How are normal sleeping controls selected? A systematic review of cross-sectional insomnia studies and a standardized method to select healthy controls for sleep research

Abstract Context: People with CHD are at increased risk for executive functioning deficits. Meta-analyses of these measures in CHD patients compared to healthy controls have not been reported. Objective: To examine differences in executive functions in individuals with CHD compared to healthy controls. Data sources: We performed a systematic review of publications from 1 January, 1986 to 15 June, 2020 indexed in PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Study selection: Inclusion criteria were (1) studies containing at least one executive function measure; (2) participants were over the age of three. Data extraction: Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two authors. We used a shifting unit-of-analysis approach and pooled data using a random effects model. Results: The search yielded 61,217 results. Twenty-eight studies met criteria. A total of 7789 people with CHD were compared with 8187 healthy controls. We found the following standardised mean differences: −0.628 (−0.726, −0.531) for cognitive flexibility and set shifting, −0.469 (−0.606, −0.333) for inhibition, −0.369 (−0.466, −0.273) for working memory, −0.334 (−0.546, −0.121) for planning/problem solving, −0.361 (−0.576, −0.147) for summary measures, and −0.444 (−0.614, −0.274) for reporter-based measures (p < 0.001). Limitations: Our analysis consisted of cross-sectional and observational studies. We could not quantify the effect of collinearity. Conclusions: Individuals with CHD appear to have at least moderate deficits in executive functions. Given the growing population of people with CHD, more attention should be devoted to identifying executive dysfunction in this vulnerable group.

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The Role of Neuropeptides in Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic Review

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2013/687575 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Gianluca Serafini ◽

Maurizio Pompili ◽

Daniel Lindqvist ◽

Yogesh Dwivedi ◽

Paolo Girardi

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Suicidal Behavior ◽

Emotional Processing ◽

Review Paper ◽

Corticotropin Releasing Factor ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Completed Suicide

There is a growing evidence that neuropeptides may be involved in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior. A critical review of the literature was conducted to investigate the association between neuropeptides and suicidal behavior. Only articles from peer-reviewed journals were selected for the inclusion in the present review. Twenty-six articles were assessed for eligibility but only 22 studies were included. Most studies have documented an association between suicidality and some neuropeptides such as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), VGF, cholecystokinin, substance P, and neuropeptide Y (NPY), which have been demonstrated to act as key neuromodulators of emotional processing. Significant differences in neuropeptides levels have been found in those who have attempted or completed suicide compared with healthy controls or those dying from other causes. Despite cross-sectional associations between neuropeptides levels and suicidal behavior, causality may not be inferred. The implications of the mentioned studies were discussed in this review paper.

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Is the Phenylalanine-Restricted Diet a Risk Factor for Overweight or Obesity in Patients with Phenylketonuria (PKU)? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13103443 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 3443

Author(s):

Catarina Rodrigues ◽

Alex Pinto ◽

Ana Faria ◽

Diana Teixeira ◽

Annemiek M. J. van Wegberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

General Assumption ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Restricted Diet ◽

Cross Sectional

Although there is a general assumption that a phenylalanine (Phe)-restricted diet promotes overweight in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), it is unclear if this presumption is supported by scientific evidence. This systematic review aimed to determine if patients with PKU are at a higher risk of overweight compared to healthy individuals. A literature search was carried out on PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. Risk of bias of individual studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies, and the quality of the evidence for each outcome was assessed using the NutriGrade scoring system. From 829 articles identified, 15 were included in the systematic review and 12 in the meta-analysis. Body mass index (BMI) was similar between patients with PKU and healthy controls, providing no evidence to support the idea that a Phe-restricted diet is a risk factor for the development of overweight. However, a subgroup of patients with classical PKU had a significantly higher BMI than healthy controls. Given the increasing prevalence of overweight in the general population, patients with PKU require lifelong follow-up, receiving personalised nutritional counselling, with methodical nutritional status monitoring from a multidisciplinary team in inherited metabolic disorders.

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Somatosensory-Evoked Potentials as a Marker of Functional Neuroplasticity in Athletes: A Systematic Review

Frontiers in Physiology ◽

10.3389/fphys.2021.821605 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Tom Maudrich ◽

Susanne Hähner ◽

Rouven Kenville ◽

Patrick Ragert

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Evoked Potentials ◽

Somatosensory Evoked Potentials ◽

Diagnostic Tool ◽

Small Sample ◽

Sensorimotor System ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Exercise Induced ◽

Functional Neuroplasticity

BackgroundSomatosensory-evoked potentials (SEP) represent a non-invasive tool to assess neural responses elicited by somatosensory stimuli acquired via electrophysiological recordings. To date, there is no comprehensive evaluation of SEPs for the diagnostic investigation of exercise-induced functional neuroplasticity. This systematic review aims at highlighting the potential of SEP measurements as a diagnostic tool to investigate exercise-induced functional neuroplasticity of the sensorimotor system by reviewing studies comparing SEP parameters between athletes and healthy controls who are not involved in organized sports as well as between athlete cohorts of different sport disciplines.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted across three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus) by two independent researchers. Three hundred and ninety-seven records were identified, of which 10 cross-sectional studies were considered eligible.ResultsDifferences in SEP amplitudes and latencies between athletes and healthy controls or between athletes of different cohorts as well as associations between SEP parameters and demographic/behavioral variables (years of training, hours of training per week & reaction time) were observed in seven out of 10 included studies. In particular, several studies highlight differences in short- and long-latency SEP parameters, as well as high-frequency oscillations (HFO) when comparing athletes and healthy controls. Neuroplastic differences in athletes appear to be modality-specific as well as dependent on training regimens and sport-specific requirements. This is exemplified by differences in SEP parameters of various athlete populations after stimulation of their primarily trained limb.ConclusionTaken together, the existing literature suggests that athletes show specific functional neuroplasticity in the somatosensory system. Therefore, this systematic review highlights the potential of SEP measurements as an easy-to-use and inexpensive diagnostic tool to investigate functional neuroplasticity in the sensorimotor system of athletes. However, there are limitations regarding the small sample sizes and inconsistent methodology of SEP measurements in the studies reviewed. Therefore, future intervention studies are needed to verify and extend the conclusions drawn here.

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The association between dietary inflammatory index and risk of central obesity in adults: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831/a000648 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 90 (5-6) ◽

pp. 535-552 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mahdieh Abbasalizad Farhangi ◽

Mahdi Vajdi

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Central Obesity ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Weighted Mean Difference ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Dietary Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Inflammatory Status ◽

Obesity Indices

Abstract. Backgrounds: Central obesity, as a pivotal component of metabolic syndrome is associated with numerous co-morbidities. Dietary factors influence central obesity by increased inflammatory status. However, recent studies didn’t evaluate the association between central obesity and dietary inflammation index (DII®) that give score to dietary factors according to their inflammatory potential. In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, we summarized the studies that investigated the association between DII® with central obesity indices in the general populations. Methods: In a systematic search from PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Sciences and Cochrane electronic databases, we collected relevant studies written in English and published until 30 October 2019. The population of included studies were apparently healthy subjects or individuals with obesity or obesity-related diseases. Observational studies that evaluated the association between DII® and indices of central obesity including WC or WHR were included. Results: Totally thirty-two studies were included; thirty studies were cross-sectional and two were cohort studies with 103071 participants. Meta-analysis of observational studies showed that higher DII® scores were associated with 1.81 cm increase in WC (Pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) = 1.813; CI: 0.785–2.841; p = 0.001). Also, a non-significant increase in the odds of having higher WC (OR = 1.162; CI: 0.95–1.43; p = 0.154) in the highest DII category was also observed. In subgroup analysis, the continent, dietary assessment tool and gender were the heterogeneity sources. Conclusion: The findings proposed that adherence to diets with high DII® scores was associated with increased WC. Further studies with interventional designs are necessary to elucidate the causality inference between DII® and central obesity indices.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of The Increased Level of Depression and Anxiety in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients Compared with Healthy Controls: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.727778435.793534055 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Mark Pimentel

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Irritable Bowel

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study and Systematic Review of Necrobiotic Xanthogranuloma With Proposed Diagnostic Criteria.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.737217058.793576033 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Iris Zalaudek ◽

Claudio Conforti

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Diagnostic Criteria ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

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Effectiveness of Passion Fruit Peel Flour (Passiflora edulis L.) versus Turmeric Flour (Curcuma longa L.) on Glycemic Control: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Current Diabetes Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573399815666191026125941 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 450-456

Author(s):

Danilo F. Sousa ◽

Vivian S. Veras ◽

Vanessa E.C.S. Freire ◽

Maria L. Paula ◽

Maria A.A.O. Serra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Glycemic Control ◽

Curcuma Longa ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Passion Fruit ◽

Joint Analysis ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Bias Analysis ◽

Fruit Peel ◽

Cross Sectional

Background:: It is undeniable that diabetes may cause several health complications for the population. Many of these complications are associated with poor glycemic control. Due to this, strategies to handle this problem are of great clinical importance and may contribute to reducing the various complications from diabetes. Objective: : The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the passion fruit peel flour versus turmeric flour on glycemic control. Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA protocol. The following inclusion criteria were applied: (1) Case-control studies, cohort studies, and clinical trials, due to the improved statistical analysis and, in restrict cases, cross-sectional studies; (2) Articles published in any language. The databases used for the search were PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and LILACS. A bias analysis and a meta-analyses were undertaken using R Studio (version 3.3.1) using effect- size models. Results: : A total of 565 studies were identified from which 11 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Through isolated analysis, the effectiveness of turmeric flour on glycemic control was in the order of 0.73 CI (Confidence Interval) (from 0.68 to 0.79) and the effectiveness of passion fruit peel flour was 0.32 CI (0.23 to 0.45). The joint analysis resulted in 0.59 CI (0.52 to 0.68). The assessment of blood glucose was by glycated hemoglobin levels. All values were significant at a p < 0.05 level. Conclusion: Both interventions showed significant effects on glycemic control.

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Oxidative status in plasma, urine and saliva of girls with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls: a cross-sectional study

Journal of Eating Disorders ◽

10.1186/s40337-021-00408-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra Gaál Kovalčíková ◽

Ľubica Tichá ◽

Katarína Šebeková ◽

Peter Celec ◽

Alžbeta Čagalová ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Redox Homeostasis ◽

Oxidative Status ◽

Carbonyl Stress ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Psychosomatic Disorder ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Wide Range ◽

Markers Of Oxidative Stress

Abstract Background Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychosomatic disorder with unclear pathomechanisms. Metabolic dysregulation is associated with disruption of redox homeostasis that might play a pivotal role in the development of AN. The aim of our study was to assess oxidative status and carbonyl stress in plasma, urine and saliva of patients with AN and healthy controls. Methods Plasma, spot urine, and saliva were collected from 111 girls with AN (aged from 10 to 18 years) and from 29 age-matched controls. Markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status were measured using spectrophotometric and fluorometric methods. Results Plasma advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were significantly higher in patients with AN than in healthy controls (by 96, and 82%, respectively). Accordingly, urinary concentrations of AOPP and fructosamines and salivary concentrations of AGEs were higher in girls with AN compared with controls (by 250, and 41% in urine; by 92% in saliva, respectively). Concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in saliva were 3-times higher in the patients with AN than in the controls. Overall antioxidants were lower in plasma of girls with AN compared to the controls, as shown by total antioxidant capacity and ratio of reduced and oxidized glutathione (by 43, and 31%, respectively). Conclusions This is the first study assessing wide range of markers of oxidative status in plasma, urine and saliva of the patients with AN. We showed that both, higher levels of markers of oxidative stress and lower antioxidants play a role in redox disruption. Restoration of redox homeostasis might be of the clinical relevance

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Prodromal Symptoms in Depression: A Systematic Review

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics ◽

10.1159/000517953 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Giada Benasi ◽

Giovanni A. Fava ◽

Jenny Guidi

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Unipolar Depression ◽

Prodromal Phase ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prodromal Symptoms ◽

Clinical Issue ◽

Residual Symptoms ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Staging Model ◽

Depressive Episodes

Introduction: Appraisal of prodromal symptoms of unipolar depression may complement the traditional cross-sectional approach and provide a longitudinal perspective, according to a staging model of the illness. Objective: To provide an updated systematic review of clinical studies concerned with prodromal symptoms of unipolar depression, according to PRISMA guidelines. Methods: Keyword searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Longitudinal studies on prodromal symptoms and signs in adult patients primarily diagnosed with unipolar depression were selected. Findings were examined separately according to study design (i.e., retrospective or prospective). Results: Twenty-five studies met the criteria for inclusion in this systematic review. Findings indicate that a distinct prodromal symptomatology – commonly characterized by anxiety, tension, irritability, and somatic complaints – exists before the onset of unipolar depression. The duration of the prodromal phase was highly variable across studies, ranging from less than a month to several years. Prodromal symptoms profile and duration were consistent within individuals across depressive episodes. There was a close relationship between prodromal and residual symptoms of the same depressive episode. Conclusions: The present systematic review addresses an important, and yet relatively neglected, clinical issue that deserves further investigation and may be of immediate practical value. The findings provide challenging insights into the pathogenesis and course of unipolar depression, which may result in more timely and effective treatment of recurrences. The definition of a prodromal phase in depression would benefit from the joint use of symptom identification, biomarkers, and neuroimaging.

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