Effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis: a meta-synthesis of patient perspectives

While previous randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses offer only limited evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation, qualitative studies examining patient perspectives report more positive outcomes. This meta-synthesis of qualitative studies examined patient perspectives of cognitive rehabilitation for memory, attention, and executive function problems in people with multiple sclerosis. Using set eligibility criteria, we screened electronic databases, reference lists, and academic networks for relevant papers. Seven papers (195 participants) were selected. Two independent researchers conducted quality appraisals of papers. Data analysis, guided by the thematic synthesis approach, yielded six main themes. These suggested that patients benefitted from the group environment in rehabilitation. Cognitive rehabilitation facilitated the participants’ reflection and awareness of their cognitive deficits, and was associated with increased knowledge and understanding of their illness. Increased strategy use was reported and associated with improvements in cognitive functioning and greater confidence and perseverance. Participants reported emotional and social improvements, and felt more optimistic. Overall, these changes had a positive impact on participants’ quality of life. This synthesis of qualitative studies indicates that people with multiple sclerosis who experience cognitive deficits benefit from cognitive rehabilitation programmes. This finding must, however, be viewed in light of the limitations of this meta-synthesis. The meta-synthesis was registered in the PROSPERO database under CRD42017040148.     

Brand-Name Antidepressants Outperform Their Generic Counterparts in Preventing Hospitalization for Depression: The Real-World Evidence from Taiwan

BackgroundGeneric antidepressants are approved on the market based on evidence of bioequivalence to their brand-name versions. We aimed to assess whether generic antidepressants exert equal effectiveness as their brand-name counterparts for treating patients with depressive disorders.MethodsIn a nationwide, population-based cohort in Taiwan from 1997 through 2013, patients with a diagnosis of a depressive disorder aged between 18 and 65 years who were new users of antidepressant drugs were classified into either the brand-name group or the generic group. All patients were followed up until medication discontinuation or the end of the study period. We assessed the risk for hospitalization as a primary outcome and augmentation therapy, daily dose, medication discontinuation, or switching to another antidepressant as secondary outcomes.ResultsA total of 277 651 brand-name users (35.8% male; mean age: 41.2 years) and 270 583 generic users (35.8% male; mean age: 41.0 years) were divided into 10 different antidepressant groups (fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram, citalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, moclobemide, imipramine, and bupropion). We found that patients treated with the generic form of sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, and bupropion demonstrated significantly higher risks of psychiatric hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 1.20–2.34), compared to their brand-name counterparts. The differences between brand-name antidepressants and their generic counterparts in secondary outcomes varied across different drugs.ConclusionsCompared to most generic antidepressants, brand-name drugs exhibited more protective effects on psychiatric hospitalization for depressive patients. These findings could serve as an important reference for clinicians when encountering patients with depressive disorder.     

江苏省儿童专科夜间门诊诊察费定价政策成效分析

2019年5月20日,江苏省医保局推出调整了儿童专科夜间门诊诊察费收费标准举措。文章以江苏省某三甲综合医院为样本,围绕上述政策实施后儿科诊疗工作量、病人满意度、医院收入影响等方面进行了调查,结果表明,上述政策可满足儿科病人就诊差异化需求,合理分流病人,保障急诊优先的诊疗秩序。     

Bipolar disorders: treatment options and patient satisfaction

Functional recovery, the goal of treatment, has long been overlooked in the assessment of effectiveness of pharmacological treatments. However, with the recent shift in paradigm, from syndromal–symptomatic recovery to functional recovery, there appears to be a new interest in the definition and evaluation of functional recovery. Since functional recovery lags symptomatic recovery, sometimes by months or years, the attainment of functional recovery will be determined by both efficacy and long-term compliance. Quetiapine, due to its efficacy in both mania and depression, and effect on cognition may lead to improved functioning in patients with bipolar disorder.     

Improvements in healthcare and cost benefits associated with botulinum toxin treatment of spasticity and muscle overactivity

Spasticity is a widespread, disabling form of muscle overactivity affecting patients with central nervous system damage resulting in upper motor neurone syndrome. There is a range of effective therapies for the treatment of spasticity (e.g. physical, anaesthetic, chemodenervation and neurolytic injections, systemic medication and surgery), but all therapies must be based on an individualized, multidisciplinary programme targeted to achieve patient goals. Appropriate therapy should be based on the extent and severity of spasticity, but spasticity and its consequences, regardless of presentation or cause, are commonly treated with systemic agents. This may be ill-advised as systemic treatment is associated with many undesirable effects. In particular, elderly patients with post-stroke spasticity are at risk from the central adverse effects of systemic medication (e.g. sedation and gait disturbance), which make them more susceptible to falling, with an associated increased risk of fracture. The rising costs of fracture care and its sequelae are fast becoming an international problem contributing to high healthcare expenditure. Botulinum toxin type-A (BoNT-A) treatment is highly effective for some of the more common forms of spasticity and muscle overactivity, and has a favourable profile when compared with systemic agents and other focal treatments. Therefore, the clinical benefits of BoNT-A treatment outweigh the apparent high costs of this intervention, showing it to be a cost-effective treatment.     

镍铬合金烤瓷修复体394件中远期修复效果回顾性分析

目的:了解镍铬合金烤瓷修复体的中远期修复效果。方法:对我科1995年7月～2005年3月具有完整病历记载并能正常复诊的312例(394件)镍铬合金烤瓷修复体的临床资料进行了回顾性分析。结果:镍铬合金烤瓷修复体3年以上成功率为96.2%,5年以上成功率为92.9%,牙龈炎症、松动脱落、瓷崩是镍铬合金烤瓷修复体失败的3种主要表现。结论:为确保镍铬合金烤瓷修复体的中远期疗效,应从适应证的选择、固位体的设计、基牙制备、烤瓷工艺等方面严格把关。     

小型移动数字成像系统下行经皮冠状动脉腔内成形术

目的 :探讨移动数字成像系统GE OECSeries 980 0进行经皮冠状动脉腔内成形术 (PTCA)的可行性和安全性。方法 :回顾分析 32例应用GE OECSeries 980 0X线机进行PTCA治疗冠心病的临床资料。结果 :①本组病例成功率为 90 6 % (2 9/ 32 ) ,血管成功率为 88 1% (37/ 4 2 ) ,病变成功率 83% (39/ 4 7)。成功病例狭窄由术前目测平均直径狭窄(92 8± 3 5 ) %减少到术后的 (6 5± 4 2 ) %。②AMI溶栓后补救性PTCA成功率高。结论 :应用GE OECSeries 980 0X线机能够满足心血管病区心脏介入治疗的需要 ,是安全可行的和具有良好的成本 效益比     

伊维菌素注射剂对牛皮蝇蛆病的防治效果试验

2006年10月10日至27日在新疆精河县八家户农场和托托乡共对600头试验牛(黄牛)进行伊维菌素注射剂注射对牛皮蝇蛆病进行防治效果试验。试验结果表明:用伊维菌素(伊力佳)注射剂对牛皮蝇蛆病的防治效果达到100%,说明伊维菌素对牛皮蝇蛆有很好的防治效果。