Chronic tinnitus and the positive effects of sound enrichment from a smartphone app of: case–control study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Tinnitus is a phantom auditory sensation in the absence of any external stimuli. It is accompanied by a broad range of negative emotional symptoms and significantly lower quality of life. So far, there is no cure for tinnitus although various treatment options have been tried. One of them is mobile technology employing dedicated applications based on sound therapy. The applications can be managed by the patient and tailored according to their needs. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to assess the effect on the severity of tinnitus of using a mobile application that generates background sounds. METHODS The study involved 68 adults who experienced chronic tinnitus. Participants were divided into a study group and a control group. For 6 months those in the study group used a free mobile application that enriched the sound environment with a background sound. Participants were instructed to use the application for at least 30 min a day and they could listen to any sort of sound according to their preference. The participants in the control group did not use the application. Subjective changes in the daily functioning of both groups were evaluated using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire, a visual analog scale, and a user survey. RESULTS After 3 months of using the application the THI global score significantly decreased in the study group, and decreased again at 6 months. The highest improvement was observed in the emotional and catastrophic reactions subscales. Based on the THI questionnaire, a clinically significant change was reported by 39% (17 of 44). Almost 90% of the study participants chose environmental sounds to listen to, the most popular being rain and ocean waves. In the control group, tinnitus severity did not change over 3 or 6 months. CONCLUSIONS Although the participants still experienced limitations caused by tinnitus, the advantage of the app was that it led to lower negative emotions and thus reduced overall tinnitus severity. It is worth considering whether a mobile app might be incorporated into the management of tinnitus in a professional setting. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

Download Full-text

Evaluating the effects of a mindfulness mobile application on student pharmacists’ stress, burnout, and mindfulness

American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy ◽

10.1093/ajhp/zxab467 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Angela Chu ◽

Tyler M Rose ◽

Danielle A Gundrum ◽

Tressa E McMorris ◽

Eytan A Klausner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mobile Application ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Control Group ◽

Intervention Period ◽

Entire Study ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Waitlist Control Group

Abstract Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose Pharmacists report high levels of burnout. Mindfulness approaches have been demonstrated to have positive results in the general population and in other healthcare professions. However, limited studies have been performed evaluating mindfulness approaches in student pharmacists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of daily use of a mindfulness mobile application in improving student pharmacists’ perceived stress, burnout, and mindfulness. Methods This study was a randomized, longitudinal, waitlist-controlled trial. The intervention group was asked to meditate using the mindfulness application Headspace daily for at least 6 weeks. The waitlist control group was asked to abstain from using the application for the entire study. Stress, burnout, and mindfulness were assessed using validated survey instruments at baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks. A secondary outcome was to assess the persistence of application use after the intervention period. Results Fifty-six participants completed the study. The intervention group reported significantly lower scores on stress and burnout at 6 weeks compared to the control group. The intervention group also reported significantly higher scores on mindfulness. The differences in stress, burnout, and mindfulness persisted at follow-up. The mean percentage of students in the intervention group who used the application each day was 90% over the intervention period and 62% over the follow-up period. Conclusion A mindfulness mobile application significantly improved student pharmacists’ stress, burnout, and mindfulness with daily use. Most participants continued to use the application for 4 weeks after the end of the intervention. Positive effects on stress and mindfulness persisted even with decreased use.

Download Full-text

Effect of an Augmented Reality Ultrasound Trainer App on the Motor Skills Needed for a Kidney Ultrasound: Prospective Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.12713 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Florian Ebner ◽

Amelie De Gregorio ◽

Fabienne Schochter ◽

Inga Bekes ◽

Wolfgang Janni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Augmented Reality ◽

Left Kidney ◽

Prospective Trial ◽

Learning By Doing ◽

Mobile App ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Educational Training ◽

Significant Difference

BACKGROUND Medical education is evolving from "learning by doing" to simulation-based hands-on tutorials. OBJECTIVE The aim of this prospective 2-armed study was to evaluate a newly developed augmented reality ultrasound app and its effect on educational training and diagnostic accuracy. METHODS We recruited 66 medical students and, using imaging and measuring a kidney as quality indicators, tested them on the time they needed for these tasks. Both groups used textbooks as preparation; in addition, the study group had access to a virtual ultrasound simulation app for mobile devices. RESULTS There was no significant difference between the study arms regarding age (P=.97), sex (P=.14), and previous ultrasound experience (P=.66). The time needed to complete the kidney measurements also did not differ significantly (P=.26). However, the results of the longitudinal kidney measurements differed significantly between the study and control groups, with larger, more realistic values in the study group (right kidney: study group median 105.3 mm, range 86.1-127.1 mm, control group median 92 mm, range 50.4-112.2 mm; P<.001; left kidney: study group median 100.3 mm, range 81.7-118.6 mm, control group median 85.3 mm, range 48.3-113.4 mm; P<.001). Furthermore, whereas all students of the study group obtained valid measurements, students of the control group did not obtain valid measurements of 1 or both kidneys in 7 cases. CONCLUSIONS The newly developed augmented reality ultrasound simulator mobile app provides a useful add-on for ultrasound education and training. Our results indicate that medical students’ use of the mobile app for training purposes improved the quality of kidney measurements.

Download Full-text

Comparison of Pure Tone, Dichotic Digit Test and Speech in Noise in Persian Language Using a Mobile-Based Approach (Shenava® application) with the Audiometer Device: Protocol of the Randomized Controlled Trial

Frontiers in Health Informatics ◽

10.30699/fhi.v9i1.247 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 46

Author(s):

Firoozeh Khordastan ◽

Jila Afsharmanesh ◽

Maryam Amizadeh ◽

Afshin Sarafi Nejad

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Mobile App ◽

Control Group ◽

Hearing Tests ◽

Speech In Noise ◽

Randomized Controlled

Introduction: The global prevalence of hearing loss is around 5 percent in low to middle-income countries. The main purpose of this study is validating a mobile-based Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), Dichotic Digit Test (DDT) and Speech in Noise (SIN) hearing tests for hearing loss screening purposes in Persian people comparing with routine audiometry exam results.Material and Methods: This is a single blind randomized controlled trial for comparing a mobile application for hearing screening exams. We designed and standardized PTA, DDT and SIN tests for Persian people and settled them into a specific developed mobile application called “Shenava®”. In the audiology clinic, we will recruit at least 100 healthy adult participants, 50 for the case and 50 for the control group. The first group will pass “Shenava®” and standard test respectively and the other group will pass the tests vice versa to prevent order bias.Results: The results of the tests performed by “Shenava®” and audiometry exam will be analyzed to ensure the accuracy and validity of the” Shenava®” in comparison with standard audiometric exam results.Conclution: Hearing tests are costly even for time and money and need a lot of efforts for audiologists and the patients. By designing a mobile app for hearing tests, we hope to be able to make diagnostic screening easier for hearing loss, and relying on the diagnostic value of this tool, it may encourage the patients to have a better follow up and effective treatment plan.

Download Full-text

Flexible and Contextual Cloud Applications in Mobile Learning

International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM) ◽

10.3991/ijim.v14i21.18469 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (21) ◽

pp. 51

Author(s):

Albina Hashimova ◽

Valeriy Prasolov ◽

Vyacheslav Burlakov ◽

Larisa Semenova

Keyword(s):

Mobile Learning ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Mobile App ◽

Learning System ◽

Control Group ◽

Digital Learning ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Grade Scale ◽

University Department

<p class="0abstract">The aim of the article is to study the modern mobile learning system, to understand its advantages and disadvantages, and to determine the relationship between the concepts of digital learning. The goal of the study is to conduct an experiment on the implementation of a flexible mobile application for studying the "macroeconomics" by students of economic specialties and to compare the results obtained with the selected control group. A total of 20 sophomores (10 each from two universities: Sechenov University, Department of Economics and Management; and Azerbaijan State Economic University, Department of Economic Theory) were offered to study the course in macroeconomics using a mobile application during the semester (from September to December 2019). Students were selected from two universities for the scientific objectivity and from the second year of the bachelor's degree, since "macroeconomics" is studied in the early courses, regardless of the further, specific economic direction of the student. Students did not attend lectures and practical classes with a teacher; all training was performed with the help of an application. A control group of the same specialty and year (also 20 people) was selected to confirm or contradict the effectiveness of such a mobile application. The control group students studied "macroeconomics" in the traditional way, namely attending lectures and practical classes with a teacher, during this semester. As a result of the experiment, the study group students liked training with the application. Meanwhile, 70% of the students would not like to have such training for all disciplines, permanently. But students supported studying using a special mobile app as a supplement to the main format of teaching. During the final examination, held by the traditional method (a written exam - answers to 4 open questions and 10 multiple choice questions), the following results were obtained. Students, who were using m-learning, on average, got higher results by 0.2 points, according to the overall assessment, a 5-grade scale, and separately according to the test results more by 2 correct answers than students with the traditional education. Thus, this can be explained since students using mobile app practiced material in a form of game or case, which helped them to immerse themselves more in the problem and to assimilate the material. The results were compared with the research of other scientists.</p>

Download Full-text

Improving Breastfeeding by Empowering Mothers in Vietnam: A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Mobile App

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17155552 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (15) ◽

pp. 5552 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thi Thuy Duong Doan ◽

Colin Binns ◽

Ngoc Minh Pham ◽

Yun Zhao ◽

Thi Phuong Hoa Dinh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Mobile App ◽

Control Group ◽

Block Randomisation ◽

Group A ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

And Control

Breastfeeding provides benefits to the infant and mother; however, the rates of breastfeeding, particularly exclusive breastfeeding, remain below optimal levels in many Asian countries. The aim of this study is to review the benefits of breastfeeding to mothers and infants and current rates of breastfeeding in Vietnam, and to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile application on exclusive breastfeeding among mothers in Vietnam. A two-arm, parallel triple-blinded randomised controlled trial will be conducted among 1000 mothers in Hanoi City, Vietnam, during 2020–2021. Eligible participants are pregnant women who will seek antenatal care from health facilities at 24–36 weeks of gestation and plan to deliver at two participating hospitals, own a smartphone, and carry a singleton foetus. Permuted-block randomisation method stratified by maternal age, education and parity will be used to ensure an equal number of participants in each group. A smartphone app will be developed to deliver breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding information to the intervention and control group, respectively. Data will be collected at baseline, before hospital discharge, and at 1, 4, and 6 months postpartum. This study envisages demonstrating whether a smartphone-based intervention can be effective at improving breastfeeding in Vietnam. Trials registration: ACTRN12619000531112.

Download Full-text

Effect of MyMAFI—A Newly Developed Mobile App for Field Investigation of Food Poisoning Outbreak on the Timeliness in Reporting: A Randomized Crossover Trial

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16142453 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (14) ◽

pp. 2453

Author(s):

Fathul Hakim Hamzah ◽

Suhaily Mohd Hairon ◽

Najib Majdi Yaacob ◽

Kamarul Imran Musa

Keyword(s):

Mobile Application ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Food Poisoning ◽

Field Investigation ◽

Mobile App ◽

Control Group ◽

P Value ◽

Period Effect ◽

Significant Treatment ◽

Group B

Prompt investigation of food poisoning outbreak are essential, as it usually involves a short incubation period. Utilizing the advancement in mobile technology, a mobile application named MyMAFI (My Mobile Apps for Field Investigation) was developed with the aim to be an alternative and better tool for current practices of field investigation of food poisoning outbreak. A randomized cross-over trial with two arms and two treatment periods was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the newly developed mobile application as compared to the standard paper-based format approach. Thirty-six public health inspectors from all districts in Kelantan participated in this study and they were randomized into two equal sized groups. Group A started the trial as control group using the paper-format investigation form via simulated outbreaks and group B used the mobile application. After a one-month ‘washout period’, the group was crossed over. The primary outcome measured was the time taken to complete the outbreak investigation. The treatment effects, the period effects and the period-by-treatment interaction were analyzed using Pkcross command in Stata software. There was a significant treatment effect with mean square 21840.5 and its corresponding F statistic 4.47 (p-value = 0.038), which indicated that the mobile application had significantly improve the reporting timeliness. The results also showed that there was a significant period effect (p-value = 0.025); however, the treatment by period interaction was not significant (p-value = 0.830). The newly developed mobile application—MyMAFI—can improve the timeliness in reporting for investigation of food poisoning outbreak.

Download Full-text

TMS in Tinnitus Treatment: Enhancement by Dopamine Agonists?

Otolaryngology ◽

10.1016/j.otohns.2008.05.196 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 139 (2_suppl) ◽

pp. P61-P61

Author(s):

Tobias Kleinjung ◽

Veronika Vielsmeier ◽

Michael Landgrebe ◽

Thomas Steffens ◽

Juergen Strutz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dopamine Agonists ◽

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Chronic Tinnitus ◽

Control Group ◽

Clinical Effects ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Low Frequency Rtms

Objective Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the temporal cortex revealed positive effects in patients with chronic tinnitus. Recent preclinical data in healthy controls suggest that effects of low frequency rTMS can be enhanced by application of dopamine agonists. Based on these data, we investigated whether application of a dopaminergic drug increases clinical effects of low frequency rTMS over the auditory cortex in tinnitus patients. Methods 18 subjects with chronic tinnitus received sessions of 1Hz rTMS (2000 pulses/d, 110% motor threshold) applied to the left temporal cortex on 10 subsequent working days. Additionally, these subjects received one dosage of Madopar® (100mg Levodopa/ 25 mg Benserazide)1 hour prior to each TMS session. Treatment outcome was assessed over a 3-month period with a tinnitus questionnaire (TQ). Treatment effects were compared to a control group matched for age, gender, tinnitus duration, and hearing loss, which received the same rTMS treatment without prior Levodopa application. Results TMS treatment resulted in a reduction of TQ scores in both groups. Improvement was slightly superior in the Levodopa group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (p <0.05). Conclusions These results further support that rTMS has beneficial effects in treatment of chronic tinnitus. Levodopa resulted in a slight, but non-significant, tendency towards better outcome. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed.

Download Full-text

Assessment of probiotic effects on colorectal surgery complications: A double blinded, randomized clinical trial

Biomedical Research and Therapy ◽

10.15419/bmrat.v6i3.529 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 3067-3072

Author(s):

Farzad Kakaei ◽

Mohammadreza Shahrasbi ◽

Touraj Asvadi Kermani ◽

Sahar Taheri ◽

Kowsar Tarvirdizade

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Surgery ◽

Food Supplement ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Surgery Complications ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Duration Of Hospitalization ◽

Mortality Ratio ◽

Inhibitory Agents ◽

Double Blinded

Background: Probiotics are living bacteria, which can be used as a food supplement to produce inhibitory agents and compete with pathogens in the guts. Nowadays, because of the easy accessibility and misuse of antibiotics, probiotic usage is increasing. The goal of our study is to assess the effects of probiotics on colorectal surgery complications. Methods: The enrolled cases were selected from colorectal surgery candidate patients, who referred to Sina and Imam Reza Hospitals of Tabriz University from April of 2016 to April of 2017. They were divided into two groups of study and control. For the study group, 7 days before surgery, one capsule of probiotics (Familact) was administrated every night, while the control group was given capsules of placebo. Results: Although the infective complications, mortality ratio and duration of hospitalization in the study group were lower than the control group, these differences were not statistically significant. Discussion: Our study confirmed that preoperative probiotic consumption in colorectal surgery had not affected complications or mortality of surgery and this finding is in disagreement with some previous studies. Perhaps, other strains of bacteria or different dosage, duration and rout of administration can have positive effects on these complications. Conclusion: This study showed that there was no correlation between probiotic consumption preoperatively and decreased complications or mortality after colorectal surgery.

Download Full-text

Assessment of the impact of medPlan®, a medication reminder mobile application, in glaucoma patients in Benin City, Nigeria

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ◽

10.4314/tjpr.v19i12.28 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (12) ◽

pp. 2677-2682

Author(s):

Penaere T. Osahon ◽

Lisa A. Mote ◽

Veronica I. Ntaji

Keyword(s):

Medication Adherence ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Benin City ◽

Adherence To Medication ◽

Keywords Glaucoma ◽

The Impact ◽

Medication Reminder

Purpose: To assess the impact of medPlan®, a medication reminder mobile application in glaucoma patients in Benin City, Nigeria.Methods: In a randomized control trial with 2 months follow-up period, 200 patients receiving drug therapy for glaucoma were randomized into either into a control or study group. The study group comprised participants who made use of a medication reminder mobile application, medPlan®, while the control group consisted of those patients who did not use the application. Adherence to medication was measured for all the patients in both groups. Data was collected using a carefully designed questionnaire and statistically analyzed.Results: This study recorded 100 % response rate from the participants. In the study group, 56 % were very adherent while 18 % were moderately adherent, and 26 % were non-adherent respondents as against 45 % very adherent, 13 % moderately adherent and 42 % non-adherent respondents from the control group. In addition, 78 % of those in the study group agreed that there was improvement in their medication adherence since they started using the medication reminder application. This showed a significant positive impact of the medication reminder application (p = 0.0110) on adherence to medication.Conclusion: Medication adherence was improved in glaucoma patients who used medPlan®, a smartphone medication reminder application. This study lays a foundation for further research on medication reminder mobile applications. Keywords: Glaucoma, Smartphone, Medication adherence, Impact, Medication reminder, medPlan®

Download Full-text

Progressive Relaxation Training in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy-Randomized Controlled Trial

10.22541/au.162463770.05376828/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

UMUT BAHÇACI ◽

Songül Atasavun Uysal ◽

Zeynep Erdoğan İyigün ◽

Çetin Ordu ◽

Gürsel Remzi Soybir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Side Effects ◽

Progressive Relaxation ◽

Pain Severity ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Relaxation Techniques ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Significant Difference

Background Aromatase inhibitors (AI) have positive effects on disease-free life in patients with Breast Cancer (BC); on the other hand, their side effects especially arthralgia can be observed in many of patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Progressive Relaxation Exercises (PRE) on the common side effects of AI in patients with BC. Methods A total of 44 patients receiving AI were allocated to the study and control groups in this randomized controlled, single-blind trial. The study group (n=22) performed a combined (one-day supervised, and 3 days home-based) PRE program 4 days/week, for six weeks. The control group (n=22) was given advice about relaxation in daily life. Data was collected initially and after 6 weeks of the intervention. Pain, quality of life (QoL) and emotional status (ES) were assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACT) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scales, respectively. Results Pain was significantly reduced within the study group in Pain Severity (p=0.001) and Pain Interference (p=0.01) sub-scores. Pain was also reduced between the groups as compared using the Pain Severity (p=0.00) and Patient Pain Experience (p=0.003) sub-scores; QoL and ES remained with no significant difference either within the groups or between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion The results of this study showed that PRE significantly decreased pain scores in BC patients receiving AI. Although the reduction in pain is a valuable data even in the 6-week period in those cases, the long-term effects of relaxation techniques need to be followed.

Download Full-text