scholarly journals Anterior Cingulotomy for the Treatment of Chronic Intractable Pain: A Systematic Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 8;19 (8;11) ◽  
pp. 537-550
Author(s):  
Nader Pouratian

Background: Anterior cingulotomy for chronic pain aims to modulate patients’ attention or emotional reaction to pain rather than to modulate pain intensity. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical efficacy, both short- and long-term, of anterior cingulotomy in the treatment of chronic pain. Study Design: Systematic review. Setting: This systematic review assessed studies reporting anterior cingulotomy for the treatment of chronic pain. Methods: A systematic search of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsychINFO was performed using both key words and controlled vocabulary. Articles included in this review included peerreviewed articles describing clinical outcomes or efficacy of cingulotomy in the treatment of chronic pain with minimum follow-up of 3 months for non-malignant and 2 weeks for malignant pain. Articles reporting cingulectomies or cingulotomy only as combined with other ablative procedures were excluded, as were individual case reports. Results: A total of 11 articles encompassing 224 patients are included in the review, with age ranging 22 to 85 (mean: 56) years at the time of the operation, 59% of which were men. Greater than 60% of patients across all studies were reported to have significant pain relief post-operatively as well as at one year after surgery. Common transient adverse effects included urinary incontinence and confusion/disorientation, subsiding within days postoperatively. Serious/permanent adverse effects included seizure in less than 5%, hemiparesis in less than 1%, and personality change in less than 1% of operations reported across all studies, all of which occurred primarily in operations where magnetic resonance (MR)-guidance was not used. Limitations: The limitations of this systematic review include the lack of studies other than observational reports and the inevitable heterogeneity between included studies. Conclusions: Despite decreased utilization in recent years, anterior cingulotomy is an effective neurosurgical intervention in the treatment of pain and carries little risk of permanent or serious adverse effects. Key words: Anterior cingulotomy, chronic pain, stereotaxis, systematic review, pain, cingulate gyrus, cingulotomy, intractable pain

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 543-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin G. Roberts ◽  
Nader Pouratian

Abstract BACKGROUND: Since the advent of neuromodulation, the role and efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for chronic pain has not been carefully scrutinized. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review to evaluate the clinical efficacy, both short- and long-term, of SRS for the treatment of chronic intractable pain. METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO was performed using keywords and controlled vocabulary. The search included peer-reviewed articles reporting clinical outcomes of SRS for chronic pain with a minimum 3-mo follow-up for nonmalignant and 1 mo for malignant pain. RESULTS: Six articles (113 patients) were evaluated on the basis of radiation target (thalamus vs pituitary) and pain etiology (malignant vs nonmalignant). Across studies, at least 35% of patients were reported to have lasting significant pain relief. By cohort, clinical success was achieved in 51% of pituitary SRS, at least 23% of thalamic SRS, 39% of nonmalignant, and at least 33% of malignant pain patients. Adverse events were noted in 21% of patients; the majority related to hormonal deficits from pituitary SRS. CONCLUSION: Despite decreased utilization, SRS is effective for select patients with chronic pain and is associated with an acceptable complication rate. Pituitary SRS is superior in patients with cancer-related pain (87% success), while thalamic SRS is superior in patients with nonmalignant pain (65% success). Because reports of SRS for pain largely stem from a period before the common use of neuromodulatory and intrathecal therapies, the efficacy in patients who fail such therapies remains unclear and requires further characterization.


Author(s):  
Amaan Javed

Background: The current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has compelled us to scrutinize major outbreaks in the past two decades, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), in 2002, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), in 2012. We aimed to assess the associated neurological manifestations with SARS CoV-2 infection. Methods: In this systematic review, a search was carried out by key-electronic databases, controlled vocabulary, and indexing of trials to evaluate the available pertinent studies which included both medical subject headings (MeSH) and advance electronic databases comprising of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Peer-reviewed studies published in English and Spanish were considered which reported data on the neurological associations of individuals with suspected or laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Outcomes were nervous signs or symptoms; symptom severity; and diagnoses. Findings: Our search identified 45 relevant studies, with 21 case reports, 3 case series, 9 observational studies, 1 retrospective study, 9 retrospective reviews, and 2 prospective reviews. This systematic review revealed that most commonly reported neuronal presentations involved headache, nausea, vomiting and muscular symptoms like fibromyalgia. Anosmia and ageusia, defects in clarity or sharpness of vision (error in visual acuity), and pain may occur in parallel. Notable afflictions in the form of anxiety, anger, confusion, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and post-intensive care syndrome were observed in individuals who were kept in quarantine and those with long-stay admissions in healthcare settings. SARS CoV-2 infection may result in cognitive impairment. Patients with more severe infection exhibited uncommon manifestations, such as acute cerebrovascular diseases (intracerebral haemorrhage, stroke), rhabdomyolysis, encephalopathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome. Interpretation: SARS-CoV-2 patients experience neuronal presentations varying with the progression of the infection. Healthcare professionals should be acquainted with the divergent neurological symptoms and to curb misdiagnosis and limit long term sequelae. Health-care planners and policymakers must prepare for this eventuality, while the ongoing studies increase our knowledge base on acute and chronic neurological associations of this pathogen.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junyi Wu ◽  
Yanmei Hu ◽  
Yin Zhu ◽  
Ping Yin ◽  
Gerhard Litscher ◽  
...  

As a further step towards the modernization of acupuncture, the objective of this review was to figure out the frequency and severity of adverse complications and events in acupuncture treatment reported from 1980 to 2013 in China. All first-hand case reports of acupuncture-related complications and adverse events that could be identified in the scientific literature were reviewed and classified according to the type of complication and adverse event, circumstance of the event, and long-term patient outcome. The selected case reports were published between 1980 and 2013 in 3 databases. Relevant papers were collected and analyzed by 2 reviewers. Over the 33 years, 182 incidents were identified in 133 relevant papers. Internal organ, tissue, or nerve injury is the main complications of acupuncture especially for pneumothorax and central nervous system injury. Adverse effects also included syncope, infections, hemorrhage, allergy, burn, aphonia, hysteria, cough, thirst, fever, somnolence, and broken needles. Qualifying training of acupuncturists should be systemized and the clinical acupuncture operations should be standardized in order to effectively prevent the occurrence of acupuncture accidents, enhance the influence of acupuncture, and further popularize acupuncture to the rest of the world.


2021 ◽  
Vol 02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Al Shatnawi ◽  
Mohammad Sunoqrot ◽  
Basil Al Bakri ◽  
Mohammad Al Oqaily ◽  
Saif Aldeen Al Ryalat

Background: The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which belongs to the family Coronaviridae, is the cause of COVID-19 infection. Its outbreak was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. COVID-19 does not involve the respiratory system solely, but other systems were also noted to be affected, including the endocrine, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems. Several case reports and series have been published regarding SAT related to COVID-19 infection, yet management and clinical outcomes of the disease have not been discussed in detail. Methods: This is a systematic review of cases that have been reported to have subacute thyroiditis induced by COVID-19 infection. A systematic search was conducted throughout multiple databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and MeSH network. Results: The total number of reported subacute thyroiditis cases attributed to COVID-19 is 24. There was a female predominance (18 females and 6 males) with a female to male ratio of 3:1. Ages ranged from 18 to 69 years (mean = 38.67). Twenty-four symptoms related to thyroiditis were reported, the most common of which being neck pain (95.83%, n=23), palpitations (79.17%, n=19), and fever (66.67%, n=16). The outcome was complete resolution in 70% of cases. Conclusion: The endocrine complications of COVID-19 and their management have been disregarded by most as they are rare. Our knowledge of COVID-19 and its complications is growing rapidly. More favourable outcomes were linked with the use of corticosteroid therapy. Until larger studies can be conducted, the management of SAT caused by COVID-19 remains to be based on each individual case. However, the treatment regimen should include corticosteroid therapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Axon ◽  
Mira J. Patel ◽  
Jennifer R. Martin ◽  
Marion K. Slack

AbstractBackground and aimsMultidomain strategies (i.e. two or more strategies) for managing chronic pain are recommended to avoid excessive use of opioids while producing the best outcomes possible. The aims of this systematic review were to: 1) determine if patient-reported pain management is consistent with the use of multidomain strategies; and 2) identify the role of opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patient-reported pain management.MethodsBibliographic databases, websites, and reference lists of included studies were searched to identify published articles reporting community-based surveys of pain self-management from January 1989 to June 2017 using controlled vocabulary (and synonyms): pain; self-care; self-management; self-treatment; and adult. Two independent reviewers screened studies and extracted data on subject demographics, pain characteristics, pain self-management strategies, and pain outcomes. Pain self-management strategies were organized according to our conceptual model. Included studies were assessed for risk of bias. Differences between the researchers were resolved by consensus.ResultsFrom the 3,235 unique records identified, 18 studies published between 2002 and 2017 from 10 countries were included. Twenty-two types of pharmacological strategies were identified (16 prescription, six non-prescription). NSAIDs (15 studies, range of use 10–72%) and opioids (12 studies, range of use 5–72%) were the most commonly reported prescription pharmacological strategies. Other prescription pharmacological strategies included analgesics, acetaminophen, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, salicylates, β-blockers and calcium channel blockers, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and steroids, muscle relaxants, topical products, triptans, and others. Twenty-two types of non-pharmacological strategies were identified: four medical strategies (10 studies), 10 physical strategies (15 studies), four psychological strategies (12 studies), and four self-initiated strategies (15 studies). Medical strategies included consulting a medical practitioner, chiropractic, and surgery. Physical strategies included exercise, massage, hot and cold modalities, acupuncture, physical therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, activity modification or restriction, assistive devices, and altering body position/posture. Psychological strategies included relaxation, prayer or meditation, therapy, and rest/sleep. Self-initiated strategies included dietary or herbal supplements, dietary modifications, and complementary and alternative medicine. Overall, the number of strategies reported among the studies ranged from five to 28 (out of 44 identified strategies). Limited data on pain outcomes was reported in 15 studies, and included satisfaction with pain management strategies, pain interference on daily activities, adverse events, lost work or restricted activity days, emergency department visits, and disabilities.ConclusionsA wide variety and large number of pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies to manage chronic pain were reported, consistent with the use of multidomain strategies. High levels of use of both NSAIDs and opioids also were reported.ImplicationsComprehensive review and consultation with patients about their pain management strategies is likely needed for optimal outcomes. Additional research is needed to determine: how many, when, and why multidomain strategies are used; the relationship between opioid use, multidomain management strategies, and level of pain; how multidomain strategies relate to outcomes; and if adding strategies to a pain management plan increases the risk of adverse events or interactions, and increases an individuals pain management burden.


2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Marcy L. Brown

A review of: Golder, Su, Heather M. McIntosh, Steve Duffy, and Julie Glanville. “Developing Efficient Search Strategies to Identify Reports of Adverse Effects in MEDLINE and EMBASE.” Health Information & Libraries Journal 23.1 (Mar. 2006): 3-12. Objective – To assess the sensitivity and precision of various search strategies for retrieving adverse effects studies from the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Design – Analytical survey. Subjects – A case study using a recently published systematic review of the effectiveness and adverse effects of seven new anti-epileptic drugs. Setting – MEDLINE and EMBASE searches performed by researchers at the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and the UK Cochrane Centre Search Filters Design Group at the University of York, UK. Methods – Five key approaches to searching were defined. The first approach used either text words or controlled vocabulary to search for specific adverse effects. The second used subheadings or qualifiers either attached to drug names found in the controlled vocabulary (approach 2a) or ‘floating’ without drug names (approach 2b). The third approach used text words as synonyms for the phrase ‘adverse effects.’ The fourth used controlled indexing terms for adverse effects. The fifth and final approach used two published search strategies incorporating study design (Badgett et al., Loke et al.). These five approaches were used to search for studies of the adverse effects of seven new anti-epileptic drugs. 5,011 unique papers were retrieved. Of these, 236 were judged potentially relevant and 225 full text articles were obtained. The inclusion criteria from a previously published systematic review (Wilby et al.) were applied to the papers, and 79 met the criteria. Five papers were added to the set after being identified from reference lists, clinical experts, and other sources. This new set of 84 studies was used as a quasi gold standard (QGS) against which more than 300 combinations of the five approaches could be tested. To create the set of possible approaches, the researchers combined search strategies one through four in all possible ways, and used all available subheading combinations from 2a and 2b. The Badgett and Loke searches were tested separately. Main Results – Sensitivity and precision were determined for each combination. Formulas used to calculate sensitivity and precision were provided. In MEDLINE, search strategies using floating subheadings achieved the highest sensitivity. The most useful single subheading in both MEDLINE and EMBASE was “adverse effects,” with 79.1% and 79.5% sensitivity respectively. Of the more than 300 combinations tested, the most sensitive combination in MEDLINE included specified adverse effects in combination with the floating subheadings “adverse effects,” “complications,” and “drug effects,” together with text words for adverse effects. This strategy had 97.0% sensitivity, but low precision at 2.8%. The highest precision was achieved by using subheadings attached to drug indexing terms. In EMBASE, the strategy of Loke et al. provided the highest sensitivity at 86.3% and precision of 2.0%. Since researchers are not likely to know in advance all of the reported adverse effects of a particular drug therapy, the most sensitive strategies without specific adverse events were also identified. The search with the highest sensitivity in MEDLINE had 95.5% sensitivity, and 97.3% sensitivity in EMBASE. Conclusion – Searching for adverse effects requires a combination of approaches in both MEDLINE and EMBASE. In MEDLINE, the most sensitive combination yielded 97.0% sensitivity. Regardless of the approach used, precision remains low. An effective generic search filter for adverse effects searches may not yet be feasible. More research is needed on search strategies, as well as more consistent methods of reporting and indexing adverse effects.


2000 ◽  
Vol 89 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S35-S38 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Dantas ◽  
H Rampes

AbstractObjective: To evaluate the safety of homeopathic medicines by critically appraising reports of adverse effects published in English from 1970 to 1995.Method: Systematic review on information regarding adverse effects of homeopathic medicines identified using electronic databases, hand searching, searching reference lists, reviewing the bibliography of trials, and other relevant articles, contacting homeopathic pharmaceutical companies and drug regulatory agencies in UK and USA, and by communicating with experts in homeopathy.Results: The mean incidence of adverse effects of homeopathic medicines was greater than placebo in controlled clinical trials (9.4/6.1) but effects were minor, transient and comparable. There was a large incidence of pathogenetic effects in healthy volunteers taking homeopathic medicines but the methodological quality of these studies was generally low. Anecdotal reports of adverse effects in homeopathic publications were not well documented and mainly reported aggravation of current symptoms. Case reports in conventional medical journals pointed more to adverse effects of mislabelled ‘homeopathic products’ than to true homeopathic medicines.Conclusions: Homeopathic medicines in high dilutions, prescribed by trained professionals, are probably safe and unlikely to provoke severe adverse reactions. It is difficult to draw definite conclusions due to the low methodological quality of reports claiming possible adverse effects of homeopathic medicines.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1939-1951 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Halai ◽  
C. Somani ◽  
N. Donos ◽  
Luigi Nibali

Abstract Objective The aim of this systematic review was to appraise the existing literature on periodontal disease in children affected by different types of neutrophil-associated primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). Methods A PRESS-validated search strategy was developed to search through databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, LILACS, Google Scholar and Open Grey. All included studies were assessed for methodological quality and risk of bias. Results One hundred eighteen articles reporting on 160 PID patients were included for qualitative analysis. The majority (70%) were individual case reports. Clinical and radiographic manifestations of the periodontal disease included poor oral hygiene, generalised alveolar bone loss, severe gingival inflammation, increased pocket depths, tooth mobility and gingival recession. For most studies, the primary intervention was periodontal treatment in the form of scaling and root planing or dental extractions. Stabilisation of the periodontal condition varied between different PIDs. In severe congenital neutropenia (SCN), 61% of cases reported stabilisation of the periodontal condition, while for all other PIDs, ‘stability’ was reported in less than 43% of cases. Conclusion The published literature suggests that patients with PIDs can present with severe periodontitis and that conventional treatment approaches have limited benefits.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marios Charalambous

<p>Various anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are used for the management of idiopathic epilepsy (IE) in dogs. Their safety profile is an important consideration for regulatory bodies, owners and prescribing clinicians. However, information on their adverse effects still remains limited with most of it derived from non-blinded non-randomized uncontrolled trials and case reports.</p><p><span>This poster won third place, which was presented at the Veterinary Evidence Today conference, Edinburgh November 1-3, 2016. </span></p><br /> <img src="https://www.veterinaryevidence.org/rcvskmod/icons/oa-icon.jpg" alt="Open Access" />


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