Mental fatigue is a significant psychopathological symptom that has recently gained attention, particularly in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis and Post–COVID-19 condition. However, fatigue is a clinically relevant symptom across a wide range of mental and neurological disorders. To identify a transdiagnostic functional network associated with fatigue, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. The primary inclusion criterion was studies involving any medical condition where patients exhibited significantly higher levels of fatigue compared to healthy controls. A systematic literature review across three major scientific databases identified 46 eligible neuroimaging studies, including a total of 2603 individuals. The meta-analysis of these studies revealed a widespread cortical–subcortical network involving frontal, limbic, basal ganglia and parietal structures. Three main clusters were highlighted: a frontal–striatal–limbic cluster, a frontal–cingulate cluster and a parietal cluster, with regions implicated in cognitive, emotional and somatosensory symptoms associated with mental fatigue. Quality analysis indicated a moderate risk of bias in the majority of the included studies. Overall, our findings provide scientific evidence for a transdiagnostic mental fatigue network in the brain, with key nodes located in the lateral frontal cortex, cingulate cortex, insula, thalamus, precuneus and caudate. These results support the theory of thalamic–striatal–cortical dysfunction, which may impair compensatory mechanisms related to mental fatigue. Additionally, abnormal activation of limbic and parietal regions may contribute to cognitive, emotional and attentional impairments linked to fatigue.

Background: Liver compresses are commonly applied in complementary medicine during cancer treatment and are believed to have an energizing effect. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the influence of external application of yarrow liver compresses on the autonomous nervous system by analyzing the heart rate variability (HRV) in metastatic cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy and suffering from cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Methods: A randomized pilot trial was undertaken with patients suffering from CRF receiving palliative radiation therapy for bone or brain metastasis over 2 weeks. CRF patients were randomized into an intervention group receiving yarrow liver compresses and a control group receiving no external application. HRV was analyzed at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) period of the study during daytime (d) and nighttime (n) in both groups and quantified using time-, frequency-, and nonlinear dynamics domains. Results: A total of 39 patients were randomized between September 2017 and August 2019 and a total of 20 patients (10 per group) were available for analysis. For both groups, significant differences in HRV analyses were found in the comparison over the timeline between the first and second measurement (T1d→T2d) during daytime. Specifically, the intervention group showed decreased HRV and complexity of heart rate regulation, indicating increased sympathetic activity at time T2d, whereas the control group showed increased HRV and complexity of heart rate regulation, indicating increased vagal activity at time T2d. Furthermore, the observed HRV analyses showed almost no significant differences between the 2 groups in a direct comparison at the beginning and the end of the study (exception: T2d). Conclusions: Yarrow liver compresses led to increased sympathetic activity during daytime in the intervention group, whereas in the control group, which did not receive any external application, increased parasympathetic activity was observed.

Underlying biological mechanisms leading to the dramatically increased cardiac mortality in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) are largely unknown. Cardiac autonomic dysfunction (CADF), which has been extensively described in patients with SCZ, represents an important physiological link to cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigated the prevalence of CADF in patients with SCZ using HRV across multiple domains (time and frequency, nonlinear dynamics, complexity measures, symbolic dynamics, and segmented Poincaré plot analysis). HRV-based clustering classified 119 SCZ patients as having or not having CADF based on deviations from 119 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Our findings showed that approximately half of the patients had normal cardiac autonomic function, while the other half had significant abnormalities. The severity of CADF correlated with age, body mass indes (BMI), disease duration, and symptom severity. About half of SCZ patients have significant CADF, which increases their risk for cardiac events. These findings highlight the potential of HRV-based biomarkers in improving CVD risk prediction and stratification in SCZ. Future research should explore integrating HRV analysis with other biomarkers to enhance early detection and intervention strategies.

Background and Objectives: Percutaneous iliosacral screw fixation is a standard treatment for posterior pelvic ring instability and sacral insufficiency fractures. However, conventional transsacral S1 screw fixation is associated with notable complication rates, most commonly implant loosening; dysmorphic sacral anatomy increases the risk of iatrogenic L5 or S1 nerve root injury. This study presents a modified S1 trajectory to engage the high-density bone of the anterior and cranial S1 vertebral body (promontory) by transferring preoperative 3D planning to intraoperative 2D fluoroscopy. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed implant placements for posterior pelvic ring instability, including high-velocity trauma and fragility fractures of the pelvis (FFPs). Preoperative computed tomography (CT) multiplanar reconstruction defined a modified corridor from a posterior-caudal iliac entry point directed cranially and ventrally into the S1 promontory. The 3D trajectory was transferred intraoperatively using standard 2D fluoroscopy (lateral, anteroposterior, inlet, and outlet views) with the patient prone. In cases of reduced bone quality or intended sacroiliac fusion, 3D-printed titanium implants (triangular or cylindrical threaded, 10.0–13.5 mm outer diameter) were selected over 7.5 mm cannulated screws. Results: Overall, 137 implants were placed in 71 patients: 13 cannulated screws in high-velocity pelvic ring trauma, 72 triangular titanium sacroiliac fusion implants (iFuse Implant System^®, SI-Bone), and 52 threaded titanium fusion implants (iFuse TORQ^®, SI-Bone) in patients with FFP. The modified trajectory consistently engaged the anterior and cranial S1 vertebral body. Postoperative 3D CT confirmed accurate placement of all implants. No iatrogenic nerve injuries or revisions for implant malposition occurred. Mean follow-up was 12 ± 9 months. Conclusions: Preoperative 3D CT planning combined with standard 2D fluoroscopy guided a modified S1 trajectory toward the cranial S1 vertebral body. Accurate and safe implant placement was achieved in the prone position without navigation systems, providing a practical alternative when standard transverse trajectories are limited by narrow bony corridors or sacral or pelvic dysmorphy.

Background: Digital interventions for promoting relaxation are increasingly popular, yet few combine multiple sensory modalities. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a fully digital relaxation program combining hypnotherapy with aromatherapy and explored whether the scent can induce a conditioned relaxation effect. Methods: In this four-arm randomized controlled trial ( N = 504), participants were assigned to one of four groups for a 4-week intervention: (a) combined (hypnotherapy + aromatherapy), (b) hypnotherapy-only, (c) aromatherapy-only, or (d) control (minimal intervention pause). Sessions were self-guided and delivered online every 2 days. The primary outcome was subjective calmness, assessed via the calmness–restlessness subscale of the Multidimensional Mood Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included perceived stress (PSS-10) and well-being (WHO-5). A fifth week with aromatherapy-only exposure was conducted in the combined and aromatherapy-only groups to test for conditioning. Results: At post-intervention, both hypnotherapy-involved groups reported significant greater calmness than controls. The combined group showed a mean difference of β = 2.08 (95% CI: 0.50–3.65, p = 0.010, d = 0.38), while the hypnotherapy-only group showed β = 1.80 (95% CI: 0.24–3.37, p = 0.024, d = 0.33). Both effects were consistent across intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses. Within-group improvements in calmness were also observed across all groups. No significant differences emerged from the conditioning test in week 5. Conclusions: Digital hypnotherapy improved relaxation, with modest added benefit from aromatherapy. The results support the use of multisensory digital tools to enhance subjective calmness. However, no evidence for conditioned effects of the scent was observed under the current conditions.