Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is one of the treatment options available for spasticity management in ambulatory children and young people with cerebral palsy (CYPwCP). Although improvements in gross motor function one to two years after surgery have been established, evidence of longer-term benefit requires further investigation. Given the irreversible nature of SDR and the increased rehabilitation commitments required from families and clinicians, providing evidence of longer-term benefits is essential to support their decision-making. This study aims to investigate medium (3–5 years) and long-term (6–10 years) SDR outcomes in ambulatory children with CP and how SDR affects families’ lives over time.

This is a convergent parallel mixed-methods study using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a theoretical framework. The study aims to recruit 90 CYPwCP participants, who had SDR at a tertiary hospital in the UK when aged between 3 and 14 years. Participants (parents and CYPwCP) will be invited to complete an online survey and attend the hospital for one follow-up visit 3 or more years after SDR. Comparisons will be made with existing data on objective measures and parent-reported outcomes collected in clinical practice at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months to understand the trajectory of changes. Semistructured interviews will be conducted with 18–20 parents/carers and 25–30 CYPwCP to understand their perspectives on the outcomes of SDR compared with their prior expectations. The Framework Method will be used to analyse qualitative data both inductively and deductively. Qualitative and quantitative study data will be integrated using joint displays.

Ethical approval has been obtained through the Coventry and Warwick Research and Ethics Committee (24/WM/0078). Findings will be shared through international conferences, peer-reviewed journals, social media and dissemination events for families and CYP.

NCT06518889.

Phasix mesh is a fully resorbable synthetic mesh for use in clean and contaminated ventral incisional hernia repairs. Long-term absorbable Phasix mesh appears to be a safe and promising device in incisional hernia repair, with low recurrence rates; however, data on long-term complications after surgery, particularly after the resorption period of the mesh, are scarce.

This protocol describes a study of several European registries on the use of a Phasix mesh in incisional hernia repair. The primary endpoint of the study is long-term complications at 2–5 year follow-up after mesh implantation, with secondary endpoints including hernia recurrence and complications during short-term follow-up.

Ethical approval was not required for this protocol as the study is based on anonymised registry data collected with prior patient consent in each registry. Each participating registry has its own ethical approval process, and this study will adhere to those regulations. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Research in people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (PwRRMS) is increasingly focusing on non-motor symptoms like cognitive impairment, fatigue and depression. Due to the high negative impact on quality of life and high socioeconomic costs based on these symptoms, more specific research to improve non-motor symptoms is needed. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has been found to be a cognitive enhancer in preclinical research and was successfully used for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders to combat dysfunctional cognitive and affective processes. However, the capacity of taVNS to improve cognitive and other non-motor symptoms in PwRRMS has not been tested yet. The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic potential of taVNS on cognitive processing speed. Based on ample evidence demonstrating that taVNS promotes adaptive cognitive and affective processes, we hypothesised that taVNS would alleviate cognitive processing speed in PwRRMS.

This study protocol describes the prospective, single-centre, SHAM-controlled, single-blinded trial with a planned sample size of 60 participants (30 PwRRMS, with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis according to McDonald criteria and 30 healthy controls; age: 18–50 years). The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) will be used to determine cognitive processing speed, Beck Depression Inventory-II to determine depression and Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions to determine fatigue. The severity of multiple sclerosis will be assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale. After baseline assessment, a taVNS protocol (duration: 30 min, tolerance threshold, pulse width: 250 μs, stimulation frequency: 25 Hz, 30 s on/30 s off) will be applied, followed by post-intervention assessment.

The study was reviewed and approved by the local ethics committee of the University Medical Centre Greifswald (study reference number: BB137/24). Clinical trial registration: www.drks.de, number: DRKS00034912. Study results will be disseminated through academic conferences as well as peer-reviewed publications.

DRKS00034912.

To address the growing prevalence of sedentary behaviours among older adults and their associated adverse health outcomes, there is an urgent need to prioritise effective and accessible interventions. Mobile health (mHealth) delivers healthcare services and health-related information through portable electronic devices, enabling interventions to be administered directly in home settings. However, the evidence on the effectiveness of mHealth interventions in reducing sitting time among older adults remains inconsistent. To derive literature-based estimates of the effectiveness of mHealth interventions, we will systematically review and meta-analyse the impact of these interventions on sitting time in adults aged 55 years and older.

An electronic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane will be conducted from database inception to March 2025 to identify randomised controlled trials evaluating the effects of mHealth interventions on sitting time during waking hours, excluding sleep duration. Subgroup analyses will explore potential moderators (eg, participant characteristics, intervention specifics). Studies from all settings (eg, community, long-term care facilities, etc) will be considered. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines will be explicitly applied for structuring this report. Methodological quality will be assessed using the Cochrane Handbook tool. Two independent reviewers will screen the studies and extracted data, with methodological quality to be assessed using established criteria. Meta-analyses will be performed using Review Manager v.5.4 software.

This study uses secondary data and, therefore, does not require ethics approval. The findings will be communicated through presentations at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. The results will inform the development of future mHealth interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behaviour in older adults and provide benchmarks for the effectiveness of technology-driven public health strategies. This protocol adheres to the PRISMA guidelines and follows the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions for methodological rigour.

CRD42023443926.

Occiput posterior position is the most common fetal malposition, complicating up to 35% of initial labours, and its persistence can lead to increased risks of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. The role of maternal postures, such as lateral recumbent and hands-and-knees, in promoting the anterior rotation of the fetal head has been investigated in several randomised trials in the last two decades, with mostly negative results. However, both methodological and study design limitations may have contributed to such findings. Recently, the use of forward-leaning inversion and side-lying release procedures and of the Rebozo technique has been implemented into clinical practice as a non-invasive alternative to promote the anterior rotation of the fetal head. Yet, neither intervention has been rigorously assessed in a controlled study. Our aim is to conduct a randomised controlled trial to assess whether a combination of forward-leaning inversion and side-lying release procedures and the Rebozo technique in a pre-specified sequence during the first stage of labour of women with a posterior fetus would favour its anterior rotation.

The ReMaP-POPP (Rebozo and maternal procedures to prevent persistent occiput posterior position of the fetal head) trial will be an open-label single-centre randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. Women will be eligible if they are ≥18 years old, in labour (3 to 8 cm) and with a singleton term fetus (≥37^0/7 weeks) in an occiput posterior position confirmed by transabdominal sonography. Eligible women will be randomised into two groups: (1) intervention, a sequence of forward-leaning inversion and side-lying release procedures and Rebozo technique (duration 90–105 min); and (2) control, standard of care (maternal postures, including upright, lateral recumbent and hands-and-knees). Blinding will be guaranteed only for the physician assessing the fetal head position by sonography. Randomisation will be performed using randomly permuted blocks of varying sizes (4, 6 and 8), stratified by parity, in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome will be the probability of occiput posterior position of the fetal head 3 hours and 30 min after randomisation, diagnosed by sonography. Secondary outcomes will include the probability of occiput posterior position at full cervical dilation and at birth, maternal and neonatal health-related outcomes, as well as maternal pain intensity and ability to cope with pain and birth satisfaction level. We will also assess safety outcomes regarding challenges in adequate fetal heart rate monitoring during the time interval between randomisation and primary outcome assessment. Sample size estimation considered the possibility to decrease the probability of occiput posterior position from 35.8% (control, based on prior retrospective data at our Institution) to 22% with the proposed intervention. With a power of 0.90 and a two-sided value of 0.05, the estimated sample size will be n=462 (n=231/arm). Considering a potential attrition rate of 20%, n=578 women will be needed. Enrolment will require approximately 16 months. Primary and secondary outcomes will be analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The effects of the intervention will be estimated by relative risks and their 95% CI.

The study has been approved by the Lombardy Ethics Committee n.3 (n. 5499, 20 December 2024). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Women will be free to decline participation or to withdraw at any time. Findings will be presented at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals in the field of midwifery and obstetrics. Also, they will be disseminated to the public through outreach activities involving families and healthcare specialists.

The study has been registered in the Clinical Trials database (NCT06887634).

The evidence for the optimal duration of psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder (BPD) is scarce. Two previous trials have compared different durations of psychotherapy. The first compared 6 months versus 12 months of dialectical behaviour therapy for BPD (the FASTER trial). The second compared 5 months versus 14 months of mentalisation-based therapy for BPD (the MBT-RCT trial). The primary objective of the present study will be to provide an individual patient data pooled analysis of two randomised clinical trials by combining the two short-term groups and the two long-term groups from the FASTER and MBT-RCT trials, thereby providing greater statistical power than the individual trials. Accordingly, we will evaluate the overall evidence on the effects of short-term versus long-term psychotherapy for BPD and investigate whether certain subgroups might benefit from short-term versus long-term psychotherapy.

An individual patient data pooled analysis of the FASTER trial and the MBT-RCT trial will be conducted. The primary outcome will be a composite of the proportion of participants with a suicide, a suicide attempt or a psychiatric hospitalisation. The secondary outcome will be the proportion of participants with self-harm. Exploratory outcomes will be BPD symptoms, symptom distress, level of functioning and quality of life. We will primarily assess outcomes at 15 months after randomisation for the FASTER trial and at 16 months after randomisation for the MBT-RCT trial. Predefined subgroups based on the design variables in the original trials will be tested for interaction with the intervention as follows: trial, sex (male compared with female), age (below or at 30 years compared with above 30 years) and baseline level of functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning baseline score at 0–49 compared with 50–100).

The statistical analyses will be performed on anonymised trial data that have already been approved by the respective ethical committees that originally assessed the included trials. The final analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and the results will be presented at national seminars and international conferences.

CRD42024612840.

The transition from paediatric to adult healthcare marks a pivotal period for chronically ill adolescents, as they transition from a highly supportive and family-oriented environment to an adult-oriented and a more individual-oriented healthcare system that places a greater emphasis on personal responsibility and independence. Parents, given their firsthand experience managing their child’s healthcare, play a central role in ensuring a smooth and successful transition, yet their perspectives on the barriers and facilitators of this complex process remain vastly underexplored. This scoping review aims to assess and provide comprehensive insights into parents’ perceptions of the successes and challenges during their adolescents’ transition from paediatric to adult healthcare.

This scoping review is led by patient partners and will be guided by the Peters et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews. The preliminary search strategy will be developed and calibrated in Ovid MEDLINE and will be subsequently replicated in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsychInfo, Embase, Web of Science and Sociological Abstracts from inception through 18 December 2024, including all types of studies. Grey literature sources recommended by patient partners and clinical and qualitative research experts will also be included. Two reviewers will independently perform the title and abstract review of all studies against the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by the full-text review of included studies. The reference list of all included studies will also be screened to maximise the retrieval of relevant sources. Data will be extracted and analysed quantitatively and qualitatively, with the study procedural and reporting format following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.

This scoping review, through the broad and systematic mapping of existing literature, aims to provide a foundation for developing targeted support systems, strategies and interventions to address the unique needs and barriers faced by parents and caregivers of chronically ill adolescents during this critical transition to adult care.

Psychotic disorders are more prevalent among minority ethnic groups in the UK. However, there is no research on how the British Sikh community understands and seeks help for psychosis. The way in which a community understands the nature, causes and treatment of psychosis can impact their duration of untreated psychosis, treatment pathways, experience and engagement with mental health services, and outcomes.

To explore the lay understandings of psychosis and associated help-seeking within the Sikh community in England, and how family, religion and culture influence these perspectives

An exploratory qualitative design, consisting of online semistructured interviews across the UK.

30 participants, 11 men and 19 women, ages ranged from 19 to 69, who identified as Sikh.

Thematic analysis revealed several common themes, including a lack of awareness and knowledge of psychosis, variety of causal beliefs held about psychosis, professional help-seeking being encouraged, religious practices regarded as helpful coping mechanisms, supernatural beliefs influencing alternative help-seeking, strong negative perceptions towards psychosis and general mental illness, the significant role of family and community, and conflicting religious and cultural beliefs.

Participants showed limited understanding of psychosis and mental illnesses, accompanied by widespread negative perceptions, potentially delaying help-seeking. Increasing awareness may prompt earlier help-seeking, enhancing outcomes and diminishing stigma.