Anna Anselmo

Background: Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in pediatric rehabilitation to deliver engaging, adaptive, and ecologically relevant interventions. Objective: To map the available evidence on VR interventions targeting cognitive and linguistic functions in pediatric populations, focusing on intervention characteristics, technologies, outcome domains. Methods: A scoping review was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, IEEE Xplore, Embase, PsycINFO and Scopus without publication-date restrictions. English-language journal articles involving participants younger than 18 years were considered. Eligible interventions targeted attention, executive functions, memory, processing speed, language, speech, or related cognitive-linguistic abilities. Methodological quality was assessed using design-specific Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. Results: Twelve studies were included. Considerable heterogeneity was observed in populations, treatment intensity, comparator conditions, technologies, and outcome measures. The most consistent benefits concerned attention and executive functions, particularly inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, planning, processing speed, and metacognition. Evidence for language, memory, and social cognition was promising but more limited. Positive findings were reported across immersive, semi-immersive, and non-immersive VR systems, with no clear evidence of superiority according to level of immersion. Follow-up assessments were uncommon, and methodological quality was heterogeneous across study designs. Conclusions: VR interventions appear promising for pediatric cognitive and language rehabilitation. Larger controlled studies using standardized outcomes, active comparators, and longer follow-up are needed.

1. Cognitive decline is a clinical condition characterized by a progressive impairment of higher mental functions, including memory, attention, language, executive functions, and visuospatial abili...

Background: Migraine is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is frequently associated with psychiatric comorbidities that may influence pain perception and treatment response. Anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies represent an effective preventive treatment, although response variability remains poorly understood, particularly in patients with complex neuropsychiatric profiles. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 49-year-old woman with migraine with a previously chronic course and psychiatric comorbidity, including bipolar disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder, treated with galcanezumab. The clinical course was characterized by an “on-off-on” pattern, with marked worsening after treatment discontinuation and subsequent improvement after treatment reintroduction. Results: The patient presented with severe emotional distress (BDI-II = 59; STAI = 77–80), a very high self-reported burden of central sensitization-related symptoms (CSI = 100/100) and reduced performance on cognitive screening measures (MoCA = 19/30; BCSE = 18/58). MMPI-3 findings indicated a high level of self-reported psychological distress; however, substantial elevations in symptom-validity indicators required cautious interpretation of the substantive scales. Conclusions: This case illustrates that complex neuropsychiatric comorbidity and psychotropic polypharmacotherapy did not preclude an apparent clinical benefit from galcanezumab. Treatment discontinuation and reintroduction were temporally associated with worsening and subsequent improvement in headache frequency, although causality cannot be established from a single uncontrolled observation. The case also highlights the potential value of coordinated neurological and psychiatric monitoring in patients with migraine and complex neuropsychiatric profiles.

Background: Hospitalization and incarceration are distinct institutional experiences, but both may involve reduced autonomy, externally regulated routines, uncertainty, restricted privacy, and disruption of meaningful social relationships. This systematic review examined shared and setting-specific psychological outcomes and associated factors across the two environments. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library were searched from database inception to 30 January 2026. Of 1149 identified records, 22 studies met the eligibility criteria. Methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool 2018, and findings were synthesized narratively because substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Results: Ten studies examined incarcerated populations and twelve examined hospitalized populations. Across incarceration studies, reported estimates ranged from 14.9% to 72.6% for depressive symptoms or mood disorders and from 23.3% to 77.8% for anxiety symptoms or disorders. Across hospitalization studies, corresponding estimates ranged from 5.1% to 41.0% and from 5.8% to 60.0%, respectively. These ranges reflect heterogeneous screening instruments, diagnostic procedures, populations, and outcome definitions and were not statistically pooled. In both settings, poorer psychological outcomes were associated with reduced perceived control, disrupted routines, uncertainty, limited social support, and individual vulnerability. Setting-specific factors included prison climate, coping style, shame, and sentence-related circumstances in incarceration, and illness severity, functional impairment, prognostic uncertainty, isolation precautions, and prolonged or repeated admission in hospitalization. Findings concerning exposure duration were inconsistent in both settings. Conclusions: Hospitalization and incarceration should not be regarded as psychologically equivalent. Nevertheless, they may share experiential conditions associated with distress, particularly when autonomy, privacy, predictability, and social connectedness are reduced. Because the evidence was heterogeneous and predominantly observational, causal conclusions and direct quantitative comparisons cannot be made.

Neurocognitive disorders involve progressive cognitive decline, reduced functional autonomy, and frequent emotional or neuropsychiatric symptoms. Their variable progression highlights the need to identify factors linked to faster deterioration. This study aims to longitudinally examine functional autonomy, cognitive performance, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia to support more targeted and personalized interventions. This retrospective, single-center observational study includes patients who completed three neuropsychological evaluations approximately 12 months apart (T0, T1, T2). The dataset is expected to include at least 151participants . Data include demographic and diagnostic information, cognitive tests (MMSE, MoCA, MODA, FAB, CDT), functional measures (ADL, IADL), and emotional-behavioral scales (BDI, BAI, GDS, HDR-S, HRSA, NPI). Analyses involve descriptive statistics, group comparisons, longitudinal models, regression analyses, and propensity score methods. Dementia patients are expected to show greater functional decline than those with MCI, although some may maintain autonomy. Emotional-behavioral symptoms are anticipated to correlate with accelerated deterioration. This protocol offers a multidimensional framework for characterizing decline in neurocognitive disorders and identifying early predictors of progression, supporting more tailored monitoring and intervention strategies. www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier is NCT07287410.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a chronic condition influenced by aging and lifestyle, and its effects extend to systems involved in voice and swallowing. Age-related changes in these functions are common, and when worsened by CVD, they can lead to isolation, malnutrition, and complications such as aspiration pneumonia. This study investigated how individuals with CVD perceive their risk of dysphonia and dysphagia compared with clinician-administered screening-based assessments. Seventy-three participants (mean age 65.2 years; 86.3% male) completed structured screening tools and self-report questionnaires. Dysphonia was evaluated using the GIRBAS scale and Voice Handicap Index-30, while dysphagia was assessed with the Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire and Eating Assessment Tool-10. Spearman correlation analyses examined associations between perceived and assessed scores, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared their differences. There was a moderate to strong correlation for dysphonia (ρ = 0.68, p < 0.01), with participants tending to overestimate voice problems. For dysphagia, correlation was moderate (ρ = 0.52, p < 0.01), and significant underestimation of swallowing difficulties was observed. Routine monitoring of voice and swallowing should be included in prevention and rehabilitation programs for individuals with CVD. Increasing public awareness may support earlier detection and reduce related complications.

Understanding how emotional processes arise from interactions between the brain and heart is crucial for advancing integrated approaches to cardiovascular and mental health. Wearable technologies offer new opportunities to objectively evaluate this heart - brain relationship in real time. This narrative review examines studies evaluating emotional states using smart wearable devices used in cardiology. A literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus, focusing on the past decade. From 2205 identified records, 9 studies were included. Both single-parameter (e.g. heart rate variability) and multi-parameter devices were analyzed to determine their effectiveness in detecting emotional states and supporting holistic cardiac health management. Wearable devices represent a promising tool for linking emotional and cardiovascular dynamics, with single-parameter systems currently offering more reliable signal interpretation. Further research is needed to refine multi-parameter integration and enhance personalized, emotion-informed cardiac care.