The Outcomes of Robotic Rehabilitation Assisted Devices Following Spinal Cord Injury and the Prevention of Secondary Associated Complications

Secondary Sarcopenia and Spinal Cord Injury: Clinical Associations and Health Outcomes

Background: Sarcopenia and spinal cord injury (SCI) often coexist, but little is known about the associations. This study aimed to assess the impact of SCI on muscle and bone mass and the correlations between the clinical characteristics of SCI patients and sarcopenia. Methods: A total of 136 patients with SCI admitted to rehabilitation hospital were included in this study. The type and severity of injury (AIS), level of spasticity (MAS), bone mineral density and Appendicular Lean Muscle Mass (ALM) were assessed. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to EWGSOP2 cut-off points for ALM. Results: Subjects were divided into two groups: Group S-SCI (N = 66, sarcopenia group) and Group NS-SCI (N = 70, without sarcopenia). Mean ALM values in the two groups were 0.49 and 0.65, respectively. A total of 75% of women and 42.9% of men developed sarcopenia. The mean age was 35.8 years in the sarcopenic patients and 41.5 in the non-sarcopenia group. Over 55% of AIS Grades A and B cases, 69.7% of MAS level 0 cases and 51.6% of the patients with osteoporosis had sarcopenia. The mean number of comorbidities was 2.7 in the sarcopenia group. Conclusions: Gender, type of injury, presence of multiple comorbidities and age were directly associated with sarcopenia; meanwhile, surprisingly, spasticity level and the presence of immobilization osteoporosis were not.

Perspectives in Wearable Systems in the Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) Field

Due to the advantages of ease of use, less motion disturbance, and low cost, wearable systems have been widely used in the human-machine interaction (HRI) field. However, HRI in complex clinical rehabilitation scenarios has further requirements for wearable sensor systems, which has aroused the interest of many researchers. However, the traditional wearable system has problems such as low integration, limited types of measurement data, and low accuracy, causing a gap with the actual needs of HRI. This paper will introduce the latest progress in the current wearable systems of HRI from four aspects. First of all, it introduces the breakthroughs of current research in system integration, which includes processing chips and flexible sensing modules to reduce the system's volume and increase battery life. After that, this paper reviews the latest progress of wearable systems in electrochemical measurement, which can extract single or multiple biomarkers from biological fluids such as sweat. In addition, the clinical application of non-invasive wearable systems is introduced, which solves the pain and discomfort problems caused by traditional clinical invasive measurement equipment. Finally, progress in the combination of current wearable systems and the latest machine-learning methods is shown, where higher accuracy and indirect acquisition of data that cannot be directly measured is achieved. From the evidence presented, we believe that the development trend of wearable systems in HRI is heading towards high integration, multi-electrochemical measurement data, and clinical and intelligent development.

Revolutionizing Orthopedic Healthcare: The Role of Robotics

Integrating robotics into orthopedic healthcare represents a transformative paradigm shift driven by technological advancements. This editorial explores the profound impact of robotics on the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions. Robotics redefines precision in orthopedic surgery through advanced imaging and real-time feedback, resulting in minimized disruption to tissues and faster recovery. Personalized treatment plans leverage robotics' capabilities to tailor procedures to individual anatomical characteristics, enhancing outcomes and reducing complications. Minimally invasive procedures, facilitated by robotics, mitigate trauma and expedite patient recovery. This collaboration between surgeons and robotic systems enhances precision without supplanting human expertise. Moreover, robotics extends to postoperative rehabilitation, utilizing exoskeletons and motion-capture systems to optimize mobility and strength recovery. While challenges of cost and training exist, proactive collaborations are shaping the future of robotics in orthopedic care. Ethical considerations underline the importance of balancing human intervention with robotic assistance. As robotics evolves, orthopedic healthcare embraces a future where technology and human expertise synergize, ultimately conquering musculoskeletal conditions.

Assessing the Risk of Stroke in the Elderly in the Context of Long-COVID, Followed Through the Lens of Family Medicine

BACKGROUND/AIM

Patients infected with COVID-19 may experience a range of acute and chronic neurological disorders. While severe neurological complications like strokes and seizures were less common during the acute or post-COVID period, the long-term effects of COVID-19, known as long COVID, have received limited attention. This study aimed to examine the lasting consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection and establish potential connections with related diseases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We followed a group of 157 patients for one year, predominantly from urban areas (61.8%), divided into three groups based on the presence of associated diseases that pose health risks: the control (43 patients), low-risk (67 patients), and high-risk (47 patients) groups.

RESULTS

We observed an inverse relationship between oxygen saturation and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, as well as a direct relationship between varicose disease and dyslipidemia, and gastrointestinal disease. Additionally, we noticed a less significant improvement in oxygen saturation and increased prevalence of psychoanxiety disorders in individuals undergoing anticoagulant treatment.

CONCLUSION

The impact of long COVID and its secondary effects, which persist for an extended period and are influenced by associated diseases, can be effectively monitored and addressed by primary care physicians. These findings can serve as a basis for developing more efficient approaches to managing the long-term consequences of COVID-19.

Immunization with Neural-Derived Peptides in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Narrative Review

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are a major health problem worldwide. Statistics suggest that in America in 2030 there will be more than 12 million people suffering from a neurodegenerative pathology. Furthermore, the increase in life expectancy enhances the importance of finding new and better therapies for these pathologies. NDDs could be classified into chronic or acute, depending on the time required for the development of clinical symptoms and brain degeneration. Nevertheless, both chronic and acute stages share a common immune and inflammatory pathway in their pathophysiology. Immunization with neural-derived peptides (INDP) is a novel therapy that has been studied during the last decade. By inoculating neural-derived peptides obtained from the central nervous system (CNS), this therapy aims to boost protective autoimmunity, an autoreactive response that leads to a protective phenotype that produces a healing environment and neuroregeneration instead of causing damage. INDP has shown promising findings in studies performed either in vitro, in vivo or even in some pre-clinical trials of different NDDs, standing as a potentially beneficial therapy. In this review, we will describe some of the studies in which the effect of INDP strategies have been explored in different (chronic and acute) neurodegenerative diseases.