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Gastroenterology Apr 2023Although there have been multiple drugs tested in gastroparesis, their relative efficacy and safety are unknown. We evaluated this in a network meta-analysis of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND & AIMS
Although there have been multiple drugs tested in gastroparesis, their relative efficacy and safety are unknown. We evaluated this in a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
METHODS
We searched the literature to September 7, 2022. We judged the efficacy of drugs based on global symptoms of gastroparesis; individual symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, or fullness; and safety according to total adverse events and adverse events leading to withdrawal. We extracted data as intention-to-treat analyses, assuming dropouts to be treatment failures and reporting pooled relative risks (RRs) of not improving with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), ranking drugs according to P-score.
RESULTS
We identified 29 RCTs (3772 patients). Based on global symptoms, clebopride ranked first for efficacy (RR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.16-0.57; P-score = .99) followed by domperidone (RR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48-0.98; P-score = .76). No other drug was superior to placebo. Only 2 drug classes were efficacious: in rank order, oral dopamine antagonists (RR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.44-0.77; P-score = .96) and tachykinin-1 antagonists (RR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.93; P-score = .83). For individual symptoms, oral metoclopramide ranked first for nausea (RR 0.46; 95% CI, 0.21-1.00; P-score = .95), fullness (RR 0.67; 95% CI, 0.35-1.28; P-score = .86), and bloating (RR 0.53; 95% CI, 0.30-0.93; P-score = .97), based on only 1 small trial. Only prucalopride was more likely to be associated with adverse events than placebo.
CONCLUSIONS
In a network meta-analysis, oral dopamine antagonists and tachykinin-1 antagonists were more efficacious than placebo for gastroparesis, but confidence in the evidence was low to moderate for most comparisons. There is an unmet need for efficacious therapies for gastroparesis.
Topics: Humans; Gastroparesis; Network Meta-Analysis; Nausea; Dopamine Antagonists; Tachykinins
PubMed: 36581089
DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.12.014 -
JAMA Otolaryngology-- Head & Neck... Nov 2020Facial paralysis (FP) after surgery has substantial functional, emotional, and financial consequences. Most iatrogenic FP is managed by watchful waiting, with the...
IMPORTANCE
Facial paralysis (FP) after surgery has substantial functional, emotional, and financial consequences. Most iatrogenic FP is managed by watchful waiting, with the expectation of facial function recovery. A potential treatment is physical therapy (PT).
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether noninvasive PT compared with no PT or other intervention improves facial nerve outcomes in adults with iatrogenic FP.
EVIDENCE REVIEW
Patients with noniatrogenic FP, facial reanimation surgery, and invasive adjunctive treatments (acupuncture or botulinum toxin injection) were excluded. A systematic review was conducted for records discussing iatrogenic FP and PT; a search for these records was performed using Ovid MEDLINE (1946-2019), Embase (1947-2019), Scopus (1823-2019), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (2004-2019), and ClinicalTrials.gov (1997-2019). The references of all the included articles were also assessed for eligible studies. All human participant, English-language study designs with at least 2 cases were included. Quality assessment was performed using the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS) and the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool for randomized controlled trials. All search strategies were completed on May 16, 2019, and again on October 1, 2019.
FINDINGS
Fifteen studies (7 of which were retrospective cohort studies) and 313 patients with iatrogenic FP were included in the systematic review. Most iatrogenic FP (166 patients [53%]) was associated with parotidectomy; traditional PT (ie, facial massage) was the most common intervention (196 patients [63%]). The use of various facial grading systems and inconsistent reporting of outcomes prevented direct comparison of PT types.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Because of heterogeneity in reported outcomes of facial nerve recovery, definitive conclusions were unable to be made regarding the association between PT and outcomes of iatrogenic FP. Physical therapy probably has benefit and is associated with no harm in patients with iatrogenic FP.
Topics: Facial Paralysis; Humans; Iatrogenic Disease; Physical Therapy Modalities
PubMed: 32970128
DOI: 10.1001/jamaoto.2020.3049 -
Anesthesia and Analgesia Apr 2021Laryngeal injury from intubation can substantially impact airway, voice, and swallowing, thus necessitating multidisciplinary interventions. The goals of this systematic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Laryngeal injury from intubation can substantially impact airway, voice, and swallowing, thus necessitating multidisciplinary interventions. The goals of this systematic review were (1) to review the types of laryngeal injuries and their patient-reported symptoms and clinical signs resulting from endotracheal intubation in patients intubated for surgeries and (2) to better understand the overall the frequency at which these injuries occur. We conducted a search of 4 online bibliographic databases (ie, PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and The Cochrane Library) and ProQuest and Open Access Thesis Dissertations (OPTD) from database inception to September 2019 without restrictions for language. Studies that completed postextubation laryngeal examinations with visualization in adult patients who were endotracheally intubated for surgeries were included. We excluded (1) retrospective studies, (2) case studies, (3) preexisting laryngeal injury/disease, (4) patients with histories of or surgical interventions that risk injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, (5) conference abstracts, and (6) patient populations with nonfocal, neurological impairments that may impact voice and swallowing function, thus making it difficult to identify isolated postextubation laryngeal injury. Independent, double-data extraction, and risk of bias assessment followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Cochrane Collaboration's criteria. Twenty-one articles (1 cross-sectional, 3 cohort, 5 case series, 12 randomized controlled trials) representing 21 surgical studies containing 6140 patients met eligibility criteria. The mean patient age across studies reporting age was 49 (95% confidence interval [CI], 45-53) years with a mean intubation duration of 132 (95% CI, 106-159) minutes. Studies reported no injuries in 80% (95% CI, 69-88) of patients. All 21 studies presented on type of injury. Edema was the most frequently reported mild injury, with a prevalence of 9%-84%. Vocal fold hematomas were the most frequently reported moderate injury, with a prevalence of 4% (95% CI, 2-10). Severe injuries that include subluxation of the arytenoids and vocal fold paralysis are rare (<1%) outcomes. The most prevalent patient complaints postextubation were dysphagia (43%), pain (38%), coughing (32%), a sore throat (27%), and hoarseness (27%). Overall, laryngeal injury from short-duration surgical intubation is common and is most often mild. No uniform guidelines for laryngeal assessment postextubation from surgery are available and hoarseness is neither a good indicator of laryngeal injury or dysphagia. Protocolized screening for dysphonia and dysphagia postextubation may lead to improved identification of injury and, therefore, improved patient outcomes and reduced health care utilization.
Topics: Airway Extubation; Anesthesia; Female; Humans; Intubation, Intratracheal; Larynx; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33196479
DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005276 -
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2022Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromuscular disease whose primary hallmark is the progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the brainstem,...
Mixed Comparison of Different Exercise Interventions for Function, Respiratory, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Adults With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.
BACKGROUND
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromuscular disease whose primary hallmark is the progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the brainstem, spinal cord, and cerebral cortex that leads to weakness, spasticity, fatigue, skeletal muscle atrophy, paralysis, and even death. Exercise, as a non-pharmacological tool, may generally improve muscle strength, cardiovascular function, and quality of life. However, there are conflicting reports about the effect of exercise training in adults with ALS.
AIMS
This systematic review and network meta-analysis aim to conduct a mixed comparison of different exercise interventions for function, respiratory, fatigue, and quality of life in adults with ALS.
METHODS
Randomized controlled trials with ALS participants were screened and included from the databases of PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science. Physical exercise interventions were reclassified into aerobic exercise, resistance training, passive exercise, expiratory muscle exercise, and standard rehabilitation. Patient-reported outcome measures would be reclassified from perspectives of function, respiratory, fatigue, and quality of life. The effect size would be transferred into the percentage change of the total score.
RESULT
There were 10 studies included, with the agreement between authors reaching a kappa-value of 0.73. The network meta-analysis, which was conducted under the consistency model, identified that a combined program of aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and standard rehabilitation showed the highest potential to improve quality of life (0.64 to be the best) and reduce the fatigue (0.39 to be the best) for ALS patients, while exercise program of aerobic and resistance training showed the highest potential (0.51 to be the best) to improve ALS patients' physical function. The effect of exercise on the respiratory was still unclear.
CONCLUSION
A multi-modal exercise and rehabilitation program would be more beneficial to ALS patients. However, the safety and guide for practice remain unclear, and further high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a larger sample are still needed.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021253442, CRD42021253442.
PubMed: 35898325
DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.919059 -
Revista de Neurologia Jul 2020Obstetric brachial palsy is involved with affected upper limb, resulting in permanent structural and function sequelae that limit the motion articular range and reduce...
INTRODUCTION
Obstetric brachial palsy is involved with affected upper limb, resulting in permanent structural and function sequelae that limit the motion articular range and reduce independence in daily activities, as well as the children participation in their natural environment.
AIM
To describe the physiotherapy treatments currently used to increase the affected upper limb functionality in children from 0 to 10 years diagnosed with obstetric brachial palsy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A bibliographic search of published studies between 2009 and 2018 was carried out in the PubMed, PEDro, ScienceDirect and The Cochrane Library databases.
RESULTS
After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, ten studies were obtained with favorable results for the affected upper limb functionality and bone mineralization density, regardless of the technique of choice used during the intervention. The used physiotherapy programs in the different studies such as Constraint Induced movement therapy, kinesiotape, electrotherapy, virtual reality and use of splints or orthotics were analyzed.
CONCLUSION
All the described techniques suggest favorable results for the affected upper limb functionality in obstetric brachial palsy from 0 to 10 years.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Arm; Bone Density; Brachial Plexus Neuropathies; Paralysis, Obstetric; Physical Therapy Modalities; Quality of Life; Secondary Prevention
PubMed: 32583409
DOI: 10.33588/rn.7101.2020029 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jul 2020The current systematic review aimed to investigate the incidence, prevalence, and risk factors causing hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) after stroke. Two independent...
The current systematic review aimed to investigate the incidence, prevalence, and risk factors causing hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) after stroke. Two independent authors screened titles and abstracts for the eligibility of the included studies in the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science. Studies which reported the incidence, prevalence, and risk factors of HSP following stroke were included. The included studies were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for evaluating the quality of nonrandomized studies in meta-analyses. Eighteen studies were included in the final synthesis. In all studies, the number of patients ranged between 58 and 608, with the mean age ranging from 58.7 to 76 years. Seven included studies were rated as "good "quality, while one study rated "fair" and 10 studies rated "poor" quality. Eight studies reported incidence rate while 11 studies reported the prevalence of HSP following a stroke. The incidence of HSP was ranging from 10 to 22% in the metanalysis of the included studies. The prevalence of HSP was ranging from 22 to 47% in the metanalysis of the included studies. The most significant predictors of HSP were age, female gender, increased tone, sensory impairment, left-sided hemiparesis, hemorrhagic stroke, hemispatial neglect, positive past medical history, and poor National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score. The incidence and prevalence of HSP after stroke vary considerably due to various factors. Knowledge of predictors is important to minimize the risk of developing HSP following a stroke.
Topics: Aged; Female; Hemiplegia; Humans; Incidence; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Shoulder Pain; Stroke
PubMed: 32660109
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17144962 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Sep 2019Corticosteroids are widely used in the treatment of idiopathic facial paralysis (Bell's palsy), but the effectiveness of additional treatment with an antiviral agent is...
BACKGROUND
Corticosteroids are widely used in the treatment of idiopathic facial paralysis (Bell's palsy), but the effectiveness of additional treatment with an antiviral agent is uncertain. This review was first published in 2001 and most recently updated in 2015. Since a significant benefit of corticosteroids for the early management of Bell's palsy has been demonstrated, the main focus of this update, as in the previous version, was to determine the effect of adding antivirals to corticosteroid treatment. We undertook this update to integrate additional evidence and to better assess the robustness of findings, taking risk of bias fully into account.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of antiviral treatments alone or in combination with any other therapy for Bell's palsy.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Neuromuscular Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and LILACS in July 2019. We reviewed the bibliographies of the identified trials and contacted trial authors to identify additional published or unpublished data. We searched clinical trials registries for ongoing studies.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of antivirals with and without corticosteroids versus control therapies for the treatment of Bell's palsy. We excluded trials that followed-up participants for less than three months.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We independently assessed trials for relevance, eligibility, and risk of bias, using standard Cochrane procedures. We performed sensitivity analyses excluding trials at high or unclear risk of bias in at least five domains, and reported these data as the primary analyses.
MAIN RESULTS
Fourteen trials, including 2488 participants, met the inclusion criteria. Most were small, and most were at high or unclear risk of bias in multiple domains. We included four new studies at this update.Incomplete recoveryA combination of antivirals and corticosteroids may have little or no effect on rates of incomplete recovery in people with Bell's palsy compared to corticosteroids alone (risk ratio (RR) 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.38 to 1.74; 3 trials, N = 766; random-effects; low-certainty evidence). We excluded 10 trials that were at high or unclear risk of bias in several domains from this analysis and limited all analyses to studies at lower risk of bias. Recovery rates were better in participants receiving corticosteroids alone than antivirals alone (RR 2.69, 95% CI 0.73 to 10.01; 2 trials, N = 667; random-effects), but the result was imprecise and allowed for the possibility of no effect. The rate of incomplete recovery was lower with antivirals plus corticosteroids than with placebo or no treatment (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.76; 2 trials, N = 658; random-effects). Antivirals alone had no clear effect on incomplete recovery rates compared with placebo, but the result was imprecise (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.40; 2 trials, N = 658; fixed-effect). For people with severe Bell's palsy (House-Brackmann score of 5 and 6, or equivalent on other scales), we found that the combination of antivirals and corticosteroids had no clear effect on incomplete recovery at month six compared to corticosteroids alone, although the result was again imprecise (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.17; 2 trials, N = 98; random-effects).Motor synkinesis or crocodile tearsAntivirals plus corticosteroids reduced the proportion of participants who experienced these long-term sequelae from Bell's palsy compared to placebo plus corticosteroids (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.87; 2 trials, N = 469; fixed-effect; moderate-certainty evidence). Antivirals plus corticosteroids reduced long-term sequelae compared to placebo but there was no clear difference in this outcome with antivirals alone compared to placebo.Adverse events Adverse event data were available in four studies providing data on 1592 participants. None of the four comparisons showed clear differences in adverse events between treatment and comparison arms (very low-certainty evidence); for the comparison of antivirals plus corticosteroids and corticosteroids alone in studies at lower risk of bias, the RR was 1.17 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.69; 2 trials, N = 656; fixed-effect; very low-certainty evidence).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The combination of antivirals and corticosteroids may have little or no effect on rates of incomplete recovery in comparison to corticosteroids alone in Bell's palsy of various degrees of severity, or in people with severe Bell's palsy, but the results were very imprecise. Corticosteroids alone were probably more effective than antivirals alone and antivirals plus corticosteroids were more effective than placebo or no treatment. There was no clear benefit from antivirals alone over placebo.The combination of antivirals and corticosteroids probably reduced the late sequelae of Bell's palsy compared with corticosteroids alone. Studies also showed fewer episodes of long-term sequelae in corticosteroid-treated participants than antiviral-treated participants.We found no clear difference in adverse events from the use of antivirals compared with either placebo or corticosteroids, but the evidence is too uncertain for us to draw conclusions.An adequately powered RCT in people with Bell's palsy that compares different antiviral agents may be indicated.
Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antiviral Agents; Bell Palsy; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31486071
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001869.pub9 -
European Journal of Physical and... Feb 2022Obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) is a flaccid paralysis occurring in the upper limb during birth. The OBPP includes mild lesions with complete spontaneous recovery...
INTRODUCTION
Obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) is a flaccid paralysis occurring in the upper limb during birth. The OBPP includes mild lesions with complete spontaneous recovery and severe injuries with no regain of arm function. Among the most promising rehabilitation treatments aimed at improving upper extremity motor activities in individuals with neurological dysfunctions, there is the modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT). The aim of this systematic review is to assess and synthesize the critical aspects of the use of mCIMT in children with OBPP.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
This systematic review has been carried out according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis). A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE and Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, databases. We enclosed experimental and original articles, case reports and book chapters. Four articles were finally included.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
One case report tested the feasibility of mCIMT to encourage use of the affected arm in a child with Erb-Duchenne palsy and documented the clinical changes observed. A case series had the purpose to determine if mCIMT in combination with botulinum toxin (BTX-A) improved arm function in 2 children with OBPP. A cohort study compared the use of mCIMT in 19 OBPP and 18 unilateral Cerebral Palsy. A prospective single-blind RCT described mCIMT versus conventional therapy in a group of 39 children with OBPP.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review on the use of mCIMT in children with OBPP shows that there is unanimous agreement that a program should last 2 weeks at least. However, there is no scientific evidence supporting a single common mCIMT protocol in the management of OBPP because of a considerable heterogeneity. Further high methodological studies regarding the application of mCIMT for OBPP and based on larger patients' sample should have the potential to optimize the appropriateness of care provided to infants with OBPP and, therefore, their quality of life.
Topics: Brachial Plexus; Brachial Plexus Neuropathies; Child; Cohort Studies; Humans; Infant; Paralysis; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Single-Blind Method; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34747579
DOI: 10.23736/S1973-9087.21.06886-6 -
Frontiers in Surgery 2022To determine the decannulation rate (DR) and revision surgery rate after surgery for bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP). (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To determine the decannulation rate (DR) and revision surgery rate after surgery for bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP).
DATA SOURCES
Five databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus) were searched for the period 1908-2020.
METHODS
The systematic literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were pooled using a random-mixed-effects model. Randomized controlled trials and non-randomized studies (case-control, cohort, and case series) were included to assess DR and revision surgery rate after different surgical techniques for treatment of BVFP.
RESULTS
The search yielded 857 publications, of which 102 with 2802 patients were included. DR after different types of surgery was: arytenoid abduction (DR 0.93, 95%-confidence interval [CI], 0.86-0.97), endolaryngeal arytenoidectomy (DR 0.92, 95%-CI, 0.86-0.96), external arytenoidectomy (DR 0.94; 95%-CI, 0.71-0.99), external arytenoidectomy and lateralisation (DR 0.87; 95%-CI, 0.73-0.94), laterofixation (DR 0.95; 95%-CI, 0.91-0.97), posterior cordectomy (DR 0.97, 95%-CI, 0.94-0.99), posterior cordectomy and arytenoidectomy (DR 0.98, 95%-CI, 0.93-0.99), posterior cordectomy and subtotal arytenoidectomy (DR 0.98, 95%-CI, 0.88-1.00), posterior cordotomy (DR 0.96, 95%-CI, 0.84-0.99), reinnervation (0.69, 95%-CI, 0.12-0.97), subtotal arytenoidectomy (DR 1.00, 95%-CI, 0.00-1.00) and transverse cordotomy (DR 1.0, 95%-CI, 0.00-1.00). No significant difference between subgroups for DR could be found (Q = 15.67, df = 11, = 0.1540). The between-study heterogeneity was low (2 = 2.2627; = 1.5042; I = 0.0%). Studies were at high risk of bias.
CONCLUSION
BLVP is a rare disease and the study quality is insufficient. The existing studies suggest a publication bias and the literature review revealed that there is a lack of prospective controlled studies. There is a lack of standardized measures that takes into account both speech quality and respiratory function and allows adequate comparison of surgical methods.
PubMed: 35937593
DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.956338 -
The Journal of Headache and Pain Jun 2022Several preclinical and clinical lines of evidence suggest a role of neuroinflammation in migraine. Neuroimaging offers the possibility to investigate and localize... (Review)
Review
Several preclinical and clinical lines of evidence suggest a role of neuroinflammation in migraine. Neuroimaging offers the possibility to investigate and localize neuroinflammation in vivo in patients with migraine, and to characterize specific inflammatory constituents, such as vascular permeability, and macrophage or microglia activity. Despite all imaging data accumulated on neuroinflammation across the past three decades, an overview of the imaging evidence of neuroinflammation in migraine is still missing.We conducted a systematic review in the Pubmed and Embase databases to evaluate existing imaging data on inflammation in migraine, and to identify gaps in the literature. We included 20 studies investigating migraine without aura (N = 4), migraine with aura (N = 8), both migraine with and without aura (N = 3), or hemiplegic migraine (N = 5).In migraine without aura, macrophage activation was not evident. In migraine with aura, imaging evidence suggested microglial and parameningeal inflammatory activity. Increased vascular permeability was mostly found in hemiplegic migraine, and was atypical in migraine with and without aura. Based on the weight of existing and emerging data, we show that most studies have concentrated on demonstrating increased vascular permeability as a marker of neuroinflammation, with tools that may not have been optimal. In the future, novel, more sensitive techniques, as well as imaging tracers delineating specific inflammatory pathways may further bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical findings.
Topics: Epilepsy; Hemiplegia; Humans; Migraine with Aura; Migraine without Aura; Phenotype
PubMed: 35650524
DOI: 10.1186/s10194-022-01430-y