Effects of photodynamic therapy in patients with infected skin ulcers: A meta-analysis.

The purpose of the meta-analysis was to evaluate and compare the photodynamic therapy's effectiveness in treating infected skin wounds. The results of this meta-analysis were analysed, and the odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using dichotomous or contentious random- or fixed-effect models. For the current meta-analysis, 6 examinations spanning from 2013 to 2021 were included, encompassing 154 patients with infected skin wounds were the used studies' starting point.

Clinical efficacy and safety of Guipi decoction combined with escitalopram oxalate tablets in patients with depression.

Background: Depression is a widespread mental health condition that requires effective treatment. In the treatment of depression, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers obvious advantages, fewer adverse reactions, and a lower recurrence rate.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical benefits of Guipi decoction combined with escitalopram oxalate tablets for individuals with depression.

Cubic CuFeO Spinel with Octahedral Fe Active Sites for Electrochemical Dechlorination of 1,2-Dichloroethane.

CuFeO spinel has been considered as a promising catalyst for the electrochemical reaction, while the nature of the crystal phase on its intrinsic activity and the kind of active site need to be further explored. Herein, the crystal phase-dependent catalytic behavior and the main active sites of CuFeO spinel for electrochemical dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane are carefully studied based on the combination of experiments and theoretical calculations. Cubic and tetragonal CuFeO are successfully prepared by a facile sol-gel method combined with high temperature calcination.

Transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation versus escitalopram for mild-to-moderate depression: An assessor-blinded, randomized, non-inferiority trial.

Aim: Transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation (TECAS) is a novel non-invasive therapy that stimulates acupoints innervated by the trigeminal and auricular vagus nerves. An assessor-blinded, randomized, non-inferiority trial was designed to compare the efficacy of TECAS and escitalopram in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder.

Methods: 468 participants received two TECAS sessions per day at home (n = 233) or approximately 10-13 mg/day escitalopram (n = 235) for 8 weeks plus 4-week follow-up.

An assessor-blinded, randomized comparative trial of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) combined with cranial electroacupuncture vs. citalopram for depression with chronic pain.

Background: Depression accompanying chronic pain (CP) is one of the most common comorbid psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) combined with electroacupuncture at Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (GV29) acupoints compared with citalopram.

Methods: Sixty patients with depression and pain comorbidity were enrolled in a prospective 8-week, single-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Application of the Delphi Method in the Study of Depressive Disorder.

Depressive disorder is a common mental disorder that has a high prevalence and low visiting rate, which caused patients years lived with disability. Due to the complexity of the depressive disorder, the Delphi method is a better choice compared with other commonly used methods, which provides a new perspective for the prevention and treatment of depression. This article will summarize the clinical studies of depressive disorders using the Delphi method from four perspectives, and summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the Delphi method in depressive disorders research, arguing that the Delphi method can cross the gap between clinical research and clinical practice, and is a highly practical part of the research process.

Immediate Modulation of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Background: Previous studies found that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) was clinically effective in treating a case of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, the brain neural mechanisms underlying the immediate effects of taVNS treatment for TRD have not been elucidated.

Materials And Methods: Differences in the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) between TRD and healthy control (HC) groups were observed.

Transcutaneous Electrical Cranial-Auricular Acupoint Stimulation vs. Escitalopram for Patients With Mild-to-Moderate Depression (TECAS): Study Design for a Randomized Controlled, Non-inferiority Trial.

Background: Previous studies in animals and humans indicated that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on trigeminal nerve-innervated forehead acupoints can relief the symptoms of depression. However, due to the limited investigations on these two interventions, more research are needed to confirm their efficacy in depression. To improve the efficacy of the single treatment, we combined two treatments and created a novel non-invasive stimulation, transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation (TECAS).

Altered Brain Function in First-Episode and Recurrent Depression: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Background: Studies on differences in brain function activity between the first depressive episode (FDE) and recurrent depressive episodes (RDE) are scarce. In this study, we used regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) as indices of abnormal brain function activity. We aimed to determine the differences in these indices between patients with FDE and those with RDE, and to investigate the correlation between areas of abnormal brain function and clinical symptoms.

A Comparative Study of Regional Homogeneity of Resting-State fMRI Between the Early-Onset and Late-Onset Recurrent Depression in Adults.

Background: Neurobiological mechanisms underlying the recurrence of major depressive disorder (MDD) at different ages are unclear, and this study used the regional homogeneity (ReHo) index to compare whether there are differences between early onset recurrent depression (EORD) and late onset recurrent depression (LORD).

Methods: Eighteen EORD patients, 18 LORD patients, 18 young healthy controls (HCs), and 18 older HCs were included in the rs-fMRI scans. ReHo observational metrics were used for image analysis and further correlation of differential brain regions with clinical symptoms was analyzed.

[Functional MRI-based study on neuromechanism of trans-auricular vagus nerve stimulation for treatment-resistant depression].

Objective: To explore the neuromechanism of trans-auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) for treatment-resistant depression(TRD) based on functional brain network.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients with TRD were recruited from the psychiatric clinic or by the advertisement. The patients were treated by taVNS (5 Hz/20 Hz, 4-8 mA) at the auricular concha for 30 min, twice daily for 8 weeks.

[Study on diagnosis of atypical cerebral cysticercosis].

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of the results of serum immunological tests and brain CT image examinations of atypical cerebral cysticercosis patients, so as to provide the reference for improving the diagnosis of the disease.

Methods: Totally 446 suspected cerebral cysticercosis patients were chosen as the study objects, all of them were given experimental treatment with praziquantel, and then the patients with atypical cerebral cysticercosis were diagnosed according to the treatment effect and review results of brain CT or MRI. Meanwhile, all the 446 patients were tested for serum specific IgG and IgG4 antibodies and cysticercus circulating antigen (CAg) by ELISA, McAb ELISA and PEG-ELISA respectively, and the IHA test was also performed.

[Preliminary research on multi-neurotransmitters' change regulation in 120 depression patients' brains].

In view of the effective traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of clinical depression, the mechanism is not clear, this study attempts to research the cause of depression in a complex situation to lay the foundation for the next step of TCM curative effect evaluation. Based on the brain wave of 120 depression patients and 40 ordinary person, the change regulation of acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, depression neurotransmitters and excited neurotransmitters in the whole and various encephalic regions' multi-neurotransmitters of depression patients-serotonin are analysed by search of encephalo-telex (SET) system, which lays the foundation for the diagnosis of depression. The result showed that: contrased with the normal person group, the mean value of the six neurotransmitters in depression patients group are: (1) in the whole encephalic region of depression patients group the dopamine fall (P < 0.

[Clinical effect analysis of ankylosing spondylitis treated by Chinese medical syndrome differentiation].

Objective: To evaluate the curative effect and safety of Bushen Qiangji Decoction (BQD) and Qingre Qiangji Decoction (QQD) in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, and to verify the clinical utility of AS syndrome differentiation and treatment scheme [Shen-deficiency induced stasis obstruction syndrome (SDISOS) and dampness-heat obstruction syndrome (DHOS) being two basic syndrome types, Shen invigorating blood activating method (SIBAM) and heat clearing dampness resolving method (HCDRM) being two basic treatment methods].

Methods: Totally 354 AS patients of SDISOS and DHOS were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group using a multi-center randomized, positive drug parallel-controlled clinical trail. Patients in treatment group were treated by BQD or QQD according to syndrome typing, while those in the control group took Sulfasalazine enteric-coated tablet (SECT), 24 weeks as one therapeutic course.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of warming needle moxibustion combined with medicine on 128 cases of myasthenia gravis].

Objective: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of warming needle moxibustion combined with medicine on myasthenia gravis.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight patients were treated with warming needle moxibustion combined with oral administration of serial preparations of Zhongjiling and intravenous drip of Jiweiling Injectio for one month.

Results: Eighty-one cases were cured, 17 cases were basically cured, 12 cases were markedly effective, 11 cases improved and 7 cases were ineffective, with a total effective rate of 94.