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Brain Sciences Nov 2021Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive technique used to record the brain's evoked and induced electrical activity from the scalp. Artificial intelligence,... (Review)
Review
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive technique used to record the brain's evoked and induced electrical activity from the scalp. Artificial intelligence, particularly machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms, are increasingly being applied to EEG data for pattern analysis, group membership classification, and brain-computer interface purposes. This study aimed to systematically review recent advances in ML and DL supervised models for decoding and classifying EEG signals. Moreover, this article provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art techniques used for EEG signal preprocessing and feature extraction. To this end, several academic databases were searched to explore relevant studies from the year 2000 to the present. Our results showed that the application of ML and DL in both mental workload and motor imagery tasks has received substantial attention in recent years. A total of 75% of DL studies applied convolutional neural networks with various learning algorithms, and 36% of ML studies achieved competitive accuracy by using a support vector machine algorithm. Wavelet transform was found to be the most common feature extraction method used for all types of tasks. We further examined the specific feature extraction methods and end classifier recommendations discovered in this systematic review.
PubMed: 34827524
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111525 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Nov 2010The original cups used for vacuum extraction delivery of the fetus were rigid metal cups. Subsequently, soft cups of flexible materials such as silicone rubber or... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The original cups used for vacuum extraction delivery of the fetus were rigid metal cups. Subsequently, soft cups of flexible materials such as silicone rubber or plastic were introduced. Soft cups are thought to have a poorer success rate than metal cups. However they are also thought to be less likely to be associated with scalp trauma and less likely to injure the mother.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this review was to assess the effects of soft versus rigid vacuum extractor cups on perineal injury, fetal scalp injury and success rate.
SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. Date of last search: February 2000.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Acceptably controlled comparisons of soft versus rigid vacuum extractor cups.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two reviewers assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for additional information.
MAIN RESULTS
Nine trials involving 1375 women were included. The trials were of average quality. Soft cups are significantly more likely to fail to achieve vaginal delivery (odds ratio 1.65, 95% confidence interval 1.19 to 2.29). However, they were associated with less scalp injury (odds ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.15 to 0.60). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of maternal injury.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Metal cups appear to be more suitable for 'occipito-posterior', transverse and difficult 'occipito-anterior' position deliveries. The soft cups seem to be appropriate for straightforward deliveries.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical
PubMed: 21069666
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000446.pub2 -
Seizure Mar 2016The study aims to review systematically the quality of evidence supporting seizure detection devices. The unpredictable nature of seizures is distressing and disabling... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The study aims to review systematically the quality of evidence supporting seizure detection devices. The unpredictable nature of seizures is distressing and disabling for sufferers and carers. If a seizure can be reliably detected then the patient or carer could be alerted. It could help prevent injury and death.
METHODS
A literature search was completed. Forty three of 120 studies found using relevant search terms were suitable for systematic review which was done applying pre-agreed criteria using PRISMA guidelines. The papers identified and reviewed were those that could have potential for everyday use of patients in a domestic setting. Studies involving long term use of scalp electrodes to record EEG were excluded on the grounds of unacceptable restriction of daily activities.
RESULTS
Most of the devices focused on changes in movement and/or physiological signs and were dependent on an algorithm to determine cut off points. No device was able to detect all seizures and there was an issue with both false positives and missed seizures. Many of the studies involved relatively small numbers of cases or report on only a few seizures. Reports of seizure alert dogs are also considered.
CONCLUSION
Seizure detection devices are at a relatively early stage of development and as yet there are no large scale studies or studies that compare the effectiveness of one device against others. The issue of false positive detection rates is important as they are disruptive for both the patient and the carer. Nevertheless, the development of seizure detection devices offers great potential in the management of epilepsy.
Topics: Algorithms; Animals; Databases, Bibliographic; Diagnosis; Dogs; Electroencephalography; False Positive Reactions; Humans; Movement; Precision Medicine; Seizures
PubMed: 26859097
DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2016.01.013 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jul 2007Infection with head lice is a widespread condition in developed and developing countries. Infection occurs most commonly in children, but also affects adults. If left... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Infection with head lice is a widespread condition in developed and developing countries. Infection occurs most commonly in children, but also affects adults. If left untreated the condition can become intensely irritating and skin infections may occur if the bites are scratched.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this review was to assess the effects of interventions for head lice.
SEARCH STRATEGY
Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group specialized trials register (July 2002); The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2002); MEDLINE and TOXLINE (1966 to July 2002); EMBASE (1980 to May 2002); LILACS (July 2002); Science Citation Index (1981 to July 2002); BIOSIS (1985 to July 2002); reference lists of relevant articles; pharmaceutical companies producing pediculicides (published and unpublished trials); UK and US Regulatory Authorities.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised trials (published and unpublished) or trials using alternate allocation were sought which compared pediculicides with the same and different formulations of other pediculicides, and pediculicides with physical methods.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Of the 71 identified studies, only four met the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently assessed trial quality. One reviewer extracted the data.
MAIN RESULTS
We found no evidence that any one pediculicide has greater effect than another. The two studies comparing malathion and permethrin with their respective vehicles showed a higher cure rate for the active ingredient than the vehicle. Another study comparing synergised pyrethrins with permethrin showed their effects to be equivalent. A comparative trial of malathion lotion vs combing, showed combing to be ineffective for the cureative treatment of head lice infection. Adverse effects were reported in a number of trials and were all minor, although reporting quality varied between trials.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Permethrin, synergised pyrethrin and malathion were effective in the treatment of head lice. However, the emergence of drug resistance since these trials were conducted means there is no direct contemporary evidence of the comparative effectiveness of these products. The 'best' choice will now depend on local resistance patterns. Physical treatment methods(BugBusting) were shown ot be ineffective to treat head lice. No evidence exists regarding other chemical control methods such as the use of herbal treatments, when used in the curative treatment of head lice. Future trials should take into account the methodological recommendations that arise from this review.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Carbaryl; Health Education; Humans; Hygiene; Lice Infestations; Malathion; Pediculus; Permethrin; Phytotherapy; Pyrethrins; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Scalp Dermatoses
PubMed: 17636657
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001165.pub2 -
Medicine Feb 2024Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease which results in non-scarring hair loss on the scalp or any surface with hair. Several genetic polymorphisms of the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease which results in non-scarring hair loss on the scalp or any surface with hair. Several genetic polymorphisms of the interleukin genes have been linked with this disease but the results are inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis were done to find the association between rs3118470, rs2275913, rs3212227, and rs10889677 of the IL2RA, IL17A, IL12B, and IL23R genes, respectively, of the interleukin family with alopecia areata.
METHODS
A comprehensive search for relevant research articles was conducted in Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Embase databases. Our search yielded 8 relevant articles with 1940 cases and 1788 controls. The odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals was calculated using fixed effect and random effect models. Heterogeneity was determined using the Q-test and I2 test. Publication bias was determined and funnel plots were used to adjust the odds ratio.
RESULTS
We found a significant risk effect for rs3118470 of the IL2RA gene with alopecia areata in the dominant model (CC + CT vs TT; OR = 1.54, 95% confidence interval = 1.05-2.26, P < .05, I2 = 69.03%) and homozygous model (CC vs TT; OR = 2.00, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-3.71, P < .05, I2 = 72.84%). For the other single nucleotide polymorphisms, we could not find any statistically significant association with the disease.
CONCLUSION
Our analysis showed that mutation of rs3118470 of IL2RA gene possesses a significant risk effect for alopecia areata. Future studies with larger sample sizes and ethnic backgrounds are warranted to confirm our findings.
Topics: Humans; Alopecia Areata; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Interleukins; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
PubMed: 38394507
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000037300 -
Clinical Case Reports Jun 2021Alopecic and aseptic nodule of the scalp/Pseudocyst of the scalp is a rare but probably underdiagnosed nonscarring alopecia with good prognosis and doxycycline is a safe...
Alopecic and aseptic nodule of the scalp/Pseudocyst of the scalp is a rare but probably underdiagnosed nonscarring alopecia with good prognosis and doxycycline is a safe and effective option treatment.
PubMed: 34194753
DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.4153 -
Cancers Mar 2024Eccrine porocarcinoma, sharing many features with other skin tumours, is diagnostically challenging. A conventional biopsy might be misleading and surgical excision... (Review)
Review
Eccrine porocarcinoma, sharing many features with other skin tumours, is diagnostically challenging. A conventional biopsy might be misleading and surgical excision becomes a primary diagnostic tool and a treatment method. However, the data on surgical safety margins are not consistent. We present a systematic review analysing the surgical margins of porocarcinoma in the head and neck area, which was conducted across the PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases including studies published from inception to November of 2023. In this systematic review, the PRISMA-ScR checklist was used, and a Cohen's Kappa coefficient of 0.92 was applied, indicating very good agreement between reviewers. Out of 529 identified articles, 18 studies yielding 20 cases in total were selected for a thorough analysis. Nine (45%) cases were observed in the facial regions, eight (40%) on the scalp, and three (5%) on the neck. The primary treatment of choice was wide local excision with safety margins ranging from 3 to 22 mm (mean: 10.1). It demonstrated that surgical margins do not differ by age or anatomic regions, with the main point of reference being the tumour size. As observed, the bigger the tumour, the wider the safety margins were. However, the limited disclosure of surgical safety margins in analysed case reports impeded our ability to define the minimum safety margins. Further investigation and a consensus on recommended safety margins are required.
PubMed: 38610942
DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071264 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Nov 2013Chronic plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis and is characterized by redness, thickness, and scaling. First-line management is with topical treatments. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Chronic plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis and is characterized by redness, thickness, and scaling. First-line management is with topical treatments.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to undertake a Cochrane review of topical treatments for chronic plaque psoriasis.
METHODS
We systematically searched major databases for randomized controlled trials. Trials reported improvement using a range of related measures; standardized, pooled findings were translated onto a 6-point improvement scale.
RESULTS
The review included 177 randomized controlled trials with 34,808 participants, including 26 trials of scalp psoriasis and 6 trials of inverse and/or facial psoriasis. Typical trial duration was 3 to 8 weeks. When compared with placebo (emollient base), the average improvement for vitamin-D analogues and potent corticosteroids was approximately 1 point, dithranol 1.2 points, very potent corticosteroids 1.8 points, and combined vitamin-D analogue plus steroid 1.4 points once daily and 2.2 points twice daily. However, these are indicative benefits drawn from heterogeneous trial findings. Corticosteroids were more effective than vitamin D for treating psoriasis of the scalp. For both body and scalp psoriasis, potent corticosteroids were less likely than vitamin D to cause skin irritation.
LIMITATIONS
Reporting of benefits, adverse effects, and safety assessment methods was often inadequate. In many comparisons, heterogeneity made the size of treatment benefit uncertain.
CONCLUSIONS
Corticosteroids are as effective as vitamin-D analogues and cause less skin irritation. However, further research is needed to inform long-term maintenance treatment and provide appropriate safety data.
Topics: Administration, Topical; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Chronic Disease; Humans; Psoriasis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Vitamin D
PubMed: 24124809
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2013.06.027 -
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational... 2024Lichen planopilaris (LPP) and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) are primary scarring alopecias that pose diagnostic challenges clinically, where trichoscopy features may... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Lichen planopilaris (LPP) and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) are primary scarring alopecias that pose diagnostic challenges clinically, where trichoscopy features may provide benefit in delineating these two cicatricial alopecia, and also helps in assessing the evolution and therapeutic response. To date, there are few reviews on dermoscopic findings in differentiating these two alopecias.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was conducted using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The search terms included for scalp DLE were 'lupus' OR 'discoid lupus' OR "scalp lupus" and for scalp LPP were "lichen planopilaris" OR "scalp follicular lichen planus" OR "lichen planus follicularis" and were combined with "dermoscopy" OR "dermatoscopy" OR "videodermoscopy" OR "video dermatoscopy" OR "trichoscopy". The differences in the prevalence of dermoscopic features in scalp DLE and LPP were calculated using the Chi-square test.
RESULTS
Of 52 articles, 36 (17 LPP, 19 DLE) were eligible for quantitative analysis. We found predominant peripilar tubular casts and perifollicular erythema with the presence of arborizing vessels in the vicinity of these changes, indicating early LPP. In contrast, follicular red dots, speckled brown pigmentation, and hair diameter variability indicated active DLE. Shiny white areas were common in both the groups in late stages. The target pattern of distribution of blue-grey dots, milky red areas, and irregular white fibrotic dots were seen in LPP, and pink-white background, follicular plugs, perifollicular and interfollicular scale, rosettes, chrysalides, and red spider on yellow dots were detected in DLE. Features such as yellow dots and blue-grey structureless areas were nonspecific and did not have a major role in differentiating DLE from LPP.
CONCLUSION
This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature and delineates the trichoscopic differences and peculiarities of scalp DLE and LPP, including the correlation of dermoscopic features with histopathological findings.
PubMed: 38616887
DOI: 10.2147/CCID.S460742 -
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive &... Dec 2021Microtia is a rare disorder characterized by malformation or even complete absence of the auricle. Reconstruction is often performed using autologous costal cartilage...
BACKGROUND
Microtia is a rare disorder characterized by malformation or even complete absence of the auricle. Reconstruction is often performed using autologous costal cartilage (ACC) or porous polyethylene implants (PPE). However, the long-term outcomes of both methods are unclear.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review aimed to analyze long-term complications and suggest minimal reporting criteria for future original data studies.
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception through October 14, 2020. Articles on auricular reconstruction in patients with microtia using ACC or PPE were included provided that the follow-up period was at least one year. This publication focused on long-term complications reported in patients with a postoperative follow-up period of at least one year.
RESULTS
Twenty-nine publications reported on complications during long-term follow-up. Overall long-term complication rates were not reported. The incidence of individual complications during long-term follow-up was less than 10% after ACC reconstruction and less than 15% in PPE reconstruction. Framework resorption and wire exposure were reported even after an extended follow-up of more than five years after ACC reconstruction, while reports on the extended long-term results of PPE reconstruction are limited. Data synthesis was limited due to heterogeneity and poor study quality.
CONCLUSIONS
Future studies should report on long-term complications including framework exposure or extrusion, graft loss, framework resorption, wire exposure and scalp and auricular scar complications. We recommend a surgical follow-up of at least five years.
Topics: Congenital Microtia; Costal Cartilage; Humans; Postoperative Complications; Prostheses and Implants; Plastic Surgery Procedures
PubMed: 34481742
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.08.001