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An analysis of news media coverage of complementary and alternative medicine.
PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2406
Authors: Bonevski B, Wilson A, Henry DA
BACKGROUND: To examine the accuracy and adequacy of lay media news stories about complementary and alternative medicines and therapies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A descriptive analysis of news stories about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the Australian media using a national medical news monitoring website, mediadoctor.org.au. Each story was rated against 10 criteria by two individuals. Consensus scores of 222 news articles reporting therapeutic claims about complementary medicines posted on mediadoctor.org.au between 1 January 2004 and 1 September 2007 were calculated. The overall rating score for 222 CAM articles was 50% (95% CI 47% to 53%). There was a statistically significant (F = 3.68, p = 0.006) difference in cumulative mean scores according to type of therapy: biologically based practices (54%, 95% CI 50% to 58%); manipulative body based practices (46%, 95% CI 39% to 54%), whole medical systems (45%, 95% CI 32% to 58%), mind body medicine (41%, 95% CI 31% to 50%) and energy medicine (33%, 95% CI 11% to 55%). There was a statistically significant difference in cumulative mean scores (F = 3.72, p = 0.0001) according to the clinical outcome of interest with stories about cancer treatments (62%, 95% CI 54% to 70%) scoring highest and stories about treatments for children's behavioural and mental health concerns scoring lowest (31%, 95% CI 19% to 43%). Significant differences were also found in scores between media outlets. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There is substantial variability in news reporting practices about CAM. Overall, although they may be improving, the scores remain generally low. It appears that much of the information the public receives about CAM is inaccurate or incomplete.
PMID: 18545688 PubMed - in process
Energy Medicine
eft
Popularity: 4% [?]
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The mechanism of magnetic field-induced increase of excitability in hippocampal neurons.
Brain Res. 2008 May 15;
Authors: Ahmed Z, Wieraszko A
The influence of a pulsed magnetic field (PMF) on hippocampal evoked potentials has been investigated in vitro. The exposure to PMF (0.16 Hz, 15 mT) applied for 30 min amplified the population spike and the slope of EPSP recorded from stratum pyramidale and stratum radiatum respectively. This amplification was additive to previously induced LTP and occurred in an NMDA-independent way. The increase in the activity of electrical synapses accompanied PMF-induced amplification of evoked potentials. Since PMF exposure modified paired-pulse facilitation and paired-pulse inhibition, it was concluded that it modifies excitatory and inhibitory processes in the hippocampus. Control experiments revealed that observed effects were exclusively related to PMF exposure. The results support and extend our previous research indicating a significant influence of magnetic fields on hippocampal physiology.
PMID: 18554576 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
Energy Medicine
acupuncture medicine
Popularity: 7% [?]
More info…
An analysis of news media coverage of complementary and alternative medicine.
PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2406
Authors: Bonevski B, Wilson A, Henry DA
BACKGROUND: To examine the accuracy and adequacy of lay media news stories about complementary and alternative medicines and therapies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A descriptive analysis of news stories about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the Australian media using a national medical news monitoring website, mediadoctor.org.au. Each story was rated against 10 criteria by two individuals. Consensus scores of 222 news articles reporting therapeutic claims about complementary medicines posted on mediadoctor.org.au between 1 January 2004 and 1 September 2007 were calculated. The overall rating score for 222 CAM articles was 50% (95% CI 47% to 53%). There was a statistically significant (F = 3.68, p = 0.006) difference in cumulative mean scores according to type of therapy: biologically based practices (54%, 95% CI 50% to 58%); manipulative body based practices (46%, 95% CI 39% to 54%), whole medical systems (45%, 95% CI 32% to 58%), mind body medicine (41%, 95% CI 31% to 50%) and energy medicine (33%, 95% CI 11% to 55%). There was a statistically significant difference in cumulative mean scores (F = 3.72, p = 0.0001) according to the clinical outcome of interest with stories about cancer treatments (62%, 95% CI 54% to 70%) scoring highest and stories about treatments for children's behavioural and mental health concerns scoring lowest (31%, 95% CI 19% to 43%). Significant differences were also found in scores between media outlets. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There is substantial variability in news reporting practices about CAM. Overall, although they may be improving, the scores remain generally low. It appears that much of the information the public receives about CAM is inaccurate or incomplete.
PMID: 18545688 PubMed - in process
Energy Medicine
qigong
Popularity: 10% [?]
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Some ocular symptoms experienced by users of mobile phones.
Electromagn Biol Med. 2008;27(2):205-9
Authors: Küçer N
This survey study was conducted, using a questionnaire, on 229 university students (181 women, 48 men) in Kocaeli, Turkey. Six ocular symptoms experienced during use of mobile phones were studied by means of the chi-square test with Yates correction. The studied symptoms were blurring of vision, redness of the eyes, vision disturbance, secretion of the eyes, inflammation in the eyes, and lachrymation of the eyes. A significant increase in blurring of vision (p < 0.05) was reported by users of mobile phone possession >2 years compared to users of mobile phone possession <2 years. In users of mobile phones, women significantly (p < 0.05) complained more often of inflammation in the eyes than men.
PMID: 18568938 PubMed - in process
Energy Medicine
reiki healing
Popularity: 14% [?]
