Background: The prevalence of cancer has increased over time worldwide. Nevertheless, the number of deaths has been reduced during the past 2 decades. Thus, one-third of the cancer patients are users of complementary and alternative therapies, looking for other types of interventions. The main aim of the present study is to understand the current status of the research in integrative and complementary oncology. Three different aspects were analyzed: production trends, country collaboration, and leading research topics. Methods: The dataset was obtained from the documents indexed under the Integrative and Complementary Medicine category of the Web of Science database from 1976 to 2017. VOSviewer and SciMAT software were employed to perform the bibliometric analysis. Results: The Journal of Ethnopharmacology, China Medical University and the People’s Republic of China are the leading producers in the field. Regarding the collaboration, the United States and China present a close connection. The scientific community is focused on the following topics: apoptosis, breast cancer, oxidative stress, chemotherapy, and nuclear factor-Kappa-B (NF-Kappa-B). Conclusions: The present article shows potentially important information that allows understanding of the past, present, and future of research in integrative and complementary oncology. It is a useful evidence-based framework on which to base future research actions and academic directions.

The objectives of the study were: 1) Describe the thematic structure and evolution of the field of physical therapy; 2) identify the main research producers (i.e. countries and institutions); and 3...

Bibliometric studies are used to analyse and map scientific areas, and study the scientific output and impact of institutes and countries. Describe the thematic structure and evolution of the field of physical therapy interventions using articles indexed in Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). Also, identify and compare the main producers (countries, institutions) over time (research output, citation impact). Eligible articles were those indexed in PEDro (1986-2017) and matched to Web of Science. VOSviewer software, bibliometric text mining, and visualisation techniques were used to evaluate the thematic structure of the included articles. We collected data about authors’ country and institutional affiliation, and calculated bibliometric indicators (production, citation impact). A total of 29 090 articles were analysed. Eight topics were identified: “neurological rehabilitation”; “methods”; “exercise for prevention and rehabilitation of lifestyle diseases”; “assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal pain”; “physical activity”, “health promotion and behaviour change”; “respiratory physical therapy”; “hospital, primary care and health economics”; “cancer and complementary therapies”. The most productive countries were United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The most impactful countries were United States, France, Finland, and Canada. The most productive institutions were University of Sydney, VU University of Amsterdam, University of Queensland, and University of Toronto. The thematic structure of physical therapy interventions has evolved over time with “neurological rehabilitation”, “methods”, “exercise related to lifestyle diseases”, and “physical activity” becoming increasingly important. Main producers of this research were traditionally located in North America and Europe but now include countries like China and Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an exercise therapy program on pain and physical dimension of health-related quality of life for young adults with musculoskeletal pain. Randomized controlled single-blind trial. Fifty-seven subjects (58% women) were randomly assigned to experimental (n=28; 21.4±2.9 yrs) and control (n=29; 21.0±4.2 yrs) groups. The experimental group participated in a 9-week stabilization exercise therapy program, 60 minutes/once a week, while the control group did not exercise, with a pre- and post-intervention assessment. Primary outcome was Physical Component Summary of SF-36. Secondary outcomes were Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale, Oswestry Disability Index, Neck Disability Index, and trunk flexor endurance test. The Shapiro-Wilk, Independent t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square (X2), or Fisher’s exact test were used for statistical analysis. After intervention, the experimental group improved by 3.2±4.5 points on the Physical Component Summary (p=0.01); decreased prevalence of low back pain in the last month (p=0.02) and cervical disability (p=0.02); and increased flexor trunk endurance (p=0.005). This study confirmed that a 9-week progressive exercise therapy program can improve physical health, and reduce the prevalence of cervical disability and low back pain in the last month in young adults with musculoskeletal pain.

Spatial navigation allows us to move around our environment, walking being the most advanced form of human locomotion. Over the years, a range of tools has been developed to study spatial navigation in children. Aim. To describe the role of locomotion during the assessment of spatial navigation in children, providing an overview of the instruments available for assessing spatial navigation in typically developing children and those with neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods and Procedures. A systematic search was performed in six electronic databases between December 2022 and February 2023, then updated in July 2023. Cross-sectional and observational studies were included. Outcomes and results. Of the 3,385 studies screened, 47 were selected for this review. Five studies described the influence of locomotion on spatial navigation, and seven studies included locomotion as an explanatory variable in this area. Most studies focused on children from five to twelve years old, whereas only nine were centred on infants and preschoolers. Just eight assessed spatial abilities in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. Conclusions and implications. Children with or at risk of neurodevelopmental impairments show poorer spatial navigation skills. Having the choice to actively explore the space is more important than the way they locomote. It is necessary to have tools to assess spatial navigation during locomotion early in infancy.