Tinnitus is not a disease but a Syndrom.
It is a dysfunction of the somatosensory system / auditory cortex
Serious pathologies are rare
Chronic when longer than 3 months
740 mio (2mio Netherlands) people experience tinnitus
For 120 mio a major problem
Risk factors: COPD, Depression, high blood lipids
Risk groups: Smokers, old age, occupational/recreational noice, toxic chemicals, somatisation
Treatment options: Sounds therapy, behavioural therapy, medication
Tinnitus intervention
VR sound therapy to reduce negative effects of tinnitus on mental health
Findings: VR sound therapy is more effective than sound therapy alone
Critique:
Small sample
No specification of “chronic”
Outcome measures might not be optimal
COPD
At risk: smokers, work pullution, age, respiratory infections
10.6% Prevalance globally, men more affected
Treatment: smoking sensation, COPD medication, PR, surgery
Article Discussion
App to increase activity, measured by (blinded)wearable
Some people from control were not blinded properly
No good acceptance of intervention, half dropped out
Conclusions do not match findings
Long covid
200mio covid survivors have lasting symptoms
Risk factors: Astma, female, obese, poor health, poor socioeconomic background
No proven treatments
Article discussion
Online singing session to improve wellbeing and breathing complaints, pilot study
No control group
Homogenous sample
General improvement in fatigue
No independent second coder
People who completed 50% of intervention were included in study
Breast cancer
leading causes of global cancer incidence
2.3mio new cases, 40% increase expected in 2040
Less than 1% in men, mainly in Early to late adult hood
Risk factors: genetics, poor lifestyle, giving birth at old age
Treatment: Immunotherapy, Chemotherapy, Surgery, Radiotherapy
Discussion of Articel
online couple mindfulness intervention RCT to evaluate feasibility, acceptance, effectiveness
1 weekly video and guided meditations
Negative influence on relationship of couples (participant burden)
Impact of online format and absence of community
Dementia
Umbrella term for neurocognitive disorders
More than 50mio people globally, alzheimer’s most common
Risk factors are unhealthy lifestyle. Medical conditions and genetics
Treatment: No cure but preventative treatment.
Course starting with mild-, to moderate-, and leading to advanced dementia
RTC to test effectiveness of Humanoid robot for “severe” (type is unspecified) dementia patients
2 weeks, 76% women, 87 years old, 103 residents for 32 weeks, ABAB withdrawal design (internvention, withdrawal, internvention)
Outcomes: Symptoms, caregiver distress, depressive symptoms, cognitive ability, QoL
Does reduce caregiver distress and symptoms, individualized care is needed
Non-clustered RCT design
Language barrier, robot is Japanese and patients Chinese
Fibromyalgia
Musculoskelateal chronic pain disorder
Biological, social and psychological factors, high relation to psychological trauma and stress
Prevalance is roughly 2.7%, mainly in women 50+ years, comorbidity with IBS, RHeuma, Osteoarthirtes and mental disorders
No cure but treatments like acupuncture or massages
larkspur internvention
To evaluate feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of internvention to increase positive affect and reduce pain&fatigue
Based on positive psychology, 5 week online intervention with journaling, training, and reflection
95 participants without moderate to severe cognitive impairment and without other treatments
Reductions in catastrophizing, fatigue and pain intensity in 1month follow up. High satisfaction
Not efficient to keep up long term benefits and not effective in reducing negative effect
Last changed3 months ago