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International Journal of Cardiology Aug 2024Ultramarathon running poses physiological challenges, impacting cardiac function. This systematic review and meta-analysis explore the acute effects of single-stage... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Ultramarathon running poses physiological challenges, impacting cardiac function. This systematic review and meta-analysis explore the acute effects of single-stage ultramarathon running on cardiac function.
METHODS
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations were followed. Searches covered Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Central Cochrane, and Scopus. Random effects meta-analyses assessed left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) variables, expressed as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
RESULTS
Among 6972 studies, 17 were included. Post-ultramarathon reductions were found in LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) (-1.24; 95% CI = -1.77, -0.71 mm), LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) (-9.92; 95% CI = -15.25, -4.60 ml), LV stroke volume (LVSV) (-8.96 ml, 95% CI -13.20, -4.72 ml), LV ejection fraction (LVEF) (-3.71; 95% CI = -5.21, -2.22%), LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) (-1.48; 95% CI = -2.21, -0.76%), E/A (-0.30; 95% CI = -0.38, -0.22 cm/s), .E' (-1.35 cm/s, 95% CI -1.91, -0.79 cm/s), RV fractional area change (RVFAC) (-3.34, 95% CI = -5.84, -0.84%), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (-0.12, 95% CI = -0.22, -0.02 cm), RV global longitudinal strain (RVGLS) (-1.73, 95% CI = -2.87, -0.59%), with increases in RV end-diastolic area (RVEDA) (1.89, 95% CI = 0.63, 3.14 cm), RV Peak A' (1.32 cm/s, 95% CI 0.20, 2.44), and heart rate (18.24, 95% CI = 15.16, 21.32). No significant differences were observed in LV end-systolic diameter (LVESD), LV end-systolic volume (LVESV), RV end-diastolic diameter (RVEDD), RV Peak E', and RV Peak S'.
CONCLUSIONS
Evidence suggests immediate impairment of systolic and diastolic cardiac function post-ultramarathon running.
Topics: Humans; Diastole; Systole; Marathon Running; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left
PubMed: 38705202
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2024.132106 -
European Journal of Heart Failure Apr 2024
Meta-Analysis
Topics: Humans; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated; Phenotype; Genotype; Systole
PubMed: 38679878
DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.3248 -
The Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery 2024Brachial plexus injuries (BPI), although rare, often results in significant morbidity. Stem cell was thought to be one of BPI treatment modalities because of their... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Brachial plexus injuries (BPI), although rare, often results in significant morbidity. Stem cell was thought to be one of BPI treatment modalities because of their nerve-forming regeneration potential. Although there is a possibility for the use of mesenchymal stem cells as one of BPI treatment, it is still limited on animal studies. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to analyze the role of mesenchymal stem cells in nerve regeneration in animal models of brachial plexus injury.
METHOD
This study is a systematic review with PROSPERO registration number CRD4202128321. Literature searching was conducted using keywords experimental, animal, brachial plexus injury, mesenchymal stem cell implantation, clinical outcomes, electrophysiological outcomes, and histologic outcomes. Searches were performed in the PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases. The risk of bias was assessed using SYRCLE's risk of bias tool for animal studies. The data obtained were described and in-depth analysis was performed.
RESULT
Four studies were included in this study involving 183 animals from different species those are rats and rabbits. There was an increase in muscle weight and shortened initial onset time of muscle contraction in the group treated with stem cells. Electrophysiological results showed that mesenchymal stem cells exhibited higher (Compound muscle action potential) CMAP amplitude and shorter CMAP latency than control but not better than autograft. Histological outcomes showed an increase in axon density, axon number, and the formation of connections between nerve cells and target muscles.
CONCLUSION
Mesenchymal stem cell implantation to animals with brachial plexus injury showed its ability to regenerate nerve cells as evidenced by clinical, electrophysiological, and histopathological results. However, this systematic study involved experimental animals from various species so that the results cannot be uniformed, and conclusion should be drawn cautiously.
PubMed: 38577510
DOI: 10.22038/ABJS.2024.68053.3224 -
PloS One 2024Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, resulting in muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventually... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, resulting in muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventually patient mortality. In recent years, neuromodulation techniques have emerged as promising potential therapeutic approaches to slow disease progression and improve the quality of life of ALS patients. A systematic review was conducted until August 8, 2023, to evaluate the neuromodulation methods used and their potential in the treatment of ALS. The search strategy was applied in the Cochrane Central database, incorporating results from other databases such as PubMed, Embase, CTgov, CINAHL, and ICTRP. Following the exclusion of papers that did not fulfil the inclusion criteria, a total of 2090 records were found, leaving a total of 10 studies. R software was used to conduct meta-analyses based on the effect sizes between the experimental and control groups. This revealed differences in muscle stretch measures with manual muscle testing (p = 0.012) and resting motor threshold (p = 0.0457), but not with voluntary isometric contraction (p = 0.1883). The functionality of ALS was also different (p = 0.007), but not the quality of life. Although intracortical facilitation was not seen in motor cortex 1 (M1) (p = 0.1338), short-interval intracortical inhibition of M1 was significant (p = 0.0001). BDNF showed no differences that were statistically significant (p = 0.2297). Neuromodulation-based treatments are proposed as a promising therapeutic approach for ALS that can produce effects on muscle function, spasticity, and intracortical connections through electrical, magnetic, and photonic stimulation. Photobiomodulation stands out as an innovative approach that uses specific wavelengths to influence mitochondria, with the aim of improving mitochondrial function and reducing excitotoxicity. The lack of reliable placebo controls and the variation in stimulation frequency are some of the drawbacks of neuromodulation.
Topics: Humans; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Quality of Life; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Exercise Therapy; Muscle Spasticity
PubMed: 38551974
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300671 -
International Journal of Nursing Studies Jun 2024
Meta-Analysis
Comment on Wang et al. (2024) 'The efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation training on cancer-related fatigue and quality of life in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies'.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Neoplasms; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Fatigue; Muscle Relaxation; Relaxation Therapy
PubMed: 38522184
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104759 -
Prosthetics and Orthotics International Mar 2024Chronic pain following amputation is debilitating. Due to its mechanisms in modulating muscle contraction and pain, botulinum toxin has been investigated as a treatment...
Chronic pain following amputation is debilitating. Due to its mechanisms in modulating muscle contraction and pain, botulinum toxin has been investigated as a treatment option for phantom limb pain (PLP) and residual limb pain (RLP). The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of botulinum toxin injection in the management of PLP and RLP following major limb amputation using a systematic review of the literature. The databases Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched from inception through October 30, 2023. The search identified 50 articles; 37 underwent full-text review, and 11 were included in the final review. Eighty-nine individuals with pain were investigated by the included studies; 53 had RLP and 63 had PLP. There was significant variation in botulinum toxin type, injection method, and dosage. Twenty-one (53.9%) and 27 (64.3%) participants had improvement in PLP and RLP following botulinum toxin injection, respectively. Therefore, there is potential for use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of PLP and RLP. However, due to the minimal number of studies, small sample sizes, and heterogenous methodologies, our ability to conclude with certainty the efficacy of botulinum toxin injection on the treatment of PLP and RLP following amputation is limited.
PubMed: 38517393
DOI: 10.1097/PXR.0000000000000344 -
Computers in Biology and Medicine Apr 2024Uterine contractions during labour constrict maternal blood flow and oxygen delivery to the developing baby, causing transient hypoxia. While most babies are...
INTRODUCTION
Uterine contractions during labour constrict maternal blood flow and oxygen delivery to the developing baby, causing transient hypoxia. While most babies are physiologically adapted to withstand such intrapartum hypoxia, those exposed to severe hypoxia or with poor physiological reserves may experience neurological injury or death during labour. Cardiotocography (CTG) monitoring was developed to identify babies at risk of hypoxia by detecting changes in fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns. CTG monitoring is in widespread use in intrapartum care for the detection of fetal hypoxia, but the clinical utility is limited by a relatively poor positive predictive value (PPV) of an abnormal CTG and significant inter and intra observer variability in CTG interpretation. Clinical risk and human factors may impact the quality of CTG interpretation. Misclassification of CTG traces may lead to both under-treatment (with the risk of fetal injury or death) or over-treatment (which may include unnecessary operative interventions that put both mother and baby at risk of complications). Machine learning (ML) has been applied to this problem since early 2000 and has shown potential to predict fetal hypoxia more accurately than visual interpretation of CTG alone. To consider how these tools might be translated for clinical practice, we conducted a review of ML techniques already applied to CTG classification and identified research gaps requiring investigation in order to progress towards clinical implementation.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
We used identified keywords to search databases for relevant publications on PubMed, EMBASE and IEEE Xplore. We used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Title, abstract and full text were screened according to the inclusion criteria.
RESULTS
We included 36 studies that used signal processing and ML techniques to classify CTG. Most studies used an open-access CTG database and predominantly used fetal metabolic acidosis as the benchmark for hypoxia with varying pH levels. Various methods were used to process and extract CTG signals and several ML algorithms were used to classify CTG. We identified significant concerns over the practicality of using varying pH levels as the CTG classification benchmark. Furthermore, studies needed to be more generalised as most used the same database with a low number of subjects for an ML study.
CONCLUSION
ML studies demonstrate potential in predicting fetal hypoxia from CTG. However, more diverse datasets, standardisation of hypoxia benchmarks and enhancement of algorithms and features are needed for future clinical implementation.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Cardiotocography; Fetal Hypoxia; Heart Rate, Fetal; Labor, Obstetric; Uterine Contraction
PubMed: 38489990
DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108220 -
Journal of Sport and Health Science Jul 2024Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology has allowed for the measurement of cerebral and skeletal muscle oxygenation simultaneously during exercise. Since this... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology has allowed for the measurement of cerebral and skeletal muscle oxygenation simultaneously during exercise. Since this technology has been growing and is now successfully used in laboratory and sports settings, this systematic review aimed to synthesize the evidence and enhance an integrative understanding of blood flow adjustments and oxygen (O) changes (i.e., the balance between O delivery and O consumption) within the cerebral and muscle systems during exercise.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to search for relevant studies that simultaneously investigated cerebral and muscle hemodynamic changes using the near-infrared spectroscopy system during exercise. This review considered manuscripts written in English and available before February 9, 2023. Each step of screening involved evaluation by 2 independent authors, with disagreements resolved by a third author. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies.
RESULTS
Twenty studies were included, of which 80% had good methodological quality, and involved 290 young or middle-aged adults. Different types of exercises were used to assess cerebral and muscle hemodynamic changes, such as cycling (n = 11), treadmill (n = 1), knee extension (n = 5), isometric contraction of biceps brachii (n = 3), and duet swim routines (n = 1). The cerebral hemodynamics analysis was focused on the frontal cortex (n = 20), while in the muscle, the analysis involved vastus lateralis (n = 18), gastrocnemius (n = 3), biceps brachii (n = 5), deltoid (n = 1), and intercostal muscle (n = 1). Overall, muscle deoxygenation increases during exercise, reaching a plateau in voluntary exhaustion, while in the brain, oxyhemoglobin concentration increases with exercise intensity, reaching a plateau or declining at the exhaustion point.
CONCLUSION
Muscle and cerebral oxygenation respond differently to exercise, with muscle increasing O utilization and cerebral tissue increasing O delivery during exercise. However, at the exhaustion point, both muscle and cerebral oxygenation become compromised. This is characterized by a reduction in blood flow and a decrease in O extraction in the muscle, while in the brain, oxygenation reaches a plateau or decline, potentially resulting in motor failure during exercise.
Topics: Humans; Muscle, Skeletal; Oxygen Consumption; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; Exercise; Brain; Hemodynamics; Oxygen; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Adult
PubMed: 38462172
DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2024.03.003 -
Medicina Clinica May 2024Anemia is a common condition in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are commonly used to treat anemia in these patients.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The effect of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hemodialysis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
OBJECTIVE
Anemia is a common condition in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are commonly used to treat anemia in these patients. However, concerns have been raised regarding their potential effects on blood pressure. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the relationship between ESAs and changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hemodialysis patients.
METHOD
This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis based on clinical trial studies published in various databases, including Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar, between 1980 and the end of 2022. We evaluated the quality of articles using the Jadad scale checklist and analyzed the data using Stata 15 software.
RESULTS
Our meta-analysis included 34 clinical trial studies. The results showed a significant increase in both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after the consumption of ESAs compared to before consumption. The mean difference in SBP was 4.84mmHg (95% CI: 2.74-6.94; p-value<0.001) and in DBP was 4.69mmHg (95% CI: 2.67-6.71; p-value<0.001). No publication bias was observed. Our meta-regression analysis showed that sample size, quality assessment score, and geographical location of the study were significant factors related to observed heterogenicity in to mean difference of SBP (p-value≤0.20). For DBP, the sample size, quality assessment score and follow-up duration were significant variables (p-value≤0.20).
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of our study, it appears that receiving ESAs is associated with a significant increase in both SBP and DBP in hemodialysis patients, with an increase of about 5mmHg.
Topics: Humans; Hematinics; Renal Dialysis; Blood Pressure; Anemia; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Clinical Trials as Topic; Diastole; Systole
PubMed: 38433073
DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2024.01.004 -
Open Heart Feb 2024Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the prognostic value of RV free-wall longitudinal strain (RVfwLS), compared with other RV parameters in PH.
METHODS
We searched for articles presenting the HR of two-dimensional RVfwLS in PH. HRs were standardised using the within-study SD. The ratio of HRs of a 1 SD change in RVfwLS versus systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP), systolic tricuspid annular velocities (s'-TV), RV fractional area change (FAC) or tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) was calculated for each study, after which we conducted a random model meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis regarding the type of outcome, aetiology of PH and software vendor was also performed.
RESULTS
Twenty articles totalling 2790 subjects were included. The pooled HR of a 1 SD decrease of RVfwLS was 1.80 (95% CI: 1.62 to 2.00, p<0.001), and there was a significant association with all-cause death (ACD) and composite endpoints (CEs). The ratio of HR analysis revealed that RVfwLS has a significant, strong association with ACD and CE per 1 SD change, compared with corresponding values of SPAP, s'-TV, RVFAC or TAPSE. RVfwLS was a significant prognostic factor regardless of the aetiology of PH. However, significant superiority of RVfwLS versus other parameters was not observed in group 1 PH.
CONCLUSIONS
The prognostic value of RVfwLS in patients with PH was confirmed, and RVfwLS is better than other RV parameters and SPAP. Further accumulation of evidence is needed to perform a detailed subgroup analysis for each type of PH.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000052679).
Topics: Humans; Prognosis; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Tricuspid Valve; Systole
PubMed: 38325907
DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2023-002561