GEM/cochrane-simplification huggingface dataset:
Abstract: We included eight studies enrolling 948 participants in this review. Paitents with dengue-related shock Four studies enrolled children younger than 15 years with dengue-related shock at hospitals in Southeast Asia and evaluated intravenous corticosteroids. The trials did not detect an effect on death (four trials, 284 participants, very low quality evidence), the need for blood transfusion (two trials, 89 participants, very low quality evidence), pulmonary haemorrhage (one trial, 63 participants, very low quality evidence), convulsions (one trial, 63 participants, very low quality evidence), or duration of hospitalization (one trial, 63 participants, very low quality evidence). The body of evidence is too small to confidently prove or exclude clinically important effects. Furthermore, the trials are more than 20 years old with several methodological limitations. Patients with dengue at an early stage Four studies enrolled 664 children and adults with dengue at an early stage of infection (without shock) in Columbia, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. In these participants there were no evidence of effects of oral or intravenous corticosteroids on mortality (four trials, 664 participants, low quality evidence), or on the development of complications of severe dengue such as shock (two trials, 286 participants, very low quality evidence), severe bleeding (two trials, 425 participants, very low quality evidence), severe thrombocytopaenia (one trial, 225 participants, very low quality evidence), ascites (one trial, 178 participants, very low quality evidence) and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (two trials, 286 participants, very low quality evidence). The evidence from trials using corticosteroids in dengue is inconclusive and the quality of evidence is low to very low. This applies to both the use of corticosteroids in dengue-related shock and for dengue at an early stage. There is insufficient evidence to evaluate the effects of corticosteroids in the treatment of early stage dengue fever and dengue-related shock outside of the context of a randomized controlled trial.

Plain-language summary: We conducted a search up to 6 January 2014 and included eight studies which enrolled 948 participants in total. Four studies of corticosteroids in the treatment of dengue-related shock assessed if corticosteroids could improve survival, but these studies were small and older than 20 years. The evidence we found is of very low quality and do not provide any reliable evidence for corticosteroids for treating dengue-related shock. Four trials evaluated whether corticosteroids provided at an early stage of dengue could prevent development of complications of severe dengue. These trials were more recent, but data were insufficient to be sure whether corticosteroids have an effect on the course of the disease.
Abstract: We included seventy-nine RCTs (including 90 relevant comparisons) involving 24,308 participants in the review. Studies varied in terms of risk of bias. The results of primary analyses demonstrated significantly greater improvement in depression outcomes for adults with depression treated with the collaborative care model in the short-term (SMD -0.34, 95% CI -0.41 to -0.27; RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.43), medium-term (SMD -0.28, 95% CI -0.41 to -0.15; RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.48), and long-term (SMD -0.35, 95% CI -0.46 to -0.24; RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.41). However, these significant benefits were not demonstrated into the very long-term (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.27). The results also demonstrated significantly greater improvement in anxiety outcomes for adults with anxiety treated with the collaborative care model in the short-term (SMD -0.30, 95% CI -0.44 to -0.17; RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.87), medium-term (SMD -0.33, 95% CI -0.47 to -0.19; RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.69), and long-term (SMD -0.20, 95% CI -0.34 to -0.06; RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.42). No comparisons examined the effects of the intervention on anxiety outcomes in the very long-term. There was evidence of benefit in secondary outcomes including medication use, mental health quality of life, and patient satisfaction, although there was less evidence of benefit in physical quality of life. Collaborative care is associated with significant improvement in depression and anxiety outcomes compared with usual care, and represents a useful addition to clinical pathways for adult patients with depression and anxiety.

Plain-language summary: In this review we found 79 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (90 comparisons) including 24,308 patients worldwide, comparing collaborative care with routine care or alternative treatments (such as consultation-liaison) for depression and anxiety. There were problems with the methods in some of the studies. For example, the methods used to allocate patients to collaborative care or routine care were not always free from bias, and many patients did not complete follow-up or provide information about their outcomes. Most of the studies focused on depression and the evidence suggests that collaborative care is better than routine care in improving depression for up to two years. A smaller number of studies examined the effect of collaborative care on anxiety and the evidence suggests that collaborative care is also better than usual care in improving anxiety for up to two years. Collaborative care increases the number of patients using medication in line with current guidance, and can improve mental health related quality of life. Patients with depression and anxiety treated with collaborative care are also more satisfied with their treatment.
Abstract: Three randomised controlled trials (with 165 women) were included. The live birth rate per woman was significantly higher in women receiving the GnRH agonist compared to the control group (OR 9.19, 95% CI 1.08 to 78.22). However, this was based on one trial reporting "viable pregnancy" only. The clinical pregnancy rate per woman was also significantly higher (three studies: OR 4.28, 95% CI 2.00 to 9.15). The information on miscarriage rates came from two trials with high heterogeneity and, therefore, results of the meta-analysis were doubtful. The included studies provided insufficient data to investigate the effects of administration of GnRH agonists on multiple or ectopic pregnancies, fetal abnormalities or other complications. The administration of GnRH agonists for a period of three to six months prior to IVF or ICSI in women with endometriosis increases the odds of clinical pregnancy by fourfold. Data regarding adverse effects of this therapy on the mother or fetus are not available at present.

Plain-language summary: Endometriosis is a disease characterised by the presence of endometrial tissue (the lining of the womb) outside the cavity of the womb. Many women with the disease suffer from menstrual pain and some suffer from infertility. Infertile women with endometriosis are often treated with in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) but have a lower chance of becoming pregnant compared to women who are infertile with blocked tubes. It has been suggested that giving GnRH agonists before IVF or ICSI could increase the chances of pregnancy. We have reviewed the literature and found that treating women for three to six months with GnRH agonists before IVF or ICSI increases the odds of clinical pregnancy four-fold. However, at present there is no information on the effect of this treatment on the incidence of ectopic pregnancy, multiple pregnancies or complications arising for the women or their offspring.
Abstract: We included 62 studies with a total of 1982 participants that compared mirror therapy with other interventions. Of these, 57 were randomised controlled trials and five randomised cross-over trials. Participants had a mean age of 59 years (30 to 73 years). Mirror therapy was provided three to seven times a week, between 15 and 60 minutes for each session for two to eight weeks (on average five times a week, 30 minutes a session for four weeks).When compared with all other interventions, we found moderate-quality evidence that mirror therapy has a significant positive effect on motor function (SMD 0.47, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.67; 1173 participants; 36 studies) and motor impairment (SMD 0.49, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.66; 1292 participants; 39 studies). However, effects on motor function are influenced by the type of control intervention. Additionally, based on moderate-quality evidence, mirror therapy may improve activities of daily living (SMD 0.48, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.65; 622 participants; 19 studies). We found low-quality evidence for a significant positive effect on pain (SMD −0.89, 95% CI −1.67 to −0.11; 248 participants; 6 studies) and no clear effect for improving visuospatial neglect (SMD 1.06, 95% CI −0.10 to 2.23; 175 participants; 5 studies). No adverse effects were reported. The results indicate evidence for the effectiveness of mirror therapy for improving upper extremity motor function, motor impairment, activities of daily living, and pain, at least as an adjunct to conventional rehabilitation for people after stroke. Major limitations are small sample sizes and lack of reporting of methodological details, resulting in uncertain evidence quality.

Plain-language summary: We found 62 relevant studies, of which 57 randomly allocated participants to receive either MT or a control therapy (randomised controlled trials) and five provided both therapies to all participants, but in random order (cross-over trials). The studies involved a total of 1982 participants with a mean age of 59 years (30 to 73 years) after stroke. Mirror therapy was provided three to seven times a week, between 15 and 60 minutes for each session for two to eight weeks (on average five times a week, 30 minutes a session for four weeks). At the end of treatment, mirror therapy moderately improved movement of the affected upper and lower limb and the ability to carry out daily activities for people within and also beyond six months after the stroke. Mirror therapy reduced pain after stroke, but mainly in people with a complex regional pain syndrome. We found no clear effect for visuospatial neglect. The beneficial effects on movement were maintained for six months, but not in all study groups. No adverse effects were reported. The studies provide moderately-reliable evidence that MT improves movement (motor function, motor impairment) and the performance of daily activities. However, there was only low reliability that MT decreases pain and visuospatial neglect. This may be due to the small number of studies. Further research is needed, with larger methodologically-sound studies.
Abstract: Ten randomised trials, including 517 patients with mainly chronic hepatitis C, evaluated ten different medicinal herbs versus various control interventions (four placebo, four interferon, two other herbs). The methodological quality was considered adequate in four trials and inadequate in six trials. Compared with placebo in four trials, none of the medicinal herbs showed positive effects on clearance of serum HCV RNA or anti-HCV antibody or on serum liver enzymes, except one short-term trial in which a silybin preparation showed a significant effect on reducing serum aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activities. The herbal compound Bing Gan Tang combined with interferon-alpha showed significantly better effects on clearance of serum HCV RNA (relative risk 2.54; 95% confidence interval 1.43 to 4.49) and on normalisation of serum alanine aminotransferase activity (relative risk 2.54; 95% confidence interval 1.43 to 4.49) than interferon-alpha monotherapy. The herbal compound Yi Zhu decoction showed a significant effect on clearance of serum HCV RNA and normalisation of ALT levels compared to glycyrrhizin plus ribavirin. Yi Er Gan Tang showed a significant effect on normalising serum alanine aminotransferase compared to silymarin plus glucurolactone. There was no significant efficacy of the other examined herbs. The herbs were associated with adverse events. There is no firm evidence of efficacy of any medicinal herbs for HCV infection. Medicinal herbs for HCV infection should not be used outside randomised clinical trials.

Plain-language summary: Ten different herbal medicines were tested in ten randomised trials in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The present systematic review found no significant antiviral effect of the herbal medicines when compared with placebo, but the data suggest that some herbal medicines in combination with interferon may have effects on the clearance of HCV RNA and on normalisation of liver enzymes. However, there is no strong evidence for any efficacy of these medicinal herbs for chronic hepatitis C due to the fact that most positive effects came from clinical trials with low methodological quality. Medicinal herbs for hepatitis C virus infection should not be used outside well-designed, randomised clinical trials.
Abstract: We identified 10 RCTs in which a total of 3753 infants participated (2804 infants participated in one large trial). Most participants were stable very preterm infants of birth weight appropriate for gestation. About one-third of all participants were extremely preterm or extremely low birth weight (ELBW), and about one-fifth were small for gestational age (SGA), growth-restricted, or compromised in utero, as indicated by absent or reversed end-diastolic flow velocity (AREDFV) in the fetal umbilical artery. Trials typically defined slow advancement as daily increments of 15 to 20 mL/kg, and faster advancement as daily increments of 30 to 40 mL/kg. Trials generally were of good methodological quality, although none was blinded. Meta-analyses did not show effects on risk of NEC (typical RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.39; RD 0.0, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.02) or all-cause mortality (typical RR 1.15, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.42; typical RD 0.01, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.03). Subgroup analyses of extremely preterm or ELBW infants, or of SGA or growth-restricted or growth-compromised infants, showed no evidence of an effect on risk of NEC or death. Slow feed advancement delayed establishment of full enteral nutrition by between about one and five days. Meta-analysis showed borderline increased risk of invasive infection (typical RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.32; typical RD 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.05). The GRADE quality of evidence for primary outcomes was "moderate", downgraded from "high" because of lack of blinding in the included trials. Available trial data do not provide evidence that advancing enteral feed volumes at daily increments of 15 to 20 mL/kg (compared with 30 to 40 mL/kg) reduces the risk of NEC or death in very preterm or VLBW infants, extremely preterm or ELBW infants, SGA or growth-restricted infants, or infants with antenatal AREDFV. Advancing the volume of enteral feeds at a slow rate results in several days of delay in establishing full enteral feeds and may increase the risk of invasive infection.

Plain-language summary: We searched for clinical trials comparing slow versus faster rates of increase in the amount of milk fed to newborn infants who were very low birth weight. When performing searches updated in June 2017, we found 10 trials involving 3753 infants in total. Combined analysis of these trials did not show an effect of slow feeding on the risk of necrotising enterocolitis or death (moderate-quality evidence) but did suggest that infants fed more slowly might have higher risk of acquiring a severe infection than infants fed more quickly (low-quality evidence). Slow feeding does not appear to provide benefits and may cause some harms.
Abstract: Three randomised controlled trials were found examining oral antidepressant medications in Parkinson's disease in a total of 106 patients. No eligible trials of ECT or behavioural therapy were found. In the first arm of the crossover trial by Andersen 1980 (n=22) patients in the nortriptyline group showed a larger improvement than placebo group in median depression score in a self-made 31-item depression rating scale after 16 weeks of treatment but statistical significance was not calculated. A parallel group trial by Wermuth 1998 (n=37) did not show any statistically significant difference between the citalopram and placebo groups in the Hamilton Depression Scale after 52 weeks of treatment. The third study by Rabey 1996 (n=47) was a randomised open-label trial to compare fluvoxamine versus amitriptyline. Similar numbers of patients in amitriptyline and fluvoxamine groups (60% vs 55%) had a 50% reduction of Hamilton score after 16 months of treatment. However, further assessment of this trial was not possible because only summary results were available from an abstract and attempts to contact the authors failed. Visual hallucinations or confusion had been reported in patients with fluvoxamine and amitriptyline. Otherwise, no other major side effects were found in the other two trials. Insufficient data on the effectiveness and safety of any antidepressants therapies in Parkinson's disease are available on which to make recommendations for their use. Further large scale randomised controlled trials are urgently required in this area.

Plain-language summary: No trials were found examining the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy or behavioural therapy. We identified three trials which examined antidepressant drugs. The review found that there is not enough evidence from the trials about the effects of antidepressant drugs for the treatment of depression in people with Parkinson's disease. Adverse effects in trials so far have not been severe, and included visual hallucinations and confusion.
Abstract: The trial of 32 women who received either radiotherapy alone or in combination with systemic administration of actinomycin-D found that chemotherapy improved the local control rate but had no apparent effect on overall survival. The interferon trial, which also included a total of only 32 patients, showed that the addition of alpha-interferon to local treatment of locoregional recurrent breast cancer had no apparent effect on the further course of the disease. The Swiss SAKK trial of tamoxifen (178 women randomised) found an improvement in disease-free survival but not in overall survival. No results were available for the 50 women randomised into the concurrent trial of chemotherapy. The three ongoing trials of chemotherapy have a total target accrual of nearly 2000 patients. This systematic review of randomised trials provides insufficient evidence to support systemic treatment in women with loco-regional recurrence of breast cancer. Participation in randomised trials of systemic treatment versus observation is appropriate.

Plain-language summary: The review found that few trials have been performed to investigate its effectiveness. There is currently not enough evidence that adding chemotherapy to other treatments helps to treat the recurring cancer or to improve survival. However, chemotherapy may be an option, and further trials are underway.
Abstract: We included eight trials (556 participants), evaluating hypnotherapy (one trial), imagery (five trials), autogenic training (one trial) and yoga (one trial). Due to the small number of studies per intervention and to the diversity of outcome measurements, we performed no meta-analysis, and have reported results individually for each study. Compared with usual care, in one study (133 women), imagery may have a positive effect on anxiety during labor decreasing anxiety at the early and middle stages of labor (MD -1.46; 95% CI -2.43 to -0.49; one study, 133 women) and (MD -1.24; 95% CI -2.18 to -0.30). Another study showed that imagery had a positive effect on anxiety and depression in the immediate postpartum period. Autogenic training might be effective for decreasing women's anxiety before delivering. Mind-body interventions might benefit women’s anxiety during pregnancy. Based on individual studies, there is some but no strong evidence for the effectiveness of mind-body interventions for the management of anxiety during pregnancy. The main limitations of the studies were the lack of blinding and insufficient details on the methods used for randomization.

Plain-language summary: Their effectiveness for treatment or prevention of women’s anxiety during pregnancy needs to be confirmed in clinical trials, as anxiety during the different stages of pregnancy can affect women’s health and have consequences for the child. This review identified few studies that examined this. We included eight randomized controlled studies with 556 women in this review. Based on these studies, there is some not strong evidence for the effectiveness of mind-body interventions in the management of anxiety during pregnancy, labor, or in the first four weeks after giving birth. Compared with usual care, imagery may have a positive effect on anxiety during labor. Another study showed that imagery had a positive effect on anxiety and depression in the immediate postpartum period. Autogenic training might be effective for decreasing women's anxiety before delivering. No harmful effects were reported for any mind-body interventions in the studies included in the review. The studies used different mind-body interventions, sometimes as part of a complex intervention, that they compared with usual care or other potentially active interventions using diverse outcome measures. Several studies were at high risk of bias, had small sample sizes and high dropout rates.