scholarly journals Bayesian Meta-analysis of fMRI Image Data

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyemin Han ◽  
Joonsuk Park

We composed an R-based script for Image-based Bayesian random-effect meta-analysis of previous fMRI studies. It meta-analyzes second-level test results of the studies and calculates Bayes Factors indicating whether the effect in each voxel is significantly different from zero. We compared results from Bayesian and classical meta-analyses by examining the overlap between the result from each method and that created by NeuroSynth as the target. As an example, we analyzed previous fMRI studies focusing on working memory extracted from NeuroSynth. The result from our Bayesian method showed a greater overlap than the classical method. In addition, Bayes Factors proved a better way to examine whether the evidence supported hypotheses than p-values. Given these, Bayesian meta-analysis provides neuroscientists with a better meta-analysis method for fMRI studies given the improved overlap with the NeuroSynth result and the practical and epistemological value of Bayes Factors that can directly test presence of an effect.

2021 ◽  
pp. 003435522110432
Author(s):  
Areum Han

Objective: Mindfulness- and acceptance-based intervention (MABI) is an emerging evidenced-based practice, but no systematic review incorporating meta-analyses for MABIs in stroke survivors has been conducted. The objective of this systematic review was to measure the effectiveness of MABIs on outcomes in people with stroke. Method: Three electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, were searched to identify relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed. Data were extracted and combined in a meta-analysis with a random-effect model to compute the size of the intervention effect. Results: A total of 11 studies met the eligibility criteria. Meta-analyses found a small-to-moderate effect of MABIs on depressive symptoms (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.12, 0.66]) and a large effect on mental fatigue (SMD = 1.22, 95% CI = [0.57, 1.87]). No statistically significant effect of MABIs on anxiety, quality of life, and mindfulness was found, but there was a trend in favor of MABIs overall. Conclusions: This meta-analysis found positive effects of MABIs on depressive symptoms and mental fatigue in stroke survivors, but future high-quality studies are needed to guarantee treatment effects of MABIs on varied outcomes in stroke survivors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Racine ◽  
Rachel Eirich ◽  
Jessica Cookee ◽  
Jenney Zhu ◽  
Paolo Pador ◽  
...  

Parents have experienced considerable challenges and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may impact their well-being. This meta-analysis sought to identify: 1) the prevalence of depression and anxiety in parents of young children (< age 5) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) sociodemographic (e.g., parent age, minority status) and methodological moderators (e.g., study quality) that explain heterogeneity among studies. A systematic search was conducted across four databases from January 1st, 2020 to March 3st, 2021. A total of 18 non-overlapping studies (9,101 participants), all focused on maternal mental health, met inclusion criteria. Random-effect meta-analyses were conducted. Pooled prevalence estimates for clinically significant depression and anxiety symptoms for mothers of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic were 27.4% (95% CI: 21.5-34.3) and 43.5% (95% CI:27.5-60.9), respectively. Prevalence of clinically elevated depression and anxiety symptoms were higher in Europe and North America and among older mothers. Clinically elevated depressive symptoms were lower in studies with a higher percentage of racial and ethnic minority individuals. In comparison, clinically elevated anxiety symptoms were higher among studies of low study quality and in samples with highly educated mothers. Policies and resources targeting improvements in maternal mental health are essential.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1660-1670 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rushton ◽  
N. R. Heneghan ◽  
M. W. Heymans ◽  
J. B. Staal ◽  
P. Goodwin

Abstract Purpose To conduct a meta-analysis to describe clinical course of pain and disability in adult patients post-lumbar discectomy (PROSPERO: CRD42015020806). Methods Sensitive topic-based search strategy designed for individual databases was conducted. Patients (> 16 years) following first-time lumbar discectomy for sciatica/radiculopathy with no complications, investigated in inception (point of surgery) prospective cohort studies, were included. Studies including revision surgery or not published in English were excluded. Two reviewers independently searched information sources, assessed eligibility at title/abstract and full-text stages, extracted data, assessed risk of bias (modified QUIPs) and assessed GRADE. Authors were contacted to request raw data where data/variance data were missing. Meta-analyses evaluated outcomes at all available time points using the variance-weighted mean in random-effect meta-analyses. Means and 95% CIs were plotted over time for measurements reported on outcomes of leg pain, back pain and disability. Results A total of 87 studies (n = 31,034) at risk of bias (49 moderate, 38 high) were included. Clinically relevant improvements immediately following surgery (> MCID) for leg pain (0–10, mean before surgery 7.04, 50 studies, n = 14,910 participants) and disability were identified (0–100, mean before surgery 53.33, 48 studies, n = 15,037). Back pain also improved (0–10, mean before surgery 4.72, 53 studies, n = 14,877). Improvement in all outcomes was maintained (to 7 years). Meta-regression analyses to assess the relationship between outcome data and a priori potential covariates found preoperative back pain and disability predictive for outcome. Conclusion Moderate-level evidence supports clinically relevant immediate improvement in leg pain and disability following lumbar discectomy with accompanying improvements in back pain. Graphic abstract These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.


Author(s):  
Wen-Wen Chang ◽  
Hathaichon Boonhat ◽  
Ro-Ting Lin

The air pollution emitted by petrochemical industrial complexes (PICs) may affect the respiratory health of surrounding residents. Previous meta-analyses have indicated a higher risk of lung cancer mortality and incidence among residents near a PIC. Therefore, in this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the degree to which PIC exposure increases the risk of the development of nonmalignant respiratory symptoms among residents. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to systematically identify, select, and critically appraise relevant research. Finally, we identified 16 study groups reporting 5 types of respiratory symptoms: asthma, bronchitis, cough, rhinitis, and wheezing. We estimated pooled odds ratios (ORs) using random-effect models and investigated the robustness of pooled estimates in subgroup analyses by location, observation period, and age group. We determined that residential exposure to a PIC was significantly associated with a higher incidence of cough (OR = 1.35), wheezing (OR = 1.28), bronchitis (OR = 1.26), rhinitis (OR = 1.17), and asthma (OR = 1.15), although the latter two associations did not reach statistical significance. Subgroup analyses suggested that the association remained robust across different groups for cough and bronchitis. We identified high heterogeneity for asthma, rhinitis, and wheezing, which could be due to higher ORs in South America. Our meta-analysis indicates that residential exposure to a PIC is associated with an increased risk of nonmalignant respiratory symptoms.


2020 ◽  
pp. jnnp-2020-323706
Author(s):  
Lillian Wieder ◽  
Richard Brown ◽  
Trevor Thompson ◽  
Devin B. Terhune

ObjectiveResponsiveness to direct verbal suggestions (suggestibility) has long been hypothesised to represent a predisposing factor for functional neurological disorder (FND) but previous research has yielded conflicting results. The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate whether patients with FND display elevated suggestibility relative to controls via meta-analysis.MethodsFour electronic databases were searched in November 2019, with the search updated in April 2020, for original studies assessing suggestibility using standardised behavioural scales or suggestive symptom induction protocols in patients with FND (including somatisation disorder) and controls. The meta-analysis followed Cochrane, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. Data extraction and study quality coding were performed by two independent reviewers. Standardised suggestibility scores and responsiveness to symptom induction protocols were used to calculate standardised mean differences (SMDs) between groups.ResultsOf 26 643 search results, 19 articles presenting 11 standardised suggestibility data sets (FND: n=316; control: n=360) and 11 symptom suggestibility data sets (FND: n=1285; control: n=1409) were included in random-effect meta-analyses. Meta-analyses revealed that patients with FND displayed greater suggestibility than controls on standardised behavioural scales (SMD, 0.48 (95% C, 0.15 to 0.81)) and greater responsiveness to suggestive symptom induction (SMD, 1.39 (95% CI 0.92 to 1.86)). Moderation analyses presented mixed evidence regarding the extent to which effect sizes covaried with methodological differences across studies. No evidence of publication bias was found.ConclusionsThese results corroborate the hypothesis that FND is characterised by heightened responsiveness to verbal suggestion. Atypical suggestibility may confer risk for FND and be a cognitive marker that can inform diagnosis and treatment of this condition.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 354-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joelle Helou ◽  
Charles N Catton ◽  
Glenn Bauman ◽  
Rouhi Fazelzad ◽  
Jacques Raphael

354 Background: Recent meta-analyses suggested an improvement in overall survival (OS) with the addition of Abiraterone (A) vs Docetaxel (D) to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in the treatment of men with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. However, none have reported castration resistance-free survival (CFS) and toxicity data; two clinically relevant outcomes for physicians and patients. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess CFS and toxicity of adding A or D to ADT in men with castration-sensitive prostate cancer. The electronic databases Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE, were searched for randomized controlled trials. Pooled hazard ratios (HR) for CFS, and pooled risk ratios (RR) for grade 3 or higher toxicity were analyzed using the Mantel-Haenszel method and generic inverse variance. To account for between-studies heterogeneity, random-effect models were used to compute pooled estimates. Subgroup analyses compared patients on A and D in terms of CFS. Results: Five studies were included. The addition of A or D to ADT decreased the risk of development of castration-resistance by 53% (5 studies, 4,462 participants, HR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.33-0.67). In a subgroup analysis, the addition of A seemed to be better than D for the outcome CFS (5 studies, HR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.27-0.34 versus HR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.56-0.69, test for subgroup difference, p< 0.001). Different profiles of toxicity were seen with A and D. While A increased the risk of hypokalemia (3,107 participants, HR = 6.63, 95% CI 3.5-12.5) and cardiac toxicity (3,107 participants, HR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.7-3.3), D increased the risk of neutropenia (2,151 participants, HR = 13, 95% CI 8.9-18.8) and neuropathy (2,151 participants, HR = 2.25, 95% CI 1.18-4.3). Conclusions: The addition of A and D to ADT increases CFS in men with castration-sensitive prostate cancer, with a longer CFS noted for A compared to D. Considering CFS and OS, A may be preferred to D as initial therapy. Toxicity profiles differed between A and D. Quality of life and cost differences between A and D are other important factors and were not considered in this analysis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Kenji Sudo ◽  
Patricia Amado ◽  
Gilberto Sousa Alves ◽  
Jerson Laks ◽  
Eliasz Engelhardt

ABSTRACT. Background. Subcortical Vascular Cognitive Impairment (SVCI) is a clinical continuum of vascular-related cognitive impairment, including Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment (VaMCI) and Vascular Dementia. Deficits in Executive Function (EF) are hallmarks of the disorder, but the best methods to assess this function have yet to be determined. The insidious and almost predictable course of SVCI and the multidimensional concept of EF suggest that a temporal dissociation of impairments in EF domains exists early in the disorder. Objective: This study aims to review and analyze data from the literature about performance of VaMCI patients on the most used EF tests through a meta-analytic approach. Methods: Medline, Web of Knowledge and PsycINFO were searched, using the terms: “vascular mild cognitive impairment” OR “vascular cognitive impairment no dementia” OR “vascular mild neurocognitive disorder” AND “dysexecutive” OR “executive function”. Meta-analyses were conducted for each of the selected tests, using random-effect models. Results: Systematic review showed major discrepancies among the results of the studies included. Meta-analyses evidenced poorer performance on the Trail-Making Test part B and the Stroop color test by VaMCI patients compared to controls. Conclusion: A continuum of EF impairments has been proposed in SVCI. Early deficits appear to occur in cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-24
Author(s):  
Swambhavi Awasthi ◽  
Sunil Sharma ◽  
Saurav Attri ◽  
Sakshi Malik Attri ◽  
Rajesh Sharawat ◽  
...  

COVID-19 made a huge impact on the world due to its rapid transmission and no treatments being available for it. The virus affected more people and spread to various countries than what was predicted when COVID-19 initially began spreading. There have been numerous pandemics and epidemics in the 21st century yet COVID-19 has affected more people and spread widely. The primary objective of the study was to explore history, spread and associated parameters of existing viruses especially COVID-19. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed for a systematic search to identify eligible published articles. Clinical data, regarding COVID-19 patients, was obtained from previously published articles. The main cause of COVID-19 spreading rapidly was noted to be due to a high percentage of asymptomatic patients, transmission being air-borne, and the lack of knowledge and preventative measures being implemented when the virus began spreading. The common co-morbidity that found in patients was Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, and Coronary Heart Disease. The common symptoms, found through the Meta-analysis, that the patients faced included cough (55.4%), fever (68.4%), fatigue (20.3%), and shortness of breath (18.1%). The proportion of asymptotic positive cases was measured 58.3% (95%CI: 24.7% – 87.9%) while mortality proportion was found to be 6.7% (fixed-effect model) and 13.4% (random-effect model). The Meta-analysis indicated that a higher percentage of males were affected by COVID-19 than females and more patients are found to be asymptomatic. Moreover, the mortality rate of patients that have had COVID-19 was found to be low. 


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Rosso ◽  
Robin Wirz ◽  
Ariane Vera Loretan ◽  
Nicole Alessandra Sutter ◽  
Charlène Tatiana Pereira da Cunha ◽  
...  

Animal research on anxiety and anxiety disorders relies on valid animal models of anxiety. However, the validity of widely used rodent behavioural tests of anxiety has repeatedly been questioned, as they often fail to produce consistent results across independent replicate studies using different study populations or different anxiolytic compounds. In this study, we assessed the sensitivity of behavioural tests of anxiety in mice to detect anxiolytic effects of drugs prescribed to treat anxiety in humans. To this end, we conducted a pre-registered systematic review of studies reporting tests of anxiolytic compounds against a control treatment using common behavioural tests of anxiety in mice. PubMed and EMBASE were searched on August 21 st 2019 for studies published in English and 814 papers were identified for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed based on Syrcle’s risk of bias tool and the Camarades study quality checklist on a randomly selected subsample of 180 papers. Meta-analyses on effect sizes of treatments using standardized mean differences (Hedges’ g) showed that only two of 17 test measures reliably detected effects of anxiolytic compounds other than diazepam. Further, we report considerable variation in both direction and size of effects of most anxiolytics on most outcome variables, indicating poor replicability of test results. This was corroborated by high heterogeneity in most test measures. Finally, we found an overall high risk of bias. Our findings indicate a general lack of sensitivity of common behavioural tests of anxiety in mice to anxiolytic compounds and cast serious doubt on both construct and predictive validity of most of those tests. The use of animals to model human conditions can be justified only if the expected results are informative, reproducible, and translatable. In view of scientifically valid and ethically responsible research, we call for a revision of behavioural tests of anxiety in mice and the development of more predictive tests .


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanual Getnet Mersha ◽  
Tadesse Melaku Abegaz ◽  
Mohammed Assen Seid ◽  
Eyob Alemayehu Gebreyohannes ◽  
Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavath ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Global data on stroke mortality remained to be sparse. In light of this, we aimed to conduct a Meta-analysis and systematic review of observational studies to estimate the mortality of stroke and to identify risk factors that predispose patients for stroke-related death.Methods This study was conducted based on the Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. Overall mortality, in-hospital and 30- day mortality due to stroke were the primary outcome measures of the study. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata (Version 14, Stata Corp, College Station, Texas). Random-effect models were used for estimating pooled effects.Findings Overall, thirty two studies assessed overall mortality due to stroke. A total number of 2,885, 126 patients were recruited for the study. Pooled estimate indicated that the overall mortality of stroke was reported to be 20% (19%-22%). Whereas, the 30-day and In-hospital mortality were found to be 18% (16%-20%) and 16% (16%-19%), respectively. A subgroup analysis revealed that Africa registered the highest stroke-related death 29% (23%-36%). Hypertension was found to be an important risk factor for mortality secondary to stroke 61.9% (52.8%-71.1%).Conclusion Overall mortality of stroke was estimated to be twenty percent. The burden of stroke mortality was prominent in Africa region. Hypertension remained to be an independent risk factor for stroke mortality. Mortality of stroke can be minimized by establishing stroke centers that promptly deliver emergency management of stroke event.


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