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Biomedical subjects

A Huntley

Publications and source records attributed to A Huntley.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Relaxation therapies for asthma: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Emotional stress can either precipitate or exacerbate both acute and chronic asthma. There is a large body of literature available on the use of relaxation techniques for the treatment of asthma symptoms. The aim of this systematic review was to determine if there is any evidence for or against the clinical efficacy of such interventions. METHODS: Four independent literature searches were performed on Medline, Cochrane Library, CISCOM, and Embase. Only randomised clinical trials (RCTs) were included. There were no restrictions on the language of publication. The data from trials that statistically compared the treatment group with that of the control were extracted in a standardised predefined manner and assessed critically by two independent reviewers. RESULTS: Fifteen trials were identified, of which nine compared the treatment group with the control group appropriately. Five RCTs tested progressive muscle relaxation or mental and muscular relaxation, two of which showed significant effects of therapy. One RCT investigating hypnotherapy, one of autogenic training, and two of biofeedback techniques revealed no therapeutic effects. Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was poor. CONCLUSIONS: There is a lack of evidence for the efficacy of relaxation therapies in the management of asthma. This deficiency is due to the poor methodology of the studies as well as the inherent problems of conducting such trials. There is some evidence that muscular relaxation improves lung function of patients with asthma but no evidence for any other relaxation technique.

Anxiety↗
PubMed2001

Which complementary and alternative therapies benefit which conditions? A survey of the opinions of 223 professional organizations.

UNLABELLED: With the increasing demand and usage of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) by the general public, it is vital that healthcare professionals can make informed decisions when advising or referring their patients who wish to use CAM. Therefore they might benefit from advice by CAM-providers as to which treatment can be recommended for which condition. AIM: The primary aim of this survey was to determine which complementary therapies are believed by their respective representing professional organizations to be suited for which medical conditions. METHOD: 223 questionnaires were sent out to CAM organizations representing a single CAM therapy. The respondents were asked to list the 15 conditions they felt benefited most from their CAM therapy, the 15 most important contra-indications, the typical costs of initial and any subsequent treatments and the average length of training required to become a fully qualified practitioner. The conditions and contra-indications quoted by responding CAM organizations were recorded and the top five of each were determined. Treatment costs and hours of training were expressed as ranges. RESULTS: Of the 223 questionnaires sent out, 66 were completed and returned. Taking undelivered questionnaires into account, the response rate was 34%. Two or more responses were received from CAM organizations representing twelve therapies: aromatherapy, Bach flower remedies, Bowen technique, chiropractic, homoeopathy, hypnotherapy, magnet therapy, massage, nutrition, reflexology, Reiki and yoga. The top seven common conditions deemed to benefit by all twelve therapies, in order of frequency, were: stress/anxiety, headaches/migraine, back pain, respiratory problems (including asthma), insomnia, cardiovascular problems and musculoskeletal problems. Aromatherapy, Bach flower remedies, hypnotherapy, massage, nutrition, reflexology, Reiki and yoga were all recommended as suitable treatments for stress/anxiety. Aromatherapy, Bowen technique, chiropractic, hypnotherapy, massage, nutrition, reflexology, Reiki and yoga were all recommended for headache/migraine. Bowen technique, chiropractic, magnet therapy, massage, reflexology and yoga were recommended for back pain. None of the therapies cost more than ł60 for an initial consultation and treatment. No obvious correlation between length of training and treatment cost was apparent. CONCLUSION: The recommendations by CAM organizations responding to this survey may provide guidance to health care professionals wishing to advise or refer patients interested in using CAM.

Complementary Therapies↗
PubMed2000

Complementary and alternative therapies for treating multiple sclerosis symptoms: a systematic review.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system without a known cure. Thus the role of complementary and alternative therapies (CATs) for the management of symptoms lies in palliative care and this is borne out by the popularity of these treatments amongst MS sufferers. This review is aimed at determining whether this use is supported by evidence of effectiveness from rigorous clinical trials. Database literature searches were performed and papers were extracted in a pre-defined manner. Twelve randomized controlled trials were located that investigated a CAT for MS: nutritional therapy (4), massage (1), Feldenkrais bodywork (1), reflexology (1), magnetic field therapy (2), neural therapy (1) and psychological counselling (2). The evidence is not compelling for any of these therapies, with many trials suffering from significant methodological flaws. There is evidence to suggest some benefit of nutritional therapy for the physical symptoms of MS. Magnetic field therapy and neural therapy appear to have a short-term beneficial effect on the physical symptoms of MS. Massage/bodywork and psychological counselling seem to improve depression, anxiety and self-esteem. The effectiveness for other CATs is unproven at this time. In all the CATs examined further investigations are needed in the form of rigorous large-scale trials.

Complementary Therapies↗
PubMed2000

Herbal medicines for asthma: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in modern society and there is increasing evidence to suggest that its incidence and severity are increasing. There is a high prevalence of usage of complementary medicine for asthma. Herbal preparations have been cited as the third most popular complementary treatment modality by British asthma sufferers. This study was undertaken to determine if there is any evidence for the clinical efficacy of herbal preparations for the treatment of asthma symptoms. METHODS: Four independent literature searches were performed on Medline, Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Embase. Only randomised clinical trials were included. There were no restrictions on the language of publication. The data were extracted in a standardised, predefined manner and assessed critically. RESULTS: Seventeen randomised clinical trials were found, six of which concerned the use of traditional Chinese herbal medicine and eight described traditional Indian medicine, of which five investigated Tylophora indica. Three other randomised trials tested a Japanese Kampo medicine, marihuana, and dried ivy leaf extract. Nine of the 17 trials reported a clinically relevant improvement in lung function and/or symptom scores. CONCLUSIONS: No definitive evidence for any of the herbal preparations emerged. Considering the popularity of herbal medicine with asthma patients, there is urgent need for stringently designed clinically relevant randomised clinical trials for herbal preparations in the treatment of asthma.

Asthma↗
PubMed2000

Tea tree oil: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

AIM: Tea tree oil (TTO) is immensely popular for various topical applications. In vitro studies have repeatedly demonstrated that it has antibiotic activity. This article is an attempt to systematically review the evidence from randomised clinical trials for or against effectiveness of external TTO in dermatological conditions. METHODS: Six electronic databases were searched. Methodological quality was assessed by Jadad score. Data were extracted and validated in a standardised fashion by two independent reviewers. RESULTS: Only 4 trials were located. They suggest that TTO may be effective as a treatment of acne and fungal infections. The evidence is promising but by no means compelling. The adverse effects of TTO are usually mild and transient. They mainly consist of allergic reactions. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that, so far, there is no compelling evidence to show that TTO is efficacious in any dermatological condition. However, in view of promising findings, TTO deserves to be investigated more closely.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1999

Angiotensin II activates MAPK and stimulates growth of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle via AT1 receptors.

To determine a potential role for the renin-angiotensin system in the growth of human pulmonary artery (PA) smooth muscle, we studied the localization of angiotensin (ANG) II-receptor subtypes by autoradiography in sections of human PA and in cultured PA smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and examined the growth responses to ANG II in vitro. Specific 125I-labeled [Sar1,Ile8]ANG II binding was demonstrated within the pulmonary arterial media, but binding to cultured cells varied between isolates. Binding in tissues and cells was inhibited by the ANG II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist losartan but not by the type 2 (AT2) receptor antagonist PD-123319. Microautoradiographic studies indicated that cultured PASMCs exhibit heterogeneity with regard to ANG II binding sites. Addition of ANG II to serum-deprived PASMCs, exhibiting a relatively high level of 125I-[Sar1,Ile8]ANG II binding, led to a dose-dependent stimulation of DNA synthesis at 24 h and protein synthesis at 48 h. ANG II led to an increase in cell size without an increase in cell number. These effects were inhibited by losartan but not by PD-123319. In addition, ANG II led to rapid activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and ANG II-stimulated DNA synthesis was inhibited by the specific inhibitor of MAPK PD-98059. We conclude that the AT1 receptor is expressed by human PASMCs in vivo and in vitro and is coupled to activation of MAPK and increased DNA and protein synthesis in vitro. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that ANG II may be involved in human pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1998

Lethocerus americanus, the "toe biter".

Lethocerus americanus is a large water bug commonly found in ponds and slowly moving fresh water. Also known as the "toe biter" for its encounters with swimmers, it has the reputation of inflicting painful bites when carelessly handled. It normally feeds on other pond life: insects, tadpoles, salamander, small fish, and snails. These large tan or brown bugs may leave their habitat at night in search of mates or another pond. It is thought that the relative nearness of bright lights for a creature that evolved using celestial navigation, results in disorientation, spiral flight paths, and eventual death from exhaustion. This would account for the occasional find of several dead giant water bugs underneath street lamps.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Dermatology on the Internet. A source of clinical and scientific information.

Rivaling textbooks and journals, the Internet is about to become the most important source of information in virtually any academic profession. Dermatology has a growing presence in many areas of the Internet. A number of sites offer dermatologic data in the form of text and images. Discussion groups and continuing education programs invite regular participation. A dermatologic image data base has been created, which is aiming to provide clinical and histopathological images for most dermatological diseases. However, there is a deplorable lack of dermatologic basic research data and discussion on the Internet. In this mini-review we shall give an overview of the available information sites.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1991

A double-blind, vehicle-controlled study evaluating masoprocol cream in the treatment of actinic keratoses on the head and neck.

This double-blind, vehicle-controlled, multicenter study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a new topical antineoplastic agent, masoprocol, in the treatment of actinic keratoses of the head and neck. Of the 113 patients who applied topical masoprocol twice a day for 14 to 28 days, there was a mean decrease in actinic keratoses from 15.0 to 5.4 and a median percent reduction from baseline actinic keratosis count of 71.4% at the 1-month follow-up visit. Comparable numbers for the vehicle-treated group were 13.4 to 11.1 actinic keratoses and 4.3% median percent reduction. Irritation, as manifested by erythema or flaking, occurred in 61.5% of topical masoprocol-treated patients versus 26.7% of those treated with vehicle and did not correlate with clinical response. Topical masoprocol appears to be useful in the treatment of actinic keratoses.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1989

Intradermal inoculation with Heptavax-B. Immune response and histologic evaluation of injection sites.

The high cost of hepatitis B vaccine has limited its widespread use. Low-dose, intradermal injections of vaccine represent one option for reducing the cost. In this study, 92 nonimmune medical students were given three 0.1-mL intradermal injections of Heptavax-B containing 2 micrograms of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) at 0, 1, and 6 months. By 6 months, 90% of the subjects had developed protective levels of antibody to HBsAg (greater than or equal to 10 mIU/mL). Follow-up at 1 year showed a geometric mean concentration of antibodies to HBsAg of 396 mIU/mL for the group, and 95% had levels of antibody to HBsAg greater than or equal to 10 mIU/mL. A level of antibody to HBsAg of greater than 100 mIU/mL also was observed in more than 75% of subjects. Side effects included induration of the inoculation site in 18% at 6 months, which disappeared by 12 months, and macules that persisted at 1 year in 63%. The administration of hepatitis B vaccine intradermally is an attractive, low-cost alternative in the United States, where universal vaccination of preschool children or adolescents is being contemplated, and where booster doses are being considered.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Hematocrit variation during sleep apnea in elephant seal pups.

Hematocrit (Hct) levels were found to increase throughout long-duration sleep apnea in the northern elephant seal pup. Breath holds ranging from 4 to greater than 11 min were sampled. Blood collected from the extradural intravertebral vein showed an increase in Hct from 55.6 to 63.1% with the peak value occurring within 1 min of the end of apnea. Plasma lactate did not change throughout the breath hold. Previous observations of changing Hct levels in seals were made on animals diving naturally, and consequently the effects of exercise could not be separated from those of apnea. The results of this study demonstrate that the rise in Hct is produced quickly upon apnea, occurs without significant levels of hypoxic metabolism, and does not depend on exercise.

Animals↗