Medical Bulletin 12/December/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Telehealth mindfulness recovery effective than usual care in individuals with opioid use disorder and pain

The US is experiencing an opioid crisis, with an estimated 10.1 million individuals who misuse opioids or have an opioid use disorder (OUD). To address this crisis, programs that provide medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are expanding.2 MOUD is the criterion standard intervention for OUD, and methadone treatment (MT) is the oldest and the most widely used MOUD; yet, half of people who begin MT discontinue treatment within a year, and, within 6 months, half of people retained in an MT program continue or return to use of opioids and other illicit drugs. New interventions are needed to improve MT outcomes and retention.

Methadone treatment (MT) fails to address the emotion dysregulation, pain, and reward processing deficits that often drive opioid use disorder (OUD). New interventions are needed to address these factors.

Reference: Cooperman NA, Lu S, Hanley AW, et al. Telehealth Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement vs Usual Care in Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder and Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online December 07, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.5138.

Even small amounts of physical activity could be valuable in late-stage lung cancer

New research has found less than five minutes of daily physical activity could be linked with prolonged life in people living with inoperable forms of lung cancer.

Lung cancer kills more people globally each year than any other type of cancer, however new Curtin University-led research has found less than five minutes of daily physical activity could be linked with prolonged life in people living with inoperable forms of the disease.

Reference: Even small amounts of physical activity could be valuable in late-stage lung cancer; Journal of Clinical Medicine; DOI: 10.3390/jcm12237346

Brain implants effective in restoring cognitive abilities after traumatic brain injury

Brain injuries are devasting and often affect quality of life. More than 5 million Americans live with the lasting effects of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury-difficulty focusing, remembering and making decisions. Though many recover enough to live independently, their impairments prevent them from returning to school or work and from resuming their social lives.

The clinical trial is the first to target this region of the brain in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, and it offers hope for many who have plateaued in their recovery

Reference: Schiff, N.D., Giacino, J.T., Butson, C.R. et al. Thalamic deep brain stimulation in traumatic brain injury: a phase 1, randomized feasibility study. Nat Med (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02638-4.