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The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of a music and movement intervention program on gait, balance and psychological parameters of 10 male athletes in throwing events (ball and disc) with Cerebral Palsy (CP) (spastic hemiplegia), all coming from a sport club in Thessaloniki. Participants were divided randomly by methodical selection into two groups, the Intervention Group (IG) (n = 5) and the Control Group (CG) (n = 5). The IG participated in a music and movement program of 16 sessions (8 weeks, with a frequency of 2 times/week for 50 minutes per session), which designed on the base of the theory of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) method. Audit results showed differences on gait, balance and psychological parameters were statistically significant (p=0.05) prior and after the intervention program for the IG, but not for the CG (p>0.05). In conclusion, the application of a music and movement program designed on the base of the theory of RAS method had a positive and significant influence in motor and psychological skills.

Besides respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, SARS-CoV-2 also has potential neurotropic effects. Acute hemorrhagic necrotizing encephalopathy is a rare complication of Covid-19. This article presents a case of an 81-yearold female, fully vaccinated, who underwent laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy due to gastroesophageal junction cancer. In the early postoperative period, the patient developed persistent fever accompanied by acute quadriplegia, impaired consciousness, and no signs of respiratory distress. Imaging with Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance revealed multiple bilateral lesions both in gray and white matter, as well as pulmonary embolism. Covid-19 infection was added to the differential diagnosis three weeks later, after other possible causes were excluded. The molecular test obtained at that time for coronavirus was negative. However, the high clinical suspicion index led to Covid-19 antibody testing (IgG and IgA), which confirmed the diagnosis. The patient was treated with corticosteroids with noticeable clinical improvement. She was discharged to a rehabilitation center. Six months later, the patient was in good general condition, although a neurological deficit was still present. This case indicates the significance of a high clinical suspicion index, based on a combination of clinical manifestations and neuroimaging, and the confirmation of the diagnosis with molecular and antibody testing. Constant awareness of a possible Covid-19 infection among hospitalized patients is mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development can be altered by several factors which can either facilitate or obstruct development. The aim of the current study was the examination and the detection of differences in the developmental profiles of preschool aged children living in conventional institution facilities (N = 28), in SOS villages (N = 20) and in natural family environment (N = 48). The psychomotor development of the 96 children, aged 4-6 years old, was assessed using the six scales of the Griffiths Test No II. Two-way analysis of variance designs showed that family reared children had better performance in all scales of the Griffiths test compared with children of the other two groups and that children living in a SOS village had better scores on all domains of development examined compared to children living in a conventional institution (p less than 0.05). The findings reinforce the need to transform institution environments into more supportive ones for the most benefit of children's development and mental health. (Contains 4 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a rhythmic gymnastics program on the dynamic balance ability of a group of adults with intellectual disability (ID). The sample consisted of 18 adults with ID. The control group consisted of 8 adults and an intervention group of 10. The subjects were assigned to each group according to their desire to participate or not in the intervention program. Both groups were comparable in terms of age, weight, height, IQ, and socioeconomic background. The intervention group received a 12-week rhythmic gymnastics program at a frequency of 3 lessons per week, of 45 minutes. The methods of data collection included pre/post-test measurements of the dynamic balance for all subjects of both groups. The dynamic balance ability was measured by means of a balance deck (Lafayette) and was determined by the number of seconds the subject could remain standing on the platform of the stabilometer in durations of 30-, 45-, and 60-second intervals. As the results indicated, the intervention group showed a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05) in terms of dynamic balance ability in each interval after the application of the rhythmic gymnastics program when compared with the control group. It is concluded that adults with ID can improve their balance ability with the application of a well-designed rhythmic gymnastics program. KEY WORDS vestibular system, intervention program, motor ability

This study was designed to examine the effect of a rhythmic gymnastics program on the rhythm perception of children with deafness. Two groups--control and experiment--of 12 and 17 children, respectively, coming from the same school for the deaf participated in this study. The duration of the program for the individuals in the experiment group was 16 weeks (at a frequency of 3 lessons per week, for 40 minutes each lesson), while children of both groups adhered to their regular school schedules. Five 2rhythmic patterns in 3 speeds (tempi) were reproduced both by a metronome and each child's performance and were recorded on a digital disk before and after the application of the program. The rate of time deviation (in seconds) between the 2 beats represented the score for each child. The average rate of the 5 rhythmic patterns in each tempo was calculated separately, giving 3 scores (one for every tempo) for each child. Significance was set at p [less than or equal to] 0.05. The data revealed significant postexercise differences in favor of the experiment group, an improvement of the experiment group in all pre-post values, as well as an improved medium tempo with relation to the control group. The findings show the effectiveness of the specific program in terms of improving rhythm ability, thus indicating its use in educating children with deafness on rhythm instead of preferring the routine of the adapted school program. KEY WORDS. rhythm, rhythm ability, hearing loss