scholarly journals Hypothalamus-Related Resting Brain Network Underlying Short-Term Acupuncture Treatment in Primary Hypertension

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Chen ◽  
Jianping Dai ◽  
Xiaozhe Zhang ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
Shuhua Huang ◽  
...  

The present study attempted to explore modulated hypothalamus-seeded resting brain network underlying the cardiovascular system in primary hypertensive patients after short-term acupuncture treatment. Thirty right-handed patients (14 male) were divided randomly into acupuncture and control groups. The acupuncture group received a continuous five-day acupuncture treatment and undertook three resting-state fMRI scans and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) as well as SF-36 questionnaires before, after, and one month after acupuncture treatment. The control group undertook fMRI scans and 24-hour ABPM. For verum acupuncture, average blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) decreased after treatment but showed no statistical differences. There were no significant differences in BP and HR between the acupuncture and control groups. Notably, SF-36 indicated that bodily pain (P= 0.005) decreased and vitality (P= 0.036) increased after acupuncture compared to the baseline. The hypothalamus-related brain network showed increased functional connectivity with the medulla, brainstem, cerebellum, limbic system, thalamus, and frontal lobes. In conclusion, short-term acupuncture did not decrease BP significantly but appeared to improve body pain and vitality. Acupuncture may regulate the cardiovascular system through a complicated brain network from the cortical level, the hypothalamus, and the brainstem.

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-451
Author(s):  
Dilek Karaman ◽  
Funda Erol ◽  
Dilek Yılmaz ◽  
Yurdanur Dikmen

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of virtual reality application on experimental ischemic pain created with a blood pressure instrument in healthy volunteers. METHODS: The research sample consisted of 172 volunteer adult students who conformed to the inclusion criteria. These individuals were assigned into an experimental (n=86) and a control group (n=86) by a simple randomization method. All individuals in the experimental and control groups wereexperimentally subjected to pain for two minutes by applying 260 mmHg of pressure 3-4 cm above the antecubital region of the left arm with an aneroid adult-type blood pressure instrument. During the procedure, the volunteers in the experimental group watched virtual reality images, while those in the control group received no intervention. Immediately after the procedure, the pain levels of the individuals in both groups were assessed with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: We found that the mean pain score of the individuals in the experimental group was 2.62±1.82, and that of individuals in the control group was 5.75±1.65. Results of the statistical analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the mean pain scores of the individuals in the experimental and control groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study found that the use of virtual reality was effective in reducing the level of pain in healthy individuals. This method used a smartphone with widespread availability and ease of transportation, which can be used by health professionals as a non-pharmacological method in the management of pain.


2004 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 252-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tathiana Pagano ◽  
Luciana Akemi Matsutani ◽  
Elisabeth Alves Gonçalves Ferreira ◽  
Amélia Pasqual Marques ◽  
Carlos Alberto de Bragança Pereira

CONTEXT: Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic, diffuse musculoskeletal pain, and by a low pain threshold at specific anatomical points. The syndrome is associated with other symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, morning stiffness and anxiety. Because of its chronic nature, it often has a negative impact on patients' quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life and anxiety level of patients with fibromyalgia. TYPE Of STUDY: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Rheumatology outpatient service of Hospital das Clínicas (Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo). METHODS: This study evaluated 80 individuals, divided between test and control groups. The test group included 40 women with a confirmed diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The control group was composed of 40 healthy women. Three questionnaires were used: two to assess quality of life (FIQ and SF-36) and one to assess anxiety (STAI). They were applied to the individuals in both groups in a single face-to-face interview. The statistical analysis used Student's t test and Pearson's correlation test (r), with a significance level of 95%. Also, the Pearson chi-squared statistics test for homogeneity, with Yates correction, was used for comparing schooling between test and control groups. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.000), thus indicating that fibromyalgia patients have a worse quality of life and higher levels of anxiety. The correlations between the three questionnaires were high (r = 0.9). DISCUSSION: This study has confirmed the efficacy of FIQ for evaluating the impact of fibromyalgia on the quality of life. SF-36 is less specific than FIQ, although statistically significant values were obtained when analyzed separately, STAI showed lower efficacy for discriminating the test group from the control group. The test group showed worse quality of life than did the control group, which was demonstrated by both FIQ and SF-36. Even though STAI was a less efficient instrument, it presented significant results, showing that fibromyalgia patients presented higher levels of anxiety, both on the state and trait scales. Thus, patients with fibromyalgia had higher levels of tension, nervousness, preoccupation and apprehension, and higher propensity towards anxiety. CONCLUSION: The three instruments utilized showed efficiency in evaluating fibromyalgia patients. FIQ was found to be the most efficient instrument for discriminating and assessing the impact of fibromyalgia on their quality of life. It can be concluded that such patients have a worse quality of life and higher levels of anxiety.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (02) ◽  
pp. 21-32
Author(s):  
Aditya Paramitha ◽  
Rahmi Isma

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) causes pain which limits functional activity and quality of life. Quadriceps femoris muscle strengthening with weight-pulley system is effective in improving functional activity. Kinesiotaping is known in reducing pain thus improving activity and quality of life. This study was to determine the effect of kinesiotaping in addition to weight-pulley system exercise on quality oflife in grade II and III knee OA patients. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to intervention group (n=13) and control group (n=14). All participants were treated with weight-pulley system exercise for nine sessions meanwhile participants in intervention group received additional kinesiotaping. Pre- and post-intervention quality of life were evaluated using Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). Results: There were differences in total score of SF-36, bodily pain, general health, vitality, and role emotional between intervention and control group; (90.53±8.23, 76.98±11.88; p=0.002), (83.75±16.86,67.31±17.3; p=0.022), (88.57±10.27, 72.69±12.18; p=<0.001), (93.93±7.64, 80.77±10.18; p=0.002) and (92.86±14.18, 74.37±24.17; p=0.027), respectively. Conclusion: Application of kinesiotaping in addition to weight-pulley system exercise improved quality of, particularly in bodily pain, general health, vitality and role emotional in grade II and III knee OApatients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-146
Author(s):  
Nurjannah Nurjannah

The incidence of hypertension in Southeast Sulawesi tends to increase each year. Many people with hypertension are tired of taking blood pressure-lowering drugs because they are addictive and have side effects. The objective of the study was to understand the effect of watermelon juice supplementation to decrease blood pressure on early adult hypertension sufferers in the working area of the Public Health Center of Poasia Kendari city. This study was a true experiment through pretest-posttest with a control group design. The sample size was 30 people who were determined by purposive sampling technique and was allocated by matching within 15 people for both treatment and control groups. The statistical test result showed that there were different blood pressure both systolic and diastolic blood pressures before and after receiving watermelon juice supplementation for 7 days with the dose was twice 350/gr/glass/day on treatment group with significance value ρ = 0,000 (α = 0,05). Meanwhile, for the control group, there was no different blood pressure before and after receiving supplementation with significance value ρ = 1,000 (α = 0,05) for systolic pressure and ρ = 0,499 for diastolic one. There was different blood pressure after receiving watermelon juice supplementation between treatment and control groups with significance value ρ =0,031 (α = 0,05) for systolic pressure and p = 0,012 for diastolic one. Hence, it’s concluded that there was a significant effect of watermelon juice supplementation to decrease the blood pressure on early adult hypertension sufferers. 


2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet K Freburger ◽  
Timothy S Carey ◽  
George M Holmes

Abstract Background and Purpose. Evidence on the effectiveness of physical therapy for the management of chronic spine disorders is limited. The purpose of this study was to use a large current database, the National Spine Network database, to assess the effectiveness of physical therapy in the management of chronic spine disorders. Subjects. The participants were people who had spine problems lasting 3 months or longer and who were seen for an initial visit and a follow-up visit (N=4,479) at 1 of 17 US spine centers. Methods. A propensity score approach was used to create a matched sample of participants who received physical therapy (intervention group) and participants who did not receive physical therapy (control group). The 2 groups were similar with regard to more than 50 baseline characteristics. Outcomes were assessed with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Results. Both the intervention and control groups improved between the initial and the follow-up visits on ODI scores and on SF-36 physical function, role physical, and bodily pain scores. Although the amount of improvement in the outcome measures was significantly greater for the intervention group than for the control group, the differences were small (3–5 points). When the subgroup of participants who had the greatest propensity for receiving physical therapy was examined, differences in the amount of improvement between the intervention and control groups were larger (5–13 points). Discussion and Conclusion. Physical therapy was effective in the management of chronic spine disorders in participants with the greatest propensity for receiving physical therapy. When the entire sample was considered, differences in the amount of improvement between the intervention and control groups were not clinically relevant. [Freburger JK, Carey TS, Holmes GM. Effectiveness of physical therapy for the management of chronic spine disorders: a propensity score approach.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Li Peng ◽  
Wei-kun Zhao ◽  
Tong-tong Xu ◽  
Qi Wu ◽  
Pan Lu ◽  
...  

Objective. To systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of ginko-damole combined with nitroglycerin or unitary sodium nitroprusside on hypertensive cerebropathy. Methods. Four Chinese databases (VIP, CBM, Wanfang database, and CNKI database) and three English databases (Cochrane, PubMed, and EMBASE) were used to screen randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on treatments of hypertensive cerebropathy using both ginko-damole and nitroglycerin or unitary sodium nitroprusside. Outcomes included clinical effect, blood pressure after treatment, and adverse effects. These indicators were then analysed statistically using the RevMan 5.3 and Stata 12.0 software. Results. Altogether, 16 RCTs including 1507 patients with hypertensive cerebropathy were included in the present meta-analysis, of which, 755 patients treated with combined ginko-damole and nitroglycerin were included in the observation group and 752 patients treated with sodium nitroprusside were included in the control group. The curative effect of the observation group was significantly better than that of the control group (RR: 1.115 [1.077, 1.155], p<0.05). DBPs of the observation and control groups were both lower after treatment, and no significant difference was observed between the observation and control groups (MD: −1.072 [−2.578, 0.434], p>0.05). SBPs in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (MD: −2.842 [−5.222, −0.462], p<0.05). The probability of adverse response in both groups did not differ significantly (RR: 0.752 [0.412, 1.374], p>0.05). Conclusion. Compared with sodium nitroprusside, the combined ginkgo-damole and nitroglycerin could better control blood pressure in patients with hypertensive cerebropathy and showed enhanced clinical effects and improved safety. However, due to poor quality of the included studies, results of the present meta-analysis should be confirmed by more stringent RCTs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 343-355
Author(s):  
Hilda Nur Afriani ◽  
Rohman Azzam ◽  
Busrja M.Nur

Objective of this study was to determine the effect of prayer on pre-hemodialysis blood pressure of CRF patients in the hemodialysis room of the Jakarta Islamic Hospital. Data collection was done through purposive sampling. This study examined 32 respondents. The results of the study indicated there was a decrease in blood pressure in the intervention and control groups before and after giving prayers on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The results of the paired t-test before and after being given prayers in the intervention and control groups produced a sig value of <0.05 in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which means that there were differences before and after giving prayers. The unpaired t-test results in the intervention and control groups of systolic blood pressure produced a sig value> 0.05, which means that there was no difference between the intervention and control group. On the contrary, diastolic blood pressure produced a sig value <0.05, which means that there were differences between the intervention and control group. Finally, it can be concluded that the provision of a prayer intervention in pre-hemodialysis was effectively proven to reduce blood pressure. Keywords : chronic kidney disease, blood pressure, prayer.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
samane Sefatbaqa ◽  
Yadollah Zahedpasha ◽  
Marzieh Hasanpour ◽  
Karimollah Hajian Tilaki ◽  
Mohammad Reza Zarkesh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Feedings based on behavioral cues is a method relying on infants’ behavioral expressions of readiness to feed. The objective of this interventional study was to determine the effect of cue-based feeding on the short-term health outcomes of preterm infants.Methods: This quasi-experimental study utilized a historical or phase lag design. It involved 60 preterm infants admitted to an Iranian referral hospital’s Level III-Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) from June 2018 until January 2019. The experimental group (n=30) received a three-step intervention of offering behavioral-cue-based oral (BCBO) feedings: Step 1 – One BCBO feeding every twelve hours for three days; Step 2 - Two BCBO feedings every 12 hours for three days; and Step 3 – All feedings as BCBO feedings for three days. The control group received standard care feedings. Group difference data were analyzed with SPSS version 16 using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: The infants’ mean weight at time of discharge for the intervention and control groups were 1492.79 ± 21.65 gr and 1395.71 ± 17.61 gr (P = .003) respectively. The mean durations of achieving full oral feedings in the intervention and control groups were 17 ± 6 and 20 ± 11 days, respectively (P = .19). The mean frequencies of hypoxia were 1 ± 1.54 and 5 ± 9.31 respectively (P = .03) and of gavage feedings 725 ± 584 and 1846 ± 2097 respectively (P = .009). No apnea events were reported for the intervention group; the frequency of apnea in the control group was 1 ± 2.11 (P = .16).Conclusion: The findings indicate that cue-based feeding is beneficial for preterm infants. Therefore, it is recommended that nurses employ cue-based feeding in the NICU.Trial Registration: IRCT20170828035962N2. Registered, 27 /05/ 2018- Prospectively registered, https://www.irct.ir/trial/27024.


2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariusz Jastrzębski ◽  
Aleksandra Żebrowska ◽  
Sebastian Rutkowski ◽  
Anna Rutkowska ◽  
Joanna Warzecha ◽  
...  

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of exercises on a stabilometric platform on the physical fitness and mobility of patients with lung cancer after thoracic surgery. The Experimental Group included 22, and the Control Group consisted of 21 patients. All included patients were enrolled after thoracic surgery due to lung cancer. The Experimental and Control Groups were enrolled in a 3-week in-hospital pulmonary rehabilitation program. The Experimental Group additionally performed daily 20-min training sessions on a stabilometric platform. Agility and flexibility were assessed with the Fullerton test before and after rehabilitation in both groups, and quality of life was assessed with the SF-36 questionnaire. Exercise performance stated as a distance in a 6 min walking test (6MWT) significantly improved in both groups with a medium effect size. The results of the Fullerton test indicated improvements in flexibility in both groups after the completion of the program without a significant difference between the groups and with a small effect size. In the Experimental Group, the best results were observed in the Arm curl (p = 0.0001), Chair stand (p = 0.04), Up and go (p = 0.001) and Chair sit and reach (p = 0.0001) tasks. No deterioration in the quality of life was observed in the Experimental or the Control Group after the completion of the program. Between-group analyses revealed significant differences in the Role-Physical (RP) (p = 0.020) and Mental-Health (MH) (p = 0.025) domains of the SF-36. The rehabilitation program with a stabilometric platform improved agility and flexibility of patients after thoracic surgery without an effect size or significant differences between the Experimental and Control Groups.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245076
Author(s):  
Feiqian Wang ◽  
Kazushi Numata ◽  
Atsuya Takeda ◽  
Katsuaki Ogushi ◽  
Hiroyuki Fukuda ◽  
...  

Aim To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the administration of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the short term to the same patients in Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages 0–B1. Methods From April 2014 to June 2019, we retrospectively reviewed BCLC stage 0–B1 patients with fresh hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions that were repeatedly treated by RFA (control group, n = 72), and by RFA and subsequent SBRT (case group, n = 26). Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the selection bias between two groups. Recurrence, survival, Child–Pugh scores and short-term side effects (fever, bleeding, skin change, abdominal pain and fatigue) were recorded and analyzed. Results After PSM, 21 patients remained in each group. Seventeen and 20 patients in the case and control groups experienced recurrence. For these patients, the median times to progression and follow-up were 10.7 and 35.8 months, respectively. After PSM, the 1-year progression-free survival rate in case and control groups were 66.7% and 52.4%, respectively (P = 0.313). The inter-group overall survival (OS) was comparable (3 and 5-year OS rates in case groups were 87.3% and 74.8%, while rates in control groups were 73.7% and 46.3%, respectively; P = 0.090). The short-term side effects were mild, and the incidence showed no inter-group difference. The 1-year rates of the Child–Pugh score deterioration of ≥2 in case and control groups were 23.8% and 33.3% (P > 0.05), respectively. Conclusion The short-term administration of RFA and SBRT to the same BCLC stage 0–B1 patients may be feasible and effective because of their good prognosis and safety.


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