scholarly journals Effectiveness of electroacupuncture for the treatment of urinary incontinence in patients with spinal cord injury: a protocol of systematic review of randomized controlled trials

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian-shu Wang ◽  
Zeng-mian Wang ◽  
Wei-dong Song ◽  
Zhao-chen Tang ◽  
Yu Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Study Quality ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Study Quality Assessment

Abstract Background The objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) in the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods All potential studies will be retrieved from the electronic databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CBM, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from origin of each database up to January 31, 2020. Additionally, we will check other resources, such as Google scholar, dissertations, conference proceedings, and reference lists of included studies. No language and publication date limitations will be considered in the literature resources search. All randomized controlled trials using EA for the treatment of UI in patients with SCI will be included. Two independent investigators will perform study selection, data extraction and study quality assessment. If any conflicts occur, we will invite a third investigator to solve them. Cochrane risk of bias will be used for study quality assessment, and RevMan 5.3 software will be employed for statistical analysis. Discussion This study will summarize the most recent evidence to assess the effectiveness and safety of EA for the treatment of UI in patients with SCI. The results of this study will provide helpful evidence to determine whether EA is effective and safety for the treatment of UI in patients with SCI or not.

scholarly journals A mapping review of randomized controlled trials in the spinal cord injury research literature

Spinal Cord ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 725-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda McIntyre ◽  
◽  
Brooke Benton ◽  
Shannon Janzen ◽  
Jerome Iruthayarajah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Mapping Review ◽  
Injury Research

scholarly journals Development and Validation of the Study Quality Assessment of Design (SQUAD) Tool for Systematic Reviews

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Tierney ◽  
Marie Haverfield ◽  
Shreyas Bharadwaj ◽  
Donna Zulman
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Study Quality ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Study Quality Assessment

Abstract Background Despite consensus about the need to assess study design quality in systematic reviews, there remains a need for practical tools that can be used for quality assessment across diverse study designs. Methods We developed the Study Quality Assessment of Design (SQUAD) tool by combining and streamlining the Cochrane tool for grading randomized controlled trials and the risk of bias criteria developed for Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) reviews. We validated the tool and refined it through a four-iteration pilot. We then used the tool to evaluate the quality of studies in a systematic review of the effects of interpersonal interventions on Quadruple Aim outcomes (i.e., population health, cost, patient and provider experience). Results During a pilot with 12 studies (8 randomized controlled trials and 4 observational studies), the ICC (1,1) improved from 0.41 to 0.89. In the systematic review of 77 studies (68 randomized control trials and 9 observational studies), the ICC (2,1) was 0.72. Conclusions SQUAD is a practical and reliable tool for assessing the quality of studies of various designs when synthesizing findings for systematic reviews. Standardized practices for quality assessment are critical to the reliability of systematic reviews. This pragmatic and standardized tool can facilitate efficient and high-quality assessments for a broad range of studies.

Chinese Herbal Medicine in Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (07) ◽  
pp. 1593-1616
Author(s):  
Yang Zheng ◽  
Shangfeng Qi ◽  
Fengqing Wu ◽  
Jintao Hu ◽  
Ronglin Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Chinese Herbal ◽  
Sensory Score ◽  
Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic disease associated with damaged neurological structures and has become a significant social and economic burden for the health care system and patients’ families. The use of Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) to treat SCI has been increasing in recent years. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effectiveness of CHM for patients with SCI. Therefore, we included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CHM for SCI in seven databases. A total of 26 studies involving 1961 participants were included in this study. No serious heterogeneity or publication bias was observed across each study. The results showed that significant improvements of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA)-grading improvement rate ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), clinical effective rate ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), ASIA motor score ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), ASIA sensory score (total) ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), ASIA sensory score (light touch) ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), ASIA sensory score (pinprick) ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), and activities of daily living (ADL) score ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) in CHM group compared with the control group. Among the CHM groups, Buyang Huanwu decoction was the most frequently prescribed herbal formula, while Astragalus membranaceus was the most commonly used single herb. In addition, there were no serious and permanent adverse effects in the two groups. The methodological quality of the most included RCTs was poor and the quality of evidence for the main outcomes was from very low to moderate according to the GRADE system. Current evidence suggests that CHM is an effective and safe treatment for SCI and could be treated as a complementary and alternative option with few side effects. However, considering the low quality, small size, and high risk of the studies identified in this meta-analysis, higher methodological quality, rigorously designed RCTs with large sample sizes are needed to confirm the results.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document