scholarly journals Neurophysiological changes of brain and spinal cord in individuals with patellofemoral pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e049882
Author(s):  
Jing Nong Liang ◽  
Savanna Budge ◽  
Austin Madriaga ◽  
Kara Meske ◽  
Derrick Nguyenton ◽  
...  

IntroductionReduced neuromuscular control due to altered neurophysiological functions of the central nervous system has been suggested to cause movement deficits in individuals with patellofemoral pain (PFP). However, the underlying neurophysiological measures of brain and spinal cord in this population remain to be poorly understood. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence for altered cortical and spinal cord functions in individuals with PFP.Methods and analysisThe protocol for conducting the review was prepared using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines. We will systematically search the literature that examines cortical and spinal cord functions in individuals with PFP, aged 18–45 years. The studies for cross-sectional, prospective, longitudinal, case–control and randomised control trial designs will be included from the following databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE and Web of Science. Only studies published in English prior to 1 February 2021 will be included. The risk of bias and quality assessment will be performed using National Institutes of Health’s Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. We will conduct meta-analysis of the data where appropriate. Narrative synthesis will be taken if a meta-analysis is not possible.Ethics and disseminationThis is a systematic review from the existing literature and does not require ethical approval. The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal in the field of rehabilitation medicine, sports/orthopaedic medicine or neurology, regardless of the outcome.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020212128.

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 214-218
Author(s):  
W Michael Hooten ◽  
Rajat N Moman ◽  
Jodie Dvorkin ◽  
E Morgan Pollard ◽  
Robalee Wonderman ◽  
...  

BackgroundSmoking adversely impacts pain-related outcomes of spinal cord stimulation (SCS). However, the proportion of SCS patients at risk of worse outcomes is limited by an incomplete knowledge of smoking prevalence in this population. Thus, the primary aim of this systematic review is to determine the prevalence of smoking in adults with chronic pain treated with SCS.MethodsA comprehensive search of databases from 1 January 1980 to 3 January 2019 was conducted. Eligible study designs included (1) randomized trials; (2) prospective and retrospective cohort studies; and (3) cross-sectional studies. The risk of bias was assessed using a tool specifically developed for prevalence studies. A total of 1619 records were screened, 19 studies met inclusion criteria, and the total number of participants was 10 838.ResultsThirteen studies had low or moderate risk of bias, and six had a high risk of bias. All 19 studies reported smoking status and the pooled prevalence was 38% (95% CI 30% to 47%). The pooled prevalence in 6 studies of peripheral vascular diseases was 56% (95% CI 42% to 69%), the pooled prevalence of smoking in 11 studies of lumbar spine diagnoses was 28% (95% CI 20% to 36%) and the pooled prevalence in 2 studies of refractory angina was 44% (95% CI 31% to 58%).ConclusionsThe estimated prevalence of smoking in SCS patients is 2.5 times greater than the general population. Future research should focus on development, testing and deployment of tailored smoking cessation treatments for SCS patients.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e031541
Author(s):  
A Jess Williams ◽  
Jon Arcelus ◽  
Ellen Townsend ◽  
Maria Michail

IntroductionYoung people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ+) are at increased risk for self-harm, suicide ideation and behaviours. However, there has yet to be a comprehensive understanding of what risk factors influence these behaviours within LGBTQ+ young people as a whole. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine risk factors associated with self-harm, suicidal ideation and behaviour in LGBTQ+) young people.Methods and analysisA systematic review will be conducted, conforming to the reporting guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement recommendations. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Web of Science) will be systematically searched for cross-sectional, prospective, longitudinal, cohort and case–control designs which examine risk factors for self-harm and/or suicidal ideation and behaviour in LGBTQ+ young people (aged 12–25 years). Only studies published in English will be included. No date restrictions will be applied. Study quality assessment will be conducted using the original and modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scales. Meta-analysis or narrative synthesis will be used, dependent on findings.Ethics and disseminationThis is a systematic review of published literature and thereby ethical approval was not sought. The review will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, be publicly disseminated at conferences focusing on mental health, self-harm and suicide prevention. The findings will also be shared through public engagement and involvement, particularly those related to young LGBTQ+ individuals.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019130037.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Rola Hamadeh ◽  
Amani Mohsen ◽  
Firas Kobeissy ◽  
Ali Karouni ◽  
Hikmat Akoum

<b><i>Objective:</i></b> Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a serious disease of pregnancy and one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality for both the mother and baby. This systematic review aims to detect the role of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) in the detection of PE. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Thirty-four articles published between 2001 and 2019 were included in this review. The articles were extracted from OVID Medline and Embase. The study designs of these articles are randomized controlled, cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies evaluating CRP as a marker to predict or early diagnose PE. The quality assessment of these articles is made by the modified Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool. Meta-analysis was not done because of clinical and statistical heterogeneity. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A positive association between CRP levels and the development of PE was confirmed in 18 studies. This positive effect was addressed in patients with normal BMI (&#x3c;25 kg/m<sup>2</sup>) in 3 studies and in overweight patients in 2 studies. One study addressed this positive association in patients with a BMI ranging between 28 and 31 kg/m<sup>2</sup>. Three studies determined a cutoff level of CRP above which a significant risk of PE development should be suspected. These levels ranged between 7 and 15 mg/L. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> CRP is a promising cost-effective biomarker that may be used in the prediction of PE. A CRP level higher than 15 mg/L may suggest initiation of low-dose aspirin in low-risk pregnancies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Neda Rahimian ◽  
Mohammad Aghajanpour ◽  
Leila Jouybari ◽  
Pedram Ataee ◽  
Asadollah Fathollahpour ◽  
...  

Background. Asthma is an important reason for hospitalization in children aged under five years. Information about the current status of asthma in Iranian children can help the Iranian health sector plan carefully and prevent asthma incidence by educating the families. The present systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed at estimating asthma prevalence in Iranian children and adolescents. Method. Data were found using keywords such as prevalence, epidemiology, asthma, adolescent, children, pediatrics, Iran in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases. Three national databases, including Magiran, Barakat Pharmed Co (Iran medex), and Scientific Information Databank (SID) were searched until 1 October 2020. Cross-sectional and original studies were included in the study, and then, quality assessment was done using the National Institutes of Health’s Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. A pooled estimated prevalence of asthma was calculated using Der Simonian-Laird random model. Egger’s test was used to evaluate publication bias. The data were analyzed using the STATA software version 16. Results. 30 studies were selected and investigated. The prevalence of asthma in children and adolescents was 6% and 8%, and the prevalence in boys and girls was 9% and 8%, respectively. Among the asthma symptoms, wheezing had the most prevalence (17% in children and 19% in adolescents) and sleep disturbance had the lowest prevalence (6% in children and 6% in adolescents). Conclusion. The prevalence of asthma in Iranian children and adolescents is lower than in the world. Existing strategies should be pursued followed. Also, guidelines for asthma control and prevention should be considered in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 628
Author(s):  
Leonard Ubalde ◽  
Jing Nong Liang

Background: Task-dependent neurophysiological adaptations in people with cerebral palsy have been examined using various techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, peripheral nerve stimulation in order to assess H-reflexes, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. This activity-dependent plasticity is hypothesized to improve specific gross motor function in individuals with cerebral palsy. Although these adaptations have been examined extensively, most studies examined tasks utilizing the upper limbs. The aim of this review is to assess the neurophysiological adaptations of the central nervous system in individuals with cerebral palsy during lower limb functional tasks. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted to evaluate the neurophysiological changes in the brain and spinal cord associated with lower extremity tasks in individuals with cerebral palsy. We will search within PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, and CINAHL using a predetermined search string to identify and evaluate relevant studies. Two independent reviewers will screen these studies against our inclusion criteria and risks of bias, and will extract the data from each study. A third reviewer will be used to resolve any disagreement regarding the inclusion of a study between reviewers. Randomized controlled trials as well as cross-sectional studies published in English 10 years before May 2021 that investigate the neurophysiological adaptations in the brain and spinal cord in people with cerebral palsy will be included if they meet the eligibility criteria. Primary outcomes will include scalar values of fractional anisotropy (FA), H-reflex gains or measures of amplitude, as well as motor cortex (M1) cortical excitability as measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Discussion: Since no identifiable data will be involved in this study, no ethical approval is required. Our results will provide insight into the neurophysiological adaptations in children with cerebral palsy, which will be useful in guiding directions for clinical decision making and future development of targeted interventions in pediatrics rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy. Systematic review registration: The protocol for this systematic review is registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number: CRD42020215902).


2020 ◽  
Vol 90 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 535-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdieh Abbasalizad Farhangi ◽  
Mahdi Vajdi

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.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document