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Cureus Feb 2023Otosclerosis, also known as otospongiosis, is a primary osteodystrophy of the otic capsule of the inner ear and one of the leading causes of deafness in adults. The... (Review)
Review
Otosclerosis, also known as otospongiosis, is a primary osteodystrophy of the otic capsule of the inner ear and one of the leading causes of deafness in adults. The rationale for medical therapy for otospongiosis is to slow down and eventually stop the phase of bone resorption. Conservative treatments include sodium fluoride (NaF), bisphosphonates, and other modern medicines. A systematic review of the existing and published articles and books until April 2021 has been conducted in Medscape, Google Scholar, PubMed, and other databases using appropriate terms. According to the results of the research, the administration of NaF for a period of at least six months stabilizes hearing thresholds (HTs), improves vestibular symptoms, and delays the worsening of tinnitus. The administration of bisphosphonates for a period of at least six months showed significant percentage differences in the improvement of hearing loss, dizziness, and tinnitus remission. In the already existing double-blind studies that were evaluated, groups of patients treated with bisphosphonates for at least 24 months showed greater stabilization of the mean air and bone conduction thresholds than groups of patients treated with a placebo. The new modern medications have not yet been widely administered clinically to draw useful conclusions, although the test results of some of their use are quite encouraging.
PubMed: 36923175
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.34850 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Oct 2006Zotepine is a relatively new antipsychotic often used for the treatment of people with schizophrenia. It is claimed to be particularly effective for negative symptoms. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Zotepine is a relatively new antipsychotic often used for the treatment of people with schizophrenia. It is claimed to be particularly effective for negative symptoms.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the effects of zotepine compared with placebo, typical and other atypical antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia and related psychoses.
SEARCH STRATEGY
For the 2006 update we searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's register of trials.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included all randomised clinical trials comparing zotepine with other treatments for people with schizophrenia or other psychoses.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We independently inspected citations and abstracts, ordered papers, re-inspected these and assessed their quality. For homogenous dichotomous data we calculated the relative risk (RR), 95% confidence intervals (CI) and, where appropriate, numbers needed to treat/harm (NNT/H) on an intention-to-treat basis. For continuous data, we calculated weighted mean differences (WMD). We inspected all data for heterogeneity.
MAIN RESULTS
The review currently includes 11 studies with 966 participants. Most outcomes were short term (4-12 weeks). We found no data for outcomes such as relapse, time in hospital, satisfaction with care and day-to-day functioning. Compared with placebo, mental state ratings favoured zotepine (n=106, 1 RCT, RR No 20% decrease in BPRS 0.44 CI 0.3 to 0.7, NNT 3 CI 2 to 6) using the last observation carried forward method. For the comparison with typical drugs, limited data suggest that zotepine may be as effective as these older medications. Mental state measures of 'no clinically important improvement' favour zotepine when compared with other active drugs (n=356, 4 RCTs, RR 0.77 CI 0.7 to 0.9, NNT 7 CI 4 to 22). About one third of people in both the zotepine and control groups left the studies before trial completion. Zotepine may result in less movement disorder adverse effects than typical antipsychotic drugs. Trials have not highlighted clear differences between zotepine and other atypical drugs.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Zotepine may be a valuable addition to the class of atypical antipsychotic drugs. However, more data from existing studies is urgently needed to increase confidence in the findings of this review. In addition to this, new data from well planned, conducted and reported long term pragmatic randomised trials are needed. Otherwise clinical use of zotepine will be based upon speculation of short explanatory trials for everyday practice.
Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Dibenzothiepins; Humans; Psychotic Disorders; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 17054149
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001948.pub2 -
Current Nutrition Reports Sep 2022Cancers are a leading cause of death in humans and for many other species. Diet has often been associated with cancers, and the microbiome is an essential mediator... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Cancers are a leading cause of death in humans and for many other species. Diet has often been associated with cancers, and the microbiome is an essential mediator between diet and cancers. Here, we review the work on cancer and the microbiome across species to search for broad patterns of susceptibility associated with different microbial species.
RECENT FINDINGS
Some microbes, such as Helicobacter bacteria, papillomaviruses, and the carnivore-associated Fusobacteria, consistently induce tumorigenesis in humans and other species. Other microbes, such as the milk-associated Lactobacillus, consistently inhibit tumorigenesis in humans and other species. We systematically reviewed over a thousand published articles and identified links between diet, microbes, and cancers in several species of mammals, birds, and flies. Future work should examine a larger variety of host species to discover new model organisms for human preclinical trials, to better understand the observed variance in cancer prevalence across species, and to discover which microbes and diets are associated with cancers across species. Ultimately, this could help identify microbial and dietary interventions to diagnose, prevent, and treat cancers in humans as well as other animals.
Topics: Animals; Carcinogenesis; Diet; Humans; Mammals; Microbiota; Neoplasms
PubMed: 35704266
DOI: 10.1007/s13668-022-00420-5 -
Implementation Science : IS Jun 2015Third sector organisations (TSOs) are a well-established component of health care provision in the UK's NHS and other health systems, but little is known about how they... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Third sector organisations (TSOs) are a well-established component of health care provision in the UK's NHS and other health systems, but little is known about how they use research and other forms of knowledge in their work. There is an emerging body of evidence exploring these issues but there is no review of this literature. This scoping review summarises what is known about how health and social care TSOs use research and other forms of knowledge in their work.
METHODS
A systematic search of electronic databases was carried out with initial exploratory searching of knowledge mobilisation websites, contacting authors, and hand searching of journals. The literature was narratively summarised to describe how TSOs use knowledge in decision making.
RESULTS
Ten qualitative and mixed methods studies were retrieved. They show that TSOs wish to be "evidence-informed" in their decision making, and organisational context influences the kinds of research and knowledge they prefer, as well as how they use it. Barriers to research use include time, staff skill, resources and the acontextual nature of some academic research. Appropriate approaches to knowledge mobilisation may include using research intermediaries, involving TSOs in research, and better description of interventions and contexts in academic publications to aid applying it in the multi-disciplinary contexts of TSOs. TSOs identified specific benefits of using research, such as confidence that services were good quality, ability to negotiate with stakeholders and funders, and saving time and resources through implementing interventions shown to be effective. The small number of included studies means the findings need further confirmation through primary research.
CONCLUSIONS
As the contribution of health and social care TSOs to service delivery is growing, the need to understand how they mobilise research and other forms of knowledge will continue. The research community could 1) develop relationships with TSOs to support the design and development of research projects, 2) use a range of methods to evaluate interventions to facilitate TSOs applying them to their organisational contexts and 3) improve our understanding of how TSOs use knowledge, through the use of complementary research methods, such as a realist review or ethnography.
Topics: Delivery of Health Care; Health Services Research; Humans; Organizations; Translational Research, Biomedical
PubMed: 26048555
DOI: 10.1186/s13012-015-0265-6 -
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine Jul 2021Return to sport (RTS) commonly serves as a measure for assessment of clinical outcomes in orthopaedic sports medicine surgery. Unfortunately, while RTS is commonly... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Return to sport (RTS) commonly serves as a measure for assessment of clinical outcomes in orthopaedic sports medicine surgery. Unfortunately, while RTS is commonly utilized in research for this purpose, currently there is no widely accepted or standardized definition for when an athlete has officially returned to his or her sport.
PURPOSE
To conduct a systematic review to evaluate and report the differences in specific definitions of RTS utilized in the orthopaedic surgery literature.
STUDY DESIGN
Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.
METHODS
A systematic review was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Trials databases per PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Search terms consisted of variations of "RTS" combined with variations of "orthopedic surgery" and "define" to capture as many relevant articles as possible. The definition of RTS was recorded and analyzed.
RESULTS
A total of 718 articles were identified in the initial search, 29 of which met eligibility criteria, providing a clear definition of RTS. Of the 29 studies included, 20 (69.0%) defined RTS as an athlete competing in a game or other competitive play. Three (10.3%) defined this as the athlete competing in a game or other competitive play but with an explicitly stated competition-level modifier of the athlete returning to his or her preinjury level of competition. Two articles (6.9%) included returning to training or practice, and the remaining 4 articles (13.8%) used terminology other than the standard RTS.
CONCLUSION
There is variability in the definition of RTS used in orthopaedic sports medicine literature. Most studies refer to the athlete competing in a game or other competitive play. Other variants include returning to practice/training and explicitly defined competition levels and objectives. Future studies should aim to standardize the definition of RTS to facilitate more precise assessment of outcome after sports medicine surgery. Using terminology that describes components of the recovery and rehabilitation process, such as "return to participation" and "return to performance," in addition to RTS will allow us to more clearly understand the athlete's recovery and associated level of competition or performance.
PubMed: 34377709
DOI: 10.1177/23259671211009589