Search Results (87)

Background/Objectives: Cerebral hemorrhage (CH) has physical, cognitive, and emotional consequences. Recovery requires a complex rehabilitation process in which coping strategies play a fundamental role in supporting psychological adaptation. The aim of this study is to investigate and understand the extent and manner in which coping strategies have been assessed in the CH population within the scientific literature. Methods: Studies were identified through searches in the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases. Eight studies published between 2014 and 2024 were selected. Results: The most frequently adopted coping strategies include task-oriented coping, avoidance, emotion-focused coping, acceptance, planning, and emotional support. Task-oriented strategies and acceptance are associated with better psychological outcomes. Conversely, avoidant and emotion-focused strategies correlate with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and poorer adaptation. Resilience and social participation emerge as protective factors. Finally, Action/Distraction is associated with a better quality of life, while Trivialization/Resignation is linked to lower levels. Conclusions: Coping seems to represent a modifiable, patient-centered lever that can mitigate the psychosocial sequelae of intracranial hemorrhage when assessed systematically and addressed through tailored rehabilitation programs. Our findings lay the groundwork for evidence-based, coping-focused interventions and highlight critical avenues for future longitudinal and mechanistic research. Full article

Background: Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a highly lethal filoviral infection, yet its long-term health consequences remain poorly understood. We present one of the most temporally distant evaluations of MVD survivors, conducted 13 years post-outbreak in Uganda, offering novel insights into chronic physiological, biochemical, haematological, and psychosocial outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based study compared ten MVD survivors with nineteen age- and sex-matched unexposed controls. Clinical evaluations included vital signs, anthropometry, mental health screening, and symptom reporting. Laboratory analyses covered electrolytes, inflammatory markers, renal and liver function tests, haematology, and urinalysis. Standardised psychological assessments measured anxiety, depression, perceived stigma, and social support. Findings: Survivors exhibited an elevated body mass index (BMI), higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and lower respiratory rates compared to controls, indicating ongoing cardiometabolic and autonomic changes. These trends may reflect persistent cardiometabolic stress and potential alterations in autonomic regulation, warranting further investigation. Biochemically, survivors exhibited disruptions in serum chloride, bilirubin, and total protein levels, suggesting subclinical hepatic and renal stress. Haematological analysis revealed persistent reticulocytosis despite normal haemoglobin levels, indicating long-term erythropoietic modulation. Despite these physiological changes, survivors reported minimal psychological morbidity, sharply contrasting with the post-recovery profiles of other viral haemorrhagic fevers. Stigma was prevalent during the outbreak; however, strong family support alleviated long-term psychosocial distress. Interpretation: Thirteen years post-infection, MVD survivors demonstrate multisystem physiological perturbations without marked psychological sequelae. These findings challenge assumptions of universal post-viral trauma and highlight the necessity for tailored survivor care models. Future longitudinal studies should investigate the mechanistic pathways underlying cardiometabolic and haematological reprogramming to inform intervention strategies in resource-limited settings. Full article

Polysubstance use (PSU) involving marijuana among women of reproductive age (WRA) is linked to psychosocial harm, yet research on the combined effects of marijuana with stimulants, opioids, tobacco, and binge drinking remains limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of PSU in WRA with past month MJ use and examine the association between PSU status and social sequelae, including getting in trouble with the law, relationship difficulty with others, and lower achievement in job or educational settings, in this group of women. We used data from the United States 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which included 11,895 non-institutionalized WRA (18–44 years old) with reported use of MJ in the past month. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to describe the sample and assess associations between PSU and social sequelae. Nearly 4.5% of the women who used MJ in the past month had experienced social sequelae regardless of PSU status. Women who used three or more substances along with MJ had the highest adjusted odds (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI 1.90, 5.31) of social sequelae relative to monosubstance MJ users. Concurrent use of multiple substances significantly increased the likelihood of social sequelae among women MJ users. Full article

Background: Post-traumatic sequelae have many negative impacts on the health and quality of life of patients, especially for those groups at a high risk of exposure to injuries. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify some factors related to post-traumatic sequelae in people in a mountainous province in Northern Vietnam. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 228 residents from two communes (Pom Lot and Thanh Minh) in Dien Bien province. The participants had all experienced an injury from any cause within the year preceding the study. The post-traumatic sequelae and potential associated factors were assessed. Result: The rate of post-traumatic sequelae among the study participants was 62.3%. An older age (>40), belonging to an ethnic minority group, a short treatment duration, and a lack of family and social support were factors associated with an increased risk of post-traumatic sequelae. Conclusions: Post-traumatic stress disorder is a significant health burden for people in the mountainous regions of Northern Vietnam. This study identified vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, ethnic minorities, and those with inadequate treatment or social support. The results highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions and focused support policies to reduce the consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder for this high-risk group. Full article

Background: Patients with stroke sequelae experience motor impairments that make it difficult to perform many activities of daily living, resulting in reduced social participation. Immersive virtual reality (VR) provides the necessary conditions for motor learning, such as repetitiveness, intensity, and task meaningfulness, and it could be a promising rehabilitation tool for upper limb recovery in individuals with stroke sequelae. Objective: The objectives of this study are to summarize the current scientific evidence on the use of immersive VR for upper limb rehabilitation in patients with subacute stroke and to identify clinical and instrumental criteria that may inform the development of a standardized VR treatment protocol. Materials and Methods: Bibliographic research on primary and secondary studies was conducted using the keywords “subacute stroke”, “immersive virtual reality/head-mounted display (HMD)”, and “upper extremity/arm/hand” in the following electronic databases: CINAHL, PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PEDro, and Google Scholar. Then, we performed the selection of studies and the assessment of the methodological quality of such studies using the PEDro scale. Finally, the qualitative synthesis of the data extracted from the selected studies was carried out. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Results: After the selection process, five studies were included in this systematic review (two RCTs, two controlled clinical studies, one study protocol). Four studies reported significant improvements in some main outcomes after the VR intervention, including a significant increase in the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity total score, in favor of the virtual rehabilitation group. Conclusions: VR appears to be a promising rehabilitation tool for upper limb motor recovery. However, further research is needed to determine the intervention methods and long-term effects of VR on the stroke population. Full article

The purpose of this study is to comprehensively review the relationship between malocclusion and anxiety and depression. While the physical implications of malocclusion are well documented, recent scholarship has shifted focus to examining the direct relationship between malocclusion and both anxiety and depression. It has been hypothesized that individuals with skeletal or dental malocclusion experience a range of psychological sequelae, including diminished quality of life (QoL), reduced oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), increased vulnerability and appearance-related bullying, and impaired body image. Furthermore, these factors are postulated to collectively contribute to overall mental health, with malocclusion potentially serving as a contributing etiological factor in the development of elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Contemporary scholarship has established a complex relationship between dentofacial deviations and the psychological well-being of affected individuals. Evidence shows that malocclusion may contribute to increased depression and anxiety levels in some individuals, influencing their social functioning and treatment-seeking behavior. Dentofacial disharmony has also been associated with altered self-perception, potentially impacting an individual’s OHQOL and overall quality of life. While the findings exhibit some inconsistency, a modest body of evidence indicates a possible correlation between pronounced skeletal or dental malocclusion and anxiety and depression. These adverse psychosocial impacts, in turn, contribute to an elevated risk of anxiety and depression, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of malocclusion beyond oral health. Therefore, clinicians need to consider these issues in their treatment plans, incorporating interdisciplinary approaches that address both orthodontic and psychological aspects of patient care. Full article

While the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on mortality and morbidity is becoming more understood, the severity of the long-term effects remains unknown: this includes medical sequelae of long COVID but also the impact of the social and economic upheaval on population health. Working parents faced many challenges during the pandemic, and the impact of these on the mental health and well-being of parents has been demonstrated. However, the extent of trauma-related symptoms among working parents who have faced unique challenges related to the virus itself and the social and structural consequences of containment efforts remains underexamined. Using data from a national panel survey of fworking parents (n = 1941), we explored the relationship between workplace policies and practices and COVID-19-related PTSD and psychological distress. Results demonstrate that nearly 50% of working parents experienced COVID-19-related PTSD as measured by the Impact of Events Scale-6, and over 60% had moderate to high levels of psychological distress. We examined mechanisms to understand the impact of job support on employees’ levels of PTSD and distress and found that both socio-demographic factors and workplace support related to levels of PTSD and distress among working parents. Our study highlights the distress and PTSD levels experienced by working parents in the early stages of the pandemic, underscoring the impact of workplace support on mental health outcomes. Full article

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the initial clinical characteristics of children diagnosed with intentional head trauma (IHT) to obtain information about the long-term developmental, psychological, and psychosocial status of these children, to detect delayed sequelae, and to find out information about their judicial processes. Materials and Methods: Fourteen children who were followed up with the diagnosis of IHT in the Ankara Child Protection Unit between 2010 and 2021 were included in the study. These cases were evaluated in terms of physical, developmental, psychological, and visual findings. A complete physical examination was performed on the patients and their anthropometric measurements were taken. Anterior and posterior segment evaluations and visual field examinations were conducted in the visual assessment. The Expanded Guide for Monitoring Child Development and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale Third Edition was used in the developmental assessment. A psychiatric evaluation was performed using the Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory, Crowell observation, Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Form, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Results: Of the patients diagnosed with IHT, 71.4% were male and the mean age was 8.39 ± 5.86 (1.27–22.30; IQR: 3.55–11.96) months. In the long-term follow-up, cerebral palsy was detected in three of the children, epilepsy in one, optic atrophy and deviation due to this in one, and deviation due to brain trauma in one. Motor delay was detected in 50.0% of the patients, language delay in 37.5%, cognitive delay in 37.5%, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in 25%. It was observed that the people who caused the injuries of two patients were punished. Conclusions: Children diagnosed with IHT should be monitored with transdisciplinary methods in terms of physical and mental health throughout childhood, starting from the first intervention. Awareness of IHT diagnosis should be increased with training in social service approaches and judicial authorities providing services for child neglect and abuse. Full article

Background/Objectives: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a chronic disease with lasting effects, making it one of the most feared sequelae of breast cancer with significant personal and social impacts. Therapeutic exercises play a fundamental role in its treatment. This systematic review aims to provide the most up-to-date findings on the impact of physical exercise on the management of BCRL. Methods: Following the PRISMA statement guidelines, searches were conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, and Science Direct databases. Results: Sixteen studies published between 2019 and 2024 were analyzed in detail. The combination of strength and aerobic exercises emerged as an effective strategy for both the treatment and prevention of lymphedema, also highlighting the innovative potential of virtual reality. Conclusions: It is essential to emphasize tailoring exercise programs to each patient individually. Additionally, the promising role of thermography as a non-invasive and safe tool for evaluating lymphedema progress is underscored. Full article

Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is increasingly recognized as a condition affecting not only adults but also children and adolescents. While children often experience milder acute COVID-19 symptoms compared to adults, some develop persistent physical, psychological, and neurological symptoms lasting for weeks or months after initial infection. The most commonly reported symptoms include debilitating fatigue, respiratory issues, headaches, muscle pain, gastrointestinal disturbances, and cognitive difficulties, which significantly impact daily activities, schooling, and social interactions. Additionally, many children with long COVID experience psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, and irritability, likely exacerbated by prolonged illness and lifestyle disruptions. Risk factors for long COVID in children include pre-existing health conditions such as asthma, obesity, and neurological disorders, with adolescents and females seemingly more affected. Hypothesized mechanisms underlying long COVID include chronic immune dysregulation, persistent viral particles stimulating inflammation, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and mitochondrial impairment, which may collectively contribute to the variety of observed symptoms. Long-term outcomes remain uncertain; however, long COVID can lead to school absenteeism, social withdrawal, and psychological distress, potentially affecting cognitive development. Severe cases may develop chronic conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and reduced exercise tolerance. This review synthesizes the existing literature on long COVID in children, examining its prevalence, symptomatology, risk factors, and potential mechanisms, with an emphasis on the need for further clinical studies. While existing research largely relies on surveys and self-reported data, clinical assessments are essential to accurately characterize long COVID in pediatric populations and to guide effective management strategies. Full article

Background and Aims: Telerehabilitation is essential for the recovery of post-COVID-19 patients, improving exercise tolerance, dyspnea, functional capacity, and daily activity performance. This study aimed to describe telerehabilitation protocols specifically designed for individuals with post-COVID-19 sequelae. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted with registration number CRD42023423678, based on searches developed in the following databases: ScienceDirect, Scopus, Dimensions.ai and PubMed, using keywords such as “telerehabilitation” and “COVID-19”. The final search date was July 2024. The selection of studies involved an initial calibration process, followed by independent filtering by the researchers. The selection criteria were applied prior to critical appraisal, data extraction, and the risk of bias assessment. Results: After reviewing 405 full-text papers, 14 articles were included that focused on telerehabilitation interventions for post-COVID-19 patients. These interventions were designed for remote delivery and included exercise protocols, vital sign monitoring, and virtual supervision by physical therapists. The studies reported improvements in physical function, muscle performance, lung capacity, and psychological outcomes. Significant gains were observed in strength, mobility, and functional capacity, as well as reductions in dyspnea, fatigue, and improvements in quality of life, particularly in social domains. Intervention protocols included aerobic, strength, and respiratory exercises, monitored using tools such as heart rate monitors and smartphones. Conclusions: Telerehabilitation positively impacts lung volumes, pulmonary capacities, dyspnea reduction, functionality, muscle performance, and independence in post-COVID-19 patients. Full article

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide and poses a tremendous socioeconomic burden upon individuals, countries and healthcare systems. It causes debilitating symptoms and thus interferes with many aspects of the patient’s life, including physical functioning, cognition, emotional status, activities of daily living, social reintegration and quality of life. Post-stroke patients frequently experience functional motor disabilities of the upper limb, which restrict autonomy and self-efficacy and cause limitations in engagement with activities and social participation, as well as difficulties in performing important occupations. It is therefore not surprising that motor impairment or loss of motor function of the upper limb is one of the most devastating sequelae of stroke. On these grounds, achieving optimal functioning of the upper limb after stroke remains a fundamental goal of stroke rehabilitation. Mirror therapy (MT) represents one of the several rehabilitation techniques used for restoring the upper limb’s motor function after a stroke. However, conflicting results about the role of MT in the rehabilitation of the upper limb’s motor deficits have been reported in the literature. Accordingly, the aim of this narrative review is to summarize existing evidence regarding the effects of MT on the upper limb’s motor function in post-stroke patients and to further explore its role when applied in different phases of stroke. Full article

Background/Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is associated with a variety of neurologic deficits and impacts socialization decisions, mood, and overall quality of life. As a common symptom comprising the long COVID condition, persistent COVID-19-associated olfactory dysfunction (C19OD) may further impact the presentations of neuropsychiatric sequelae. Our study aims to characterize the longitudinal burden of depression, anxiety, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in a population with C19OD. Methods: Individuals with perceived C19OD completed a psychophysical screening evaluation of their sense of smell using the comprehensive Sniffin’ Sticks olfactory assessment. Only those with validated psychophysical OD were included in this prospective longitudinal study for baseline and one-year follow-up. Participants also completed PHQ-9, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and neuropsychiatric symptom questionnaires at each time point. Anxiety, depression, and neuropsychiatric symptom prevalence was calculated and compared between time points with Pearson’s chi-squared, Fisher’s exact, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Results: Each neuropsychiatric symptom evaluated in this study was reported by 13–49% of longitudinal cohort participants at both baseline and follow-up, except for seizure (0% at baseline and follow-up) and word-finding difficulty (61–68% at baseline and follow-up). Word-finding and focus difficulties were the most commonly reported symptoms. In total, 41% of participants reported some level of depression at baseline and 38% of participants reported depression at one-year follow-up, while 29% and 27% of participants reported some level of anxiety at respective time points. Conclusions: Individuals with C19OD are at risk for developing persistent neuropsychiatric conditions. These neurologic and psychiatric sequelae are persistent with repeated longitudinal assessment, even at nearly 2.5 years following initial COVID-19 diagnosis. Full article

In recent decades, it has become apparent that during parturition events in a number of social mammals, social support behaviours from group mates can be directed to parturient females (and their newborn neonates). Such behaviour has been documented in diverse taxa, across non-human primates, Elephantidae, Cetacea, and Chiroptera, living in a range of social group organisations, from matrilineal groups to cooperatively breeding groups and multi-male, multi-female groups. Since sociality, in association with parturition, has been demonstrated to confer several health benefits to human mothers and neonates, here, we also consider the potential adaptive significance of social support behaviours for other, non-human, social mammals. If appropriate social environments reduce a parturient female’s dystocia risk and improve her responsiveness to her neonate following a successful birth, then the impacts of the peri-parturient social environment may ultimately have far-reaching impacts on the mother–neonate dyad’s fitness. This seems a logical sequela since the health condition of a neonate at birth and the successful establishment of a strong maternal-neonate bond are often the most critical factors influencing mammalian offspring survival to independence. The principles of kin selection and alliance enhancement may serve to explain the fitness benefits to individuals who support group mates during their parturition and thus the selective advantage conferred to those exhibiting such behaviours. Older, multiparous females appear to hold a particularly important role in the assistance they can provide during the parturition of their group mates, given their greater level of experience of these events. Furthermore, a social birth may have an important influence on horizontal information transfer within a group. In particular, in long-lived, cognitively advanced social mammals (e.g., non-human primates, Elephantidae, Cetacea), witnessing birth events, early neonate responses, and maternal care, and engaging in allomaternal care with young neonates may be essential for nulliparous females’ normal development. Such events may serve to prepare them for their own parturition and may improve their own parturition-related survivorship and that of their first-born offspring. Thus, it is vital that a better understanding is gained of the importance and salient features of social births in improving the health and survivorship outcomes for both the mother and her offspring in highly social species. The aim of this commentary is to assemble our current understanding of these highly interconnected themes. We suggest in the future, insights gained through observation of non-human social parturition in domestic and non-domestic species, by a wide and highly interdisciplinary range of stakeholders (including zookeepers, wildlife tourism guides, breeders of domestic animals, indigenous people, and ethologists), will be critical for enhancing our understanding of the influence of social environment on this rarely witnessed, yet highly important life event. Full article

The combination of hypertension with systemic inflammation during pregnancy is a hallmark of preeclampsia, but both processes also convey dynamic information about its antecedents and correlates (e.g., fetal growth restriction) and potentially related offspring sequelae. Causal inferences are further complicated by the increasingly frequent overlap of preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and multiple indicators of acute and chronic inflammation, with decreased gestational length and its correlates (e.g., social vulnerability). This complexity prompted our group to summarize information from mechanistic studies, integrated with key clinical evidence, to discuss the possibility that sustained or intermittent systemic inflammation-related phenomena offer hints about viable therapeutic targets, not only for the prevention of preeclampsia, but also the neurobehavioral and other developmental deficits that appear to be overrepresented in surviving offspring. Importantly, we feel that carefully designed hypothesis-driven observational studies are necessary if we are to translate the mechanistic evidence into child health benefits, namely because multiple pregnancy disorders might contribute to heightened risks of neuroinflammation, arrested brain development, or dysconnectivity in survivors who exhibit developmental problems later in life. Full article