STIMO. TE-REHAB

Clinical efficacy and neurophysiological correlates of cognitive stimulation in aged subjects with mild and moderate cognitive impairment.

Calabrian Region

Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Mater Domini, Unità di Neurologia, Catanzaro & Università degli Studi di Catanzaro

Rehabilitative treatments, based on cognitive stimulation, have been recently proposed as useful approaches to improve or stabilize cognitive functions in patients with mild or moderate cognitive impairment. Unfortunately the generalization of clinical results to activities of daily living isn't proven yet and frequently most of patients living at home don't receive adequate rehabilitation thus leading to functional deterioration. To face these difficulties telerehabilitation could supply

homebound subjects with treatments, without displacement of therapist or patient. Therefore the aim of this study is to verify if, in PD and chronic post-stroke patients with mild to moderate cognitive impairment, CS delivered from a distance by a telerehabilitation system, may improve cognitive performances and/or activities of daily living.

Moreover, we plan to verify the presence of correlations between clinical effects of CS and functional and metabolic patterns of cerebral areas.

SpecificObjectives:

1. After a treatment with CS delivered from a distance by a telerehabilitation system to PD patients with mild to moderate cognitive impairment, we expect an improvement or stabilization of performances on cognitive tasks and on activities of daily living.
2. After a treatment with CS delivered from a distance by a telerehabilitation system we expect an improvement of performances on cognitive tasks and on activities of daily living.
3. In patients treated with CS, we expect to observe modifications of metabolic and/or functional parameters, investigated by neuroimaging techniques.

We plan to produce new information on:

• the effects of cognitive stimulation delivered by TR to patients with cognitive impairment, consequence of different pathological conditions. These data will overtake the results of a few previous studies, limited to small groups of patients affected by degenerative dementia.
• the impact of the same model of cognitive stimulation on the activities of daily living, adding new information to previous results, limited to the effects on the impairment.
• the correlation of metabolic and/or functional parameters, investigated by neuroimaging techniques with cognitive stimulation delivered by TR. These data will fill an absolutely lacking field. Indeed, no studies have been performed until today in degenerative dementia using an advanced diagnostic approach, such as the PET-MRI, i.e., an innovative technology combining the information coming from the metabolic study of the cerebral cortex and morphometric data detected by MRI. 

Reference facilities

Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria “Mater Domini” di Catanzaro, U.O di Neurologia,

Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, Loc. Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro

Sede legale: Via Tommaso Campanella, 115, 88100, Catanzaro

Telefono centralino 0961712111

Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale di Crotone

C/O Il Granaio, Via M. Nicoletta, 88900 Crotone (KR). Telefono centralino  0962 924671

Istituto S.Anna, Crotone

Via Siris, 11. Crotone (KR). Telefono centralino: 096227579

Reference team

Scientific references

• Prof. Gennarina Arabia (Principal Investigator), This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Ing. Loris Pignolo (Co- Principal Investigator), This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Dott. Paolo Tonin (supervisor), This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Administrative references

• D.ssa Marinella Rocca, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Dr. Giuseppe Fico, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.