Therapeutic potentials of mind–body interventions for psychosis

Mind-Body Training: A Plausible Strategy against Osteomuscular Chronic Pain-A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Chronic pain, which affects more than one in five adults worldwide, has a negative impact on the quality of life, limiting daily activities and generating absences from work. The aim of the present review is to analyze the efficacy of mind-body therapies as therapeutic strategies for patients with chronic pain. (2) Methods: A systematic review with a meta-analysis was carried out, searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using specific keywords. We selected studies that included mind-body therapies as the primary intervention for older adults with chronic pain. The methodological quality of the articles was assessed using the PEDro scale. (3) Results: Of the 861 studies identified, 11 were included in this review, all of which employed different mind-body therapies as an intervention. The selected studies measured chronic pain as the main variable. (4) Conclusions: This review highlights the value of mind-body exercises in reducing chronic pain in older adults, suggesting their integration as a non-pharmacological therapeutic alternative that improves the quality of life, promoting a holistic approach to pain management.

The role of mind-body interventions in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients - A systematic review of literature

INTRODUCTION

With the rise in complementary medicine usage, mind-body interventions (MBI), encompassing therapies like yoga and music therapy, have been gaining interest. The use of MBI in non-chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have demonstrated efficacy for ameliorating pain, stress and anxiety symptoms. As CKD patients often suffer from these symptoms, MBI may serve as potential adjunctive therapies. This review aimed to summarize the studied indications of MBI among CKD patients.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed in Medline®, Embase®, Scopus®, CINAHL®, CENTRAL® and PsycInfo® in accordance to the PRISMA and SWiM checklists. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which evaluated the use of MBI among adult CKD patients were included. The efficacy of each MBI was determined by reduction in symptoms severity scores. All adverse reactions were documented.

RESULTS

Of the 7,417 articles screened, 32 RCTs were included. Music therapy (n = 11), relaxation therapy (n = 9) and spiritual therapy (n = 6) were the most well studied MBIs. Frequently studied indications for MBIs were anxiety symptoms (n = 12), pain (n = 7) and depressive symptoms (n = 5). Music and spiritual therapies were shown to reduce 8.06-43.5 % and 36.1-41.1 % of anxiety symptoms respectively. For pain relief, music (41.8 %-61.5 %) and yoga therapies (36.7 %) were shown to be effective for reduction of pain. Lastly, spiritual therapy was shown to reduce depressive symptoms by 56.8 %. No adverse effects were reported for any MBI.

CONCLUSION

Music therapy, relaxation and spiritual therapies are more well-studied MBIs which were shown to reduce anxiety, depressive symptoms and pain in CKD patients. Larger RCTs are required to confirm the efficacy and safety of promising MBIs.

The effect of mind-body and aerobic exercise on negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effects of different types of physical exercise (PE) on negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients. Mind-body exercise (MBE), aerobic exercise (AE) and resistance training (RT) will be investigated.

METHOD

The Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase and PsycINFO were searched from their inception until April 26, 2018. Randomized controlled trials comparing PE with any control group in patients with schizophrenia were included when negative symptoms had been assessed. This meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool. Moderator, sensitivity, and meta regression analyses were conducted to explore causes of heterogeneity and impact of study quality.

RESULTS

We included 22 studies (N = 1249). The overall methodological quality was poor. The meta-analysis (random effects model) showed a medium significant effect in favor of any PE intervention (Hedges' g = 0.434, 95% CI = 0.196-0.671) versus any control condition. MBE and AE respectively showed a medium significant effect (Hedges' g = 0.461) and a small significant effect (Hedges' g = 0.341) versus any control condition. The effect of RT could not be examined. The overall heterogeneity was high (I² = 76%) and could not be reduced with moderator or sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis demonstrated that PE could be a promising intervention in the treatment of negative symptoms. However, the quality of the included studies was low and heterogeneity was high, which makes it impossible to make a clear recommendation. Therefore, results should be interpreted with care.