. Compared to general network data, BAI, perceived stress, anxiety and chronic pain were in relation to daily sleep disturbance. Main study's results show how the management of the Covid-19 stressful representation, in its cognitive aspects, can modulate the psychophysiological responses.

Various brain imaging techniques are available, but few are specifically designed to visualize chemical sensory and, in particular, olfactory processing. This review describes the results of quantitative and qualitative studies that have used electroencephalography (EEG) and magneto-encephalography (MEG) to evaluate responses to olfactory stimulation (OS). EEG and MEG are able to detect the components of chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERPs) and the cortical rhythms associated with different types of OS. Olfactory studies are filling the gaps in both the developmental field of the life cycle (from newborns to geriatric age) and the clinical and basic research fields, in a way that can be considered the modern “cognitive neuro-olfactometry”.

3M syndrome is a rare disorder that involves the gene cullin-7 (CUL7). CUL7 modulates odour detection, conditions the olfactory response (OR) and plays a role in the development of the olfactory system. Despite this involvement, there are no direct studies on olfactory functional effects in 3M syndrome. The purpose of the present work was to analyse the cortical OR through chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERPs) and power spectra calculated by electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded in 3M infants: two twins (3M-N) and an additional subject (3M-O). The results suggest that olfactory processing is diversified. Comparison of N1 and Late Positive Component (LPC) indicated substantial differences in 3M syndrome that may be a consequence of a modified olfactory processing pattern. Moreover, the presence of delta rhythms in 3M-O and 3M-N clearly indicates their involvement with OR, since the delta rhythm is closely connected to chemosensory perception, in particular to olfactory perception.

Cloricromen is a new drug that inhibits platelet aggregation in man and in experimental thrombosis. Twenty patients with a history of atherothrombotic stroke received cloricromen (100 mg, twice daily) for 30 days in order to evaluate its effects on plasma fibrinogen, antithrombin III, and other variables of the haemostatic system. A statistically significant decrease in the prothrombin time (P < 0.01) was found only after 30 days of therapy. This decrease was transient and disappeared 15 days after the end of treatment. No statistically significant changes in plasma fibrinogen levels, antithrombin III, partial thromboplastin time, or platelet count were observed compared with baseline values. No side-effects were reported. This study did not reveal an effect of cloricromen on coagulative variables in patients with cerebrovascular occlusive disease.

No abstract

3M syndrome is a rare disorder that involves the gene CUL7. CUL7 modulates odour detection, conditions the olfactory response (OR) and plays a role in olfactory system development.Despite this involvement, there are no direct studies on olfactory functional effects in 3M syndrome.The purpose of the present work was to analyse the cortical OR, through chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERP) and power spectra calculated by electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded in 3M infants: two twins (3M-N) and an additional subject (3M-O). The results suggest that olfactory processing is diversified. Comparison of N1 and LPC components indicated substantial differences in 3M syndrome that may be a consequence of a modified olfactory processing pattern. Moreover, the presence of delta rhythms in 3M-O and 3M-N clearly indicates their involvement with OR, since the delta rhythm is closely connected to chemosensory perception, in particular to olfactory perception.