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Mounting evidence supports the use of face-to-face pain neuroscience education for the treatment of chronic pain patients. This study aimed at examining whether written education about pain neuroscience improves illness perceptions, catastrophizing, and health status in patients with fibromyalgia. A double-blind, multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial with 6-month follow-up was conducted. Patients with FM ( n = 114) that consented to participate were randomly allocated to receive either written pain neuroscience education or written relaxation training. Written pain neuroscience education comprised of a booklet with pain neuroscience education plus a telephone call to clarify any difficulties; the relaxation group received a booklet with relaxation education and a telephone call. The revised illness perception questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire were used as outcome measures. Both patients and assessors were blinded. Repeated-measures analyses with last observation carried forward principle were performed. Cohen's d effect sizes ( ES) were calculated for all within-group changes and between-group differences. The results reveal that written pain neuroscience education does not change the impact of FM on daily life, catastrophizing, or perceived symptoms of patients with FM. Compared with written relaxation training, written pain neuroscience education improved beliefs in a chronic timeline of FM ( P = 0.03; ES = 0.50), but it does not impact upon other domains of illness perceptions. Compared with written relaxation training, written pain neuroscience education slightly improved illness perceptions of patients with FM, but it did not impart clinically meaningful effects on pain, catastrophizing, or the impact of FM on daily life. Face-to-face sessions of pain neuroscience education are required to change inappropriate cognitions and perceived health in patients with FM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) is the most frequently used questionnaire in patients with fibromyalgia in the last 20 years. Recently, a revised version of the FIQ has been published. In this study, we examined the factor structure of the original version using explorative and confirmative factor analyses in a representative group of about 500 Dutch and Belgian patients with fibromyalgia, in which the work-related item was excluded. The FIQ consisting of a three-factor structure with a functional domain (ten items), physical symptom domain (six items), and mental symptom domain (two items), which is the most accurate. From the data presented, it is concluded that the FIQ is a solid, worldwide-used questionnaire with a history of 20 years consisting of three domains. When constructing a revised FIQ, the results of this study can be incorporated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) experience symptoms over a long period of time impacting their quality of life (QoL). Patients are often treated in multimodal programmes that combine physical and cognitive treatment modalities. Purpose of this study was to identify prognostic factors of effectiveness of a multimodal programme. Method. A prospective study was performed with a group of 87 patients with FM who had participated in a multimodal programme. The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) were used. Criterion for clinically relevant improvement was a decline in total FIQ score of 12.5 points or more after the treatment programme. Investigated determinants of improvement of QoL were patient characteristics, illness perceptions (IP) and QoL at baseline. Results. QoL of 34 patients with FM made a clinically relevant improvement after the programme. There was no difference in age, number of years with pain, number of years diagnosed or IP compared to the group that did not improve. The group of patients with an improved QoL after the programme reported severe impact on daily living, highest intensity of pain and most depression at baseline. Conclusions. Total FIQ score on QoL, intensity of pain, morning tiredness and depression can be used as prognostic factors to pre-select patients with FM for a multimodal treatment. IP were not adequate to predict treatment outcome. An intensive multimodal programme seemed most suitable for patients with severe symptoms and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To systematically assess contemporary knowledge regarding behavioral physical activity interventions including an activity monitor (BPAI+) in adults with overweight or obesity., Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and PEDro were searched for eligible full-text articles up to 1 July 2015. Studies eligible for inclusion were (randomized) controlled trials describing physical activity outcomes in adults with overweight or obesity. Methodological quality was independently assessed employing the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for risk of bias., Results: Fourteen studies (1,157 participants) were included for systematic review and 11 for meta-analysis. A positive trend in BPAI+ effects on several measures of physical activity was ascertained compared with both wait list or usual care and behavioral physical activity interventions without an activity monitor (BPAI-). No convincing evidence of BPAI+ effectiveness on weight loss was found compared with BPAI-., Conclusions: Behavioral physical activity interventions with an activity monitor increase physical activity in adults with overweight or obesity. Also, adding an activity monitor to behavioral physical activity interventions appears to increase the effect on physical activity, although current evidence has not yet provided conclusive evidence for its effectiveness., (© 2016 The Obesity Society.)

Several studies have reported improved survival rates thanks to the use of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in the treatment of patients with life-threatening arrhythmia. However, the effects of the ICD on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of these patients are not clear. The aim of this study is to describe HR-QoL and fear of exercise in ICD patients. Eighty-nine ICD patients from the University Hospital in Groningen, the Netherlands, participated in this study. HR-QoL was measured using the Rand-36 and the Quality of Life After Myocardial Infarction Dutch language version questionnaires. Fear of exercise was measured using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Dutch version and the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Dutch version. Association between outcome variables was analysed by linear regression analyses. Study results show that the HR-QoL of patients with ICDs in our study population is significantly worse than that of normal healthy people. Furthermore, fear of exercise is negatively associated with HR-QoL corrected for sex, age and number of years living with an ICD. After implantation of the ICD, patients with a clear fear of exercise should be identified and interventions should be considered in order to increase their HR-QoL.