Effects of real-time VR clinical practice on reducing the stigma toward dementia among students of occupational therapy: A randomized controlled trial.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effects of real-time online clinical practice using real-time virtual reality (VR) compared with 2D PC screening on reducing stigma toward dementia, and to investigate the feasibility of online clinical practice using VR.

Methods: A single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted. Occupational therapy students were randomized to view occupational therapy evaluation screens for dementia patients using a VR headset or 2D monitor.

Comparison of the Effects of OPRM1 A118G Polymorphism Using Different Opioids: A Prospective Study.

Context: μ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) A118G polymorphism (rs1799971) causes loss of N-glycosylation sites at the extracellular domain of μ-opioid receptors. G-allele carriers show a limited response to morphine; however, studies investigating the impact of A118G polymorphism on the efficacy of opioids other than morphine are limited.

Objective: To compare the impact of A118G polymorphism on the efficacy of various opioids.

Differences in the Analgesic Effect of Opioids on Pain in Cancer Patients With Spinal Metastases.

Background: Spinal metastasis pain includes both inflammatory and neuropathic pain, and opioids, which have only a μ-opioid receptor-stimulating effect, are generally less effective in neuropathic pain. However, no previous study has been conducted for the comparisons of the efficacy of opioids in treating spinal metastasis pain.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of tapentadol and methadone with other opioids for back pain caused by a metastatic spinal tumor.

Identification of Factors Contributing to Methadone-Induced Daytime Sleepiness in Cancer Patients and Proposal of the Conversion Ratio from Other Opioids to Oral Methadone: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: When methadone is used to treat cancer pain, the Japanese health insurance system recommends to determine the starting dose according to the equivalency conversion table based on the morphine-equivalent daily dose (MEDD) of prior opioids proposed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Owing to the wide range in variability of the conversion table, methadone increases the incidence of daytime sleepiness.

Objective: To identify the factors associated with daytime sleepiness and propose a conversion ratio from pretreatment MEDD to oral methadone that decreases the risk of daytime sleepiness.

Naldemedine-laxative combination: retrospective inpatient study.

Objectives: The initiation of peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs) should be considered 2 weeks after conventional laxatives have failed to achieve an adequate response, and affected patients should be evaluated every 2 weeks thereafter. However, this guidance is difficult to implement in acute care hospitals. This study aimed to examine how naldemedine (PAMORA) should be introduced in combination with other laxatives in the acute care setting.

Tapentadol in Cancer Patients with Neuropathic Pain: A Comparison of Methadone, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Hydromorphone.

Tapentadol has μ-opioid receptor stimulating and noradrenaline reuptake inhibiting properties, and should be effective for neuropathic pain (NP). However, the efficacy of tapentadol for NP in cancer patients is unclear. Ashiya Municipal Hospital (Hyogo, Japan) enrolled five groups of Japanese cancer patients between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2019.

Remote Reminiscence Using Immersive Virtual Reality May Be Efficacious for Reducing Anxiety in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment Even in COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Report.

To prevent cognitive decline, non-pharmacological therapies such as reminiscence for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are required, however, the use of nursing homes was limited due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, the demand for remote-care is increasing. We hypothesized that immersive virtual reality (iVR) could be used more effectively than conventional reminiscence for anxiety.

Immersive Virtual Reality Reminiscence Reduces Anxiety in the Oldest-Old Without Causing Serious Side Effects: A Single-Center, Pilot, and Randomized Crossover Study.

Dementia is one the major problems of aging societies, and, novel and effective non-drug therapies are required as interventions in the oldest-old to prevent cognitive decline. This study aims to examine the efficacy and safety of reminiscence using immersive virtual reality (iVR reminiscence) focusing on anxiety that often appears with cognitive decline. The secondary objective is to reveal the preference for VR image types for reminiscence: live-action (LA) or computer graphics (CG).

A Pilot Study to Develop a New Method of Assisting Children in Taking Their Medication by Using Immersive Virtual Reality.

Taking bitter-tasting drugs can be stressful for children who have underdeveloped swallowing skills and do not understand the meaning of medication. Furthermore, the senses of vision and smell are known to majorly influence taste. This pilot study was aimed at determining the effect of visual stimulation by immersive virtual reality (iVR) on taste and the safety of this approach for developing a new method to assist children with taking medication.

The Adequateness of Methadone for Japanese Terminal Cancer Patients Can Be Determined Earlier than 7 Days: A Preliminary Retrospective Study.

Introduction: The Japanese packaging instructions for methadone prohibit dose escalation within 7 days of administration initiation as this may result in overdose and subsequent adverse events. However, for terminal cancer patients, evaluation of the effects of methadone may be desirable within 7 days because they have limited prognoses. We aimed to determine the possibility of estimating the adequateness of methadone earlier than the 7th day by investigating the onset timing of analgesic effects and adverse events of methadone in Japanese terminal cancer patients.

11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 is associated with antiretroviral therapy-induced increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol .

Objective: To investigate the association between 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) activity and antiretroviral therapy (ART)-induced increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL).

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 62 patients and used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to measure 11β-HSD1 activity, which was expressed as a ratio of the sum of urinary tetrahydrocortisol and allo-tetrahydrocortisol concentrations to urinary tetrahydrocortisone concentration. Patient data, including baseline laboratory values, were extracted from medical records for logistic regression analyses of factors associated with LDL increase during ART.

Validation of a Short-Term, Objective, Prognostic Predictive Method for Terminal Cancer Patients in a Palliative Care Unit Using a Combination of Six Laboratory Test Items.

There is no established method to objectively predict short-term prognosis. Recently, we proposed objective, short-term, prognostic predictive methods that are combinations of laboratory test items: WPCBAL score, derived from six values (white blood cell, platelet, C-reactive protein, blood urea nitrogen, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase). However, that study was conducted in an acute-phase hospital to identify the test items useful for prognostic prediction; thus, whether WPCBAL score could be applied to terminal cancer patients in a palliative care unit was unverified.

Risk Factors for Polypharmacy in Elderly Patients With Cancer Pain.

Objective: Polypharmacy (PP) is a burden in elderly patients with cancer pain; however, risk factors for PP remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors for PP in this patient population.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients aged ≥65 years with cancer pain who were treated at Osaka University Hospital between February 2014 and June 2016 according to the World Health Organization 3-step ladder for cancer pain relief.

[The Present Implementation Status and Problems of Vital-signs Measurement by Community Pharmacists in Home Medical Care in Osaka].

　While the community-based integrated care systems are in the process of being structured currently, more and more community pharmacists want to learn physical assessment skills. However, no large-scale survey focusing on present implementation status and problems of physical assessment by community pharmacists has been conducted yet. Osaka has the 2nd highest number of community pharmacies in Japan now, and the population aged ≥65 years will be expected to become the 3rd highest in 2025.

A New Approach for Determining Short-Term, Objective Prognostic Predictive Methods for Terminal Cancer Patients Based on the Change Point of Laboratory Test Values.

Background: In terminal phase cancer, predicting a prognosis precisely plays an important role for patients and their families to live meaningful lives. However, there are no established short-term, objective prognostic predictive methods.

Objective: To develop simple, short-term, objective prognostic predictive methods through detecting a change point for laboratory test values.

Weight Loss Associated with Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer.

Background: We examined whether the weight loss that occurs with platinum-based chemotherapy in lung cancer patients is associated with chemotherapy side effects, treatment completion rates and therapeutic effect.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of advanced lung cancer patients treated with ≥2 cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on ≥5 or <5% weight loss.

Induction of endoplasmic reticulum-endosome fusion for antigen cross-presentation induced by poly (γ-glutamic acid) nanoparticles.

We previously reported that poly (γ-glutamic acid)-based nanoparticles (γ-PGA NPs) are excellent vaccine carriers for inducing efficient cross-presentation in dendritic cells, thereby producing strong antitumor immunity in vivo. Analyzing the mechanism of cross-presentation induced by γ-PGA NPs will be useful toward designing novel vaccine carriers. In this study, we show an intracellular mechanism of efficient cross-presentation induced by OVA-loaded γ-PGA NPs.