Bias In Systematic Reviews Tool Research Articles

Effects of different interventions on bruxism: an overview of systematic reviews.

This study aimed to evaluate, qualify, and summarize evidence presented in systematic reviews (SR) on treatments for bruxism. The overview was conducted using the PICO strategy: children, adolescents, and adults with bruxism (P) were submitted to different treatments (I) compared to other treatments, placebo, or no treatment (C) in order to evaluate incidence, prevalence, and number of episodes of bruxism (O). The search was carried out in six databases and gray literature up to July 2023. Data were extracted, and the ROBS tool was used, followed by a descriptive synthesis of the results. A total of31 SR were included. Sixteen showed a positive effect onepisodes of bruxism (BE), while two had negative, one had neutral, and nine had inconclusive effects. Using the risk of bias in systematic reviews tool (ROBIS), risk of bias varied from low (n = 23) to high (n = 5) among the SR. Pharmacological treatment, oral rehabilitation, and other therapeutic approaches presented inconclusive or negative effects on BE, while oral appliances showed controversial effects. Biofeedback, physical therapy, laser therapy, and botulinum toxin showed positive effects on the reduction of BE. Biofeedback, physical therapy, laser therapy, and botulinum toxin showed positive effects on the reduction of BE; there is still a lack of studies to support the safe and long-term use of these therapies. PROSPERO CRD42021273905.

Effectiveness of exercise on pain intensity and physical function in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis: an umbrella and mapping review with meta-meta-analysis

Purpose The aim of this review was to provide a qualitative and quantitative overview of the effects of exercise on pain, physical function, and quality of life for patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis. Materials and methods This study was an umbrella and mapping review with meta-meta-analysis. Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials were included. The methodological quality and risk of bias were evaluated using the Modified Quality Assessment Scale for Systematic Reviews and the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews tool. The quality of evidence was evaluated using the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Grading Criteria. Results 41 meta-analyses were included, 43.9% of the studies had adequate methodological quality, and 56.1% of the studies had a low risk of bias. Moderate evidence was found that exercise decreases pain intensity (33 meta-analyses; SMD = −0.49; 95% CI −0.56 to −0.42), improves function (19 meta-analyses; SMD = −0.50; 95% CI −0.58 to −0.41), strength (6 meta-analyses; SMD = −0.57; 95% CI −0.70 to −0.44) and quality of life (SMD = −0.36; 95% CI −0.46 to −0.27) for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis. Conclusion Exercise is an effective intervention to decrease pain intensity and improve function in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis. (PROSPERO, CRD42020221987)

An Umbrella Review of Cochlear Implant Outcomes in Children With Auditory Neuropathy.

The objective of this overview of systematic reviews (SRs; umbrella review) was to systematically summarize and critically appraise current evidence of cochlear implant (CI) outcomes in children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). This study was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement. The methodological quality and the risk of bias in the included SRs were assessed using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews 2 checklist and the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews tool, respectively. According to eight included SRs, children with ANSD achieve CI outcomes (speech perception performance) similar to their peers with sensorineural hearing loss. In children with postsynaptic ANSD (cochlear nerve deficiency), cochlear nerve hypoplasia is associated with better speech recognition outcomes compared with cochlear nerve aplasia, especially in the absence of additional disabilities. Except for one study, the overall quality of the included SRs was critically low, and except for three studies, evidence of a high risk of bias was identified in other included SRs. Current evidence supports CI benefits for children with ANSD. To improve the quality of evidence, well-designed, prospective studies with appropriate sample sizes, using valid outcome measures, clarifying matching criteria, and taking into account the role of confounding factors are essential.

Replication of systematic reviews: is it to the benefit or detriment of methodological quality?

ObjectivesTo perform an overview of the overlap of systematic reviews (SRs) assessing direct oral anticoagulants and characterize these reviews in terms of bias and methodological quality (PROSPERO: CRD42022316273). Study Design and SettingA PubMed-indexed search was performed from inception to January 31, 2022 to identify SRs evaluating direct oral anticoagulants in patients treated for an acute venous thromboembolism. The risk of bias of these SRs was assessed according to the Risk Of Bias In Systematic reviews tool. Redundancy was defined as overlap in terms of the type of population considered, the interventions compared, and the studies included. ResultsA total of 144 SRs were evaluated, of which 26 (18.1%) were classified as original, 87 (60.4%) as conceptual replications, and 31 (21.5%) as excessive replications. The risk of bias was high in 19 (73.1%) of the original SRs, 65 (74.7%) of the conceptual replications, and 21 (67.7%) of the excessive replications. Compared to the original SRs, the overall methodological quality was not improved in either conceptual or excessive replications. ConclusionA large number of SRs was classified as replications; a fifth constituted excessive replications. The replications showed no improvement in overall methodological quality compared to the original SRs.

Effect of monitoring adherence to regular inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) alone or in combination with a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) using electronic methods on asthma outcomes: a narrative systematic review

ObjectivesTo evaluate through a systematic review the effectiveness of electronic methods in monitoring adherence to regular inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) alone or in combination with long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) and their effect...

Quality of evidence supporting the role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of anxious depression: a protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

IntroductionThere have been several studies showing the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for anxious depression. We aimed to summarise the evidence and evaluate the methodological quality regarding the effectiveness...

Dose-response effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor monotherapy for the treatment of depression: systematic review of reviews and meta-narrative synthesis

ObjectiveTo assess and clarify the relations between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) dose efficacy, acceptability (early treatment discontinuation (dropouts)), and tolerability (reported adverse drug effects), and critically evaluate methods previously...

Interventions for physician prescribers of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain: protocol for an overview of systematic reviews

IntroductionInterventions targeting behaviours of physician prescribers of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain have been introduced to combat the opioid crisis. Systematic reviews have evaluated effects of specific interventions (eg, prescriber...

Efficacy and safety of clopidogrel and/or aspirin for ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

Objective:Patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack are commonly treated with clopidogrel and/or aspirin (mono- and dual-antiplatelet therapy) to minimize the risk for recurrent stroke. Updated data from systematic studies can be used to guide practice. The present study aimed to compare findings from systematic reviews and meta-analyses addressing the efficacy and safety of clopidogrel or aspirin – alone or in combination – in patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.Methods:The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, EBSCO, and CINAHL databases were searched for relevant studies published from inception to 2020. Data from each study were extracted independently using a predefined data abstraction form. The Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews tool and A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 were used to evaluate risk of bias and the quality of the included studies.Results:Seven studies, published between 2010 and 2020, were eligible for analysis. The included studies evaluated a wide range of outcomes, including recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemic stroke, vascular mortality and vascular events, bleeding events, all-cause mortality, functional disability, and quality of life. The risk of bias and methodological validity of the included studies ranged from low to high according to ROBIS and AMSTAR 2 parameters. Results revealed that clopidogrel plus aspirin was more effective than aspirin alone in reducing the risk for recurrent stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), with high-quality evidence. However, compared with aspirin, dual treatment increased major bleeding events (intracranial bleeding and extracranial bleeding), supported by high-quality evidence.Conclusions:High-quality evidence suggested that clopidogrel plus aspirin was more efficient than monotherapy, although the risk for hemorrhagic stroke was relatively higher in combined therapy regimens lasting >1 month.

Systematic review search methods evaluated using the Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the Risk Of Bias In Systematic reviews tool.

To evaluate the methodological and reporting characteristics of search methods of systematic reviews (SRs) using the Preferred Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist and the Risk Of Bias In Systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool. A sample of 505 SRs published in 2016 was taken from KSR Evidence, a database of SRs, and analyzed to assess compliance with Information sources and Search of the PRISMA checklist. Domain 2 (D2) (Identification and Selection of Studies) of the ROBIS tool was used to judge the risk of bias in search methods. Regarding Information sources and Search of PRISMA, twenty percent of SRs which claimed to be PRISMA-compliant in their methods, were compliant; twenty-four percent of SRs published in journals that require PRISMA reporting were compliant; nineteen percent in total were found to be compliant. Twenty-eight percent of SRs were judged to be at a low risk of bias in D2 and so searched widely with an effective strategy and, finally, ten percent were both compliant with the reporting of Information sources and with Search of PRISMA and were judged to be at a low risk of bias in D2. Ninety percent of SRs are failing to report search methods adequately and to conduct comprehensive searches using a wide range of resources. Editors of journals and peer reviewers need to ensure that they understand the requirements of PRISMA and that compliance is adhered to. Additionally, the comprehensiveness of search methods for SRs needs to be given more critical consideration.

The impact of substance use disorder on the mental health among COVID-19 patients: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is associated with a high risk of physical and mental illness such as anxiety, depression, personality disorders, eating disorders, and abnormal mood changes. During the pandemic, SUD, a significant problem related to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is affecting adolescents. The recent available literature also emphasizes understanding the relationship between mental illness and SUD. Hence, it is essential to evaluate the scientific approach and examine the presented findings of articles published on SUD during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic review will be conducted using PubMed, PubMed Central, and Scopus bibliographic databases. The grey literature on the impact of SUD on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents will be identified using scholar google. The dependability and credibility of the findings will be examined using the ConQual approach. The methodologies of the included studies will be compared using ROBIS (risk of bias in systematic reviews tool), a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews (AMSTAR), and the JBI critical appraisal tool. The systematic review will be carried out on published articles, so it is exempt from ethics approval. The Center for Open Science (OSF) will be used as a data repository during the preparation of the protocol and completion of the systematic review. The research findings will be published in a related peer-reviewed journal.

Exercise-Based Strategies to Prevent Muscle Injury in Elite Footballers: A Systematic Review and Best Evidence Synthesis

Exercise-based strategies are used to prevent muscle injuries in football and studies on different competitive-level populations may provide different results. To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise-based muscle injury prevention strategies in adult elite football. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscuss (EBSCO). We considered only elite adult (> 16year-old) football players with no distinction for gender; the intervention to be any exercise/s performed with the target to prevent lower-limb muscle injuries; the comparison to be no injury prevention exercise undertaken; the outcome to be the number of injuries, injury incidence, and severity. We searched systematic reviews, randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), and non-randomized-controlled trials (NRCTs), limited for English language. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews tool, the Cochrane Collaboration's Tool for assessing risk of bias in RCTs, and the Risk of Bias in NRCTs of Interventions tool. 15 studies were included. Three systematic reviews showed inconsistent results, with one supporting (high risk of bias) and two showing insufficient evidence (low risk of bias) to support exercise-based strategies to prevent muscle injuries in elite players. Five RCTs and seven NRCTs support eccentric exercise, proprioception exercises, and a multi-dimensional component to aninjury prevention program; however, all were deemed to be at high/critical risk of bias. Only one RCT was found at low risk of bias and supported eccentric exercise for preventing groin problems. We found limited scientific evidence to support exercise-based strategies to prevent muscle injury in elite footballers. PROSPERO CRD42017077705.

The risk of bias in systematic reviews tool showed fair reliability and good construct validity

ObjectiveThere is a movement from generic quality checklists toward a more domain-based approach in critical appraisal tools. This study aimed to report on a first experience with the newly developed risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool and compare it with A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), that is, the most common used tool to assess methodological quality of systematic reviews while assessing validity, reliability, and applicability. Study Design and SettingValidation study with four reviewers based on 16 systematic reviews in the field of occupational health. ResultsInterrater reliability (IRR) of all four raters was highest for domain 2 (Fleiss' kappa κ = 0.56) and lowest for domain 4 (κ = 0.04). For ROBIS, median IRR was κ = 0.52 (range 0.13–0.88) for the experienced pair of raters compared to κ = 0.32 (range 0.12–0.76) for the less experienced pair of raters. The percentage of “yes” scores of each review of ROBIS ratings was strongly correlated with the AMSTAR ratings (rs = 0.76; P = 0.01). ConclusionROBIS has fair reliability and good construct validity to assess the risk of bias in systematic reviews. More validation studies are needed to investigate reliability and applicability, in particular.