scholarly journals Non-invasive brain stimulation effectiveness in anxiety disorder treatment: a meta-analysis on sham/behavior-controlled studies

Author(s):  
Alessandra Vergallito ◽  
Alessia Gallucci ◽  
Alberto Pisoni ◽  
Gabriele Caselli ◽  
Giovanni M. Ruggiero ◽  
...  

AbstractOver the past decades, the possibility of using non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) to treat mental disorders received considerable attention. To date, no recommendation is available for anxiety disorders, suggesting that evidence is still limited. Here, we systematically revised the existing literature, and quantitively analyzed the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation in anxiety disorders treatment.Following PRISMA guidelines, three electronic databases were screened to the end of February 2020 to select English-written peer-reviewed articles, including a clinical anxiety sample, a NIBS technique, and a control condition. Overall, ten papers met the inclusion criteria.TheHedge g for scores at the specific and generic anxiety questionnaires before and after the treatment was computed as effect size and analyzed in two independent random-effects meta-analyses. Moreover, considering the well-known comorbidity between anxiety and depression, a third meta-analysis was run, analyzing depression scores’ outcomes. Albeit preliminary, our findings highlighted that real stimulation significantly reduced anxiety and depression scores compared to the control condition, suggesting that NIBS can alleviate clinical symptoms.

BMC Surgery ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Granieri ◽  
Francesco Sessa ◽  
Alessandro Bonomi ◽  
Sissi Paleino ◽  
Federica Bruno ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Entero-colovesical fistula is a rare complication of various benign and malignant diseases. The diagnosis is prominently based on clinical symptoms; imaging studies are necessary not only to confirm the presence of the fistula, but more importantly to demonstrate the extent and the nature of the fistula. There is still a lack of consensus regarding the if, when and how to repair the fistula. The aim of the study is to review the different surgical treatment options, focus on surgical indications, and explore cumulative recurrence, morbidity, and mortality rates of entero-vesical and colo-vesical fistula patients. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Random effects meta-analyses of proportions were developed to assess primary and secondary endpoints. I2 statistic and Cochran’s Q test were computed to assess inter-studies’ heterogeneity. Results Twenty-two studies were included in the analysis with a total of 861 patients. Meta-analyses of proportions pointed out 5, 22.2, and 4.9% rates for recurrence, complications, and mortality respectively. A single-stage procedure was performed in 75.5% of the cases, whereas a multi-stage operation in 15.5% of patients. Palliative surgery was performed in 6.2% of the cases. In 2.3% of the cases, the surgical procedure was not specified. Simple and advanced repair of the bladder was performed in 84.3% and 15.6% of the cases respectively. Conclusions Although burdened by a non-negligible rate of complications, surgical repair of entero-colovesical fistula leads to excellent results in terms of primary healing. Our review offers opportunities for significant further research in this field. Level of Evidence Level III according to ELIS (SR/MA with up to two negative criteria).


BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. e015669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Terrence O'Brien ◽  
Gabriel Torrealba Acosta ◽  
Rodrigo Huerta ◽  
Aurore Thibaut

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-187
Author(s):  
Anita Pollak ◽  
Małgorzata Chrupała-Pniak ◽  
Patrycja Rudnicka ◽  
Mateusz Paliga

Abstract Over the past decade work engagement has gained both business and academia attention. With growing number of studies and meta-analyses the concept of work engagement is one of the pillars of positive work and organizational psychology. This systematic review presents the current state of research on work engagement in Poland. Results confirmed that work-engagement studies have not yet reached the threshold to conduct meta-analysis. The review of measurement methods and synthesis of findings allows to identify strengths and gaps in Polish studies. Discussion of limitations and biases in current research is accompanied with urge to overcome them and develop thriving stream of research on work engagement.


F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nya Mehnwolo Boayue ◽  
Gábor Csifcsák ◽  
Oula Puonti ◽  
Axel Thielscher ◽  
Matthias Mittner

During the past decade, it became clear that the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are substantially influenced by variations in individual head and brain anatomy. In addition to structural variations in the healthy, several psychiatric disorders are characterized by anatomical alterations that are likely to further constrain the intracerebral effects of NIBS. Here, we present high-resolution realistic head models derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging data of 19 healthy adults and 19 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). By using a freely available software package for modelling the effects of different NIBS protocols, we show that our head models are well-suited for assessing inter-individual and between-group variability in the magnitude and focality of tDCS-induced electric fields for two protocols targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.


Author(s):  
Holly J. Baker ◽  
Peter J. Lawrence ◽  
Jessica Karalus ◽  
Cathy Creswell ◽  
Polly Waite

AbstractAnxiety disorders are common in adolescence but outcomes for adolescents are unclear and we do not know what factors moderate treatment outcome for this age group. We conducted meta-analyses to establish the effectiveness of psychological therapies for adolescent anxiety disorders in (i) reducing anxiety disorder symptoms, and (ii) remission from the primary anxiety disorder, compared with controls, and examine potential moderators of treatment effects. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018091744). Electronic databases (Web of Science, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, EMBASE) were searched from January 1990 to December 2019. 2511 articles were reviewed, those meeting strict criteria were included. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted. Analyses of symptom severity outcomes comprised sixteen studies (CBT k = 15, non-CBT k = 1; n = 766 adolescents), and analyses of diagnostic remission outcomes comprised nine (CBT k = 9; n = 563 adolescents). Post-treatment, those receiving treatment were significantly more likely to experience reduced symptom severity (SMD = 0.454, 95% CI 0.22–0.69) and remission from the primary anxiety disorder than controls (RR = 7.94, 95% CI 3.19–12.7) (36% treatment vs. 9% controls in remission). None of the moderators analysed were statistically significant. Psychological therapies targeting anxiety disorders in adolescents are more effective than controls. However, with only just over a third in remission post-treatment, there is a clear need to develop more effective treatments for adolescents, evaluated through high-quality randomised controlled trials incorporating active controls and follow-up data.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Mistire Teshome Guta ◽  
Tiwabwork Tekalign ◽  
Nefsu Awoke ◽  
Robera Olana Fite ◽  
Getahun Dendir ◽  
...  

Aims. This systemic review and meta-analysis were aimed at determining the level of anxiety and depression among cystic fibrosis patients in the world. Methods. We conducted a systematic search of published studies from PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and manually on Google Scholar. This meta-analysis follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The quality of studies was assessed by the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Meta-analysis was carried out using a random-effects method using the STATA™ Version 14 software. Trim and fill analysis was done to correct the presence of significant publication bias. Result. From 419,820 obtained studies, 26 studies from 2 different parts of the world including 9766. The overall global pooled prevalence of anxiety and depression after correction for publication bias by trim and fill analysis was found to be 24.91(95% CI: 20.8-28.9) for anxiety. The subgroup analyses revealed with the lowest prevalence, 23.59%, (95% CI: 8.08, 39.09)) in North America and the highest, 26.77%, (95% CI: 22.5, 31.04) seen in Europe for anxiety and with the highest prevalence, 18.67%, (95% CI: 9.82, 27.5) in North America and the lowest, 13.27%, (95% CI: -10.05, 16.5) seen in Europe for depression. Conclusion. The global prevalence of anxiety and depression among cystic fibrosis patients is common. Therefore, close monitoring of the patient, regularly screening for anxiety and depression, and appropriate prevention techniques is recommended.


Author(s):  
Vinzent Wolf ◽  
Anne Kühnel ◽  
Vanessa Teckentrup ◽  
Julian Koenig ◽  
Nils B. Kroemer

AbstractNon-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), have considerable potential for clinical use. Beneficial effects of taVNS have been demonstrated on symptoms in patients with mental or neurological disorders as well as transdiagnostic dimensions, including mood and motivation. However, since taVNS research is still an emerging field, the underlying neurophysiological processes are not yet fully understood, and the replicability of findings on biomarkers of taVNS effects has been questioned. Here, we perform a living Bayesian random effects meta-analysis to synthesize the current evidence concerning the effects of taVNS on heart rate variability (HRV), a candidate biomarker that has, so far, received most attention in the field. To keep the synthesis of evidence transparent and up to date as new studies are being published, we developed a Shiny web app that regularly incorporates new results and enables users to modify study selection criteria to evaluate the robustness of the inference across potential confounds. Our analysis focuses on 17 single-blind studies comparing taVNS versus sham in healthy participants. These newly synthesized results provide strong evidence for the null hypothesis (g = 0.011, CIshortest = [−0.103, 0.125], BF01 = 25.587), indicating that acute taVNS does not alter HRV compared to sham. To conclude, based on a synthesis of the available evidence to date, there is no support for the hypothesis that HRV is a robust biomarker for acute taVNS. By increasing transparency and timeliness, we believe that the concept of living meta-analyses can lead to transformational benefits in emerging fields such as non-invasive brain stimulation.


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