scholarly journals Great potential of ultrasound elastography for the assessment of the masseter muscle in patients with temporomandibular disorders. A systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 20200024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Olchowy ◽  
Mieszko Wieckiewicz ◽  
Efraim Winocur ◽  
Marzena Dominiak ◽  
Ilona Dekkers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporomandibular Disorders ◽  
Masseter Muscle ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Ultrasound Elastography ◽  
Muscle Disorders ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Study Protocols ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Phantom Studies ◽  
Meta Analyses

Objective: To summarize the available evidence on the use of elastography in the assessment of the masseter muscle in healthy individuals and patients with masseter muscle disorders. Methods: Systematic literature review has been performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Results: 16 of 142 studies identified were analyzed. Elastography was used in seven studies. Heterogeneity was observed in terms of study protocols, devices, patients, units of measure, and results. Elasticity values showed a correlation between the left and right masseter muscle side in healthy people, but not in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Elasticity values increased in TMD and were correlated with the severity of TMD symptoms. Phantom studies proved the high reliability of elastography. Conclusion: Elastography is a promising tool for the assessment of the masseter muscle elasticity, but the evidence is insufficient. Studies on larger groups are needed to determine the accuracy of elastography to characterize masticatory muscle disorders.

Biomarkers of Stress in Music Interventions: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Mitsui Wong ◽  
Talha Tahir ◽  
Michael Mitsui Wong ◽  
Annilee Baron ◽  
Rachael Finnerty
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Music Intervention ◽  
P Values ◽  
Stress Biomarkers ◽  
Study Protocols ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Psychological stress is a significant public health concern as it is associated with various comorbidities and long-term health implications. Music interventions are emerging therapies for alleviating psychological stress and improving one’s physical and mental well-being. We conducted a systematic literature review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement guidelines for reporting to identify all neuroendocrine biomarkers used to evaluate psychological stress in randomized control trials involving music interventions. We identified 18 unique biomarkers of stress from 14 full-text randomized controlled trials studies. Only one of the 14 music studies included a music therapy intervention. The most frequently used biomarkers across the studies were plasma cortisol, salivary cortisol, and salivary α-amylase. Of the 14 studies, 12 included in this review assessed at least one of these three biomarkers. Of these 12 studies, five papers reported p-values for changes in both stress biomarkers and psychological stress outcome measures. Four of the five studies found significant p-values for the reduction of both stress biomarkers and psychological stress in music intervention groups. The variety of stress biomarkers used and the variance in study protocols makes it difficult to assess the magnitude of effect of music interventions on psychological stress. However, our findings suggest that music interventions have the potential for reducing both stress biomarker levels and psychological stress in acute stress situations.

DNA methylation markers for endometrial cancer detection in minimally invasive samples: a systematic review

Epigenomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 1661-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rianne van den Helder ◽  
Birgit MM Wever ◽  
Jip A van Trommel ◽  
Johannes CF Ket ◽  
Maaike CG Bleeker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Endometrial Cancer ◽  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Cancer Detection ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Diagnostic Procedures ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
High Risk Women ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Meta Analyses

Aim: DNA methylation testing for endometrial cancer detection in minimally invasive specimens is a promising tool to improve screening and diagnostic procedures. Available literature was systematically reviewed to assess the potential of this approach and define methylation markers deserving further development. Methods: A systematic search up to March 31 2020 was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results: 15 methylation markers with an area under the curve value of ≥ 0.80 for endometrial cancer detection in cytological specimens were selected from nine studies. Conclusion: Detection of methylation markers in cytological samples indicate the feasibility of minimally invasive testing methods, potentially guiding diagnosis and detection of endometrial cancer in high-risk women and in cancer screening programs.

scholarly journals Relaxation therapy as a treatment for tics in patients with Tourette syndrome: a systematic literature review

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1011-1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Tilling ◽  
Andrea E. Cavanna
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Tourette Syndrome ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Relaxation Therapy ◽  
Behavioural Treatment ◽  
Study Protocols ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Background Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by the presence of multiple motor and phonic tics, often associated with co-morbid behavioural problems. Tics can be modulated by environmental factors and are characteristically exacerbated by psychological stress, among other factors. This observation has led to the development of specific behavioural treatment strategies, including relaxation therapy. Objective This review aimed to assess the efficacy of relaxation therapy to control or reduce tic symptoms in patients with TS. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review of original studies on the major scientific databases, including Medline, EMBASE, and PsycInfo, according to the standards outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Outcomes measures included both tic severity and tic frequency. Results Our literature search identified three controlled trials, with a total number of 40 participants (range: 6–18 participants). In all three studies, relaxation therapy decreased the severity and/or the frequency of tic symptoms. However, the only trial comparing relaxation therapy to two other behavioural techniques found relaxation therapy to be the least effective intervention, as it reduced the number of tics by 32% compared to 44% with self-monitoring and 55% with habit reversal. Discussion The results of this systematic literature review provide initial evidence for the use of relaxation therapy as a behavioural treatment intervention for tics in patients with TS. Caution is needed in the interpretation of these findings, because the reviewed trials had small sample sizes and there was high heterogeneity across the study protocols.

scholarly journals Muscle disorders and dentition-related aspects in temporomandibular disorders: controversies in the most commonly used treatment modalities

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waseem Jerjes ◽  
Tahwinder Upile ◽  
Syedda Abbas ◽  
Panagiotis Kafas ◽  
Michael Vourvachis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporomandibular Disorders ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Muscle Disorders

scholarly journals Estimating the prevalence of transparency and reproducibility-related research practices in psychology (2014-2017)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Elis Hardwicke ◽  
Robert T. Thibault ◽  
Jessica Elizabeth Kosie ◽  
Joshua D Wallach ◽  
Mallory Kidwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Of Interest ◽  
Psychology Research ◽  
Reform Initiatives ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
Study Protocols ◽  
Psychology Literature ◽  
Disclosure Statement ◽  
Meta Analyses

Psychologists are navigating an unprecedented period of introspection about the credibility and utility of their discipline. Reform initiatives have emphasized the benefits of several transparency and reproducibility-related research practices; however, their adoption across the psychology literature is unknown. To estimate their prevalence, we manually examined a random sample of 250 psychology articles published between 2014-2017. Over half of the articles were publicly available (154/237, 65% [95% confidence interval, 59%-71%]); however, sharing of research materials (26/183, 14% [10%-19%]), study protocols (0/188, 0% [0%-1%]), raw data (4/188, 2% [1%-4%]), and analysis scripts (1/188, 1% [0%-1%]) was rare. Pre-registration was also uncommon (5/188, 3% [1%-5%]). Many articles included a funding disclosure statement (142/228, 62% [56%-69%]), but conflict of interest statements were less common (88/228, 39% [32%-45%]). Replication studies were rare (10/188, 5% [3%-8%]) and few studies were included in systematic reviews (21/183, 11% [8%-16%]) or meta-analyses (12/183, 7% [4%-10%]). Overall, the results suggest that transparency and reproducibility-related research practices were far from routine. These findings establish a baseline which can be used to assess future progress towards increasing the credibility and utility of psychology research.

scholarly journals Low-Energy and Modular Wearable Device for Wireless Measurement of Physiological Signals

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Manuel A. Herrera-Juárez ◽  
Roberto G. Ramírez-Chavarría
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Physiological Signals ◽  
Data Streaming ◽  
Wireless Data ◽  
Notification System ◽  
Promising Tool

The most common way for accessing healthcare and monitoring physiological signals is based on commercial devices. Most of them are, in general, expensive, highly invasive, and require sophisticated infrastructure for operating. Nowadays, wearable devices (WD) offer an attractive technology for circumventing the limitations of classic medical devices. The design of WD, however, remains a challenging task to reach high-performance, reliability, and to be ergonomic. In this work, we develop, to the best of our knowledge, a novel WD with two main highlights. (i) Our device is based on a low-power 32-bit microcontroller, embedding a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module for wireless data streaming with a mobile application for signal monitoring and recording, alongside a warning notification system. (ii) The proposed WD has a modular and flexible design, such that the user can increase the number of sensors by sharing the acquisition and processing system, thus reducing the hardware requirements and exhibiting a minimally invasive arrangement. For all the WD stages, we show their design methodology, the tests for characterizing their performance, and the results obtained from a case of study. For the latter, we consider two sensor prototypes for measuring the corporal temperature with a passive sensor, as well as the breath and heart rates via photoplethysmography signals. Results show that our WD is a cost-effective alternative and a promising tool for healthcare monitoring, as it operates in agreement with physiological levels with high-reliability.

Realtime Ultrasound Elastography Technique for Multifocal Breast Cancer Assessment

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadi Shavakh ◽  
Aaron Fenster ◽  
Abbas Samani
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Ultrasound Elastography ◽  
Average Error ◽  
Appropriate Treatment ◽  
Multifocal Breast Cancer ◽  
Diagnosis And Classification ◽  
Phantom Studies

Early diagnosis and classification of breast cancer is a critical step in choosing appropriate treatment plan. An ultrasound (US) elastography method for unifocal and multifocal breast cancer is presented. While this technique uses full inversion approach, it is cost-effective, fast, and expected to be more sensitive and specific than conventional US based elastography methods. This technique is capable of imaging absolute Young’s modulus (YM) of the tumour in real-time fashion, in contrast with other conventional elastography techniques that image relative elastic modulus off-line. To validate the proposed technique, numerical and tissue mimicking phantom studies were conducted. In the tissue mimicking study, a block shape gelatine-agar phantom was constructed with a cylindrical inclusion located deep inside the phantom. Results obtained from this study show accurate reconstruction of the YM with average error of less than 3%. The numerical phantom study has been extended for multifocal cases with average errors less than 6%.

Simultaneous assessment of targeted anticancer therapy-associated mucocutaneous adverse events.

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e20669-e20669
Author(s):  
Christine Bettine Boers-Doets ◽  
Hans Gelderblom ◽  
Joel Brian Epstein ◽  
Mario E. Lacouture ◽  
Ad A Kaptein
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Targeted Therapy ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Study Protocols ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Meta Analyses

e20669 Background: Mucocutaneous adverse events (mcAEs), including papulopustular rash, xerosis, pruritus, paronychia, hand-foot skin reaction, edema, taste alterations, oral pain and ulceration, hair-, periungual-, and ocular changes occur in the majority of patients during targeted anticancer therapies. Different mcAEs can be present with a variable symptom burden and affect upon patients’ quality of life. Use of standardized targeted therapy specific tools allows comparison of outcomes from different studies and in meta-analyses, advancing patient care and improving outcomes. A mcAE specific assessment tool about symptom burden is currently not available. A questionnaire which assesses both targeted therapy specific patient reported outcomes (PRO) measures and healthcare provider reported outcomes (HPRO) measures is warranted, therefore. Methods: A three-phase process was utilized for item generation, item reduction and scale construction. A comprehensive literature review was performed in PubMed, CINAHL and Embase, and study protocols were screened. Keywords were assessment, questionnaire, tool, EGFRI, and rash. All items with potential relevance for the tool were selected for further evaluation. Twentyone EGFRI treated patients filled out the draft-questionnaire. Results: The search resulted in a simultaneous tool in the form of 61 PRO, and 50 HPRO items. Both tools assess experienced mcAEs inclusive number of papules and pustules, area involved, severity and duration of the symptoms, used products, effectiveness of various (medical) interventions, treatment adherence and distress from the symptoms. Patient input resulted in the addition of 1 item, modification of 7 items, and deletion of 2 items. Conclusions: A novel tool has been generated to assess the experienced mcAEs and effectiveness of supportive care interventions. Since the patient and the provider report mcAEs simultaneously, the provided data are directly comparable, facilitating assessment of quality of life and, therefore, improving quality of medical care.

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