scholarly journals Effectiveness of Upper Limb Wearable Technology for Improving Activity and Participation in Adult Stroke Survivors: Systematic Review

10.2196/15981 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. e15981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Parker ◽  
Lauren Powell ◽  
Susan Mawson
Keyword(s):  
Upper Limb ◽  
Complex Interventions ◽  
Wearable Technology ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Small Sample Sizes

Background With advances in technology, the adoption of wearable devices has become a viable adjunct in poststroke rehabilitation. Upper limb (UL) impairment affects up to 77% of stroke survivors impacting on their ability to carry out everyday activities. However, despite an increase in research exploring these devices for UL rehabilitation, little is known of their effectiveness. Objective This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of UL wearable technology for improving activity and participation in adult stroke survivors. Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and randomized comparable trials of UL wearable technology for poststroke rehabilitation were included. Primary outcome measures were validated measures of activity and participation as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Databases searched were MEDLINE, Web of Science (Core collection), CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the RCTs and the Downs and Black Instrument for the quality of non RCTs. Results In the review, we included 11 studies with collectively 354 participants at baseline and 323 participants at final follow-up including control groups and participants poststroke. Participants’ stroke type and severity varied. Only 1 study found significant between-group differences for systems functioning and activity (P≤.02). The 11 included studies in this review had small sample sizes ranging from 5 to 99 participants at an average (mean) age of 57 years. Conclusions This review has highlighted a number of reasons for insignificant findings in this area including low sample sizes and the appropriateness of the methodology for complex interventions. However, technology has the potential to measure outcomes, provide feedback, and engage users outside of clinical sessions. This could provide a platform for motivating stroke survivors to carry out more rehabilitation in the absence of a therapist, which could maximize recovery. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42017057715; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=57715

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Upper Limb Wearable Technology for Improving Activity and Participation in Adult Stroke Survivors: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Parker ◽  
Lauren Powell ◽  
Susan Mawson
Keyword(s):  
Upper Limb ◽  
Complex Interventions ◽  
Wearable Technology ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Small Sample Sizes

BACKGROUND With advances in technology, the adoption of wearable devices has become a viable adjunct in poststroke rehabilitation. Upper limb (UL) impairment affects up to 77% of stroke survivors impacting on their ability to carry out everyday activities. However, despite an increase in research exploring these devices for UL rehabilitation, little is known of their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of UL wearable technology for improving activity and participation in adult stroke survivors. METHODS Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and randomized comparable trials of UL wearable technology for poststroke rehabilitation were included. Primary outcome measures were validated measures of activity and participation as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Databases searched were MEDLINE, Web of Science (Core collection), CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the RCTs and the Downs and Black Instrument for the quality of non RCTs. RESULTS In the review, we included 11 studies with collectively 354 participants at baseline and 323 participants at final follow-up including control groups and participants poststroke. Participants’ stroke type and severity varied. Only 1 study found significant between-group differences for systems functioning and activity (<italic>P</italic>≤.02). The 11 included studies in this review had small sample sizes ranging from 5 to 99 participants at an average (mean) age of 57 years. CONCLUSIONS This review has highlighted a number of reasons for insignificant findings in this area including low sample sizes and the appropriateness of the methodology for complex interventions. However, technology has the potential to measure outcomes, provide feedback, and engage users outside of clinical sessions. This could provide a platform for motivating stroke survivors to carry out more rehabilitation in the absence of a therapist, which could maximize recovery.

scholarly journals The Effect of Mood on Judgments of Subjective Well-Being: Nine Tests of the Judgment Model

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stevie C. Y. Yap ◽  
Jessica Wortman ◽  
Ivana Anusic ◽  
S. Glenn Baker ◽  
Laura Danielle Scherer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
Highly Cited

Life satisfaction judgments are thought to represent an overall evaluationof the quality of a person’s life as a whole. Thus, they should reflectrelatively important and stable characteristics of that person’s life.Previous highly cited research has suggested that transient factors, suchas the mood that a person experiences at the time that well-being judgmentsare made, can influence these judgments. However, most existing studiesused small sample sizes, and few replications have been attempted. Ninedirect and conceptual replications of past studies testing the effects ofmood on life satisfaction judgments were conducted using sample sizes thatwere considerably larger than previous studies (Ns = 202, 200, 269, 118,320, 401, 285, 129, 122). Most of the nine studies resulted innonsignificant effects on life satisfaction and happiness judgments, andthose that were significant were substantially smaller than effects foundin previous research.______________________________________

scholarly journals A Critical Review of Multimodal Interventions for Cachexia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare McKeaveney ◽  
Peter Maxwell ◽  
Helen Noble ◽  
Joanne Reid
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Small Sample Sizes

ABSTRACT Currently, there are no standardized treatments for cachexia or severe wasting. There is a growing consensus advocating multimodal interventions to address the complex pathogenesis and metabolic alterations in these conditions. This review examined multimodal treatments intended to alleviate and/or stabilize cachexia and severe wasting. The objectives of this review were to 1) identify multimodal interventions for the treatment of cachexia or associated wasting syndromes in patients with a chronic illness, 2) assess the quality of these studies, and 3) assess the effectiveness of multimodal interventions. Electronic databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PEDro, OpenGrey, and clinicaltrials.org were systematically searched using both text words and MeSH (medical subject heading) terms. The literature revealed a dearth of large, well-conducted trials in this area. Fourteen trials (n = 5 cancer, n = 5 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, n = 4 chronic kidney disease) were included in this review. A total of 1026 patients were included across all studies; sample size ranged between 21 and 138 patients. Baseline and follow-up data were collected between 6 wk and 24 mo. All demonstrated some improvement in favor of the treatment groups, in relevant measures of body composition, nutrition, biomarkers, and functionality; however, caution should be applied due to the heterogenous nature of the interventions and small sample sizes. Overall, the evidence from this review supports the role of multimodal interventions in the treatment of severe wasting. However, randomized controlled trials with a powered sample size and sufficiently lengthy interaction period are necessary to assess if multimodal interventions are effective forms of therapy for improving body composition and nutritional and physical status in patients with cachexia and wasting. The protocol for this review is registered with Prospero (ID: CRD42019124374).

Procedures for the Analysis of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for Small Sample Sizes

2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Shei Lai ◽  
Jeanne Teresi ◽  
Richard Gershon
Keyword(s):  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Small Samples ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Small Sample Sizes

An item with differential item functioning (DIF) displays different statistical properties, conditional on a matching variable. The presence of DIF in measures can invalidate the conclusions of medical outcome studies. Numerous approaches have been developed to examine DIF in many areas, including education and health-related quality of life. There is little consensus in the research community regarding selection of one best method, and most methods require large sample sizes. This article describes some approaches to examine DIF with small samples (e.g., less than 200).

scholarly journals l-arginine and Erectile Dysfunction

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpit Koolwal ◽  
Shivananda Manohar J. ◽  
T. S. Sathyanarayana Rao ◽  
Ghanshyam D. Koolwal
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Erectile Dysfunction ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Positive Evidence ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Natural Precursor

l-arginine, being a natural precursor of nitric oxide, is one of the more commonly used adjuvants to regular medicines in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Objectives: Here, in this review article, we aim to highlight various studies and the research studies done on l-arginine in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Method: Reviewing the databases such as Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica dataBASE, Trip, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and the British Nursing Index. Results:l-arginine has been studied alone as well as in combination with various other molecules for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, but the studies are very limited in number and have very small sample sizes. Conclusion: Positive evidence is available for the efficacy of l-arginine and its various combinations. Further research with larger sample sizes and standardized tools are required to recommend the routine use of these products in erectile dysfunction.

scholarly journals How to be Successful in Football: A Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Lepschy ◽  
Hagen Wäsche ◽  
Alexander Woll
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Situational Variables ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Small Sample Sizes

Background:Despite the popularity of football, the analysis of success factors in football remains a challenge. While reviews on performance indicators in football are available, none focuses solely on the identification of success factors and addresses the large and growing body of recent research up until 2016.Objective:To find out what determines success in football and to organize the body of literature, a systematic literature review analyzing existing studies with regard to success factors in football was undertaken.Methods:The studies included in this review had to deal with performance indicators related to success in football. The studies were published in 2016 or before. The initial search revealed 19,161 articles. Finally, sixty-eight articles were included in this review. The studies were clustered with regard to comparative analyses, predictive analyses and analyses of home advantage.Results:In total, 76 different variables were investigated in the reviewed papers. It appeared that the most significant variables are efficiency (number of goals divided by the number of shots), shots on goal, ball possession, pass accuracy/successful passes as well as the quality of opponent and match location. Moreover, new statistical methods were used to reveal interactions among these variables such as discriminant analysis, factor analysis and regression analysis. The studies showed methodological deficits such as clear operational definitions of investigated variables and small sample sizes.Conclusion:The review allows a comprehensive identification of critical success factors in football and sheds light on utilized methodological approaches. Future research should consider precise operational definitions of the investigated variables, adequate sample sizes and the involvement of situational variables as well as their interaction.

scholarly journals Progress of Acupuncture Therapy in Diseases Based on Magnetic Resonance Image Studies: A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinhuan Zhang ◽  
Zihan Li ◽  
Zhixian Li ◽  
Jiaying Li ◽  
Qingmao Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acupuncture Therapy ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Brain Response ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
The Brain

The neural mechanisms of acupuncture are not well-understood. Over the past decades, an increasing number of studies have used MRI to investigate the response of the brain to acupuncture. The current review aims to provide an update on acupuncture therapy in disease. The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to January 31, 2021. Article selection and data extraction were conducted by two review authors. A total of 107 publications about MRI in acupuncture were included, the collective findings of which were as follows: (1) stroke and GB34 (Yanglingquan) are the most studied disease and acupoint. Related studies suggested that the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for stroke may associate with structural and functional plasticity, left and right hemispheres balance, and activation of brain areas related to movement and cognition. GB34 is mainly used in stroke and Parkinson's disease, which mainly activates brain response in the premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area, and the supramarginal gyrus; (2) resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and functional connectivity (FC) analysis are the most frequently used approaches; (3) estimates of efficacy and brain response to acupuncture depend on the type of sham acupuncture (SA) used for comparison. Brain processing after acupuncture differs between patients and health controls (HC) and occurs mainly in disorder-related areas. Factors that influence the effect of acupuncture include depth of needling, number and locations of acupoints, and deqi and expectation effect, each contributing to the brain response. While studies using MRI have increased understanding of the mechanism underlying the effects of acupuncture, there is scope for development in this field. Due to the small sample sizes, heterogeneous study designs, and analytical methods, the results were inconsistent. Further studies with larger sample sizes, careful experimental design, multimodal neuroimaging techniques, and standardized methods should be conducted to better explain the efficacy and specificity of acupuncture, and to prepare for accurate efficacy prediction in the future.

No Evidence that Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth: Two Failures to Replicate Williams and Bargh (2008)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Chabris ◽  
Patrick Ryan Heck ◽  
Jaclyn Mandart ◽  
Daniel Jacob Benjamin ◽  
Daniel J. Simons
Keyword(s):  
Null Hypothesis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Bayesian Analyses ◽  
Physical Warmth ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
Interpersonal Warmth

Williams and Bargh (2008) reported that holding a hot cup of coffee caused participants to judge a person’s personality as warmer, and that holding a therapeutic heat pad caused participants to choose rewards for other people rather than for themselves. These experiments featured large effects (r = .28 and .31), small sample sizes (41 and 53 participants), and barely statistically significant results. We attempted to replicate both experiments in field settings with more than triple the sample sizes (128 and 177) and double-blind procedures, but found near-zero effects (r = –.03 and .02). In both cases, Bayesian analyses suggest there is substantially more evidence for the null hypothesis of no effect than for the original physical warmth priming hypothesis.

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