Which hormone (GnRHa) medications work best with ovarian stimulation hormones in assisted conception cycles? Key messages • When comparing long versus short gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) treatment, there was little to no difference between groups for live birth and ongoing pregnancy rates, but the long treatment may result in a higher clinical pregnancy rate (where the foetus can be seen or heard). • We are uncertain if there is any difference in live birth and clinical pregnancy rates for the other comparisons studied, except for the comparison 100 µg dose versus 25 µg...

Psychological interventions for depression in people with diabetes mellitus This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the effects of psychological interventions for depression in people with diabetes mellitus. This is a protocol....

What are the benefits and risks of different immunotherapy drugs for treating glioblastoma (a cancerous brain tumour)? Key messages • A form of immunotherapy known as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which uses the body's immune system to fight disease, has shown encouraging results in the treatment of some cancers. • Seven studies looked at the ICI anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) for the treatment of adults with glioblastoma. Six of them showed no benefit. One small trial showed an improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival, but the evidence is very...

Early versus delayed anticoagulation treatment for people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation-related acute ischaemic stroke This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and risks of early versus late initiation of oral anticoagulation (vitamin K antagonists or NOACs) in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation-related ischaemic stroke. This is a protocol....

What are the best ways to help people to stop vaping nicotine and do they have any unwanted effects? Key messages Text message-based interventions compared to no or minimal support may help young people stop vaping, and varenicline compared to no or minimal support may help people stop vaping; however, more evidence is needed. We need more information on whether other interventions can help people to stop vaping. We need more information on potential harms of interventions and whether they affect the number of people smoking tobacco. What are nicotine-containing vapes? Vapes (also known as...

Yoga as an adjunctive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effect and safety of yoga as an adjunctive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. This is a protocol....

Are virtual reality interventions more effective than an alternative or no intervention for the rehabilitation of people with multiple sclerosis? Key messages - Virtual reality might improve balance and postural control, upper limb function, and participation and quality of life, but the overall quality of the evidence is limited. - Since these results are based on few studies of lower quality, they should be interpreted with caution. What is multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis is the most common neurological disease in young adults. People with multiple sclerosis can have a variety of...

Is a procedure to induce tolerance for aspirin an effective treatment for adults with a hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)? Key messages • Due to a lack of robust evidence, the benefits and harms of aspirin after desensitisation (ATAD) (a procedure to induce tolerance to aspirin by exposing an individual to the drug gradually) as a treatment option for people with a hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain unclear. • Treatment with ATAD may lead to a better quality of life, although the evidence comes from small studies. •...

Air versus supplemental oxygen for resuscitation of term or late preterm infants at birth This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective To assess the benefits and harms of air compared with supplemental oxygen for resuscitation of term or late preterm infants at birth in reducing rates of mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Secondary objectives To assess whether the benefits and harms of air compared with supplemental oxygen differ according to different oxygen concentrations, gestational age (GA), whether...

Which approaches work best to treat involuntary urine leakage for women? Key messages – Some approaches for pelvic floor muscle (muscles supporting the bladder, bowel, and womb) training for women with involuntary (accidental) urine leakage are better than others, and some might be as good as each other. – We were unsure about many of the approaches, often because there was only one study or several small studies investigating the question. – More studies are needed that directly compare different approaches to pelvic floor muscle training, especially studies to find out whether different...

Injury prevention programmes (IPPs) for preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the benefits and harms of injury prevention programmes on anterior cruciate ligament injuries. This is a protocol....

Oocyte activation for women following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) Does performing an additional step of artificial oocyte activation improve the success of intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment (ICSI) in women undergoing assisted reproduction? Key messages We are uncertain about the effect of artificial oocyte activation on the live birth rate and miscarriage rate amongst women with a mix of reasons for undergoing ICSI treatment. In couples undergoing ICSI treatment who have a history of low or no fertilization, performing artificial oocyte activation may help improve the...

What are the benefits and risks of using cell salvage during birth? Key messages Use of cell salvage may reduce the need for additional blood transfusions, may reduce blood loss, and may increase postpartum haemoglobin on day one in women who have a caesarean birth. Cell salvage possibly makes little to no difference to the risk of sepsis and probably makes little to no difference to the risk of haemorrhage. We are not confident in the evidence regarding the effect of cell salvage on the risk of transfusion-related adverse (unwanted or harmful) reactions, length of operation, and length of...

Are actions taken in schools, colleges and universities to prevent self-harm and suicide in young people up to the age of 25 effective? Key messages • We found 51 studies to answer our question, but we remain uncertain about the impact of interventions in education settings to reduce self-harm. • There are some encouraging findings, but we need large studies to confirm them, and studies that examine the combination of different intervention approaches that are co-designed with young people, can be delivered in a safe environment and implemented over a long period of time. How are self-harm...

What are the effects of sex and gender on outcomes after kidney transplantation? Key messages • There may be no differences in the loss of a transplanted kidney (a surgical procedure where a kidney is transferred from one person - the donor - to another person - the recipient), death, acute or chronic rejection (the body's immune system attacking the transplanted kidney), or the incidence of cancer between male and female kidney transplant recipients (the definition of “male” or “female” based on biological differences). • Only one study investigated gender (defined as the sociocultural...

What are the benefits and risks of cycled light in the intensive care unit for preterm or very low birth weight infants? Key messages • For babies who are born prematurely, we do not know whether cycled light in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has an effect on growth, development of the nervous system, and unwanted effects. • We do not know whether cycled light in NICUs reduces the length of hospital stay. • Future research in this area should focus on assessing the effect of cycled light in NICUs on long-term health. What is cycled light in the intensive care unit? Babies who are...

Exercise as treatment for adults with chronic fatigue syndrome Editorial note:  Editorial note (19 December 2024; amended 31 January 2025): Larun L, Brurberg KG, Odgaard-Jensen J, Price JR. Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2019, Issue 10. Art. No.: CD003200. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003200.pub8. Accessed 18 December 2024. This Editorial Note is for the above article, published online on 2 October 2019 on the Cochrane Library (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/), and has been issued by the Publisher, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, in...

How accurate are cognitive assessment tools, that are completed by people themselves, at detecting dementia? Key messages - The evidence suggests that cognitive assessment tools that are completed by people themselves could be used in the detection and diagnosis of dementia. - There is not enough evidence to recommend one type of assessment tool over another. - Further research on the use of these assessment tools in different settings, such as clinics or people's homes, and the scores that indicate dementia is needed. Why is improving the detection of dementia important? The number of...

Are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) effective for treating symptomatic uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women? Key messages • Compared to antibiotics (medicines used to treat a wide range of infections or diseases caused by bacteria), NSAIDs (medicines that reduce inflammation, pain and fever) probably result in less short-term resolution of urinary tract infection symptoms (1 to 4 days), and may result in less medium-term resolution of symptoms (5 to 10 days). • NSAIDs may result in a longer duration of symptoms and probably result in more women needing antibiotic...

Peer-supported interventions for people with spinal cord injury This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective To assess the effects of peer-supported interventions on quality of life and self-management compared with control (i.e. usual care, no intervention, or other supportive or psychosocial interventions) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Secondary objective To assess the effects of peer-supported interventions on health service utilisation, secondary health conditions, mood disorders, and social participation compared...