Objective: To evaluate the effect of toothbrush design on brushing skills and plaque removal among young healthy adults. Method and Materials: A population of 200 healthy young adults was approached. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two research groups: one used a manual single-headed toothbrush, while the other used ...

PURPOSE: Treatment-related symptoms can increase psychological and physical distress and alter the patient's quality of life. The present study evaluates prospectively treatment-related symptoms, general self-efficacy, anxiety and quality of life (QoL) in patients with different types of cancer undergoing external beam radiotherapy (RT) and the relationship of patients' general self-efficacy ...

BACKGROUND: Uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) is usually a self-limiting inflammatory condition often treated with antibiotics. AIMS: To assess the safety and efficacy of fluticasone furoate nasal spray (FFNS) compared with placebo for symptomatic relief of uncomplicated ARS. METHODS: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicentre, 2-week treatment study of FFNS 110μg ...

People with chronic conditions, such as epilepsy, are at a high risk for depression; however depression is often under-recognized and undertreated. Depression scales, including one specific to people with epilepsy, have been used for screening in this population, although none have been assessed with Rasch measurement theory. This study used ...

BACKGROUND: The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) Shoulder and Elbow score is a subjective questionnaire that has been validated and been shown to be more specific in overhead athletes than the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scale. The purpose of this study was to determine a mean KJOC score and reasonable ...

Objective:Olfactory dysfunction is common. The reliability of self-assessment tools for smell testing is still controversial. This study aimed to provide new data about the accuracy of olfactory self-assessment compared with a standardised smell test.Design:Prospective, controlled, cohort study of patients with olfactory disorders and healthy controls.Subjects:Ninety-six patients with a smell deficit ...

BACKGROUND:: Depression and frailty both predict disability and morbidity in later life. However, it is unclear to what extent these common geriatric syndromes represent overlapping constructs. OBJECTIVE:: To examine the joint relationship between the constructs of depression and frailty. METHODS:: Data come from 2004-2005 wave of the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment ...

INTRODUCTION: There is a major gap in knowledge about the epidemiology of epilepsy in Mediterranean countries. The EPIBERIA group was formed with the aim of promoting the conducting of epidemiological studies in this area in order to improve this situation. This paper deals with the validation of a brief questionnaire ...

Background: The need to detect early changes in instrumental activities of daily life led us to modify the Disability Assessment for Dementia Scale (DAD) by focusing on executive components of 6 instrumental items (DAD-6). Aim: To evaluate the relevance of the DAD-6 for detecting early impairment in a nondemented population. ...

Aim  The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties and clinical utility of objective measures of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) in children with cerebral palsy or neurodevelopmental disabilities aged 12 months to 5 years. Method  Five electronic databases were searched to identify measures of OPD. The Consensus-based Standards for the ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess temporal amplitude variability in patients with essential tremor (ET). METHODS: Patients who satisfied the diagnostic criteria for probable or definite ET were enrolled in the study. Each enrolled patient was first rated using The Essential Tremor Rating Assessment Scale (TETRAS). Postural and kinetic tremors of the arms ...

OBJECTIVE: The authors conducted a 2-year prospective naturalistic follow-up study to evaluate posttreatment clinical outcomes in outpatients who were randomly selected to receive 1 year of either dialectical behavior therapy or general psychiatric management for borderline personality disorder. METHOD: Patients were assessed by blind raters 6, 12, 18, and 24 ...

Abstract Aim. To examine whether mothers' and fathers' levels of perceived relationship discord at childbirth were associated with postpartum depressive symptoms when the child was 3 months old. Another aim was to examine parents' levels of self-reported depressive symptoms. The hypothesis was that parents with high levels of perceived relationship ...

Please cite this paper as: Kjølhede P, Borendal Wodlin N, Nilsson L, Fredrikson M, Wijma K. Impact of stress coping capacity on recovery from abdominal hysterectomy in a fast-track programme: a prospective longitudinal study. BJOG 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03342.x Objective  To evaluate the effect of stress coping capacity in combination with ...

The present study focused on the comparison of mental health and quality of life (QoL) between chronic otitis media (COM) patients and the hearing population. The patients with chronic otitis media and healthy control group were enrolled in the study. The duration and severity of the auditory impairment were recorded. ...

Background: The information on whether long-term psychotherapy is superior in comparison with short-term therapies during a long time-perspective in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorder is incomplete. Aims: The present study addresses this question in a clinical trial with an exceptionally long follow-up. Methods: In the Helsinki Psychotherapy Study, ...

Objectives.- To evaluate the stability, responsiveness, and reproducibility of a simple visual analog scale (VAS). Background.- In order to help physicians in the management of migraine in everyday general practice and assess whether the treatments that they are currently prescribing are actually effective, a VAS of treatment satisfaction with acute ...

INTRODUCTION: The suitability of video conferencing (VC) technology for clinical purposes relevant to geriatric medicine is still being established. This project aimed to determine the validity of the diagnosis of dementia via VC. METHODS: This was a multisite, noninferiority, prospective cohort study. Patients, aged 50 years and older, referred by ...

This study examined the demographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbidities associated with the receipt of psychotherapy. The sample included 217,816 VA patients with a new depression diagnosis. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined the relationships between the independent variables and the initiation of individual, group, or both individual and group psychotherapy within ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of adherence to the 2007 recommendations of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) for managing early arthritis and radiographic progression and disability in patientsMETHODS: The authors conducted a prospective population-based cohort study. The ESPOIR cohort was a French cohort of 813 patients with early arthritis ...

OBJECTIVES: Clinical psychology trainees (CPTs) are vulnerable to high stress, which can adversely affect their personal and professional functioning. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a group acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) informed stress management intervention for CPTs. DESIGN: Outcome measures were work-related stress, distress, life satisfaction, counseling self-efficacy, self-compassion, ...

: Given the growing use of dermal fillers for cosmetic lip augmentation, a validated instrument with which to measure lip fullness is desirable in the clinic and as an efficacy endpoint in clinical studies. The authors developed and conducted a validation study of a Medicis-developed lip fullness scale. : The ...

Purpose:To develop a list of radiologic criteria for describing lumbar spinal stenosis, to learn from experts which parameters they consider to be most important, and to assess the strength of agreement among experts on the most relevant criteria.Materials and Methods:An expert panel of 41 radiologists (musculoskeletal experts and neuroradiologists from ...

Backgroud: This study evaluates the effect of periodontitis on masticatory performance and quality of life index. Methods: Subjects (n=24; 23-76 years of age) with periodontal conditions ranging from healthy to generalized disease categorized by the alveolar bone height to tooth length (AB/T) ratio were separated into the following two groups: ...

OBJECTIVE. We investigated the psychometric properties of the Flinn Performance Screening Tool (FPST) for people referred with symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHOD. An occupational therapist collected data from 46 participants who completed the Functional Status Scale (FSS) and FPST after the participants' nerve conduction velocity study to test ...

To illustrate a matching-adjusted indirect comparison by comparing the efficacy of guanfacine extended release (GXR) and atomoxetine (ATX) in reducing oppositional symptoms in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder. Individual patient data were used from a GXR trial; only published summary data were used from ATX trials. ...

Objective. Little is known about predictors of treatment duration and premature termination of psychotherapy. Method. Sociodemographic variables, descriptive DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses, general symptom severity, and psychodynamic personality functioning were assessed in 148 inpatients with personality disorders who were receiving psychotherapy. Psychodynamic personality functioning was assessed using the Developmental Profile (DP). ...

The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) is a self-report measure designed to assess experiential avoidance as conceptualized in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The current study is the first to evaluate the psychometric properties of the AAQ-II in a large sample of adults (N = 376) with mild to moderate ...

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether Helicobacter pylori causes inflammation in the normal middle ear and in the middle ear with effusion. METHODS: Sixteen adult New Zealand white rabbits were divided into two gropus equally. Group I was representing histamine-induced middle ear inflammation and Group II was representing normal middle ear. While ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depression screening measure in people undergoing acute inpatient rehabilitation for spinal cord injury (SCI) DESIGN: We performed a blinded comparison of the PHQ-9 administered by research staff to the major depression module of the Structured Clinical Interview for the ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial was to compare the outcomes, including knee strength, balance, coordination, proprioception and response time, of Nintendo Wii Fit with those of conventional rehabilitation on the subjects with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. METHODS: Thirty volunteer subjects were enrolled in either ...

Objective:  Opioids are recommended for patients with moderate to severe pain due to osteoarthritis (OA), who do not receive adequate analgesia from nonopioid treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OROS hydromorphone extended-release (ER) compared with placebo in patients with moderate to severe ...

van de Ven AC, Muntjewerff J-W, Netea-Maier RT, de Vegt F, Ross HA, Sweep FCGJ, Kiemeney LA, Vos PE, Buitelaar JK, Hermus ARMM, den Heijer M, Janzing JGE. Association between thyroid function, thyroid autoimmunity, and state and trait factors of depression. Objective:  The aim of this study was to investigate ...

OBJECTIVE: Awareness of stimuli originating inside of the body (interoceptive awareness) is thought to have an impact on psychopathology. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether heartbeat perception accuracy is reduced in depressed patients. Furthermore, we investigated whether putative differences are reflected in heartbeat-evoked potentials. METHOD: We ...

INTRODUCTION: Mental dysfunction and especially gait disorders, such as freezing and postural instability in "on phase," are partially unresponsive to dopaminergic therapy late in the course of Parkinson disease (PD). Some of them have been related to decreased sensitivity of postsynaptic dopaminergic receptors, and it is known that electroconvulsive therapy ...

OBJECTIVE: There is a paucity of information about repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for adolescent depression, and there are no data about its long-term effectiveness and safety in this age group. The aim of this study was to evaluate symptoms of depression and cognitive functioning in young ...

BACKGROUND: Diarrhoea is a common occurrence in association with antibiotic administration. Earlier studies and meta-analyses have suggested that probiotic administration reduces the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD). AIM: To estimate the reduction in risk of AAD with administration of probiotics in randomised placebo-controlled trials and to identify factors associated with ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the validity and the reliability of the Japanese version of the Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS)-2 and to use this scale to identify nocturnal symptoms and their impact on patient's quality of life. METHODS: A cross-sectional, case-controlled study was conducted consisting ...

Objective of this observational trial is to examine the effects of quetiapine in comparison with olanzapine and risperidone on clinical outcomes and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in routine care. 374 adult persons with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder prescribed antipsychotic maintenance therapy with quetiapine, olanzapine, ...

Background: Many questionnaires that assess subjective symptoms or health-related quality of life (HRQOL) have been developed to confirm the efficacy of treatment in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, few reports have correlated early improvements in scale scores with predictions of subsequent therapeutic responses. Our aim was to investigate ...

BACKGROUND: In assessing potential cases of major depressive disorder (MDD), to what extent do clinicians interpret symptoms within the explanatory context of major life stressors? Past research suggests that when clinicians know a plausible life event cause for a person's disordered symptoms, they generally judge that person to be less ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The preventive effect of magnesium on POAF is not well known. This meta-analysis was undertaken to assess the efficacy of intravenous magnesium on the prevention of POAF after CABG. METHODS: Eligible studies were ...

BACKGROUND: The efficacies and adverse effects of different antibiotics for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) have been studied by standard meta-analytic methods using pairwise direct comparisons of antimicrobial treatments: the effects of one treatment are compared to those of either another treatment or placebo. However, for clinical decisions, we need ...

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) has been known as "The Shaking Palsy" as well as "Paralysis Agitans", yet clinically apparent weakness is not a feature of the disorder. Relative weakness, and early muscle fatigue may be demonstrated on testing but frank weakness should not be apparent on routine clinical examination. AIM: ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the level of association between patients' denture satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in edentate patients, and to identify the determinants of satisfaction that best predict OHRQoL. The effects of time and treatment type were also assessed. METHODS: Data from 255 edentate elders who participated ...

Occupational dysphonia is mainly of hyperfunctional origin, expressed by complaints experienced in the vocal tract. The aim of the paper was to evaluate the applicability of the Polish Vocal Tract Discomfort (VTD) scale in the diagnostics of occupational dysphonia. Patients with occupational dysphonia (n = 218) and controls (n = 140) were ...

bäckström j., ekselius l., gerdin b. & willebrand m. (2012) Prediction of psychological symptoms in family members of patients with burns 1 year after injury. Journal of Advanced Nursing00(0), 000-000. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.06017.x ABSTRACT: Aim.  To report a study of predictors of psychological symptoms in family members of patients with burns. Background.  Family ...

ObjectiveSomatic symptoms of depression predict mortality in chronic heart failure (CHF), but symptoms of fatigue that are common to both conditions may confound this association. We therefore examined the contribution of fatigue to the association between somatic depression and increased risk of mortality in patients with CHF.MethodsAt baseline, 380 consecutive ...

Objectives. to conduct a longitudinal RCT comparing a workplace ergonomic intervention versus a control (i.e., provision of written educational materials) for persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA) regarding employment, physical, and symptom outcomes. Methods. 89 participants (mean age = 50.54; 88% female; 38% RA, 62% OA) were randomized ...

Confounding by indication is a vexing problem, especially in evaluating treatment effects using observational data, since treatment decisions are often related to disease severity, prognosis, and frailty. To compare the ability of the instrumental variable (IV) approach with a new instrument based on the local-area practice style and risk adjustment ...