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Frisaldi E, Ferrero B, Di Liberto A, Barbiani D, Camerone EM, Piedimonte A, Vollert J, Cavallo R, Zibetti M, Lopiano L, Shaibani A, Benedetti F. The impact of patients' pre-treatment expectations on immunosuppressive treatment outcomes in myasthenia gravis: A pilot correlational study. Muscle Nerve 2024; 70:413-419. [PMID: 38940302 DOI: 10.1002/mus.28189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/AIMS The impact of treatment expectations on active treatment outcomes has not been specifically investigated in neuromuscular disorders. We thus explored in myasthenia gravis (MG) the contribution of patients' pre-treatment expectations combined with an immunosuppressant drug on treatment outcomes. METHODS This pilot correlational study involved 17 patients with generalized MG, scheduled to start immunosuppressant azathioprine. At baseline, a healthcare professional administered: (i) the Stanford Expectations of Treatment Scale; (ii) a structured checklist paper form asking patients which side-effects they expected to develop after starting azathioprine, coupled with a standardized framing of statements. Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) score and daily dose of concomitant drugs were assessed by neurologists as clinical outcomes. Clinical outcomes and side-effects were re-assessed at 3 and 6 months, and clinical outcomes were monitored at 18 months. RESULTS Clinically significant improvement in the QMG scores was achieved at 3 or 6 months. The level of state anxiety appeared to act as moderator of pre-treatment negative expectations (strong, positive, indicative correlation, rs = .733, p = .001). The latter were, in turn, associated with the fulfillment of side-effects that patients expected to develop with the new treatment (moderate, positive, indicative correlation, rs = .699, p = .002). No significant correlation emerged between positive and negative expectations. DISCUSSION Our findings show a very quick clinical response and also suggest that patients' expectations and anxiety contributed to treatment outcomes, highlighting the importance of promoting safety messages and education strategies around newly introduced treatments. Future goals include evaluating a larger cohort that includes a matched control group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Frisaldi
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bruno Ferrero
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 2 Unit, A.O.U. Città Della Salute e Della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandra Di Liberto
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 2 Unit, A.O.U. Città Della Salute e Della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
- Neurology Unit, San Giovanni Bosco Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Diletta Barbiani
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Maria Camerone
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Savona, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Piedimonte
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, Piancavallo (VCO), Italy
| | - Jan Vollert
- Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Maurizio Zibetti
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 2 Unit, A.O.U. Città Della Salute e Della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Leonardo Lopiano
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 2 Unit, A.O.U. Città Della Salute e Della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Aziz Shaibani
- Nerve and Muscle Center of Texas, Houston, Texas, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Medicine and Physiology of Hypoxia, Plateau Rosà, Switzerland
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Huang YF, Bhandage AK, Adeström LDP, Punga AR. Short-term changes in serum miRNA levels and patient-reported clinical outcomes in myasthenia gravis. Muscle Nerve 2024; 70:284-289. [PMID: 38855861 DOI: 10.1002/mus.28177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/AIMS The circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) miR-150-5p, miR-30e-5p, and miR-21-5p have been suggested as potential biomarkers for myasthenia gravis (MG); however, the relationships between short-term natural changes of the miRNAs and patient-reported MG outcome scores have not been well-studied. We assessed the short-term fluctuations in miRNA levels and patient-reported outcome measures in MG. METHODS This prospective cohort study included 39 MG patients with regular follow-ups and unchanged medications at the Neurology outpatient clinic at Uppsala University Hospital. Patients had weekly follow-up visits for 1 month, at which blood samples were drawn, and scores from MG activities of daily living (MG-ADL), MG quality-of-life-15 (MG-QoL15), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were assessed. Serum levels of miRNA miR-150-5p, miR-30e-5p, and miR-21-5p were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS Intra-individual levels of miR-30e-5p and miR-150-5p were stable, whereas a significant reduction in miR-21-5p was observed from week 1 to week 2 (p = .0024) and from week 2 to week 3 (p < .0001). There were intra-individual differences over a short time in MG-ADL, with higher scores in female patients (p = .0281) and a significant reduction from the first to the second weeks (p = .0281), whereas MG-QoL15 and FSS scores were stable. DISCUSSION The suggested MG biomarkers miR-30e-5p and miR-150-5p were more stable than miR-21-5p over a short time, indicating their short-term stability as biomarkers. Prospective multi-center studies with longer periods of follow-up and matched controls are needed to validate these miRNAs as biomarkers in MG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Fang Huang
- Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Neurophysiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amol K Bhandage
- Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Neurophysiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Anna Rostedt Punga
- Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Neurophysiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Frisaldi E, Vollert J, Al Sultani H, Benedetti F, Shaibani A. Placebo and nocebo responses in painful diabetic neuropathy: systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain 2024; 165:29-43. [PMID: 37530658 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT This preregistered (CRD42021223379) systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to characterize the placebo and nocebo responses in placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), updating the previous literature by a decade. Four databases were searched for PDN trials published in the past 20 years, testing oral medications, adopting a parallel-group design. Magnitude of placebo or nocebo responses, Cochrane risk of bias, heterogeneity, and moderators were evaluated. Searches identified 21 studies (2425 placebo-treated patients). The overall mean pooled placebo response was -1.54 change in the pain intensity from baseline [95% confidence interval (CI): -1.52, -1.56, I 2 = 72], with a moderate effect size (Cohen d = 0.72). The pooled placebo 50% response rate was 25% [95% CI: 22, 29, I 2 = 50%]. The overall percentage of patients with adverse events (AEs) in the placebo arms was 53.3% [95% CI: 50.9, 55.7], with 5.1% [95% CI: 4.2, 6] of patients dropping out due to AEs. The year of study initiation was the only significant moderator of placebo response (regression coefficient = -0.06, [95% CI: -0.10, -0.02, P = 0.007]). More recent RCTs tended to be longer, bigger, and to include older patients (N = 21, rs = 0.455, P = 0.038, rs = 0.600, P = 0.004, rs = 0.472, P = 0.031, respectively). Our findings confirm the magnitude of placebo and nocebo responses, identify the year of study initiation as the only significant moderator of placebo response, draw attention to contextual factors such as confidence in PDN treatments, patients' previous negative experiences, intervention duration, and information provided to patients before enrollment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Frisaldi
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
| | - Jan Vollert
- Pain Research, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Neurophysiology, Mannheim Center of Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Medicine and Physiology of Hypoxia, Plateau Rosà, Switzerland
| | - Aziz Shaibani
- Nerve and Muscle Center of Texas, Houston, TX, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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Howard JF, Boroojerdi B, de la Borderie G, Leite MI, Utsugisawa K. Score fluctuation might be associated with a higher placebo rate in the RAISE trial - Authors' reply. Lancet Neurol 2023; 22:982-983. [PMID: 37863600 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(23)00365-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- James F Howard
- Department of Neurology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7025, USA.
| | | | | | - M Isabel Leite
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Frisaldi E, Shaibani A, Benedetti F, Pagnini F. Placebo and nocebo effects and mechanisms associated with pharmacological interventions: an umbrella review. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e077243. [PMID: 37848293 PMCID: PMC10582987 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This review aimed to summarise the existing knowledge about placebo and nocebo effects associated with pharmacological interventions and their mechanisms. DESIGN Umbrella review, adopting the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 tool for critical appraisal. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial were searched in September 2022, without any time restriction, for systematic reviews, narrative reviews, original articles. Results were summarised through narrative synthesis, tables, 95% CI. OUTCOME MEASURES Mechanisms underlying placebo/nocebo effects and/or their effect sizes. RESULTS The databases search identified 372 studies, for a total of 158 312 participants, comprising 41 systematic reviews, 312 narrative reviews and 19 original articles. Seventy-three per cent of the examined systematic reviews were of high quality.Our findings revealed that mechanisms underlying placebo and/or nocebo effects have been characterised, at least in part, for: pain, non-noxious somatic sensation, Parkinson's disease, migraine, sleep disorders, intellectual disability, depression, anxiety, dementia, addiction, gynaecological disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, immune and endocrine systems, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, gastrointestinal disorders, skin diseases, influenza and related vaccines, oncology, obesity, physical and cognitive performance. Their magnitude ranged from 0.08 to 2.01 (95% CI 0.37 to 0.89) for placebo effects and from 0.32 to 0.90 (95% CI 0.24 to 1.00) for nocebo effects. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a valuable tool for clinicians and researchers, identifying both results ready for clinical practice and gaps to address in the near future. FUNDING Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy with the 'Finanziamento Ponte 2022' grant. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42023392281.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Frisaldi
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Aziz Shaibani
- Muscle and Nerve Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesco Pagnini
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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Tong T, Zhang J, Jia L, Liang P, Wang N. Integrated proteomics and metabolomics analysis reveals hubs protein and network alterations in myasthenia gravis. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:5417-5426. [PMID: 35802752 PMCID: PMC9320536 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background: Thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (TAMG) is a well-described subtype of Myasthenia gravis (MG). Nevertheless, the detailed proteins and bioprocess differentiating TAMG from TAMG (−) thymoma have remained unclear. Methods: The proteomics and metabolomics were carried out on serum samples from thymoma group (n = 60, TNMG), TAMG (+) thymoma group (n = 70, TAMG (+)), and TAMG (−) thymomas group (n = 62, TAMG (−)), and controls (n = 159). groups. Proteomics and metabolomics analyses, including weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), was conducted to detect the hub proteins and metabolomics processes that could differentiate TAMG (+) from TAMG (−) thymomas. MetaboAnalyst was used to examine the integration of proteomic and metabolomic analysis to differentiate TAMG (+) from TAMG (−) thymomas. Results: The of module–trait correlation of WGCNA analysis identified KRT1, GSN, COL6A1, KRT10, FOLR2, KRT9, KRT2, TPI1, ARF3, LYZ, ADIPOQ, SEMA4B, IGKV1-27, MASP2, IGF2R was associated with TAMG (+) thymomas. In addition, organismal systems-immune system and metabolism-biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites were closely related to the mechanism of TAMG (+) pathogenesis. Conclusion: Our integrated proteomics and metabolomics analysis supply a systems-level view of proteome changes in TAMG (+), TAMG (−) thymomas and exposes disease-associated protein network alterations involved in.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Tong
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Li Jia
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Ping Liang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Na Wang
- Department of Gynaecology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
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Capella-Peris C, Cosgrove MM, Chrismer IC, Razaqyar MS, Elliott JS, Kuo A, Emile-Backer M, Meilleur KG. Understanding Symptoms in RYR1-Related Myopathies: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Based on Participants' Experience. PATIENT-PATIENT CENTERED OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2021; 13:423-434. [PMID: 32329019 DOI: 10.1007/s40271-020-00418-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In rare diseases such as ryanodine receptor 1-related myopathies (RYR1-RM), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures are critically important so clinicians and researchers can better understand what symptoms are most important to participants, with the ultimate goal of finding tangible solutions for them. OBJECTIVES The main objective of this study was to characterize symptoms in individuals with RYR1-RM to inform future research. A secondary objective of this study was to analyze positive and negative sentiments regarding symptoms and treatment effects post N-acetylcysteine (NAC) administration in individuals with RYR1-RM. METHODS The study used a mixed-methods design applying methodological triangulation. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews at three visits to characterize symptoms in individuals with RYR1-RM and to analyze treatment effects. Qualitative data were then transformed into quantitative results to measure the frequency with which each symptom was mentioned by participants. RESULTS A total of 12 symptoms were identified as areas of interest to participants with RYR1-RM, highlighting fatigue and weakness as key symptoms. Data transformation categorized more than 1000 citations, reporting a greater number of positive comments for postintervention interviews than for baseline and preintervention visits and that NAC group participants stated more positive comments regarding treatment effect than did the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS We present a comprehensive characterization of symptoms in RYR1-RM and how those symptoms influence HRQoL. Furthermore, the introduction of mixed methods may be a valuable way to better understand patient-centered data in rare diseases to support affected individuals in coping with their symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Capella-Peris
- Neuromuscular Symptoms Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 60, Room 254, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Mary M Cosgrove
- Neuromuscular Symptoms Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 60, Room 254, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Irene C Chrismer
- Neuromuscular Symptoms Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 60, Room 254, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - M Sonia Razaqyar
- Neuromuscular Symptoms Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 60, Room 254, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Elliott
- Neuromuscular Symptoms Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 60, Room 254, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Anna Kuo
- Neuromuscular Symptoms Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 60, Room 254, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Magalie Emile-Backer
- Neuromuscular Symptoms Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 60, Room 254, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Katherine G Meilleur
- Neuromuscular Symptoms Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 60, Room 254, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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Thomsen JLS, Andersen H. Outcome Measures in Clinical Trials of Patients With Myasthenia Gravis. Front Neurol 2020; 11:596382. [PMID: 33424747 PMCID: PMC7793650 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.596382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a heterogeneous disorder whose clinical presentation ranges from mild ocular deficits to severe widespread weakness. This variance poses a challenge when quantifying clinical deficits. Deficits and symptoms are quantified using standardized clinical scales and questionnaires which are often used as outcome measures. The past decades have seen the development of several validated outcome measures in MG, which are used in clinical trials to obtain regulatory approval. In recent years, emphasis has moved from objective assessments to patient-reported outcomes. Despite a growing body of literature on the validity of the MG-specific outcome measures, several unresolved factors remain. As several novel therapeutics are currently in clinical development, knowledge about capabilities and limitations of outcome measures is needed. In the present paper, we describe the most widely used clinical classifications and scales in MG. We highlight the choice of outcome measures in published and ongoing trials, and we denote whether trial efficacy was reached on these outcomes. We discuss advantages and limitations of the individual scales, and discuss some of the unresolved factors relating to outcome assessments in MG.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henning Andersen
- Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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