Current Research in Medical Sciences

From Symptom Diaries to Smart Diagnostics: A Systematic Review of Digital Technologies for the Early Detection of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Osasogie Idemudia — 2026-02-03

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe mood disorder affecting approximately 3–8% of menstruating individuals, characterised by recurrent affective, cognitive, and physical symptoms during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Despite formal recognition in diagnostic manuals, PMDD remains substantially underdiagnosed due to symptom overlap with depressive and anxiety disorders, stigma, and limited clinical awareness. Prospective symptom tracking required for diagnosis is rarely implemented in routine practice, creating a persistent diagnostic gap.

This systematic review examines the role of digital technologies in supporting the diagnosis and early detection of PMDD, with a focus on diagnostic accuracy, usability, and ethical considerations.

A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-DTA guidelines. Searches were performed across seven electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore) and supplemented by grey literature sources. Studies published between 2015 and 2025 evaluating digital tools for PMDD symptom monitoring, screening, or diagnostic support were included. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies were synthesised using meta-analytic and narrative approaches as appropriate.

Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria, encompassing mobile health applications, algorithmic and artificial intelligence-based models, telehealth platforms, and wearable-enabled systems. Evidence indicates that digital tools can enhance prospective symptom tracking, patient engagement, and early recognition of PMDD patterns. Algorithmic approaches, including probabilistic and Bayesian models, demonstrated potential for improving diagnostic precision, with one validated tool (C-PASS) achieving high agreement with clinician diagnosis. However, most digital solutions lacked external validation, clinical integration, and transparency. Usability and adoption were strongly influenced by perceived usefulness, trust, and self-efficacy. Ethical concerns related to data privacy, equity, and inclusivity were consistently reported.

Digital technologies offer promising avenues to address long-standing barriers in PMDD diagnosis by enabling scalable, patient-centred, and longitudinal symptom assessment. Nevertheless, their clinical utility remains constrained by limited validation, governance challenges, and inequitable design. Future efforts must prioritise rigorous diagnostic evaluation, ethical data stewardship, and integration within healthcare systems to realise the transformative potential of digital diagnostics in PMDD and women’s mental health.

Research Progress on the Relationship Between Carotid Artery Plaques and Ischemic Stroke Based on CTA Imaging

Tang Yu — 2026-02-03

Ischemic stroke accounts for more than 80% of all stroke cases and is closely related to carotid artery plaques. Early and accurate diagnosis and risk assessment are crucial for improving prognosis. Computed tomography angiography (CTA), as an efficient and non-invasive imaging technique, plays a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic stroke. This article reviews the research progress of carotid CTA in this field, including plaque feature analysis, ischemic stroke risk prediction, and the application of the Plaque-RADS scoring system. It also points out technical limitations and prospects for future development, providing references for clinical practice and scientific research.

Relationship of Stereochemistry and Activity of Drugs

Rezk R. Ayyad — 2026-02-06

The stereochemistry is important to drug action because the shape of the drug molecule is an important factor in determining how it interacts with various biological molecules (Enzymes – Receptors… etc.) e.g. dextromethorphan and levomethorphan, the dextromethorphan is antitussive and levomethorphan is opioid due to this difference of pharmacological activity is due to stereochemistry of methorphan (Dextro – Levo), cisplatin and transplatin, cisplatin is anti cancer, which is more active than transplatin, trans diethylstilbestrol and cis diethylstilbestrol, the trans form is more active than cis form, escitalopram is pure enantiomer for treat anxiety and depression, which is more active and more fast than citalopram which is mixture of two enantiomers of citalopram, cetirizine and levocetirizine are antihistaminic but the levo cetirizine is more safe and faster action than cetirizine, erythro ephedrine and threo ephedrine which is used in common rhinitis disease under names pseudo ephedrine, levodopa and dopa the levodopa used in treatment of parkinsonism, which is more active than dopa, levothyroxine and dextrothyroxine the levothyroxine used in hypothyroidism but the dextro inactive or less active, and levetiracetam which is levo enantiomer which used in treatment of epilepsy, the levo-enantiomer is more active than dextro enantiomer.