Hwangryunhaedogtang (Huanglianjiedutang) Treatment for Pathological Laughter after Stroke and Importance of Patterns Identification: A Preliminary Study

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (05) ◽  
pp. 725-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Pil Yun ◽  
Woo Sang Jung ◽  
Sung Uk Park ◽  
Sang Kwan Moon ◽  
Jung Mi Park ◽  
...  

This study was to test the importance of patterns identification (PI) and the effectiveness of Hwangryunhaedogtang (Huanglianjiedutang) (HT) treatment for patients with post stroke pathological laughter (PL). Fourteen subjects were enrolled. Eight subjects diagnosed with Yang Excess patterns (YEP) were assigned into group A and 6 subjects who had no YEP to group B. HT was administrated 3 times a day for 14 days to both groups. The duration of PL at one time, the frequency of PL in a day, and pathological laughter scale (PLS) were the primary outcome measures. Barthel index (BI) was the secondary outcome measure. The duration and the frequency of PL in group A were significantly decreased from 10.88 ± 4.67 to 6.63 ± 4.07 sec and from 6.38 ± 2.72 to 3.00 ± 1.77 times, respectively (p = 0.01) after 14 days administration of HT. PLS in group A was also significantly lowered from 9.13 ± 1.73 to 4.75 ± 0.71 points (p = 0.01). However, significant differences were not observed in BI in group A and in the primary and secondary outcome measures in group B. The duration and the frequency of PL and PLS were more markedly reduced in group A than in group B (p = 0.01, 0.02, and < 0.01, respectively). These results suggested that HT could be effective on subjects with post stroke PL diagnosed as YEP and PI, that prescription of herbal medications to such patients should be considered.

2019 ◽  
Vol 07 (11) ◽  
pp. E1522-E1527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tilak Shah ◽  
Vladimir Kushnir ◽  
Pritesh Mutha ◽  
Mankanchan Majhail ◽  
Bhaumik Patel ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and study aims Liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy (LNSC) can provide rapid dysphagia relief, and is postulated to stimulate a local antitumor immune response. The aim of this prospective pilot clinical trial was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LNSC when administered prior to chemoradiotherapy. Patients and methods Treatment-naïve adult patients with dysphagia at the time of biopsy-proven squamous carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were prospectively enrolled at two tertiary medical centers. Patients underwent a single session of LNSC. The primary outcome measure was change in dysphagia at 1 and 2 weeks post-cryotherapy. A secondary outcome measure was clinical complete response rate (CR) following chemoradiotherapy. Results Twenty-five patients were screened, of whom 21 patients were eligible and enrolled. There were seven with metastatic and 14 with locally advanced cancer. The primary outcome of dysphagia improvement of ≥ 1 point occurred in 15/21 patients (71 %) at 1 week, and 10/20 patients (50 %) at 2 weeks. The median dysphagia score improved by 1 at 1 week (P = 0.0003), and 0.5 at 2 weeks (P = 0.02). Six of nine patients (67 %) with locally advanced cancer who completed chemoradiation did not have residual tumor cells on mucosal biopsy, and five of nine patients (56 %) had a clinical CR. There were no serious cryotherapy-related complications. Conclusions LNSC provided safe and effective palliation for esophageal cancer patients who presented with dysphagia at index diagnosis. Its combination with chemoradiotherapy did not lead to any serious toxicity. Our study provides a scientific rationale for pursuing larger clinical trials addressing synergistic effects of combining LNSC with chemoradiation.


Author(s):  
Arunima Saini ◽  
Preet Kamal Bedi ◽  
Nisha Bhagat

Background: In second trimester abortion, medical methods are preferred. Prostaglandins are the most widely used. Amongst them, misoprostol is the most commonly used. Thus, the study was conducted to delineate the effectiveness of simultaneous administration of mifepristone and misoprostol versus interval regimen mifepristone followed by misoprostol 12 hours apart in second trimester medical abortion.Methods: It was a prospective, single centered, comparative study conducted on 50 patients in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, GMC, Amritsar coming for second trimester abortion, either elective or emergency, with gestational age between 12-20 weeks. Initially, 53 patients were enrolled in the study, 3 patients dropped out at different stages of study. Finally, 50 patients were enrolled and divided into two groups of 25 patients each by 1:1 randomization. In Group-A, mifepristone 200 mg orally along with misoprostol 600µg vaginally were given simultaneously, followed by 400 µg vaginal misoprostol every 4 hours for a maximum of five doses in 24 hours. Group-B initially received mifepristone 200 mg per oral followed by 12 hours later misoprostol 400µg vaginally and then 400µg vaginal misoprostol every 4 hours for a maximum of five doses in 24 hours. Primary outcome measure was effectiveness of regimen in complete abortion, which was confirmed on pelvic ultrasound 1-week after the last dose. Secondary outcome measure was to compare the induction abortion interval (IAI), dose of misoprostol required and adverse drug reaction (ADR) among both the regimens. P-value <0.05 was taken as statistically significant.Results: Mean age in Group-A was 25.68±3.79 years while in Group-B was 23.40±2.73 years. Both the regimens had success rate of 76% for complete abortion. However, IAI in Group-A was 5.9±4.47 hours whereas in Group-B was 9.6±5.07 hours, which was statistically significant (p= 0.009). A statistically significant difference was also observed in the mean dose of misoprostol between two groups that is, 1000±200µg and 1425±437.41µg respectively (p=0.01). Gestational age was related to IAI from 13 to 17.6 weeks in both groups (p=0.01) while no significant relation was seen between them in more than 17.6 weeks of gestation (p=0.63).Conclusions: Simultaneous administration of mifepristone and misoprostol showed better results than interval regimen in term of significant lesser induction abortion interval, lower dosages of misoprostol required with comparable success rates.


2010 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Thornton ◽  
T P C Martin ◽  
P Amin ◽  
S Haque ◽  
S Wilson ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectives:To determine the frequency of cholesteatoma in a population of patients with chronic suppurative otitis media, and to determine whether this frequency is affected by ethnicity.Patients:The study included 6005 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media seen during the course of 30 charitable surgical ‘ear camps’ in Nepal.Main outcome measures:Proportion of patients with each subtype of disease, and their ethnicity. A secondary outcome measure was concordance of surname with Nepalese ethnic affiliation.Results:A total of 762 patients were grouped as being of Tibeto-Mongolian origin, and 4875 as Indo-Caucasian. The rate of chronic suppurative otitis media with cholesteatoma, expressed as a proportion of the rate of all chronic suppurative otitis media subtypes, was 17.8 per cent in Tibeto-Mongolian patients and 18.6 per cent in Indo-Caucasian patients (p > 0.05). The effect of other risk factors (i.e. age, gender and geographical district) on disease distribution was also non-significant. Analysis of secondary outcome measures indicated that patients' surnames were a reliable predictor of ethnicity in this Nepalese population.Conclusion:There is almost complete concordance in proportions of patients with significant genetic, cultural, and even geographical heterogeneity, suggesting that, in Nepal, the aetiology of cholesteatoma owes little to these factors.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille Champigny ◽  
Florence Morin-Parent ◽  
Laurence Bellehumeur-Lefebvre ◽  
Artuela Çaku ◽  
Jean-François Lepage ◽  
...  

Background: Limited success of previous clinical trials for Fragile X syndrome (FXS) has led researchers to consider combining different drugs to correct the pleiotropic consequences caused by the absence of the Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Here, we report the results of the LovaMiX clinical trial, the first trial for FXS combining two disease-modifying drugs, lovastatin, and minocycline, which have both shown positive effects when used independently.Aim: The main goals of the study were to assess the safety and efficacy of a treatment combining lovastatin and minocycline for patients with FXS.Design: Pilot Phase II open-label clinical trial. Patients with a molecular diagnostic of FXS were first randomized to receive, in two-step titration either lovastatin or minocycline for 8 weeks, followed by dual treatment with lovastatin 40 mg and minocycline 100 mg for 2 weeks. Clinical assessments were performed at the beginning, after 8 weeks of monotherapy, and at week 20 (12 weeks of combined therapy).Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C) global score. Secondary outcome measures included subscales of the FXS specific ABC-C (ABC-CFX), the Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Scale (ADAMS), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF), and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale second edition (VABS-II).Results: Twenty-one individuals out of 22 completed the trial. There were no serious adverse events related to the use of either drugs alone or in combination, suggesting good tolerability and safety profile of the combined therapy. Significant improvement was noted on the primary outcome measure with a 40% decrease on ABC-C global score with the combined therapy. Several outcome measures also showed significance.Conclusion: The combination of lovastatin and minocycline is safe in patients for FXS individuals and appears to improve several elements of the behavior. These results set the stage for a larger, placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial to confirm the beneficial effects of the combined therapy.


2004 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Boon ◽  
Joyce Clitheroe ◽  
Tonia Forte

Greens+® is a popular natural health product marketed as energy-enhancing; however, no objective data substantiate this claim. The study objective was to determine if ingestion of greens+® 1. increases vitality, energy, and perception of wellbeing; 2. increases overall mental health and general health, and 3. decreases the incidence of colds and flus in an otherwise healthy female population. A total of 105 women were enrolled in this 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial; 63 (60%) completed the treatment protocol. Both treatment and placebo groups showed a significant time trend effect, scoring better on all outcome measures as the trial progressed. Compared with the placebo group, the greens+® group scored marginally higher on vitality, the primary outcome measure (p=0.055), and significantly higher on energy (a secondary outcome measure, p=0.018). Findings were based on repeated measures analysis of variance; baseline scores were used as covariates. Although a trend toward greater improvement in the greens+® group was noted in the other secondary outcome measures, this trend did not reach statistical significance. Overall, our findings were positive but not conclusive that greens+® increases vitality and energy. These results provide justification for further study of the effects of greens+®.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Kerri Donnelly ◽  
Enya Mulcahy ◽  
Catherine Merrick ◽  
Orla Fitzgerald

Abstract Background After a stroke 85% of patients experience altered arm function. Current research demonstrates that increasing upper limb rehabilitation results in improved outcomes (Ward et al., 2019). The Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Programme (GRASP) group is an established adjunctive therapy in the stroke service. The group provides additional therapy for suitable patients with upper extremity deficits. The group is run jointly by a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. Patients attend twice weekly for a one hour period in addition to their regular therapy. The GRASP group consists of 3 levels of varying abilities and patients are categorised by their Fugl-Meyer score. Methods A prospective audit was completed in 2019 and data was collected using a word document and excel spread sheet. Standardised outcome measures were completed on admission and discharge to establish upper limb ability. The primary outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer and the secondary outcome measures were the nine hole peg test and grip strength using the Dynamometer. Results 12 patients attended the GRASP group over this period. 75% were males. The average age was 76 years with the age range from 48-95 years. 58% of patients experienced upper limb weakness in their non-dominant hand. Post intervention data was not obtained for 5 patients due to unforeseeable discharge from the acute setting. Preliminary data to date shows that our primary outcome measure improved in 86% of patients with increases ranging from 2-11 points on the Fugl-Meyer score (Minimally Clinical Important Difference =5points). Our secondary outcome measures demonstrated patients had no change (28%) or an improvement (72%) in grip strength and 100% of patients improved on the time taken to complete the nine hole peg test. Conclusion The GRASP group was found to be effective in improving upper limb outcome measures in an acute stroke inpatient hospital setting.


BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. m4903
Author(s):  
James O’Hara ◽  
Deborah D Stocken ◽  
Gillian C Watson ◽  
Tony Fouweather ◽  
Julian McGlashan ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To assess the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to treat persistent throat symptoms. Design Pragmatic, double blind, placebo controlled, randomised trial. Setting Eight ear, nose, and throat outpatient clinics, United Kingdom. Participants 346 patients aged 18 years or older with persistent throat symptoms who were randomised according to recruiting centre and baseline severity of symptoms (mild or severe): 172 to lansoprazole and 174 to placebo. Intervention Random blinded allocation (1:1) to either 30 mg lansoprazole twice daily or matched placebo twice daily for 16 weeks. Main outcome measures Primary outcome was symptomatic response at 16 weeks measured using the total reflux symptom index (RSI) score. Secondary outcomes included symptom response at 12 months, quality of life, and throat appearances. Results Of 1427 patients initially screened for eligibility, 346 were recruited. The mean age of the study sample was 52.2 (SD 13.7) years, 196 (57%) were women, and 162 (47%) had severe symptoms at presentation; these characteristics were balanced across treatment arms. The primary analysis was performed on 220 patients who completed the primary outcome measure within a window of 14-20 weeks. Mean RSI scores were similar between treatment arms at baseline: lansoprazole 22.0 (95% confidence interval 20.4 to 23.6) and placebo 21.7 (20.5 to 23.0). Improvements (reduction in RSI score) were observed in both groups—score at 16 weeks: lansoprazole 17.4 (15.5 to19.4) and placebo 15.6 (13.8 to 17.3). No statistically significant difference was found between the treatment arms: estimated difference 1.9 points (95% confidence interval −0.3 to 4.2 points; P=0.096) adjusted for site and baseline symptom severity. Lansoprazole showed no benefits over placebo for any secondary outcome measure, including RSI scores at 12 months: lansoprazole 16.0 (13.6 to 18.4) and placebo 13.6 (11.7 to 15.5): estimated difference 2.4 points (−0.6 to 5.4 points). Conclusions No evidence was found of benefit from PPI treatment in patients with persistent throat symptoms. RSI scores were similar between the lansoprazole and placebo groups after 16 weeks of treatment and at the 12 month follow-up. Trial registration ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN38578686 and EudraCT 2013-004249-17.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Burgess ◽  
Kerrianne Watt ◽  
Roy M Kimble ◽  
Cate M Cameron

BACKGROUND New technologies, widespread availability of the internet, the rise of social media and increased ownership of smartphones provide new opportunities for health researchers to communicate and engage with target audiences. OBJECTIVE This new technology was used to recruit mothers of young children to a smartphone application (app) to increase their knowledge about childhood burns (specifically hot beverage scalds) and correct burn first-aid. This six-month intervention deployed on the Cool Runnings app, used gamification techniques to reinforce intervention messages and engage participants. METHODS A two-group, parallel, single blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of a smartphone app-based burn prevention intervention. Participants were women aged 18+, living in Queensland, Australia, with at least one child aged 5-12 months at the time of enrolment. The primary outcome measure was change in knowledge around burn risk and correct burn first-aid assessed via two methods: overall score; and categorised as adequate (score =4) vs inadequate (score less than 4). The secondary outcome measure was the efficacy of gamification techniques (measured by: app opens, photo uploads, pop quiz completions and content views). RESULTS In total, 498 participants were recruited via social media and enrolled. At 6-month follow-up, 244 participants completed the post-test questionnaire. Attrition rates in both groups were similar. Participants who remained in the study did not differ from those who were lost to follow up on any characteristics except for education level. Although similar at baseline, intervention group participants achieved significantly greater improvement in overall knowledge post-test than control group participants on both primary outcome measures (overall knowledge intervention: mean=2.68± 1.00 vs control mean:2.13±1.03; intervention: 20.47% adequate vs control: 7.3%). Consequently, the NNT was 7.46. Logistic regression showed participants exposed to the highest level of disadvantage were 7.3 times more likely to improve overall knowledge scores than participants in other levels of disadvantage. There were also significant correlations between each of the four gamification techniques and knowledge change (p<0.001). In addition, participants with low/moderate ‘app activity’ were 8.59 times more likely to have improved knowledge between baseline and 6-month follow-up than those who had no app activity (95%CI=2.9-25.02); participants with high app activity were 18.26 times more likely to have improved knowledge (95%CI=7.1-46.8). CONCLUSIONS Despite substantial loss to follow-up, this RCT demonstrates the Cool Runnings app was an effective intervention for improving knowledge about hot beverage scald risks and burn first-aid in mothers of young children. The benefits of combining gamification elements in the intervention were also highlighted. Given the low cost and large reach of smartphone apps to deliver content to, and engage with targeted populations, results from this RCT provides important information on how smartphone applications can be used for widespread injury prevention campaigns, and public health campaigns generally. CLINICALTRIAL This trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12616000019404)


Author(s):  
Courtney Cox ◽  
Krishna Patel ◽  
Rebecca Cantu ◽  
Chary Akmyradov ◽  
Katherine Irby

OBJECTIVE: Status asthmaticus is commonly treated in pediatric patients by using continuous albuterol, which can cause hypokalemia. The primary aim of this study was to determine if serial potassium monitoring is necessary by examining treatment frequency of hypokalemia. METHODS: This retrospective analysis was performed in 185 pediatric patients admitted with status asthmaticus requiring continuous albuterol between 2017 and 2019. All patients were placed on intravenous fluids containing potassium. The primary outcome measure was the treatment of hypokalemia in relation to the number of laboratory draws for potassium levels. The secondary outcome measure was hypokalemia frequency and relation to the duration and initial dose of continuous albuterol. RESULTS: Included were 156 patients with 420 laboratory draws (average, 2.7 per patient) for potassium levels. The median lowest potassium level was 3.40 mmol/L (interquartile range, 3.2–3.7). No correlation was found between initial albuterol dose and lowest potassium level (P = .52). Patients with hypokalemia had a mean albuterol time of 12.32 (SD, 15.76) hours, whereas patients without hypokalemia had a mean albuterol time of 11.50 (SD, 12.53) hours (P = .29). Potassium levels were treated 13 separate times. CONCLUSIONS: The number of laboratory draws for potassium levels was high in our cohort, with few patients receiving treatment for hypokalemia beyond the potassium routinely added to maintenance fluids. Length of time on albuterol and dose of albuterol were not shown to increase the risk of hypokalemia. Serial laboratory measurements may be decreased to potentially reduce health care costs, pain, and anxiety surrounding needlesticks.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Xing Wu ◽  
Yu Xiang

Objective. To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure in chloasma treatment. Methods. A prospective, randomized controlled assessor-blind clinical trial was performed and 135 patients were assigned into acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure (A), acupuncture (B), and control (C) groups, each with 45 patients. For groups A and B, body and facial acupuncture were applied for 2 months. For group A, auricular acupressure was applied concomitantly. For group C, vitamins C and E were prescribed for 3 months. Primary outcome measure was the therapeutic effects while secondary outcome measure was safety evaluation. Results. The total effective rate was 95.6%, 91.1%, and 75.6% for groups A, B, and C (P<0.01 between groups A and C; P<0.05 between groups B and C). The posttreatment estradiol (E2) levels in groups A and B were significantly decreased while the progesterone (P4) levels were significantly increased compared to pretreatment (P<0.01 and P<0.05, resp.). The differences were significant compared to group C (P<0.01 and P<0.05, resp.). No adverse events occurred. Conclusion. Acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure could significantly increase the therapeutic effect of chloasma treatment and could be better than vitamins C and E.


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