Olfactory dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis: A scoping review of the literature

This scoping review aims to describe occupational therapy interventions carried out with multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in occupational therapy. A peer review of the literature was conducted in different databases: Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase, and in some occupational therapy journals. A search of the literature published was carried out before December 2019. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) articles evaluating the intervention of occupational therapy in MS or ALS including experimental, randomized, nonrandomized and exploratory studies; (2) written in English or Spanish; (3) adult population (over 18 years old). The initial search identified 836 articles of which we included 32 divided into four areas of intervention: fatigue-targeted interventions, cognitive interventions, physical interventions and others. Only 16 studies were carried out exclusively by occupational therapists. Most occupational therapy interventions are aimed at fatigue and physical rehabilitation. The majority of the studies in our review included MS patients, with little representation from the ALS population. These interventions have shown an improvement in perceived fatigue, manual dexterity, falls prevention and improvement in cognitive aspects such as memory, communication, depression and quality of life in the MS and ALS populations.

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Needling Interventions for Sciatica: Choosing Methods Based on Neuropathic Pain Mechanisms—A Scoping Review

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10102189 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 2189

Author(s):

Thomas Perreault ◽

César Fernández-de-las-Peñas ◽

Mike Cummings ◽

Barry C. Gendron

Keyword(s):

Neuropathic Pain ◽

Effective Treatment ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Reference Lists ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Dry Needling ◽

Pain Mechanisms ◽

Literature Searches ◽

Cochrane Database

Sciatica is a condition often accompanied by neuropathic pain (NP). Acupuncture and dry needling are common treatments for pain, and the current literature supports acupuncture as an effective treatment for sciatica. However, it is unknown if the mechanisms of NP are considered in the delivery of needling interventions for sciatica. Our objective was to assess the efficacy and the effectiveness of needling therapies, to identify common needling practices and to investigate if NP mechanisms are considered in the treatment of sciatica. A scoping review of the literature on needling interventions for sciatica and a review of the literature on mechanisms related to NP and needling interventions were performed. Electronic literature searches were conducted on PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception to August, 2020 to identify relevant papers. Reference lists of included papers were also manually screened and a related-articles search through PubMed was performed on all included articles. Mapping of the results included description of included studies, summary of results, and identification of gaps in the existing literature. Ten articles were included. All studies used acupuncture for the treatment of sciatica, no studies on dry needling were identified. Current evidence supports the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture for sciatica, however, no studies considered underlying NP mechanisms in the acupuncture approach for sciatica and the rationale for using acupuncture was inconsistent among trials. This review reveals that neuropathic pain mechanisms are not routinely considered in needling approaches for patients with sciatica. Studies showed acupuncture to be an effective treatment for sciatic pain, however, further research is warranted to explore if needling interventions for sciatica and NP would be more effective if NP mechanisms are considered.

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LGBTQ+ Aging Research in Canada: A 30-Year Scoping Review of the Literature

Geriatrics ◽

10.3390/geriatrics6020060 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 60

Author(s):

Kimberley Wilson ◽

Arne Stinchcombe ◽

Sophie M. Regalado

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Older Adults ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Systematic Search ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Aging Research ◽

Aging Populations ◽

Diverse Groups

Canada has a unique socio-political history concerning the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people. With aging populations, understanding diverse groups of older adults is paramount. We completed a systematic search and scoping review of research in Canada to quantify and articulate the scale and scope of research on LGBTQ+ aging. Our search identified over 4000 results and, after screening for relevance, our review focused on 70 articles. Five major themes in the literature on LGBTQ+ aging in Canada were identified: (1) risk, (2) HIV, (3) stigma, and discrimination as barriers to care, (4) navigating care and identity, (5) documenting the history and changing policy landscapes. Most of the articles were not focused on the aging, yet the findings are relevant when considering the lived experiences of current older adults within LGBTQ+ communities. Advancing the evidence on LGBTQ+ aging involves improving the quality of life and aging experiences for LGBTQ+ older adults through research.

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A scoping review of the literature on the involvement of service users in personality disorder services

Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/ipm.2014.46 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 233-243

Author(s):

L. Montgomery ◽

M. Donnelly

Keyword(s):

Health Policy ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Service User ◽

Mental Health Policy ◽

User Involvement ◽

Service Users ◽

Service User Involvement ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Policy Makers

BackgroundService user involvement is receiving increasing support from mental health policy makers, service planners and research commissioners. However, we lack a good understanding of the nature and extent to which service users are involved in personality disorder (PD) services and the effects of involvement in these services.ObjectivesTo review and appraise published sources; increase understanding about service user involvement in PD services; and highlight knowledge gaps and related issues.MethodsA scoping review methodology was adopted. Data were ‘charted’ to illustrate the landscape of writings and views and a qualitative analysis synthesized the results in terms of key emergent themes.ResultsOnly a small amount of published work was identified with significant gaps in the literature. Effects were reported mostly in terms processes and emotional and practical benefits for service users. Emergent themes were wellness and health, recruitment and support for service users.ConclusionsThis scoping review uncovered a lack of published work despite service user involvement being a key strand of health policy. There is a need for outcomes-focused research regarding service user involvement. Successful user involvement in PD services requires attention to be focused on the context, recruitment, support and ‘wellness’ of service users.

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