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COVID-19 is associated with increased risk for cognitive decline but very little is known regarding the neural mechanisms of this risk. We enrolled 49 adults (55% female, mean age = 30.7 ± 8.7), 25 with and 24 without a history of COVID-19 infection. We administered standardized tests of cognitive function and acquired brain connectivity data using MRI. The COVID-19 group demonstrated significantly lower cognitive function (W = 475, p

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic central sensitivity syndrome characterized by augmented pain processing at diffuse body sites and presents as a multimorbid clinical condition. Long COVID (LC) is a heterogenous clinical syndrome that affects 10–20% of individuals following COVID-19 infection. FM and LC share similarities with regard to the pain and other clinical symptoms experienced, thereby posing a challenge for accurate diagnosis. This research explores the feasibility of using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with soft independent modelling of class analogies (SIMCAs) to develop classification models differentiating LC and FM. Venous blood samples were collected using two supports, dried bloodspot cards (DBS, n = 48 FM and n = 46 LC) and volumetric absorptive micro-sampling tips (VAMS, n = 39 FM and n = 39 LC). A semi-permeable membrane (10 kDa) was used to extract low molecular fraction (LMF) from the blood samples, and Raman spectra were acquired using SERS with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) models developed with spectral data of blood samples collected in VAMS tips showed superior performance with a validation performance of 100% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, achieving an excellent classification accuracy of 0.86 area under the curve (AUC). Amide groups, aromatic and acidic amino acids were responsible for the discrimination patterns among FM and LC syndromes, emphasizing the findings from our previous studies. Overall, our results demonstrate the ability of AuNP SERS to identify unique metabolites that can be potentially used as spectral biomarkers to differentiate FM and LC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The emergence and prevalence of post-COVID conditions (PCC) has presented health care providers with an urgent need to determine best practices for treatment and rehabilitation of this condition. CASE PRESENTATION: A 43-year-old female with PCC presents to physical therapy via telerehabilitation. Primary complaints included chest pain, throat pain, postexertional malaise (PEM), and breathing dysfunction. Therapeutic intervention included individually titrated exercise and activity to address symptoms and limitations, through a pain neuroscience education approach. OUTCOME: The patient demonstrated improvements in her 30-second sit to stand (mean change: 11 repetitions), resting heart rate (mean change: −6 bpm), patient-specific functional scale (mean change 1.7), and global rating of change score of 6.5. DISCUSSION: The patient made objective and subjective improvements in function and was satisfied with her telerehabilitation. This case demonstrates the feasibility of the telehealth setting and clinical utility of pain neuroscience education as the basis for the physical therapy management of PCC. JOSPT Cases 2024;4(2):64-71. Epub 2 May 2024. doi:10.2519/josptcases.2024.0004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spirituality is an important part of social sciences as well as of human evolution, activity and transcendence. Spirituality also plays an important part in coping with trauma in the aftermath of natural and/or manmade disasters. The role of spirituality in medicine has also received some attention. Although research has shed light on the role of spirituality in management of patients suffering from a variety of illnesses, there is a need for greater understanding on the role of spirituality to solve some of medicine's greatest mysteries. Various researches have been done to evaluate health professionals' account as well as patients' perspective on significance of spiritual issues in psychiatric management. There have been studies from Pakistan that have looked at the role of religion in patients' illness, which showed that desire of patients from their physicians to express a prayer for them aloud and others accepted that being in care of 'God-fearing physicians' would have a positive impact on their health. In order to determine the importance of spiritual need in the treatment plan and to propose bio-psycho-social and spiritual model for evaluation of medical and psychiatric illnesses, the Research question is designed to evaluate patients and health professionals' opinions regarding the significance of spirituality in patients' illnesses and management. As far as we can determine no previous study in Pakistan has been conducted in which both patients' and health professionals' were evaluated. We will conduct interviews of both 40 patients and 40 health professionals from following specialties to gain their opinion on spiritual discussion. For health professionals we would use 17-item proforma questionnaire. Informed and Written consent will be taken from all respondents. However, Patient will be interviewed separately in an outpatient department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Oncology, Medicine, Family Medicine and Rheumatology. 5-Item self-devised tool will be applied on patients. Patients' privacy and confidentiality will be maintained. Interview will be conducted from Follow-up patients. The focus would be to highlight areas which may need attention in improving therapeutic alliance as well as patients' satisfaction also to improve quality of care and outcome of illnesses in long term. In the context of Pakistan, the findings of the study have special significance of spiritual discussion in mental and medical illnesses. The need of psychiatry chaplain ship, inculcation of spirituality in academics and integration of spiritual services in social support can be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]