Tag: pubmed

J Craniofac Surg. 2026 Mar 30. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000012689. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine whether children who undergo adenoidectomy show statistically significant improvements in their eating habits, sleep quality, and weight gain.

METHODS: Fifty individuals who had undergone adenoidectomy and 50 healthy controls matched for age and sex were included in the case-control study. The Eating Improvement Score, Sleep Quality Score, and Weight Gain Rate were assessed using standardized anthropometric measurements and validated parent-reported scales.

RESULTS: Patients who underwent adenoidectomy had considerably higher rates of weight gain (0.74 versus 0.28 kg/mo), Eating Improvement Scores (7.7 versus 4.4), and Sleep Quality Scores (7.8 versus 4.5).

CONCLUSION: Nutritional and functional outcomes are significantly improved after adenoidectomy in children with adenoid hypertrophy, demonstrating that the procedure has benefits beyond clear airways.

PMID:41911587 | DOI:10.1097/SCS.0000000000012689

J Craniofac Surg. 2026 Mar 30. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000012723. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cat allergy is a common cause of allergic rhinitis and asthma and is associated with significant symptom burden and impaired quality of life. Complete avoidance of cat allergens is often impractical, and allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) represents a potential disease-modifying treatment option. However, real-life data regarding the effectiveness and safety of cat allergen immunotherapy remain limited.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the real-life clinical effectiveness and safety of subcutaneous cat allergen immunotherapy using a cat allergen extract in patients with cat-induced allergic rhinitis and/or asthma.

METHODS: This retrospective observational study included patients who received subcutaneous cat allergen immunotherapy for at least 6 months between January 2023 and December 2025. Sensitization to cat allergen was confirmed by both skin prick testing and serum cat-specific IgE (≥0.35 kU/L). Clinical outcomes, including symptom scores, medication scores, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores, were assessed at baseline and during follow-up. Changes between baseline and the sixth month of treatment were analyzed using nonparametric statistical methods.

RESULTS: A total of 12 patients were included, all of whom were female, with a mean age of 35.17 ± 8.68 years. Asthma was present in 25% of patients. At the sixth month of immunotherapy, significant improvements were observed across all evaluated clinical parameters. Median symptom scores decreased from 3.0 to 1.0 (P = 0.002), medication scores from 2.0 to 1.5 (P = 0.038), and VAS scores from 9.0 to 5.0 (P = 0.002). RQLQ scores also showed a significant reduction from 113.0 to 86.0 (P = 0.028). Improvements were associated with large effect sizes. Ten patients achieved a >30% reduction in VAS scores. Moderate correlations were observed between changes in symptom and medication scores and improvements in quality of life. Immunotherapy was generally well tolerated; moderate-to-severe systemic reactions occurred in a subset of patients, with no life-threatening reactions or permanent treatment discontinuation.

CONCLUSION: In this real-life cohort, subcutaneous cat allergen immunotherapy was associated with significant improvements in clinical symptoms, medication use, and quality of life, with an acceptable safety profile. These findings support the role of cat allergen immunotherapy as an effective treatment option in selected patients with persistent symptoms despite medical therapy.

PMID:41911585 | DOI:10.1097/SCS.0000000000012723

J Craniofac Surg. 2026 Mar 30. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000012692. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Patients with unilateral cleft lip nasal deformities (UCLND) suffer from both cosmetic deformities and functional impairments. While secondary rhinoplasty primarily targets aesthetic enhancement, its long-term effects on patient-reported function, particularly airway patency and olfactory function, are not well-documented. The primary purpose of this study is to conduct a longitudinal assessment of patient-reported satisfaction, nasal patency, and olfactory function following secondary rhinoplasty in patients with UCLND. This study included 144 patients who underwent secondary rhinoplasty of UCLND between February 2022 and November 2023. Nasal morphology and function were assessed using the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) scale, Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for olfactory function. A total of 144 patients were followed for 6 months postoperatively, of whom 100 completed an additional follow-up at 12 months. Comparison between preoperative and 6-month postoperative outcomes revealed significant improvements in both ROE and olfactory VAS scores (both P<0.001), whereas the NOSE score showed no statistically significant change (P=0.83). At 12 months postoperatively, ROE and olfactory VAS scores remained significantly elevated compared with preoperative levels, and the NOSE score demonstrated a significant reduction (P<0.001, P<0.001, and P=0.003, respectively). Secondary rhinoplasty for unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity has been shown to improve nasal satisfaction and subjective perception of nasal airway patency and olfactory sense. Notably, the improvement in patient-reported nasal patency appears to be a progressive and sustained process over time.

PMID:41911582 | DOI:10.1097/SCS.0000000000012692

J Craniofac Surg. 2026 Mar 30. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000012595. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine variations in the morphology of the sphenoid ridge (SR) between individuals with trisomy 21 (T21) and healthy controls.

METHODS: The work included computed tomography scans from 45 patients with T21 (mean age: 9.40±3.87 y) and 45 healthy controls (mean age: 8.56±4.87 y). Measurements were taken for SR in terms of its length (LSR), angle (ASR), lateral tip width (WL), and midline width (WML). ASR was categorized as follows: Type A for values >130 degrees, Type B for values between 110 and 130 degrees, and Type C for values <110 degrees.

RESULTS: In the T21 group, LSR, ASR, WL, and WML were measured as 40.07±3.83 mm, 119.58±10.08 degrees, 2.65±0.90 mm, and 9.09±2.45 mm, respectively. In controls, LSR, ASR, WL, and WML were measured as 42.28±4.26 mm, 122.50±8.67 degrees, 2.62±0.80 mm, and 7.95±2.08 mm, respectively. LSR (P<0.001) and ASR (P=0.039) were found to be smaller in individuals with T21 compared with the control group. WML was greater in T21 than controls (P=0.019), but WL was statistically similar in both groups (P=0.812). The comparison of ASR configurations between the T21 group (types A: 8.9%, B: 76.7%, and C: 14.4%) and the control group (types A: 17.8%, B: 72.2%, and C: 10%) indicated no significant association between T21 and this classification (P=0.173).

CONCLUSION: LSR and ASR could correspond to anterior fossa width and middle fossa depth, respectively. As a result, patients with T21 tend to have a narrower anterior fossa and a shallow middle fossa.

PMID:41911572 | DOI:10.1097/SCS.0000000000012595

J Craniofac Surg. 2026 Mar 30. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000012696. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The lingula and antilingula are important anatomic references in oral and maxillofacial procedures. This study aims to characterize morphologic variations of the lingula and antilingula in unilateral craniofacial microsomia (CFM) and evaluate their associations.

METHODS: Cranial CT scans of 98 unilateral CFM patients (Pruzansky-Kaban types I, IIA, and IIB) were retrospectively analyzed. Lingula morphology was classified as nodular, triangular, truncated, or assimilated (absent); antilingula was recorded as present/absent. Statistical analyses included χ2 tests, Cochran-Armitage trend tests, and Cohen κ for concordance.

RESULTS: Among 196 mandibular sides, lingula absence occurred in 19.4%, with higher prevalence on affected sides (35.7% versus 3.1%, P<0.001). Antilingula absence increased significantly with Pruzansky-Kaban severity on affected sides (type IIB: 62.1% versus type I: 9.1%, P=0.003). Lingula-antilingula concordance was weak (κ=0.157, P=0.020).

CONCLUSIONS: CFM patients exhibit high variability in lingula and antilingula anatomy, particularly on the affected side. Preoperative 3‑dimensional CT evaluation is therefore crucial for safe osteotomy planning.

PMID:41911566 | DOI:10.1097/SCS.0000000000012696

J Craniofac Surg. 2026 Mar 30. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000012686. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is rarely observed in patients with craniofacial syndromes, with few reports in the literature devoted to identifying epilepsy predictors for this patient population. This study aims to determine potential predictors of epilepsy in syndromic craniosynostosis.

METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed data from 476 patients with Apert, Crouzon, or Pfeiffer syndromes treated at 2 craniofacial centers between 2007 and 2022. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those diagnosed with epilepsy (group A) and those without (group B). Independent variables included age, number of surgeries, previous surgery performed elsewhere, neurosurgical complication during craniofacial surgery, Chiari malformation type I, meningitis, systemic complication, encephalomalacia, hydrocephalus, placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, and family history of epilepsy. These variables were compared between groups. Statistical analyses were conducted using logistic regression models to identify significant epilepsy predictors.

RESULTS: Epilepsy was diagnosed in 24 patients, resulting in a prevalence of 5%. Significant predictors of epilepsy included previous surgeries performed elsewhere and neurosurgical complications during craniofacial surgery, with odds ratios of 853 and 902, respectively. These factors suggest that epilepsy in this population is primarily acquired rather than congenital.

CONCLUSION: The study identified a higher prevalence of epilepsy among children with syndromic craniosynostosis compared with the general population. Intracranial complications, particularly those associated with surgeries performed outside specialized centers, are key predictors of epilepsy. These findings emphasize the importance of specialized surgical care to mitigate epilepsy risk in this patient population.

PMID:41911563 | DOI:10.1097/SCS.0000000000012686

JMIR Form Res. 2026 Mar 30;10:e76755. doi: 10.2196/76755.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Gait assessment is an important tool for evaluating health risks in older adults but remains underused in low-resource settings. We explored the feasibility of using a low-cost, simple walking protocol with smartphone video capture to extract health-related gait signals by classifying sex and age. Sex and age are fundamental biological factors linked to most health- and aging-related outcomes. Establishing baseline classification performance provides justification for future exploration of more complex health-related conditions using this protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess whether pose parameters derived from smartphone-based gait videos can be used by machine learning models to classify age and sex.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 155 participants (Thailand: n=59, 38.1%; India: n=96, 61.9%). Participants performed a simple walking protocol while being recorded using smartphones. Pose estimation was conducted using the MediaPipe algorithm to extract 109 features related to joint distances, angles, and walking speed. For feasibility assessment, we calculated the proportion of recordings for which pose estimation could be extracted. Elastic-net logistic regression and histogram-based gradient boosting classifiers were used for analysis. Model performance was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation. Outcomes were sex (male vs female) and age group (aged<65 vs ≥65 y).

RESULTS: Pose parameters were successfully extracted from 145 (93.5%) of the 155 video recordings. Among the 145 participants, 94 (64.8%) were female, and 55 (37.9%) were aged 65 years or older. The 2 analytic models demonstrated comparable performance. Sex classification achieved a maximum mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of approximately 0.90 (SD 0.06), whereas age classification achieved a maximum mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of approximately 0.70 (SD 0.09). Classification performance was primarily influenced by the number of features used, clothing characteristics, and the quality of pose estimation.

CONCLUSIONS: This simple smartphone-based gait assessment protocol was able to extract meaningful pose parameters and classify biological features (age and sex). Further studies are warranted to evaluate its potential utility for disease screening, risk stratification, and longitudinal health monitoring.

PMID:41911547 | DOI:10.2196/76755

JMIR Form Res. 2026 Mar 30;10:e80852. doi: 10.2196/80852.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning, plus (LGBTQ+) youth experience significant health challenges relative to their peers, including higher rates of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and mental health symptoms, partly due to minority stressors. Digital health interventions hold promise for addressing these issues, but their effectiveness hinges on human-centered co-design that ensures relevance and engagement.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the use of Discord as a platform for conducting human-centered design (HCD) activities to adapt a digital text-based intervention designed to improve HIV testing rates among LGBTQ+ youth.

METHODS: We recruited 21 LGBTQ+ youth (aged 13-18 years) in the United States via social media and participant registries, oversampling minoritized gender, racial, and ethnic identities to ensure diverse representation. Over 9 months, participants engaged in structured HCD activities on a private Discord server, including polls, open-ended discussions, and interactive feedback tasks. Design insights were collected iteratively and used to refine the intervention in real time. We also surveyed participants to examine the acceptability of Discord as a tool for hosting the HCD process.

RESULTS: We identified best practices for integrating HCD methods within Discord, including cocreating the server environment with participants and enabling real-time iteration of intervention components based on youth input. The privacy of the Discord server supported psychological safety; facilitated open and effective communication between participants and the research team; and fostered an informal, familiar atmosphere.

CONCLUSIONS: Discord provides an effective and acceptable environment for conducting HCD processes in the design of digital health interventions. Its structural features, including anonymity, accessibility, and community-driven interaction, facilitated meaningful youth engagement in co-design activities. These insights offer a model for leveraging social media platforms to support participatory intervention development for LGBTQ+ populations.

PMID:41911545 | DOI:10.2196/80852

JMIR Aging. 2026 Mar 30;9:e84956. doi: 10.2196/84956.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Digital eldercare services are promoted to address gaps in traditional care provision, yet actual uptake among older adults remains limited. Prior research has largely focused on technological attributes, with less attention to older adults’ context-specific behavioral attitudes toward digital services.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the multidimensional structure of older adults’ behavioral attitudes toward digital meal assistance services and to examine their associations with usage intention and actual use.

METHODS: A mixed-mode survey was conducted in 2020 among adults aged 60 years or older in a large metropolitan city in China. A total of 1019 valid questionnaires were collected (n=405 online and n=614 offline). Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify attitudinal dimensions, followed by binary logistic regression analyses conducted separately for online and offline samples, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS: Five attitudinal dimensions were identified, explaining 60.38% of the variance. Regression analyses showed that associations between attitudinal dimensions and service use differed by usage stage and sample type. Digital trust was the most consistent predictor, significantly associated with intention to use in both samples-particularly online (odds ratio [OR] 1.351, 95% CI 1.054-1.732; P=.02)-and with actual use in the offline sample (OR 1.068, 95% CI 1.011-1.128; P=.02), with a marginal association online (OR 1.347, 95% CI 0.986-1.840; P=.06).

CONCLUSIONS: Older adults’ adoption of digital meal assistance services is shaped by multidimensional and context-dependent attitudes that extend beyond technological considerations. Policy efforts should therefore emphasize trust-building, affordability, and differentiated strategies tailored to diverse groups of older adults.

PMID:41911544 | DOI:10.2196/84956

JMIR Res Protoc. 2026 Mar 30;15:e73496. doi: 10.2196/73496.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) program is a national initiative launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, on August 5, 2016, to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding across the country. The program aims to provide focused breastfeeding promotion and counseling services through the health system. It targets approximately 39 million pregnant and nursing mothers, 880,000 Accredited Social Health Activists, 150,000 subcenters, and 17,000 delivery points across all states and union territories. Despite its wide reach, there remains a lack of valid and reliable tools to assess mothers’ knowledge and practices related to breastfeeding and the MAA program.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study are to assess the existing knowledge and practice regarding the MAA program among postnatal mothers, to evaluate the effectiveness of an awareness program on knowledge and practice regarding the MAA program, to correlate knowledge and practice regarding the MAA program among postnatal mothers, and to associate knowledge and practice with selected demographic variables.

METHODS: A quasi-experimental one-group pretest and posttest design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of an awareness program for the MAA program among postnatal mothers. The study was conducted at a selected hospital with a sample of 80 postnatal mothers selected through inclusion and exclusion criteria. On Day 1, participants underwent a pretest followed by an awareness session on the MAA program. A posttest was administered on Day 2. Knowledge was assessed using a structured questionnaire consisting of 15 items, while practice was evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including paired t tests and χ2 tests.

RESULTS: Knowledge scores were classified into three levels-poor (0%-33.33%), fair (33.34%-66.66%), and good (66.67%-100%)-based on the number of correct responses out of 15. Practice was categorized as poor (0%-50%) or good (51%-100%) based on the 5-point scale score. The study revealed significant improvements in both knowledge and practice following the awareness intervention, indicating that the program was effective. The scoring procedure provided a comprehensive understanding of the awareness and practical implementation of the MAA program among postnatal mothers.

CONCLUSIONS: The awareness program significantly improved the knowledge and practices of postnatal mothers regarding the MAA program, emphasizing the value of educational interventions in promoting breastfeeding.

PMID:41911538 | DOI:10.2196/73496