Long-COVID is a clinical condition in which patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 usually report a wide range of physical and cognitive symptoms from 3 to 6 months after the infection recovery. The aim of the current study was to assess the link between self-reported long-COVID symptoms and reaction times (RTs) in a self-administered Visual Detection Task (VDT) in order to identify the predictor symptoms of the slowing in reaction times to determine attention impairment. In total, 362 participants (age (mean ± S.D.: 38.56 ± 13.14); sex (female–male: 73.76–26.24%)) responded to a web-based self-report questionnaire consisting of four sections: demographics, disease-related characteristics, and medical history questions. The final section consisted of a 23 item 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire related to long-term COVID-19 symptoms. After completing the questionnaire, subjects performed a VDT on a tablet screen to assess reaction times (RTs). An exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) was performed on the 23 long-COVID symptom questions, identifying 4 factors (cognition, behavior, physical condition, presence of anosmia and/or ageusia). The most important predictors of RTs were cognition and physical factors. By dissecting the cognitive and physical factors, learning, visual impairment, and headache were the top predictors of subjects’ performance in the VDT. Long-COVID subjects showed higher RTs in the VDT after a considerable time post-disease, suggesting the presence of an attention deficit disorder. Attention impairment due to COVID-19 can be due to the presence of headaches, visual impairments, and the presence of cognitive problems related to the difficulty in learning new activities. The link between the slowing of reaction times and physical and cognitive symptoms post-COVID-19 suggests that attention deficit disorder is caused by a complex interaction between physical and cognitive symptoms. In addition, the study provides evidence that RTs in a VDT represent a reliable measure to detect the presence of long-COVID neurological sequelae.

Background: Mindfulness trainings have shown promising results as treatment for behavioural symptoms in several pathologies. In addition, mindfulness protocols induced an improvement in memory and attention. Therefore, mindfulness could be an effective intervention for patients affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), who are characterized by both behavioural and cognitive dysfunctions. Methods: We assessed differences in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores and in Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) scores in patients affected by PD and MCI enrolled in two different rehabilitation programs (an experimental vs. an usual structured program for cognitive rehabilitation). Participants in the experimental group (MILC-tr) underwent innovative rehabilitation program involving mindfulness and reminiscence activities. Assessments were performed before (T0) and at the end of the rehabilitation program (T1). Results: Friedman test showed a significant improvement between timepoints in MoCA global score (x² = 4.000, p = 0.046), MoCA memory sub-scale score (x² = 4.571, p = 0.033), and BDI-II cognitive and affective factors (x² = 4.000, p = 0.046) only for patients in MILC-tr group. Mann–Whitney test showed a significant difference between group comparing differences in Δ scores between T0 and T1 in the MoCA memory sub-scale score (U = 190.50, p = 0.035). Conclusions: Mindfulness-based rehabilitation programs could be effective in patients affected by PD and MCI.

Introduction: The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the psychological well-being of millions of people around the world, and even more so among children. Contracting SARS-CoV-2, resulting in home confinement and restrictions on daily and school activities, led to negative effects on the mental health of the paediatric population. Although children suffering from COVID-19 had milder general symptoms compared to adults, impairments in cognitive, neuropsychological, and emotional-behavioural development were noted. Objective: The main aim of the present study was to detect possible changes in the neuropsychological and emotional-behavioural development of children after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The second aim was to investigate possible relationships between cognitive abilities and psychosocial characteristics. Methods: A total of 40 patients aged 8–9 years were recruited and divided into two groups: children who contracted (CG) and did not contract (NCG) SARS-CoV-2. The BVN 5–11 (Neuropsychological evaluation battery for developmental age from 5 to 11 years) instrument was administered to assess attention, memory, verbal recall, planning, phonemics, and categorical fluency domains in the paediatric population. Data on changes in emotional-behavioural profile and daily activities were collected through a questionnaire to parents. Results: The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed a significant change in mood after the COVID-19 period only in the CG participants (p = 0.019). However, the neuropsychological performance of the two identified groups on BVN 5–11 sub-items was below the cutoff of clinical significance. Correlations were found between sub-items of the BVN 5–11 battery, extracurricular activities, and children’s psycho-motor development. Significant positive correlations were observed between Naming on visual presentation and Reading time (p = 0.006), backward digit span and time of motor activity (p = 0.009), Visual attention and Reading time (p = 0.048), and Phonemic fluency and time observed using devices (p = 0.030). Positive statistically significant correlations were also found between Mood and Free behaviour (p = 0.000), between Mood and Structured behaviour (p = 0.005), and between Mood and peer Interaction (p = 0.013). Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection negatively affected the emotional development of children contracting the virus. The neuropsychological functioning of the paediatric population was influenced by psychosocial variables and time spent on daily activities, which played a protective role in children’s cognitive development.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an established treatment for advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD), often leading to positive motor and non-motor outcomes. While objective motor improvements after DBS are well documented, less is known about how patients and all those involved in their care perceive these benefits on a subjective level. Objectives: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the perception gap between patients, caregivers, and treating neurologists regarding DBS physical and psychological benefits in PD and their correlates. Methods: 25 PD patients (age 58.9 ± 8.0 years; 9 women) who underwent bilateral STN-DBS, along with their caregivers and neurologists, rated perceived psychological and physical improvements 6 months after surgery using a two-item Visual Analogue Scales (VAS, 0–10). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC [95% confidence interval]) were calculated to assess reliability between raters. Results: Patients, caregivers, and neurologists reported an average improvement of about 60% in the psychological domain and over 75% in the physical domain ( p < 0.001 ). No significant differences emerged between groups in two domains ( p > 0.05 ). Inter-rater agreement was moderate-to-good for psychological improvement (0.74 [0.41–0.90], p < 0.001), moderate for physical improvement (0.69 [0.27–0.88], p = 0.003), and good overall (0.79 [0.50–0.92], p < 0.001). Conclusions: PD patients, caregivers, and neurologists largely agree on the benefits of DBS six months post-surgery, reinforcing the reliability of patient self-report in outcome assessment. Integrating patient self-reports with proxy assessments enhances the evaluation of DBS outcomes, supporting a more comprehensive and patient-centered approach to both treatment assessment and post-surgical care. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06329726. Registered on 26 March 2024.

Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is frequently associated with a range of neurological, cognitive and psychological issues, presenting significant challenges to patients’ Quality of Life (QoL). Among non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, transcutaneous spinal Direct Current Stimulation (tsDCS) is emerging as a potential approach for symptom management in neurological conditions. However, the effects of tsDCS on MS remain poorly explored. Thus, this preliminary study aimed to evaluate the effects of tsDCS on MS symptomatology, focusing on cognitive and psychological variables. Methods: Six patients with MS were recruited for a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind crossover study, and received anodal tsDCS or sham stimulation in two separate sessions at least one month apart. Assessment outcomes included cognitive and attentional-executive functions, depressive symptoms, and several QoL components. The tests were administered at baseline (T0), immediately after treatment (T1), one week (T2) and one month (T3) post-treatment. Results: Although protocol-by-time interactions did not reach statistical significance across all measures, protocol-independent improvements over time were observed in various QoL subscales, including Physical Functioning, Role Limitations due to Physical Health, Vitality, Health Distress, and Overall QoL. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that tsDCS is a feasible and well-tolerated intervention in patients with MS, with possible implications for QoL. Given the small sample size and the exploratory nature of this study, further research is needed to clarify whether tsDCS may represent a potentially beneficial non-invasive neuromodulation approach for improving well-being in patients with MS across both physical and mental dimensions.

Background: Chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia have been associated with worsening health-related quality of life and increased incidence of comorbid psychiatric disorders, underscoring the need for targeted interventions. Transcutaneous spinal direct-current stimulation (tsDCS) and exercise therapy (ET) have been identified as promising non-pharmacological tools due to their capacity to inhibit pain transmission. However, empirical evidence regarding a combined efficacy remains limited. The aim of this work was, therefore, to test the effects of a multimodal treatment protocol on pain and psychological symptoms. Methods: Forty-five patients with fibromyalgia were recruited and randomly assigned to the tsDCS, ET, or combined tsDCS + ET group for a three-week period. Participants were assessed at baseline, one week after the start of treatment, at the end of the treatment (T2), and at 3-month follow-up (T3) using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Analysis of variance applied to linear mixed-effect models showed significant group-by-time interaction effects on both HADS domains (anxiety: p = 0.004; depression: p = 0.028). Post hoc pairwise comparisons highlighted that tsDCS + ET decreased subjects’ anxiety at both T2 (p = 0.002) and T3 (p < 0.001) compared to baseline. Yet, significant comparisons were not found for depression. No significant interactions were detected on VAS, BPI, and SF-12 scores. Conclusions: Although between-group differences were not observed, the integration of neuromodulation with physical activity resulted in a significant improvement in patients’ anxiety-related symptoms severity, suggesting a potential added benefit.