Atherosclerosis and depression: is carotid intima-media thicker in patients with depression compared to matched control individuals? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To investigate if there is an association between atherosclerosis and depression by using as imaging biomarker the carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), a surrogate marker for atherosclerosis.

Methods: PubMed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases were comprehensively searched to identify studies investigating the association between cIMT and depression. The results were pooled using a random-effects statistical model, appropriate for the expected high heterogeneity.

Is transcranial magnetic stimulation as treatment for neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury efficient? A systematic review.

Background And Purpose: Neuropathic pain is a clinically relevant complication in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Pharmacological pain treatment is often insufficient and leads to undesirable side effects. Thus, alternative therapeutic approaches such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are of critical importance.

Is the prevalence of thyroid disease higher in children receiving antiepileptic medication? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Antiseizure medications (ASM) have long been examined for their potential to induce thyroid dysfunction. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the prevalence of thyroid disease in children up to 16 years receiving monotherapy with valproate (VPA), carbamazepine (CBZ) and levetiracetam (LEV).

Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane/CENTRAL databases and the gray literature were searched to identify observational studies providing the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in the target population under VPA, CBZ, or LEV monotherapy schemes.