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Saturday, March 10, 2012
மொட்டை மாடி, பால்கனித் தோட்டம்
Friday, March 9, 2012
BE AWARE - TO ALL LADIES AND THE GUTSY GENTS!!
THIS IS A TRUE STORY WHICH HAPPENED TO MY COUSIN'S WIFE..............
PLEASE BE AWARE, ALWAYS KEEP YOUR DOORS LOCKED & DO NOT PUT YOUR SHUTTERS DOWN OR OPEN YOUR DOOR.
JUST HEARD THAT THE OTHER DAY WHEN AN OLD LADY STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS A MAN HAD GOT IN FROM THE BACK DOOR, HELD A KNIFE TO HER NECK, SHE HAD GOT OFF THROUGH FEAR & THE MAN HAD DRIVEN OFF!!!!
PLEASE BE AWARE, ALWAYS KEEP YOUR DOORS LOCKED & DO NOT PUT YOUR SHUTTERS DOWN OR OPEN YOUR DOOR.
JUST HEARD THAT THE OTHER DAY WHEN AN OLD LADY STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS A MAN HAD GOT IN FROM THE BACK DOOR, HELD A KNIFE TO HER NECK, SHE HAD GOT OFF THROUGH FEAR & THE MAN HAD DRIVEN OFF!!!!
This is a firsthand experience my wife had last Friday which should be circulated to all ladies and perhaps the adventurous too who drive around.
Around 12.30pm last Friday (2nd March), my wife was driving down Horton Place towards Castle Street. From the Felix Perera petrol shed onwards she had noticed a trishaw trying frantically to draw her attention but she had not taken any notice as she had not committed any offence. At the Wijerama Junction traffic lights she got through but at the Kynsy Road traffic lights she had no option but to stop for the red light. This trishaw in the mean while had come along side her and in a frantic voice the driver of the trishaw had shouted-out saying there is an oil leak to which my wife had not responded. Just then the lights had changed and my wife had continued but just before the next junction this trishaw had once again almost cut into her and had shouted for her to stop. Fortunately she had the presence of mind to call me and secondly drive right into the petrol shed that is bordering Baseline Road. Soon after, a man whom she thought resembled the trishaw driver had hurriedly walked up to the passenger side of our car and had insisted that there was an oil leak. During all that time my wife had ignored him as she was on the phone calling me to ask what she should do but at the same time had not noticed any trishaw around. There after she may have been off the phone for less than two minutes (the time taken for me to call the agents and call her back) but in the mean time this trishaw driver had persisted and in a loud voice had requested for a carpet whilst at the same time trying to open the door saying he can check and fix the leak. She had refused and fortunately the doors were locked and the shutters closed. In the mean while, I checked with the agents of the car and I was told it was simply not possible to have an oil leak and to drive it carefully in to their work shop. My wife had at that moment tried to drive off but this trishaw driver had banged on the passenger side shutter and shouted at her wanting some money saying he had followed her for a long distance and that he had spent a lot of time trying to help her!!! In order that she did not waste any time there she had lowered the shutter by about an inch and had pushed 200.00 out and just driven off but surprisingly within a space of few seconds this guy had just disappeared. The motive/s behind this is any body’s guess but what is certain is that there were no good intentions. The supposedly oil leak finally transpired to be condensed water from the air conditioner system!
In this instance, through default or through choice my wife got off scot free but this is a good lesson for all ladies who drive around plus also teach some of us men on how we should act in circumstances such as this and prevent un desired consequences. In my opinion I suggest the following but if further suggestions and comments are needed please do so and circulate:
1]Do not respond and ignore advances made by three wheeler drivers, people on bikes and any other unknown motorist.
2]Make sure the doors are locked and shutters up at all times.
3]Do not stop under any circumstance. First sign of any abnormal behavior of any person/s on the road, drive to the closest public place (petrol shed, police station) or stop near a police constable/traffic police on duty.
4]Never get off the vehicle.
5]Prevent getting in to any form of conversation.
6]Try calling 112/119
7]Call and be in touch with a friend or relative.
8]If possible, make a note of the registration number of whatever the vehicle may be.
9]Do not provoke – as a matter of fact all road users.
Hypothermia protects the brain against damage during stroke
Thromboembolic stroke, caused by a blood clot in the brain, results in damage to the parts of the brain starved of oxygen. Breaking up the clot with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) reduces the amount of damage, however, there is a very short time window when the value of the treatment outweighs the side effects. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Experimental & Translational Stroke Medicine shows that, during the first 24 hours after a stroke, mild hypothermia (34C) can reduce the side effects of tPA and potentially increase the window of opportunity for tPA treatment.
When a blood clot blocks off blood flow in the brain (ischemic stroke) the part starved of oxygen quickly begins to die. In order to prevent significant damage tPA must be given to the patient as early as possible after the onset of symptoms - doctors recommend that it must be administered within the first four and a half hours. Delayed treatment also increases the patient's risk of intracerebral hemorrhage and brain swelling (edema).
Mild hyperthermia is known to be neuroprotective and to reduce damage caused by the return of blood flow to an area of the brain starved of oxygen by a clot. Researchers from the University of Erlangen, led by Dr Rainer Kollmar, tested whether mild hyperthermia could also prevent damage to the brain due to tPA treatment in rats. After 24 hours they found that, while hypothermia reduced the amount of swelling and damaged tissue in the brain after a stroke, tPA (administered 90 minutes after the onset of stroke) increased it. However, they also discovered that hypothermia therapy was able to offset the damage due to tPA.
This seemed to be true for all the measurements they looked at. Dr Kollmar explained, "Patients often loose brain function such as control over parts of their body, speech or memory after stroke. We looked at 'neuroscore', to examine how much control of the body had been affected, and at markers for inflammation (TIMP-1 and sICAM) or evidence of damage to the blood brain barrier. In all cases hypothermia was able to offset the side effects of tPA."
While these results are still experimental, new techniques which prevent shivering mean that this technique is easier to administer in conscious patients. Preliminary clinical trials are also beginning to show that it is possible to treat patients, who have had a stroke, with tPA plus hypothermia. Our results suggest that hypothermia can offset the side effects of tPA and further studies will show if it is also able to increase the window of opportunity of tPA treatment in patients.
More information: Mild hypothermia of 34C reduces side effects of rt-PA treatment after thromboembolic stroke in rats, Bernd Kallmünzer, Stefan Schwab and Rainer Kollmar, Experimental & Translational Stroke Medicine (in press)
Provided by BioMed Central
"Hypothermia protects the brain against damage during stroke." March 6th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-hypothermia-brain.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
Scientists pinpoint how vitamin D may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's
This images shows an Alzheimer patient's macrophages without (Figure 1) and with (Figure 2) vitamin 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3. Note the huge difference in uptake of amyloid-beta in Figure 2, demonstrating the better ability of macrophages to absorb amyloid beta, a main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. Credit: UCLA
A team of academic researchers has identified the intracellular mechanisms regulated by vitamin D3 that may help the body clear the brain of amyloid beta, the main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Published in the March 6 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, the early findings show that vitamin D3 may activate key genes and cellular signaling networks to help stimulate the immune system to clear the amyloid-beta protein.
Previous laboratory work by the team demonstrated that specific types of immune cells in Alzheimer's patients may respond to therapy with vitamin D3 and curcumin, a chemical found in turmeric spice, by stimulating the innate immune system to clear amyloid beta. But the researchers didn't know how it worked.
"This new study helped clarify the key mechanisms involved, which will help us better understand the usefulness of vitamin D3 and curcumin as possible therapies for Alzheimer's disease," said study author Dr. Milan Fiala, a researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.
For the study, scientists drew blood samples from Alzheimer's patients and healthy controls and then isolated critical immune cells from the blood called macrophages, which are responsible for gobbling up amyloid beta and other waste products in the brain and body.
The team incubated the immune cells overnight with amyloid beta. An active form of vitamin D3 called 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3, which is made in the body by enzymatic conversion in the liver and kidneys, was added to some of the cells to gauge the effect it had on amyloid beta absorption.
Previous work by the team, based on the function of Alzheimer's patients' macrophages, showed that there are at least two types of patients and macrophages: Type I macrophages are
improved by addition of 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 and curcuminoids (a synthetic form of curcumin), while Type II macrophages are improved only by adding 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3.
Researchers found that in both Type I and Type II macrophages, the added 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 played a key role in opening a specific chloride channel called "chloride channel 3 (CLC3)," which is important in supporting the uptake of amyloid beta through the process known as phagocytosis. Curcuminoids activated this chloride channel only in Type I macrophages.
The scientists also found that 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 strongly helped trigger the genetic transcription of the chloride channel and the receptor for 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 in Type II macrophages. Transcription is the first step leading to gene expression.
The mechanisms behind the effects of 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 on phagocytosis were complex and dependent on calcium and signaling by the "MAPK" pathway, which helps communicate a signal from the vitamin D3 receptor located on the surface of a cell to the DNA in the cell's nucleus.
The pivotal effect of 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 was shown in a collaboration between Dr. Patrick R. Griffin from the Scripps Research Institute and Dr. Mathew T. Mizwicki from UC Riverside. They utilized a technique based on mass spectrometry, which showed that 1a,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 stabilized many more critical sites on the vitamin D receptor than did the curcuminoids.
"Our findings demonstrate that active forms of vitamin D3 may be an important regulator of immune activities of macrophages in helping to clear amyloid plaques by directly regulating the expression of genes, as well as the structural physical workings of the cells," said study author Mizwicki, who was an assistant research biochemist in the department of biochemistry at UC Riverside when the study was conducted.
According to the team, one of the next stages of research would be a clinical trial with vitamin D3 to assess the impact on Alzheimer's disease patients. Previous studies by other teams have shown that a low serum level of 25–hydroxyvitamin D3 may be associated with cognitive decline. It is too early to recommend a definitive dosage of vitamin D3 to help with Alzheimer's disease and brain health, the researchers said. They add that ongoing studies are showing that vitamin D3 may be beneficial in reducing the incidence of a growing number of human diseases.
Provided by University of California - Los Angeles
"Scientists pinpoint how vitamin D may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's." March 6th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-scientists-vitamin-d-amyloid-plaques.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
Study finds link between relationship style and sexual dysfunction
(Medical Xpress) -- Deakin University research has shown that being too needy or not needy enough in a relationship can result in sexual issues.
Christina Stefanou is conducting her doctoral research with Deakin's School of Psychology under the supervision of Professor Marita McCabe and is looking at the connection between relationship style and sexual functioning.
Preliminary results from the experiences of the 127 people who have taken part in the study so far demonstrate the strong links between relationship style and sexual dysfunction in both men and women.
"The preliminary analysis showed that individuals who fear rejection or abandonment and value intimacy to such an extent that they become overly dependent on their partner, had higher levels of sexual dysfunction (i.e., with sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction in women, and erectile function, orgasm, intercourse satisfaction, and overall sexual satisfaction in men)," Ms Stefanou said.
"Similarly, individuals who experience discomfort with closeness and find it difficult to depend on their partner also had higher levels of sexual dysfunction (i.e., with sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, pain, and sexual satisfaction in women, although no relationships were found with dysfunction in men).
"These findings suggest that rather than simply treating the symptoms of sexual dysfunction, treatment strategies may be more effective if they considered the psychological characteristics that impact on sexual behaviour within relationships."
More information: Ms Stefanou's study is ongoing and if you would like to complete the questionnaire, please go to this link.
Provided by Deakin University
"Study finds link between relationship style and sexual dysfunction." March 7th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-link-relationship-style-sexual-dysfunction.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
Researchers find yoga helps ease stress related medical and psychological conditions
An article by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), New York Medical College (NYMC), and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (CCPS) reviews evidence that yoga may be effective in treating patients with stress-related psychological and medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and cardiac disease. Their theory, which currently appears online in Medical Hypotheses, could be used to develop specific mind-body practices for the prevention and treatment of these conditions in conjunction with standard treatments.
It is hypothesized that stress causes an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system (parasympathetic under-activity and sympathetic over-activity) as well as under-activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA). Low GABA activity occurs in anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, epilepsy, and chronic pain. According to the researchers, the hypothesis advanced in this paper could explain why vagal verve stimulation (VNS) works to decrease both seizure frequency and the symptoms of depression.
"Western and Eastern medicine complement one another. Yoga is known to improve stress-related nervous system imbalances," said Chris Streeter, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at BUSM and Boston Medical Center, who is the study's lead author. Streeter believes that "This paper provides a theory, based on neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, to understand how yoga helps patients feel better by relieving symptoms in many common disorders."
An earlier study by BUSM researchers comparing a walking group and a yoga group over a 12-week period found no increase in GABA levels in the walking group, whereas the yoga group showed increased GABA levels and decreased anxiety. In another BUSM 12-week study, patients with chronic low back pain responded to a yoga intervention with increased GABA levels and significant reduction in pain compared to a group receiving standard care alone.
In crafting this neurophysiological theory of how yoga affects the nervous system, Streeter collaborated with Patricia Gerbarg, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at NYMC, Domenic A. Ciraulo, MD, chairman of psychiatry at BUSM, Robert Saper, MD MPH, associate professor of family medicine at BUSM, and Richard P. Brown, MD, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at CCPS. They are beginning test these theories by incorporating mind-body therapies such as yoga in their clinical studies of a wide range of stress-related medical and psychological conditions.
Provided by Boston University Medical Center
"Researchers find yoga helps ease stress related medical and psychological conditions." March 6th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-yoga-ease-stress-medical-psychological.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
More effective treatments urgently needed for adolescent depression
200 million teenagers suffer from depression in the U.S. Recent drug warnings and study results have led to increased controversy surrounding the treatment of adolescent depression. A state-of-the-art issue reporting on the latest research findings on antidepressant medications combined with appropriate therapeutic strategies has been published by Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
"There are no radically new treatments on the horizon for the treatment of depression, and so we have to do better with the treatments we have available," says Graham J. Emslie, MD, Guest Editor of the issue and Director of Child Psychiatry at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. "Few youths with depression receive adequate treatment."
The issue focuses on the controversy, the data, and the challenges and opportunities in the care of adolescents with major depressive illness. The articles cover a wide range of issues that all contribute to the goal of improving outcomes. Included in the issue, Greg Clarke, PhD et al., Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (Portland, OR), present an evaluation of new and refill antidepressant prescribing practices among physicians before and after warnings related to teen suicide risk were issued. Kenneth Wells, MD, MPH and colleagues from University of California, Los Angeles, and Stony Brook University (NY), explore the effectiveness of appropriate care delivered in a primary care setting. Dr. Emslie and colleagues from UT Southwestern Medical Center examine the common problem of insomnia in youths with depression and its impact on treatment.
"Depression is a major public health concern among young people, particularly teens, but many people have a hard time talking about it," says Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, and President, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY. "Advancing research is one way we can work to change a culture of denial that too often stands in the way of effective and sometimes life-saving treatment."
More information: The special issue on psychopharmacology of adolescent depression is available free on the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology website.
Provided by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
"More effective treatments urgently needed for adolescent depression." March 7th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-effective-treatments-urgently-adolescent-depression.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
Increase in death rate among managers due to 'economic collapse': study
Death rates of Japanese men in managerial or professional positions have risen dramatically in 30 years compared to other professions, claims a study published today in the British Medical Journal.
The cause of this increase is thought to be due to Japan's economic stagnation and the authors warn that the health of developed nations may suffer due to risks associated with economic changes. They warn that due to the economic collapse, many economies may experience the same thing as Japan.
The authors, from the Kitasato University School of Medicine in Japan, assessed trends in death rates among working-age men aged between the ages of 30 and 59 from 1980 to 2005. The four leading causes of death were: cancer, heart disease, brain disease and accidental death. All occupations were placed into ten different categories including management, professional, production / labour and unemployed. Data on death rates and occupations were collected from the Japanese Ministry of Health.
Decreases in death rates have been seen in all roles since 1980, except those in managerial and professional jobs which have seen a 70% increase. Production / labour, clerical and sales workers all had the lowest rates of death. Suicide also rapidly increased amongst all occupations with the largest increase in managerial and professional workers.
Public health specialists argue that economic stagnation in Japan is responsible for changes in work environments and there is now a strong link between stressful lives and health outcomes including mental disorders and death rates. Furthermore, health risks associated with high job demands have become more prevalent in Japan including being overweight, drinking high volumes of alcohol and not doing enough exercise, all of which are risk factors for cancer. This changing work environment may also be primarily responsible for increasing suicide rates in recent years.
The authors conclude that the major economic crash of the 1990s followed by years of economic stagnation is associated with a rapid increase in death rate patterns in Japan. They suggest the importance of reacting quickly to the health consequences of an economic collapse, especially since the 2008 global economic crisis. The authors remind us that the changes in Japan serve as a reminder that the "health gains in modern societies may not be guaranteed and could be vulnerable to sudden socioeconomic changes".
Provided by British Medical Journal
"Increase in death rate among managers due to 'economic collapse': study." March 6th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-death-due-economic-collapse.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
Pilot program demonstrates measureable benefits for people with schizophrenia
Washington, D.C. – People with schizophrenia report improved functioning after participating in a new, evidence-based clinical program, according to results announced today from a six-month pilot. The program, Advancing Standards of Care for People with Schizophrenia, was spearheaded by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) and administered at 10 community behavioral health organizations across the country. The program significantly improved communication, social interaction and coping skills for persons recovering from schizophrenia.
"Although society's understanding of schizophrenia has progressed over the decades, we can do more to help people with the illness recover," said Linda Rosenberg, President and CEO of the National Council. "This program promotes practitioner and consumer partnerships. Together they measure progress and reinforce what works. It's a true step forward for people with schizophrenia and the organizations that serve them."
The program revolved around two evidence-based tools: a group curriculum to help adults better understand and self-manage their mental health condition; and a functional assessment tool, which tracks a person's ability to independently carry out everyday tasks. The tools encourage participants to take control of their mental illness, discuss it with others, and monitor progress. Participants said they found this helpful in addressing the misconceptions others may have about them.
According to one 49-year-old treated at Hill Country Mental Health in Kerrville, Texas, participating in the program gave her confidence to face her diagnosis and fears."I was frightened, isolated and sometimes in denial about my illness," she said. "After participating in this program, I'm much more confident discussing things openly with my mental health provider and even sharing what I've learned with people around me."
Health care providers that participated in the program said that the measurement tool gave them accurate and reliable data that supported increased transparency and accountability.
"We are all adapting to health care system changes that recognize the value of care over volume of care," said Linda Werlein, CEO of Hill Country Mental Health. "This program provided both an effective curriculum, and a way to demonstrate progress."
Rosenberg also notes that the program's success holds great potential for replication. She emphasizes, "the participating behavioral health centers found the interventions to be effective, easy to administer and results-oriented, and many of them plan to spread the program throughout their organizations."
Christopher, a client at AltaPointe Health Systems in Mobile, Alabama, says the program encouraged him to think about and solve problems in new ways. "I learned valuable life skills, how to stay healthy, manage my anger, and prevent a relapse," he explained.
Key Results:
-- The 10 pilot sites started with a total of 5,687 clients in December, 2010.
* The average age of participants was 45.7 years, many of whom had already been in treatment for years
* 20 percent of participants scored an "inability to function in all areas" on the pre-interventional functional assessment
* 50 percent of participants scored "major impairment" in at least five critical areas of functioning in daily activities
* The average age of participants was 45.7 years, many of whom had already been in treatment for years
* 20 percent of participants scored an "inability to function in all areas" on the pre-interventional functional assessment
* 50 percent of participants scored "major impairment" in at least five critical areas of functioning in daily activities
-- The average cumulative functional score from all participants rose from an initial 37.76 to 41.07 over the course of six months.
-- Overall, there was a statistically significant gain in three sub-scales: communications, interaction with one's social network, and coping skills.
-- There was an overall attrition rate of 48 percent, consistent with community based treatment protocols.
More information: A full list of pilot sites in the Advancing Standards of Care for People with Schizophrenia program and a copy of the outcomes report program can be found at http://www.thenati … lcouncil.org .
Provided by Chandler Chicco Agency
"Pilot program demonstrates measureable benefits for people with schizophrenia." March 6th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-benefits-people-schizophrenia.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
Electrical stimulation of the brain is a safe treatment for depression
Gentle electrical stimulation of the brain can help with depression and maybe also boost attention. Credit: Flickr/Rohan Phillips
The use of weak electrical currents to stimulate the brain is a safe treatment for depression and might even improve attention and reduce pain elsewhere in the body, an Australian study has found.
Medical researchers from the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute found that up to half of the 64 participants in the study reported substantial improvements after receiving transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) daily for six weeks.
The treatment passes a mild, painless current into the brain through electrodes on the scalp. Patients remain awake during the procedure. Previous studies have shown that it may boost memory performance, and can also improve brain function in schizophrenia patients.
“We are excited about these results,“ said trial leader, Professor Colleen Loo, from the university’s School of Psychiatry. "This is the largest randomised controlled trial of transcranial direct current stimulation ever undertaken and, while the results need to be replicated, they confirm previous reports of significant antidepressant effects.”
The findings of Professor Loo’s team have been published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Professor Loo said that participants in the study had not benefited from at least two other depression treatments.
“Most of the people who went into this trial had tried at least two other antidepressant treatments and got nowhere. So the results are far more significant than they might initially appear – we weren’t dealing with people who were easy to treat,” Professor Loo said.
The results improved gradually, suggesting the treatment is best applied over an extended period. Participants who improved during the trial were offered weekly follow-up treatments. Of those people, 85% showed no relapse after three months.
The research team also reported unexpected physical and mental benefits in participants, including improved attention.
“One participant with a long-standing reading problem said his reading had improved after the trial and others commented that they were able to think more clearly,“ Professor Loo said.
“Another participant with chronic neck pain reported that the pain had disappeared during the trial. We think that is because tDCS actually changes the brain’s perception of pain. We believe these cognitive benefits are another positive aspect of the treatment worthy of investigation."
The researchers are now considering an additional trial to include people with bipolar disorder. Early results from overseas suggest tDCS is just as effective in this group.
Paul Fitzgerald, a Professor of Psychiatry at Monash University, cautioned that although research into tDCS had produced some positive results, it was “still early days”.
“There have been some positive studies, but not all of them have been positive – there have also been some studies that have failed to show a difference between active treatment and placebos.
“A lot of the studies that have been conducted to date have been involved a relatively small patient population, and with limited duration of follow-up after the end of treatment. You’d really need to build up a greater series of studies with large patient numbers and longer-term follow ups to really get a handle on how effective this treatment might be.”
Professor Fitzgerald said that patients who suffered from very severe depression and who did not get better with the “standard treatment options” were often open to new treatment possibilites, including electrical brain stimulation.
Source: The Conversation
This story is published courtesy of the The Conversation (under Creative Commons-Attribution/No derivatives).
"Electrical stimulation of the brain is a safe treatment for depression." March 6th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-electrical-brain-safe-treatment-fordepression.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
Robert Karl Stonjek
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