The primary aim of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that the urge to smoke interferes directly with cognitive performance. Fifty-four smokers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (a). ad lib, (b). deprived, or (c). nicotine patch. Participants rated their urge to smoke on continuous visual analogue scales. Cognitive performance was determined by measuring reaction times (RTs) o...

BACKGROUND Recently, a demand for safe and effective treatment of acne has been increasing. Although visible light has attracted attention as a new option, the effect of red light alone has not yet been evaluated. OBJECTIVES The objective was to assess the efficacy of red light phototherapy with a portable device in acne vulgaris. METHODS Twenty-eight volunteers with mild to moderate acne w...

[Purpose] This study compared the effects on neck-shoulder pain and mobility of strengthening exercises for the neck flexors and scapular retractors performed on a Swiss ball and a mat. [Subjects] Twenty student volunteers were the subjects. [Methods] The students were randomly assigned to two groups: Mat group (n=10), and Swiss ball group (n=10). At pre-test, post-test, and 1-week follow-up pa...

Fifteen anaesthetists were observed while providing anaesthesia for 15 pairs of adult cardiac surgical operations, using conventional methods for one of each pair and a new drug administration system designed to reduce error for the other. Aspects of each method were rated by users on 10-cm visual analogue scales (10 being best). The new system was rated more favourably than conventional method...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of botulinum toxin A on associated pain and functional impairment of refractory plantar fasciitis. DESIGN This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 27 patients (43 feet) with plantar fasciitis. Block randomization was performed using computer software. In patients with bilateral symptoms of comparable severity, botulinum toxin A was in...

BACKGROUND Auricular acupuncture at the relaxation point has been previously shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety in the preoperative setting. The purpose of this prospective, randomized, blinded study was to determine whether auricular acupressure can reduce stress and anxiety during ambulance transport. METHODS Patients who required ambulance transport secondary to medical conditi...

We have examined the hypnotic effects of zopiclone 7.5 mg and temazepam 20 mg compared with placebo in a double-blind, randomized, clinical study of 60 patients on the night before operation. Evaluation was both subjective (visual analogue scales and a sleep questionnaire), to measure the quality of sleep, and objective (critical flicker fusion, object recall and paired associates tasks), to me...

Identification of preoperative signs and symptoms that may predict the outcome of surgery is important, for both patient selection and the development of interventions for improving outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of some selected preoperative signs and symptoms for predicting outcomes of nasal septoplasty. Patients undergoing septoplasty with or without turbinoplast...

PURPOSE To determine if the efficacy of pain treatment assessed by the patient is a valid indicator to evaluate pain management. METHODS Three hundred and ninety one adult patients were investigated on the day of surgery and on the two following days after intraperitoneal or orthopedic surgery. Pain scores and efficacy of pain treatment were evaluated using ungraduated visual analog scales (V...