Browsing by Author "Nalbant, Merve"

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Evaluation of the Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy With Ultrasound Strain Imaging
(2019) Tezcan, Sehnaz; Ozturk, Funda Ulu; Uslu, Nihal; Nalbant, Merve; Yemisci, Oya Umit; 0000-0001-7204-3008; 29892976; ABC-5258-2020
Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of low-level laser therapy on median nerve stiffness by using strain elastography in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods This study included 37 wrists of 34 patients with mild or moderate CTS between January 2016 and August 2016. The control group comprised 17 patients (18 wrists) with CTS who were treated with wrist splinting for 3 weeks. The low-level laser therapy group included 17 patients (19 wrists) with CTS who were treated with a combination of splinting and low-level laser therapy, which was applied 5 times per week for 3 weeks. Clinical assessment scales, including the Symptom Severity Scale (SSS) and Functional Status Score (FSS), were obtained from our database. The cross-sectional area by ultrasound and strain ratio by elastography were studied. The differences in the strain ratio, cross-sectional area, SSS, and FSS between pretreatment and posttreatment periods in the groups were compared by the paired-sample t test. The correlations between changes in the strain ratio and the cross-sectional area, SSS, and FSS were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficients. Results The control group included 13 women and 4 men, and the therapy group included 14 women and 3 men. In the therapy group, the mean values of the strain ratio, cross-sectional area, SSS, and FSS decreased significantly after laser therapy (P < .001) in contrast to the control group. No significant correlation was observed between the decreasing degree of the strain ratio and the cross-sectional area, SSS, and FSS after laser therapy. Conclusions The strain ratio and cross-sectional area of the median nerve decrease after low-level laser therapy. These changes may be related to the therapeutic effects of low-level laser therapy, such as nerve regeneration and improvement of the vascular supply.
Karpal tünel sendromunda düşük yoğunluklu laser tedavisi etkinliğinin ultrasonografik ve elektrofizyolojik olarak değerlendirilmesi
(Başkent Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, 2017) Nalbant, Merve; Ümit Yemişçi
Karpal tünel sendromu (KTS) en sık görülen tuzak nöropatisidir. KTS, median sinirin karpal tünel içinde basıya uğraması sonucu ortaya çıkan bulgu ve belirtiler olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Konservatif tedaviler genellikle KTS tedavisinde ilk basamak olarak kabul edilirler. Düşük Yoğunluklu Laser Tedavisi (DYLT) KTS tedavisinde teröpatik etkileri gösterilmiş yeni fiziksel modaliteler içerisinde yer almaktadır. Bu çalışmada DYLT’nin etkinliğini elektrofizyolojik ve ultrasonografik olarak değerlendirmek amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmamıza dahil etme kriterlerini taşıyan hafif ve orta derecede KTS’si bulunan 42 hasta kabul edildi. Hastalar randomize olarak iki gruba ayrıldı. İlk gruba karpal tünel çevresine 15 seans olacak şekilde DYLT (4joule/seans) ve 3 hafta boyunca splint tedavisi uygulandı. İkinci gruba ise 15 seans boyunca sham DYLT ve 3 hafta boyunca splint tedavisi uygulandı. Çalışmanın başlangıç ve bitiminde elektrofizyolojik parametreler (motor ve duyu sinir iletim çalışmaları) ultrasonografik parametreler (transvers kesit alanı, yassılaşma oranı, palmar yaylanma ve power doppler), Boston KTS anketi ve klinik parametreler değerlendirildi. Gece parestezisinde azalma her iki grupta da görüldü fakat gruplar arasında istatistiksel anlamlı fark bulunmamaktaydı. Fonksiyonel durum skalası ve semptom şiddeti skalarında sadece DYLT grubunda anlamlı azalma görüldü. Elektrofizyolojik olarak median sinir ileti hızı ve amplitüdünde sadece DYLT gurubunda anlamlı artış görüldü. Ayrıca median sinir transvers kesit alanı ve vaskülarizasyonunda DYTL grubunda anlamlı azalma elde edildi. Sonuç olarak bu bulgular; klinik, elektrofizyolojik ve ultrasonografik parameterlerde düzelmeye bağlı olarak DYLT’nin KTS hastalarında iyi bir konservatif tedavi metodu olabileceği desteklenmektedir. DYLT KTS tedavisinde uygulaması kolay, noninvaziv tedavi alternatifi olmasına rağmen teröpatik mekanizması tam anlamıyla anlaşılmamıştır. DYLT’nin teröpatik etkisi doz bağımlı olduğu düşünülmektedir fakat minimal etkili doz ve dalga boyu tartışmalıdır. Uzun takip süreli daha fazla çalışmaya ihtiyaç duyulmaktıdır. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most common type of entrapment neuropathy. CTS is defined as the sign and symptoms due to compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. Conservative therapy is usually considered as the first step in the management of CTS. Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is among the new physical modalities, which have shown therapeutic effects in CTS. The aim of the present study was to evaluate electrophysiological and ultrasonographical effectiveness of LLLT. Fourty two patients with mild and moderate CTS who met inclusion criteria were included this study. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups. First group received 15 sessions of LLLT (4 joule/ per session) over the carpal tunnel area and three weeks wrist splinting. Second group received 15 session of sham LLLT and wrist splinting. Electroneurophysiological parameters (motor and sensory nerve conduction studies of median nerve), ultrasonographical parameters (cross sectional area, palmar bowing, flattening ratio nd power doppler), Boston Scale (symptom severity and functional capacity) and clinical parameters were evaluated at baseline and three weeks after treatment. Night paresthesia improved in both groups, however there were no statistically significant difference between the groups. FSS and SSS scores improved only in the LLLT group. Additionally median sensory nerve conduction velocities and amplitudes showed significant improvement only in the LLLT group. Also cross sectional area and vascularisation of the median nerve showed significant improvement only in the LLLT group. İn conclusion; these results suggest that LLLT may be good conservative treatment method for CTS due to improvement in clinical, electrophysiological and ultrasonographical parameters. LLLT is an easily applied, non-invasive treatment option for CTS however the therapeutic mechanism is not completely understood. Therapeutic effect of LLLT is thought to be dose dependent, but minimal effective dose and wave lenght stil remains controversial. Further studies with long-term follow-up should be well considered.
Ultrasonographic And Electrophysiological Outcomes Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treated With Low-Level Laser Therapy: A Double-Blind, Prospective, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Study
(2022) Nalbant, Merve; Yemisci, Oya Umit; Ozen, Selin; Tezcan, Sehnaz; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0501-5127; 35949869; AAJ-8820-2021
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on clinical, ultrasonographic (US), and electrophysiological findings in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Patients and methods: Between January 2015 and August 2015, 42 patients (7 males, 35 females; mean age: 50.4 +/- 8.7 years; range, 32 to 65 years) with mild-to-moderate CTS were randomly assigned to one of two groups: active LLLT (therapy group, n=22) 0.8 J/painful point and sham LLLT groups (n=20). Both groups wore neutral wrist orthoses. The patients were evaluated before and after 15 sessions of therapy (670 nm, 4 J/session over the carpal tunnel). Follow-up parameters included the Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTQ) Symptom Severity Scale (SSS), Functional Status Scale (FSS), nerve conduction studies and US evaluation of the median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA), vascularization (via power Doppler), flattening ratio (FR), and palmar bowing of the flexor retinaculum. Results: Nocturnal paresthesia improved in both groups; however, pain and patients with a positive Phalen's test reduced only in the therapy group (p=0.031). The FSS and SSS scores also improved only in the therapy group (p<0.001). Electrophysiologically, median sensory nerve conduction velocities showed a significant improvement only in the therapy group (p=0.002). The CSA, FR, and vascularization of the median nerve showed a significant improvement in the therapy group alone (p<0.001, p=0.048, and p=0.021, respectively). Conclusion: Improvements in the signs and symptoms of CTS and hand function, the improvements in sensory nerve conduction studies, and reduction in median nerve CSA, FR and vascularity in the LLLT group can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of LLLT. This study provides new US data demonstrating efficacy of LLLT along with a clinical and electrophysiological improvement. The LLLT seems to be an easily applied, non-invasive treatment option.