Placebo-like analgesia via response imagery

Data files accompanying the paper: Peerdeman, K.J., van Laarhoven, A.I.M., Bartels, D.J.P., Peters, M.L., & Evers, A.W.M. (2017). Placebo-like analgesia via response imagery. European Journal of Pain, 21, 1366–1377. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1035. Paper abstract: Background: Placebo effects on pain are reliably observed in the literature. A core mechanism of these effects is response expectancies. Response expectancies can be formed by instructions, prior experiences and observation of others. Whether mental imagery of a response can also induce placebo-like expectancy effects on pain has not yet been studied systematically. Methods: In Study 1, 80 healthy participants were randomly allocated to (i) response imagery or (ii) control imagery. In Study 2, 135 healthy participants were randomly allocated to (i) response imagery with a verbal suggestion regarding its effectiveness, (ii) response imagery only, or (iii) no intervention. In both studies, expected and experienced pain during cold pressor tests were measured pre- and post-intervention, along with psychological and physiological measures. Results: Participants rated pain as less intense after response imagery than after control imagery in Study 1 (p = 0.044, g2p = 0.054) and as less intense after response imagery (with or without verbal suggestion) than after no imagery in Study 2 (p < 0.001, g2p = 0.154). Adding a verbal suggestion did not affect pain (p = 0.068, g2p = 0.038). The effects of response imagery on experienced pain were mediated by expected pain. Conclusions: Thus, in line with research on placebo effects, the current findings indicate that response imagery can induce analgesia, via its effects on response expectancies

Expectations about the effectiveness of pain- and itch-relieving medication administered via different routes

This datapackage contains the data files relevant for the publication: Peerdeman, K. J., Tekampe, J., Van Laarhoven, A. I. M., van Middendorp, H., Rippe, R. C. A., Peters, M. L., & Evers, A. W. M. (2018). Expectations about the effectiveness of pain‐and itch‐relieving medication administered via different routes. European Journal of Pain, 22(4), 774-783. doi:10.1002/ejp.1163 Paper abstract: Background: Placebo effects on pain have been found to vary in size for different routes of medication administration (e.g. oral vs. injection). This has important implications for both clinical research and practice. To enhance our understanding of these differential placebo effects, research on the underlying expectations about multiple routes and symptoms other than pain is vital. Methods: A cross-sectional, Internet-based survey was conducted in a representative sample of the Dutch population (n = 508). Respondents rated the expected effectiveness of pain- and itch-relieving medication in six forms, representing oral, injection and topical routes of administration. Results: Injected medication was expected to be most effective for relieving pain, and topical medication for relieving itch. Furthermore, exploratory analyses showed that injections were expected to have the most rapid onset and long-lasting effects, and to be most frightening and expensive, while topical medication was expected to be the safest and the easiest to use, and oral medication was expected to have the most side effects. Higher expected effectiveness was moderately associated with expectations of more rapid onset and long-lasting effects, and better safety and ease of use. Associations of expected effectiveness with respondent characteristics (e.g. medication use and personality characteristics) were statistically small or nonsignificant. Conclusions: Expected effectiveness of medication differed depending on route of administration and targeted symptom. These findings have important implications for the design and interpretation of clinical trials and suggest that medication effects might be enhanced by prescribing medicine via the route that patients expect to be most effective for their complaint. Significance: Differences in the expected effectiveness of medication depend on the route of administration (oral, injection, topical) and targeted symptom (pain, itch). These findings have important implications for clinical practice and the design and interpretation of clinical trials

Analysis of Air Traffic Controller Workload Reduction Based on the Solution Space for the Merging Task

Air traffic controller workload is considered to be an important limiting factor to the growth of air traffic. The difficulty of an air traffic control task can be analyzed through examining the problem’s solution space, that is, all possible vector commands that satisfy the constraints of safety, productivity and efficiency. But apart from deriving metrics for workload, a visualization based on the solution space, resulting in the Solution Space Diagram, could help the controller inmanaging the air traffic. An experiment was conducted in which two different levels of traffic density were tested in order to evaluate the effects of presenting the Solution Space Diagram on controller workload. The experiment entailed the task of merging aircraft into a single route and subjects provided subjective ratings of workload at fixed intervals of time. Depending on traffic level and subject experience, significant effects of the Solution Space Diagram were found on the reduction of controller workload.Control & OperationsAerospace Engineerin

Health-related quality of life of long-term advanced melanoma survivors treated with anti-CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibition compared to matched controls

Checkpoint inhibitors have changed overall survival for patients with advanced melanoma. However, there is a lack of data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of long-term advanced melanoma survivors, years after treatment. Therefore, we evaluated HRQoL in long-term advanced melanoma survivors and compared the study outcomes with matched controls without cancer. Ipilimumab-treated advanced melanoma survivors without evidence of disease and without subsequent systemic therapy for a minimum of two years following last administration of ipilimumab were eligible for this study. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Melanoma questionnaire (FACT-M) were administered. Controls were individually matched for age, gender, and educational status. Outcomes of survivors and controls were compared using generalized estimating equations, and differences were interpreted as clinically relevant according to published guidelines. A total of 89 survivors and 265 controls were analyzed in this study. After a median follow-up of 39 (range, 17–121) months, survivors scored significantly lower on physical (83.7 vs. 89.8, difference (diff) = −5.80, p=.005), role (83.5 vs. 90, diff = −5.97, p=.02), cognitive (83.7 vs. 91.9, diff = −8.05, p=.001), and social functioning (86.5 vs. 95.1, diff = −8.49, p= vs. 15.5, diff = 7.48, p=.004), dyspnea (13.3 vs. 6.7, diff = 6.47 p=.02), diarrhea (7.9 vs. 4.0, diff = 3.78, p=.04), and financial impact (10.5 vs. 2.5, diff = 8.07, p=.001) than matched controls. Group differences were indicated as clinically relevant. Compared to matched controls, long-term advanced melanoma survivors had overall worse functioning scores, more physical symptoms, and financial difficulties. These data may contribute to the development of appropriate survivorship care

Modeling and predicting mental workload in en route air traffic control: Critical review and broader implications

Objective: We perform a critical review of research on mental workload in en route air traffic control (ATC). We present a model of operator strategic behavior and workload management through which workload can be predicted within ATC and other complex work systems. Background: Air traffic volume is increasing worldwide. If air traffic management organizations are to meet future demand safely, better models of controller workload are needed. Method: We present the theoretical model and then review investigations of how effectively traffic factors, airspace factors, and operational constraints predict controller workload. Results: Although task demand has a strong relationship with workload, evidence suggests that the relationship depends on the capacity of the controllers to select priorities, manage their cognitive resources, and regulate their own performance. We review research on strategies employed by controllers to minimize the control activity and information-processing requirements of control tasks. Conclusion: Controller workload will not be effectively modeled until controllers' strategies for regulating the cognitive impact of task demand have been modeled. Application: Actual and potential applications of our conclusions include a reorientation of workload modeling in complex work systems to capture the dynamic and adaptive nature of the operator's work. Models based around workload regulation may be more useful in helping management organizations adapt to future control regimens in complex work systems

Health-related quality of life of long-term advanced melanoma survivors treated with anti-CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibition compared to matched controls

Checkpoint inhibitors have changed overall survival for patients with advanced melanoma. However, there is a lack of data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of long-term advanced melanoma survivors, years after treatment. Therefore, we evaluated HRQoL in long-term advanced melanoma survivors and compared the study outcomes with matched controls without cancer. Ipilimumab-treated advanced melanoma survivors without evidence of disease and without subsequent systemic therapy for a minimum of two years following last administration of ipilimumab were eligible for this study. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Melanoma questionnaire (FACT-M) were administered. Controls were individually matched for age, gender, and educational status. Outcomes of survivors and controls were compared using generalized estimating equations, and differences were interpreted as clinically relevant according to published guidelines. A total of 89 survivors and 265 controls were analyzed in this study. After a median follow-up of 39 (range, 17–121) months, survivors scored significantly lower on physical (83.7 vs. 89.8, difference (diff) = −5.80, p=.005), role (83.5 vs. 90, diff = −5.97, p=.02), cognitive (83.7 vs. 91.9, diff = −8.05, p=.001), and social functioning (86.5 vs. 95.1, diff = −8.49, p= vs. 15.5, diff = 7.48, p=.004), dyspnea (13.3 vs. 6.7, diff = 6.47 p=.02), diarrhea (7.9 vs. 4.0, diff = 3.78, p=.04), and financial impact (10.5 vs. 2.5, diff = 8.07, p=.001) than matched controls. Group differences were indicated as clinically relevant. Compared to matched controls, long-term advanced melanoma survivors had overall worse functioning scores, more physical symptoms, and financial difficulties. These data may contribute to the development of appropriate survivorship care

Health-related quality of life of long-term advanced melanoma survivors treated with anti-CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibition compared to matched controls

Checkpoint inhibitors have changed overall survival for patients with advanced melanoma. However, there is a lack of data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of long-term advanced melanoma survivors, years after treatment. Therefore, we evaluated HRQoL in long-term advanced melanoma survivors and compared the study outcomes with matched controls without cancer. Ipilimumab-treated advanced melanoma survivors without evidence of disease and without subsequent systemic therapy for a minimum of two years following last administration of ipilimumab were eligible for this study. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Melanoma questionnaire (FACT-M) were administered. Controls were individually matched for age, gender, and educational status. Outcomes of survivors and controls were compared using generalized estimating equations, and differences were interpreted as clinically relevant according to published guidelines. A total of 89 survivors and 265 controls were analyzed in this study. After a median follow-up of 39 (range, 17–121) months, survivors scored significantly lower on physical (83.7 vs. 89.8, difference (diff) = −5.80, p=.005), role (83.5 vs. 90, diff = −5.97, p=.02), cognitive (83.7 vs. 91.9, diff = −8.05, p=.001), and social functioning (86.5 vs. 95.1, diff = −8.49, p= vs. 15.5, diff = 7.48, p=.004), dyspnea (13.3 vs. 6.7, diff = 6.47 p=.02), diarrhea (7.9 vs. 4.0, diff = 3.78, p=.04), and financial impact (10.5 vs. 2.5, diff = 8.07, p=.001) than matched controls. Group differences were indicated as clinically relevant. Compared to matched controls, long-term advanced melanoma survivors had overall worse functioning scores, more physical symptoms, and financial difficulties. These data may contribute to the development of appropriate survivorship care