Disturbances In Daily Life Research Articles

The best options in superior capsular reconstruction.

Irreparable massive rotator cuff tears cause pain, loss of function, and a decrease in range of motion, which cause serious disturbances in daily life. Young patients, in particular, are active and have relatively high functional requirements, and their surgical options are limited. Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) was first proposed for irreparable massive rotator cuff tears, good clinical results have been reported in short-term follow up. Since then, SCR has been used increasingly worldwide for irreparable massive rotator cuff tears, and various studies have been published on clinical outcomes, biomechanical outcomes, surgical techniques, and graft types. This article reviews the optimal graft and surgical options for improving clinical outcomes in SCR.

Fear of missing out and self-esteem as mediators of the relationship between maximization and problematic smartphone use

Problematic smartphone use (PSU), which involves an excessive and uncontrolled use of smartphones, thereby causing daily-life disturbance, has been associated with a range of negative outcomes including anxiety, depression, and deficits in social relationships. However, the relationship between PSU and maximization, which could be an explanatory factor, has not yet been thoroughly studied. Drawing on the Interaction-Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, the current study aimed to investigate the association between PSU and maximization with the assumption that fear of missing out (FoMO) and self-esteem could mediate this relationship. Empirical data were gathered from 277 Italian university students who completed an online survey. Correlation analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used to investigate the relationships among the variables. The results showed that PSU, maximization, and FoMO were positively correlated; whereas maximization and self-esteem were negatively correlated. Furthermore, FoMO and self-esteem partially mediated that relationship, suggesting that participant maximizers experience more FoMO, especially when the participants have fear of missing out on potentially “better” alternatives to social experiences and exhibit low self-esteem. Thus, higher FoMO and low self-esteem can be a driver of PSU. Finally, this study provides new insights about how maximization may have an impact on the development of addictive behaviour such as PSU.

Examining prefrontal contributions to past- and future-oriented memory disturbances in daily life in dementia

Deficits in episodic memory are commonplace in dementia, yet mounting evidence indicates pervasive impairments in future-oriented thinking in these syndromes. How such impairments manifest in the daily lives of people with dementia remain unclear, as do their neural bases. This study aimed to determine the neurocognitive mechanisms of past- and future-oriented memory performance across a large sample of dementia syndromes, each of which is characterised by distinct clinical and cognitive profiles. Carer-rated memory changes in everyday life in Alzheimer's disease, behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia, progressive non-fluent aphasia, and logopenic progressive aphasia were assessed using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRM-Q). Participants underwent neuropsychological testing and whole-brain structural MRI. Relative to Controls, past- and future-oriented memory were compromised exclusively in AD and bvFTD, with no impairments reported for the other groups. For AD, atrophy in a distributed network of prefrontal, lateral and medial temporal regions including the hippocampus, correlated with past- and future-oriented memory impairments. In contrast, lateral and medial prefrontal regions correlated with past- and future-oriented memory difficulties in bvFTD. Notably, the orbitofrontal cortex emerged as a common neural substrate implicated in memory disturbances across the AD and bvFTD groups. This study confirms the presence of episodic amnesia in bvFTD across a host of everyday activities, mirroring the profile typically observed in AD. Of note, the orbitofrontal cortex emerged as a common region implicated in past- and future-oriented memory deficits in both patient groups, underscoring a critical role for prefrontal regions in supporting complex aspects of memory function in everyday life.

Prediction of depression among medical check-ups of 433,190 patients: A nationwide population-based study

Depression is a mental illness that causes significant disturbances in daily life. Depression is commonly associated with low mood, severe health problems, and substantial socioeconomic burden; hence, it is necessary to be able to detect depression earlier. We utilized the medical check-up cohort database of the National Health Insurance Sharing Service in Korea. We split the total dataset into training (70%) and test (30%) sets. Subsequently, five-fold cross validation was performed in the training set. The holdout test set was only used in the last step to evaluate the performance of the predictive model. Random forest algorithm was used for the predictive model. The analysis included 433,190 individuals who had a national medical check-up from 2009–2015, which included 10,824 (2.56%) patients in the depression group. The area under the receiver-operating curve was 0.849. Other performance metrics included a sensitivity of 0.737, specificity of 0.824, positive predictive value of 0.097, negative predictive value of 0.992, and accuracy of 0.780. Our predictive model could contribute to proactively reducing depression prevalence by administering interventions to prevent depression in patients receiving medical check-up. Future studies are needed to prospectively validate the predictability of this model.

Smart mobile phone usage pattern by students of professional colleges and it’s dependence: A comparative profile

Background: Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of modern human life. With the ever-increasing utilization of smart phones, several psychological & behavioural problems have emerged. Excessive use of smart phones has also led to poor academic performance among students. Keeping all these points in mind, a study was conducted in professional colleges to obtain base line data. Objectives: To assess the usage pattern of smart mobile phone among students of professional colleges and to evaluate the mobile phone dependence in students of professional colleges.
 Materials and methods: In Visakhapatnam, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 Medical & 100 Engineering students selected by random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-designed& pre-tested questionnaire from October 2018 to November 2018. SAS-SV Scale was used to assess the mobile phone dependence. Collation of data was done using inferential statistical methods.
 Results: The study population of Medical group consisted of 32% males & 68% females; of these 45% were Day scholars & 55% were residents of hostels. The study population of Engineering group consisted of 63% males& 37% females; of these 76% were Day scholars & 24% were residents of hostels. The majority of students in both the professional groups were of the age group of 19 years. While assessing mobile phone usage pattern, it was found that age of initiation of mobile phone use was above15 years in 88.5 % in both the groups. 75%. of students in both the groups were using mobile phone between 1-6 hours a day. 45% of students were using mobile phone at home while 55%were using while on move. While 32% students had Addiction scale more than SAS-SV: cut off 31; factors like daily life Disturbance, withdrawal, cyber space-orientation relationship, overuse etc. 33% students were in the range of being at risk group (SAS-SV: 20 to 30). Out of 19 % Medical & 32% Engineering students who attended calls while driving, 26% & 25% continued conversation while still driving in both the groups respectively.131students often woke up from their sleep to check whether they had a Notification or a Missed call or SMS (P=<0.01). False perception of mobile phone ringing was present among 12% of Medical and 14% of engineering students.
 Conclusion: The study showed an increased dependence of mobile phone use among Medical & Engineering students, which imparts a negative effect on physical and mental health & also poor academic performance.

Clinical effect of balloon kyphoplasty in elderly patients with multiple osteoporotic vertebral fracture.

This study aims to discuss the clinical effect of balloon kyphoplasty on elderly patients with multiple osteoporotic vertebral fractures. The observation group was treated with balloon kyphoplasty, and the control group was managed with conservative treatment. Image indices, pain degree, daily life disturbance, and occurrences of complications were compared between the two groups. In total, 116 elderly patients with multiple osteoporotic vertebral fracture admitted in our hospital from January 2016 to June 2017 were chosen and divided randomly into observation (n = 58) and control groups (n = 58). The observation group showed a significantly higher trailing edge, leading edge, and midcourt line and larger upper thoracic kyphosis compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Before the treatment, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of visual analog scale (VAS) score and daily life disturbance score (P > 0.05). However, the VAS score and the daily life disturbance score of the two groups decreased sharply after the treatment (P < 0.05). Moreover, the VAS score and the daily life disturbance score of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The observation group showed lower occurrence rate of complications compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Balloon kyphoplasty can significantly improve the image indices of patients with multiple osteoporotic vertebral fractures and relieve their pain degree and daily life disturbance. Balloon kyphoplasty exhibited a low occurrence rate of complications and high safety and is, thus, worthy of clinical applications.

Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Academic Performance of Business Students: A Case Study

The development of telecom technology has a profound impact on the academic lives of the students. Smartphone usage became popular to young generation because of its educational and entertaining options by using the numerous applications. Among the young people, students are increasingly using Smartphone. But excessive Smartphone usage usually makes the students addicted to it and that impacts on user’s academic performance, daily activities, physical and mental health, withdrawal tendency, and social relationships. This study aims at identifying the factors that affect the level of Smartphone addiction to the students and its impact on their overall academic performance. A structured questionnaire has been developed to gather data from the students. A total of 247 questionnaires were collected from the business students of a private university of Bangladesh. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), data were analyzed. Results revealed five Smartphone addiction factors such as, positive anticipation, impatience, withdrawal, daily-life disturbance, and cyber friendship. Factors like increased impatience and daily-life disturbance were found significantly related to the academic performance of the business students of Bangladesh. This study suggests that the students should reduce the intense use of Smartphone for smoothly doing their daily-life activities.

Natural history of scoliosis in cerebral palsy and risk factors for progression of scoliosis

BackgroundScoliosis in cerebral palsy (CP) often occurs and causes a disturbance in daily life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the natural history of scoliosis in cerebral palsy and determine risk factors for the progression of scoliosis using multivariate analyses. MethodsWe revised 113 patients with CP (47 males and 66 females) who had scoliosis with a curve of at least 10° were reviewed and retrospectively investigated these cases of scoliosis and analyzed the risk factors for the progression of this condition. ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 16.5 years and the mean age at onset of scoliosis was 6.6 years (range: 1–16 years). In 59 patients (52%), the age at onset of scoliosis was under 6 years. On the final radiographs, the mean Cobb angle was 55.1° (range: 10° to 169°). After the age of 20 years, 13 of 40 patients (32.5%) had a progression of over 10° in scoliosis. Multivariate analyses showed the risk factors for the progression of scoliosis to be hip displacement (p = 0.0038), the onset of scoliosis before the age of 6 years (p = 0.0024), and 30° of the Cobb angle before the age of 10 years (p < 0.001). A subtype of CP (spastic quadriplegia) was identified as a potential risk factor. ConclusionsAfter the age of 20 years, 32.5% patients had a progression of over 10° in scoliosis. Risk factors for the progression of scoliosis in CP included hip displacement, early-onset scoliosis, and Cobb angle of 30° before the age of 10 years. Level of evidencePrognostic level IV - case series.

Emotional reactivity to daily life stress in spousal caregivers of people with dementia: An experience sampling study.

IntroductionCaregivers differ in their emotional response when facing difficult situations during the caregiving process. Individual differences in vulnerabilities and resources could play an exacerbating or buffering role in caregivers’ reactivity to daily life stress. This study examines which caregiver characteristics modify emotional stress reactivity in dementia caregivers.MethodsThirty caregivers collected momentary data, as based on the experience sampling methodology, to assess (1) appraised subjective stress related to events and minor disturbances in daily life, and (2) emotional reactivity to these daily life stressors, conceptualized as changes in negative affect. Caregiver characteristics (i.e. vulnerabilities and resources) were administered retrospectively.ResultsCaregivers who more frequently used the coping strategies ‘seeking distraction’, ‘seeking social support’, and ‘fostering reassuring thoughts’ experienced less emotional reactivity towards stressful daily events. A higher educational level and a higher sense of competence and mastery lowered emotional reactivity towards minor disturbances in daily life. No effects were found for age, gender, and hours of care and contact with the person with dementia.DiscussionCaregiver resources can impact emotional reactivity to daily life stress. Interventions aimed at empowerment of caregiver resources, such as sense of competence, mastery, and coping, could help to reduce stress reactivity in dementia caregivers.

Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Business Students’ Academic Performance: A Case Study

The development of telecom technology has a profound impact on the lives and activities of the people of the world. Smartphone usage became popular to young generation because of its educational and entertaining options by using the numerous apps. Among the young people, students are increasingly using Smartphone. But excessive Smartphone usage usually makes the students addicted to that subconsciously impacts on user’s academic performance, daily activities, physical and mental health and withdrawal tendency, and social relationships. This study aims at identifying the factors that affect the level of Smartphone addiction of the students and its impact on their academic performance. A structured questionnaire has been developed to gather data from the students. A total of 247 questionnaires were collected from the business students of a university of Bangladesh. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) the data were analyzed. Results revealed five Smartphone addiction factors such as, positive anticipation, impatience and tolerance, withdrawal, daily-life disturbance, and cyber friendship. Tolerance and daily-life disturbance have significant impact on students’ academic performance. This study suggests that the students should minimize the usage of Smartphone for achieving good academic performance.

Conjoint influence of mind-wandering and sleepiness on task performance.

Recent research suggests that sleepiness and mind-wandering-the experience of thoughts that are both stimulus-independent and task-unrelated-frequently co-occur and are both associated with poorer cognitive functioning. Whether these two phenomena have distinguishable effects on task performance remains unknown, however. To investigate this question, we used the online experience sampling of mind-wandering episodes and subjective sleepiness during a laboratory task (the Sustained Attention to Response Task; SART), and also assessed mind-wandering frequency and sleep-related disturbances in daily life using self-report questionnaires. The results revealed that the tendency to experience mind-wandering episodes during the SART and daily life was associated with higher levels of daytime sleepiness and sleep-related disturbances. More important, however, mind-wandering and sleepiness were independent predictors of SART performance at both the within- and between-individuals levels. These findings demonstrate that, although mind-wandering and sleepiness frequently co-occur, these two phenomena have distinguishable and additive effects on task performance. (PsycINFO Database Record

Amelogenesis Imperfecta and Early Restorative Crown Therapy: An Interview Study with Adolescents and Young Adults on Their Experiences.

Patients with Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) can present with rapid tooth loss or fractures of enamel as well as alterations in enamel thickness, color, and shape; factors that may compromise aesthetic appearance and masticatory function. The aim was to explore the experiences and perceptions of adolescents and young adults living with AI and receiving early prosthetic therapy. Seven patients with severe AI aged 16 to 23 years who underwent porcelain crown therapy participated in one-to-one individual interviews. The interviews followed a topic guide consisting of open-ended questions related to experiences of having AI. Transcripts from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis process identified three main themes: Disturbances in daily life, Managing disturbances, and Normalization of daily life. These themes explain the experiences of patients living with enamel disturbances caused by AI and receiving early crown therapy. Experiences include severe pain and sensitivity problems, feelings of embarrassment, and dealing with dental staff that lack knowledge and understanding of their condition. The patients described ways to manage their disturbances and to reduce pain when eating or drinking, and strategies for meeting other people. After definitive treatment with porcelain crown therapy, they described feeling like a normal patient. In conclusion the results showed that adolescents and young adults describe a profound effect of AI on several aspects of their daily life.

Smartphone addiction and its relationship with social anxiety and loneliness

ABSTRACTIndividuals with psychosocial problems such as social phobia or feelings of loneliness might be vulnerable to excessive use of cyber-technological devices, such as smartphones. We aimed to determine the relationship of smartphone addiction with social phobia and loneliness in a sample of university students in Istanbul, Turkey. Three hundred and sixty-seven students who owned smartphones were given the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS), and Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS). A significant difference was found in the mean SAS scores (p < .001) between users who declared that their main purpose for smartphone use was to access social networking sites. The BSPS scores showed positive correlations with all six subscales and with the total SAS scores. The total UCLA-LS scores were positively correlated with daily life disturbance, positive anticipation, cyber-oriented relationship, and total scores on the SAS. In regression analyses, total BSPS scores were significant predictors for SAS total scores (β = 0.313, t = 5.992, p < .001). In addition, BSPS scores were significant predictors for all six SAS subscales, whereas UCLA-LS scores were significant predictors for only cyber-oriented relationship subscale scores on the SAS (β = 0.130, t = 2.416, p < .05). The results of this study indicate that social phobia was associated with the risk for smartphone addiction in young people. Younger individuals who primarily use their smartphones to access social networking sites also have an excessive pattern of smartphone use.

Involuntary Movement during Mastication in Patients with Long-Term Facial Paralysis Reanimated with a Partial Gracilis Free Neuromuscular Flap Innervated by the Masseteric Nerve

Midface reanimation in patients with chronic facial paralysis is not always possible with an ipsilateral or contralateral facial nerve innervating a free neuromuscular tissue transfer. Alternate use of nonfacial nerves is occasionally indicated but may potentially result in inadvertent motions. The goal of this study was to objectively review videos of patients who underwent one-stage reanimation with a gracilis muscle transfer innervated by the masseteric nerve for (1) inadvertent motion during eating, (2) characterization of masticatory patterns, and (3) social hindrance perceived by the patients during meals. Between the years 2009 and 2012, 18 patients underwent midfacial reanimation with partial gracilis muscle transfer coapted to the masseter nerve for treatment of midfacial paralysis. Sixteen patients were videotaped in detail while eating. Involuntary midface movement on the reconstructed side and mastication patterns were assessed. In addition, 16 patients were surveyed as to whether involuntary motion constituted a problem in their daily lives. All 16 patients videotaped during mastication demonstrated involuntary motion on the reconstructed side while eating. Several unique masticatory patterns were noted as well. Only one of the 16 patients reported involuntary motion as a minor disturbance in daily life during meals. All patients with chronic facial paralysis who plan to undergo midface reanimation with a free tissue transfer innervated by the ipsilateral masseter nerve should be told that they would universally have involuntary animation during mastication. Most patients do not consider this a major drawback in their daily lives. Therapeutic, IV.

Trajectories and predictors of return to work after traumatic limb injury – a 2-year follow-up study

This study aims to explore the trajectories of return to work (RTW) and examine the predictors of different trajectories among workers following traumatic limb injury. A total of 804 participants were recruited during hospital admission for a 2-year prospective study. The RTW outcome was repeatedly assessed at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the injury. A group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was employed to identify trajectories of RTW among the participants. Comparisons of group characteristics of different trajectories were performed based on a multinomial logistic regression. GBTM identified three distinct trajectories of RTW: (i) fast RTW consisted of workers with early and stable RTW status from the first month after the injury; (ii) average RTW consisted of workers who achieved and remained at a stable RTW status within 6 months; and (iii) slow RTW consisted of workers who had slow and unsustainable RTW status within the 2-year follow-up period. The estimated proportions were 21.5%, 50.7%, and 27.8%, respectively. Workers with slow and unsustainable RTW after injury were found to be older, married, less educated, employed as repair personnel/operators/laborers, seriously injured, and depressed; they were also found to feel more disturbance in daily life, have lower self-efficacy, and believe they experience a poorer quality of life. Following traumatic limb injury, individual workers showed three distinct RTW trajectories, each of which was associated with different categories of biopsychosocial factors. An understanding of how different factors contribute to increasing the likelihood of RTW for injured workers in each trajectory group should aid policy-making in worker-oriented vocational rehabilitation programs.

Long-term follow-up of cases of rotator cuff tear treated conservatively

This study clarified the long-term results of conservative treatment of rotator cuff tears. This study focused on 103 shoulders diagnosed with rotator cuff tears by magnetic resonance imaging or arthrography at our institution from 1996 to 1999. Sixty-five shoulders were followed up by telephone survey and 43 of these shoulders were evaluated; 11 shoulders were excluded because the patient had died, 10 shoulders because of severe dementia, and 1 shoulder that had undergone trauma. The mean patient age for these 43 shoulders at the time of diagnosis was 62 years, and the mean follow-up period was 13 years. The pain score (30 points) and the activities-of-daily-life score (10 points) of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association shoulder scoring system were determined. The mean pain score was 25.4 points, and the proportion of patients with no pain or with only slight pain was 88%. The mean score for activities of daily life was 9.4 points, and the proportion of patients with no disturbance in daily life was 72%. The patients with fewer than 20 points out of the possible 40 points (30 points for pain score plus 10 points for activities-of-daily-life score) were significantly younger than the other patients. In cases of rotator cuff tears treated conservatively, at 13 years after diagnosis, about 90% of patients had no or only slight pain and about 70% had no disturbance in activities of daily life. However, the younger patients tended to have more significant pain or disorder in daily life more than 10 years after diagnosis.

Incidence of chest wall paresthesia after video-assisted thoracic surgery for primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is an established treatment for recurrent or complicated primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, a proportion of patients still complains of chronic pain or discomfort after VATS pleurodesis. We aimed to investigate if paresthesia is a distinct component of the post-operative discomfort in patients receiving VATS for PSP. Telephone interviews were conducted with 52 patients who had received VATS pleurodesis for PSP in our institute during a defined 24 month period. A standardized questionnaire was used to identify paresthetic discomforts which the patients themselves could distinguish from their wound pain. Responses were obtained from 51 patients (42 male, 9 female) with a mean age of 24.1 years (range 14-63 years), giving a response rate of 98.0%. With a median observation time of 19 months (range 2-24 months), 27 patients (52.9%) reported experiencing paresthesia as a post-operative complication distinct from their wound pain. The most commonly described characteristics of the paresthesia were 'pins and needles' (37.0%), 'numbness' (25.9%) or a sensation of abnormal 'swelling' in the chest wall (11.1%). Although only two of the affected patients (7.4%) described the paresthesia as 'severe', consequent functional disturbances in daily life were noted by seven patients (25.9%), and 11 patients (40.7%) actively sought medical or alternative, holistic therapies to relieve the paresthesia. Eight (21.0%) of the 38 patients followed-up for over 12 months after surgery still experienced the paresthesia. Although it should not detract from the proven advantages of VATS, paresthesia in the chest wall represents a distinct but previously overlooked post-VATS complication. It is a potential source of significant post-operative morbidity, and may run a chronic course in some patients. Further study is warranted to elucidate its mechanisms and optimum management.

Emotional reactivity to daily life stress in psychosis and affective disorder: an experience sampling study.

To investigate the emotional reactivity to small disturbances in daily life in patients with non-affective psychosis (NAP), bipolar disorder (BD) and major depression [major depressive disorder (MDD)]. Forty-two patients with NAP, 38 with BD, 46 with MDD, and 49 healthy controls were studied with the experience sampling method to assess (i) appraised subjective stress of small disturbances in daily life and (ii) emotional reactivity, reflected in changes in positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). Multilevel regression analyses showed an increase in NA in MDD, a decrease in PA in BD and both an increase in NA and a decrease in PA in NAP in association with the subjectively stressful situations, compared with the control subjects. Individuals with NAP, MDD and BD display differences in emotional stress reactivity. Type of mood disorder may exert a pathoplastic effect on emotional reactivity in individuals with MDD and BD. Individuals with NAP may be most vulnerable to the effects of daily life stress.

鼓室形成術前後における耳鳴の変化

We examined the time course changes of tinnitus after tympanoplasty in 30 patients. All patients exhibited disorders of symptomatic tinnitus preoperatively. Pitch match test and loudness balance test, in combination with pure tone audiometry were employed to obtain data on their characteristics. The patients were further subdivided into two groups, the middle tone group and the high tone group, based on whether their tinnitus could be pitch-matched relatively to low to middle frequency sounds (125Hz to 1kHz) or high frequency sounds (2 to 8kHz). In addition, a series of questionnaires was administered to both groups to evaluate the following subjective complaints: 1) the degree of loudness, 2) duration period, and 3) the degree of disturbance in daily life.Fifty-five percent of the patients in the middle tone group and 48% in the high tone group showed changes to the pitch matched frequency 1 week after surgery. One week later, 63% of the patients in the former group still retained altered frequency matching to their tinnitus, whereas the percentage for the latter group decreased to 30% indicating that about 20% of the patients with high tone tinnitus returned to their original conditions. Results from subjective assessment by the questionnaire substantiated the difference in symptom severity between the two groups. Three weeks after the surgery, 70% of the patients in the middle tone group showed decreased scores for subjective loudness, whereas only 25% of the high tone group showed relief. On the other hand, the scores for tinnitus duration periods and the degree of disturbance in daily life remained unchanged after the surgery, and no significant difference was observed between the two groups. Although the relationship between the pathologic conditions of the middle ear cavity and exacerbating parameters of tinnitus is not fully understood, we speculate that tinnitus cases showing lower frequency tone are more likely to be dependent on abnormal sound transmission caused by middle ear diseases.

通年性アレルギー性鼻炎に対する減感作療法 ノイロトロピン併用減感作療法の検討

Neurotropin®, an extract isolated from inflamed rabbit skin, has been used in Japan as an anti-allergic. We studied the effectiveness of the combined treatment of hyposensitization and Neurotropin® injections on perennial allergic rhinitis. Assessment was based on clinical effectiveness and changes in the serum levels of specific IgG, IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies against house dust mite in a multicenter well-controlled study. The control group was treated with specific hyposensitization alone.In the combined treatment (CT) group, house dust hyposensitization therapy and Neurotropin® in a dose of 3ml were administered simultaneously twice a week for 12 to 36 weeks. The number of patients treated for 12 weeks or more was 72 in the single treatment (ST) group and 68 in the CT group. The global improvement rating, determined by both subjective symptoms and objective examinations, of the CT group (88.2% of cases; improvement or better) was significantly superior to that of the ST group (66.2%). Among the subjective and objective findings observed, the improvement of disturbance in daily life, swelling of the inferior nasal concha, and the amount of nasal secretion in the CT group was significantly greater than the improvement in the ST group. No significant difference was observed in the frequency of side effects, including drop-outs, between the ST group (4 out of 73) and the CT group (5 out of 69). The effectiveness of treatment in the CT group was significantly greater than in the ST group, with more “remarkable improvement” cases being found in the CT group. However, Dermatophagoides pteronysis-specific IgG (s-IgG), s-IgG1 and s-IgG4 antibody levels did not differ significantly between the two groups, although they were somewhat higher after than before treatment. For both groups, no remarkable difference was found in changes in s-IgG, s-IgG1 and s-IgG4 antibody levels between those showing clinical effectiveness and those without a good response.The results indicate that Neurotropine treatment combined with hyposensitization was more beneficial than hyposensitization alone, but we failed to reveal whether or not Neurotropin® affects the mechanism by which hyposensitization therapy works.