Economic evaluation of newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus infection: A systematic review.

Purpose: This systematic review analyzes economic evaluations of newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection to identify key factors influencing cost-effectiveness and differences in methodological approaches.

Methods: Following a pre-registered PROSPERO protocol (CRD42023441587), we conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases on July 4, 2024. The review included both full economic evaluations (cost and outcomes) and partial economic evaluations (cost only).

Functional reorganization of brain regions supporting artificial grammar learning across the first half year of life.

Pre-babbling infants can track nonadjacent dependencies (NADs) in the auditory domain. While this forms a crucial prerequisite for language acquisition, the neurodevelopmental origins of this ability remain unknown. We applied functional near-infrared spectroscopy in neonates and 6- to 7-month-old infants to investigate the neural substrate supporting NAD learning and detection using tone sequences in an artificial grammar learning paradigm.

Health-related quality of life and caregiver burden of pediatric patients with inborn errors of metabolism in Japan using EQ-5D-Y, PedsQL, and J-ZBI.

Purpose: Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are known with poor long-term health concerns; however, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the burden placed on families remain unclear. This study investigated the self- and proxy-reported HRQoL of pediatric patients with IEM with or without developmental disabilities and the burden placed on their caregivers.

Methods: Patients with IEM aged 8-15 years and their caregivers were asked to respond to the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), EuroQoL five-dimension questionnaire for younger populations (EQ-5D-Y), and Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (J-ZBI).

Association of oral hypofunction with aspiration pneumonia, fractures, and mortality in older Japanese adults.

Aim: In Japan's public health system, dentists can assess and intervene in oral hypofunction cases. However, the associations between oral hypofunction and health outcomes and costs remain unclear. This study aimed to identify these associations.

Nutritional therapy for reducing disability and improving activities of daily living in people after stroke.

Background: Stroke patients often face disabilities that significantly interfere with their daily lives. Poor nutritional status is a common issue amongst these patients, and malnutrition can severely impact their functional recovery post-stroke. Therefore, nutritional therapy is crucial in managing stroke outcomes.

Preliminary External Validation Results of the Artificial Intelligence-Based Headache Diagnostic Model: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.

The misdiagnosis of headache disorders is a serious issue, and AI-based headache model diagnoses with external validation are scarce. We previously developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based headache diagnosis model using a database of 4000 patients' questionnaires in a headache-specializing clinic and herein performed external validation prospectively. The validation cohort of 59 headache patients was prospectively collected from August 2023 to February 2024 at our or collaborating multicenter institutions.

How to select and understand guidelines for patient-reported outcomes: a scoping review of existing guidance.

Background: Over the past few decades, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have been used to understand patient health conditions better. Therefore, numerous PRO measures (questionnaires) and guidelines or guidance have been developed. However, it is challenging to select target guidance from among the many available guidance and to understand the chosen guidance.

Comparison of four value sets derived using different TTO and DCE approaches: application to the new region-specific PBM, AP-7D.

Background: AP-7D is a newly developed preference-based measure (PBM) in East and Southeast Asia. However, no value set has been established yet. Comparison of the characteristics of value sets obtained by different methods is necessary to consider the most appropriate methodology for valuation survey of AP-7D.

Prevalence of asthma in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a scoping review.

Background: According to the Th1/Th2 paradigm, the expansion of Th1-type clones in individuals with type 1 diabetes results in reduced Th2-type clones, preventing the development of atopic diseases and vice versa. However, there is no consensus regarding the direct or inverse relationship between autoimmune and atopic diseases.

Objective: The aim of this scoping review was to examine the knowledge gap about the possibility of coexistence of asthma and type 1 diabetes and determine the prevalence of this association.

Differentiation of Active Ulcerative Colitis vs Noninflammatory Bowel Disease Proctitis by Transperineal Superb Microvascular Imaging.

Background: Transabdominal ultrasonography and transperineal ultrasonography (TPUS) appear correspond to colonoscopy (CS) for evaluating ulcerative colitis (UC) activity, but their utility in UC diagnosis remains unclear. This research compared the accuracy of TPUS and CS for assessing rectal activity and differentiating noninflammatory bowel disease proctitis from UC in pediatric cases.

Methods: The study is a blinded, prospective, and controlled trial.

Development of a Model for Quantitative Assessment of Newborn Screening in Japan Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process.

Whether or not conditions should be included in publicly funded newborn screening (NBS) programs should be discussed according to objective and transparent criteria. Certain criteria have been developed for the introduction of NBS programs in the context of individual countries; however, there are no standard selection criteria for NBS programs in Japan. This study aimed to develop a quantitative scoring model to assess newborn screening that incorporates the views of a variety of stakeholders in Japan.

Accuracy of Transperineal Ultrasonography for Assessing Rectal Lesions in Paediatric Ulcerative Colitis: A Prospective Study.

Background And Aims: Transabdominal ultrasonography [TAUS] appears comparable to colonoscopy for evaluating ulcerative colitis [UC] activity, but it has low accuracy in rectal evaluation. In this study, the accuracy of transperineal ultrasonography [TPUS] for evaluating rectal activity was compared to that of colonoscopy in paediatric UC cases.

Methods: Faecal calprotectin [FCP] values and TPUS and colonoscopic findings were compared prospectively in paediatric UC cases.

Two-in-one system and behavior-specific brain synchrony during goal-free cooperative creation: an analytical approach combining automated behavioral classification and the event-related generalized linear model.

Significance: In hyperscanning studies of natural social interactions, behavioral coding is usually necessary to extract brain synchronizations specific to a particular behavior. The more natural the task is, the heavier the coding effort is. We propose an analytical approach to resolve this dilemma, providing insights and avenues for future work in interactive social neuroscience.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Universal Screening for Biliary Atresia in Japan.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of universal newborn screening using stool color card or direct bilirubin (DB) testing when comparing with no screening for biliary atresia in Japanese setting.

Study Design: A decision analytic Markov microsimulation model was developed to evaluate the universal screening for biliary atresia. Our screening strategies included stool color card, DB, or no screening.

Strategies for cost-effectiveness analysis of rehabilitation for older patients with acute heart failure.

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) is increasing in the ageing world population, and its burden on the medical and health economic fields is enormous. Rehabilitation is an essential component of the nonpharmacological treatment of patients with HF; however, its efficacy and cost-effectiveness for patients with acute HF remain unclear. A trial assessed the cost-effectiveness of acute cardiac rehabilitation among older adults.

Relationship between psychosocial stress-induced prefrontal cortex activity and gut microbiota in healthy Participants-A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Brain and gut microbes communicate in a bidirectional manner with each affecting a person's response to psychosocial stress. Although human studies demonstrated that the intake of probiotics can alter stress-related behavior in both patients and healthy participants, the association between stress-related brain functions and the gut microbiota has mostly been investigated in patients with depression. However, the response to psychosocial stress differs, even among healthy individuals, and elucidating the natural state of the gut microbiota would broaden the understanding of responses to psychosocial stress.

Direct health care cost of treatment and medication of biliary atresia patients using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups.

Background: Treatment of biliary atresia (BA), which typically requires an initial surgical intervention called the Kasai procedure (KP) and possible liver transplant (LT) afterwards, is quite resource-intensive and would affect patients and families for a lifetime; yet a comprehensive view of the economic burden has not been reported. We estimated direct health care costs from the public payer perspective using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan.

Methods: Children newly diagnosed at ages 0 days to 4 years between April 2010 and September 2019 were identified.

Differential age-dependent development of inter-area brain connectivity in term and preterm neonates.

Background: Among preterm infants, higher morbidities of neurological disturbances and developmental delays are critical issues. Resting-state networks (RSNs) in the brain are suitable measures for assessing higher-level neurocognition. Since investigating task-related brain activity is difficult in neonates, assessment of RSNs provides invaluable insight into their neurocognitive development.