Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has boosted medical students’ vulnerability to various problems. Given the stressful nature of medical disciplines, considerable attention must be paid to student support systems during pandemics. This study aimed to review the current literature regarding medical student support systems systematically. Methods We performed a systematic review of six databases and grey literature sources in addition to a hand search in the references of the articles on April 5, 2021. We included all studies about support for undergraduate medical students delivered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In conducting this review, we used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results A total of 3646 articles were retrieved from the databases, and 16 additional papers were extracted from other sources. After removing duplicates, we screened 2434 titles and abstracts according to our criteria. Among them, 32 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Ultimately, 10 studies were included for review. We identified two major themes: (a) academic support and (b) mental health support. All of the included studies utilized online methods whether for transitioning from previous support systems or developing novel approaches. Students and faculty members seemed to be receptive to these new systems. Despite indicating outstanding program outcomes, most studies merely described the positive effects of the program rather than providing a precise evaluation. Conclusion There are several methods of supporting medical students who are experiencing unprecedented changes in their educational trajectory. Due to substantial differences in undergraduate medical education in different regions of the world, cultural and contextual-oriented support is indispensable for developing a safe learning environment. Future research should investigate the question of the extent to which online support can supersede in-person strategies.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has boosted medical students' vulnerability to various problems. Given the stressful nature of medical disciplines, considerable attention must be paid to student support systems during pandemics. This study aimed to review the current literature regarding medical student support systems systematically.Methods: We performed a systematic review of six databases and grey literature sources in addition to a hand search in the references of the articles in July 2020. We included all studies about support for undergraduate medical students delivered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In conducting this review, we used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.Results: A total of 5347 articles were retrieved from the databases, and 30 additional articles were extracted from other sources. After removing duplicates, we screened 3492 titles and abstracts according to our criteria. Among them, 51 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, before seven studies were ultimately included for reviewal. We identified two major themes: (a) academic support and (b) mental health support.Conclusion: There are several methods of supporting medical students while they are experiencing unprecedented changes in their educational trajectory. This review showed that, given the novel circumstances after the outbreak of COVID-19, the use of online student support methods had received more attention. Implications for further developments in student support systems in the time of the present pandemic were also discussed.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well‐defined treatment for motor symptoms in advanced PD. Although several studies have investigated the DBS effect on non‐motor symptoms (NMS), controversial results exist regarding this matter. The aim of this meta‐analysis and systematic review was to assess the bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS effect on NMS of PD. We conducted a systematic search on the literature of Web of Science (WOS), PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane, and Embase. An additional hand search was also done. Finally, a meta‐analysis was conducted on 10 studies containing pre‐ and post‐bilateral STN‐DBS data regarding NMS acquired using Non‐Motor Symptoms Scale for Parkinson's Disease (NMSS) or Non‐Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (NMSQ). A random‐effects model was used to determine weighted mean differences, and the heterogeneity index was evaluated using Cochrane's Q test. Our study results indicated that bilateral STN‐DBS significantly reduced total NMSS and NMSQ score (WMD −17.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] −20.28 to −15.18, WMD −2.19; 95% CI −2.98 to −1.40), respectively, and no publication bias was found. Regarding each of the NMSS domains, DBS significantly reduced the scores of following domains: sleep (WMD ‐5.98; 95% CI ‐6.82 to −5.15), miscellaneous (WMD −4.19; 95% CI −4.96 to −3.43), urinary (WMD −2.99; 95% CI −3.78 to −2.19), sexual (WMD −0.65; 95% CI −1.16 to −0.14), and attention/memory (WMD −0.59; 95% CI −1.15 to −0.03). This meta‐analysis demonstrated that bilateral STN‐DBS has beneficial effects on NMS of PD.

Background and Aims Congestive heart failure is a complex multifactorial syndrome due to tissue hypoperfusion that is affected by some factors like inflammatory cytokines. In our study, we investigated the exact gene expression of three inflammatory cytokines in ischemic and idiopathic cardiomyopathy patients. Methods From 49 studied recipients in the ischemic group, 23 (46.9%) were male and from 40 studied recipients in the idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy group, 19 (47.5%) were male. For the quantitative analysis of interleukin (IL)‐1, IL‐27, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α messenger RNAs expression level, the SYBR Green real‐time polymerase chain reaction method was performed using SYBRPremix Ex TaqTM II (Tli RNaseH Plus; Takara) and designed primers specific for each gene in an iQ5 thermocycler (BioRad Laboratories) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results Our results showed that the expression level of IL‐1 and TNF‐α were significantly higher in the ischemic patients compared to healthy controls ( p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively); also, we found higher levels of IL‐1 and IL‐27 gene expressions in idiopathic patients compared to healthy controls ( p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). There were not any significant differences in IL‐1, IL‐27, and TNF‐α expression levels between ischemic patients and idiopathic ones. Conclusion Although we would introduce IL‐1, IL‐27, and TNF‐α as effective inflammatory cytokines on myocardial functions in ischemic and idiopathic cardiomyopathy patients, there is not any difference between these two groups in gene expression of three main inflammatory cytokines.

INTRODUCTION. The highly contagious novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged recently as a global pandemic. An efficient way to mitigate the spread of the disease is lockdown and quarantine. OBJECTIVE. This study aimed to evaluate the Iranian population’s mental health under lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was utilized to assess the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of Iranian residents through an online survey. The questionnaire was sent on April 3, 2020, and remained open to responses until April 10, 2020. This period was the time of complete lockdown in Iran. Inclusion criteria included either gender, reading Farsi, internet access, and being between the ages of 18 and 65. Respondents with scores ≥ 24 were classified as having psychiatric problems. RESULTS. Of 35,529 completed surveys, 28,790 were eligible for analysis. 73.4% of the respondents were female. The majority of the participants were between the ages of 26 to 45. Of the participants, 35.5% had scores in the pathological range. We found that females, younger residents, singles, and individuals with lower education had higher levels of psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS. Our study suggests that the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine are wide-ranging, substantial, and can be long-lasting.