scholarly journals The Analgesic Effect of Electroencephalographic Neurofeedback for People With Chronic Pain: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Negin Hesam-Shariati ◽  
Wei-Ju Chang ◽  
James H McAuley ◽  
Andrew Booth ◽  
Zina Trost ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a global health problem, affecting around 1 in 5 individuals in the general population. The understanding of the key role of functional brain alterations in the generation of chronic pain has led researchers to focus on pain treatments that target brain activity. Electroencephalographic neurofeedback attempts to modulate the power of maladaptive electroencephalography frequency powers to decrease chronic pain. Although several studies have provided promising evidence, the effect of electroencephalographic neurofeedback on chronic pain is uncertain. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence from randomized controlled trials to evaluate the analgesic effect of electroencephalographic neurofeedback. In addition, we will synthesize the findings of nonrandomized studies in a narrative review. METHODS We will apply the search strategy in 5 electronic databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL) for published studies and in clinical trial registries for completed unpublished studies. We will include studies that used electroencephalographic neurofeedback as an intervention for people with chronic pain. Risk-of-bias tools will be used to assess methodological quality of the included studies. We will include randomized controlled trials if they have compared electroencephalographic neurofeedback with any other intervention or placebo control. The data from randomized controlled trials will be aggregated to perform a meta-analysis for quantitative synthesis. The primary outcome measure is pain intensity assessed by self-report scales. Secondary outcome measures include depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep quality measured by self-reported questionnaires. We will investigate the studies for additional outcomes addressing adverse effects and resting-state electroencephalography analysis. Additionally, all types of nonrandomized studies will be included for a narrative synthesis. The intended and unintended effects of nonrandomized studies will be extracted and summarized in a descriptive table. RESULTS Ethics approval is not required for a systematic review, as there will be no patient involvement. The search for this systematic review commenced in July 2020, and we expect to publish the findings in early 2021. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review will provide recommendations for researchers and health professionals, as well as people with chronic pain, about the evidence for the analgesic effect of electroencephalographic neurofeedback. CLINICALTRIAL International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42020177608; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=177608 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/22821

10.2196/22821 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. e22821
Author(s):  
Negin Hesam-Shariati ◽  
Wei-Ju Chang ◽  
James H McAuley ◽  
Andrew Booth ◽  
Zina Trost ◽  
...  

Background Chronic pain is a global health problem, affecting around 1 in 5 individuals in the general population. The understanding of the key role of functional brain alterations in the generation of chronic pain has led researchers to focus on pain treatments that target brain activity. Electroencephalographic neurofeedback attempts to modulate the power of maladaptive electroencephalography frequency powers to decrease chronic pain. Although several studies have provided promising evidence, the effect of electroencephalographic neurofeedback on chronic pain is uncertain. Objective This systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence from randomized controlled trials to evaluate the analgesic effect of electroencephalographic neurofeedback. In addition, we will synthesize the findings of nonrandomized studies in a narrative review. Methods We will apply the search strategy in 5 electronic databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL) for published studies and in clinical trial registries for completed unpublished studies. We will include studies that used electroencephalographic neurofeedback as an intervention for people with chronic pain. Risk-of-bias tools will be used to assess methodological quality of the included studies. We will include randomized controlled trials if they have compared electroencephalographic neurofeedback with any other intervention or placebo control. The data from randomized controlled trials will be aggregated to perform a meta-analysis for quantitative synthesis. The primary outcome measure is pain intensity assessed by self-report scales. Secondary outcome measures include depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep quality measured by self-reported questionnaires. We will investigate the studies for additional outcomes addressing adverse effects and resting-state electroencephalography analysis. Additionally, all types of nonrandomized studies will be included for a narrative synthesis. The intended and unintended effects of nonrandomized studies will be extracted and summarized in a descriptive table. Results Ethics approval is not required for a systematic review, as there will be no patient involvement. The search for this systematic review commenced in July 2020, and we expect to publish the findings in early 2021. Conclusions This systematic review will provide recommendations for researchers and health professionals, as well as people with chronic pain, about the evidence for the analgesic effect of electroencephalographic neurofeedback. Trial Registration International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42020177608; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=177608 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/22821


2013 ◽  
Vol 6;16 (6;11) ◽  
pp. E521-E532
Author(s):  
Sheng-Xi Wu

Background: Currently, there is no specific therapy for chronic pancreatitis (CP). The treatment of micronutrient antioxidant therapy for painful CP has been sporadically used for more than 30 years, however, its efficacy are still poorly understood. Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to investigate the safety and efficacy of antioxidant therapy for pain relief in patients with CP. Setting: University Hospital in China Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis Methods: Two authors independently reviewed the search results and extracted data and disagreements were resolved by discussion. Effects were summarized using standardized mean differences (SMDs), weighted mean differences, or odds ratio (OR) according to the suitable effect model. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from 1980 through December 2012. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied antioxidant supplementation for pain relief in patients with CP were analyzed. Results: Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 390 patients were included. Overall, there was no association of antioxidant therapy with pain reduction in CP patients (SMD, −0.55; 95% CI, −1.22 to 0.12; P = 0.67). However, antioxidant therapy significantly increased blood levels of antioxidants in CP patients versus the placebo group (SMD, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.43; P < 0.00001). Interestingly, combined antioxidant (selenium, β-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, methionine) therapy was found to be associated with pain relief (SMD, -0.93; 95% CI, -1.72 to -0.14; P = 0.02), while the trials in which a single antioxidant was used revealed no significant pain relief (SMD, -0.12; 95% CI, -1.23 to 0.99; P = 0.83) in CP patients. Strong evidence was obtained that the antioxidants increased adverse effects (OR, 6.09; 95% CI, 2.29 to 16.17, P < 0.01); nevertheless, none was serious. Limitations: Because of the small sample, a consolidated conclusion cannot be reached based on current RCTs. Large-sample RCTs are needed to clarify the analgesic effect of antioxidants in CP patients. Conclusions: Combined antioxidant therapy seems to be a safe and effective therapy for pain relief in CP patients. Measures of total antioxidant status may not help to monitor the efficacy of antioxidant therapy for patients with CP. Key words: Antioxidant, pain, chronic pancreatitis, meta-analysis


Medicina ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aikaterini Amaniti ◽  
Chrysanthi Sardeli ◽  
Varvara Fyntanidou ◽  
Panagiota Papakonstantinou ◽  
Ioannis Dalakakis ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Among HIV infection symptoms, sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) remains a main cause of suffering, with incidence varying from 13–50%. So far, numerous pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments have been tested, although few evidence-based analgesic options are available. We conducted an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments for pain control, in patients with HIV neuropathy. Materials and Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus/Elsevier, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), USA Clinical Trials registry, and The International Web of Science up to April 2019. All randomized controlled trials evaluating efficacy and safety of non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies were included. Efficacy was defined as pain reduction during the study period. Safety was estimated from adverse events. A meta-analysis was performed whenever possible. Results: 27 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included for analysis (7 evaluating non pharmacologic interventions, 20 pharmacologic therapies). Non-pharmacologic studies (n = 742) involved seven different therapeutic modalities. Only Acupuncture/Moxibustion showed pain reduction over placebo, Gracely Pain Scale Mean (SD): Acu/Moxa 0.85 (0.12), placebo 1.10 (0.09), p = 0.05. Pharmacologic studies, involving 2516 patients revealed efficacy for capsaicin 8% over placebo (mean difference −8.04 [95% CI: −14.92 −1.15], smoked cannabis (where pooling data for meta-analysis was not possible) and recombinant Nerve Growth Factor. Conclusion: Despite various modalities for pain control in HIV-SN, strongest evidence exists for capsaicin 8% and smoked cannabis, although of low methodological quality. Among non-pharmacologic modalities, only Acu/Moxa gave a marginal beneficial effect in one study, possibly limited by inherent methodological flaws.


Medicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Joanna Dietzel ◽  
Mike Cummings ◽  
Kevin Hua ◽  
Klaus Hahnenkamp ◽  
Benno Brinkhaus ◽  
...  

Background: Preoperative anxiety causes profound psychological and physiological reactions that may lead to a worse postoperative recovery, higher intensity of acute and persistent postsurgical pain and impaired quality of life in the postoperative period. Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that auricular acupuncture (AA) is safe and effective in the treatment of preoperative anxiety; however there is a lack of systematic evidence on this topic. Therefore, this protocol was developed following the PRISMA guidelines to adequately evaluate the existing literature regarding the value of AA for the reduction in anxiety in patients in a preoperative setting, compared to other forms of acupuncture, pharmacological, or no control interventions and measured with questionnaires regarding anxiety and fear. Methods: The following databases will be searched: MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ISI Web of Science, and Scopus Database. RCTs will be included if an abstract is available in English. Data collection and analysis will be conducted by two reviewers independently. Quality and risk assessment of included studies will be done using the Cochrane 5.1.0 handbook criteria and meta-analysis of effectiveness and symptom scores will be conducted using the statistical software RevMan V.5.3. Conclusions: This systematic review will evaluate the efficacy and safety of AA for preoperative anxiety. Since all data used in this systematic review and meta-analysis have been published, this review does not require ethical approval. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or be presented in relevant conferences. Registration number: PROSPERO ID CRD42020.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 783-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Doosti-Irani ◽  
Vahidreza Ostadmohammadi ◽  
Naghmeh Mirhosseini ◽  
MohammadAli Mansournia ◽  
Russel Reiter ◽  
...  

AbstractThis systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to clarify the effect of melatonin supplementation on glycemic control. Databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched until July 30th, 2018. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias for included trials. Heterogeneity among included studies was assessed using Cochran’s Q test and I-square (I2) statistic. Data were pooled using random-effect models and standardized mean difference (SMD) was considered as the overall effect size. Twelve trials out of 292 selected reports were identified eligible to be included in current meta-analysis. The pooled findings indicated that melatonin supplementation significantly reduced fasting glucose (SMD=–6.34; 95% CI, –12.28, –0.40; p=0.04; I2: 65.0) and increased the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) (SMD=0.01; 95% CI, 0.00, 0.02; p=0.01; I2: 0.0). However, melatonin administration did not significantly influence insulin levels (SMD=–1.03; 95% CI, –3.82, 1.77; p=0.47; I2: 0.53), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (SMD=–0.34; 95% CI, –1.25, 0.58; p=0.37; I2: 0.37) or HbA1c levels (SMD=–0.22; 95% CI, –0.47, 0.03; p=0.08; I2: 0.0). In summary, the current meta-analysis showed a promising effect of melatonin supplementation on glycemic control through reducing fasting glucose and increasing QUICKI, yet additional prospective studies are recommended, using higher supplementation doses and longer intervention period, to confirm the impact of melatonin on insulin levels, HOMA-IR and HbA1c.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benny Rashuaman-Conche ◽  
Silvana Loli-Guevara ◽  
Ethel Rodriguez ◽  
Carlos Alva-Diaz

Introduction: Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world. It represents a public health problem especially in tropical and subtropical regions, but it is also presents in temperate regions. Spirochetes from leptospira genus cause the disease, they affect humans as an intermediate host. About pre-exposure prophylaxis for people at risk, antibiotics such as doxycycline or azithromycin were used to prevent the development of leptospirosis and its related adverse outcomes. However, the evidence about the efficacy and safety of this intervention is limited. Objectives: To determine whether pre-exposure antibiotic administration prevents infection, hospitalization, or mortality from leptospirosis, without causing severe adverse effects. Methods: We propose to do a systematic review and meta-analysis. We will search in Pubmed (Medline), Embase.com, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS and ClinicalTrials.gov. Individual randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, cohorts, and cases-control studies will be included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria set. The flow chart for selecting studies to be included will be presented in accordance with the PRISMA guide. The methodological quality of the studies will be evaluated by duplicate. Subsequently, the qualitative analysis of the data will be carried out and the feasibility of a quantitative meta-analysis will be evaluated. Finally, a summary of findings table will be presented according to the feasibility of the meta-analysis. Results: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusion: This systematic review will sum up-to-date evidence about the efficacy and safety of pre-exposure antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis, hospitalization and mortality.


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