Articles: patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Pressure pain and isometric strength of neck flexors are related in chronic tension-type headache.
In patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) changes in pressure pain in the cervical region are associated with peripheral or central sensitization. It is hypothesized that an increase of isometric strength of neck flexors would lead to a decrease of pressure pain in CTTH, as an expression of reduced peripheral or central sensitization ⋯ Decrease in PPS correlates with increases in isometric strength of neck flexors in patients with CTTH in short- and long-term.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Modelling the Predictive Value of Pain Intensity on Costs and Resources Utilization in Patients with Peripheral Neuropathic Pain.
The aim of the present analysis was to model the association and predictive value of pain intensity on cost and resource utilization in patients with chronic peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) treated in routine clinical practice settings in Spain. ⋯ Pain intensity predicts the health care and non-health care resource utilization, and costs related to chronic PNP. Management of patients with drugs associated with a higher reduction of pain intensity may have a greater impact on the economic burden of that condition.
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Health Technol Assess · Mar 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Pragmatic Clinical TrialSmoking Cessation Intervention for severe Mental Ill Health Trial (SCIMITAR): a pilot randomised control trial of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a bespoke smoking cessation service.
There is a high prevalence of smoking among people who experience severe mental ill health (SMI). Helping people with disorders such as bipolar illness and schizophrenia to quit smoking would help improve their health, increase longevity and also reduce health inequalities. Around half of people with SMI who smoke express an interest in cutting down or quitting smoking. There is limited evidence that smoking cessation can be achieved for people with SMI. Those with SMI rarely access routine NHS smoking cessation services. This suggests the need to develop and evaluate a behavioural support and medication package tailored to the needs of people with SMI. ⋯ It was possible to recruit people with SMI from primary and secondary care to a trial of a smoking cessation intervention based around behavioural support and medication. The overall direction of effect was a positive trend in relation to biochemically verified smoking cessation and it was feasible to obtain follow-up in a substantial proportion of participants. A definitive trial of a bespoke cessation intervention has been prioritised by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the SCIMITAR pilot trial forms a template for a fully powered RCT to examine clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
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Journal of neurology · Mar 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyIntravenous immunoglobulin for chronic residual peripheral neuropathy in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome): a multicenter, double-blind trial.
Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), previously called Churg-Strauss syndrome, frequently affects the peripheral nervous system. We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, three-arm treatment period, randomized, pre-post trial to assess the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) administration for residual peripheral neuropathy in patients with EGPA that is in remission, indicated by laboratory indices. Twenty-three patients were randomly assigned into three groups, in which the timing of IVIg and placebo administration was different. ⋯ The results over time suggested that this effect continued until the last assessment was done 8 weeks later. The number of muscles with manual muscle testing scores of three or less (p = 0.004) and the neuropathic pain scores represented by the visual analogue scale (p = 0.005) also improved significantly 2 weeks after IVIg administration. This study indicates that IVIg treatment for EGPA patients with residual peripheral neuropathy should be considered even when laboratory indices suggest remission of the disease.
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Health Technol Assess · Mar 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Pragmatic Clinical TrialThe ProFHER (PROximal Fracture of the Humerus: Evaluation by Randomisation) trial - a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial evaluating the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of surgical compared with non-surgical treatment for proximal fracture of the humerus in adults.
Proximal humeral fractures account for 5-6% of all fractures in adults. There is considerable variation in whether or not surgery is used in the management of displaced fractures involving the surgical neck. ⋯ Current surgical practice does not result in a better outcome for most patients with displaced fractures of the proximal humerus involving the surgical neck and is not cost-effective in the UK setting. Two areas for future work are the setting up of a national database of these fractures, including the collection of patient-reported outcomes, and research on the best ways of informing patients with these and other upper limb fractures about initial self-care.