The Impact of a Group-Based Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Program on the Quality of Life in Patients With Fibromyalgia: Results From the QUALIFIBRO Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) have a substantially reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Their management should preferably focus on multidisciplinary nonpharmacological interventions. However, the long-term impact of such multicomponent therapies is not fully established. Waiting lists for patients seeking medical treatment are long, making individual-based approaches often unfeasible. The aim of our pragmatic study was to evaluate long-term HRQoL benefits of a comprehensive 8-week group-based multidisciplinary rehabilitation program focusing on patients' coping ability and self-care. METHODS: A total of 94 patients with clinically confirmed FM agreed to participate in this study. Before entering the program based on group-based cognitive behavioral therapy and graded activity training, patients completed questionnaires to screen for comorbidities. Health-related quality of life was assessed at the start, at 8 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year using the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey instrument. Changes in HRQoL scores were analyzed according to linear mixed regression modeling. RESULTS: Baseline findings confirmed the substantially low physical and mental HRQoL in FM patients as well as high levels of depression, anxiety, and burnout. Only 2 patients left the program prematurely; 89% participated in the 1-year assessment. By the end of the program, HRQoL was significantly improved in all domains. This effect was maintained at 6 months and 1 year for all subscales. Changes at 1 year were greater in younger patients and those with depressive feelings before the start of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our group-based program offered to FM patients proved successful with significant improvements in their HRQoL both in the short and long term.

Efficacy of Four Solanum spp. Extracts in an Animal Model of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Background: Leishmaniasis is a complex protozoa disease caused by Leishmania genus (Trypanosomatidae family). Currently, there have been renewed interests worldwide in plants as pharmaceutical agents. In this study, the in vivo efficacy of Solanum spp. is assessed in an L. amazonensis BALB/c mice model for experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis. Methods: Animals were infected with 5 × 106 metacyclic promastigotes and 30-day post-infection, a treatment with 30 mg/kg of Solanum extracts or Glucantime® (GTM) was applied intralesionally every four days to complete 5 doses. Results: Neither death nor loss of weight higher than 10% was observed. All the tested extracts were able to control the infection, compared with the infected and untreated group. Solanum havanense Jacq. extract showed the highest efficacy and was superior (p < 0.05) to GTM. Solanum myriacanthum Dunal., S. nudum Dunal. and S. seaforthianum Andr. extracts demonstrated a similar effect (p > 0.05) to GTM. An increase of IFN-γ (p < 0.05) was displayed only by animals treated with S. nudum compared to the group treated with a vehicle, while no differences (p > 0.05) were observed for IL-12. Conclusions:In vivo effects of Solanum extracts were demonstrated, suggesting that this genus could be further explored as a new antileishmanial alternative.