Assessment of Internal Nasal Dimensions of Individuals With Cleft Lip and Palate and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome by Computed Tomography.

To evaluate nasal cavity (NC) dimensions of individuals with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and primary snoring, by tomographic image analysis, compared to individuals with OSA without CL/P (N-CL/P).Cross-sectional and retrospective.Tertiary referral center.Patients were divided into 2 groups: (G1) CL/P + OSA or primary snoring, n = 11; (G2) N-CL/P + OSA, n = 13.NC tomographic images were reconstructed using ITK-SNAP software, and measurements were obtained from these three-dimensional models using SpaceClaim software.Total NC volumes, right and left NC volumes, and volumes of the nostril to the nasal valve (V1) and from the nasal valve to the superior limit of the nasopharynx (V2), cross-sectional areas, and perimeters.NC volumes (total, right, and left sides), V1, and V2, though smaller in the CL/P + OSA, did not differ significantly from the N-CL/P + OSA. Cross-sectional areas and perimeters of the superior limit of the nasopharynx, in the CL/P + OSA, presented significantly higher values compared to the N-CL/P + OSA (P ≤ .05).The internal nasal dimensions of patients with CL/P do not seem to be part of the etiopathogenesis, nor constitute a risk factor for OSA with greater severity, in this special group of patients.

Differences between experimental and placebo arms in manual therapy trials: a methodological review.

BACKGROUND: To measure the specific effectiveness of a given treatment in a randomised controlled trial, the intervention and control groups have to be similar in all factors not distinctive to the experimental treatment. The similarity of these non-specific factors can be defined as an equality assumption. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the equality assumptions in manual therapy trials. METHODS: Relevant studies were identified through the following databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, Scholar Google, clinicaltrial.gov, the Cochrane Library, chiloras/MANTIS, PubMed Europe, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and Sciencedirect. Studies investigating the effect of any manual intervention compared to at least one type of manual control were included. Data extraction and qualitative assessment were carried out independently by four reviewers, and the summary of results was reported following the PRISMA statement. RESULT: Out of 108,903 retrieved studies, 311, enrolling a total of 17,308 patients, were included and divided into eight manual therapy trials categories. Equality assumption elements were grouped in three macro areas: patient-related, context-related and practitioner-related items. Results showed good quality in the reporting of context-related equality assumption items, potentially because largely included in pre-existent guidelines. There was a general lack of attention to the patient- and practitioner-related equality assumption items. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the similarity between experimental and sham interventions is limited, affecting, therefore, the strength of the evidence. Based on the results, methodological aspects for planning future trials were discussed and recommendations to control for equality assumption were provided.

Cranial osteopathic techniques and electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha power: a controlled crossover trial.

CONTEXT: Osteopathic tradition in the cranial field (OCF) stated that the primary respiratory mechanism (PRM) relies on the anatomical links between the occiput and sacrum. Few studies investigated this relationship with inconsistent results. No studies investigated the occiput-sacrum connection from a neurophysiological perspective. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine whether the sacral technique (ST), compared to the compression of the fourth ventricle (CV4) technique, can affect brain alpha-band power (AABP) as an indicator of a neurophysiological connection between the occiput and sacrum. METHODS: Healthy students, 22-30 years old for men and 20-30 years old for women, were enrolled in the study and randomized into eight interventions groups. Each group received a combination of active techniques (CV4 or ST) and the corresponding sham techniques (sham compression of the fourth ventricle [sCV4] or sham sacral technique [sST] ), organized in two experimental sessions divided by a 4 h washout period. AABP was continuously recorded by electroencephalogram (EEG) of the occipital area in the first 10 min of resting state, during each intervention (active technique time) and after 10 min (post-active technique time), for a total of approximately 50 min per session. Analysis was carried out utilizing a repeated-measure ANOVA within the linear general model framework, consisting of a within-subject factor of time and a within-subject factor of treatment (CV4/ST). RESULTS: Forty healthy volunteers (mean age ± SD, 23.73±1.43 years; range, 21-26 years; 16 male and 24 female) were enrolled in the study and completed the study protocol. ANOVA revealed a time × treatment interaction effect statistically significant (F=791.4; p<0.001). A particularly high increase in mean AABP magnitude was recorded during the 10 min post-CV4, compared to both the CV4 and post-sCV4 application (p<0.001). During all the times analyzed for ST and sST application, no statistically significant differences were registered with respect to the resting state. CONCLUSIONS: The ST does not produce immediate changes on occipital AABP brain activity. CV4, as previous evidence supported, generates immediate effects, suggesting that a different biological basis for OCF therapy's connection between the head and sacrum should be explored.

Effectiveness of Myofascial Manual Therapies in Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is defined as the occurrence of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in the absence of a specific cause. People typically refer to pain associated with urological, gynaecological, and sexual dysfunction, affecting the quality of life. Therefore, we assessed the effectiveness of myofascial manual therapies (MMT) for pain and symptom impact. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Findings were reported following the 2020 PRISMA statement. Five databases were searched for RCTs. Studies were independently assessed through a standardized form, and their internal validity was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated post-treatment, and the quality of evidence was assessed through GRADE criteria. RESULTS: Seven articles were included in the review, five of these in the meta-analysis. None of these studies were completely judged at low RoB. MMT was revealed to be not significantly superior for pain reduction [ES: -0.54 (-1.16; 0.08); p = 0.09], for symptom impact [ES: -0.37 (-0.87; 0.13); p = 0.15], and for quality of life [ES: -0.44 (-1.22, 0.33), p = 0.26] compared to standard care. The quality of evidence was "very low". Other results were presented in a qualitative synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CPP/CPPS, MMT is not considered superior to other interventions for pain reduction and symptom impact improvements. However, a positive trend was detected, and we should find confirmation in the future. Further high-quality, double-blinded, sham-controlled RCTs are first necessary to confirm these positive effects and to improve the quality of evidence.

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Limits Chronic Constipation in a Child with Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome.

Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome (PTHS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by insufficient expression of the TCF4 gene. Children with PTHS typically present with gastrointestinal disorders and early severe chronic constipation is frequently found (75%). Here we describe the case of a PTHS male 10-year-old patient with chronic constipation in whom Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) resulted in improved bowel functions, as assessed by the diary, the QPGS-Form A Section C questionnaire, and the Paediatric Bristol Stool Form Scale. The authors suggested that OMT may be a valid tool to improve the defecation frequency and reduce enema administration in PTHS patients.