First,Do No Harm: Adverse Effects and the Need for Practice Standards in Neurofeedback

Adverse and iatrogenic effects associated with psychotherapy have been substantiated in research for more than 40 years. Controlled research also exists in the field of neurofeedback (electroencephalographic biofeedback) that documents that negative effects can occur from inappropriate training. This article presents accumulating evidence, taken directly from acknowledgments by neurofeedback practitioners of the existence of both transient side effects and of more serious adverse reactions that have occurred. Unlicensed and unqualified practitioners pose a risk to the public and to the integrity and future of the profession. It is vitally important that both professionals and professional societies emphasize standards of practice and that the public be protected from individuals seeking to use neurofeedback to work with medical, psychiatric, and psychological conditions for which they are not qualified and licensed to work. Some in the field propose pursuing biofeedback or psychophysiology licensure as a means to establish standards of practice and address ethical concerns. This is a reasonable option to consider, although it may take many years to implement in various states. In the meantime it is vitally important that individuals offering neurofeedback services for clinical diagnostic conditions be licensed to lawfully provide services for such conditions.     

CLINICAL CORNER

The purpose of the Clinical Corner is to provide responses to clinically oriented questions which may not, in many cases, have been evaluated yet by research. Therefore, the personal opinions expressed in the column are exactly that, the opinions of the individual authors, often based on their clinical experience. The opinions shared belong to the authors and are not necessarily those of SNR or the Journal of Neurotherapy. Nonetheless, it is hoped that the diversity of opinion expressed in this column will stimulate thought and the further exchange of ideas. Readers are invited to send questions for consideration to: D. Corydon Hammond, PhD, University of Utah School of Medicine, PM&R, Salt Lake City, UT 84132. E-mail: D.C.Hammond@utah.edu.     

Access to the next wave of biologic therapies (Abatacept and Tocilizumab) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in England and Wales

Patients in England and Wales with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receive treatment from the National Health Service (NHS) with therapies approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), under guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). This document overviews the current NICE guidelines for the treatment of RA and identifies scenarios when such guidance may not represent the optimum management strategy for individual patients. Specifically, we consider the use of tocilizumab or abatacept as the most appropriate treatments for some patients. In such scenarios, it may be possible for the clinician to secure access to the required therapy through an application procedure known as an 'individual funding request', the process of which is described in detail here. At present, it is unclear the extent to which the proposed reform of the NHS will affect the role of NICE in providing guidance and setting standards of care. Until the full impact of the proposed changes are realized, individual funding requests will remain a valuable way of securing the optimal treatment for all patients suffering from RA.     

Mismatch Repair Deficiency Screening via Immunohistochemical Staining in Young Asians with Colorectal Cancers

Background

The incidence of mismatch repair deficiency in colorectal cancer (CRC) in young people remains unknown in Asians. The present study assessed the clinicopathological features and efficacy of immunohistochemistry screening for Lynch syndrome in young Asian CRC patients.

Material and methods

This was a retrospective review conducted in Singapore General Hospital between January 2006 and December 2010 of 240 unrelated patients under the age of 50. All patients had immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for mismatch repair proteins in resected CRC specimen data retrieved from a prospective computerized database.

Results

A total of 21 % (n = 51) of the patients had abnormal IHC staining. Loss of staining for MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 proteins was observed in 10, 4, 6, and 13 % of tumors, respectively. Of the 22 patients who had abnormal staining of MLH1, 13 had concomitant abnormal staining for PMS2. One tumor specimen had abnormal staining in all four proteins. If the Amsterdam criteria alone were to be used, 86 % (n = 44) of the cohort would have not been detected for mismatch repair gene defects.

Conclusions

The overall burden of germline mismatch repair deficiency in the Singapore population may be as high as 21 %. The Amsterdam criteria alone are inadequate to detect Lynch syndrome patients. The use of IHC staining of at least four mismatch repair proteins is a useful screening strategy for Lynch syndrome diagnosis. Routine screening of mismatch repair deficiency may be recommended for all young Asian CRC patients.     

Local Immune Response Predicts Survival in Patients with Thick (T4) Melanomas

Background

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and histological regression in primary melanoma are generally considered indicators of the local immune response but their roles as prognostic factors have been variably reported. We examined the prognostic role of these variables in patients with high risk (T4) primary melanomas in a large series of patients with long-term follow-up.

Methods

From a prospectively maintained cohort of patients diagnosed between 1971 and 2004, 161 patients were retrospectively identified with primary thick melanomas (>4 mm), no clinical evidence of regional nodal disease (RND) at diagnosis and complete histopathologic data. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were performed to identify clinical and histopathologic predictors of disease-specific survival (DSS) and to identify subgroups with differential survival.

Results

Factors significantly associated with decreased DSS by univariate analysis included male gender, age ≥ 60 years, axial anatomic location, presence of ulceration, RND, absence of TIL, and presence of regression. In the final multivariate model, TIL and regression, as interacting variables, and RND status remained significantly associated with DSS. In the presence of TIL, concomitant regression was associated with significantly worse survival (p ≤ 0.0001). In the absence of TIL, there was no effect of regression on survival (p = 0.324).

Conclusions

Primary TIL and regression status and RND status are independently associated with melanoma-specific survival in patients with T4 melanomas; presence of TIL in the primary melanoma with concomitant radial growth phase regression is associated with a poor prognosis and may reflect an ineffective local regional immune response.