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Mascher A, Pelzer F, Duncan LJ, Martin DD, Baumgartner S, Berger B. The Introspective Patient Experience of Mistletoe Therapy in Cancer: A Qualitative Study. Integr Cancer Ther 2023; 22:15347354231198474. [PMID: 37731253 PMCID: PMC10515602 DOI: 10.1177/15347354231198474] [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: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The introspective experience of cancer patients using mistletoe therapy has received little scientific interest, although it is crucial for a holistic understanding of this therapy. This study contributes to patient-centered research and treatment by documenting the subjective experiences of individuals undergoing mistletoe therapy. METHODS In this qualitative, explorative study, 20 outpatients with a history of various cancer types were recruited from Arlesheim Hospital (Arlesheim, Switzerland). All patients received subcutaneous mistletoe therapy for at least 2 years (median 7.5 years). Data was collected through 2 semi-structured, in-depth interviews per patient. Qualitative content analysis was applied to examine the data. The individual experience of mistletoe therapy was analyzed in relation to 6 predefined levels of human experience: physical, vital, emotional, mental, spiritual and social. In addition, 3 further aspects, considered as cross-dimensional perspectives, emerged out of the material: warmth, immune strengthening, and general wellbeing. RESULTS Data analysis revealed considerable heterogeneity among patients' experiences with mistletoe therapy. The importance of specific aspects became apparent, such as increased vitality to manage daily life, greater emotional and mental stability, warmth as a multidimensional phenomenon, feelings of safety and protection through mistletoe therapy, heightened self-awareness and improved self-care, as well as sensations of spiritual connectedness. CONCLUSIONS Prior to this study it had not been shown that cancer patients using mistletoe therapy do have observations on different levels of experience. These results may lead to a deeper understanding of patients receiving mistletoe therapy, enabling them to be supported in a more holistic way both during mistletoe treatment and on their life path. Further investigations into the effects of mistletoe therapy on the emotional, mental, and spiritual level are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Mascher
- Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
- Society for Cancer Research, Arlesheim, Switzerland
- Klinik Arlesheim, Arlesheim, Switzerland
| | - Florian Pelzer
- Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
- Society for Cancer Research, Arlesheim, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Stephan Baumgartner
- Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
- Society for Cancer Research, Arlesheim, Switzerland
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A Case Series of Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment for Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11206133. [PMID: 36294453 PMCID: PMC9605577 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11206133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic illness in which patients do not achieve remission sufficiently with conventional medication. Deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) for OCD neuromodulates the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which are known to be impaired in OCD. While dTMS treatment for OCD has shown effective results overseas, TMS treatment for OCD has rarely been implemented in Japan, and its effectiveness is unknown. We conducted an FDA-approved dTMS protocol to 26 patients with OCD. In addition, individual exposure stimulation that elicited each patient’s obsessive thoughts was also combined during dTMS treatment. Before and after 30 sessions of TMS treatment, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to assess changes in the severity of each patient’s obsessive-compulsive disorder. Response to dTMS treatment in patients with OCD was determined by whether the total score on the Y-BOCS after a course of treatment was reduced by 30% or more compared with the score at baseline. The percentage of responders in this case series following the 30 sessions of dTMS treatment was 53.9%. In addition, total Y-BOCS scores and scores on each item were significantly improved. The percent changes in total Y-BOCS scores did not differ between the sexes or between on- and off-medication patients. No obvious adverse events were observed in this case series. In line with the results of TMS studies for OCD patients reported overseas, dTMS treatment for Japanese patients with OCD may have a favorable therapeutic effect.
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Roushdy T, Wahid El Din M, Abdel Monem Mohamed A, Ibrahem HK, Bedros RY, Hamid E. Concepts behind epilepsy among Egyptian patients. Is it a disease or a possession?! Epilepsy Res 2021; 177:106760. [PMID: 34534927 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2021.106760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many epileptic patients visit traditional healers secondary to unaffordability, inaccessibility of medical service and being refractory. This may lead to delay in seeking medical advice and may influence prognosis. OBJECTIVES Studying concepts behind epilepsy among Egyptian epilepsy sufferers including beliefs behind epilepsy and whether there is difference in these beliefs as regards gender, education and urban to rural socioeconomic status. METHODS A semi structured questionnaire designed according to the guidelines of the 9th edition of research methods in psychology and applied to 393 cases presenting to epilepsy clinics at three hospitals representing rural delta, capital, and upper rural Egypt between November 2019 and April 2020. Inclusion criteria included a fulfillment of the international league against epilepsy operational definition and availability of an electroencephalogram supporting the diagnosis of epilepsy. RESULTS 30 % of patients visited traditional healers within the course of their illness with males accounting for 55.9 %, and relatives' impact was more obvious in this decision (83.9 % visited traditional healers secondary to a relative influence). 43.2 % of traditional healers' visitors had a basic education. Low education level was significantly correlated with visiting traditional healers (rho=-0.126, p = 0.012). 43 patients (36.4 %) received traditional therapy and only 3 patients (2.5 %) out of them improved. More males (55.9 %) than females (29.5 %) were found to seek non-medical help with no significant difference (p = 0.852). Additionally, it was noticed that males who lived in rural areas visited traditional healers significantly more than those who lived in urban (72.2 % vs 27.3 %, p = 0.011) while in females, it seems that residency did not affect traditional healers seeking behavior (50 % urban vs 50 % rural). Rural residents were seeking non-medical advice more than urban (28.3 % vs 22 %, p < 0.001) as well as receiving traditional treatments (19.7 % vs 11 %, p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS Seeking traditional healers in epilepsy sufferers is not uncommon in Egypt. Education, gender, and residency may affect concepts and beliefs regarding epilepsy. Although awareness of epilepsy as a medical condition is also questionable, yet it is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Eman Hamid
- Faculty of Medicine Ain Shams University, Egypt
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Roth Y, Tendler A, Arikan MK, Vidrine R, Kent D, Muir O, MacMillan C, Casuto L, Grammer G, Sauve W, Tolin K, Harvey S, Borst M, Rifkin R, Sheth M, Cornejo B, Rodriguez R, Shakir S, Porter T, Kim D, Peterson B, Swofford J, Roe B, Sinclair R, Harmelech T, Zangen A. Real-world efficacy of deep TMS for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Post-marketing data collected from twenty-two clinical sites. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 137:667-672. [PMID: 33183769 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) with the H7-coil was FDA cleared for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in August 2018 based on multicenter sham-controlled studies. Here we look at the efficacy of dTMS for OCD in real world practices. METHODS All dTMS clinics were asked to supply their data on treatment details and outcome measures. The primary outcome measure was response, defined by at least a 30% reduction in the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) score from baseline to endpoint. Secondary outcome measures included first response, defined as the first time the YBOCS score has met response criteria, and at least one-month sustained response. Analyses included response rate at the endpoint (after 29 dTMS sessions), number of sessions and days required to reach first response and sustained response. RESULTS Twenty-two clinical sites with H7-coils provided data on details of treatment and outcome (YBOCS) measures from a total of 219 patients. One-hundred-sixty-seven patients who had at least one post-baseline YBOCS measure were included in the main analyses. Overall first and sustained response rates were 72.6% and 52.4%, respectively. The response rate was 57.9% in patients who had YBOCS scores after 29 dTMS sessions. First response was achieved in average after 18.5 sessions (SD = 9.4) or 31.6 days (SD = 25.2). Onset of sustained one-month response was achieved in average after 20 sessions (SD = 9.8) or 32.1 days (SD = 20.5). Average YBOCS scores demonstrated continuous reduction with increasing numbers of dTMS sessions. CONCLUSIONS In real-world clinical practice, the majority of OCD patients benefitted from dTMS, and the onset of improvement usually occurs within 20 sessions. Extending the treatment course beyond 29 sessions results in continued reduction of OCD symptoms, raising the prospect of value for extended treatment protocols in non-responders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiftach Roth
- The Department of Life Sciences and the Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; BrainsWay Ltd, Israel.
| | - Aron Tendler
- The Department of Life Sciences and the Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; BrainsWay Ltd, Israel; Advanced Mental Health Care, 11903 Southern Blvd. Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411, USA
| | - Mehmet Kemal Arikan
- AKADEMIK Psychiatry& Psychotherapy Center Halaskargazi Cad. No: 103, Gün Apt, apartment: 4B 34371 Osmanbey - Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ryan Vidrine
- TMS Health Solutions, 3300 WEBSTER STREET, SUITE #402 OAKLAND, CA, 94609, USA
| | - David Kent
- NuMe TMS, 2375 S Cobalt Point Way #102, Meridian, ID, 83642, USA
| | - Owen Muir
- Brooklyn Minds, 347 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY, 11211, USA
| | - Carlene MacMillan
- Brooklyn Minds, 10 W 37th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10018, USA
| | - Leah Casuto
- Lindner Center of Hope, 4075 Old Western Row Rd, Mason, OH, 45040, USA
| | - Geoffrey Grammer
- Greenbrook TMS, 8405 Greensboro Drive, Suite 120 McLean, VA 22102, USA
| | - William Sauve
- Greenbrook TMS, 8405 Greensboro Drive, Suite 120 McLean, VA 22102, USA
| | - Kellie Tolin
- Greenbrook TMS, 1500 Sunday Dr #200, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA
| | - Steven Harvey
- Greenbrook TMS, 11477, Olde Cabin Rd, Suite 210 St. Louis MO 63141, USA
| | - Misty Borst
- Greenbrook TMS, 8850, Stanford Boulevard, Suite 3300Columbia, MD 21045, USA
| | - Robert Rifkin
- Greenbrook TMS, 11477, Olde Cabin Rd, Suite 210 St. Louis MO 63141, USA
| | - Manish Sheth
- Achieve TMS, 5060 Shoreham Place Suite 100 San Diego, CA, 92122, USA
| | - Brandon Cornejo
- Achieve TMS, 516 SE Morrison St. Suite #309 Portland, OR, 97214, USA
| | - Raul Rodriguez
- Delray Center for Healing, 403 SE 1st St, Delray Beach, FL, 33483, USA
| | - Saad Shakir
- Silicon Valley TMS, 2039 Forest Ave Esthetician Freshman Classroom, San Jose, CA, 95128, USA
| | - Taylor Porter
- Prime TMS, 1811 Wakarusa Dr #102, Lawrence, KS, 66047, USA
| | - Deborah Kim
- 3535 Market St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Brent Peterson
- The family Living Institute, 1307 Jamestown Rd STE 202, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
| | - Julia Swofford
- TMS NW, 5512 NE 109th Ct ste n, Vancouver, WA, 98662, USA
| | - Brendan Roe
- TMS NW, 5512 NE 109th Ct ste n, Vancouver, WA, 98662, USA
| | | | | | - Abraham Zangen
- The Department of Life Sciences and the Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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