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Debilitating Symptoms (debilitating + symptom)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review of the literature

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 2 2008
David Lee PhD
Fatigue is common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and symptoms of fatigue are often reported as the most debilitating symptoms of the disease. However, there are few reports of interventions for fatigue in MS. A systematic review of published literature examining pharmacological and psychosocial/psychological interventions for fatigue in MS was conducted. The search and review strategy undertaken used the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines. Papers were reviewed by two independent reviewers. Of 81 studies short-listed for inclusion, 15 studies were included, of which 10 were studies of pharmacological therapy and five were studies of psychosocial/psychological interventions. Of the pharmacological studies, two were rated as of moderate-to-high quality, three of moderate quality, two of moderate-to-low quality and three of low quality. Of the psychosocial/psychological studies, three were rated as of moderate quality and two of moderate-to-low quality. None of the studies reviewed reached the highest level of quality according to pre-agreed criteria. Regardless of level of quality, effectiveness of both pharmacological and psychosocial/psychological interventions was modest at best and often absent. Accordingly, there is little evidence-based advice that can be offered to people with MS to help manage their fatigue. [source]

Correlates of mood disturbance in women with breast cancer: patterns over time

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2008
Diane Von Ah
Abstract Title.,Correlates of mood disturbance in women with breast cancer: patterns over time Aim., This study examined factors associated with mood disturbance prior to, during and after adjuvant therapy. Background., Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Mood disturbance affects between 20% and 30% of women with breast cancer and is associated with other debilitating symptoms. However, factors associated with mood disturbance across the breast cancer diagnosis,treatment trajectory are not clearly understood. Method., A stress-coping framework guided this longitudinal study. A convenience sample of 49 American women with newly diagnosed breast cancer aged 37,77 years completed questionnaires assessing age, optimism, disease stage, type of adjuvant therapy, lymph node status, emotional support, aid (tangible) support, perceived stress and mood disturbance. Data were collected over an 18-month period in 2002,2003 at three time points: prior to, during and after adjuvant therapy. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression were used. Findings., At all three time points, higher stress was significantly related to greater mood disturbance. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between (1) emotional support and mood disturbance prior to and after adjuvant therapy and between (2) aid support and mood disturbance during adjuvant therapy. In addition, the type of support that was most important to mood disturbance varied over time. Emotional support was related to reduced mood disturbance prior to and after adjuvant therapy, whereas aid support was most important during adjuvant therapy. Conclusions., Nurses may use this information to develop interventions that bolster appropriate types of support to reduce stress and ultimately lower mood disturbance. Further research across cultures is needed. [source]

Interstitial Cystitis and the Therapeutic Effect of Suplatast Tosilate

LUTS, Issue 2009
Yukio HAYASHI
Painful bladder syndrome (PBS)/interstitial cystitis (IC) can be a chronic and debilitating disease characterized by urinary urgency, frequency, and bladder pain, which are often very difficult to treat, regardless of currently-proposed treatments. Suplatast tosilate (IPD-1151T) is an immunoregulator that suppresses Th2 cytokine production, immunoglobulin E (IgE) synthesis, chemical mediator release from mast cells, and eosinophilic recruitment. In a preliminary, open-label clinical study of IPD-1151T in 14 women with IC, treatment with IPD-1151T significantly increased bladder capacity and decreased urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and lower abdominal pain, as measured by the IC symptom index, in patients with non-ulcerative IC. A concomitant reduction in immunological parameters (eosinophils, IgE, and urine T cells) was observed. Also, in basic experimental studies using hydrochloric acid-induced chronic cystitis rats, the oral administration of IPD-1151T (0.1,100 mg/kg/day) for 7 days after the induction of cystitis dose dependently increased the intercontraction intervals and micturition volume. In addition, the infiltration of mast cells and eosinophils into the bladder was suppressed by IPD-1151T. These findings suggest that IPD-1151T could be a new medicine for treating debilitating symptoms, such as bladder pain and urinary frequency in PBS/IC. [source]

Sleep and depression: an intimate relationship

PROGRESS IN NEUROLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2008
Mark Greener
Sleeping problems are among the most common and debilitating symptoms of depression and recent studies show the intimate relationship between depression and biological rhythms,which may influence treatment choice,explains Mark Greener. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Interface Ltd [source]

Effect of standard medication on quality of life of patients with atopic dermatitis

THE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2007
Makoto KAWASHIMA
ABSTRACT Patients with atopic dermatitis present with debilitating symptoms, including pruritus and subsequent excoriation, which significantly reduces their quality of life (QOL). At present, the standard therapy for atopic dermatitis constitutes a topical steroid and/or a topical immunomodulator, an emollient and an oral antihistamine, although few studies have reported the effect of this treatment regimen on QOL. The current study aimed to verify the efficacy of the standard therapy for both clinical symptom severity and patient QOL, assessed using the validated Skindex-16 questionnaire. Atopic dermatitis patients receiving the standard therapy (n = 771) were enrolled in the current phase IV, multicenter, 12-week, open-label study. The Rajka and Langeland scale (used to rate the severity of atopic dermatitis symptoms) and the Skindex-16 QOL questionnaire were completed at weeks 0 (baseline), 4 and 12. Of 415 patients completing the questionnaire at all time points (per-protocol population), 95.2% were prescribed the antihistamine fexofenadine HCl 60 mg. There were significant improvements in symptoms, emotions and functioning scale scores at weeks 4 and 12 compared with baseline (P < 0.005). Discomfort associated with itching, as assessed by item 1 on the Skindex-16, improved over the treatment period (score decreased by 1 and 2 in 75.2% and 50.9% of patients, respectively). Significant (P < 0.005) improvements from baseline in global scores were also observed at weeks 4 and 12, and for week 12 compared with week 4. Severity scores improved significantly (P < 0.005) from weeks 0,4 and from weeks 4,12. The standard therapy was generally well tolerated with only mild adverse events reported (0.5%). These data suggest that patients with atopic dermatitis and associated pruritus experience significant improvements in both symptom severity and QOL when receiving standard therapy. [source]