Positive Short-term Effects Research Articles

Analisis Dampak Inflasi Terhadap Daya Beli Konsumen dalam Konteks Ekonomi

This study analyzes the impact of inflation on consumer purchasing power in Indonesia, focusing on low-income communities and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Using a descriptive qualitative method, data were collected through in-depth interviews and field observations. The results show that inflation has a significant effect on daily consumption patterns and the quality of life, particularly in meeting basic needs. Moreover, the increase in essential goods prices has triggered social instability in several regions. This study also evaluates government policies in mitigating the impact of inflation and provides recommendations to protect the most vulnerable groups from rising prices. The findings suggest that although fiscal and monetary policies have short-term positive effects, more comprehensive measures are needed for the long term.

Exploring the influence of green growth and energy sources on “carbon-dioxide emissions”: implications for climate change mitigation

Climate change is a global concern driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Bangladesh, being densely populated and a significant carbon emitter, must urgently reduce its “carbon-dioxide emissions”. The primary objectives of this research are to meticulously examine the impact of green growth, non-renewable energy, renewable energy, and technological innovations on carbon dioxide emissions in Bangladesh from 1990 to 2020, with the goal of informing policies for effective and sustainable climate change mitigation in Bangladesh. The analysis using advanced econometric methods, including autoregressive distributed lag, fully modified ordinary least squares, and canonical cointegration regression, reveals that green growth and technological innovations have adverse long-term but positive short-term effects on carbon emissions in Bangladesh. Additionally, it is noteworthy that both non-renewable and renewable energy sources significantly contribute to long-term and short-term carbon emissions. The study confirms the Environmental Kuznets Curve, showing a “∩” shaped relationship between green development and carbon emissions. Policymakers should prioritize green growth, incentivize technological innovation, promote sustainable economic practices, and implement comprehensive energy transition strategies. The insights from this study inform policy formulation to address the complex relationships between green growth, energy sources, and carbon-dioxide emissions for sustainable climate change mitigation in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s efforts contribute to global emission reduction and foster a resilient future.

The Public Debt Conundrum: Unpacking Its Effects on Nigeria’s Economic Progress

The study assessed the effect of public debt on economic progress in Nigeria from 1986 to 2022. It investigates the connections among gross domestic product growth rate which is used to measure economic progress, domestic debt, external debt, gross capital formation and exchange rate to throw light on their effect on the path of economic progress of Nigeria. Employing ARDL method, with data sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin and World Bank Development Indicators. Findings reveals that domestic debt and external debt had a positive insignificant short-term effect on Nigeria’s economic progress and both domestic and external debt have an adverse effect on Nigeria’s economic progress in the long term. Also, gross capital formation had an adverse insignificant effect both in the short and long term, exchange rate had a negative insignificant short-term effect, but its long run effect was positive and significant on Nigeria’s economic progress. A long run cointegrating equilibrium relationship was established among the variables in the study. Based on the findings, the study recommends among others that policy makers should manage debt prudently, avoid over reliance on debt as it is only a short-term solution, boost revenue generation and capital formation to drive economic progress and manage exchange rate properly to avoid fluctuations as it has potential to boost Nigeria long-term economic progress.

Efficacy Analysis of Arthroscopic Surgery Combined with Intra-articular Chitosan Injection for Stage II-III Knee Osteoarthritis in Patients with Abnormal Body Weight.

Weight is an influential factor in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, the effect of abnormal body weight on chitosan's efficacy in treating KOA is unclear. This study aimed to explore the differences in the effectiveness of arthroscopic surgery combined with intra-articular chitosan injection for KOA in patients with abnormal body weight. Patients with stage II-III KOA (Kellgren-Lawrence rating, K-L) undergoing arthroscopic surgery were recruited for this clinical study from January 2020 to September 2021. Based on body mass index (BMI) and intra-articular chitosan injection, patients with KOA undergoing arthroscopic surgery (138 patients) were divided into four groups: low-weight-non-injection (Lw-N, BMI <18.5); low-weight-chitosan injection (Lw-CS, BMI <18.5); overweight-non-injection (Ow-N, BMI ≥25); overweight-chitosan injection (Ow-CS, BMI ≥25). A 2-year follow-up was conducted to evaluate various indicators, including the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index score (WOMAC). Statistical analyses were performed using relevant parametric or non-parametric tests. In total, 138 patients with KOA were included in this study. There were no significant differences in gender, age, and incidence of chronic residual pain after arthroscopy among the four groups (p > 0.05). The proportion of patients undergoing subsequent knee arthroplasty during the 2-year follow-up period was significantly higher in the Ow-CS group (20/35) than in the Lw-CS group (12/39) (p < 0.05). The K-L rating showed an overall increasing trend over time, with the K-L rating in the Ow-N and Ow-CS groups significantly higher than that in the Lw-CS group at the final follow-up (p < 0.05). VAS and WOMAC scores significantly decreased at 1 and 3 months post-arthroscopy and then increased. One month after arthroscopy, VAS was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the intra-articular chitosan injection groups (Lw-CS and Ow-CS) compared with the non-injection groups (Lw-N and Ow-N). VAS was lower in the Ow-CS group than in the Lw-CS group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in WOMAC between the intra-articular chitosan injection and non-injection groups at each time point (Lw-N vs. Lw-CS, Ow-N vs. Ow-CS, p > 0.05). Arthroscopic surgery combined with intra-articular chitosan injection shows short-term positive effects in treating KOA. Intra-articular chitosan injection appears to have a greater short-term pain relief effect in obese patients.

Maintaining the impact of action-oriented entrepreneurship training: the role of error mastery orientation for training transfer in an active learning setting

ABSTRACT Action-oriented entrepreneurship training can boost entrepreneurship, but positive short-term effects often decay over time. Based on training transfer theory, we argue that error mastery orientation is a personal characteristic that affects the maintenance of training outcomes over time in the transfer context of entrepreneurship. We implemented an action-oriented entrepreneurship training at a university in Uganda and collected data from training participants before (NT0 = 175) and after the training programme (NT1 = 164) as well as at a 1-year follow-up measurement (NT2 = 52). Growth curve models showed that the participants experienced an increase in entrepreneurial action and new venture creation over time. Furthermore, error mastery orientation influenced the maintenance of entrepreneurial action and new venture creation over time. The study contributes to theories of entrepreneurship training and training transfer by demonstrating that error mastery orientation is a boundary condition of the long-term effectiveness of active learning interventions, such as action-oriented entrepreneurship training.

Effects of New Complementary Feeding Guidelines on Eating Behaviour, Food Consumption and Growth in Colombian Children: 6-Year Follow-Up of a Randomised Controlled Trial.

Complementary feeding (CF) may influence later eating behaviour and growth. Our previous Randomised Control Trial (RCT) reported that new CF guidelines (NCFGs) implemented in 6-12-month-old infants in Bogota, Colombia, had positive short-term effects on red meat, vegetable and fruit consumption. Here, we assessed the effects of the NCFGs on food consumption, eating behaviour and growth at 6 years of age. Weight and height were measured using 50 children (58.8%) from the cohort. Feeding behaviour was measured using the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) and maternal and child food consumption was measured using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The control group (CG) had a significantly higher weekly consumption of chocolate milk drinks (p = 0.05). The mean food responsiveness (FR) score was significantly higher in the CG (p < 0.001). Although HAZ (height for age Z-score) at 6 years of age was significantly higher in the CG (p < 0.02), there was no significant difference between groups in the change in HAZ from 6 months and 12 months to 6 years of age. BMIZ (body mass index Z-score) and % overweight (CG 18.5% versus NCFG 13%) or obese (3.7% versus 0%) were not significantly different between groups. BMIZ was positively predicted by FR (β 0.293; p = 0.014) and negatively predicted by weekly red meat consumption episodes per week at 12 months (β -0.169; p = 0.020). Although there was no direct effect of an intervention on BMIZ at 6 years of age, the results were consistent with an indirect effect via intervention effects on meat consumption at an age of 12 months and FR at 6 years of age. However, further longitudinal studies with a larger sample size are needed.

Xenogeneic Collagen Matrix Versus Free Gingival Graft for Augmenting Peri-Implant Keratinized Mucosa Around Dental Implants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

There is a growing evidence to suggest augmenting peri-implant keratinized mucosa in the presence of ≤ 2 mm of keratinized mucosa. However, the most appropriate surgical technique and augmentation materials have yet to be defined. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analyses was to evaluate the clinical and patient-reported outcomes of augmenting keratinized mucosa around implants using free gingival graft (FGG) versus xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM) before commencing prosthetic implant treatment. Electronic databases were searched to identify observational studies comparing implant sites augmented with FGG to those augmented with XCM. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool. Six studies with 174 participants were included in the present review. Of these, 87 participants had FGG, whereas the remaining participants had XCM. At 6 months, sites augmented with FGG were associated with less changes in the gained width of peri-implant keratinized mucosa compared to those augmented with XCM (mean difference 1.06; 95% confidence interval -0.01 to 2.13; p = 0.05). The difference, however, was marginally significant. The difference between the two groups in changes in thickness of peri-implant keratinized mucosa at 6 months was statistically significantly in favor of FGG. On the other hand, XCM had significantly shorter surgical time, lower postoperative pain score, and higher color match compared to FGG. Within the limitation of this review, the augmentation of keratinized mucosa using FGG before the placement of the final prosthesis may have short-term positive effects on soft tissue thickness. XCM might be considered in aesthetically demanding implant sites and where patient comfortor shorter surgical time is a priority. The evidence support, however, is of low to moderate certainty; therefore, further studies are needed to support the findings of the present review.

The Impact of Natural Disasters on Corporate ESG Performance: Evidence from China

Over the past decades, the frequency and economic losses from natural disasters have continued to escalate globally. Disasters pose significant challenges to global sustainable economic and social development. As a critical part of the economy, a firm’s ESG performance is a key indicator of sustainability. Whereas the determinants of firms’ ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance have gained growing attention, limited research focuses on the impact of natural disasters on ESG performance. This paper provides the first empirical study on the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of natural disasters on firms’ ESG performance through the lensof earthquakes. By exploiting a difference-in-differences approach based on panel data of Chinese listed firms and a dataset of seismic events, this paper shows that earthquakes have a significant positive impact on affected firms’ ESG performance, with short-term positive effects on environmental and social performance and long-term positive effects on social and governance performance. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effects are more pronounced for state-owned firms, relatively smaller firms, and firms located in cities with frequent earthquake occurrences. This study highlights the distinct temporal effects on different ESG dimensions and provides new insights for policymakers to employ ESG practices to alleviate the negative effects of disasters.

Effects of interventions implemented by occupational health professionals to prevent work-related stress complaints: a systematic review

Work-related stress complaints are a growing societal problem. Occupational health professionals often play a key role in its prevention. However, studies providing an overview of preventive interventions and their effectiveness...

Chronic administration of caffeine, modafinil, AVL-3288 and CX516 induces time-dependent complex effects on cognition and mood in an animal model of sleep deprivation

ObjectiveCaffeine and modafinil are used to reverse effects of sleep deprivation. Nicotinic alpha-7 receptor and AMPA receptor positive allosteric modulators (PAM) are also potential substances in this context. Our objective is to evaluate the effects of caffeine, modafinil, AVL-3288 (nicotinic alpha-7 PAM) and CX516 (AMPA receptor PAM) on cognition and mood in a model of sleep deprivation. MethodModified multiple platform model is used to sleep-deprive mice for 24 days, for 8 h/day. Vehicle, Modafinil (40 mg/kg), Caffeine (5 mg/kg), CX516 (10 mg/kg), and AVL3288 (1 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally daily. A cognitive test battery was applied every six days for four times. The battery that included elevated plus maze, novel object recognition, and sucrose preference tests was administered on consecutive days. ResultsSleep deprivation decreased novel object recognition skill, but no significant difference was found in anxiety and depressive mood. Caffeine administration decreased anxiety-like behavior in short term, but this effect disappeared in chronic administration. Caffeine administration increased memory performance in chronic period. AVL group showed better memory performance in short term, but this effect disappeared in the rest of experiment. Although, in the modafinil group, no significant change in mood and memory was observed, anhedonia was observed in the chronic period in vehicle, caffeine and modafinil groups, but not in AVL-3288 and CX-516 groups. ConclusionCaffeine has anxiolytic effect in acute administration. The improvement of memory in chronic period may be associated with the neuroprotective effects of caffeine. AVL-3288 had a short-term positive effect on memory, but tolerance to these effects developed over time. Furthermore, no anhedonia was observed in AVL-3288 and CX516 groups in contrast to vehicle, caffeine and modafinil groups. This indicates that AVL-3288 and CX516 may show protective effect against depression.

Parental barriers to implementing family-centred care in a neonatal intensive care unit in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Studies have shown short-term and long-term positive effects of family-centred care interventions on neonatal and maternal health, and developmental outcomes in neonatal intensive care units. However, some challenges and barriers limit implementation of family-centred care. To investigate parental barriers to implementing family-centred care in a neonatal intensive care unit in Islamic Republic of Iran. A conventional content analysis was conducted at a neonatal intensive care unit in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran from 2020 to 2021. Twenty semi-structured interviews and 9 field notes were conducted. The interview data were analysed using the Graneheim and Lundman method and the demographic data were analysed using SPSS version 21. Two themes emerged from the data analysis. The first theme was "inefficiency of playing the parental role", with 2 main categories of "face unpleasant feelings" and "inappropriate presence and participation". The second theme was "ineffective involvement of parents in the care", with 3 main categories of "lack of effective communication with personnel", "interference of parents in the treatment process", and "given insufficient information by parents". Parental barriers to the provision of family-centred care featured prominently in the study. Therefore, to improve neonatal and family health, there is a need for involvement, coordination and effective communication between the medical teams and parents to create a supportive and friendly environment in neonatal intensive care units.

Stutterers’ experiences on classic psychedelics: A preliminary self-report study

Stuttering poses challenges to social, occupational, and educational aspects of life. Traditional behavioral therapies can be helpful but effects are often limited. Pharmaceutical treatments have been explored but there are no FDA-approved treatments for stuttering. Interest has grown in the potential use of classic psychedelics, including psilocybin and LSD, which have shown effectiveness in treating disorders with similar symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, PTSD). The potential effects of psychedelics on stuttering have not been explored. We conducted a preliminary investigation of self-identified stutterers who report their experiences taking classic psychedelics on the online messaging forum, Reddit. We qualitatively analyzed 114 publicly available posts, extracting meaningful units and assigning descriptor codes inductively. We then deductively organized responses into an established framework of psychedelics which includes behavioral, emotional, cognitive, belief-based, and social effects. These effects were subsequently grouped under organizing themes (positive, negative, neutral). Descriptive statistics revealed that the majority of users (74.0%) reported positive overall short-term effects particularly related to behavioral and emotional change (e.g., reduced stuttering and anxiety), but negative (9.6%), mixed (positive and negative; 4.8%), and neutral overall experiences (11.6%) were also reported. The results support the possibility that psychedelics may impact stuttering, but caution must be applied in their interpretation given the entirely uncontrolled research setting and potential adverse health effects of psychedelics as reported elsewhere. While these results do not encourage the use of psychedelics by stutterers, they suggest that future work could examine the impact of psychedelics on stuttering under supervised and in clinically controlled settings.

Does experiential marketing alone encourage domestic tourists to revisit? Evidence from a tourist destination in West Java, Indonesia

The sustainable growth of tourist destinations relies heavily on revisit intention. Retaining repeat tourists is not only more economical but also about five times more profitable than attracting new ones. A dominant paradigm in tourist behavior literature shows a sequential relationship among image, quality, satisfaction, and post- behavior. Few studies have examined experiential marketing as a determinant of revisit intention. This study aims to extend the literature by investigating the effects of service quality and experiential marketing on revisit intention, with tourist satisfaction as a mediator. A total of 166 responses from domestic tourists who visited Purwakarta, West Java, Indonesia, were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results confirmed the positive effects of service quality and experiential marketing on tourist satisfaction. Interestingly, the mediating role of tourist satisfaction was only partial, as the direct relationship between experiential marketing and revisit intention was not supported. Experiential marketing might enhance specific aspects of the tourist experience, providing immediate and short-term positive effects that influence satisfaction directly after the visit. However, overall satisfaction encompasses a broader evaluation of the entire trip, integrating various elements and lasting impressions that collectively drive the intention to revisit.

MSCI全球指数与韩国股指波动对韩国贸易的影响

This study aims to analyse the impact of the stock market on Korea’s import and export trade, mainly through the MSCI Global and KOSPI indices as stock market proxies, and Korea’s total imports, total exports, import price indices, economic sentiment indices, and business surveys indices as proxies for import and export trade. Using a time-varying vector autoregression (TVP-VAR) model, it was found that the MSCI Global and KOSPI indices have a short-term positive effect on Korea’s total imports and total exports, but the KOSPI has a negative effect on total exports. For price indices, the MSCI Global Index has a positive effect on the import price index, while the KOSPI has a negative effect at a 1-month lag. For the export price index, the MSCI Global Index has a negative impact at 1-month lag but a positive impact at 3-month lag. For the Economic Sentiment Index, both indices have a negative impact at the 1-month lag. For the business survey index, both have a positive impact. In addition, the study analyses data from three different points in time: the US subprime crisis in 2008, the European credit crisis in 2015 and the New Crown epidemic in 2020. The results show that in all three financial events, the MSCI Global Index had a positive impact on Korea’s total exports and imports in the short term, while the KOSPI had a positive impact on total imports and a negative impact on total exports. For the import price index, the MSCI Global Index has a short-term positive impact while the KOSPI has a negative impact. For the export price index, both indices have a negative impact during financial events. For the economic sentiment index, the MSCI Global Index has a negative impact in the first lag and turns to a positive impact in the second lag, while the opposite is true for the KOSPI. Finally, in all three financial events, both indices had a short-term positive impact on the business survey index.

The Effect of Everyday-Life Social Contact on Pain.

Pain is a biopsychosocial phenomenon, resulting from the interplay between physiological and psychological processes and social factors. Given that humans constantly interact with others, the effect of social factors is particularly relevant. Documenting the significance of the social modulation of pain, an increasing number of studies have investigated the effect of social contact on subjective pain intensity and pain-related physiological changes. While evidence suggests that social contact can alleviate pain, contradictory findings indicate an increase in pain intensity and a deterioration of pain coping strategies. This evidence primarily stems from studies examining the effect of social contact on pain within highly controlled laboratory conditions. Moreover, pain assessments often rely on one-time subjective reports of average pain intensity across a predefined period. Ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) can circumvent these problems, as they can capture diverse aspects of behavior and experiences multiple times a day, in real time, with high resolution, and within naturalistic and ecologically valid settings. These multiple measures allow for the examination of fluctuations of pain symptoms throughout the day in relation to affective, cognitive, behavioral, and social factors. In this opinion paper, we review the current state and future relevance of EMA-based social pain research in daily life. Specifically, we examine whether everyday-life social support reduces or enhances pain. The first part of the paper provides a comprehensive overview of the use of EMA in pain research and summarizes the main findings. The review of the relatively limited number of existing EMA studies shows that the association between pain and social contact in everyday life depends on numerous factors, including pain syndromes, temporal dynamics, the nature of social interactions, and characteristics of the interaction partners. In line with laboratory research, there is evidence that everyday-life social contact can alleviate, but also intensify pain, depending on the type of social support. Everyday-life emotional support seems to reduce pain, while extensive solicitous support was found to have opposite effects. Moreover, positive short-term effects of social support can be overshadowed by other symptoms such as fatigue. Overall, gathering and integrating experiences from a patient's social environment can offer valuable insights. These insights can help interpret dynamics in pain intensity and accompanying symptoms such as depression or fatigue. We conclude that factors determining the reducing versus enhancing effects of social contact on pain need to be investigated more thoroughly. We advocate EMA as the assessment method of the future and highlight open questions that should be addressed in future EMA studies on pain and the potential of ecological momentary interventions for pain treatment.

Interprofessional socialization of first-year medical and midwifery students: effects of an ultra-brief anatomy training

BackgroundInterprofessionalism is considered a key component in modern health profession education. Nevertheless, there remains ongoing debate about when and where to introduce interprofessional trainings in the curriculum. We identified anatomy, a subject commonly shared among health professionals, as a practical choice for initiating early intergroup-contact between first-year medical and midwifery students. Our study examined the effects of a four-hour block course in anatomy on interprofessional socialization and valuing, as well as long-term effects on intergroup contact.MethodsBased on different concepts and theories of learning, we implemented 12 interprofessional learning stations. Several measures were taken to foster group cohesion: (1) self-directed working in interprofessional tandems on authentic obstetric tasks, (2) competing with other tandems, (3) creating positive interdependencies during task completion, and (4) allowing room for networking. In a pre-post design with a three-month follow-up, we assessed the outcomes of this ultra-brief training with qualitative essays and quantitative scales.ResultsAfter training, both groups improved in interprofessionalism scores with strong effect sizes, mean difference in ISVS-21 = 0.303 [95% CI: 0.120, 0.487], P < .001, η² = 0.171, while the scales measuring uniprofessional identity were unaffected, mean difference in MCPIS = 0.033 [95% CI: -0.236, 0.249], P = .789. A follow-up indicated that these positive short-term effects on the ISVS-21 scale diminished after 12 weeks to baseline levels, yet, positive intergroup contact was still reported. The qualitative findings revealed that, at this initial stage of their professional identity development, both medical and midwifery students considered interprofessionalism, teamwork and social competencies to be of importance for their future careers.ConclusionThis study advocates for an early implementation of interprofessional learning objectives in anatomical curricula. Young health profession students are receptive to interprofessional collaboration at this initial stage of their professional identity and derive strong advantages from a concise training approach. Yet, maintaining these gains over time may require ongoing support and reinforcement, such as through longitudinal curricula. We believe that an interprofessional socialization at an early stage can help break down barriers, and help to avoid conflicts that may arise during traditional monoprofessional curricula.

Does Selective Secondary Schools Make a Difference? A Quasi-Experimental Study in Chilean Public Schools

This study utilizes longitudinal data from two 10th-grade student cohorts in Chile to investigate the effects of selective secondary schools. Employing propensity scores and difference-in-difference methods, we find significant and positive short-term effects, ranging from 0.2 to 0.3 SD, with minor variations across subjects and cohorts studied. Likewise, these schools are not a viable alternative for vulnerable students, even though the greatest measured effect is on students with lower socioeconomic status. Our findings suggest that the additional value of selective schools may not be directly linked to standardized test performance but rather related to the interactions among equally talented students.

Short-term health effects of an urban regeneration programme in deprived neighbourhoods of Barcelona.

Urban regeneration programmes are interventions meant to enhance the wellbeing of residents in deprived areas, although empirical evidence reports mixed results. We evaluated the health impact of a participatory and neighbourhood-wide urban regeneration programme, Pla de Barris 2016-2020, in Barcelona. A pre-post with a comparison group study design. Using data from a cross-sectional survey performed in 2016 and 2021. The health outcomes analysed were mental health, alcohol and psychotropic drug use, perceived health status, physical activity and obesity. Depending on the investment, two intervention groups were defined: moderate- and high-intensity intervention groups. The analysis combined difference-in-difference estimation with an inverse weighting derived from a propensity score to reduce potential biases. The impact of the intervention in percentages and its confidence interval were estimated with a linear probability model with clustered adjusted errors. The intervention had a positive impact on health outcomes in women in the high-intensity intervention group: a reduction of 15.5% in the relative frequency of those experiencing poor mental health, and of 21.7% in the relative frequency of those with poor self-perceived health; and an increase of 13.7% in the relative frequency of those doing physical activity. No positive impact was observed for men, but an increase of 10.3% in the relative frequency of those using psychotropic drugs in the high-intensity intervention group. This study shows positive short-term effects of the urban regeneration programme Pla de Barris 2016-2020 on health outcomes in women in the high-intensity intervention group. These results can guide future interventions in other areas.

Dalfampridine in the treatment of primary fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis: a randomized clinical trail.

Fatigue is a highly prevalent debilitating symptom among patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), which markedly affects the quality of life. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of extended-release fampridine on fatigue in PwMS. This was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial on 77 PwMS with a complaint of fatigue, aged over 18years old, randomized to extended-release fampridine (n = 44) or placebo (n = 35) for 12weeks. Fatigue and motor function were assessed at baseline and end point. A total of 88 patients were recruited, of whom 77 were analyzed. 80.5% were female, with a median age of 38. 87% were diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) with a median disease duration of 96months. Fingolimod (37.7%) was considered the most frequently used DMT, followed by ani-CD20s (32.5%). The total median MFIS score was 43.5 and 37 in the fampridine and placebo groups which were not significantly different (p > 0.05). After 12weeks, the total MFIS improved in both groups compared to the baseline, which was significant in the active group (p = 0.04). However, the final end point total MFIS was still comparable between the two groups (p = 0.11). The present study revealed a positive short-term effect of extended-release fampridine on MFIS in PwMS. However, this effect was not significantly superior to the placebo.

(O-20) COMPARISON OF THREE SHOCKWAVE THERAPY PROTOCOLS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Abstract Introduction Multiple treatment modalities have been used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), including focal shock waves. This therapy has demonstrated a short-term positive effect in patients who respond or not to PDE-5i, with variability in therapeutic protocols. Aim To evaluate the effectiveness of 3 shock wave protocols for the treatment of ED. Methods Randomized, multicenter clinical trial. 277 men with non-psychological ED, over 18 years of age, without cancer or major surgeries in the pelvic area or any neurological disease that affected their erectile function, were randomized to one of three groups: weekly (6 wave sessions (WS), 1 x wk), monthly (6 WS 1 x month) or reinforcement (6 WS, 1 x week + 5 sessions, 1 x month). The wave parameters were the same in all groups, no patient received medication. The primary outcome was the change in IIEF-EF score at 6 months of follow-up. The change in the IIEF at the end of therapy and at 3 months of follow-up, erection hardness with the EHS, self-esteem with the SEAR questionnaire, and side effects were also evaluated. Results 222 patients completed the study. In the 6-month evaluation, the average change in the IIEF-EF in the monthly schedule was 4.3 (+/-6.7), 1.9 (+/-6.5) in the weekly schedule, and 5.0 (+/-6.1) in the reinforcement schedule ( p=0.0086). At the end of therapy and at 3 months the change in the IIEF-EF was 3.2 (+/-5.8) and 2.9 (+/-5.5) in the monthly group, 2.7 (+/-4.5) and 3.0 (+/-5.3) in the weekly one, and 4.2 (+/-6.4) and 4.4 (+/-6.5) in the reinforcement one. No differences were found between the groups in the proportion of patients who increased at least one point in erection hardness, nor in the average in the SEAR questionnaire in the evaluations carried out. No patient reported adverse effects to the therapy. Conclusions The results suggest that monthly and reinforcement wave schemes present good results for the treatment of ED. Financing Boston Medical Group.