Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a frequent and disabling neurodegenerative disorder, in which astrocytes participate in several pathophysiological processes including neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and lipid metabolism (along with a critical role in apolipoprotein E function). Current evidence shows that astrocytes have both neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects depending on the disease stage and microenvironmental factors. Furthermore, astrocytes appear to be affected by the presence of amyloid-beta (Aβ), with alterations in calcium levels, gliotransmission and proinflammatory activity via RAGE-NF-κB pathway. In addition, astrocytes play an important role in the metabolism of tau and clearance of Aβ through the glymphatic system. In this review, we will discuss novel pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments focused on astrocytes as therapeutic targets for AD. These interventions include effects on anti-inflammatory/antioxidant systems, glutamate activity, lipid metabolism, neurovascular coupling and glymphatic system, calcium dysregulation, and in the release of peptides which affects glial and neuronal function. According to the AD stage, these therapies may be of benefit in either preventing or delaying the progression of the disease.

This systematic review describes the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on children’s learning and school performance. A systematic search was conducted using three databases. A total of 1787 articles were found, and 24 articles were included. Overall, academic performance was negatively affected by COVID-19 lockdowns, with lower scores in standardized tests in the main domains compared to previous years. Academic, motivational, and socio-emotional factors contributed to lower performance. Educators, parents, and students reported disorganization, increased academic demands, and motivational and behavioral changes. Teachers and policymakers should consider these results in developing future education strategies.

Objectives: Increased exposure to digital devices as part of online classes increases susceptibility to visual impairments, particularly among school students taught using e-learning strategies. This study aimed to identify the impact of remote learning during the COVID-19 lockdown on children’s visual health. Design: Systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data sources: Scopus, PubMed and ScienceDirect databases from the year 2020 onwards. Eligibility criteria: We included cross-sectional, case–control, cohort studies, case series and case reports, published in English, Spanish or French, that approached the effects of remote learning during the COVID-19 lockdown on visual health in neurotypical children. Data extraction and synthesis: We included a total of 21 articles with previous quality assessments using the Joanna Briggs checklist. Risk of bias assessment was applied using the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool for before-and-after studies with no control group; the tool developed by Hoy et al to assess cross-sectional studies; the Murad et al tool to evaluate the methodological quality of case reports and case series; and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies. Results: All but one study reported a deleterious impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on visual health in children. Overall, the most frequently identified ocular effects were refractive errors, accommodation disturbances and visual symptoms such as dry eye and asthenopia. Conclusions: Increased dependence on digital devices for online classes has either induced or exacerbated visual disturbances, such as rapid progression of myopia, dry eye and visual fatigue symptoms, and vergence and accommodation disturbances, in children who engaged in remote learning during the COVID-19 lockdown. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022307107.

Introduction. Children with hearing loss have been reported to perform lower in executive function and language tasks than their normal-hearing peers. Objective. To describe EF performance profile in children and adolescents with hearing loss. Method. Using different databases including PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, we conducted a systematic review of case-control, cross-sectional studies, and case series that evaluated executive function performance in children and adolescents with hearing loss with or without hearing aids, cochlear implants, and/or native sign language, since 2000 until April 2020. Fifteen studies were selected after quality assessment using Critical Appraisal Tools provided by Joanna Briggs Institute. Results. The studies differed in the assessment tools, and the results obtained by different authors were inconsistent. However, these studies revealed that children and adolescents with hearing impairment have lower performance in working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and attention than their normal-hearing peers. Discussion and conclusion. Executive function assessment tools are used indistinctively for both children with and without hearing loss. Consequently, as tools were designed for normal hearing population, results can significantly vary in the population with hearing impairment. Hence, it is important to establish a standardized protocol specifically adapted for this population.

The study aim was to characterize executive function in 114 children with Down syndrome from a reference institution in Bogotá, Colombia. Children were screened with the Battelle Developmental Inventory to establish their developmental age. Eighty children with an equivalent mental age of 2–5.11 years were allocated to groups of 20 according to their mental age. Parents and teachers then completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version. We found a high variability and a low correlation between parent and teacher ratings. In general, children showed a specific profile characterized by weakness in the domains of working memory, shifting, planning, and organization, and strengths in the emotional control domain. These findings indicate a characteristic pattern of executive function in children with Down syndrome. This profile could form the basis for the planning of clinical assessment programs.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness. Presence of pain in ALS patients is heterogeneously reported in studies, and mostly underrepresented in symptom scales. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic modalities for pain management in patients with ALS. A systematic review was conducted in four databases; PubMed, Scopus, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane-Ovid. Five randomized controlled clinical trials were included regarding pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management interventions in adult patients with confirmed diagnosis of ALS in whom pain was objectively evaluated. Risk of bias assessment was evaluated using the RoB2.0 tool. Eligible studies were reported as a descriptive analysis. This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO ID: CRD42024495009. Five clinical trials regarding pain management strategies in ALS were eligible for analysis. Two out of five were non-pharmacological approaches whilst the remaining three provided pharmacological therapies. Of these, Mexiletine was efficient in terms of pain relief, particularly between 600 and 900 mg per day, whereas Mecasin showed no pain relief at both, high and low doses. Non-pharmacological therapies, such as exercise and osteopathic manual treatment also lacked efficacy in regard to pain management. Clinical trials focusing on pain management strategies for ALS patients are limited. Medical professionals, understandably focused on immediate life-threatening aspects, may inadvertently sideline the nuanced and intricate dimension of pain experienced by patients with ALS.