scholarly journals Effect of Acupuncture on Intraocular Pressure in Glaucoma Patients: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Shu-Yuan Chen ◽  
Feng-Shuen Yieh ◽  
Wen-Ling Liao ◽  
Tsai-Chung Li ◽  
Ching-Liang Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Intraocular Pressure ◽  
Sham Group ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Ocular Blood Flow ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Ocular Perfusion ◽  
The Difference

Glaucoma is characterized by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells that cause progressive optic neuropathy, finally resulting in changes to the optic nerve head. Lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only method proven for treating glaucoma. Several studies have discovered that acupuncture can reduce IOP and also increase ocular perfusion and ocular blood flow. Therefore, the present study investigated the effect of acupuncture on IOP in glaucoma patients. We conducted a single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial involving 45 glaucoma patients. The results indicated that the difference between the IOP 60 min after the intervention and IOP immediately before the intervention was greater in the acupuncture group (AG) and electroacupuncture group (EG) than in the sham group (SG) for all four of the interventions performed and in both eyes (all p<0.05). The IOP difference between immediately before the first intervention and after finishing the final intervention was also greater in the AG and EG than in the SG in both eyes (all p<0.05). In conclusion, IOP was reduced at 60 min after acupuncture or electroacupuncture was performed at BL1 and EX-HN7. Additionally, IOP was reduced after finishing four acupuncture or electroacupuncture sessions. Therefore, our results suggest that acupuncture and electroacupuncture are beneficial for lowering IOP in glaucoma patients. This trial is registered with NCT04157530.

Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Kudlow ◽  
Tashauna Brown
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Citation Advantage

BACKGROUND There are limited evidence-based strategies that have been shown to increase the rate at which peer-reviewed articles are cited. In a previously reported randomized controlled trial we demonstrated that promotion of article links in an online cross-publisher distribution platform (TrendMD) persistently augments citation rates after 12 months, leading to a statistically significant, 50% increase in citations relative to control. OBJECTIVE To investigate if the citation advantage of promoted articles upholds after 36-months. METHODS Three thousand two hundred articles published in 64 peer-reviewed journals across eight subject areas were block randomized at the subject level to either the TrendMD group (n=1600) or the control group (n=1600) of the study. Articles were promoted in the TrendMD Network for 6 months. We compared the citation rates in both groups after 36 months. RESULTS At 36 months, we found the citation advantage endured; articles randomized to TrendMD showed a 28% increase in mean citations relative to control. The difference in mean citations at 36 months for articles randomized to TrendMD versus control was 10.52, 95% CI [3.79, 17.25] and was statistically significant (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate how a post-publication article promotion intervention can be used to persistently augment citations of peer-reviewed articles. TrendMD is an efficient digital tool for knowledge translation and dissemination to targeted audiences to facilitate uptake of research.

Effects of Guitar Accompaniment Patterns on Hospitalized Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kory Antonacci ◽  
Nicole Steele ◽  
Jacob Wheatley ◽  
Donna M Weyant ◽  
Beverly Brozanski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Pain Scale ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Stressful Environment ◽  
The Difference

Abstract A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be an extremely stressful environment for infants receiving complex medical care at a pediatric facility. Music therapy can help address the stressful environment by increasing comfort and relaxation as well as decreasing a patient’s physiological response of heart rate and respiratory rate. A randomized controlled trial was completed, examining the effects of 2 guitar accompaniment patterns on infants (an arpeggiated pattern and a bass/chord pattern) in a NICU. There were 180 infants enrolled with mean chronological ages of 7.4 ± 6.1 weeks and postmenstrual ages (gestational age at birth + their chronological age) of 39.8 ± 7.9 weeks. All subject enrollees participated in a 12-minute initial music therapy session. Outcome measures included heart rate, respirations, and comfort responses. The results of the research study demonstrated that the arpeggiated guitar pattern had a lower mean heart rate and respiratory across all 3 data points (pre, during, and post intervention); however, the difference in means between the 2 accompaniment pattern groups was not statistically significant. Using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) to measure comfort response, the results demonstrated no difference between the 2 group accompaniment patterns. Although the results show no significant differences among accompaniment pattern groups, the researchers describe the clinical significance that supports the use of both accompaniment patterns as suitable interventions for infants in the NICU receiving music therapy intervention.

scholarly journals Effects of Monopolar Dielectric Radiofrequency Signals on the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2465
Author(s):  
Alfonso Javier Ibáñez-Vera ◽  
Jerónimo Carmelo García-Romero ◽  
José Ramón Alvero-Cruz ◽  
Rafael Lomas-Vega
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Sham Group ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Physical Factor ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Local Pain ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Experimental Group

Monopolar dielectric radiofrequency (MDR) is a non-invasive treatment for pain based on the local application of electromagnetic signals. The study’s goal was to analyze the effects of MDR on the symptoms of fibromyalgia. For this aim, a randomized controlled trial was conducted on 66 female participants (aged 47 ± 17.7) diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Participants were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (n = 23), which received eight 20-minute sessions of MDR; a sham group, which received the same number of sessions of a sham MDR therapy (n = 22); or a control group (n = 21), which received usual care. The outcome variables included pain measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS), score on the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and quality of life measured by the combined index of fibromyalgia severity (ICAF). A large effect size was observed for the local pain (R2 = 0.46), total ICAF (R2 = 0.42) and ICAF physical factor scores (R2 = 0.38). Significant mean differences were found for the local pain (p = 0.025) and ICAF physical factor (p = 0.031) scores of the experimental group in comparison with the sham group. No statistically significant differences between groups were found in HADS. In conclusion, MDR is more effective than either sham treatment or usual care in the short-term improvement of pain and the physical wellbeing of participants with fibromyalgia.

A randomized controlled trial with 4-month follow-up of adjunctive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the left prefrontal cortex for depression

2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mogg ◽  
G. Pluck ◽  
S. V. Eranti ◽  
S. Landau ◽  
R. Purvis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Sham Group ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Real Group ◽  
The Mean

BackgroundEffectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for major depression is unclear. The authors performed a randomized controlled trial comparing real and sham adjunctive rTMS with 4-month follow-up.MethodFifty-nine patients with major depression were randomly assigned to a 10-day course of either real (n=29) or sham (n=30) rTMS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Primary outcome measures were the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and proportions of patients meeting criteria for response (⩾50% reduction in HAMD) and remission (HAMD⩽8) after treatment. Secondary outcomes included mood self-ratings on Beck Depression Inventory-II and visual analogue mood scales, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score, and both self-reported and observer-rated cognitive changes. Patients had 6-week and 4-month follow-ups.ResultsOverall, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores were modestly reduced in both groups but with no significant group×time interaction (p=0.09) or group main effect (p=0.85); the mean difference in HAMD change scores was −0.3 (95% CI −3.4 to 2.8). At end-of-treatment time-point, 32% of the real group were responders compared with 10% of the sham group (p=0.06); 25% of the real group met the remission criterion compared with 10% of the sham group (p=0.2); the mean difference in HAMD change scores was 2.9 (95% CI −0.7 to 6.5). There were no significant differences between the two groups on any secondary outcome measures. Blinding was difficult to maintain for both patients and raters.ConclusionsAdjunctive rTMS of the left DLPFC could not be shown to be more effective than sham rTMS for treating depression.

scholarly journals Effect of medically lowering intraocular pressure in glaucoma suspects with high myopia (GSHM study): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Bin Lin ◽  
◽  
Shi Da Chen ◽  
Yun He Song ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Intraocular Pressure ◽  
High Myopia ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Currently, whether and when intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medication should be used in glaucoma suspects with high myopia (GSHM) remains unknown. Glaucoma suspects are visual field (VF) defects that cannot be explained by myopic macular changes or other retinal and neurologic conditions. Glaucoma progression is defined by VF deterioration. Here we describe the rationale, design, and methodology of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate the effects of medically lowering IOP in GSHM (GSHM study). Methods The GSHM study is an open-label, single-center, RCT for GSHM. Overall, 264 newly diagnosed participants, aged 35 to 65 years, will be recruited at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, between 2020 and 2021. Participants will be randomly divided into two arms at a 1:1 ratio. Participants in the intervention arm will receive IOP-lowering medication, while participants in the control arm will be followed up without treatment for 36 months or until they reach the end point. Only one eye per participant will be eligible for the study. If both eyes are eligible, the eye with the worse VF will be recruited. The primary outcome is the incidence of glaucoma suspect progression by VF testing over 36 months. The secondary outcomes include the incidence of changes in the optic nerve head morphology including the retinal nerve fiber layer, and retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer loss, progression of myopic maculopathy, visual function loss, and change in the quality of life. Statistical analyses will include baseline characteristics comparison between the intervention and control groups using a two-sample t-test and Wilcoxon rank sum test; generalized linear models with Poisson regression for the primary outcome; Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test for the incidence of the secondary outcome; and longitudinal analyses to assess trends in outcomes across time. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, the GSHM study is the first RCT to investigate the impact of medically lowering IOP in GSHM. The results will have implications for the clinical management of GSHM. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04296916. Registered on 4 March 2020

GROUP COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY FOR ANGER: A PILOT STUDY

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Siddle ◽  
Freda Jones ◽  
Fairuz Awenat
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour ◽  
Initial Appointment ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Group Cbt

Patients referred with anger problems often do not attend for treatment. The aim of this study was to determine if group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) was feasible. Patients referred for help with their anger were assessed, given 6 sessions of group CBT and re-assessed. Of 119 patients referred, 49 (41%) did not attend the initial appointment. Patients who attended for interview were invited to participate in the group CBT. Only 11 patients (9%) of those referred for therapy attended for the full course of CBT. Thirty-four patients (29%) were exposed to at least one session of CBT, while 66 patients (56%) did not attend for any therapy. Patients who attended for some or all of the CBT treatment reported reductions in the frequency and intensity of their anger outbursts. There was also a significant reduction in measures of their anger traits. It could be concluded that group CBT is an appropriate way to deliver this therapy to patients with anger problems, but it is clear that many of those referred are ambivalent about therapy and will not attend. Figures are given that will allow the planning of a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the difference between individual and group based CBT for patients with anger problems.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document