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Virtual reality (VR) is used to improve specific health needs by combining multiple technologies; it is increasingly being used in the medical field, showing satisfactory effects, especially in the management of chronic disease. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of VR cognitive training for individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Peer-reviewed articles were searched from the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and EBSCOhost databases, as well as CNKI, Sinomed, Vip. and Wan Fang, through 23 May 2021. We only included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) enrolling participants with MCI.Seventeen RCTs were included, with a total of 744 participants. Evidence of moderate quality showed that VR cognitive training significantly enhanced MCI patients' global cognitive function, as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.04-0.79; p = 0.03) and executive function, as measured by trail making test A (SMD = -0.58; 95% CI, -0.80 to -0.35; p 0.001). The meta-analysis indicated that the effects of VR cognitive training on delayed memory, immediate memory, attention and instrumental activities of daily living were not statistically significant (p 0.05).The available data showed that VR cognitive training might be beneficial for improving global cognitive function and executive function in individuals with MCI, although the effects were short term.

Increasing evidence shows that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients are particularly vulnerable to anxiety/depression-like behaviors. This study sought to determine the prevalence of anxiety/depression-like behaviors among women with PCOS and to identify factors associated with these behaviors. This study was a secondary analysis of three studies performed on Chinese women who were aged 18 to 40 and diagnosed with PCOS according to the modified Rotterdam criteria. We obtained 802 useable responses for the self-rating anxiety scale and 798 responses for the self-rating depression scale. The prevalence of anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors among women with PCOS was 26.1% (209/802) and 52.0% (415/798), respectively. Anxiety-like behaviors were associated with age, body image-related factors (including body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio), and hyperandrogenism-related factors (including free androgen index and hirsutism). Depression-like behaviors were associated with age, body image-related factors, hyperandrogenism-related factors, and metabolic factors (including fasting insulin, fasting plasma glucose, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance). Body image-related factors and hyperandrogenism-related factors were related to both anxiety-like behaviors and depression-like behaviors in both infertile and fertile PCOS patients.

To describe family care behaviors for children with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and explore related factors.Parents of children with URTIs were included in this cross-sectional study. Family care behaviors, disease-related knowledge, and parental self-efficacy were evaluated with validated measures.Among the 419 participants, 73.80% recognized diseases based on their children's abnormal presentation. Self-medication was the main home care measure (36.28% used only self-medication; 27.92% used both self-medication and physical cooling methods), and 36.5% received suggestions from medical professionals. All the participants took their children to the hospital, and 28.20% did so two or three times. The proportions of visits to level II or III hospitals were 49.64% and 83.87% for first and third hospital visits, respectively. Parents who had less disease knowledge and assessed children' diseases as more serious took their children to the hospital more often (p0.05); those whose nearest medical institution was a community health center were more likely to visit such centers (p0.001).Most of the parents recognized symptoms of URTIs and provided home care but lacked enough knowledge and professional support to take reasonable measures. Hospital visits were their primary choice.Family care behaviors for children with URTIs could be improved through health education, and an internet nursing service or family doctor system is suggested. A hierarchical medical system is necessary to reduce hospital visits, as are more community health centers with pediatric services.

BackgroundLong bones of limbs are formed through endochondral bone formation, which depends on the coordinated development of growth plates. Our previous studies have demonstrated that dysfunction of mitogen-activated protein kinase 7 (MAPK7) can cause skeletal dysplasia. However, little is known about the role of MAPK7 in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes during growth plate development.ResultsAblation of MAPK7 expression in chondrocytes led to growth restriction, short limbs and bone mass loss in postnatal mice. Histological studies revealed that MAPK7 deficiency increased the apoptosis and decreased the proliferation of chondrocytes in the center of the proliferative layer, where the most highly hypoxic chondrocytes are located. Accordingly, hypertrophic differentiation markers were downregulated in the central hypertrophic layer, beneath the site where abnormal apoptosis was observed. Simultaneously, we demonstrated that hypoxic adaptation and hypoxia-induced activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit α (HIF1α) were impaired when MAPK7 could not be activated normally in primary chondrocytes. Concomitantly, vascular invasion into epiphyseal cartilage was inhibited whenMapk7was deleted.ConclusionsWe demonstrated that MAPK7 is necessary for maintaining proliferation, survival, and differentiation of chondrocytes during postnatal growth plate development, possibly through modulating HIF1α signaling for adaptation to hypoxia. These results indicate that MAPK7 signaling might be a target for treatment of chondrodysplasia.