Article
Biology
Yi-Chia Shan, Wei Fang, Jih-Huah Wu
Summary: A feasible and integrated system was proposed to measure and affect the autonomic nervous system (ANS) status. The test results show that stimulating the Neiguan (PC6) acupoint can inhibit the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), while stimulating the Shenmen (HT7) acupoint can activate the SNS.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Alessio Molfino, Carmen Gallicchio, Giovanni Imbimbo, Michele Melena, Silvia Antonini, Antonietta Gigante, Maurizio Muscaritoli
Summary: Alterations in the central nervous system in cancer patients are pivotal in determining appetite dysregulation and body weight loss. This study found that autonomic nervous system activity was lower in cancer patients with anorexia, and it was correlated with body weight loss. These findings suggest that dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of anorexia in cancer patients.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Daniela Lucini, Mara Malacarne, Wolfgang Gatzemeier, Eleonora Pagani, Giuseppina Bernardelli, Gianfranco Parati, Massimo Pagani
Summary: The increased cardiometabolic risk in breast cancer survivors is attributed to multiple mechanisms, including hormonal and immunological dysfunction as well as cardiac autonomic regulation. This study found that physical activity can improve cardiac autonomic regulation, metabolism, and psychological well-being in breast cancer survivors.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Orthopedics
T. D. Yeater, J. Zubcevic, K. D. Allen
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate autonomic nervous system shifts in rat knee joint injury and osteoarthritis (OA) models. The results showed that injured animals had a slower heart rate during low activity and mechanical stimuli caused an immediate decrease in heart rate and blood pressure in all groups. Furthermore, the damaged groups exhibited a larger drop in heart rate following pharmacological stimulation. These findings provide preliminary evidence of potential functional shifts in the autonomic nervous system in models of joint injury and OA.
OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CARTILAGE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Thais Marques da Silva, Carlos Alberto Aguiar Silva, Helio Cesar Salgado, Rubens Fazan Jr, Luiz Eduardo Virgilio Silva
Summary: The study investigated the influence of the autonomic nervous system on heart rate fragmentation (HRF) in rats. Results showed that sympathetic and parasympathetic influences similarly decrease HRF, with parasympathetic control markedly affecting the type of inflection points. Further studies are needed to explore the role of the autonomic nervous system in diseases marked by autonomic imbalance.
BIOMEDICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING AND CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Dalbyeol Bae, Jacob J. L. Matthews, J. Jean Chen, Linda Mah
Summary: In this study, the impact of manipulating exhalation to inhalation ratio (E:I) on heart rate variability (HRV) was examined. The findings suggest that a longer exhalation relative to inhalation, without altering breathing rate, acutely increased HRV metrics, pointing towards an enhancement of cardiac vagal tone.
Review
Neurosciences
Alexane Tournier, Michael Beacom, Jenny A. Westgate, Laura Bennet, Charles Garabedian, Austin Ugwumadu, Alistair J. Gunn, Christopher A. Lear
Summary: The interpretation of FHR patterns is crucial for monitoring fetal well-being during labor, and changes in FHR variability (FHRV) have been considered an indication of fetal compromise. However, there is a lack of systematic evidence to support this observation. This review examines the potential pathways controlling FHRV during labor-like hypoxia and suggests that the parasympathetic system becomes the sole regulator of FHRV once FHR decelerations occur.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yurim Kim, Hong Yeol Yoon, Il Keun Kwon, Inchan Youn, Sungmin Han
Summary: Heart rate variability is closely related to cancer pain and can be used as a tool for assessing pain.
Article
Neurosciences
Branislav Milovanovic, Vlado Djajic, Dragana Bajic, Aleksandra Djokovic, Tatjana Krajnovic, Sladjana Jovanovic, Antonija Verhaz, Pedja Kovacevic, Miodrag Ostojic
Summary: This study found that autonomic dysfunction, including sympathetic, parasympathetic, or both, may occur in COVID-19 patients in the early phase of infection, with significantly higher proportions in the severe and mild groups compared to healthy controls. Therefore, cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy should be taken into consideration in the assessment of COVID-19 patients.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Louise Fritsche, Julia Hartkopf, Julia Hummel, Dorina S. Loeffler, Hajime Yamazaki, Hans-Ulrich Haering, Andreas Peter, Andreas L. Birkenfeld, Robert Wagner, Andreas Fritsche, Hubert Preissl, Martin Heni
Summary: Maternal metabolism and gestational weight gain are associated with offspring autonomic nervous system function. Children of mothers with low gestational weight gain have lower parasympathetic tone. The presence of gestational diabetes may affect this association.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Minna Tang, Yu He, Xiaochun Zhang, Huichu Li, Chang Huang, Cuiping Wang, Ya Gao, Yinliang Li, Haidong Kan, Jialu Hu, Renjie Chen
Summary: The study found that temperature variability is negatively associated with heart rate variability, especially on the same day. The exposure-response relationships were almost linear for most parameters. The increase in temperature variability is significantly associated with the decrease in heart rate variability, with females being more affected.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Angelica Carandina, Giulia Lazzeri, Davide Villa, Alessio Di Fonzo, Sara Bonato, Nicola Montano, Eleonora Tobaldini
Summary: Ischemic stroke is a major global cause of death and disability, with recent research focusing on the bidirectional relationship between autonomic nervous system dysfunction and acute ischemic stroke to identify prognostic factors and potential therapeutic approaches such as vagus nerve stimulation. Preclinical studies have shown promising results in terms of neuroprotection and therapeutic possibilities, indicating the potential of neuromodulation as a first-line therapeutic approach in the early management of stroke.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Javier Milagro, Lorena Soto-Retes, Jordi Giner, Carolina Varon, Pablo Laguna, Raquel Bailon, Vicente Plaza, Eduardo Gil
Summary: This study evaluated the potential of noninvasive autonomic activity assessment as a tool for stratifying asthmatic patients. The results showed similar classification performance using HRV features compared to clinical features, supporting the usefulness of HRV assessment for asthma control stratification and objective self-monitoring.
BIOMEDICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING AND CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ana Stupin, Ines Drenjancevic, Petar Susnjara, Zeljko Debeljak, Nikolina Kolobaric, Ivana Jukic, Zrinka Mihaljevic, Goran Martinovic, Kristina Selthofer-Relatic
Summary: The study found that a 7-day high-salt diet suppressed sympathetic nervous system activity and attenuated microvascular reactivity in salt-resistant normotensive individuals.
Article
Physiology
Jian Liu, Weizheng Guan, Yilin Sun, Yuling Wang, Guangqiao Li, Sai Zhang, Bo Shi
Summary: This study evaluated the acute effect of chemotherapy on the cardiac autonomic nervous system in patients with cervical cancer by examining short-term HRV. The results showed that chemotherapy combining taxane and carboplatin can increase HRV in the short term, suggesting that HRV may be a sensitive tool for the early detection of chemotherapy-induced cardiac ANS perturbations.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Rehabilitation
Lucy Fettes, Josephine Neo, Stephen Ashford, Irene J. Higginson, Matthew Maddocks
Summary: This study aimed to identify the trajectories and associations of disability in ADL in advanced cancer and/or respiratory disease, as well as appraise its measurement. The results showed that advanced cancer often follows trajectories of increasing disability, while respiratory disease does not predict any particular disability trajectory. Factors associated with increasing disability included frailty, multi-morbidity, cognitive impairment, and infection.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Nursing
Catherine J. Evans, Anna E. Bone, Deokhee Yi, Myfanwy Morgan, Matthew Maddocks, Juliet Wright, Fiona Lindsay, Irene J. Higginson
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING STUDIES
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Katherine E. Sleeman, Rachel L. Cripps, Fliss E. M. Murtagh, Adejoke O. Oluyase, Mevhibe B. Hocaoglu, Matthew Maddocks, Catherine Walshe, Nancy Preston, Lesley Dunleavy, Andy Bradshaw, Sabrina Bajwah, Irene J. Higginson, Lorna K. Fraser
Summary: The study identified factors associated with increased busyness in palliative care services during the Covid-19 pandemic. Providing community care and publicly managed services were better able to respond to escalating needs. Staff shortages, homecare services, nursing care at home, Covid-19 cases, and publicly managed services were all associated with increased busyness in the services.
JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Andy Bradshaw, Lesley Dunleavy, Ian Garner, Nancy Preston, Sabrina Bajwah, Rachel Cripps, Lorna K. Fraser, Matthew Maddocks, Mevhibe Hocaoglu, Fliss E. M. Murtagh, Adejoke O. Oluyase, Katherine E. Sleeman, Irene J. Higginson, Catherine Walshe
Summary: This study explores the experiences and impact of palliative care staff working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal that infection control constraints hindered the ability of staff to provide care aligned with their core values, resulting in moral distress. Despite organizational and team support, the prolonged management of these constraints led to cumulative impacts of moral distress and sometimes burnout. Solidarity with colleagues and making valued contributions provided some moral comfort.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Emma J. Chapman, Erica Di Martino, Zoe Edwards, Kathryn Black, Matthew Maddocks, Michael Bennett
Summary: The study found that physical exercise interventions and energy conservation tactics are effective, while limited data are available on other interventions. Regular assessment of the impact of fatigue and emphasis on exercise and energy conservation are recommended. Pharmacological interventions are not supported as a routine approach, and further research on the efficacy of interventions recommended by guidelines is needed.
PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Joanne Bayly, Andy Bradshaw, Lucy Fettes, Muhammed Omarjee, Helena Talbot-Rice, Catherine Walshe, Katherine E. Sleeman, Sabrina Bajwah, Lesley Dunleavy, Mevhibe Hocaoglu, Adejoke Oluyase, Ian Garner, Rachel L. Cripps, Nancy Preston, Lorna K. Fraser, Fliss E. M. Murtagh, Irene J. Higginson, Matthew Maddocks
Summary: This study found that rehabilitation services in palliative care during the Covid-19 pandemic mostly shifted to remote provision, with many team members being on sick leave, redeployed, or furloughed. Free text responses were categorized into four themes showing how rehabilitation services adapted and reconfigured to the challenges posed by Covid-19, affecting both clinicians' and patients' capacity to participate in rehabilitation programs.
PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Isabel Vandenbogaerde, Aline De Vleminck, Joachim Cohen, Mariette Nadine Verkissen, Lore Lapeire, Francesca Ingravallo, Sheila Payne, Andrew Wilcock, Jane Seymour, Marijke Kars, Mogens Gronvold, Urska Lunder, Judith Rietjens, Agnes van der Heide, Luc Deliens
Summary: This study investigated the effects of the ACTION Respecting Choices (RC) ACP intervention on family carers' involvement in decision making in the last 3 months of the patients' life and their psychological distress after 3 months of bereavement. The results showed that the intervention had no significant effect on decision making involvement or subsequent psychological distress.
BMJ SUPPORTIVE & PALLIATIVE CARE
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Joanna M. Davies, Katherine E. Sleeman, Christina Ramsenthaler, Wendy Prentice, Matthew Maddocks, Fliss E. M. Murtagh
Summary: This study examined the association between socioeconomic position and the symptoms and concerns of older adult patients receiving specialist palliative care. It found that patients living in more deprived areas had higher scores on the communication and practical concerns subscale, indicating greater difficulties in these areas. However, deprivation was not associated with scores on the physical or emotional symptoms subscales. Targeting resources to address practical and communication concerns could be a strategy to reduce inequalities in end-of-life care.
PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Natalie St Clair-Sullivan, Kiersten Simmons, Richard Harding-Swale, Thomas Levett, Matthew Maddocks, Jonathan Roberts, Daniel Trotman, Deokhee Yi, Jaime H. Vera, Katherine Bristowe
Summary: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of older people living with HIV and HIV professionals towards frailty and routine screening for frailty. The study found that frailty was described as a series of losses around mobility, social inclusion, independence, and mental acuity. People living with HIV found it acceptable to explicitly use the word "frail" during screening if approached sensitively and provided with information and support. HIV professionals, on the other hand, had concerns about using the word "frail" for fear of causing distress or offense.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mariana S. Sousa, Peter Martin, Miriam J. Johnson, Michael Lind, Matthew Maddocks, Alex Bullock, Meera Agar, Sungwon Chang, Slavica Kochovska, Irina Kinchin, Deidre Morgan, Belinda Fazekas, Valentina Razmovski-Naumovski, Jessica T. Lee, Malinda Itchins, Victoria Bray, David C. Currow
Summary: Anorexia is a common problem in lung cancer patients, affecting their response to chemotherapy and their ability to complete treatment, leading to worse outcomes and prognosis. Current therapies for cancer-related anorexia are limited and have side effects. This study aims to evaluate the safety and feasibility of anamorelin HCl as a potential treatment for anorexia in lung cancer patients. The study will assess various outcomes, including body weight, functional status, nutritional intake, and quality of life.
Article
Respiratory System
Claire M. Nolan, Susie J. Schofield, Matthew Maddocks, Suhani Patel, Ruth E. Barker, Jessica A. Walsh, Oliver Polgar, Peter M. George, Philip L. Molyneaux, Toby M. Maher, Paul Cullinan, William D. -C. Man
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal change of four-metre gait speed (4MGS) in newly diagnosed individuals with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and its association with adverse outcome. The study found that 4MGS declined over 6 months, and a decline of 0.07 m/s or more was significantly associated with increased risk of hospitalization/death. Therefore, 4MGS change has the potential to serve as a surrogate endpoint for interventions targeting hospitalization/death risk.
Article
Respiratory System
Matthew Maddocks, Lisa J. Brighton, Jennifer A. Alison, Lies ter Beek, Surya P. Bhatt, Nathan E. Brummel, Chris Burtin, Matteo Cesari, Rachael A. Evans, Lauren E. Ferrante, Oscar Flores-Flores, Frits M. E. Franssen, Chris Garvey, Samantha L. Harrison, Anand S. Iyer, Lies Lahouse, Suzanne Lareau, Annemarie L. Lee, William D. -C. Man, Alessandra Marengoni, Hamish J. C. McAuley, Dmitry Rozenberg, Jonathan P. Singer, Martijn A. Spruit, Christian R. Osadnik
Summary: People with respiratory disease have an increased risk of developing frailty, and rehabilitation plays an important role in managing frailty in this population. However, identifying frailty and delivering rehabilitation for these individuals remain challenging. This workshop aimed to outline definitions and concepts, synthesize evidence, and explore adaptation of programs for people with respiratory disease and frailty. Participants discussed the frailty rehabilitation paradox and highlighted the need for comprehensive assessment, tailored support, and exercise prescriptions that consider symptom burden and comorbidities. Research is required to expand understanding and explore telerehabilitation or home-based pulmonary rehabilitation for this population.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Joanne Bayly, Hilde Hjelmeland Ahmedzai, Maria Grazia Blandini, Barbara Bressi, Augusto Tommaso Caraceni, Joana Carvalho Vasconcelos, Stefania Costi, Stefania Fugazzaro, Monica Guberti, Mai-Britt Guldin, May Hauken, Irene Higginson, Barry J. A. Laird, Julie Ling, Charles Normand, Lise Nottelmann, Line Oldervoll, Cathy Payne, A. Toby Prevost, Guro B. Stene, Elisa Vanzulli, Eduardo Veber, Guillaume Economos, Matthew Maddocks
Summary: This multinational trial aims to test the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a short-term palliative rehabilitation intervention for people with incurable cancer. Through comparative analysis, mixed-method evaluation, evidence synthesis, and Delphi consensus, the trial will contribute to the development of an international framework for palliative rehabilitation practice and policy.
PALLIATIVE CARE & SOCIAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Kate Alford, Shiraaz Sidat, Katherine Bristowe, Natalie St Clair-Sullivan, Gary Parteger, Maddocks Matthew, Deokhee Yi, Richard Harding, Tom Levitt, Stephen Bremner, Jaime H. Vera
Summary: This study explored the views of people with HIV and healthcare workers on routine screening for cognitive impairment. People with HIV were receptive to screening and saw it as relevant and important. Healthcare workers expressed concerns about implementing routine screening and questioned the validity of screening measures used. The study suggests that screening and subsequent detection of cognitive impairment may help people with HIV prepare for future issues and promote active management strategies.
Article
Respiratory System
Charles C. Reilly, Katherine Bristowe, Anna Roach, Matthew Maddocks, Irene J. Higginson
Summary: The aim of this study was to explore the accessibility and willingness of patients with chronic breathlessness to use an internet-based self-management intervention. The findings suggest that patients with internet access have the potential to benefit from the online intervention.
