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PubMed2026

Medically Unexplained Symptoms: A Systematic Umbrella Review of Current Terminology and Reported Rationales.

OBJECTIVES: Toaddress current naming conventions for Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) through a systematic umbrella review. The terminology used and the provided rationales were considered. METHODS: Registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024526020), this review searched 8 key databases, last on January 28, 2025. Reviews including medically unexplained symptoms (or synonym or subtype) in their systematic search terms were included (N=422). RESULTS: A total of 577 references to 111 terms were made across the reviews, with numerous reviews using the same overarching terms, including "functional" (n=233), "somatic" (or variants thereof, n=51), and "medically unexplained" (n=28). Thirty percent of terms (n=179) were to specific syndromes or terms that did not group together under an overarching term, suggesting substantial variability in terms, even though over 60% of authors were primarily associated with just 3 disciplines: medicine, allied health, and psychology. A subset of 23 reviews provided rationales, which were subjected to content analysis and a ROBIS (Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews) risk-of-bias assessment. This analysis showed that rationales tended to (1) highlight differences between psychological, psychiatric, and other medical fields (n=7); (2) focus on the patient perspective and patient-practitioner therapeutic relationship (n=10); or (3) follow broad and/or commonly used terms (n=7). DISCUSSION: The current landscape of terminology used for MUS remains varied, nuanced, and inconsistent between disciplines. Moving forward to a more universal language accepted and used by both patients and practitioners would aid in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of MUS.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Effectiveness of psychologically informed physical therapy, tendon-specific exercise program and routine physical therapy in prolonged unilateral shoulder pain and symptom correlations with imaging: a single-center, randomized, parallel-group, three-arm study (RESPECT).

BACKGROUND: Shoulder complaints are one of the most common musculoskeletal ailments. Patient-specific characteristics such as obesity, depression and physical labor are established risk factors, whereas imaging findings are common and associations between specific imaging findings and symptomatology is limited. General exercises are considered useful in treatment whereas evidence for specific tendon exercises is lacking. Biopsychosocial model is also recommended, but has not been extensively studied concerning shoulder symptoms. This article describes the study protocol designed to evaluate the effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness of routine and specific physical therapy (PT) interventions. Imaging is performed for descriptive, longitudinal and imaging-symptom correlation studies. METHODS: The Rehabilitation of Shoulder Pain: Evaluation and Clinical Trial (RESPECT) is a randomized three-arm parallel-group study involving 300 participants aged 20 to 60 years with prolonged unilateral shoulder pain. Participants will receive either routine PT, physiotherapist-guided tendon-specific exercise program or psychologically informed PT. Bilateral shoulder radiographs, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging will be done at the baseline and at 12 and 36 months. Electronic surveys will be completed at the baseline and at 3, 6, 12 and 36 months. The primary outcome will be patient-specific functional scale (PSFS) at 12 months, analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), adjusted for baseline PSFS. DISCUSSION: RESPECT will provide systematic and controlled data regarding different PT interventions in prolonged shoulder symptoms, which is currently limited. Being one of the most common sources of musculoskeletal pain, improved management could reduce symptom-related burden and prolonged functional impairment at individual and population level. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Registration number NCT07235969; Registered November 18th, 2025; Version: 1.0.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Effectiveness of physical activity intervention for depression, anxiety and comorbid symptoms during the perinatal period among Chinese primiparas.

BACKGROUND: To examine the effectiveness of a physical activity (PA) programme incorporating partner support and enjoyment in preventing perinatal depression, anxiety, and comorbid anxiety and depression (CAD) among Chinese primiparas. METHODS: A total of 120 eligible primiparas were randomised into intervention or control groups. The intervention group received the 13-week PA programme and the control group received the usual care. The outcomes were depression, anxiety, and CAD assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 6 weeks after delivery. Differences were examined using generalised linear mixed models with intention-to-treat. RESULTS: A significant group × time interaction was observed for depression score, anxiety score, anxiety incidence, and CAD incidence (all p < 0.05). However, no significant interaction was found for depression incidence. Compared to the control, the intervention substantially reduced the scores of depression (MD: -2.67 (-4.16 to -1.17); -2.63 (-4.15 to -1.11)) and anxiety (MD: -4.95 (-9.23 to -0.67); -7.33 (-11.85 to -2.82)), as well as the rates of depression (OR: 0.40 (0.18 to 0.85); 0.44 (0.21 to 0.93)) and CAD (OR: 0.35 (0.14 to 0.87); 0.26 (0.11 to 0.62)) at post-intervention and 6-week postpartum. Notably, anxiety incidence showed significant reduction only at 6-week postpartum (OR: 0.34 (0.16 to 0.74)) (all p < 0.05). Within the intervention group, no significant changes occurred in most outcomes from baseline to post-intervention and 6-week postpartum, except depression scores (MD:-1.60 (-2.79 to -0.41); -1.23 (-2.44 to -0.03); p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The PA programme (including partner support and enjoyment) may be effective in reducing perinatal depression, anxiety and CAD among primiparas.

Adult↗

PubMed2026

Impact of education protocols and physiotherapeutic management in improving pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition of the knee joint and the major cause of disability globally, with an increased economic burden on healthcare. Patient education (PE) has emerged as a primary care treatment approach in chronic conditions. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of PE along with exercise in reducing pain, alleviating symptoms, improving activities of daily living, and promoting quality of life among individuals with knee osteoarthritis. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted across three electronic databases, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PEDro. The search was limited to between 2020 and 2025, and included only randomized controlled trials. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and the PEDro Scale were used to evaluate the methodological evidence. Statistical synthesis was analysed using mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) under a random-effects model. RESULTS: Eight trials were included, of which four studies evaluated the four Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) domains, and three studies evaluated the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and KOOS activities of daily living domain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. For the meta-analysis, we assessed all five domains of the KOOS scale and VAS. Statistical analysis of the studies showed a significant reduction in pain (VAS) for the PE along with exercise group (MD = -3.28, 95% CI (-4.85; -1.70), and I2 = 69.6%), but there was no significant improvement in the domains of the KOOS scale. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the importance of PE along with exercise in reducing pain. It might not be more effective when compared with exercise therapy as a standalone intervention in improving ADLs, QoL, and symptoms, but it has demonstrated some degree of effectiveness. It additionally promotes self-management and self-efficacy as a physiotherapeutic rehabilitation treatment intervention.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Physical Appearance Anxiety and Eating Disorders Symptomatology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The present study aimed to assess the link between physical appearance anxiety (PAA) and eating disorder (ED) symptomatology by a meta-analysis of existing literature. Eligible studies were searched across six electronic databases up until November 20, 2025. Pooled effect sizes (r) were calculated using random-effects models. Potential variables that influence effect heterogeneity were analyzed by univariable and multivariable meta-regressions. Influence analyses and a three-parameter selection model (3PSM) were used to assess robustness of the results and publication bias. Twenty-seven effect sizes from 21 studies (N = 5261) were obtained. The results indicated a strong association (i.e., r = 0.559) between the two variables under consideration, which was notably stronger (i) among females compared to males; and (ii) for overall eating disorder symptoms rather than bulimic symptoms. The results of this study advocate for further investigation into the effectiveness of addressing anxiety responses related to personal body traits, particularly among females, within the context of preventing and treating eating disorders.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Early and late CTCAE and patient-reported outcomes following lung cancer radiotherapy: A sex-stratified descriptive analysis from the REQUITE cohort.

BACKGROUND: Long-term prospective data on lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy are limited, restricting understanding of outcomes and sex-specific characteristics. The multicentre REQUITE study provides standardized follow-up data from an international cohort. METHODS: We analysed longitudinal data from 530 lung cancer patients treated with radical radiotherapy (sequential or concurrent chemoradiotherapy, or stereotactic body radiation therapy [SBRT]) between 2014 and 2017 at 16 centres in Europe and the USA. Healthcare professionals prospectively recorded 21 pulmonary, oesophageal, neurological, cardiac, and skin adverse events using CTCAE v4.0. Patient-reported outcomes assessed symptoms, quality-of-life, fatigue, and physical activity. Adverse event incidence was stratified by sex, radiotherapy technique, chemotherapy administration, smoking status, and other clinical factors. RESULTS: At 12 months, 309 patients were evaluable, with 151 having follow-up beyond one year. Pulmonary adverse events were most frequent (40% grade ≥ 2), mainly dyspnoea and cough. Women had higher rates of oesophagitis, and more frequently reported dysphagia, and chest wall pain, while men experienced a higher frequency of cardiac adverse events. Exploratory subgroup analyses identified significant sex-related differences in grade ≥ 3 pulmonary adverse events following SBRT and in overall grade ≥ 2 oesophageal adverse events among patients with clinical stage I-II and those aged >70 years. Patient-reported outcomes showed persistent fatigue and reduced physical activity, particularly in females. Symptom prevalence and severity varied by sex, age, treatment modality, smoking status, and clinical stage. CONCLUSION: The REQUITE-Lung cohort provides prospectively collected real-world data on radiotherapy-related adverse events in lung cancer patients. This study describes patterns of adverse events and patient-reported outcomes according to sex, age, and treatment characteristics. These findings are hypothesis-generating and may support future validation in independent and pooled datasets.

Patient-reported outcomes↗

PubMed2025

Effect of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has shown potential in neurological, autoimmune, and cardiovascular disorders, but its effects on HD patients remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tVNS in HD patients. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial on patients receiving HD ≥6 months. The tVNS group received stimulation for 1 h during the first 2 h of HD sessions, three times weekly for 8 weeks, while the control group received standard care. The primary outcomes were dialysis efficiency (Single-pool Kt/V, Sp Kt/V) and dialysis-related symptoms (Dialysis Symptom Index, DSI), assessed every 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes included pain and fatigue scores, physical performance, Hemodialysis Comfort Scale, hemoglobin levels, Mini-Mental State Examination, and anxiety and depression scores, measured at baseline and 8 weeks after intervention. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients were enrolled in the study, with 32 patients assigned to the tVNS group and 31 patients to the control group. At 8 weeks, the tVNS group showed significant improvements in Sp Kt/V (1.31 ± 0.11 vs. 1.25 ± 0.10, p = 0.02), and DSI (12.09 ± 5.84 vs. 16.26 ± 5.27, p = 0.004), as well as reductions in pain and fatigue, and increases in physical function, comfort, and hemoglobin. However, there were no statistically significant changes observed in cognitive function, anxiety, or depression. CONCLUSIONS: tVNS could improve dialysis efficiency, symptoms, and physical function in HD patients, indicating it may have a role as a complementary therapy.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Patient-reported outcomes with tarlatamab in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer after platinum-based chemotherapy: results from the phase 3 DeLLphi-304 trial.

BACKGROUND: Extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) is associated with a high symptom burden and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This prespecified analysis from the phase 3 DeLLphi-304 trial evaluated patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for tarlatamab versus standard-of-care (SoC) chemotherapy following first-line platinum-based therapy. METHODS: DeLLphi-304 is a multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 3 study in adults with ES-SCLC. PROs were assessed using validated instruments, including the EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-LC13, FACT-G GP5, BPI-SF, and the EQ-5D-5L visual analogue scale. Change from baseline, response rates, and time to deterioration in these PROs were analyzed. RESULTS: PRO data from all 509 patients enrolled were evaluated. Compliance with QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 assessments remained above 69% through 19 weeks. A higher proportion of patients receiving tarlatamab achieved symptom or functional improvement at 19 weeks compared with SoC in chest pain (19% vs 10%), cough (35% vs 26%), dyspnea (22% vs 7%), physical functioning (13% vs 8%), and global health status (23% vs 15%), respectively. Tarlatamab also delayed deterioration in symptoms, physical functioning, and pain at worst relative to SoC. FACT-G GP5 results indicated that patients receiving tarlatamab were less bothered by treatment side effects over time. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to its previously reported antitumor activity, tarlatamab demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms and HRQoL compared with SoC. These findings support a favorable benefit-risk profile of tarlatamab in patients previously treated for ES-SCLC.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Early-stage trajectories of social-occupational functioning and long-term functional outcome prediction in early psychosis: A 12-year follow-up of the randomized controlled trial on extended early intervention.

BACKGROUND: Functional impairment in psychosis often persists despite symptomatic remission. There is a paucity of research examining early-course psychosocial functioning trajectories, and none has been conducted to examine relationship between the trajectories and prospective long-term functional outcomes in early psychosis sample. METHODS: We conducted 12-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial on extended early intervention for first-episode psychosis to identify early-course social-occupational functioning trajectories and their baseline predictors and associations with 12-year outcomes. Participants who completed Social and Occupational Functioning Scale (SOFAS) scores at three or more timepoints between baseline and 3-year follow-up were included in the study. Premorbid adjustment, illness characteristics, symptom severity, functioning, and treatment profiles were assessed. Latent growth mixture modeling was employed to derive early-course social-occupational functioning trajectories based on SOFAS scores over 3-year follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 148 participants were included in this study, with 106 patients having completed the 12-year follow-up. Our results identified four distinct trajectories, including persistently-good class, gradually-improved class, suboptimal-stable class, and persistently-poor class. Patients in persistently-poor class had more severe negative symptoms at baseline compared to patients in persistently-good class. Patients with persistently-poor trajectory had worse long-term outcomes than those with other classes in the majority of functional measures at 12-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients were classified in early-stage suboptimal or poor functional trajectories. Above one-fourth of the participants exhibited persistently-poor social-occupational functioning trajectory, which predicted worse functional outcomes at 12-year follow-up. These findings highlighted the importance of tracking functional changes during the initial years of illness.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation versus acupressure on the trajectories of multidimensional adverse reactions to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy for breast cancer often induces multidimensional adverse reactions such as nausea and vomiting, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms are interrelated and may evolve dynamically, impacting patients' treatment outcomes and quality of life. As non-pharmacological interventions, transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) and self-acupressure (SA) have shown potential in alleviating symptoms. However, their long-term effects on the joint developmental trajectories of these multidimensional symptoms (nausea and vomiting, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances) remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify potential trajectory class of multidimensional adverse reactions in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and to explore the differential effects of TEAS and SA on different trajectory subgroups. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. A total of 189 breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were included. The Group-Based Multi-Trajectory Model (GBMTM) was employed to identify joint developmental trajectories of acute/delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), anxiety, depression, and sleep quality during chemotherapy. Subsequently, causal forest was used to analyze the average treatment effects (ATE) of TEAS (vs. control group) and SA (vs. control group) on patients' symptom trajectory. RESULTS: Multidimensional adverse reactions were classified into two heterogeneous trajectories: a "High Symptom Burden-Persistent (HSBP)" type (n = 101) and a "Low Symptom Burden-Relieving (LSBR)" type (n = 88). The persistent high incidence of acute CINV contrasted sharply with the comprehensive relief of other symptoms in the latter group. Causal forest suggested that both TEAS and SA significantly increased the probability of patients being classified into the "LSBR" trajectory. The ATE was 0.147 (95% CI: 0.143, 0.151) for TEAS, slightly lower (P < 0.05) than 0.176 (95% CI: 0.162, 0.190) for SA.  CONCLUSION: Multidimensional adverse reactions in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy exhibit heterogeneity in their trajectories. Both TEAS and SA were associated with a higher probability of patients being classified into a more favorable symptom trajectory-LSBR. The multidimensional trajectory identification with treatment effect estimation may serve as a useful analytical strategy for future longitudinal research in cancer chemotherapy-induced adverse reactions symptom management. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2300077667 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, https://www.chictr.org.cn/ ), Registered 15 November 2023.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Long-term efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Depressive symptoms are common in individuals with persistent insomnia. Previous meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) showed that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can reduce depressive symptoms at post-treatment. However, the long-term maintenance of these improvements has never been systematically examined. To fill-in this gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the long-term (≥3 months) effects of CBT-I on depressive symptoms. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251146061). Only RCTs in adults with insomnia were considered. Pubmed, Scopus, Psycinfo, CINAHL, and Medline were searched up to 12 September 2025 with no predefined time constraints. From 5359 records initially retrieved, we included 53 articles reporting on 13,608 individuals. After outliers removal, random effects meta-analysis showed that CBT-I was superior to control conditions in reducing depressive symptoms at 3 [k = 29, d = -.35, [95% CI: -.49 to -.21], p < .001], 6 [k = 29, d = -.32, [95% CI: -.59 to -.05], p = .018], and 12 [k = 10, d = -.25, [95% CI: -.39 to -.12], p < .001] months follow-ups. Results demonstrate that the effects of CBT-I on depressive symptoms are sustained throughout the year following treatment, although effects may decline over time.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Symptom assessment and health-related quality of life in children with lower urinary tract dysfunction: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) significantly impacts children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but key determinants of this impairment remain incompletely understood within a patient-centered framework. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 272 children with LUTD. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Dysfunctional Voiding Scoring System (DVSS) and the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), and HRQoL via the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) 4.0 Generic Core Scales. RESULTS: The mean total PedsQL score was 83.66 ± 16.07, with the School Functioning domain being the most impaired (73.75 ± 20.94). Univariate analysis identified older age (≥11 years), daytime urinary leakage, overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, and abnormal DVSS scores as factors associated with reduced HRQoL (all P < 0.05); multivariate regression further confirmed only older age and abnormal DVSS were independent influencing factors (both P < 0.001). A significant negative correlation existed between the total DVSS score and the total PedsQL score (r = -0.390, P < 0.01), indicating that greater symptom severity predicts poorer overall HRQoL. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that in children with LUTD, the severity of voiding dysfunction (quantified by DVSS) is inversely correlated with HRQoL. Voiding dysfunction impairs multiple domains of daily functioning, including physical well-being, emotional adjustment, social interaction, and school performance. Shifting from a symptom-focused to a patient-centered care model and integrating routine HRQoL assessment into standard clinical management can optimize clinical practice for pediatric LUTD.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Symptom Burden After Dialysis Initiation and Its Association With Hospitalization.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Symptom burden is distressing for patients living with kidney failure, but there is limited information about the combination of symptoms and individual symptoms that most strongly predict health care use in this group. We classified and summarized patients' symptom burden levels and changes over time and estimated associations with hospitalizations among patients receiving incident hemodialysis. STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal, observational. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Individuals initiating dialysis in the United States. EXPOSURE: Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL-36) measure. OUTCOME: First hospitalization after dialysis initiation. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Latent transition analysis was used to identify symptom burden classes using the KDQOL-36. Cox regression models were used to assess whether individual KDQOL-36 symptoms and symptom burden groups were associated with hospitalization risk after dialysis initiation, independent of demographics and comorbid conditions. RESULTS: 1,818 participants were Black (29%), were aged >65 years (59%), were women (42%), had diabetes (49%), and had hypertension (74%). Latent transition analysis identified the following 3 symptom burden groups: (1) low (low severity of all symptoms and kidney disease impacts), (2) moderate (high physical health impact and overall burden of kidney disease), and (3) high (high levels of all symptoms and kidney disease impact). After adjusting for patient characteristics, all KDQOL-36 scales except the Effects of Kidney Disease scale were associated with a higher hazard of hospitalization. Using the symptom burden groups, a high symptom burden was associated with a 20% increase in the hazard of hospitalization. A 1-category worsening in pain interference and in fatigue was associated with a 12% and an 8% increased hazard of hospitalization, respectively. LIMITATIONS: Findings may not generalize outside the United States. CONCLUSIONS: Pain interference and fatigue, as well as an overall symptom burden, are useful prognostic indicators in patients receiving in-center hemodialysis. Symptom burden should remain a treatment target in hemodialysis.

Hemodialysis↗

PubMed2026

Psychedelic-induced hypomania and mania: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Serotonergic psychedelics are increasingly investigated as treatments for affective disorders. Concerns persist regarding their potential to induce hypomania or mania, particularly in individuals with bipolar spectrum vulnerability. Whether these substances precipitate transient mood switches or contribute to persistent bipolar illness or diagnostic transition remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review of human studies examining manic or hypomanic symptoms following exposure to serotonergic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT/ayahuasca) or MDMA (CRD420251160656). Databases and trial registries were searched through January 26, 2026. Eligible designs included randomized and non-randomized clinical studies, registry-based cohorts, cross-sectional surveys, and longitudinal observational studies. Outcomes included dysphoria/euphoria, manic or hypomanic symptoms and transition to bipolar disorder. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I, ROB2 or NIH tools. Twenty-three studies met inclusion criteria, four contributing to meta-analysis. Rates of psychedelic-associated dysphoria/euphoria, hypomania or mania ranged from 5.8% in controlled trials of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for major depressive disorders to 30% in naturalistic studies of individuals with bipolar disorder. When present, manic symptoms were typically acute and self-limited. Observational studies identified higher risks among individuals with bipolar I disorder, familial vulnerability, polysubstance use, and unsupervised or illegal use. Registry-based cohorts examining diagnostic transitions showed a prevalence of subsequent transition to bipolar disorder of 4% (95% CI 2-8%; N = 7478; I² = 32.1%), with little evidence for a hallucinogen-specific signal. Overall, serotonergic psychedelics appear to pose a low but clinically meaningful relative risk of transient mood-related symptoms in susceptible individuals while remaining relatively safe in controlled clinical settings. Long-term outcomes and repeated exposure remain insufficiently studied, underscoring the need for rigorous longitudinal research.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

A Standardized Nursing-Led Protocol Integrated Pain, Sleep, Medication Adherence, and Symptom Management in Postherpetic Neuralgia.

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a persistent neuropathic pain condition after herpes zoster that frequently coexists with sleep disturbance, medication-related problems, and fluctuating symptoms. This study evaluated whether a standardized nursing-led protocol could improve multidimensional short-term outcomes beyond usual care. In this prospective, parallel-group randomized controlled trial, 128 adults with PHN were allocated 1:1 to usual care or usual care plus an eight-week protocol integrating structured pain assessment, sleep monitoring, medication-adherence support, and rule-based digital symptom monitoring. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in change in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score from baseline to Week 8. Secondary outcomes included Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), MMAS-8 medication adherence, symptom burden, pain-related nocturnal awakenings, breakthrough pain, rescue analgesic use, adverse events, rule-based alerts, and nursing satisfaction. Week-8 data were available for 116 participants (57 usual care; 59 protocol). Mean NRS scores decreased from 7.19 ± 1.08 to 4.82 ± 1.53 in the usual-care group and from 7.28 ± 1.05 to 3.24 ± 1.28 in the protocol group. An NRS reduction of at least 2 points occurred in 49.1% and 76.3% of participants, respectively. The protocol group also showed larger improvements in PSQI, MMAS-8, symptom burden, and nocturnal awakenings, with fewer breakthrough-pain episodes and less rescue-analgesic use. These findings support further evaluation of the standardized nursing-led protocol in preregistered multicenter trials with intention-to-treat analyses and longer follow-up.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Beyond multidimensionality: a systematic review of recurrent frailty archetypes in community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a clinically heterogeneous geriatric syndrome commonly summarised using physical or multidomain severity scores. Whether person-centred analyses identify recurring within-frailty configurations has not been systematically examined in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and CINAHL (January 2000-November 2025) for cross-sectional studies using latent class, latent profile, or analogous clustering methods to derive frailty subgroups. Quality was assessed using the AHRQ checklist and a purpose-built appraisal of person-centred model reporting. Study-derived classes were mapped in duplicate to a structured archetype framework developed through comparison of class-defining features across studies. RESULTS: Fourteen reports representing 12 independent datasets from eight countries were included. Six configurations were identified: minimally impaired reference, mobility-physical, nutritional-metabolic, cognitive-predominant, combined cognitive-physical, and psychosocial/mood-predominant. Convergence was measurement-dependent. The reference and mobility-physical configurations recurred across physical-only and multidomain indicator sets, while the combined cognitive-physical configuration appeared across several multidomain frameworks but required cognition to be measured. The remaining configurations emerged only when their defining domains were included. Evidence of prognostic value beyond aggregate frailty severity came from one deficit-index study. Collapsing shared-provenance reports and excluding the boundary-eligible study did not alter recurrence; excluding the Croatian dataset left five configurations recurrent, with the cognitive-predominant configuration supported by one independent dataset. CONCLUSIONS: Person-centred analyses identify recurring within-frailty configurations, but their apparent stability is partly measurement-dependent. A five-configuration core persisted after exclusion of the Croatian dataset, whereas the cognitive-predominant configuration remained weakly replicated. Harmonised indicators and rigorous external validation are needed before clinical application.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Effects of aromatherapy on menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The postmenopausal period presents a significant challenge to women's health, characterised by vasomotor, psychological, and sleep disturbances. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesised evidence on aromatherapy for menopausal symptoms. METHODS: We searched Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, SID, and Google Scholar until January 2, 2026. The protocol was registered (PROSPERO: CRD420261303084). Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were included. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and GRADE approach were used for quality assessment and certainty of evidence. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: Of 4435 records, 21 articles from 17 studies (n = 1347) were included. Aromatherapy significantly improved sexual function (MD: 7.05, 95% CI: 3.64-10.45), sleep quality (MD: -3.95, 95% CI: -5.94 to -1.97), overall menopausal symptoms (SMD: -1.00, 95% CI: -1.43 to -0.58), vasomotor symptoms (SMD: -0.79, 95% CI: -1.11 to -0.47), physical symptoms (SMD: -0.78, 95% CI: -1.10 to -0.46), somatic symptoms (MD: -1.34, 95% CI: -2.46 to -0.23), psychological symptoms (SMD: -0.59, 95% CI: -0.96 to -0.23), anxiety (SMD: -0.63, 95% CI: -1.10 to -0.16), and depression (SMD: -0.57, 95% CI: -0.85 to -0.28). No significant effect was found for urogenital symptoms. GRADE certainty was 'Very Low' for sexual function and sleep quality, and 'Low' for other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary evidence suggests that aromatherapy may be a beneficial complementary therapy for alleviating some menopausal symptoms. However, given the substantial heterogeneity, methodological limitations, and limited number of studies for subgroup analyses, firm clinical recommendations cannot be made at this time. More rigorous, large-scale, multi-centre randomised controlled trials with standardised interventions and consistent adverse event reporting are required before definitive clinical recommendations can be made.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Effects of Dynamic Neck Sensorimotor Biofeedback Training in Individuals With Mechanical Neck Pain: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Mechanical neck pain (MNP) is commonly accompanied by pain-related functional limitations, sensorimotor disturbances, and fear of movement, which together may contribute to persistent disability. This preliminary randomized controlled trial study investigated the short-term effects of dynamic neck sensorimotor-based biofeedback training in individuals with MNP. 20 MNP patients from outpatient clinics were assigned to a biofeedback training group or a control group. The training group underwent dynamic biofeedback exercises twice weekly for 2 weeks, whereas the control group performed repeated cervical movements without biofeedback. Outcomes included cervical kinematics as repositioning errors (RPE), movement units (MU), maximal range of motion (ROM), and subjective measures, including pain intensity, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ). All participants completed post-intervention assessments; adherence in the training group was 100%, with no missing data and no adverse events reported. Within the biofeedback training group, participants receiving biofeedback training demonstrated greater improvements in cervical repositioning accuracy during flexion (51.95%, p = 0.04) and extension (46.67%, p = 0.02), along with reductions in fear-avoidance beliefs related to physical activity and work (p < 0.05); these changes were less apparent in the active control group. Exploratory regression analyses suggested associations between improvements in repositioning accuracy and pain reduction, and between increased cervical range of motion and improvements in fear-avoidance beliefs related to physical activity. These pilot findings suggest that dynamic sensorimotor biofeedback training may improve proprioceptive acuity and fear-avoidance beliefs in individuals with MNP, supporting further evaluation in an adequately powered randomized trial.

Humans↗