METHOD: This study employed a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) design. It involved 54 male basketball players aged 18 to 24 from three universities. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: control group (CG), mental fatigue group (MFG), and mental fatigue-mindfulness group (MF-MG). Players in the MFG and MF-MG underwent a 30-minute Stroop task to induce MF. Subsequently, players in the MF-MG engaged in a 30-minute audio mindfulness intervention. Basketball tactical performance was assessed in the small side games (SSG).
RESULTS: There were no significant differences in total tactics observed across groups and over time. However, when examining specific tactical sub-variables, significant differences were found in ball reversal, dribble penetration into the key area, and off-ball screen between the CG and MFG in the post-test. Furthermore, significant differences were noted in ball reversal, dribble penetration into the key area, on-ball screen, and off-ball screen between the MFG and MF-MG in the post-test.
CONCLUSION: The basketball tactical performances, particularly in areas such as ball reversal, dribble penetration into the key area, on-ball screen, and off-ball screen, were negatively impacted by MF. Notably, the brief mindfulness intervention effectively restored these performance aspects. This suggests that coaches and trainers should place increased emphasis on players' mental well-being and consider incorporating brief mindfulness interventions into their training programs. More studies that investigate mindfulness intervention on the comprehensive aspects of basketball performance should be focused on in the future.
METHODS: An electronic data search in Web of Science, SCOPUS, and PubMed for relevant papers; those written in English; those reporting quantitative data; and those including more than one hundred patients who received just chemotherapy were included. Studies involving participants that received other kinds of anti-neoplastic therapies were excluded.
RESULTS: A total of 35 papers published between January 2000 and December 2021 were retrieved from the search databases of which (11612 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Findings showed that fatigue negatively affected QOL with a pooled prevalence of 49% (95% CI; 25.00-74.00) and the significant heterogeneity between articles was (I²=98%, P <0.001). Further, breast cancer contributed to the majority of selected articles with about 55 % (95%CI; 9:00- 94:00), followed by cancer (unspecified) 44% (95%CI; 5:00 - 92:00). Most studies (71%) (95%CI; 4:00 - 99:00) used the brief fatigue inventory (BFI) tool to assess severity of fatigue and 39% (95%CI; 17:00 -68:00) employed the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire to evaluate QOL among cancer survivors.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of fatigue in cancer patients is high and fatigue has a negative impact on QOL of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Directionality, fatigue needs to be addressed and treated properly for better improvement of health status and QOL in cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of internet-based mindfulness interventions on the physical symptoms of people living with cancer, where physical symptoms are defined as distressing somatic experiences (eg fatigue, insomnia, and pain) regardless of the underlying cause. The secondary aim was to investigate interventions for the quality of life (QoL).
METHODS: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant articles were systematically searched using electronic databases, namely Scopus, Medline through PubMed, Cumulated Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) through EBSCOhost, and Cochrane Central Database. Randomized controlled and pilot trials involving adults and/or older adults with cancer and using remote-based mindfulness interventions compared to usual care were included. The quality of the trials included in this study was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias, version 2.0. This study estimated the standardized mean difference (SMD) and mean difference (MD) with 95% CI. The I2 test was used to identify potential causes of heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using contour-enhanced funnel plots and the Egger linear regression test to reveal a small study effect.
RESULTS: The initial search yielded 1985 records, of which 13 studies were ultimately included. After treatment, remote-based mindfulness significantly reduced fatigue (SMD -0.94; 95% CI: -1.56 to -0.33; P=.002), sleep disturbance (SMD -0.36; 95% CI: -0.60 to -0.12; P=.004), and improved physical function (SMD .25; 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.41; P=.002) compared to that observed before treatment. However, compared with usual care, remote-based mindfulness showed a statistically significant reduction only in sleep disturbance (SMD: -0.37; 95% CI: -0.58 to -0.16; P=.0006) after treatment. Moreover, remote-based mindfulness was not statistically significant in reducing pain both within and between groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Remote-based mindfulness shows promise in reducing sleep disturbances; however, its impact on fatigue, pain, and physical function may be limited.
METHODS: The studies used in this systematic review were selected from the articles published from 1996 to 2019, in national and international databases including SID, Magiran, Iranmedex, Irandoc, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science (ISI). These databases were thoroughly searched, and the relevant ones were selected based on some plausible keywords to the aim of this study. Heterogeneity index between studies was determined using Cochran's test and I2. Due to heterogeneity in studies, the random effects model was used to estimate standardized mean difference.
RESULTS: From the systematic review, a meta-analysis was performed on 31 articles which were fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The sample including of 714 subjects was selected from the intervention group, and almost the same sample size of 720 individuals were selected in the control group. Based on the results derived from this meta-analysis, the standardized mean difference between the intervention group before and after the intervention was respectively estimated to be 23.8 ± 6.2 and 16.9 ± 3.2, which indicates that the physical exercise reduces fatigue in patients with MS.
CONCLUSION: The results of this study extracted from a detailed meta-analysis reveal and confirm that physical exercise significantly reduces fatigue in patients with MS. As a results, a regular exercise program is strongly recommended to be part of a rehabilitation program for these patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited women referred to physiotherapy to manage OA. The measurements included fatigue severity (fatigue severity scale); pain level (numerical rating scale); obesity indices (body mass index, fat %, waist circumference); functional performances (upper limb strength, lower limb strength, mobility, exercise capacity and quality of life). A simple linear regression analysis was used to determine which independent variable may be associated with fatigue severity.
RESULTS: Ninety-six women with unilateral KOA participated in this study (Mean age, 55.70, Standard Deviation, SD 6.90) years; Mean fatigue severity, 34.51, SD 14.03). The simple linear regression analysis showed that pain level (β=4.089, p<0.001), fat % (β=0.825, p<0.001) and QoL (β=0.304, p<0.001) were significantly associated with fatigue. After controlling for pain level, only fat % was significantly associated with fatigue (β=0.581, p=0.005).
CONCLUSION: Pain level, fat %, and QoL appear to be associated with fatigue severity in women with KOA. In addition, pain symptoms may interact with factors associated with fatigue severity.
METHODS: This mixed-methods study includes (a) a systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) following PRISMA guidelines and (b) a constant-comparative qualitative analysis of effective intervention protocols.
RESULTS: Eleven published randomized clinical trials were reviewed. A total of 831 individuals were studied. Geographic settings include the USA, Australia, China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Qigong therapy was found to have positive effects on the cancer-specific QOL, fatigue, immune function, and cortisol levels of individuals with cancer. Qigong therapy protocols varied supporting a plurality of styles. Qualitative analyses identified common programming constructs. Content constructs included exercise (gentle, integrated, repetitious, flowing, weight-bearing movements), breath regulation, mindfulness and meditation, energy cultivation including self-massage, and emphasis on relaxation. Logistic constructs included delivery by qualified instructors, home practice, and accommodation for impaired activity tolerance.
CONCLUSIONS: There is global interest and a growing body of research providing evidence of therapeutic effect of Qigong therapy in supportive cancer care. While Qigong therapy protocols vary in style, construct commonalities do exist. Knowledge of the common constructs among effective programs revealed in this research may be used to guide future research intervention protocol and community programming design and development.
METHODS: The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022325505). MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, and the Cochrane Library were used as information sources. Eligible studies included original articles of cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, and case series with ≥5 subjects that reported the prevalence and type of neurological manifestations, with a minimum follow-up of 3 months after the acute phase of COVID-19 disease. Two independent reviewers screened studies from January 1, 2020, to June 16, 2022. The following manifestations were assessed: neuromuscular disorders, encephalopathy/altered mental status/delirium, movement disorders, dysautonomia, cerebrovascular disorders, cognitive impairment/dementia, sleep disorders, seizures, syncope/transient loss of consciousness, fatigue, gait disturbances, anosmia/hyposmia, and headache. The pooled prevalence and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated at the six pre-specified times.
RESULTS: 126 of 6,565 screened studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria, accounting for 1,542,300 subjects with COVID-19 disease. Of these, four studies only reported data on neurological conditions other than the 13 selected. The neurological disorders with the highest pooled prevalence estimates (per 100 subjects) during the acute phase of COVID-19 were anosmia/hyposmia, fatigue, headache, encephalopathy, cognitive impairment, and cerebrovascular disease. At 3-month follow-up, the pooled prevalence of fatigue, cognitive impairment, and sleep disorders was still 20% and higher. At six- and 9-month follow-up, there was a tendency for fatigue, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, anosmia/hyposmia, and headache to further increase in prevalence. At 12-month follow-up, prevalence estimates decreased but remained high for some disorders, such as fatigue and anosmia/hyposmia. Other neurological disorders had a more fluctuating occurrence.
DISCUSSION: Neurological manifestations were prevalent during the acute phase of COVID-19 and over the 1-year follow-up period, with the highest overall prevalence estimates for fatigue, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, anosmia/hyposmia, and headache. There was a downward trend over time, suggesting that neurological manifestations in the early post-COVID-19 phase may be long-lasting but not permanent. However, especially for the 12-month follow-up time point, more robust data are needed to confirm this trend.