Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, presenting with different clinical phenotypes, all involving the extrapyramidal system. Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common symptom of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction. OH is defined as a fall in systolic blood pressure of at least 20 mmHg and/or a fall in diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mmHg on standing or head-up tilt. In this pilot study, we tested the feasibility and efficacy of the ERIGO® device in managing OH non-responsive to conventional treatments in a sample of patients with PSP. OH was chosen as the primary outcome, as the symptom is a serious complication in neurodegenerative disorders, challenging the rehabilitation treatment. Six patients received intensive training using ERIGO®, a robot- assisted tilt table with an integrated leg movement system that allows progressive verticalization of the patient, and application of functional electrical stimulation. In all the participants, OH improved after the training with the device, suggesting that robotic verticalization may be a feasible and effective tool in improving blood pressure stability in patients with PSP. Further studies in larger samples, also including patients with other neurodegenerative disorders associated with OH, are needed to confirm these promising results.
In recent years, cognitive theories have increasingly influenced the approach to motor rehabilitation. The connection between different aspects of cognitive and motor function is increasingly documented, underlining the importance of developing rehabilitation projects that take cognitive aspects into account. The aim of this non-systematic review is to highlight the relationship between cognition and motion and, in the light of new rehabilitation technologies, to better define how aspects of cognition can affect motor rehabilitation.
Although rabies, or hydrophobia, is one of the so-called forgotten tropical diseases, it still kills thousands of people each year, especially children living in rural areas of Asia and Africa. This terrible disease was once a much-feared threat throughout Europe, whose terrifying symptoms were described in a vast body of literature that was based on both science and popular beliefs. One notable individual whose name is linked to the fight against this disease is Adelchi Negri, a brilliant but unfortunate pupil of Camillo Golgi. At the beginning of the 20th century, Negri observed peculiar formations in the brains of infected animals: known as Negri's bodies, these formations became an important diagnostic tool used in anti-rabies institutes all over the world.
