Neurocognitive Rehabilitation Research Articles

Application of virtual reality technologies in the rehabilitation of patients with left and right hemisphere lesions in the acute period of ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND: Currently, neurocognitive rehabilitation with the integration of innovative virtual reality (VR) technologies is the standard component of early rehabilitation treatment programs for patients with acute focal brain damage. AIM: Based on the statistical methodology, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of neurocognitive rehabilitation with the application VR technologies in patients with left and right hemisphere lesions in the acute period of ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study examined 160 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke exhibiting cognitive impairments. Patients were divided into two groups based on stroke localization: group 1 (n=80) had left hemisphere lesions, whereas group 2 (n=80) had left hemisphere lesions. Since day 5 of hospitalization, in addition to basic therapy, rehabilitation was performed using a hardware–software multimedia complex based on VR for remote-controlled rehabilitation «Devirta-Delphi». Rehabilitation efficiency (RE) was assessed by testing objectively quantitative measures of accuracy and coordination of movement performance before and after treatment using a Kinect Delphi system. Cognitive and psychoemotional measures were assessed by neuropsychological tests on days 2–4 of hospitalization and at the end of the VR therapy. Mathematical statistics were calculated using Python programming language and its libraries Pandas and SciPy. RESULTS: Higher RE values were obtained in patients with right-sided stroke. Irrespective of lesion lateralization, significant improvement was noted with respect to mnestic, executive function, and ideomotor praxis, regression of anxiety, depression, and general aggression. Group 1 also showed an improvement in speech function and a decrease in general asthenia, whereas group 2 showed an increase in attention and emotion recognition ability. Factors that negatively affected RE were identified, namely, apathy, anxiety, prestroke cognitive decline, semantic aphasia, and decreased attention in group 1 and semantic and visual–spatial impairments, prestroke decline, and recurrent stroke in group 2. CONCLUSION: The application of an immersive environment in the early rehabilitation of patients with cognitive impairment improves the performance of verbal and visual tests reflecting mnestic, regulatory, and neurodynamic executive functions in lesions with different lateralization.

Advancing Perioperative Neurocognitive Health: A Critical Review of Predictive Tools, Diagnostic Methods, and Interventional Strategies.

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PNDs) affecta large percentage of people who undergo surgeries that need general anesthesia. There is an increased risk of death and a major disruption to postoperative self-care as a result of this. This study compiles all the relevant materials that the authors have found to investigate postnatal depression and its causes, as well as the methods used to determine the probability and severity of PNDs and how to reduce their risk before surgery. Postnatal depression can have many causes, and this text explores some of them. These include a history of alcohol or opiate use, immunological dysregulation, advanced age, educational background, infections, neurocognitive impairment, and pre-existing chronic inflammatory disorders. It also delves into various methods used to gauge the likelihood and severity of postpartum depression. The following assessment tools were covered: the Clock Drawing Test, Domain-Specific Tests, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. In addition to biochemical markers, neuroimaging techniques play an important role in diagnosis. The Frailty Fried assessment, which measures inertia, sluggishness, lack of physical activity, fatigue, and unintentional weight loss, is a key prognostic sign that is highlighted. There is strong evidence that the index, which is derived from these five characteristics, may accurately predict the likelihood of PNDs. Risk mitigation strategies are also covered in this research. Preoperative brain plasticity-based therapies, such as physical exercise and intensive cognitive training, can significantly reduce the incidence and severity of postoperative neurocognitive disorders. A peripheral nerve block, monitoring cerebral oxygen saturation, dexmedetomidine, and a reduction in anesthesia depth are all ways to improve anesthetic procedures. Methods that lower blood pressure should be avoided, the body temperature should be kept down during surgery, or the time without liquids should be lengthened; all of these raise the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting and make it worse. Potential approaches include a Mediterranean diet, physical activity, cognitive stimulation, smoking cessation, alcohol reduction, avoidance of anticholinergic medications, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug stewardship, although there is no definitive evidence for successful postoperative neurocognitive rehabilitation procedures. More standardized diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods, and PND classification are urgently needed, according to this study. Different cases of PNDs are characterized by different combinations of tests, cutoff values, and methods because there is a broad variety of diagnostic tests used to make the diagnosis.Until now, PNDs and pre-existing neurocognitive disorders have been diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). With an aging population comes an increase in the occurrence and prevalence of PNDs, which calls for a specific way to classify and describe the condition.

Predicting the risk of neurocognitive decline after brain irradiation in adult patients with a primary brain tumor.

Deterioration of neurocognitive function in adult patients with a primary brain tumor is the most concerning side effect of radiotherapy. This study was aimed to develop and evaluate Normal-Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) models using clinical and dose-volume measures for 6-month, 1-year and 2-year Neurocognitive Decline (ND) post-radiotherapy. A total of 219 patients with a primary brain tumor treated with radical photon and/or proton radiotherapy (RT) between 2019 and 2022 were included. Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) test, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLTR) and Trail Making Test (TMT) were used to objectively measure ND. A comprehensive set of potential clinical and dose-volume measures on several brain structures were considered for statistical modelling. Clinical, dose-volume and combined models were constructed and internally tested in terms of discrimination (Area Under the Curve, AUC), calibration (Mean Absolute Error, MAE) and net benefit. 50%, 44.5% and 42.7% of the patients developed ND at 6-month, 1-year and 2-year timepoints, respectively. Following predictors were included in the combined model for 6-month ND: age at radiotherapy>56 years (OR=5.71), overweight (OR=0.49), obesity (OR=0.35), chemotherapy (OR=2.23), brain V20Gy≥20% (OR=3.53), brainstem volume≥26cc (OR=0.39) and hypothalamus volume≥0.5cc (OR=0.4). Decision curve analysis showed that the combined models had the highest net benefits at 6-month (AUC=0.79, MAE=0.021), 1-year (AUC=0.72, MAE=0.027) and 2-year (AUC=0.69, MAE=0.038) timepoints. The proposed NTCP models use easy-to-obtain predictors to identify patients at high-risk of ND after brain RT. These models can potentially provide a base for RT-related decisions and post-therapy neurocognitive rehabilitation interventions.

Psychological and neuropsychological clinical impact in brain cancer patients and evidence-based psychological intervention: a systematic review of the literature.

Cancer patients may suffer from psychological disorders related to their health condition. Various medical, surgical, and interventional procedures, alongside the distinct tumor localization, have been linked to an elevated predisposition towards psychological disorders, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive impairments. To systematically review the literature on neurocognitive rehabilitation of patients before and after brain cancer. The systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines for the systematic review of the PRISMA Group. The literature search was conducted from February 2022 to December 2022 in the databases of PubMed, APA PsycNet, and Web of Science. The focus was on cognitive-behavioural treatments, with Goal Management Training (GMT), and also an app on the iPad- ReMind- that includes psychoeducation, strategy training, and retraining, and new technologies such as virtual reality, in patients with cognitive deficits after neurosurgery. Overall, neurocognitive rehabilitation had an improvement on cancer patients and a recovery of executive and cognitive functions, a better quality of life, and psychological well-being.

Preliminary Assessment of Cognitive Changes in Pediatric Cancer Survivors After a Neurocognitive Intervention

Background: Pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) receive large doses of neurotoxic chemotherapy as part of their treatment. Though lifesaving, it can induce life-long issues. Cognitive deficits are one of the most common reported concerns in survivorship clinic among pediatric cancer survivors. One unique approach to improving deficits in cognitive functioning is The Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) developed by Reuven Feuerstein. MLE is based on neuronal plasticity. Findings from MLE studies have shown improvements in cognitive task performance, increases in daily functioning, and increased learning in patients with neurological impairment. However, MLE has never been administered to children or adolescent cancer survivors with cognitive deficits.
 Methods: Survivors were recruited from the Survivor Clinic in IU North Hospital. Survivors were 10-16 years of age, English speaking, and reporting executive functioning issues in school. The intervention utilized was the MLE enrichment tool: Organization of Dots. Participants met with MLE certified mediators 30 – 40 minutes biweekly for 8 weeks. At 5 weeks, separate interviews were conducted with parents and participants to assess perceived changes in cognitive functions. These interviews asked participants to rate perceived changes on a Likert-type scale, which allowed for comparison of perceived changes reported by participants and parents.
 Results: Four participants and their parents completed the 5-week interview. Preliminary results show participants and their parents perceive positive changes in the participants’ cognitive skills, new learning, motivation, transfer, metacognition, and active learning.
 Conclusion/Potential Impact: Many pediatric cancer survivors experience cognitive deficits following their cancer treatment. There are limited options for these individuals for assistance in improving function, most of which are costly or difficult to access. The current study demonstrated that utilization of the MLE approach by Feuerstein can be a feasible option for filling the resource gap in neurocognitive rehabilitation.

Effects of Neurocognitive Rehabilitation on the Levels of Neurotransmitters and Memory Proteins in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Effects of Neurocognitive Rehabilitation on the Levels of Neurotransmitters and Memory Proteins in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Prevention of neurovascular complications in children with Sickle Cell Disease in the real-world setting: What adult medicine physicians should know

Neurovascular complications represent one of the most detrimental manifestations of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), affecting many patients since infancy. They include overt stroke, silent cerebral infarcts and neurocognitive disorders. In fact, neurodevelopment can be impaired in children resulting in cognitive dysfunction in adults with SCD. This review is meant to resume the most recent guidelines about the prevention of SCD neurovascular complications and to highlight the open challenges in their implementation. Transcranial Doppler, Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Angiography and neurocognitive test are useful screening tools. Chronic transfusion regimen, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and neurocognitive rehabilitation find indications in the context of primary and secondary prevention of neurovascular complications of SCD. However, international guidelines are often difficult to bring into the real world due to the lack of appropriate instruments and trained personnel. Many challenges have still to be faced to guarantee the best possible neurocognitive function to each child affected by SCD.

Proposal of neural network model for neurocognitive rehabilitation and its comparison with fuzzy expert system model

This article focuses on the development of algorithms for a smart neurorehabilitation system, whose core is made up of artificial neural networks. The authors of the article have proposed a completely unique transfer of ACE-R results to the CHC model. This unique approach allows for the saturation of the CHC model domains according to modified ACE-R factor analysis. The outputs of the proposed algorithm thus enable the automatic creation of a personalized and optimized neurorehabilitation plan for individual patients to train their cognitive functions. A set of tasks in 6 levels of difficulty (level 1 to level 6) was designed for each of the nine CHC model domains. For each patient, the results of the ACE-R screening helped deter-mine the specific CHC domains to be rehabilitated, as well as the initial gaming level for rehabilitation in each domain. The proposed artificial neural network algorithm was adapted to real data from 703 patients. Experimental outputs were compared to the outputs of the initially designed fuzzy expert system, which was trained on the same real data, and all outputs from both systems were statistically evaluated against expert conclusions that were available. It is evident from the conducted experimental study that the smart neurorehabilitation system using artificial neural networks achieved significantly better results than the neurorehabilitation system whose core is a fuzzy expert system. Both algorithms are implemented into a comprehensive neurorehabilitation portal (Eddie), which was supported by a research project from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic.

Utilization of a Cogmed working memory training program in patients with neurocognitive impairment following the resection of intracranial meningioma: Case series and review of the literature

Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. Patients may become symptomatic due to the resultant mass effect and the peritumoral vasogenic edema. The majority of existing research on neurocognitive impairment in patients with brain tumors has focused on gliomas while less research has been conducted on the effects of tumor and/or surgical intervention on neurocognitive function in patients with meningioma. We conducted a prospective study on the utilization of the Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT) program in patients who underwent surgical resection of WHO grade I intracranial meningioma and experienced neurocognitive impairment after surgery. All patients had a significant improvement in their post-CWMT neurocognitive function evaluation compared to their baseline post-surgical neurocognitive evaluation, and the improvement was maintained at a three-month follow-up. This study is the first to evaluate the effectiveness of a neurocognitive rehabilitation program in augmenting the neurocognitive functioning of patients with Intracranial WHO Grade I Meningioma. The results of this study demonstrate the efficacy of the CWMT program in improving postoperative impaired neurocognitive function and potentially improving the quality of life of our patients.

Preventing Neurocognitive Decline in Adults Aging with HIV: Implications for Practice and Research.

Mild to moderate forms of neurocognitive impairment persist among people living with HIV (PLWH), despite being virally suppressed on antiretroviral therapy. PLWH are disproportionally impacted by physiological and psychosocial comorbidities compared to those without HIV. As adults live longer with HIV, the neurocognitive burden of physiological and psychosocial stressors can impair everyday functioning and may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. This article outlines neurocognitive consequences of everyday stressors in PLWH. While some lifestyle factors can exacerbate inflammatory processes and promote negative neurocognitive health, novel interventions including the use of cannabinoids may be neuroprotective for aging PLWH who are at risk for elevated levels of inflammation from comorbidities. Studies of integrated neurocognitive rehabilitation strategies targeting lifestyle factors are promising for improving neurocognitive health, and may over time, reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease in PLWH.

Modeling of neurocognitive rehabilitation using intelligent analysis of video streaming and neurophysiological information (EEG, ERPs)

Modeling of neurocognitive rehabilitation using intelligent analysis of video streaming and neurophysiological information (EEG, ERPs)

Neurocognitive development after pediatric brain tumor - a longitudinal, retrospective cohort study

ABSTRACT Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors (PBTs) treated with cranial radiation therapy (CRT) often experience a decline in neurocognitive test scores. Less is known about the neurocognitive development of non-irradiated survivors of PBTs. The aim of this study was to statistically model neurocognitive development after PBT in both irradiated and non-irradiated survivors and to find clinical variables associated with the rate of decline in neurocognitive scores. A total of 151 survivors were included in the study. Inclusion criteria: Diagnosis of PBT between 2001 and 2013 or earlier diagnosis of PBT and turning 18 years of age between 2006 and 2013. Exclusion criteria: Death within a year from diagnosis, neurocutaneous syndromes, severe intellectual disability. Clinical neurocognitive data were collected retrospectively from medical records. Multilevel linear modeling was used to evaluate the rate of decline in neurocognitive measures and factors associated with the same. A decline was found in most measures for both irradiated and non-irradiated survivors. Ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunting and treatment with whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) were associated with a faster decline in neurocognitive scores. Male sex and supratentorial lateral tumor were associated with lower scores. Verbal learning measures were either stable or improving. Survivors of PBTs show a pattern of decline in neurocognitive scores irrespective of treatment received, which suggests the need for routine screening for neurocognitive rehabilitation. However, survivors treated with WBRT and/or a VP shunt declined at a faster rate and appear to be at the highest risk of negative neurocognitive outcomes and to have the greatest need for neurocognitive rehabilitation.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Neurocognitive Rehabilitation of Patients with Mild Cognitive Decline under Restrictions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: the development of programs for the correction of cognitive impairment in elderly patients with various types of mild cognitive decline is an urgent task of geriatric medicine and clinical psychology. The aim of the study was to conduct neuropsychological and psychometric evaluation of the results of a modified neurorehabilitation program (combination of full time and part time studies) in patients of the “Memory Clinic”. Patients and methods: a total of 114 patients (mean age 73 years) with mild cognitive impairment was studied. Neuropsychological and psychometric evaluation of the dynamics of the cognitive sphere in patients with mild cognitive decline (MCI) before and after participation (week 6) in the full-time/part-time neurorehabilitation program at the “Memory Clinic” was carried out. For psychometric assessment, the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were used. The neuropsychological study was carried out using the “Express Method for the Study of Cognitive Functions at a Late Age” (N.K. Korsakova et al.). For psychometric assessment, the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were used. The neuropsychological study was carried out using the “Express Method for the Study of Cognitive Functions at a Late Age” (N.K. Korsakova, E.Yu. Balashova, I.F. Roshchina). Results: using the method of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), a statistically significant effect (p < 0.05) of the neurorehabilitation program on psychometric tests (MMSE, MoCA) and on the total score of the “Express Methods for the Study of Cognitive Functions at a Late Age”, as well as on its subscales —verbal memory, visual memory, semantic memory, dynamic, spatial and regulatory praxis was detected. Conclusions: a psychometric and neuropsychological study showed the effectiveness of a full time/part-time neurocognitive rehabilitation program for patients with mild cognitive decline under conditions of limited visits to the Memory Clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cognitive Rehabilitation: A Comparison Model of a Digital Environment based on Serious Games and the Traditional Methods

Technological innovation contributes to a personalised and integrated approach in education, journalism, communication, management, marketing, and above all, in healthcare. Facing the increasing number of new patients and the shortage of health specialists, the emergence of innovative technologies has brought the fields of health and technology closer together. This research aims to study digital environments in the context of neurocognitive rehabilitation, for the care of patients with deficits in cognitive functions, supported by Serious Games (SG). Typically, neurological patients suffer from cognitive deficits in executive, visuospatial, attention and/or memory functions. In this context, SG prefigure an appropriated tool that combines healthcare and rehabilitation, which allows the connection of healthcare specialists with a platform, as the connection of patients with life and disease companions with potential for collaboration and recording the evolution of the rehabilitation process. Aiming to identify the characteristics and requirements of SG in exposing neurological patients to a safe technological environment that simulates rehabilitation activities supported by SG (developed and oriented to their specificities), but also to make a comparison with traditional methods (TM). A model of comparison between the two paradigms was elaborated, which allowed the collection of requirements and characteristics for future developments. In conclusion, SG are not strictly better than traditional treatment (TT) methods in this context, but the elaborated comparison tends to point out that SG are sovereign to TM in improving training and producing quality data (in safety) for analysis, which allows the total rehabilitation process to be better conducted.

손 기능 회복을 위한 신경인지재활치료 도구개발 버전 2

The hand is the external brain. The hands are motor organs that carry out the commands given by the brain, and they are the sensory organs that provide the most information to the brain. When you move your hands or accept changes in the outside world with your hands, your brain is activated. Using your hands is an act that stimulates the highest levels of mental functioning. The purpose of this research and development is to contribute to the efficient and effective recovery of hand function through the continuous development of neurocognitive rehabilitation therapy training tools.
 Innovative improvements to the function of the hand function recovery training tool version I. The fixing part is equipped with silicone adhesive pads for easy movement and fixation. The height of the support is 75 mm, and the maximum height of the training tool is 200 mm. The height was considered so that the head could be relaxed and trained to restore hand function. The rotating part is very creative. 180° turns are possible on the forehead surface and 270° turns on the sagittal surface. In addition, the entire rotating part has been developed to be able to rotate 360° degrees.
 Innovative improvements in neurocognitive rehabilitation training tools for hand function training have enabled efficient and effective training. It is hoped that it will be actively used in clinical practice and contribute to the recovery of hand function in patients.

Expert System for Neurocognitive Rehabilitation Based on the Transfer of the ACE-R to CHC Model Factors

This article focuses on developing an expert system applicable to the area of neurocognitive rehabilitation. The benefit of this interdisciplinary research is to propose an expert system that has been adapted based on real patients’ results from the Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination (ACE-R). One of this research’s main results is a unique proposal to transfer the ACE-R result to the CHC (Cattell–Horn–Carroll) intelligence model. This unique approach enables transforming the CHC model domains according to the modified ACE-R factor analysis, which has never been used before. The expert system inference results allow the automated optimized design of a neurorehabilitation plan to train patients’ cognitive functions according to the CHC model. A set of tasks in 6 difficulty levels (Level 1–Level 6) was proposed for each of the nine CHC model domains. For each patient, the ACE-R results helped determine specific CHC domains to be rehabilitated as well as the starting game level for the rehabilitation within each domain. The proposed expert system has been verified on real data of 705 patients and achieved an average error of 5.94% for all CHC model domains. The proposed system is to be included in the outcomes of the research project of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic as a verified procedure for healthcare providers.

Effects of Neurocognitive Rehabilitation Treatment on the Swallowing Function and Quality of Life of Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of Neurocognitive Rehabilitation Treatment on the Swallowing Function and Quality of Life of Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Markers of Systemic Inflammation in Assessing the Effectiveness of Neurocognitive Rehabilitation in Aged Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background: the results of previous studies suggest that the level of activation of inflammatory responses in the periphery correlates with the severity of cognitive impairment in patients with neurodegenerative diseases and can serve as an indicator of the activity of the current pathological process in the brain. Epigenetic factors are suggested to influence the regulation of (neuro)inflammation and cognitive recovery in elderly patients, which opens up a wide spectrum of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of age-associated diseases. Objective: to evaluate the possible effects of a comprehensive neurocognitive rehabilitation program on cognitive functioning and blood immunological parameters of elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Patients and methods: 507 participants of the “Memory Clinic” rehabilitation program with signs of MCI (F06.7, F06.78 according to ICD-10) were examined before the start of neurocognitive training and after its completion (after six weeks). Some patients (11.6%) were observed clinically one year after their inclusion in the program. Cognitive status was assessed using the Modified Hachinski Ischemic Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and the Clock Drawing Test. Enzymatic activity of leukocyte elastase (LE), functional activity of α1-proteinase inhibitor (α1-PI), and levels of antibodies to S-100B and myelin basic protein were determined in patients’ blood. The parameters of healthy donors were used as controls.Results: immunological examination of patients before the rehabilitation program revealed increased LE and α1-PI activity in the overall group compared to controls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05). Using a previously developed regression model to identify a high-risk group for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) among patients with MCI, all subjects were divided into two groups (cut-off value p = 0.65). Group 1 (low-risk of AD, n = 330) was characterized by increased LE activity and α1-PI (p < 0.001), Group 2 (highrisk of AD, n = 177) was distinguished by decreased LE activity (p < 0.001) accompanied by high α1-PI activity (p < 0.001). After neurocognitive training, differently directed variants of the dynamics of immunological parameters associated with the severity of patients’ cognitive impairment on psychometric scales were identified in each group. For the most of the examined patients (61.3%) the training program turned out to be effective, which was confirmed by the positive dynamics of the psychometric scores and relative normalization of the blood inflammatory markers (p < 0.05). The highest effect of the rehabilitation program was typical for patients not included in the high-risk group for AD (p < 0.001). Follow-up examination revealed stabilization of cognitive functioning in 93.2% of those examined, most of whom were patients with an initially low risk of developing the disease (p < 0.01).Conclusion: neurocognitive rehabilitation of patients with MCI carried out in the “Memory Clinic” conditions can be considered as a social epigenetic factor modulating the current pathological process in patients with cognitive disorders, which is confirmed by objective immunological markers.

At-distance neurocognitive rehabilitation during COVID-19 pandemic: A first glance of patients’ perspectives about the process and an online platform

Despite the use of digital communication technologies in neurocognitive rehabilitation has been widely used in face-to-face interventions, the difficulties of using ICT-based tools to provide rehabilitation services and the unfamiliarity of the neuropsychologists with internet interventions limited the use of these kinds of interventions in their clinical practices. The lockdown and mitigating measures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, on the other hand, forced the use of at-distance and online interventions as a means to mitigate the impact of those measures on the mental health and rehabilitation processes of people with neurological disorders. Overall, little is known about the perspectives of patients with acquired neurological conditions about rehabilitation services delivered at distance. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to explore the perceptions that patients with neurological disorders have on at-distance online neurocognitive rehabilitation, namely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixteen patients with acquired neurological conditions attending an online neurocognitive rehabilitation program in a Portuguese rehabilitation center filled in an online questionnaire during the mandatory lockdown. The results of this study highlight the potential of delivering rehabilitation services at distance, presenting its advantages and limitations from patients’ perspectives, as well as suggestions for improving both neurorehabilitation processes and the online rehabilitation platform used.

Assessment of cognitive disorders in Covid-19 patients in Tunisia

IntroductionSince the beginning of the pandemic, the Sars-cov2 virus remains unclear concerning its clinical manifestations and its sequelae. Few studies have evaluated the existence of cognitive impairment in patients with COVID-19 and estimated its imputability in the development of these disorders.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study is to assess cognitive disorders in post-COVID patients.MethodsA descriptive observational survey was conducted by the psychiatry department of Mongi Slim hospital in Tunis-Tunisia during May-June 2021 among covid-19 patients selected at the first post covid consultation (at 1 month). First, sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, then the evaluation of the cognitive disorders was carried using many scales: MMS (mini mental state), FAB, TMT and the maze task.ResultsEight patients met the selection criteria with a sex ratio of 6:2 and an average age of 67.5 years (6 with a primary level). The extent of the lesions varied between 10% and 75%. Among the participants, 4 required hospitalization in intensive care: 3 with non-invasive ventilation and 1 needed intubation. The 1-month evaluation found that all the patients had good memory and execution skills with MMS scales >25 and FAB scales >14. Regarding flexibility and planification: 4 of them needed more than 78 seconds to complete the TMT-A ,3 took more than 273 seconds to complete the TMT-B and 2 needed more than 60 seconds to accomplish the maze task (deficient scores).ConclusionsThe screening of cognitive disorders in post-COVID patients is very important for a better management that may require early neurocognitive rehabilitation.DisclosureNo significant relationships.