Drawing Test Research Articles

Numerical analysis of the dependence of damage on friction during deep drawing of asymmetric geometries

The manufacturing of three-dimensional sheet metal components, such as car body parts, heavily relies on deep drawing. With the increasing demand for lightweight measures in the automotive industry due to CO2 limitation requirements, various methods are currently employed to reduce the weight of deep drawn components. However, these methods often overlook the potential for influencing the stress-strain dependent damage state within the component, even though it can greatly affect its performance in subsequent applications, and thus offers lightweight potentials. Friction between the deep drawing tools and the sheet metal is a key factor influencing the stress-strain state, and hence, represents a lever that can be utilized to manipulate the damage state in the component. This paper focuses on the numerical analysis of the dependence of damage on friction during deep drawing. Therefore, a rectangular geometry with an asymmetrical material flow is numerically investigated. A friction ratio is introduced with different constant friction coefficients for the corner of the tools and the straight sides. The established load paths at a chosen reference point are then considered in the form of selected stress and strain characteristics and the numerically predicted damage state is compared. The results are used to derive a recommended friction ratio that leads to less damage in the corner of the geometry. Afterwards strip drawing tool surfaces are modified to manipulate their friction properties using machine hammer peening. Subsequently, the influence of the structures of the strip drawing tool surfaces is quantified using strip drawing tests. The identified contact normal stress dependent friction coefficients are then implemented in the numerical simulation and the established numerical predicted damage state is examined to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how the friction ratio and the structure of the tool surfaces influence the damage state.

Diagnostic accuracy of the Clock Drawing Test in screening for early post-stroke neurocognitive disorder: the Nor-COAST study

BackgroundPost-stroke neurocognitive disorder, though common, is often overlooked by clinicians. Moreover, although the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) has proven to be a valid screening test for neurocognitive disorder, even more time saving tests would be preferred. In our study, we aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) for post-stroke neurocognitive disorder and the association between the CDT and MoCA.MethodsThis study is part of the Norwegian Cognitive Impairment After Stroke study, a multicentre prospective cohort study following patients admitted with acute stroke. At the three-month follow-up, patients were classified with normal cognition, mild neurocognitive disorder, or major neurocognitive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria. Any neurocognitive disorder compromised both mild- and major neurocognitive disorder. The CDT at the three-month assessment was given scores ranging from 0 to 5. Patients able to complete the CDT and whose cognitive status could be classified were included in analyses. The CDT diagnostic accuracy for post-stroke neurocognitive disorder was identified using receiver operating characteristic curves, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. The association between the MoCA and CDT was analysed with Spearman’s rho.ResultsOf 554 participants, 238 (43.0%) were women. Mean (SD) age was 71.5 (11.8) years, while mean (SD) National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 2.6 (3.7). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the CDT for major neurocognitive disorder and any neurocognitive disorder was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.68–0.79) and 0.68 (95% CI, 0.63–0.72), respectively. A CDT cutoff of < 5 yielded 68% sensitivity and 60% specificity for any neurocognitive disorder and 78% sensitivity and 53% specificity for major neurocognitive disorder. Spearman’s correlation coefficient between scores on the MoCA and CDT was 0.50 (95% CI, 0.44–0.57, p < .001).ConclusionsThe CDT is not accurate enough to diagnose post-stroke neurocognitive disorder but shows acceptable accuracy in identifying major neurocognitive disorder. Performance on the CDT was associated with performance on MoCA; however, the CDT is inferior to MoCA in identifying post-stroke neurocognitive disorder.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02650531). Retrospectively registered January 8, 2016.

Identifying Spatial Neglect in Chronic Right Hemisphere Stroke Survivors Using the RHDBank Outcomes.

The chronicity of spatial neglect (SN) and the utility of existing diagnostic measures used by speech-language pathologists remain poorly understood. In this retrospective study, we examined how the RHDBank test battery informs the identification of SN after right hemisphere brain damage (RHD) during the chronic phase of recovery. Data from 29 right hemisphere stroke survivors were extracted from the RHDBank, including SN tests, for which we performed laterality index scoring: a 51-item demographic survey, the Apples Test, the Indented Paragraph Test, and the clock drawing task from the Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test (CLQT). Two groups (SN+ and SN-) were identified using the Apples Test. A hierarchical cluster analysis explored CLQT performance clusters in association with SN, and group comparisons of demographic variables and test scores were conducted. Ten patients were identified as having SN+ (34%) using the Apples Test. The Indented Paragraph Test and the CLQT's clock drawing test identified only two of the 20 stroke survivors with SN+. Cluster analyses showed that domain and task scores on the CLQT carried information to classify participants into SN+ and SN- in concordance with performance on the Apples Test. Participants in the SN+ cluster had moderately impaired attention and executive function skills and mildly impaired visuospatial skills. The Apples Test differentiated SN in a group of chronic right hemisphere stroke survivors. Using multiple measures from the CLQT seemed to capture a greater range of problems than clock drawing and paragraph reading tests alone. Therefore, the RHDBank test battery as a whole-and in part the CLQT, Apples Test, and Indented Paragraph Test-can detect certain subtypes of SN in the chronic deficit profile after RHD and is a starting point for diagnostic integration by speech-language pathologists.

Classification Model of Clock Drawing Test Based on Contrastive Learning Using Multi-Channel Features with Channel-Spatial Attention

Classification Model of Clock Drawing Test Based on Contrastive Learning Using Multi-Channel Features with Channel-Spatial Attention

Evaluation of the beneficial effects of ETAS® on normal aging or mild cognitive impairment subjects: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Context: Recently, new intervention tools at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage are needed to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aims: To evaluate whether a standardized Asparagus officinalis stem (ETAS) extract, as a functional ingredient, effectively maintains cognitive functions in subjects with normal aging and MCI. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted on thirty subjects that were randomly allocated to the experimental group (n = 15), which received ETAS supplementation (1,000 mg) daily, and a control group, which received placebo (dextrin) in the same form (n = 15) for a period of 12 months. All subjects were evaluated using neuropsychological questionnaires comprised of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at all visit times. Brain tests (MRI, EEG and EPB) and blood tests (hematology, hemochemistry, immunological status and HSP70) were also performed. Primary endpoints were the change in the neuropsychological questionnaire scores. Secondary endpoints such as immunological and molecular biomarkers of dementia, neurological imaging, and electrophysiological outcomes were measured. Results: The ETAS group showed a significant improvement in scores on MMSE, FAB, and HADS, tended to improve in scores on CDT, and could show a slight increase in blood HSP70. The ETAS group also maintained normal levels of CD4/CD8 immune complex. No adverse events were detected during the study period. Conclusions: ETAS supplementation could prevent the progression of cognitive decline and anxiety/depression expression associated with the prevention of AD.

Sensitivity of Clock Drawing Test Alone to Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Cognitive impairment is a prevalent non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), significantly impacting patient quality of life. The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) evaluates cognitive abilities, including planning, organization, and executive functions such as attention, memory, and visuospatial skills. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity of the CDT in diagnosing cognitive impairment in PD. We reviewed the records of 44 PD patients (16 female, 28 male) diagnosed with dementia (30 patients) or mild cognitive impairment (14 patients) between 2018 and 2022. These patients were compared to 106 visitors to the neurological outpatient clinic, serving as a control group. A separate researcher assessed the patients' CDT scores, maintaining confidentiality of all other patient data except age and education level. Among the 44 PD patients, two with mild cognitive impairment were rated as normal, while all PD dementia cases were identified solely through the CDT. In the healthy control group, 72 out of 106 individuals reported no cognitive complaints, whereas 34 individuals (32.1%) reported cognitive complaints as assessed by a blind investigator. The CDT demonstrated a positive predictive value of 55.3% and a negative predictive value of 97.3%. Sensitivity was calculated at 95.5%, and specificity was 67.9%. The findings suggest that the CDT is sensitive in detecting cognitive impairment in PD patients with cognitive deficits. While the CDT serves as an effective rapid screening tool, high scores indicate the absence of cognitive impairment, but low scores alone are insufficient for a definitive diagnosis of dementia. Comprehensive neurological evaluation and detailed cognitive assessment remain essential for confirming dementia diagnoses.

A Telemedicine Analytic Framework for Fully and Semi-automatic Alzheimer's Disease Screening using Clock Drawing Test.

More than 6 million Americans are at risk for Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (ADRD), most of whom are 65 or older. The clock drawing test (CDT) is a quick, simple, and effective technique that has the potential advantage of self-management and screening for ADRD patients. Current CDT-based ADRD screening studies focus more on efficacy, involving many handcrafted features, ignoring data modalities, and lacking validation. This paper aims to propose a unified telemedicine framework for fully and semi-automatic effective early ADRD screening based on multimodal and agile data fusion, focusing on the interpretability and validation of the model by using gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) and locally linear embedding (LLE). The datasets for this work include 1,662 samples of CDT images and related demographic and cognitive information. The fully automatic case involving only CDT images can achieve the highest AUC of 81% with a 75% recall rate in binary screening. The multimodal data fusion in the semi-automatic case can achieve up to 90% AUC with an 83% recall rate. The visualization of the Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) shows that it can automatically obtain critical information about the outline, scale, and clock hands from CDT images, and the analysis of structured features shows that the memory test is key to effective ADRD screening.

Impairment of attention and executive functions in chronic cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease

To establish specific features of executive functions (EF) impairment and attention in vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Eighty people (over the age of 50) diagnosed with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and AD, as well as 29 healthy volunteers (control group), were examined. The following neuropsychological methods were used to study the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of cognitive impairments: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), EXIT-25, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Clock Drawing Test, «12 Words» test, verbal associations (literal and categorical) method, Trail Making Test A and B, Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Stroop Test, and Benton Visual Retention Test. Mandatory inclusion criteria in the study included having a completed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain (in T1, T2, FLAIR, DWI, SWI modes) within 1 year before enrollment in one of the groups. No significant differences in age, sex, and level of education were found between the groups. Groups AD and CVD were also comparable in the severity of cognitive impairment overall. Attention and working memory deficits were observed in both CVD and AD, with slightly more pronounced deficits in the AD group. Qualitative analysis of individual components of working memory revealed that both CVD and AD groups had comparable cognitive control impairment compared to the control group, while AD was characterized by a more significant decrease in intellectual flexibility compared to CVD. Sustained attention was equally impaired among patients in the CVD and AD groups, with a significant difference from the control group (p<0.05). In terms of memory, it was found that auditory-verbal memory and semantic memory were significantly more affected in AD, while visual memory was impaired in both conditions. Attention and EF impairments are not specific to the «subcortical» type of cognitive disorders. Already in the early stages, AD is characterized by a significant impairment of attention and EF, and such a component of EF as intellectual flexibility suffers at the onset of AD to a greater extent than in VCI. Memory impairments are not specific to AD; already at the onset of VCI, visual memory impairment comparable to AD is noted. The obtained data can be used for early neuropsychological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of dementing cerebral diseases.

Application of categorical boosting to modelling the friction behaviour of DC05 steel sheets in strip drawing test

It is challenging to model the coefficient of friction, surface roughness, and related tribological processes during metal contact because of flattening, ploughing, and adhesion. It is important to choose the appropriate process parameters carefully when creating analytical models to overcome the challenges posed by complexity. This will ensure the production of sheet metal formed components that meets the required quality standards and is free from faults. This research analyses the impacts of nominal pressure, kinematic viscosity of lubricant, and lubricant pressure on the coefficient of friction and average roughness of DC05 deep-drawing steel sheets. The strip drawing test was used to determine the coefficient of friction. This work utilises the Categoric Boosting (CatBoost) machine learning algorithm created by Yandex to estimate the COF and surface roughness, intending to conduct a comprehensive investigation of process parameters. A Shapley decision plot exhibits the coefficient of friction prediction models via cumulative SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) data. CatBoost has outstanding prediction accuracy, as seen by R2 values ranging from 0.955 to 0.894 for both the training and testing datasets for the COF, as well as 0.992 to 0.885 for surface roughness.

Frictional characteristics of EN AW-6082 aluminium alloy sheets used in metal forming

This article is devoted to testing EN AW-6082 aluminium alloy sheets in friction pair with NC6 (1.2063) tool steel. A special tribometer designed to simulate the friction conditions in sheet metal forming processes was used for friction testing. The research aimed to determine the influence of contact pressure, surface roughness of the tool, and lubrication conditions on the value of the coefficient of friction in the strip drawing test. Three grades of typical petroleum-based lubricants with kinematic viscosities between 21.9 and 97 mm2/s were used in the tests. The surface morphologies of the sheet metal after the friction process were observed using a scanning electron microscope. A tendency for the coefficient of friction to decrease with increasing contact pressure was observed. LHL32 and 75W-85 oils lost their lubricating properties at a certain pressure value and with further increase in pressure, the coefficient of friction value tended to increase. The 10W-40 oil with the highest viscosity reduced the coefficient of friction more intensively than the LHL32 oil.

Serum glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor: a potential biomarker for white matter alteration in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a common non-motor manifestation of Parkinson's disease, commonly referred to as PD-MCI. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data regarding the role of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and cerebral white matter damage in the pathogenesis of PD-MCI. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between alterations in GDNF levels and cerebral white matter damage in individuals diagnosed with PD-MCI, as well as to explore their potential involvement in cognitive progression. Neuropsychological assessments were conducted on 105 patients with Parkinson's disease and 45 healthy volunteers to examine various cognitive domains. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure serum levels of GDNF. Additionally, all participants underwent 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to acquire diffusion tensor images (DTI), and a voxel-based analysis (VBA) approach was utilized to compare the fractional anisotropy (FA) values of white matter in the brain. There was a significant correlation between the right corpus callosum, right cingulate gyrus, and the Digit Span Backward Test (DSB-T) as well as the Trail Making Test A (TMT-A), both of which assess attention and working memory functions. The left internal capsule exhibited a significant correlation with the Trail Making Test B (TMT-B) and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), which evaluate executive function. Additionally, the right cingulate gyrus showed a significant association with scores on the Auditory Verbal Learning Test-HuaShan (AVLT-H), assessing memory function. Abnormal fiber structures that demonstrated significant correlations with serum GDNF levels included the left internal capsule, left corticospinal tract, right corpus callosum, and right cingulate gyrus. The decrease in serum GDNF levels among PD-MCI patients exhibiting impairments in attention and working memory function was significantly correlated with alterations in the corpus callosum (knee) and posterior cingulate gyrus. Furthermore, the reduction of serum GDNF levels in PD-MCI patients with impaired executive function is associated with changes in the internal capsule (forelimb) projection fibers. Additionally, the decline of serum GDNF levels in PD-MCI patients experiencing memory function impairment is related to alterations in the right cingulate gyrus.

Bridging Reduced Grip Strength and Altered Executive Function: Specific Brain White Matter Structural Changes in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

To investigate the correlation between specific fiber tracts and grip strength and cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by fixel-based analysis (FBA). AD patients were divided into AD with low grip strength (AD-LGS, n=29) and AD without low grip strength (AD-nLGS, n=25), along with 31 normal controls (NC). General data, neuropsychological tests, grip strength and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were collected. FBA evaluated white matter (WM) fiber metrics, including fiber density (FD), fiber cross-sectional (FC), and fiber density and cross-sectional area (FDC). The mean fiber indicators of the fiber tracts of interest (TOI) were extracted in cerebral region of significant statistical differences in FBA to further compare the differences between groups and analyze the correlation between fiber properties and neuropsychological test scores. Compared to AD-nLGS group, AD-LGS group showed significant reductions in FDC in several cerebral regions. In AD patients, FDC values of bilateral uncinate fasciculus and left superior longitudinal fasciculus were positively correlated with Clock Drawing Test scores, while FDC of splenium of corpus callosum, bilateral anterior cingulate tracts, forceps major, and bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus were positively correlated with the Executive Factor Score of Memory and Executive Screening scale scores. Reduced grip strength in AD patients is associated with extensive impairment of WM structural integrity. Changes in FDC of specific WM fiber tracts related to executive function play a significant mediating role in the reduction of grip strength in AD patients.

Association of Cerebral Hypoperfusion and Poor Collaterals with Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Severe Vertebrobasilar Artery Stenosis.

Effect of stenosis of vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) on cognitive function is elusive. To investigate association of cerebral hypoperfusion and poor collaterals with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in severe VBA stenosis patients. We consecutively enrolled patients with severe VBA stenosis confirmed by digital subtraction angiography who underwent computed tomographic perfusion (CTP) and cognitive assessments. Patients were divided into poor or good collaterals groups according to the collateral circulation status, and were grouped into different perfusion groups according to CTP. Cognitive function was measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Clock Drawing Test, Stroop Color Word Test, Trail Making Test, Digital Span Test, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and Boston Naming Test scales. The association of cerebral perfusion and collaterals with VCI were explored. Among 88 eligible patients, VCI occurred in 51 (57.9%) patients experienced. Poor collateral was present in 73 (83.0%) patients, and hypoperfusion in 64 (72.7%). Compared with normal perfusion patients, the odds ratio with 95% confidence interval for VCI was 12.5 (3.7-42.4) for overall hypoperfusion, 31.0 (7.1-135.5) for multiple site hypoperfusion, 3.3 (1.0-10.5) for poor collaterals, and 0.1 (0-0.6) for presence of posterior communicating artery (PcoA) compensated for posterior cerebral artery (PCA) and basilar artery (BA). Additionally, decreased scores of cognitive function tests occurred in patients with decompensated perfusion or poor collaterals. Hypoperfusion and poor collaterals were positively associated with cognitive impairment in patients with severe VBA. However, PcoA compensated for the PCA and BA had a protective role in cognitive impairment development.

Obsahová analýza testov školskej pripravenosti žiaka na výučbu písania

The level of a pupil's readiness for writing can be determined at a young age through the analysis of their drawings, which reflect their actual graphomotor activity. This is why drawing is often used as a diagnostic tool to assess students before they enter primary school, using either standardized or non-standardized tests. The aim of this study is to analyze school readiness tests for students, focusing on the graphomotor indicators of their readiness. The content of this study will consist of a theoretical analysis of four selected tests: the Orientation Test of School Maturity, the Orientation Test of Readiness for School, the Drawing Test of School Aptitude, and the HETz test (a manual handwritten test). The theoretical part of this study will also outline the requirements for writing, which must be understood before the actual testing of pupils. In conclusion, we will evaluate the consistency and differences between the individual tests, which will affect the placement of pupils in terms of their writing abilities.

비행청소년의 부모 애착수준에 따른 새둥지화 반응특성 연구

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Bird's Nest Drawing(BND) test has any possibility to be used as a psychological assessment tool for evaluating the response characteristics of juvenile delinquents according to their level of attachment to their parents. The subjects of this study were 252 juvenile delinquents who received criminal punishment from a juvenile protection institution located in G City. And the research tools used were a Bird's Nest Drawing test and a parent-attachment scale to determine the level of parental attachment. Data analysis was conducted through cross-analysis using SPSS 25.0.&#x0D; The research results are as follows. First, in the response characteristics of juvenile delinquents to Bird Nests Drawing, significant differences were found in nest content, presence or absence of nest support and trees, distance from parent birds, threats, use of space, and number of colors. Second, in the response characteristics of juvenile delinquents to the Bird's Nest story, significant differences were found in the theme and emotion classification of the story content.&#x0D; Based on the results of this research, it was confirmed that the Bird's Nest Drawing (BND) test can be used as a tool to evaluate psychological characteristics through the level of juvenile delinquents’ attachment to their parents.

집단미술치료가 외상 후 스트레스를 경험한 응급구조사의 회복탄력성과 정서 조절 곤란에 미치는 효과

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of group art therapy on the resilience and emotional regulation difficulties of emergency medical technicians who experienced PTSD. The subjects were 7 emergency medical technicians working at the fire station located in the city D who experienced PTSD. The program of group art therapy was conducted once a week for 90 minutes per session, from May 1st, 2023, to August 31st, 2023, with a total of 14 sessions. As research tools, we quantitatively analyzed the pre- and post-changes using resilience scales and emotion regulation difficulties scales. Additionally, we qualitatively analyzed the changes in major content for each session using the Person in the Rain (PITR) drawing tests. The results of this study were as follows. Firstly, group art therapy had a positive effect on the resilience of emergency medical technicians who experienced PTSD. Secondly, group art therapy had a positive effect on the emotion regulation difficulties of emergency medical technicians who experienced PTSD. Thirdly, in the Person in the Rain (PITR) drawing tests, changes in emotional regulation, reduction of emotional instability, the establishment of a positive self-image, and improvement of stress-coping ability appeared. These research results lead to the conclusion that group art therapy has a positive effect on the resilience and emotion regulation difficulties of emergency medical technicians who experience PTSD. This suggests its potential utility in counseling and art therapy settings for emergency medical technicians.

Effect of the Flow Curve Determination on the Thinning of Drawn Parts

This study presents the results of finite element simulations based on different variations of the flow curve of DC04 automotive thin sheet. The aim of our research is to investigate how different flow curve equations affect the variation of sheet thickness in cup drawing tests. In order to exclude other influencing factors in the experiment, both the sheet material and the geometric properties of the specimen, as well as the external state factors were considered to be the same in all cases. The finite element simulations were performed using Simufact 2021.1 software. Our results shows that there are no significant differences in wall thicknesses until we reach the zone of double necking, where essential differences are observed.

Structural and Functional Changes in Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease.

Background and Objectives: The pathophysiology of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI) is still not fully elucidated. It has been shown in a few studies in the literature that volume loss in the occipital, parietal and frontal cortices and atrophy in the hippocampus of PD-MCI patients can occur in the early stages of PD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between gray and white matter volumes and different neuropsychological tests and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging parameters in patients with mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI). Materials and Methods: Twenty-six PD-MCI and twenty-six healthy elderly (HC) were included in this study. Results: We found that Mini Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test Part A, Clock Drawing Test, Benton Line Judgment Orientation Test and pentagon figure-copying scores were impaired in PD-MCI patients due to the decrease in brain volumes. Conclusions: Our study revealed that among PD-MCI patients, there was a more noticeable decline in White matter volume (WMV) based on volumetric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) compared to the localized loss of GMV. We think that these abnormal neuropsychological tests in PD-MCI patients can be used as pretests in the evaluation of the stage of transition to dementia.

Suture Tape Augmentation Improves Posterior Stability After Isolated Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Hamstring Tendon Autograft With Single-Bundle Transtibial Technique

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to assess whether posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCLR) suture tape augmentation can yield more stability after isolated PCLR. MethodsA prospective database was retrospectively reviewed to identified patients that underwent primary isolated PCLR (control study) or isolated PCLR with suture tape augmentation (study group) from January 2016 to September 2020. the subjective International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective (IKDC) Knee, Lysholm and Tegner scores, posterior draw tests, as well as posterior stress radiographs and return to sports activity rates. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was used to evaluate the clinically relevance (subjective IKDC, Lysholm and Tegner scores). Results59 were included in this analysis (28 patients in control group, 31 patients in study group). The average length of follow-up was similar between the study and control groups (48.6 vs 47.9months; p=0.800). Knee function, in terms of subjective IKDC (study vs. control: 85.1±6.4 vs. 79.8±6.4; P=0.002), Lysholm (study vs. control: 86.3±7.4 vs. 80.8±7.4; P=0.005) and Tegner (study vs. control: 7.0±1.4 vs. 5.6±1. 7; P=0.006) scores, was significantly improved in the study group. However, the differences between control group and study group were less than the MCID in the subjective IKDC score and Lysholm score. 21.4% (6/28) and 48.4% of patients (15/31) in the control and study groups, respectively, returned to the preinjury sports activity levels (P=0.031). At last follow-up, the mean side-to-side differences in posterior laxity was significantly improved in the study group compared with the control patients (study vs. control: 1.52±0.70 mm vs. 3.17±2.01 mm; p<0.01). ConclusionsPrimary isolated PCLR with suture tape augmentation provides better posterior stability than PCLR without suture tape augmentation at a minimum 2 years follow-up. No differences observed between the groups in the percentage of patients who met or exceeded the MCID in subjective IKDC and Lysholm score.

Long COVID neuropsychological follow-up: Is cognitive rehabilitation relevant?

Duration of neuropsychological disorders caused by long COVID, and the variables that impact outcomes, are still largely unknown. To describe the cognitive profile of patients with long COVID post-participation in a neuropsychological rehabilitation program and subsequent reassessment and identify the factors that influence recovery. 208 patients (mean age of 48.8 y.o.), mostly female, were reevaluated 25 months after their first COVID infection and 17 months after their initial evaluation. Patients underwent subjective assessment, Barrow Neurological Institute Screen for Higher Cerebral Functions (BNIS), Phonemic Verbal Fluency and Clock Drawing Tests (NEUPSILIN) for executive functions, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and WHOQol-Bref. We noted a discrete improvement of neuropsychological symptoms 25 months after the acute stage of COVID-19; nonetheless, performance was not within the normative parameters of standardized neuropsychological testing. These results negatively impact QoL and corroborate patients' subjective assessments of cognitive issues experienced in daily life. Improvement was seen in those who participated in psychoeducational neuropsychological rehabilitation, had higher levels of education, and lower depression scores on the HADS. Our data reveal the persistence of long-term cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders in patients with long COVID. Neuropsychological rehabilitation is shown to be important, whether in-person or online.