The effects of COVID-19 pandemic countermeasures on patients receiving botulinum toxin therapy and on their caregivers: a study from an Italian cohort

COVID-19 outbreak had a huge worldwide impact, and several countermeasures to contain its spread have been adopted, such as the interruption of nonurgent outpatient clinics. We wanted to describe the effects of the national lockdown on the well-being of a cohort of Italian patients with cerebral palsy (CP) receiving botulinum toxin (BT) therapy and of their caregivers. Twenty-five patients receiving BT therapy were surveyed using the structuralized questionnaire by Dressler and Adib Saberi, while the caregivers were assessed using the Caregiver Burden Scale. The lockdown delayed BT therapy by 9 ± 2.8 months. Around 44% of the selected patients noticed increased muscle cramps, 24% increased muscle pain, and 32% both of them. Due to the lockdown, the patient's quality of life was reduced by 68.4 ± 21.1%. After the lockdown, 100% of patients perceived BT therapy as more important than before. Around 76% of the patients perceived the lockdown as inadequate and felt that their rights were not respected. The overall score of the Caregiver Burden Scale, as regarded before the lockdown, was 29.12 ± 11.63, while the overall score as regarded after the lockdown was 37.44 ± 14.85. The overall score increased, from before the lockdown to after the lockdown, for 92% of caregivers. The BT outpatient clinic's interruption was seen to significantly worsen the psychophysical condition of subjects with CP and the care burden of their caregivers, exposing them to greater stress than before. Therefore, any kind of BT treatment suspension or delay should be avoided

Italian long-term care facilities during COVID-19 era: a review

Background. Since the start COVID-19 epidemic, 9154 deaths have been registered in Italian Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF). Half of them were COVID 19-related. Objective. In this review we analyzed the management of COVID-19 outbreak in Italian LTCF, in the most affected regions. Results. In the Italian Institute of Health (ISS) report, 1356 LTCF (41.3%) answered to questionnaires on COVID-19 infection in LTCF. Only 7.4% of deaths was related to Coronavirus (confirmed by swab), while 33,8% of deceased presented flu-like symptoms without confirmation by swab. 77.2% of structures reported the lack of Personal Protective Equipment. The autonomous management policies of the regions cannot be negligible in this assessment, above all Lombardia Region that diverted patients from hospital to extra-structures, like LTCF. Conclusions. The elderlies represent high-risk patients for developing COVID-19 with rapid clinical deterioration. Containment measures should be particularly optimized, especially in anticipation of another possible pandemic recurrence. Surely a comparison among different systems could help to achieve more information in the standardization of procedures. Identifying flaws in this system is necessary to perfect and optimize epidemic management as much as possible

Synthesis of antifungal N-isoprenyl-indole alkaloids from the fungus Aporpium caryae

The synthesis of two antifungal alkaloids I and 2 is described. It involves the N-isoprenyl-indole brominated key-intermediate 3 prepared by introduction of the isoprenyl group on the indole core itself

Enhancing vertical jump performance through real-time biofeedback: A randomized controlled trial in healthy individuals

Real-time biofeedback (Rt-Bf) has gained substantial recognition in recent years as an invaluable tool in the fields of rehabilitation and sports medicine. Its application has piqued the interest of professionals across a wide spectrum of sports settings, making it a pivotal focus of research. The primary objective of this study was to investigate how the integration of biofeedback into training programs could impact the vertical jump and balance outcomes in healthy subjects, in direct comparison to traditional approaches such as verbal instructions (VER) and video observation (VO). A total of 262 active healthy subjects were randomized into three groups: VER, VER + VO, and VER + Rt-Bf. The subjects underwent a vertical jump test (squat jump) and a balance test (single-leg squat) following a pre-established protocol. After a 5-min rest period, the tests were repeated. During the rest period, each group received specific interventions: VER group received verbal instructions, VO group watched a video execution, and Rt-Bf group received real-time biofeedback. Gyko® technology was employed as the measuring tool, capturing and analyzing all relevant parameters associated with both the jump and balance protocols. The Rt-Bf group exhibited a significantly higher improvement in jump height (2.3 cm) compared to the other groups (p < 0.001). While the Rt-Bf group also demonstrated enhancements in various parameters of the single-leg squat, these improvements were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The findings suggest that incorporating an Rt-Bf protocol alongside VER significantly enhances vertical jump performance. Although balance parameter improvements were also observed in the Rt-Bf group, they did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). These findings reaffirm the pivotal role that Rt-Bf plays in augmenting physical performance in healthy individuals, offering a promising avenue for future research and application. © JPES