Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of Mind-Body Exercise on Body Constitution and Circadian Rhythm in People with Suboptimal Health Status.
Suboptimal health status (SHS) is a dynamic state in which people have not been diagnosed with a disease but tend to develop diseases. People with SHS are more prone to conditions such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Suitable interventions in people with SHS can prevent disease development. SHS is correlated with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-based constitutions, including Yang-Xu (yang deficiency), Yin-Xu (yin deficiency), and stasis types. The circadian rhythm is a potential biomarker of health and metabolism. Baduanjin exercise, a kind of mind-body exercise, has been regarded to adjust body constitution and metabolism, but few studies have evaluated the effects of Baduanjin exercise on body constitution and circadian rhythms. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of Baduanjin exercise on body constitution and circadian rhythms in people with SHS. ⋯ This is the first report of improved health status, modulated body constitution, and increased interdaily stability of the circadian rhythm in participants with SHS who practiced Baduanjin exercise.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Preoperative planning of compact zone trajectory is necessary in treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture with endplate involvement: A prospective randomized controlled study.
This prospective randomized controlled study compares the clinical and radiological outcomes between reduction methods with or without compact trabecular bone during percutaneous kyphoplasty in osteoporotic vertebral fractures. ⋯ Elevating and reinforcing the collapsed endplate rather than just filling the defect during percutaneous kyphoplasty is safe and effective. This technique decreased pain and improved function with lower rates of further collapse of the osteoporotic vertebrae compared to defect-filling alone.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The immediate effects of lavender-based essential oil inhalation on subsequent polysomnography in people with poor sleep quality.
Although aromatherapy is considered an adjuvant therapy to promote sleep quality, few objective sleep testing instruments can confirm the effects of aromatherapy on sleep physiology. The purpose of this study was to confirm and compare the immediate effects of a single lavender essential oil (SLEO) group to a complex lavender essential oil (CLEO) group by objective polysomnography (PSG) recordings. ⋯ Both SLEO and CLEO extended TST and SPT, with no significant differences between these two groups. These results warrant practical applications and merit future studies (Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT03933553).
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as adjunctive treatment for insomnia patients under hypnotics: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study.
Pharmacotherapy of insomnia is prescribed often but may be complicated by drug dependence. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia is effective, but requires time to take effect. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is effective for depression but of uncertain benefit for insomnia. We studied low-frequency rTMS of the left dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) as an adjunctive therapy of insomnia. ⋯ Although the effects of rTMS and sham coil on insomnia were similar (which implied significant placebo effect), low-frequency DMPFC-rTMS might offer a safe, non-invasive, and useful adjunctive therapy of insomnia by reducing WASO. The DMPFC may represent a new target for future rTMS insomnia studies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Lessons Learned from a Novel Three-year Longitudinal Stepwise "Residents-as-Teachers" Program.
Most residents-as-teachers (RaT) programs are delivered over days to weeks without comprehensive evaluation, and stepwise approaches have rarely been applied to RaT activities. This study aimed to depict the implementation experience and evaluate the effectiveness of a novel longitudinal 3-year, stepwise RaT program. ⋯ It is challenging to conduct a multi-year longitudinal RaT program on young residents. Nevertheless, this longitudinal program was potentially associated with better learning retention and higher satisfaction and worthy to be promoted.