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Schizophrenia Bulletin Apr 2024It has been proposed that cat ownership may be a risk-modifying factor for schizophrenia-related disorders and psychotic-like experiences (PLE). This study aimed to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
It has been proposed that cat ownership may be a risk-modifying factor for schizophrenia-related disorders and psychotic-like experiences (PLE). This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze publications that reported the relationship between cat ownership and schizophrenia-related outcomes.
METHODOLOGY
We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and gray literature for publications between January 1, 1980, and May 30, 2023, regardless of geographical location and language. Backward citation search methods were used to locate additional articles. We included studies that reported original data on cat ownership and schizophrenia-related outcomes. We meta-analyzed estimates based on broad definitions (cat ownership, cat bites, and cat contact) with estimates with or without covariate adjustments. We pooled comparable estimates using random-effects models and assessed the risk of bias, heterogeneity, and study quality.
RESULTS
We identified 1915 studies, of which 106 were chosen for full-text review, ultimately resulting in the inclusion of 17 studies. We found an association between broadly defined cat ownership and increased odds of developing schizophrenia-related disorders. For the studies reporting unadjusted odds ratios (OR; n = 10), the pooled OR was 2.14 (95% CI: 1.29-3.55). Exclusion of one outlier study resulted in a pooled OR (n = 9) of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.27-1.92). For the studies reporting adjusted estimates (n = 5), the pooled OR was 2.44 (95% CI: 1.59-3.73). After excluding one study with suboptimal exposure/design features, the pooled adjusted OR (n = 4) was 2.40 (95% CI: 1.50-3.86). We were unable to aggregate the estimates for the PLE outcomes because of the broad range of measures.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings provide support for the hypothesis that cat exposure is associated with an increased risk of broadly defined schizophrenia-related disorders; however, the findings related to PLE as an outcome are mixed. There is a need for more high-quality studies in this field.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION
PROSPERO 2023 CRD42023426974. Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023426974.
Topics: Humans; Schizophrenia; Cats; Psychotic Disorders; Animals; Ownership; Pets
PubMed: 38041862
DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad168 -
Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official... Feb 2022To provide guidance to clinicians regarding therapy for patients with brain metastases from solid tumors.
PURPOSE
To provide guidance to clinicians regarding therapy for patients with brain metastases from solid tumors.
METHODS
ASCO convened an Expert Panel and conducted a systematic review of the literature.
RESULTS
Thirty-two randomized trials published in 2008 or later met eligibility criteria and form the primary evidentiary base.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Surgery is a reasonable option for patients with brain metastases. Patients with large tumors with mass effect are more likely to benefit than those with multiple brain metastases and/or uncontrolled systemic disease. Patients with symptomatic brain metastases should receive local therapy regardless of the systemic therapy used. For patients with asymptomatic brain metastases, local therapy should not be deferred unless deferral is specifically recommended in this guideline. The decision to defer local therapy should be based on a multidisciplinary discussion of the potential benefits and harms that the patient may experience. Several regimens were recommended for non-small-cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma. For patients with asymptomatic brain metastases and no systemic therapy options, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) alone should be offered to patients with one to four unresected brain metastases, excluding small-cell lung carcinoma. SRS alone to the surgical cavity should be offered to patients with one to two resected brain metastases. SRS, whole brain radiation therapy, or their combination are reasonable options for other patients. Memantine and hippocampal avoidance should be offered to patients who receive whole brain radiation therapy and have no hippocampal lesions and 4 months or more expected survival. Patients with asymptomatic brain metastases with either Karnofsky Performance Status ≤ 50 or Karnofsky Performance Status < 70 with no systemic therapy options do not derive benefit from radiation therapy.Additional information is available at www.asco.org/neurooncology-guidelines.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Clinical Decision-Making; Consensus; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Medical Oncology; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34932393
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02314 -
BMC Psychiatry Feb 2018There is increasing recognition of the therapeutic function pets can play in relation to mental health. However, there has been no systematic review of the evidence... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
There is increasing recognition of the therapeutic function pets can play in relation to mental health. However, there has been no systematic review of the evidence related to the comprehensive role of companion animals and how pets might contribute to the work associated with managing a long-term mental health condition. The aim of this study was to explore the extent, nature and quality of the evidence implicating the role and utility of pet ownership for people living with a mental health condition.
METHODS
A systematic search for studies exploring the role of companion animals in the management of mental health conditions was undertaken by searching 9 databases and undertaking a scoping review of grey literature from the earliest record until March 2017. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to be published in English and report on primary data related to the relationship between domestic animal ownership and the management of diagnosable mental health conditions. Synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data was undertaken in parallel using a narrative synthesis informed by an illness work theoretical framework.
RESULTS
A total of 17 studies were included in the review. Quantitative evidence relating to the benefits of pet ownership was mixed with included studies demonstrating positive, negative and neutral impacts of pet ownership. Qualitative studies illuminated the intensiveness of connectivity people with companion animals reported, and the multi-faceted ways in which pets contributed to the work associated with managing a mental health condition, particularly in times of crisis. The negative aspects of pet ownership were also highlighted, including the practical and emotional burden of pet ownership and the psychological impact that losing a pet has.
CONCLUSION
This review suggests that pets provide benefits to those with mental health conditions. Further research is required to test the nature and extent of this relationship, incorporating outcomes that cover the range of roles and types of support pets confer in relation to mental health and the means by which these can be incorporated into the mainstay of support for people experiencing a mental health problem.
Topics: Animals; Emotions; Human-Animal Bond; Humans; Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Narration; Pets; Qualitative Research
PubMed: 29402247
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-018-1613-2 -
Veterinary Sciences Dec 2021Pet ownership is the most common form of human-animal interaction, and anecdotally, pet ownership can lead to improved physical and mental health for owners. However,... (Review)
Review
Pet ownership is the most common form of human-animal interaction, and anecdotally, pet ownership can lead to improved physical and mental health for owners. However, scant research is available validating these claims. This study aimed to review the recent peer reviewed literature to better describe the body of knowledge surrounding the relationship between pet ownership and mental health. A literature search was conducted in May 2020 using two databases to identify articles that met inclusion/exclusion criteria. After title review, abstract review, and then full article review, 54 articles were included in the final analysis. Of the 54 studies, 18 were conducted in the general population, 15 were conducted in an older adult population, eight were conducted in children and adolescents, nine focused on people with chronic disease, and four examined a specific unique population. Forty-one of the studies were cross-sectional, 11 were prospective longitudinal cohorts, and two were other study designs. For each of the articles, the impact of pet ownership on the mental health of owners was divided into four categories: positive impact ( = 17), mixed impact ( = 19), no impact ( = 13), and negative impact ( = 5). Among the reviewed articles, there was much variation in population studied and study design, and these differences make direct comparison challenging. However, when focusing on the impact of pet ownership on mental health, the results were variable and not wholly supportive of the benefit of pets on mental health. Future research should use more consistent methods across broader populations and the development of a pet-ownership survey module for use in broad, population surveys would afford a better description of the true relationship of pet ownership and mental health.
PubMed: 34941859
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8120332 -
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric... Oct 2022Several publications explored a relationship between pet ownership and lower levels of loneliness and social isolation. However, to the best of our knowledge, no... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Several publications explored a relationship between pet ownership and lower levels of loneliness and social isolation. However, to the best of our knowledge, no systematic review has yet synthesized the evidence on these associations. Thus, this systematic review aims to evaluate the findings regarding the relations between pet ownership, loneliness, and social isolation.
METHODS
PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo were searched in January 2022. Observational studies relying on appropriate instruments to assess the exposure and the outcome variables were included. Two reviewers independently executed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment.
RESULTS
n = 24 studies were included. Among adult samples, the studies examining the relationship between pet ownership and social isolation found that owning a pet was associated with lower levels of social isolation. Concerning loneliness, studies that were conducted after the outbreak of COVID-19 mostly showed that pet ownership can contribute to lower levels of loneliness, but did not reveal an overall significant association until then. In turn, the studies that examined child and adolescent samples suggest that pet ownership was related to reduced loneliness before COVID-19. Furthermore, most of the studies did not reveal any differences between dogs, cats, and other kinds of pets regarding their relationship to loneliness and social isolation.
CONCLUSION
All in all, only a part of the studies detected a significant association between pet ownership, loneliness and social isolation. However, the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to strengthen this relationship, so that future research is required to assess the longevity of this potential effect.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Dogs; Humans; Loneliness; Ownership; Pandemics; Social Isolation
PubMed: 35816194
DOI: 10.1007/s00127-022-02332-9 -
Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official... Dec 2021To increase awareness, outline strategies, and offer guidance on the recommended management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients treated with chimeric... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
To increase awareness, outline strategies, and offer guidance on the recommended management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients treated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.
METHODS
A multidisciplinary panel of medical oncology, neurology, hematology, emergency medicine, nursing, trialists, and advocacy experts was convened to develop the guideline. Guideline development involved a systematic literature review and an informal consensus process. The systematic review focused on evidence published from 2017 to 2021.
RESULTS
The systematic review identified 35 eligible publications. Because of the paucity of high-quality evidence, recommendations are based on expert consensus.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The multidisciplinary team issued recommendations to aid in the recognition, workup, evaluation, and management of the most common CAR T-cell-related toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, B-cell aplasia, cytopenias, and infections. Management of short-term toxicities associated with CAR T cells begins with supportive care for most patients, but may require pharmacologic interventions for those without adequate response. Management of patients with prolonged or severe CAR T-cell-associated cytokine release syndrome includes treatment with tocilizumab with or without a corticosteroid. On the basis of the potential for rapid decline, patients with moderate to severe immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome should be managed with corticosteroids and supportive care.Additional information is available at www.asco.org/supportive-care-guidelines.
Topics: Cytokine Release Syndrome; Disease Management; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Humans; Immunotherapy, Adoptive; Neoplasms; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Prognosis
PubMed: 34724386
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.01992 -
Veterinary Sciences Dec 2021Pet ownership, the most common human-animal interaction, is believed to bestow positive health benefits onto pet owners. However, there is limited research on... (Review)
Review
Pet ownership, the most common human-animal interaction, is believed to bestow positive health benefits onto pet owners. However, there is limited research on substantiating these assertions. The aim of this review was to systematically identify, evaluate, and summarize primary research on the relationship between cat and/or dog ownership and cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and obesity to inform future research on pet ownership and chronic disease. How pet ownership was defined/measured, and identification of the chronic disease variables and health behaviors most often measured were emphasized. Two researchers independently searched PubMed and Web of Science, where One Health literature are mostly likely to be indexed, for peer-reviewed literature on pet ownership and CVD, T2D, and obesity. A review of 4541 titles and abstracts for relevance resulted in 34 manuscripts eligible for full-text review. Two researchers assessed each eligible manuscript and extracted data only from those that met the inclusion criteria (n = 14). Ten studies on CVD, four studies on obesity, and zero studies on T2D met the study criteria. The CVD and obesity variables varied and were not well described. The relationship between pet ownership and CVD and obesity varied (positive, negative, mixed effects, and no effect). Generalizability lacked across all studies: most studies were with Non-Hispanic White populations. Other areas of weakness were quality of study outcomes and instrument validity. Operationalization of pet ownership varied (from no verification to confirmed pet registration). Integration of the evidence-based influence of the human-animal connection through pet ownership on CVD and obesity may make prevention, mitigation, and treatment strategies more robust.
PubMed: 34941860
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8120333 -
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Aug 2021Many studies have been conducted investigating a range of environmental factors which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We collated... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Many studies have been conducted investigating a range of environmental factors which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We collated available data about exposure to domestic animals before symptom onset in MS to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS
Medline, Embase and Cinahl were searched for relevant articles, based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and reference lists were hand-searched. Data were extracted and critical analysis was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa criteria. Meta-analysis used random effects.
RESULTS
Study heterogeneity was high and study quality was variable. Random effects meta-analysis showed no associations with any pet ownership and development of MS.
CONCLUSION
It is not possible to draw definitive conclusions from this work. The studies included had a high level of heterogeneity. There are many variables involved in pet ownership and exposure and the nature of the way these have been studied makes the analysis challenging.
Topics: Animals; Child; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Ownership
PubMed: 34090130
DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103046 -
Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2020Frailty is defined as a state of increased vulnerability due to age-related decline in reserve and function across multiple physiological systems. Increasing physical... (Review)
Review
Frailty is defined as a state of increased vulnerability due to age-related decline in reserve and function across multiple physiological systems. Increasing physical activity level is considered to be a measure to counteract frailty. Some studies have indicated that pet owners are more engaged in physical activity than non-owners. We conducted a systematic review regarding associations between pet ownerships and frailty among community-dwelling older adults and critically assessed the findings. PubMed was searched in April 2020 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for cross-sectional or prospective studies examining associations between pet ownership and frailty in community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 60 or above. A supplementary search was done using Google Scholar. Identified articles were reviewed by two investigators independently and assessed for methodological quality. The search identified 48 studies, among which three studies (two cross-sectional and one prospective) were included in this review. These studies suggested that pet ownership may be associated with a lower risk of frailty. This systematic review found only a limited amount of relevant research. More research is needed to establish the link between pet ownership and frailty as well as healthy aging and well-being.
PubMed: 33182245
DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics5040089 -
International Journal of Geriatric... Nov 2022The population is ageing, and psychiatric disorders are common in older people. Those are associated with worsened quality of life. Although the positive relationship... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The population is ageing, and psychiatric disorders are common in older people. Those are associated with worsened quality of life. Although the positive relationship between dog ownership and physical health has been documented, data on mental health are scarcer, especially in community-dwelling older adults.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to establish whether owning a dog was associated with a lower number of symptoms of psychological disorders in community-dwelling older adults.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of the literature published between January 2005 and December 2020. We analysed comparative studies of the level of insomnia and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety among community-dwelling dog owners aged 70 and over.
RESULTS
The search identified 191 articles, of which 117 full texts were assessed for eligibility. Five cross-sectional studies and one before-after with control group study (assessing a total of 25,138 older adults) were included. The mean (range) NOS score (five studies) was 6.8/9 (5-9) and the EPOC score (one study) was 2/8. The association between the presence of a dog and depressive symptoms did not appear to be significant. Regular contact with a dog was associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety. None of the studies specifically examined sleep disorders.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the presence of a dog did not appear to be related to the level of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults, there might be a beneficial relationship with anxiety. Further investigation is needed - especially with regard to the type of dog and the type of relationship with the dog.
Topics: Animals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dogs; Humans; Independent Living; Mental Health; Ownership; Pets; Quality of Life; Walking
PubMed: 36184824
DOI: 10.1002/gps.5815