Regional differences in mortality risk and in attenuating or aggravating factors in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

People with schizophrenia die prematurely, yet regional differences are unclear. PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review/random-effects meta-analysis of cohort studies assessing mortality relative risk (RR) versus any control group, and moderators, in people with ICD/DSM-defined schizophrenia, comparing countries and continents. We conducted subgroup, meta-regression analyses, and quality assessment.

Answer to the Photo Quiz: Were those hyphae or pseudohyphae in blood culture?

Read the full article for the answer.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Prescribing of Pain Medication in US Primary Care Settings, 1999-2019: Where Are We Now?

Background: Policy initiatives have attempted to reduce healthcare inequalities in the USA, but evidence on whether these initiatives have reduced racial and ethnic disparities in pain treatment in primary care is lacking.

Objective: To determine whether racial and ethnic disparities in medication prescribed for pain in primary care settings have diminished over a 21-year period from 1999 to 2019.

Design: An annual, representative cross-sectional probability sample of visits to US primary care physicians, taken from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Understanding Visual Disorders through Correlation of Clinical and Radiologic Findings.

Patients presenting with visual disturbances often require a neuroimaging approach. The spectrum of visual disturbances includes three main categories: vision impairment, ocular motility dysfunction, and abnormal pupillary response. Decreased vision is usually due to an eye abnormality.

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for irritability in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis with the GRADE assessment.

Background: Numerous interventions for irritability in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been investigated. We aimed to appraise the magnitude of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for irritability in ASD without any restrictions in terms of eligible interventions.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science until April 15, 2023.

Distress Symptoms of Old Age and Mild Cognitive Impairment are Two Distinct Dimensions in Older Adults Without Major Depression.

Background: Studies in old adults showed bidirectional interconnections between amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and affective symptoms and that adverse childhood experiences (ACE) may affect both factors. Nevertheless, these associations may be confined to older adults with clinical depression.

Aim: To delineate the relationship between clinical symptoms of aMCI and affective symptoms in older adults without major depression (MDD) or dysfunctions in activities of daily living (ADL).

The magnitude and variability of neurocognitive performance in first-episode psychosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.

Neurocognitive deficits are a core feature of psychotic disorders, but it is unclear whether they affect all individuals uniformly. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize the evidence on the magnitude, progression, and variability of neurocognitive functioning in individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). A multistep literature search was conducted in several databases up to November 1, 2022.

Association of bariatric surgery with indicated and unintended outcomes: An umbrella review and meta-analysis for risk-benefit assessment.

Bariatric surgery can cause numerous functional changes to recipients, some of which are unintended. However, a systematic evaluation of wide-angled health benefits and risks following bariatric surgery has not been conducted. We systematically evaluated published systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials and observational studies reporting the association between bariatric surgery and health outcomes.

Placebo effects in mental health disorders: protocol for an umbrella review.

Introduction: Given the high prevalence of mental health disorders and their significant socioeconomic burden, there is a need to develop improved treatments, and to evaluate them through placebo-controlled trials. However, the magnitude of the placebo response in randomised controlled trials to test medications may be substantial, affecting their interpretation. Therefore, improved understanding of the patient, trial and mental disorder factors that influence placebo responses would inform clinical trial design to better detect active treatment effects.

Neuropsychiatric disturbances in mild cognitive impairment: A scientometric analysis.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) have been extensively studied in dementia than its prodromal stage, known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A scientometric study on BPSD in MCI would be valuable in synthesizing the existing body of research and providing insights into the trends, networks, and influencers within this area. We searched for related literature in the Web of Science database and extracted complete text and citation records of each publication.

An umbrella review of candidate predictors of response, remission, recovery, and relapse across mental disorders.

We aimed to identify diagnosis-specific/transdiagnostic/transoutcome multivariable candidate predictors (MCPs) of key outcomes in mental disorders. We conducted an umbrella review (protocol  link ), searching MEDLINE/Embase (19/07/2022), including systematic reviews of studies reporting on MCPs of response, remission, recovery, or relapse, in DSM/ICD-defined mental disorders. From published predictors, we filtered MCPs, validating MCP criteria.

Transparency, openness, and reproducible research practices are frequently underused in health economic evaluations.

Objectives: To investigate the extent to which articles of economic evaluations of healthcare interventions indexed in MEDLINE incorporate research practices that promote transparency, openness, and reproducibility.

Study Design And Setting: We evaluated a random sample of health economic evaluations indexed in MEDLINE during 2019. We included articles written in English reporting an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio in terms of costs per life years gained, quality-adjusted life years, and/or disability-adjusted life years.

Stent retriever for Tandem Acute Revascularization Technique (START): a novel technique for the endovascular management of tandem occlusions.

Tandem occlusions, characterized by the simultaneous presence of an intracranial large vessel occlusion and extracranial carotid artery stenosis or occlusion,1 pose a unique endovascular challenge.2 3 Typically, the extracranial occlusion is a result of atherosclerotic plaque; however, dissections are also a possible cause. It is currently uncertain whether an intracranial first approach or an extracranial first approach should be employed.

Half a Century of Research on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Scientometric Analysis.

We conducted a scientometric analysis to outline clinical research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our primary objective was to perform a broad-ranging scientometric analysis to evaluate key themes and trends over the past decades. Our secondary objective was to measure research network performance.

Lamin A upregulation reorganizes the genome during rod photoreceptor degeneration.

Neurodegenerative diseases are accompanied by dynamic changes in gene expression, including the upregulation of hallmark stress-responsive genes. While the transcriptional pathways that impart adaptive and maladaptive gene expression signatures have been the focus of intense study, the role of higher order nuclear organization in this process is less clear. Here, we examine the role of the nuclear lamina in genome organization during the degeneration of rod photoreceptors.

Use of a Woven Endobridge device (WEB) for the treatment of an aneurysmal diverticulum of the transverse sinus causing pulsatile tinnitus.

Pulsatile tinnitus is a symptom with a potentially significant impact on the quality of life of patients.1 In some cases the pulsatile tinnitus is secondary to an arterial, arteriovenous, or a venous condition that can be treated endovascularly.2-5 One of the newly recognized entities that can cause pulsatile tinnitus is the presence of an ipsilateral aneurysmal diverticulum of the transverse sinus.

Causes for Retraction in the Biomedical Literature: A Systematic Review of Studies of Retraction Notices.

Background: Many studies have evaluated the prevalence of different reasons for retraction in samples of retraction notices. We aimed to perform a systematic review of such empirical studies of retraction causes.

Methods: The PubMed/MEDLINE database and the Embase database were searched in June 2023.