Should cognitive behavioral therapy be added to antidepressant therapy?

A study in the British Medical Journal concludes that adding weekly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine (Prozac) was no more beneficial for depressed adolescents than medication alone.

A closer look suggests the Adolescent Depression Antidepressant and Psychotherapy Trial (ADAPT) is not the definitive study on this subject.

Here’s why. Continue reading Should cognitive behavioral therapy be added to antidepressant therapy?

Anael, his tumors, and the Hippocrates Health Institute

Anael L’Esperance-Nascimento (photo) is the little boy from Quebec whose parents refused a second round of chemotherapy for his brain and spinal cord tumors. Instead, Anael will be treated at the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida.

The intent of this post is to review wheatgrass, “an integral part” of the Hippocrates treatment. Continue reading Anael, his tumors, and the Hippocrates Health Institute

Experts respond to the negative AHRQ report on meditation

The report by the University of Alberta Evidence-based Practice Center (UAEPC) after reviewing the published literature on meditation practices for health were published here and discussed here.

The authors found so many flaws in the design of the studies that “conclusions on the effects of meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on the available evidence.” The report was funded by the NIH Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Continue reading Experts respond to the negative AHRQ report on meditation

Insufficient proof of efficacy for marijuana spray to permit sale in the UK

GW Pharmaceuticals was able to prove that Sativex, their marijuana oral spray product, was safe and reliably contained sufficient tetrahydrocannabinol. But proof of effectiveness was lacking, in the view of the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Continue reading Insufficient proof of efficacy for marijuana spray to permit sale in the UK

The Volcano alternative means of delivery of inhaled Cannabis sativa

An earlier study (reported here, discussed here) showed that the Volcano vaporization device is a reliable way to achieve lung concentrations of marijuana.

Now, researchers from the University of California and San Francisco General Hospital confirm that vaporization of cannabis is a safe and effective mode of delivery of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). They think the device should be used in future studies of THC. Continue reading The Volcano alternative means of delivery of inhaled Cannabis sativa

More positive results using probiotics to treat irritable bowel syndrome

Probiotics are now used by 35% to 40% of the US population routinely and with increasing frequency in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Dr. Brian Lacy from Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire reports on the latest probiotic research from the recent Digestive Diseases Week meeting. Continue reading More positive results using probiotics to treat irritable bowel syndrome