Comparative efficacy of brolucizumab, half-dose photodynamic therapy, and aflibercept in managing chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of brolucizumab, half-dose PDT, and aflibercept in treating chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study with chronic CSC patients who underwent intravitreal injection of one shot of brolucizumab or aflibercept in the first 3 months, followed by pro re nata regimens or a single session of half-dose PDT, was retrospectively reviewed. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of eyes that achieved complete absorption of retinal fluid without requiring any rescue treatment. Secondary outcomes included changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), and central choroidal thickness (CCT). RESULTS: A total of 54 consecutive patients were included in this study with 18 patients in each group. At months 1 and 2, the brolucizumab group exhibited the highest rate of complete retinal fluid resolution (61% and 77%), followed by the half-dose PDT group (56% and 72%), and lowest in the aflibercept group (28% and 33%), with statistically significant differences noted at month 2 (P = 0.012). The brolucizumab group also demonstrated the most significant reduction in CCT at months 1 and 2 among the three groups (P = 0.007 and 0.001). Recurrence of retinal fluid in the brolucizumab groups was predominantly observed at month 3. Conversely, the half-dose PDT group exhibited the most favorable anatomical results starting from month 3. Notably, mild vitritis was observed in one case from the brolucizumab group. CONCLUSIONS: Single injection of brolucizumab demonstrates trends of faster regression of persistent residual retinal fluid, greater CCT and CRT decline, and matched BCVA compared to half-dose PDT in the short term.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Short-Term Abstinence Intervention for Problematic Social Media Use: Improved Well-Being and Underlying Mechanisms.

Problematic social media use is detrimental to users' subjective well-being. Based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), we proposed a short-term abstinence intervention to treat this problem. A mixed method study with 65 participants was conducted to examine the effectiveness of this intervention and to reveal the underlying mechanisms of how the intervention influences participants. While the experimental group (N = 33) took eight 2.5-h breaks from social media over two weeks and had daily dairies, the control group (N = 32) used social media as usual and had daily diaries. The results demonstrated that the intervention has a positive effect on life satisfaction. The effect varied with the time users conducted abstinence (work hours vs. off hours) and the level of social media addiction (heavy users vs. normal users). Qualitative findings from dairies and interviews unveiled associations among users' behaviors, feelings, and cognitions during and after abstinence. These results extend the understanding of the CBT-based short-term abstinence intervention and suggest opportunities to alleviate problematic social media use.