Efficacy of escitalopram oxalate for patients with post-stroke depression.

This retrospective study investigated the efficacy and safety of escitalopram oxalate (ESO) for the treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD).A total of 115 patients with PSD were included in this study. A total of 65 patients underwent ESO (Intervention group). A total of 50 patients received acupressure (Control group). The outcome measurements included Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). In addition, we also recorded the adverse events in this study.At the end of 8-week treatment, ESO showed greater efficacy in depression, measured by MADRS (P < .01); anxiety, measured by HAM-A scale (P < .01); and disability, measured by SDS (P < .01), compared to acupressure. Additionally, there were not significant differences regarding adverse events between two groups (P > .05).The present results indicate that ESO can decrease symptoms of patients with PSD.

A randomized controlled trial of acupressure as an adjunctive therapy to sodium valproate on the prevention of chronic migraine with aura.

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using acupressure as an adjunctive therapy to sodium valproate (SV) combined with acupressure (ASV) on the prevention of chronic migraine with aura (CMA). METHODS: A total of 98 patients with CMA were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group, with 49 patients in each group. The patients in the intervention group received ASV, while the participants in the control group received SV alone. The primary outcome was measured by the numeric rating scale (NRS). The secondary outcomes including frequency of migraine attacks, the times of using analgesics, and quality of life, measured by the short-form 36 Health Survey Scale (SF-36) score. In addition, adverse events (AEs) were also recorded throughout the trial. The outcomes were measured at the end of the 8-week treatment, and 4-week follow-up. RESULTS: After the 8-week treatment and 4-week follow-up, ASV efficacy was not greater than that of SV alone regarding pain relief, as measured using the NRS, and frequency of migraine attacks, consumption of analgesics, and quality of life, as measured using the SF-36. However, ASV can significantly reduce the nausea when compared with SV (P = .04). CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that ASV can decrease migraine-related nausea during treatment, but cannot relieve pain or enhance quality of life in patients with CMA.

The Effectiveness of Topical Anti-scarring Agents and a Novel Combined Process on Cutaneous Scar Management.

Cutaneous scars (particularly hypertrophic and keloid scars), not only can cause adverse cosmetic problems, but also can be associated with emotional distress such as anxiety and depression. Comparing with other surgical treatments, patients who do not opt for or cannot opt for invasion therapies are more eligible for using the topical anti-scarring agents. In this mini-review, we have researched for and collected the data between October 2005 and October 2015, in PubMed and Web of Science, and identified those agents including silicone-based products, imiquimod, corticosteroids, 5-fluorouracil, bleomycin, mitomycin, and plant extracts such as onion extract, asiaticoside, aloe vera, vitamin E, and so on. Besides, we have listed these popular products in commercial market with their useful information. We have also described the combined process according to our clinical experience. However, to establish the more effective treatment among different types of topical agents or their combined process, large, well-designed head-to-head comparisons between individual and combined preparations in relevant patient populations are urgently needed.