Nafsika Ziavra

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted the daily lives of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Lockdowns, therapy interruptions, and reduced access to educational and healthcare services significantly affected developmental progress and family functioning. This pilot study aimed to assess the long-term impact of the pandemic on children with ASD and ADHD in Northern Greece and to explore consequences for their families in the post-pandemic period. Methods: Parents or legal guardians of 72 children (ages 2–17 years) with confirmed diagnoses of ASD (n = 57) or ADHD (n = 15) participated. A structured 25-item questionnaire captured information on developmental, psychological, and social functioning, family well-being, therapy disruption, screen use, and access to online support. Data were collected across urban, semi-urban, and rural areas of Northern Greece over six months. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. Results: Most participants were boys (77.8%) and in primary school (73.6%). Common co-occurring conditions included learning difficulties (33.3%), anxiety (8.3%), and epilepsy (6.9%). Nearly half of families (45.8%) reported therapy reductions exceeding 70%, while 29.2% accessed online therapy, often with limited perceived effectiveness. New behavioral symptoms emerged in 45.8% of children, including irritability, anxiety, and emotional instability. Parental psychological distress was reported by 29.2% of caregivers. Screen time increased in over 90% of cases, and 87.5% of parents perceived the pandemic as negatively affecting their child. Financial strain was noted by 37.5% of families. Conclusions: The findings highlight the significant developmental, psychological, and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for children with ASD and ADHD and their families. Service disruptions, unmet therapeutic needs, and increased caregiver burden emphasize the urgency of sustainable, flexible care models. Strengthening telehealth, integrating community-based interventions, and enhancing educational accommodations are essential for resilience in the post-pandemic era.

Currently, in the field of rehabilitation, there is a need for researchers and clinicians to stay updated on recent knowledge worldwide

Background/Objectives: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that affects movement and communication skills primarily in females. This study aimed to synthesize the research from the last two decades regarding the verbal and nonverbal communication abilities, assessment procedures, and intervention approaches for individuals with RTT. Methods: A structured literature search was conducted using the Embase, Scopus, and PubMed databases. Fifty-seven studies were selected and analyzed based on inclusion criteria. The data were categorized into four domains (verbal communication skills, nonverbal communication skills, assessment procedures, and intervention approaches). Results: The findings indicated a wide variety of communicative behaviors across the RTT population, including prelinguistic signals, regression in verbal output, and preserved nonverbal communicative intent. Moreover, the results highlighted the importance of tailored assessments (Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts, eye tracking tools, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication) to facilitate functional communication. The individualized intervention approaches were found to be the most effective in improving communicative participation. Conclusions: The current review provides an overview of the current evidence with an emphasis on the need for personalized and evidence-based clinical practices. Additionally, it provided guidance for professionals, clinicians, and researchers seeking to improve the quality of life for individuals with RTT.

Background: This scoping review had as a primary goal a review of the literature and the an analysis of the possible effectiveness of the LSVT LOUD approach in children with voice and speech deficits. Methods: A search was conducted in the Scopus and PubMed databases in May of 2024. Eleven articles were obtained from the search. The standards of PRISMA recommendations were used for scoping reviews and the PCC framework was used for the eligibility criteria. Furthermore, the study used the instructions in the Cochrane Handbook for a quality assessment. The Mendeley Reference Manager software collected the studies and removed duplicates. Results: The reviewed studies employed formal and informal measures to assess voice and speech abilities in the children. Regarding the sample’s characteristics, the studies mostly included children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and also those with Down Syndrome (DS). All the studies reported that children with CP and DS undertook a total dose of the LSVT LOUD treatment. Significant post-treatment findings indicated increased speech function and sound pressure level, regarding the auditory–perceptual ratings of voice and speech improvement. In many studies, parents’ and expert listeners’ ratings of voice, perception of vocal loudness, speech, and communication indicated improvement. Conclusions: The majority of the included studies provide positive evidence for the LSVT as an approach. However, the small sample size that featured in the studies, as well as their limitations, made these conclusions uncertain. Moreover, the study’s findings provided recommendations that speech language therapists and other clinicians need to follow when setting a treatment plan with children with CP and DS.

Purpose: The present study investigates healthcare students’ affective, behavioral, and cognitive attitudes toward hypothetical peers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the effect of the ASD label on their attitudes. Methods: The MAS scale for ASD persons in the postsecondary education (Matthews et al., 2015) was translated and adapted in Greek according to the guidelines of World Health Organization (2016). Participants (n = 444) were randomly divided into three equal groups and completed their demographic information. Each participant read the three vignettes of the Greek-adapted MAS scale describing a communicative interaction with one hypothetical fellow student with autistic characteristics in three different social situations but in each group, the vignette’s character was labeled differently (High-functioning, typical college student, and no-label). Results: Students in the High-functioning group demonstrated more positive affective, behavioral, and cognitive attitudes toward the vignette characters than students in the no-label condition. Furthermore, students in the typical student group reported more rejective behaviors toward the vignette characters than students in the high-functioning group, implying that atypical behavior evokes rejection and stigmatization, while the label did not. Male students presented more positive cognitive attitudes across study groups in comparison to female students, while previous contact with individuals with ASD did not seem to impact significantly attitudes. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that knowledge of an ASD diagnosis leads to greater acceptance and have important implications for future research, disability policy makers, and university support services.

Pediatric dysphagia is defined as a disorder of the swallowing sequence that results in difficulties compromising the safety, efficiency, or adequacy of nutritional intake in children [1–3]. Moreov...

Introduction Dysphagia is a significant but underrecognized clinical issue in the intensive care unit (ICU), and it is associated with various complications. Despite its clinical importance, there is limited research and no Greek ICU-specific guidelines for managing dysphagic patients. Additionally, only a few ICUs in Greece have dysphagia specialists, specifically speech-language pathologists (SLPs) providing their expertise. Objective Τo identify the current practices for dysphagia management (screening, assessment, treatment) and gain insight into ICU directors' awareness/perceptions of the prevalence, complications, and risk of dysphagia. Materials and Methods We identified 138 Greek ICUs. Data were collected from ICU (including pediatric and neonatal) directors, working in public and private hospitals, via a 24-item, anonymous online questionnaire, within a 4-month period. Results Our survey was completed by 45 ICU directors. Most participants (84.4%) reported that dysphagia is a relevant clinical problem in their ICU, and 51.1% estimated a frequency rate < 20%. Non-instrumental approaches are mainly utilized to screen and diagnose dysphagia, whereas enteral nutrition and diet modifications are used to manage dysphagia. Additionally, 64.4% of ICU directors agreed that SLPs are essential for the management of dysphagic patients, and 66.7%, that awareness of dysphagia in their ICU could be increased. Conclusion The current study documented the methods and approaches used to manage dysphagic patients in Greek ICUs. The ICU directors seem to recognize the clinical significance of dysphagia and its complications. According to our findings, the employment of SLPs could result in a more comprehensive and intensive approach and improve the quality of care for these patients.

One of the components of a dementia diagnosis is the assessment of functional abilities. These abilities are measured via screeners, such as the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale. The IADL scale is a valid tool that has been adapted in many languages. This study aimed to provide a cut-off point and validate the Greek version of the IADL scale in populations with cognitive impairment. IADL data were collected from 132 individuals: 24 PD patients, 24 Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) patients, and 24 AD patients. The remaining 60 participants were cognitive healthy adults (CHAs). The CHA group and the PD group served as the cognitively unimpaired group (CUG), while the PDD and AD groups served as the cognitively impaired group (CIG). Additionally, the MMSE, the AMTS, the Clock Drawing Test CDT, the Arizona Battery for Communication Disorders of Dementia (ABCD), the NPI, and the GDS-15 were administered to the participants. Statistically significant differences in the IADL scores were exhibited between all subgroups. The IADL scale showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.890). A threshold equal to 6.00 (AUC = 0.888, p < 0.001) was estimated between the CUG and the CIG. Significant positive correlations were observed between IADL and MMSE (r = 0.764, p < 0.001), IADL and AMTS (r = 0.724, p < 0.001), IADL and ABCD (r = 0.702, p < 0.001), and IADL and CDT (r = 0.627, p < 0.001) results. Given the obtained results, the IADL scale is a valid tool for clinical use with high reliability and sensitivity. Also, the IADL scale is a valuable instrument for screening functional abilities associated with cognitive impairment.

The evaluation of cognitive-communication disorders is performed with several types of assessment methods. These methods include different types of cognitive and language tests such as the Arizona Battery for Communication Disorders of Dementia (ABCD). The present study aimed to validate the ABCD in the Greek language. 132 individuals participated in the study: 60 adults in cognitive health (ACH) and 72 patients [24 Parkinson Disease (PD) patients without cognitive impairment, 24 with Parkinson Disease Dementia (PDD) and 24 with Alzheimer's Disease (AD)]. The cognitive and mental status of all participants was estimated by means of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS), the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (H-NPI) the Geriatric Depression Scale -15 (GDS-15) and the ABCD. Statistically significant differences were found between all tests administered with the PDD and AD patients having the lower scores. The ABCD showed good psychometric properties, internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=0. 901) and discriminatory ability. It was significantly correlated with the AMTS, CDT, IADL, and MMSE.The Greek version of the ABCD demonstrated good validity, sensitivity, and discriminatory ability. The ABCD is a valuable instrument to assess cognitive-communication dis-orders.

Introduction: In the region of Epirus (Northwestern Greece) there are characteristic climatic and geographical conditions that facilitate the growth of typical vegetation with the production of allergic pollen. Aerobiological research into airborne pollen diversity and seasonal variation in pollen counts and fungi spores has become essential due to the growing incidence of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and other pollen-related and spore-related allergic conditions. Furthermore, weather conditions and other factors like air pollution may affect the intensity, the onset, and the duration of the pollen season, and the impact on the patient's symptomatology. Methods: The diversity of airborne pollen grains (grains/m³) and fungal spores (spores/m³) in the region of Epirus were measured volumetrically using Burgard trap for 13 months, from May 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018. Results: Totally, 10 pollen families and two fungi were recognized. The six most common taxa were Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Urticaceae, Poaceae, Betulaceae, and Compositeae. The fungi taxa were Cladosporium and Alternaria. Peak pollen centralization was recorded from May to September. Urticaceae had the longest pollen season while Oleaceae and Pinaceae had the shorter. Fungal spores were recorded during all the months of the year. Also, there was a correlation between meteorological parameters and most pollen taxa. Conclusion: The pollen and spore calendar shows the concentration of pollen grains and fungal spores in the region of Epirus. This knowledge is important for physicians and allergic patients as it could improve the management of the allergic respiratory disease.