Digital Drawing Tools for Assessing Mental Health Conditions - A Scoping Review.

INTRODUCTION: Drawing tasks are an elementary component of psychological assessment in the evaluation of mental health. With the rise of digitalization not only in psychology but healthcare in general, digital drawing tools (dDTs) have also been developed for this purpose. This scoping review aims at summarizing the state of the art of dDTs available to assess mental health conditions in people above preschool age. METHODS: PubMed, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, CINAHL, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection were searched for dDTs from 2000 onwards. The focus was on dDTs, which not only evaluate the final drawing, but also process data. RESULTS: After applying the search and selection strategy, a total of 37 articles, comprising unique dDTs, remained for data extraction. Around 75 % of these articles were published after 2014 and most of them target adults (86.5 %). In addition, dDTs were mainly used in two areas: tremor detection and assessment of cognitive states, utilizing, for example, the Spiral Drawing Test and the Clock Drawing Test. CONCLUSION: Early detection of mental diseases is an increasingly important field in healthcare. Through the integration of digital and art-based solutions, this area could expand into an interdisciplinary science. This review shows that the first steps in this direction have already been taken and that the possibilities for further research, e.g., on the optimized application of dDTs, are still open.

Effects of Choir Singing on Mental Health: Results of an Online Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: The study aims to quantify the impact of sociodemographic, personal, and choir-related characteristics on perceived singing well-being and mental health changes due to singing. STUDY DESIGN: 847 German adult choristers (233m, 614f, age 18-86 years) were interviewed in a cross-sectional online questionnaire study that included questions on singing well-being, vocal and choral characteristics, the adapted versions of the Bochum change questionnaire (BCQ2000), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-09), and the WHO-5 well-being index. METHODS: Multiple regression models were calculated with singing related well-being or mental health changes as dependent variables and individual and choir-related characteristics as factors. Predictors of mental health benefits were analyzed in gender subgroups and in persons with a low or normal/high score on the WHO-5. RESULTS: On average, participants rated the impact of singing on well-being and mental health changes positively. Subgroup analysis revealed smaller but significant positive mental health effects in men compared to women and in persons with a low WHO-5 score compared to those with a normal/high score. Education level and relationship status were not significantly related to subjects' perceptions of mental health benefits, whereas singing well-being increased with age in women and in participants with a low WHO-5 score. Larger improvements in mental health came along with longer choir membership, more singing hours per week, and a high engagement in choral activity. Significant positive associations of well-being with optimal singing behavior and vocal warm-ups were observed. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that singers of all ages, genders, and educational backgrounds perceive the choral experience as beneficial to their well-being and mental health. Positive effects are related to WHO-5 scores, engagement in choral activity, and optimal singing conditions. On average, women rate singing benefits higher than men and singers with preexisting vocal pathologies or low WHO-5 benefit slightly less.

No Gender Differences in Pain Perception and Medication after Lumbar Spine Sequestrectomy-A Reanalysis of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Gender issues have received increasing attention in clinical research of the past years, and biological sex has been introduced as a moderating variable in experimental pain perception. However, in clinical studies of acute pain and gender, there are conflicting results. In particular, there are limited data on the impact of gender differences after spinal sequestrectomy. The aim of this work is to examine gender differences in postoperative pain and pain medication consumption in an inpatient clinical setting. METHODS: Data of a completed double-blind RCT was subdivided by gender and reanalyzed by means of an analysis of variance in repeated measures. Outcomes included pain severity measured on a VAS, affective (SES-A) and sensory pain perception (SES-S) and morphine equivalent doses (MED) of analgesics after spinal sequestrectomy. RESULTS: In total, 42 female (47.73%) and 46 male (52.27%) patients were analyzed. No differences in pain severity (VAS: Gender × Time F = 0.35; (df = 2, 86); p = 0.708), affective and sensory pain perception (SES-A: Gender × Time F = 0.08; (df = 2, 86); p = 0.919; SES-S: Gender × Time F = 0.06; (df = 2, 86); p = 0.939) or post-operative opioid use between men and women (MEDs: Gender × Time F = 1.44; (df = 2, 86); p = 0.227) could be observed. CONCLUSIONS: This reanalysis of an RCT with respect to gender differences is to our knowledge the first attempt to investigate the role of gender in pain perception and medication after lumbar spine sequestrectomy. In contrast to other studies, we were not able to show significant differences between male and female patients in all pain-related outcomes. Apart from well-established pain management, psychological reasons such as gender-specific response biases or the observer effect might explain our results. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered as a regulatory phase IV study at the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), an open-access online register for clinical trials conducted in Germany (Reg-No: DRKS00007913).

Hypericum perforatum to Improve Postoperative Pain Outcome After Monosegmental Spinal Sequestrectomy (HYPOS): Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery often suffer from severe radicular postoperative pain leading to the prescription of high-dose opioids. In Integrative Medicine, Hypericum perforatum is known as a remedy to relieve pain caused by nerve damage. Objectives: This trial investigated whether homeopathic Hypericum leads to a reduction in postoperative pain and a decrease in pain medication compared with placebo. Design: Randomized double blind, monocentric, placebo controlled clinical trial. Settings/Location: Department of Neurosurgery, Community Hospital Herdecke. Subjects: Inpatients undergoing lumbar sequestrectomy surgery. Interventions: Homeopathic treatment versus placebo in addition to usual pain management. Outcomes Measures: Primary endpoint was pain relief measured with a visual analog scale. Secondary endpoints were the reduction of inpatient postoperative analgesic medication and change in sensory and affective pain perception. Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups. Pain perception between baseline and day 3 did not significantly differ between the study arms. With respect to pain medication, total morphine equivalent doses did not differ significantly. However, a statistical trend and a moderate effect (d = 0.432) in the decrease of pain medication consumption in favor of the Hypericum group was observed. Conclusion: This is the first trial of homeopathy that evaluated the efficacy of Hypericum C200 after lumbar monosegmental spinal sequestrectomy. Although no significant differences between the groups could be shown, we found that patients who took potentiated Hypericum in addition to usual pain management showed lower consumption of analgesics. Further investigations, especially with regard to pain medication, should follow to better classify the described analgesic reduction. Clinical Trial Registration Number: German Clinical Trials Register No: DRKS00007913.

Yoga, Eurythmy Therapy and Standard Physiotherapy (YES-Trial) for Patients With Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain: A Three-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial.

We aimed to evaluate the effects of yoga and eurythmy therapy compared to conventional physiotherapy exercises in patients with chronic low back pain. In a three-armed, multicentre, randomized controlled trial, patients with chronic low back pain were treated for 8 weeks in group sessions (75 minutes once per week). Primary outcome was patients' physical disability (measured by RMDQ) from baseline to week 8. Secondary outcome variables were pain intensity and pain-related bothersomeness (VAS), health-related quality of life (SF-12) and life satisfaction (BMLSS). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, after the intervention at 8 weeks and at a 16-week follow up. Data of 274 participants were used for statistical analyses. There were no significant differences between the three groups for the primary and all secondary outcomes. In all groups, RMDQ decreased comparably at 8 weeks, but did not reach clinical meaningfulness. Pain intensity and pain-related bothersomeness decreased, while quality of life increased in all 3 groups. In explorative general linear models for the SF-12's mental health component participants in the eurythmy arm benefitted significantly more compared to physiotherapy and yoga. Furthermore, within-group analyses showed improvements of SF-12 mental score for yoga and eurythmy therapy only. All interventions were safe. Clinical Trials Register: DRKS-ID: DRKS00004651 Perspective: This article presents the results of a multicentre three-armed randomized controlled trial on the clinical effects of three 8-week programs in patients with chronic low back pain. Compared to the 'gold standard' of conventional physiotherapeutic exercises, eurythmy therapy and yoga therapy lead to comparable symptomatic improvements in patients with chronic low back pain. However, the within-group effect sizes were small to moderate and did not reach clinical meaningfulness on patients' physical disability (RMDQ).

The prevalence of young carers - a standardised survey amongst school students (KiFam-study).

BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents who provide care, assistance or support for a chronically ill family member are called young carers. While there is a growing body of research about their specific situation, needs and impact of caring, only very few studies provide information on prevalence rates. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to provide prevalence data for young carers in Germany, and to describe and quantify the nature and extent of their help. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Data collection took place between 2016 and 2017 in 44 secondary schools (fifth to 13th grade) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 6313 students aged from 10 to 22 years participated in this study. They represent 0.5% of the basic population. METHODS: Based on the results of a preliminary qualitative study, a standardised electronic questionnaire was developed, which comprised four subject areas: socio-demographic information, general daily aids, health-related quality of life and chronic illness within the family. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests for nominal data and univariate analyses of variance for metrical data together with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: 19.6% (n = 1238) of all respondents state that someone in their family needs help due to a chronic illness. Nevertheless, not all of them are involved in caring activities. The prevalence of those defined as young carers in this study is 6.1% (n = 383), 64% are girls. They take on a wide range of activities. In addition to domestic work, they help their ill relatives with mobility, dressing and undressing, medication, feeding, personal hygiene and with intimate care. CONCLUSIONS: The data provide a good insight into the situation of young carers. The prevalence rate is higher than expected. It refers to the social relevance of this topic and the need for further investigations.

The Digital Tree Drawing Test for Screening of Early Dementia: An Explorative Study Comparing Healthy Controls, Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Patients with Early Dementia of the Alzheimer Type.

The digital tree drawing test (dTDT) is a newly developed screening tool for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease. It is performed with a digitizing pen, recording each pen stroke with temporal and spatial precision. It was hypothesized that movement characteristics recorded during the painting process contribute to the identification of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia of the Alzheimer type (eDAT). The study population consisted of 187 participants (67 healthy controls, 64 MCI, and 56 eDAT patients) with a mean age of 68.6±10.6 years. Between-group comparisons of the dTDT-variables were conducted with analysis of variance. The diagnostic power of dTDT variables was analyzed with stepwise logistic regressions and areas under curve (AUC) of receiver operating control curves. Cognitively impaired persons used less colors and line widths and changed them less often than healthy subjects (p-values ≤0.05). Compared to control, eDAT patients had larger not-painting periods, were slower, and their pictures had less contrast, image size, and complexity (p-values ≤0.01). Logistic regression models of stepwise selected dTDT variables resulted in an AUC of 0.84 (95% confidence interval (CI) [0.79, 0.90], sensitivity = 0.78, specificity = 0.77) for discriminating healthy subjects from all cognitive impaired, an AUC of 0.77. (95% CI [0.69; 0.85], sensitivity = 0.56, specificity = 0.83) for discriminating healthy controls from MCI patients and an AUC of 0.90 (95% CI [0.84, 0.96], sensitivity = 0.86, specificity = 0.82) for discriminating controls from eDAT patients. The results suggest that digital recording of pen-stroke data during the drawing process can contribute to the screening of cognitive impaired patients.

Diagnostic value of digital clock drawing test in comparison with CERAD neuropsychological battery total score for discrimination of patients in the early course of Alzheimer's disease from healthy individuals.

The early detection of cognitive impairment or dementia is in the focus of current research as the amount of cognitively impaired individuals will rise intensely in the next decades due to aging population worldwide. Currently available diagnostic tools to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia are time-consuming, invasive or expensive and not suitable for wide application as required by the high number of people at risk. Thus, a fast, simple and sensitive test is urgently needed to enable an accurate detection of people with cognitive dysfunction and dementia in the earlier stages to initiate specific diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. We examined digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT) kinematics for their clinical utility in differentiating patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) or mild Alzheimer's dementia (mAD) from healthy controls (HCs) and compared it with the diagnostic value of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) neuropsychological battery total score. Data of 381 participants (138 patients with aMCI, 106 patients with mAD and 137 HCs) was analyzed in the present study. All participants performed the clock drawing test (CDT) on a tablet computer and underwent the CERAD test battery and depression screening. CERAD total scores were calculated by subtest summation, excluding MMSE scores. All tablet variables (i.e. time in air, time on surface, total time, velocity, pressure, pressure/velocity relation, strokes per minute, time not painting, pen-up stroke length, pen-up/pen-down relation, and CDT score) during dCDT performance were entered in a forward stepwise logistic regression model to assess, which parameters best discriminated between aMCI or mAD and HC. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were constructed to visualize the specificity in relation to the sensitivity of dCDT variables against CERAD total scores in categorizing the diagnostic groups. dCDT variables provided a slightly better diagnostic accuracy of 81.5% for discrimination of aMCI from HCs than using CERAD total score (accuracy 77.5%). In aMCI patients with normal CDT scores, both dCDT (accuracy 78.0%) and CERAD total scores (accuracy 76.0%) were equally accurate in discriminating against HCs. Finally, in differentiating patients with mAD from healthy individuals, accuracy of both dCDT (93.0%) and CERAD total scores (92.3%) was excellent. Our findings suggest that dCDT is a suitable screening tool to identify early cognitive dysfunction. Its performance is comparable with the time-consuming established psychometric measure (CERAD test battery).

Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease Based on the Patient's Creative Drawing Process: First Results with a Novel Neuropsychological Testing Method.

Based on the knowledge of art therapy, we developed a new neuropsychological drawing test in order to identify individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as dementia patients and healthy controls (HC). By observing a variety of drawing characteristics of 92 participants with a mean age of 67.7, art therapy and dementia experts discriminate HC from MCI, early dementia of the Alzheimer-type (eDAT), and moderate dementia of the Alzheimer-type (mDAT) by the process analysis of tree drawings on a digitizing tablet. The art therapist's average categorical rating of healthy and MCI or demented individuals matched the clinical diagnosis by 88%. In a first small study, we analyzed interrater reliability, sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predicted values of our tree drawing test (TDT) in comparison with the clock drawing test (CDT). Similar values of moderate interrater reliability were found for the TDT (0.56) as well as for the CDT (0.54). A significant high sensitivity of 0.9 within this binary impairment scale (HC versus impaired or demented) can be demonstrated. Substantial values for the specificity (0.67) could be obtained that however remain under a perfect value of the CDT (1.0). Considering 31 individuals that received the clinical diagnosis "impaired or demented" the TDT shows a higher recognition rate for the MCI group than the CDT. Furthermore in 8 of 12 borderline cases of clinical diagnosis, the outcome of the TDT diagnosis was consistent with the final clinical result.

The Effectiveness of Leech Therapy in Chronic Low Back Pain.

BACKGROUND: Leech therapy has been found to be effective in the treatment of a number of chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes. Leeches are also often used empirically to treat chronic low back pain, but data from clinical trials have been lacking to date. We therefore conducted the first randomized trial of leech therapy for chronic low back pain. METHODS: Patients with chronic low back pain were randomized to receive either a single session of local treatment with 4-7 leeches or four weekly sessions of exercise therapy (1 hour each) led by a physical therapist. The primary endpoint was a change in average back pain intensity, as measured using a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS), after 28 days. Secondary end- points included functional impairment (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire), quality of life (Short-Form Health Questionnaire [SF 36]), pain perception (pain perception scale = Schmerzempfindungsskala [SES]), depressivity (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [CES-D]), and analgesic consumption (questionnaire/ diary). Trial visits took place before treatment and on days 28 ± 3 and 56 ± 5 after the start of treatment; the overall duration of the trial was 56 ± 5 days. RESULTS: The mean low back pain score improved from 61.2 ± 15.6 before treatment to 33.1 ± 22.4 on day 28 in the leech ther- apy group (n = 25) and from 61.6 ± 14.8 to 59.8 ± 16.7 in the exercise therapy group (n = 19) (group difference -25.2; 95% con- fidence interval [-41.0; -9.45]; p = 0.0018). Significant benefits of leech therapy were also found at both time points with respect to physical impairment and function as well as physical quality of life. The patients' expectations from treatment were higher in the leech therapy group but did not significantly affect the findings. CONCLUSION: A single session of leech therapy is more effective over the short term in lowering the intensity of pain over the short term and in improving physical function and quality of life over the intermediate term (4 weeks and 8 weeks, respectively). The limitations of this trial are the lack of blinding and the small number of patients. Leech therapy appears to be an effective treat- ment for chronic low back pain.