Clinical and stabilometric monitoring in a case of cerebellar atrophy with vitamin E deficiency.

The authors describe a case of early onset ataxia with cerebellar atrophy and vitamin E deficiency, treated with alpha-tocopherol supplementation and physically rehabilitated by postural biofeedback. Clinical assessments, serum vitamin E levels and postural evaluation by means of a stabilometric platform continued for about 2 years and significant clinical improvement was recorded. Our study confirms that combined physical therapy and vitamin E supplementation may result in improvement of cerebellar function. Motor improvement is directly related to vitamin E serum levels, providing further confirmation that normal vitamin E levels are crucial for proper brain functions

Psychological considerations in the assessment and treatment of pain in neurorehabilitation and psychological factors predictive of therapeutic response: Evidence and recommendations from the Italian consensus conference on pain in neurorehabilitation

In order to provide effective care to patients suffering from chronic pain secondary to neurological diseases, health professionals must appraise the role of the psychosocial factors in the genesis and maintenance of this condition whilst considering how emotions and cognitions influence the course of treatment. Furthermore, it is important not only to recognize the psychological reactions to pain that are common to the various conditions, but also to evaluate how these syndromes differ with regards to the psychological factors that may be involved. As an extensive evaluation of these factors is still lacking, the Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation (ICCPN) aimed to collate the evidence available across these topics