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Matamala-Gomez M, Bottiroli S, Realdon O, Riva G, Galvagni L, Platz T, Sandrini G, De Icco R, Tassorelli C. Telemedicine and Virtual Reality at Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview for Future Perspectives in Neurorehabilitation. Front Neurol 2021; 12:646902. [PMID: 33841313 PMCID: PMC8027250 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.646902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In catastrophic situations such as pandemics, patients' healthcare including admissions to hospitals and emergency services are challenged by the risk of infection and by limitations of healthcare resources. In such a setting, the use of telemedicine interventions has become extremely important. New technologies have proved helpful in pandemics as a solution to improve the quality of life in vulnerable patients such as persons with neurological diseases. Moreover, telemedicine interventions provide at-home solutions allowing clinicians to telemonitor and assess patients remotely, thus minimizing risk of infection. After a review of different studies using telemedicine in neurological patients, we propose a telemedicine process flow for healthcare of subjects with chronic neurological disease to respond to the new challenges for delivering quality healthcare during the transformation of public and private healthcare organizations around the world forced by COVID-19 pandemic contingency. This telemedicine process flow represents a replacement for in-person treatment and thereby the provision equitable access to the care of vulnerable people. It is conceptualized as comprehensive service including (1) teleassistance with patient counseling and medical treatment, (2) telemonitoring of patients' health conditions and any changes over time, as well as (3) telerehabilitation, i.e., interventions to assess and promote body functions, activities, and consecutively participation. The hereby proposed telemedicine process flow could be adopted on a large scale to improve the public health response during healthcare crises like the COVID-19 pandemic but could equally promote equitable health care independent of people's mobility or location with respect to the specialized health care center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Matamala-Gomez
- Department of Human Sciences for Education "Riccardo Massa," Center for Studies in Communication Sciences "Luigi Anolli" (CESCOM), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Bottiroli
- Faculty of Law, Giustino Fortunato University, Benevento, Italy.,Headache Science and Neurorehabilitation Center, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Olivia Realdon
- Department of Human Sciences for Education "Riccardo Massa," Center for Studies in Communication Sciences "Luigi Anolli" (CESCOM), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Galvagni
- Center for Religious Studies, Bruno Kessler, Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Thomas Platz
- BDH-Klinik Greifswald, Institute for Neurorehabilitation and Evidence-Based Practice, "An-Institut,#x0201D; University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Neurorehabilitation Research Group, University Medical Centre Greifswald (UMG), Greifswald, Germany
| | - Giorgio Sandrini
- Headache Science and Neurorehabilitation Center, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Roberto De Icco
- Headache Science and Neurorehabilitation Center, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cristina Tassorelli
- Headache Science and Neurorehabilitation Center, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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52
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Pala P, Cavallo V, Dang NT, Granié MA, Schneider S, Maruhn P, Bengler K. Analysis of Street-Crossing Behavior: Comparing a CAVE Simulator and a Head-Mounted Display among Younger and Older Adults. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2021; 152:106004. [PMID: 33540347 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Interactive pedestrian simulators have become a valuable research tool for investigating street-crossing behavior and developing solutions for improving pedestrian safety. There are two main kinds of pedestrian simulators: one uses a technology based on rear-projection screens (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment, or CAVE), the other a head-mounted display (HMD). These devices are used indiscriminately, regardless of the research objective, and it is not yet known whether they are equally effective for studying street crossing. The present study was aimed at comparing the street crossing behavior and subjective evaluations of younger and older adult pedestrians when they are using a CAVE-like or HMD-based (HTC Vive Pro) pedestrian simulator. Thirty younger adults and 25 older adults performed 36 street-crossing trials (combining different speeds, two-way traffic conditions, and gap sizes) on each of the two types of simulators. The results indicated that participants in the HMD condition crossed the street significantly more often (58.6 %) than in the CAVE condition (42.44%) and had shorter safety margins. The most striking difference pertained to crossing initiation, which occurred considerably earlier (1.78 s) in the HMD condition than in the CAVE condition. Synchronization of crossing initiation with oncoming traffic was not as good in the CAVE condition because visual information in front of the pedestrian was missing due to the absence of ground projection. In both simulators, older adults caused more collisions than did younger ones, had shorter safety margins, and a slower crossing speed. Hence, the HMD reproduced classical age-related differences in most street-crossing behaviors already found on the CAVE. Usually observed speed effects were also found for both simulators. Neither cybersickness nor any adverse effects on stereoacuity or postural balance were found for either simulator. The HMD produced a higher level of presence and preference than the CAVE did. These findings provide evidence that HMDs have a clear potential for studying pedestrian behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Pala
- COSYS-PICS-L, Univ Gustave Eiffel, IFSTTAR, F-78000, Versailles, France.
| | - Viola Cavallo
- COSYS-PICS-L, Univ Gustave Eiffel, IFSTTAR, F-78000, Versailles, France.
| | - Nguyen Thong Dang
- COSYS-PICS-L, Univ Gustave Eiffel, IFSTTAR, F-78000, Versailles, France.
| | | | - Sonja Schneider
- Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstrasse 15, D-85748, Garching, Germany.
| | - Philipp Maruhn
- Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstrasse 15, D-85748, Garching, Germany.
| | - Klaus Bengler
- Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstrasse 15, D-85748, Garching, Germany.
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53
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A Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Telerehabilitation System for Use in the COVID-19 Pandemic. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13042183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people’s lives and the way in which certain services are provided. Such changes are not uncommon in healthcare services and they will have to adapt to the new situation by increasing the number of services remotely offered. Limited mobility has resulted in interruption of treatments that traditionally have been administered through face-to-face modalities, especially those related to cognitive impairments. In this telerehabilitation approach, both the patient and the specialist physician enter a virtual reality (VR) environment where they can interact in real time through avatars. A spaced retrieval (SR) task is implemented in the system to analyze cognitive performance. An experimental group (n = 20) performed the SR task in telerehabilitation mode, whereas a control group (n = 20) performed the SR task through a traditional face-to-face mode. The obtained results showed that it is possible to carry out cognitive rehabilitation processes through a telerehabilitation modality in conjunction with VR. The cost-effectiveness of the system will also contribute to making healthcare systems more efficient, overcoming both geographical and temporal limitations.
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54
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Effects of exposure to immersive videos and photo slideshows of forest and urban environments. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3994. [PMID: 33597577 PMCID: PMC7889877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83277-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A large number of studies have demonstrated the benefits of natural environments on people's health and well-being. For people who have limited access to nature (e.g., elderly in nursing homes, hospital patients, or jail inmates), virtual representations may provide an alternative to benefit from the illusion of a natural environment. For this purpose and in most previous studies, conventional photos of nature have been used. Immersive virtual reality (VR) environments, however, can induce a higher sense of presence compared to conventional photos. Whether this higher sense of presence leads to increased positive impacts of virtual nature exposure is the main research question of this study. Therefore, we compared exposure to a forest and an urban virtual environment in terms of their respective impact on mood, stress, physiological reactions, and cognition. The environments were presented via a head-mounted display as (1) conventional photo slideshows or (2) 360[Formula: see text] videos. The results show that the forest environment had a positive effect on cognition and the urban environment disturbed mood regardless of the mode of presentation. In addition, photos of either urban or forest environment were both more effective in reducing physiological arousal compared to immersive 360[Formula: see text] videos.
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55
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Stasolla F, Matamala-Gomez M, Bernini S, Caffò AO, Bottiroli S. Virtual Reality as a Technological-Aided Solution to Support Communication in Persons With Neurodegenerative Diseases and Acquired Brain Injury During COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Public Health 2021; 8:635426. [PMID: 33665181 PMCID: PMC7921156 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.635426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 poses an ongoing threat to lives around the world and challenges the existing public health and medical service delivery. The lockdown or quarantine measures adopted to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has caused the interruption in ongoing care and access to medical care including to patients with existing neurological conditions. Besides the passivity, isolation, and withdrawal, patients with neurodegenerative diseases experience difficulties in communication due to a limited access to leisure opportunities and interaction with friends and relatives. The communication difficulties may exacerbate the burden on the caregivers. Therefore, assistive-technologies may be a useful strategy in mitigating challenges associated with remote communication. The current paper presents an overview of the use of assistive technologies using virtual reality and virtual body ownership in providing communication opportunities to isolated patients, during COVID-19, with neurological diseases and moderate-to-severe communication difficulties. We postulate that the assistive technologies-based intervention may improve social interactions in patients with neurodegenerative diseases and acquired brain injury-thereby reducing isolation and improving their quality of life and mental well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Matamala-Gomez
- Department of Human Sciences for Education "Riccardo Massa", Center for Studies in Communication Sciences "Luigi Anolli" (CESCOM), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Bernini
- Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization, and Healthcare (IRCCS), Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandro O Caffò
- Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology and Communication, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Sara Bottiroli
- "Giustino Fortunato" University of Benevento, Benevento, Italy.,Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization, and Healthcare (IRCCS), Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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56
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Finley JM, Gotsis M, Lympouridis V, Jain S, Kim A, Fisher BE. Design and Development of a Virtual Reality-Based Mobility Training Game for People With Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurol 2021; 11:577713. [PMID: 33519665 PMCID: PMC7843522 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.577713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
People with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly have gait impairments that reduce their ability to walk safely in the community. These impairments are characterized, in part, by a compromised ability to turn and negotiate both predictable and unpredictable environments. Here, we describe the development and usability assessment of a virtual reality training application, Wordplay VR, that allows people with PD to practice skills such as turning, obstacle avoidance, and problem-solving during over-ground walking in a game-based setting. Nine people with PD completed three sessions with Wordplay VR, and each session was directed by their personal physical therapist. Our outcome measures included perceived sense of presence measured using the International Test Commission–Sense of Presence Inventory (ITC-SOPI), levels of motivation using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), overall system usability using the System Usability Scale (SUS), and setup time by the physical therapists. Both the people with PD and the physical therapists rated their sense of presence in the training system positively. The system received high ratings on the interest and value subscales of the IMI, and the system was also rated highly on usability, from the perspective of both the patient during gameplay and the therapist while controlling the experience. These preliminary results suggest that the application and task design yielded an experience that was motivating and user-friendly for both groups. Lastly, with repeated practice over multiple sessions, therapists were able to reduce the time required to help their patients don the headset and sensors and begin the training experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Finley
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Marientina Gotsis
- School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Vangelis Lympouridis
- Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Shreya Jain
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Aram Kim
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Beth E Fisher
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Tuena C, Mancuso V, Stramba-Badiale C, Pedroli E, Stramba-Badiale M, Riva G, Repetto C. Egocentric and Allocentric Spatial Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment with Real-World and Virtual Navigation Tasks: A Systematic Review. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 79:95-116. [PMID: 33216034 PMCID: PMC7902987 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spatial navigation is the ability to estimate one's position on the basis of environmental and self-motion cues. Spatial memory is the cognitive substrate underlying navigation and relies on two different reference frames: egocentric and allocentric. These spatial frames are prone to decline with aging and impairment is even more pronounced in Alzheimer's disease (AD) or in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of experimental studies investigating which MCI population and tasks are used to evaluate spatial memory and how allocentric and egocentric deficits are impaired in MCI after navigation. METHODS PRISMA and PICO guidelines were applied to carry out the systematic search. Down and Black checklist was used to assess methodological quality. RESULTS Our results showed that amnestic MCI and AD pathology are the most investigated typologies; both egocentric and allocentric memory are impaired in MCI individuals, and MCI due to AD biomarkers has specific encoding and retrieval impairments; secondly, spatial navigation is principally investigated with the hidden goal task (virtual and real-world version), and among studies involving virtual reality, the privileged setting consists of non-immersive technology; thirdly, despite subtle differences, real-world and virtual versions showed good overlap for the assessment of MCI spatial memory. CONCLUSION Considering that MCI is a subclinical entity with potential risk for conversion to dementia, investigating spatial memory deficits with navigation tasks might be crucial to make accurate diagnosis and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Mancuso
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Stramba-Badiale
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Pedroli
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Faculty of Psychology, Universitá eCampus, Novedrate, Italy
| | - Marco Stramba-Badiale
- Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Repetto
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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58
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Manenti R, Gobbi E, Baglio F, Macis A, Ferrari C, Pagnoni I, Rossetto F, Di Tella S, Alemanno F, Cimino V, Binetti G, Iannaccone S, Bramanti P, Cappa SF, Cotelli M. Effectiveness of an Innovative Cognitive Treatment and Telerehabilitation on Subjects With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Multicenter, Randomized, Active-Controlled Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:585988. [PMID: 33304267 PMCID: PMC7701275 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.585988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In recent years, the potential usefulness of cognitive training procedures in normal aging and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have received increased attention. Objective The main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the face-to-face cognitive virtual reality rehabilitation system (VRRS) and to compare it to that of face-to-face cognitive treatment as usual for individuals with MCI. Moreover, we assessed the possibility of prolonging the effects of treatment with a telerehabilitation system. Methods A total of 49 subjects with MCI were assigned to 1 of 3 study groups in a randomized controlled trial design: (a) those who received face-to-face cognitive VRRS (12 sessions of individualized cognitive rehabilitation over 4 weeks) followed by telerehabilitation (36 sessions of home-based cognitive VRRS training, three sessions for week); (b) those who received face-to-face cognitive VRRS followed by at-home unstructured cognitive stimulation (36 sessions of home-based unstructured cognitive stimulation, three sessions for week); and (c) those who received face-to-face cognitive treatment as usual (12 sessions of face-to-face cognitive treatment as usual). Results An improvement in memory, language and visuo-constructional abilities was observed after the end of face-to-face VRRS treatment compared to face-to-face treatment as usual. The application of home-based cognitive VRRS telerehabilitation seems to induce more maintenance of the obtained gains than home-based unstructured stimulation. Discussion The present study provides preliminary evidence in support of individualized VRRS treatment and telerehabilitation delivery for cognitive rehabilitation and should pave the way for future studies aiming at identifying optimal cognitive treatment protocols in subjects with MCI. Clinical Trial Registration www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03486704.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Manenti
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Gobbi
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Ambra Macis
- Service of Statistics, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Clarissa Ferrari
- Service of Statistics, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pagnoni
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Sonia Di Tella
- IRCCS, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi - ONLUS, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Alemanno
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital and Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giuliano Binetti
- MAC Memory Clinic and Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital and Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefano F Cappa
- NEtS, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS-Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Mondino, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria Cotelli
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
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Physical Exercise and Myokines: Relationships with Sarcopenia and Cardiovascular Complications. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103607. [PMID: 32443765 PMCID: PMC7279354 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle is capable of secreting different factors in order to communicate with other tissues. These mediators, the myokines, show potentially far-reaching effects on non-muscle tissues and can provide a molecular interaction between muscle and body physiology. Sarcopenia is a chronic degenerative neuromuscular disease closely related to cardiomyopathy and chronic heart failure, which influences the production and release of myokines. Our objective was to explore the relationship between myokines, sarcopenia, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine actions of myokines include regulation of energy expenditure, insulin sensitivity, lipolysis, free fatty acid oxidation, adipocyte browning, glycogenolysis, glycogenesis, and general metabolism. A sedentary lifestyle accelerates the aging process and is a risk factor for developing sarcopenia, metabolic syndrome, and CVD. Increased adipose tissue resulting from the decrease in muscle mass in patients with sarcopenia may also be involved in the pathology of CVD. Myokines are protagonists in the complex condition of sarcopenia, which is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with CVD. The discovery of new pathways and the link between myokines and CVD remain a cornerstone toward multifaceted interventions and perhaps the minimization of the damage resulting from muscle loss induced by factors such as atherosclerosis.
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