scholarly journals Systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of continuous subjective tinnitus on attention and habituation

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12340
Author(s):  
Harini Vasudevan ◽  
Kanaka Ganapathy ◽  
Hari Prakash Palaniswamy ◽  
Grant Searchfield ◽  
Bellur Rajashekhar
Keyword(s):  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
P300 Amplitude ◽  
Narrative Synthesis ◽  
Subjective Tinnitus ◽  
Electrophysiological Tests ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Heterogeneous Nature ◽  
Meta Analyses

Background Attention and habituation are two domains known to play key roles in the perception and maintenance of tinnitus. The heterogeneous nature of tinnitus and the methodologies adopted by various studies make it difficult to generalize findings. The current review aims at assessing and synthesizing evidence on the possible roles of attention and habituation in continuous subjective tinnitus. Methodology The literature search included five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, CINAHL and ProQuest) that resulted in 1,293 articles, published by July 2019. Studies on attention and/or habituation in individuals with tinnitus using either behavioural or electrophysiological tests were included in the review after a quality assessment. Results Seventeen studies on attention in tinnitus were included in the narrative synthesis. Two meta-analyses were performed to assess the role of attention in tinnitus using a behavioural methodology (z = 4.06; p < 0.0001) and P300 amplitude (z = 2.70; p = 0.007) with 531 participants. With respect to habituation, the review indicates the lack of quality articles for habituation inclusion in the narrative synthesis. Conclusions The review highlights that selective domains of attention were consistently impaired in individuals with tinnitus. Habituation, on the other hand, needs further exploration.

scholarly journals Comparative clinical trials in psychotherapy: Have large effects been replicated?

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nickolas D. Frost ◽  
Thomas W. Baskin ◽  
Bruce E. Wampold
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Treatment Efficacy ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Average Quality ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Aims The purpose of this review is to examine the replication attempts of psychotherapy clinical trials for depression and anxiety. We focus specifically on replications of trials that exhibit large differences between psychotherapies. The replicability of these trials is especially important for meta-analysis, where the inclusion of false-positive trials can lead to erroneous conclusions about treatment efficacy. Methods Standard replication criteria were developed to distinguish direct from conceptual replication methodologies. Next, an exhaustive literature search was conducted for published meta-analyses of psychotherapy comparisons. Trials that exhibited large effects (d > 0.8) were culled from these meta-analyses. For each trial, a cited replication was conducted to determine if the trial had been subsequently replicated by either ‘direct’ or ‘conceptual’ methods. Finally, a broader search was conducted to examine the extent of replication efforts in the psychotherapy literature overall. Results In the meta-analytic search, a total of N = 10 meta-analyses met the inclusion criteria. From these meta-analyses, N = 12 distinct trials exhibited large effect sizes. The meta-analyses containing more than two large effect trials reported evidence for treatment superiority. A cited replication search yielded no direct replication attempts (N = 0) for the trials with large effects, and N = 4 conceptual replication attempts of average or above average quality. However, of these four attempts, only two partially corroborated the results from their original trial. Conclusion Meta-analytic reviews are influenced by trials with large effects, and it is not uncommon for these reviews to contain several such trials. Since we find no evidence that trials with such large effects are directly replicable, treatment superiority conclusions from these reviews are highly questionable. To enhance the quality of clinical science, the development of authoritative replication criteria for clinical trials is needed. Moreover, quality benchmarks should be considered before trials are included in a meta-analysis, or replications are attempted.

Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses

2018 ◽  
Vol 157 (04) ◽  
pp. 392-399
Author(s):  
Sebastian Scheidt ◽  
Patrick Vavken ◽  
Cornelius Jacobs ◽  
Sebastian Koob ◽  
Davide Cucchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Systematic Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analyses

AbstractThe rising number of medical publications makes it difficult to keep up-to-date on scientific knowledge. In recent years, reviews in the form of narrative or systematic publications and meta-analyses have increased. These can only be interpreted and evaluated if the reader understands the techniques used. This review article describes the differences between narrative and systematic reviews, together with the characteristics of meta-analysis, and discusses their interpretation. The concept of systematic reviews and meta-analysis includes a systematic literature search and summary, together with an appraisal of the quality of the publications. Systematic reviews are often considered to be original studies due to their structure and ability to reduce bias.

Meta-Analysis to Evaluate the Role of Interferon in Follicular Lymphoma

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2215-2223 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.Z.S. Rohatiner ◽  
W.M. Gregory ◽  
B. Peterson ◽  
E. Borden ◽  
P. Solal-Celigny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Follicular Lymphoma ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Significant Heterogeneity ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Remission Duration ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Meta Analyses

Purpose To determine whether interferon (IFN) -α2, when given with or following chemotherapy, influences response rate, remission duration, and survival in newly diagnosed patients with follicular lymphoma. Patients and Methods Ten phase III studies evaluating the role of IFN-α2 in 1,922 newly diagnosed patients with follicular lymphoma were analyzed. Updated individual patient data were used to perform meta-analyses for response, survival, and remission duration. Results The addition of IFN-α2 to initial chemotherapy did not significantly influence response rate. An overall meta-analysis for survival showed a significant difference in favor of IFN-α2, but also showed significant heterogeneity between studies. Further analyses were carried out in order to explain this heterogeneity, and to define the circumstances in which IFN-α2 prolonged survival. The survival advantage was seen when IFN-α2 was given: (1) in conjunction with relatively intensive initial chemotherapy (2P = .00005), (2) at a dose ≥ 5 million units (2P = .000002), (3) at a cumulative dose ≥ 36 million units per month (2P = .000008), and (4) with chemotherapy rather than as maintenance therapy (P = .004). With regard to remission duration, there was also a significant difference in favor of IFN-α2, irrespective of the intensity of chemotherapy used, IFN dose, or whether IFN was given as a maintenance strategy or with chemotherapy. Conclusion When given in the context of relatively intensive initial chemotherapy, and at a dose ≥ 5 million units (≥ 36 × 106 units per month), IFN-α2 prolongs survival and remission duration in patients with follicular lymphoma.

Is grey literature essential for a better control of publication bias in psychiatry? An example from three meta-analyses of schizophrenia

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 550-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis R. Martin ◽  
Víctor Pérez ◽  
Montse Sacristán ◽  
Enric Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Publication Bias ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Medical Databases ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Heterogeneous Nature ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Literature Material

AbstractSystematic reviews in mental health have become useful tools for health professionals in view of the massive amount and heterogeneous nature of biomedical information available today. In order to determine the risk of bias in the studies evaluated and to avoid bias in generalizing conclusions from the reviews it is therefore important to use a very strict methodology in systematic reviews. One bias which may affect the generalization of results is publication bias, which is determined by the nature and direction of the study results. To control or minimize this type of bias, the authors of systematic reviews undertake comprehensive searches of medical databases and expand on the findings, often undertaking searches of grey literature (material which is not formally published). This paper attempts to show the consequences (and risk) of generalizing the implications of grey literature in the control of publication bias, as was proposed in a recent systematic work. By repeating the analyses for the same outcome from three different systematic reviews that included both published and grey literature our results showed that confusion between grey literature and publication bias may affect the results of a concrete meta-analysis.

scholarly journals Social anxiety in the eating disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (15) ◽  
pp. 2477-2491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jess Kerr-Gaffney ◽  
Amy Harrison ◽  
Kate Tchanturia
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Comorbid Conditions ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Meta Analyses

AbstractSocial anxiety disorder is one of the most common comorbid conditions in eating disorders (EDs). The aim of the current review and meta-analysis is to provide a qualitative summary of what is known about social anxiety (SA) in EDs, as well as to compare levels of SA in those with EDs and healthy controls. Electronic databases were systematically searched for studies using self-report measures of SA in ED populations. In total, 38 studies were identified, 12 of which were included in the meta-analyses. For both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa, there were significant differences between ED groups and HCs, with medium to large effect sizes. Findings from the qualitative review indicate that levels of SA are similar across the ED diagnoses, and SA improves with treatment in AN. In addition, high levels of SA are associated with more severe ED psychopathology, but not body mass index. These findings add to the wider literature on socio-emotional functioning in EDs, and may have implications for treatment strategies.

scholarly journals Less Adaptive or More Maladaptive? A Meta–analytic Investigation of Procrastination and Coping

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuschia M. Sirois ◽  
Ryan Kitner
Keyword(s):  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Adaptive Coping ◽  
Maladaptive Coping ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Mood Repair ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
And Coping

Despite the theoretical and empirical accounts of trait procrastination as reflecting avoidance of aversive tasks as a means of mood repair, research documenting its links to coping is scarce and inconsistent. There is also little if any research to date examining whether coping strategies might explain the procrastination–stress relationship. The current research aimed to address these issues by integrating current research on procrastination and coping with our own data into a first meta–analysis of the associations of procrastination with adaptive and maladaptive coping and then testing the potential role of coping for understanding the procrastination–stress relationship. In Study 1, a literature search yielded five published papers and three theses, which were supplemented by seven unpublished data sets comprising 15 samples ( N = 4357). Meta–analyses revealed that procrastination was positively associated with maladaptive coping (average r = .31) and negatively associated with adaptive coping (average r = −.24). In Study 2, a meta–analysis of the indirect effects through coping across four samples revealed that the average indirect effects for maladaptive but not adaptive coping explained the link between procrastination and stress. These findings expand the nomological network of procrastination and highlight the role of maladaptive coping for understanding procrastinators‘ stress. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology

scholarly journals Association Between Sarcopenic Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dima Khadra ◽  
Leila Itani ◽  
Yomna Chebaro ◽  
May Obeid ◽  
Miryam Jaber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Relative Risk ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Sarcopenic Obesity ◽  
Narrative Synthesis ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Overweight Or Obesity

Background: In the last two decades, a new phenotype termed Sarcopenic Obesity (SO), in which sarcopenia and obesity coexist, has emerged. Objective: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was first to assess the prevalence of Metabolic syndrome (Mets) among individuals with and without SO, and second, to determine if SO may increase the relative risk of Mets. Methods: This study was conducted in adherence to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the data were collated by means of metaanalysis and narrative synthesis. Results: Twelve studies including a total of 11,308 adults with overweight or obesity of both genders met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed, revealing two main findings. First, a similar overall prevalence of Mets in individuals with SO (61.49%; 95% CI: 52.19-70.40) when compared to those without SO (56.74%; 95% CI: 47.32-65.93) was identified. Second, the presence of SO appears not to increase the risk of Mets with respect to those without SO (RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.99- 1.17, p = 0.07). Conclusion: No higher prevalence of Mets among individuals with SO when compared to those with obesity only, nor a significant association between SO and a higher risk of Mets was found.

scholarly journals 10 easy steps to conducting transparent, reproducible meta-analyses for infant researchers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loretta Gasparini ◽  
Sho Tsuji ◽  
Christina Bergmann
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Research Question ◽  
The Body ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Robust Methods ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Analytic Models

Meta-analyses provide researchers with an overview of the body of evidence in a topic, with quantified estimates of effect sizes and the role of moderators, and weighting studies according to their precision. We provide a guide for conducting a transparent and reproducible meta-analysis in the field of developmental psychology within the framework of the MetaLab platform, in 10 steps: 1) Choose a topic for your meta-analysis, 2) Formulate your research question and specify inclusion criteria, 3) Preregister and carefully document all stages of your meta-analysis, 4) Conduct the literature search, 5) Collect and screen records, 6) Extract data from eligible studies, 7) Read the data into analysis software and compute effect sizes, 8) Create meta-analytic models to assess the strength of the effect and investigate possible moderators, 9) Visualize your data, 10) Write up and promote your meta-analysis. Meta-analyses can inform future studies, through power calculations, by identifying robust methods and exposing research gaps. By adding a new meta-analysis to MetaLab, datasets across multiple topics of developmental psychology can be synthesized, and the dataset can be maintained as a living, community-augmented meta-analysis to which researchers add new data, allowing for a cumulative approach to evidence synthesis.

The Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Field of Hair Restoration and Facial Aesthetics—A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya K. Gupta ◽  
Sarah G. Versteeg ◽  
Jeffrey Rapaport ◽  
Amelia K. Hausauer ◽  
Neil H. Shear ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Rich Plasma ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Randomized Controlled Studies ◽  
Facial Burns ◽  
Aesthetic Results ◽  
Acne Scarring ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Aging Skin

As a promising alternative to traditional treatment, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is being used to encourage hair growth through the release of growth factors and cytokines. In addition to hair restoration, PRP’s multifactorial capabilities can also be used to treat aging skin, facial scarring, and acne. The purpose of this review is to critically examine the success of PRP in the field of dermatology, with specific attention to the role of PRP in hair restoration. Where possible, meta-analyses were used to evaluate the efficacy of PRP. In androgenetic alopecia (AGA) patients, 3 monthly PRP injections (1 session administered every month for 3 months) exhibited greater efficacy over placebo as measured by change in total hair density (hair/cm2) over the treatment period (mean difference: 25.61, 95% CI: 4.45 to 46.77; P = .02). The studies included in the meta-analysis used a half-head design, which may have influenced the results because of the effects PRP can induce. Controlled studies suggest that 2 to 4 sessions of PRP combined with traditional therapies and procedures can help minimize acne scarring and facial burns, improve aesthetic results, and decrease recovery time. However, data for these indications are lacking and are less robust in design. In conclusion, to achieve an improvement in hair restoration in patients with mild AGA, 3 initial monthly PRP injections should be given. Only upon completion of rigorous, randomized, controlled studies can standardized and effective PRP protocols for treating dermatology conditions such as acne scarring, facial burns, and aging skin be determined.

Gallbladder Retrieval From Epigastric Versus Umbilical Port in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A PRISMA-Compliant Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-159
Author(s):  
Francesco Mongelli ◽  
Davide La Regina ◽  
Irin Zschokke ◽  
Marcello Ceppi ◽  
Antonjacopo Ferrario di Tor Vajana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postoperative Pain ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Operative Time ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Trocar Site ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Adequate Data

Purpose. To date, no evidence supports the retrieval of the gallbladder through a specific trocar site, and this choice is left to surgeons’ preference. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the influence of the trocar site used to extract the gallbladder on postoperative outcomes. Methods. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases was performed. Terms used were: (“gallbladder” OR “cholecystectomy”) AND “umbilical” AND (“epigastric” OR “subxiphoid”). Randomized trials comparing the gallbladder retrieval from different trocar sites were considered for further analysis. Results. Literature search revealed 145 articles, of which 7 matched inclusion criteria and reported adequate data about postoperative pain, operative time, port-site infections, and hernias. A total of 876 patients were included, and the gallbladder was extracted through epigastric or umbilical trocar site in 441 and in 435 patients, respectively. A statistically significant difference among groups was noted in terms of postoperative pain at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours in favor of the umbilical trocar site ( P < .001). No significant differences were noted in postoperative hernia and infection rate, nor in terms of operative time. Conclusions. This meta-analysis shows a statistically significant reduction in terms of postoperative pain at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery when the gallbladder is extracted through the umbilical port. Retrieval time, infections, and hernias rate implicate no contraindication for the choice of a specific trocar site to extract specimens. Despite limitations of this study, the umbilical trocar should be favored as the first choice to retrieve the gallbladder.

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