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Medicina
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Cognitive Stimulation in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Latest Scientific Evidence to Inform...
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Cognitive Stimulation in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Latest Scientific Evidence to Inform Clinical Practice

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 January 2022) | Viewed by 5641

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marco Cavallo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, CO, Italy
Interests: cognitive functions; experimental and clinical studies of neurodegenerative diseases; neuropsychological assessment; neuropsychological rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Roca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), CONICET, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests: frontal lobe; executive functions: fluid intelligence; theory of mind; cogntive rehabilitation; neurodegenerative diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the launch of a Special Issue for the journal Medicina, devoted to the investigation of cognitive stimulation in neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and Multiple Sclerosis) are a global emergency, due to their extremely high incidence and prevalence. One of the key clinical features of these disorders is cognitive impairment, which has a tremendous impact on patients’ condition. The presence of cognitive deficits is strongly associated with reduced functionality in everyday activities and lower quality of life in both the patients and caregivers; thus, cognitive stimulation strategies are now recognized as a crucial aspect of the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

This Special Issue aims to attract empirical articles investigating the cognitive stimulation of patients affected by neurodegenerative diseases.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • Computerized cognitive stimulation studies in neurodegenerative diseases
  • Interdisciplinary approaches in the rehabilitation of neurodegenerative diseases
  • Neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and optical imaging studies of cognitive stimulation in neurodegenerative conditions
  • Studies using Virtual Reality technologies for cognitive stimulation purposes of neurodegenerative patients
  • Studies using novel technologies to assist cognitively-impaired patients affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
  • Methodological issues in the investigation of cognitive rehabilitation in neurodegenerative diseases.

Prof. Dr. Marco Cavallo
Dr. Maria Roca
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cognitive impairment
  • cognitive stimulation
  • neurodegenerative disorders
  • neuroimaging
  • virtual reality
  • interdisciplinary approaches

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 913 KiB  
Article
The Use of Virtual Therapy in Cardiac Rehabilitation of Female Patients with Heart Disease
by Sandra Jóźwik, Błażej Cieślik, Robert Gajda and Joanna Szczepańska-Gieracha
Medicina 2021, 57(8), 768; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57080768 - 28 Jul 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2375
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly prevalent in women, and it is also in this group that the risk of developing depression is the highest. The most commonly applied therapeutic intervention in cardiac rehabilitation is Schultz’s autogenic training, which [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly prevalent in women, and it is also in this group that the risk of developing depression is the highest. The most commonly applied therapeutic intervention in cardiac rehabilitation is Schultz’s autogenic training, which has proven to be of little efficacy in reducing depression and anxiety disorders. At the same time, a growing number of scientific reports have been looking at the use of virtual reality (VR) to treat mental health problems. This study aimed at assessing the efficacy of virtual therapy in reducing levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in female CVD patients. Materials and Methods: The study included 43 women who were randomly divided into two groups: experimental group (N = 17), where eight-week cardiac rehabilitation was enhanced with VR-based therapeutic sessions, and control group (N = 26), where the VR therapy was replaced with Schultz’s autogenic training. Mental state parameters were measured using the Perception of Stress Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: In the experimental group, the sole parameter which failed to improve was HADS-Anxiety, which remained at the baseline level. In the control group, there was a deterioration in nearly all tested parameters except for HADS-Depression. Statistically significant differences in the efficacy of rehabilitation were recorded in relation to the level of stress in the sub-scales: emotional tension (p = 0.005), external stress (p = 0.012), intrapsychic stress (p = 0.023) and the generalized stress scale (p = 0.004). Conclusions: VR therapy is an efficient and interesting complement to cardiac rehabilitation, with proven efficacy in reducing stress levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Stimulation in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Latest Scientific Evidence to Inform Clinical Practice)
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Review

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24 pages, 413 KiB  
Review
A Scoping Review of Neuromodulation Techniques in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Useful Tool for Clinical Practice?
by Fabio Marson, Stefano Lasaponara and Marco Cavallo
Medicina 2021, 57(3), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57030215 - 27 Feb 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2579
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Neurodegenerative diseases that typically affect the elderly such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and frontotemporal dementia are typically characterised by significant cognitive impairment that worsens significantly over time. To date, viable pharmacological options for the cognitive symptoms in these clinical [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Neurodegenerative diseases that typically affect the elderly such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and frontotemporal dementia are typically characterised by significant cognitive impairment that worsens significantly over time. To date, viable pharmacological options for the cognitive symptoms in these clinical conditions are lacking. In recent years, various studies have employed neuromodulation techniques to try and contrast patients’ decay. Materials and Methods: We conducted an in-depth literature review of the state-of-the-art of the contribution of these techniques across these neurodegenerative diseases. Results: The present review reports that neuromodulation techniques targeting cognitive impairment do not allow to draw yet any definitive conclusion about their clinical efficacy although preliminary evidence is very encouraging. Conclusions: Further and more robust studies should evaluate the potentialities and limitations of the application of these promising therapeutic tools to neurodegenerative diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Stimulation in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Latest Scientific Evidence to Inform Clinical Practice)
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