Although many factors have been suggested as causes for breast cancer, the increased incidence of the disease seen in women working in night shifts led to the hypothesis that the suppression of melatonin by light or melatonin deficiency plays a major role in cancer development. Studies on the 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea experimental models of human breast cancer indicate that melatonin is effective in reducing cancer development. In vitro studies in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line have shown that melatonin exerts its anticarcinogenic actions through a variety of mechanisms, and that it is most effective in estrogen receptor (ER) alpha-positive breast cancer cells. Melatonin suppresses ER gene, modulates several estrogen dependent regulatory proteins and pro-oncogenes, inhibits cell proliferation, and impairs the metastatic capacity of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. The anticarcinogenic action on MCF-7 cells has been demonstrated at the physiological concentrations of melatonin attained at night, suggesting thereby that melatonin acts like an endogenous antiestrogen. Melatonin also decreases the formation of estrogens from androgens via aromatase inhibition. Circulating melatonin levels are abnormally low in ER-positive breast cancer patients thereby supporting the melatonin hypothesis for breast cancer in shift working women. It has been postulated that enhanced endogenous melatonin secretion is responsible for the beneficial effects of meditation as a form of psychosocial intervention that helps breast cancer patients.

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 Apr;108(3):339-50. Srinivasan V, Spence DW, Pandi-Perumal SR, Trakht I, Esquifino AI, Cardinali DP, Maestroni GJ. Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Kubang kerian, Kelantan, 16150, Malaysia.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an Ericksonian approach to therapy using hypnosis (ET) was as effective as brief dynamic therapy (BDT), a long-standing and well-researched form of psychotherapy. The study used a comparative pretest/posttest design with four paper and pencil tests [Clark Personal and Social Adjustment Scale (CPSAS), Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL), Target Complaint (TC), and Global Improvement (GI)] and six therapy sessions. The investigators attempted to choose design features that would not interfere with the unique qualities of ET while maintaining empirical regularity. No statistically significant difference was found except on HSCL where ET was superior. An interesting finding was that without direct discussion of the target complaint, ET brought about the same improvement on targeted problems as BDT. ET subjects reported gaining understanding of their problems as much as BDT subjects, but from a different source. The results of this study are a step toward empirical confirmation of ET as an evidence-based treatment alternative for psychotherapy.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Jan;50(3):217-32.Links Simpkins CA, Simpkins AM. AMCAS123@aol.com

by Marilyn Gordon, BCH, CI

From the book Extraordinary Healing: Transforming Your Consciousness, Your Energy System, and Your Life by Marilyn Gordon

There is a miraculous way of tapping the healing power by working with the meridian system. When I was introduced me to the "tapping techniques," I became aware that I was being given one of the great secrets of the universe. The technique involves tapping on various points on the body while using specific verbalizations to eliminate or reduce all kinds of pain and suffering. It's amazingly simple and easy to learn, and yet its results are phenomenal. As I became more and more involved with using the techniques with clients and with myself, I found variations that embellished their power. In our work, we normally combine these techniques with deep inner healing. They can, nevertheless, be used on their own or in combination with many other modalities.

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Anne King is a certified member of the National Guild of Hypnotists and International Hypnosis Federation. She is a Fellow of The International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association and was named their Educator of The Year in 2001. She is also a certified Instructor of Hypnosis.

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During general anesthesia the possibility of subconscious perception of intraoperative events is a controversial subject. Some studies found that positive verbal suggestions, or music improved intraoperative relaxation and postoperative recovery. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of prayer and relaxation technique applied while patients are under general anesthesia for open-heart surgery. A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial study included 78 patients who underwent cardiac surgery. During the surgery the patients used a headphone connected to a CD player. They were randomly divided into three groups. One group listened to prayer during the surgery, the other listened to relaxation technique and one, placebo. There was only one significant finding: the prayer group is less likely to believe that prayer would assist conventional medical treatments. Although not statistically significant, we discussed the length of stay (LOS) after surgery and the incidence of sternal wound infection.

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2007 May;13(2):85-94. Ikedo F, Gangahar DM, Quader MA, Smith LM. Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA. fabio.ikedo@saofrancisco.edu.br

The aim of this investigation was to explore the effectiveness of search strategies developed to identify trials of specific complementary therapies in a range of clinical conditions. DESIGN: All primary studies included in a series of systematic reviews were identified. An analysis of the original source of the study and search term(s) by means of which the study had originally been retrieved was carried out. Each study was then searched for in each of 6 databases (AMED, Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO). The proportion of studies located on each database was assessed and the indexing terms identified for each therapy were compared against the original search strategies. RESULTS: A total of 127 primary studies were identified from 35 systematic reviews. The number of studies on each therapy varied, but Cochrane CENTRAL listed the highest proportion for all therapies. No database listed all studies, and at least one unique study was listed on all databases except MEDLINE, whereas several studies were not found on any of the databases. Index terms were effective in locating studies on acupuncture, individual herbs, hypnosis, massage, and yoga. For the remaining therapies, use of text word search terms was important and particularly so for homeopathy, meditation, and reflexology. Variation in terminology for most of the therapies was encountered. CONCLUSIONS: The small numbers of studies preclude firm recommendations, but several potential challenges in searching for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) trials are highlighted. The findings suggest that a range of different sources is required for identifying relevant studies, particularly for certain therapies. The development of an optimum generic search strategy for each therapy is hampered by the variation in indexing of CAM studies. Possible optimum strategies are presented as a basis for discussion, and further testing of the effectiveness of these strategies is now a priority.

J Altern Complement Med. 2007 May;13(4):451-9. Pilkington K. School of Integrated Health, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. k.pilkington@wmin.ac.uk

Research on massage therapy for maternal pain and anxiety in labour is currently limited to four small trials. Each used different massage techniques, at different frequencies and durations, and relaxation techniques were included in three trials. Given the need to investigate massage interventions that complement maternal neurophysiological adaptations to labour and birth pain(s), we designed a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of a massage programme practised during physiological changes in pain threshold, from late pregnancy to birth, on women's reported pain, measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS) at 90min following birth. To control for the potential bias of the possible effects of support offered within preparation for the intervention group, the study included 3 arms - intervention (massage programme with relaxation techniques), placebo (music with relaxation techniques) and control (usual care). The placebo offered a non-pharmacological coping strategy, to ensure that use of massage was the only difference between intervention and placebo groups. There was a trend towards slightly lower mean pain scores in the intervention group but these differences were not statistically significant. No differences were found in use of pharmacological analgesia, need for augmentation or mode of delivery. There was a trend towards more positive views of labour preparedness and sense of control in the intervention and placebo groups, compared with the control group. These findings suggest that regular massage with relaxation techniques from late pregnancy to birth is an acceptable coping strategy that merits a large trial with sufficient power to detect differences in reported pain as a primary outcome measure.

Eur J Pain. 2008 Feb 25 Kimber L, McNabb M, Mc Court C, Haines A, Brocklehurst P. Horton Maternity Unit, Oxford Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire 0X16 9AL, UK.

Randy Jirtle is director of the Laboratory of Epigenetics and Imprinting at Duke University and is a professor of radiation oncology at the school's medical center.

His groundbreaking research with agouti mice has revealed that a mother's diet during pregnancy can influence gene expression in her offspring by altering the epigenome.

He has authored over 160 articles, written 26 chapters, and one book, and holds two patents.

For more information visit: www.geneimprint.com/lab/

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present with a particular profile of memory deficits, executive dysfunction and impaired social interaction that may raise concerns about their recall and reliability in forensic and legal contexts. Extant studies of memory shed limited light on this issue as they involved either laboratory-based tasks or protocols that varied between participants. METHOD: The current study used a live classroom event to investigate eye-witness recall and suggestibility in children with Asperger syndrome (AS group; N = 24) and typically developing children (TD group; N = 27). All participants were aged between 11 and 14 years and were interviewed using a structured protocol. Two measures of executive functioning were also administered. RESULTS: The AS group were found to be no more suggestible and no less accurate than their peers. However, free recall elicited less information, including gist, in the AS group. TD, but not AS, participants tended to focus on the socially salient aspects of the scene in their free recall. Both general and specific questioning elicited similar numbers of new details in both groups. Significant correlations were found between memory recall and executive functioning performance in the AS group only. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that children with AS can act as reliable witnesses but they may be more reliant on questioning to facilitate recall. Our findings also provide evidence for poor gist memory. It is speculated that such differences stem from weak central coherence and lead to a reliance on generic cognitive processes, such as executive functions, during recall. Future studies are required to investigate possible differences in compliance, rates of forgetting and false memory.

J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2007 May;48(5):482-9. McCrory E, Henry LA, Happé F. The Anna Freud Centre, UCL, London, UK. e.mccrory@ucl.ac.uk

Debra Mittler is an inspiring Hypnotherapist, speaker and life coach. She is certified by The International Hypnosis Federation, and a graduate of Hypnosis Motivation Institute the nation's first federally sanctioned college of Hypnotherapy. She is a member of the International Hypnosis Federation and The American Hypnosis Association.

Debra has individual clients for all areas of self improvement as well as teaches self hypnosis classes and speaks about anorexia and bulimia. She shares her personal journey, what she learned, and the steps she took to overcome this illness. She is the author of "Free yourself from anorexia and bulimia."

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This paper briefly surveys the trend of and controversy surrounding empirical validation in psychotherapy. Empirical validation of hypnotherapy has paralleled the practice of validation in psychotherapy and the professionalization of clinical psychology, in general. This evolution in determining what counts as evidence for bona fide clinical practice has gone from theory-driven clinical approaches in the 1960s and 1970s through critical attempts at categorization of empirically supported therapies in the 1990s on to the concept of evidence-based practice in 2006. Implications of this progression in professional psychology are discussed in the light of hypnosis's current quest for validation and empirical accreditation.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2007 Apr;55(2):115-30. Alladin A, Sabatini L, Amundson JK. University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta. Canada. assen.alladin@calgaryhealthregion.ca

The author uses literary plagues as a model for thinking psychoanalytically about the basic anxieties activated among perpetrators of sanctioned massacres. The model of the plague allows abstracting an underlying primitive psychological organization characterized by syncretism and a powerful anxiety of de-differentiation and confusion, leading characteristically to imitative behavior within the in-group as well as to the disavowal of the out-group members similarities to oneself, i.e. the disavowal of the other's humanity. Recognizing the historical and social foundations of discrimination and genocide, the author analyzes the interaction between group and individual processes that allow ordinary people to join daily acts of immoral violence. She dramatizes the model of the plague through a psychoanalytic reading of three literary plagues: Thebes' plague according to Sophocles, Camus's chronicle of the plague in Oran, and Saramago's meditation on the plague of white blindness.

Int J Psychoanal. 2007 Dec;88(Pt 6):1457-72. Priel B. Behavioral Sciences Department, Ben-Gurion University, Beer sheva, Israel. bpriel@bgu.ac.il

Paediatric hospitals are concerned with both the physical and social well-being of their young patients. These institutions often provide play and music therapy to enhance the child's sense of normality. The purpose of this study was to test whether children in a hospital were happier during music rather than play therapy. METHODS: Sixty children were observed either during play or music therapy. Happiness was operationally defined as the frequency of smiles during a 3 minute period. RESULTS: The results showed that music therapy (M = 12.43, SD = 4.83) led to significantly more smiles than did play therapy (M = 5.83, SD = 3.10). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the amount of time hospitals provide music therapy for child patients may be a way to increase positive effect and ultimately to increase mental and physical well-being in hospitalized children.

Child Care Health Dev. 2008 Mar;34(2):141-4. Hendon C, Bohon LM. Department of Psychology, California State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA. catherinerose08@yahoo.com

This study investigated whether hypnotherapy provides a significant therapeutic effect in Saudi Arabian patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Patients (n=26) were consecutively recruited at a psychiatry outpatient clinic after diagnosis by a gastroenterologist and a medical evaluation for irritable bowel syndrome. Each patient had 12 sessions of hypnotherapy over a period of 12 weeks (1 session per week). Patients completed a scale measuring symptom severity before and 3 months after the trial. Hypnotherapy significantly enhanced a feeling of better quality of life more in male than in female patients, and bowel habit dissatisfaction was reduced more in female than in male patients.

East Mediterr Health J. 2007 Mar-Apr;13(2):301-8. Al Sughayir MA. Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. fmrahim@ksu.edu.sa

A study was undertaken to examine whether empathy could be related to absorption and incongruence (repressive coping). The participants were 71 graduate students who completed measures of empathy, absorption, and incongruence (repressive coping). The results confirmed a previous finding that empathy appears positively related to absorption (r = .42, p < .001). The results also suggest that affective components of empathy are inversely related to repressive coping (r = -.29, p < .05) while cognitive components are positively related to the social desirability aspects of incongruence (r = .31, p < .01). The findings are collectively discussed in terms of the Empathic Involvement Hypothesis of Hypnosis (Wickramasekera II, 2001), the Four-factor theory of Repressive Coping (Eysenck, 1997), Incongruence (Rogers, 1957), and the High Risk Model of Threat Perception (I. E. Wickramasekera I, 1998).

Am J Clin Hypn. 2007 Jul;50(1):59-69. Wickramasekera IE 2nd. Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL 60601, USA. Rigdzen@hotmail.com

Psychological and educational interventions have been used as an adjunct to conventional therapy for children with atopic eczema to enhance the effectiveness of topical therapy. There have been no relevant systematic reviews applicable to children. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of psychological and educational interventions in changing outcomes for children with atopic eczema. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register (to September 2004), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2005), MEDLINE (from 1966-2005), EMBASE (from 1980 to week 3, 2005 ), PsycINFO (from 1872 to week 1, 2005). On-line: National Research Register, Meta-register of Controlled Trials, ZETOC alerts, SIGLE (August 2005). SELECTION CRITERIA: RCTs of psychological or educational interventions, or both, used to manage children with atopic eczema. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently applied eligibility criteria, assessed trial quality and extracted data. A lack of comparable data prevented data synthesis. MAIN RESULTS: Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Some included studies required clearer reporting of trial procedures. Rigorous established outcome measures were not always used. Interventions described in all 5 RCTs were adjuncts to conventional therapy. Four focused on intervention directed towards the parents; data synthesis was not possible. Psychological interventions remain virtually unevaluated by studies of robust design; the only included study examined the effect of relaxation techniques (hypnotherapy and biofeedback) on severity. Three educational studies identified significant improvements in disease severity between intervention groups. A recent German trial evaluated long term outcomes and found significant improvements in both disease severity (3 months to 7 years, p=0.0002, 8 to 12 years, p=0.003, 13 to 18 years, p=0.0001) and parental quality of life (3 months to 7 years, p=0.0001, 8 to 12 years p=0.002), for children with atopic eczema. One study found video-based education more effective in improving severity than direct education and the control (discussion) (p<0.001). The single psychological study found relaxation techniques improved clinical severity as compared to the control at 20 weeks (t=2.13) but this was of borderline significance (p=0.042). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: A lack of rigorously designed trials (excluding one recent German study) provides only limited evidence of the effectiveness of educational and ychological interventions in helping to manage the condition of children with atopic eczema. Evidence from included studies and also adult studies indicates that different service delivery models (multi-professional eczema school and nurse-led clinics) require further and comparative evaluation to examine their cost-effectiveness and suitability for different health systems.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD004054. Ersser SJ, Latter S, Sibley A, Satherley PA, Welbourne S. Bournemouth University, Institute of Health & Community Studies, Royal London House, Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK, BH1 3LT.

sersser@bournemouth.ac.uk

A Book Review by Tim Brunson DCH

There are numerous self-help models that claim that they will most definitely turn your life around. Perfect Enough: Achieving Happiness & Balance with The Discover Process by Laura King, a certified hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, and Life Coach, is another in the constellation of interesting transformational publications. As a fellow hypnotherapist and a NLP trainer, I immediately resonate with books based on my core skills.

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A Book Review by Tim Brunson DCH

How big do you want to be? Are you holding yourself back? Why are you hiding your brilliance? These are questions posed by Simon T. Bailey in his absolutely wonderful book Release Your Brilliance: The 4 Steps to Transforming Your Life and Revealing Your Genius to the World.

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For almost two decades, international entertainer and Las Vegas Strip headliner, Marc Savard has been amazing people with his remarkable demonstrations of mind power. His innovative approach to teaching mind power goes well beyond the stage. He is the creator and star of the personal growth program for youth "Your Mind, Your Power, Your Choice" and has worked with athletes ranging all the way from Amateur to Olympic and Professional caliber.

For more information visit: www.Hypnotherapy-Training-Institute.com

by Marilyn Gordon, BCH, CI

EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques, involves tapping on various points on the body while using specific verbalizations to eliminate or reduce all kinds of pain and suffering. It's amazingly simple and easy to learn, and yet its results are phenomenal. The techniques can be combined with deep inner healing. They can also be used on their own or in combination with many other modalities.

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This article presents the results of the application of hypnotherapy for obstetrics with a special focus on the hypnoreflexogenous method of childbirth preparation. RESULTS / CONCLUSION: The programme specifically developed by Schauble as the hypnoreflexogenous method is an appropiate and efficient tool to interrupt the fear-tension-pain / pain-tension-fear circuit. Women who were prepared with the hypnoreflexogenous method had significantly less fear and pain, required significantly less analgesia, had a shorter period of labour and delivery and recovered faster from labour.

Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol. 2007 Aug;211(4):162-4. Reinhard J, Hüsken-Janssen H, Schiermeier S. Universität Witten / Herdecke, Frauenheilkunde, Marien Hospital Witten. Reinhard@marien-Hospital-Witten.de

by Debra Mittler CHt

Eating disorders are harmful eating habits that can get worse with time and without the best help. They can harm organs inside the body and, in severe cases, lead to death. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa; and bulimia nervosa. Some switch between the two. Anorexia and bulimia, usually affect females but the number of male anorexics is on the increase.

Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexics deprive themselves of food (and sometimes liquids), leading to weight loss and usually a variety of physical problems. Starving yourself on purpose, can devastate your body and life. Most anorexics have an obsessive fear of weight gain and being fat, although this is not always the case. Bulimia Nervosa? Bulimics eat large amounts of food all at once [bingeing] and then purging [fasting, vomiting, laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, over-exercise]. They may attempt to control weight but may not always fear weight gain. Some purge without binging, which is referred to as "purging disorder."

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Charles Poyen's lecture tour introducing animal magnetism to America has been described as triumphant (Forrest, 2000), but according to Poyen's own account (1837/1982) the beginning of his tour, devoted to northern New England, was anything but successful. Poyen success did not begin until he partnered with Cynthia Gleason, a talented hypnotic subject, from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The subsequent lectures and demonstrations by Poyen and Gleason generated the interest that Poyen had been seeking. Rhode Island appears to have developed a much more accepting attitude toward animal magnetism than the rest of New England as indicated by the wide use of magnetism in the Providence area even after Poyen had the left the United States. In this article, I examine the roles played by Cynthia Gleason as well as Thomas H. Webb, M.D., the editor of the Providence Daily Journal and Dr. Francis Wayland, the president of Brown University, and George Capron, M.D., in furthering the acceptance of magnetism in America.

Hist Psychol. 2007 Aug;10(3):231-48. Quinn SO. Department of Psychology, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI 02804, USA. sheila.quinn@salve.edu

The care of patients with cancer not only involves dealing with its symptoms but also with complicated information and uncertainty; isolation; and fear of disease progression, disease recurrence, and death. Patients whose treatments require them to go without human contact can find a lack of touch to be an especially distressing factor. Massage therapy is often used to address these patients' need for human contact, and findings support the positive value of massage in cancer care. Several reviews of the scientific literature have attributed numerous positive effects to massage, including improvements in the quality of patients' relaxation, sleep, and immune system responses and in the relief of their fatigue, pain, anxiety, and nausea. On the basis of these reviews, some large cancer centers in the United States have started to integrate massage therapy into conventional settings. In this paper, we recognize the importance of touch, review findings regarding massage for cancer patients, describe the massage therapy program in one of these centers, and outline future challenges and implications for the effective integration of massage therapy in large and small cancer centers.

J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Mar;14(2):209-14. Russell NC, Sumler SS, Beinhorn CM, Frenkel MA. Integrative Medicine Program, Unit 145, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.

Tim Brunson DCH is a doctor of clinical hypnotherapy, clinician, author, and a sought-after professional speaker. As a contemporary futurist Tim is regarded as one of the most innovative mind/body thinkers available today. Although his interests have led him to study the esoteric arts found in twenty centuries old transformational theories, his extensive review of modern research which spans topics such as Energy Medicine and Energy Psychology, hypnosis, NLP, Reiki, neurology, and quantum physics give him a unique perspective of what is to come. Over the years he has been active with several organizations involving medical doctors and psychologists as well as those promoting the study of humanistic psychology and subtle energies. Among his many teachers he includes Ernest Rossi, Ph.D., Daniel Amen, MD, Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D., and the Tibetan Dalai Lama. Additionally, he continues to develop the fields and theories of Advanced Neuro-Noetic Hypnosis and the Unified Transformation Theory. He is also the founder of The International Hypnosis Research Institute. His unique, content-rich presentations entertain and transform audiences ranging from medical professionals to business leaders.

Much experimental research on interrogative pressure has concentrated on the effects of leading questions, and the role of feedback in influencing responses in the absence of leading questions has been neglected by comparison. This study assessed the effect of negative feedback and the presence of a second interviewer on interviewee responding in simulated forensic interviews. Participants viewed a videotape of a crime, answered questions about the clip and were requestioned after receiving feedback. Compared with neutral feedback, negative feedback resulted in more response changes, higher reported state anxiety and higher ratings of interview difficulty. These results are consistent with Gudjonsson and Clark's (1986) model of interrogative suggestibility. The presence and involvement of a second interviewer did not significantly affect interviewee responding, although trait anxiety scores were elevated when a second interviewer was present. The theoretical and applied implications of these findings are considered.

Br J Psychol. 2007 Aug;98(Pt 3):455-65. McGroarty A, Baxter JS. Department of Psychology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. a.mcgroarty@strath.ac.uk

Norm Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., is one of the world's leading experts in pain management. He founded The Shealy Institute, respected world-wide for its innovative and successful rehabilitation approaches to pain management. Dr. Shealy is founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, and his spirit and passion for opening up new options in health care and medicine is well known. He is a a former surgeon and now as a leading medical doctor in the field of energy medicine. He currently is director of Shealy Wellness Center in Springfield, Missouri, and is president of the Holos Institute of Health and Holos University Graduate Seminary.

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When it comes to helping people achieve the extraordinary, nobody surpasses author, speaker and seminar leader, John Zulli. Since 1986, Zulli's practical approach to life mastery has worked magic in thousands of lives. From PGA contenders playing for a trophy to chronic pain patients searching for relief; John has taught people how to reach inside themselves and win. Without a doubt, when it comes to getting the most out of your mind and body, John Zulli is an authority.

For more information visit: www.Hypnotherapy-Training-Institute.com

This controlled and patient blinded study tested the effect of hypnosis on persistent idiopathic orofacial pain (PIOP) in terms of clinical and psychosocial findings. Forty-one PIOP were randomized to active hypnotic intervention or simple relaxation as control for five individual 1-h sessions. Primary outcome was average pain intensity scored three times daily in a pain diary using visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcome measures were pain quality assessed by McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ), psychological symptoms assessed by symptom check list (SCL), quality of life assessed by SF36, sleep quality, and consumption of analgesic. Data were compared between groups before and after treatment using ANOVA models and paired t-tests. The change in VAS pain scores from baseline to the last treatment (t4) was (33.1+/-7.4%) in the hypnosis group and (3.2+/-5.4%) in the control group (P<0.03). In the hypnosis group, highly hypnotic susceptible patients had greater decreases in VAS pain scores (55.0+/-12.3%) when compared to less susceptible patients (17.9+/-6.7%) (P<0.02). After the last treatment there were also statistically significant differences between groups in perceived pain area (MPQ) and the use of weak analgesics (P<0.03). There were no statistically significant changes in SCL or SF36 scores from baseline to t4. In conclusion, hypnosis seems to offer clinically relevant pain relief in PIOP, particularly in highly susceptible patients. However, stress coping skills and unresolved psychological problems need to be included in a comprehensive management plan in order also to address psychological symptoms and quality of life.

Pain. 2007 Aug 3 Abrahamsen R, Baad-Hansen L, Svensson P. Department of Clinical Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, University of Aarhus, Vennelyst Boulevard 9, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark.

Substantial evidence indicates that psychosocial stress contributes to hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous meta-analyses of stress reduction and high blood pressure (BP) were outdated and/or methodologically limited. Therefore, we conducted an updated systematic review of the published literature and identified 107 studies on stress reduction and BP. Seventeen trials with 23 treatment comparisons and 960 participants with elevated BP met criteria for well-designed randomized controlled trials and were replicated within intervention categories. Meta-analysis was used to calculate BP changes for biofeedback, -0.8/-2.0 mm Hg (P = NS); relaxation-assisted biofeedback, +4.3/+2.4 mm Hg (P = NS); progressive muscle relaxation, -1.9/-1.4 mm Hg (P = NS); stress management training, -2.3/-1.3 mm (P = NS); and the Transcendental Meditation program, -5.0/-2.8 mm Hg (P = 0.002/0.02). Available evidence indicates that among stress reduction approaches, the Transcendental Meditation program is associated with significant reductions in BP. Related data suggest improvements in other CVD risk factors and clinical outcomes.

Curr Hypertens Rep. 2007 Dec;9(6):520-8. Rainforth MV, Schneider RH, Nidich SI, Gaylord-King C, Salerno JW, Anderson JW.

Despite the availability of effective treatments for substance use disorders, engaging people in treatment remains a challenge. This clinical study describes a 7-week trial of music therapy as an adjunct to group cognitive behaviour therapy with the aim of increasing patient engagement in a private hospital open group programme. DESIGN AND METHODS: Patient attendance rates and perceptions of the music therapy were collected at the end of each music therapy session by means of an anonymous survey, and only data from each patient's first survey were used in the analysis. Twenty-four surveys were analysed, representing feedback from 10 men and 14 women, aged between 17 and 52 years. RESULTS: The average attendance rate over the 7-week trial was 75%. The results indicated that enjoyment and motivation to participate during the sessions was uniformly high (mean ratings of 4.3 and 4.0 out of 5, respectively). The majority (83%) of participants reported that they would attend another music therapy session, and almost half (46%) endorsed that '(music therapy) would help them to feel more a part of the group'. Additional analyses revealed that music therapy was able to engage patients regardless of their age group (25 years and under vs. over-25 years) or substance (alcohol only vs. other drugs). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Music therapy is a promising approach to improving engagement in substance abuse treatment groups.

Drug Alcohol Rev. 2008 Mar;27(2):190-6. Dingle GA, Gleadhill L, Baker FA. School of Psychology, University of Queensland and Rubicon Drug and Alcohol Program, QLD, Australia.

This report describes the successful treatment of a patient with postherpetic neuralgia using traditional pharmacology in combination with acupuncture. CASE REPORT: A 13-year-old girl developed postherpetic neuralgia following a severe attack of varicella zoster. Despite a 1-week course of intravenous acyclovir initiated at the onset of symptoms, the patient developed persistent left facial pain and constant nausea after lesions were healed. A comprehensive pain treatment regimen, consisting of a stellate ganglia block, medications, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and hypnosis, was administered, but the patient did not gain any incremental pain relief. The acupuncture service was consulted to provide assistance with this patient's pain management. A combination of body and auricular acupuncture as well as related techniques, including acupressure and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation, was added to the pain treatment regimen. After 10 complementary acupuncture treatments over a 2-month period, the patient's nausea disappeared. Her left facial pain continued to decline from a maximum of 10 to 0 as assessed by a visual analog scale over a period of 4 months following self-administered treatments of acupressure and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation. The patient was then gradually weaned off all her medications and the complementary acupuncture treatment. She was discharged from the pediatric pain clinic after 5 months of the combined therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture and its related techniques may be an effective adjunctive treatment for symptoms associated with postherpetic neuralgia and deserve further study.

Pain Pract. 2007 Sep;7(3):274-8. Wang SM. Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. shu-ming.wang@yale.edu

Although research has documented that perceptual elaboration (e.g., imagery) can increase false memory, prior research has not ascertained whether such effects are due to the act of generation or simply from exposure to perceptual details. Two experiments explored this question using the eyewitness suggestibility paradigm. Experiment 1 compared the effect of generating descriptions of suggested items with the effects of reading elaborated versions of the items or the suggested items alone. Experiment 2 compared participants who generated descriptions to participants who read the same descriptions. Generating a description increased false memory and increased accurate memory for the items' actual source, relative to comparable control conditions. Generation also increased claims of having a (false) vivid recollection of the items in the event. Overall, the results suggest that conditions that require people to describe the appearance of objects that they do not remember are even more pernicious than conditions that involve exposure to such details.

Mem Cognit. 2007 Sep;35(6):1255-66. Lane SM, Zaragoza MS. Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA. slane@lsu.edu

A traditionally trained physician who has chosen to practice integrative medicine, Fred Pescatore, M.D., M.P.H, is medical director of the AHCC Research Association headquartered in Rye, New York. He currently has a private practice called The Centers For Integrative and Complementary Medicine with offices in New York City and Dallas.

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This study examined age differences in children's vulnerability to be misled by two types of false overheard rumors, namely a rumor that suggested a reasonable explanation for an earlier unresolved experience and a rumor that suggested an explanation that conflicted with information already in memory. Results indicated that all of the children were highly susceptible to wrongly report the rumor as an actual experience when it merely filled a gap in memory. However, the 5- and 6-year-olds were better able than the 3- and 4-year-olds to resist the rumor when it suggested a conflicting explanation for a past event. Developmental changes in children's understanding of conflicting mental representations were linked to their ability to resist being misled by the conflicting rumor.

J Exp Child Psychol. 2007 Sep;98(1):1-19. Principe GF, Tinguely A, Dobkowski N. Department of Psychology, Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA. gprincipe@ursinus.edu

In the present study, we describe the effects of deep tissue massage on systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure. Materials and methods: The study involved 263 volunteers (12% males and 88% females), with an average age of 48.5. Overall muscle spasm/muscle strain was described as either moderate or severe for each patient. Baseline blood pressure and heart rate were measured via an automatic blood pressure cuff. Twenty-one (21) different soothing CDs played in the background as the deep tissue massage was performed over the course of the study. The massages were between 45 and 60 minutes in duration. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance with post-hoc Scheffe's F-test. Results: Results of the present study demonstrated an average systolic pressure reduction of 10.4 mm Hg (p < 0.06), a diastolic pressure reduction of 5.3 mm Hg (p < 0.04), a mean arterial pressure reduction of 7.0 mm Hg (p < 0.47), and an average heart rate reduction of 10.8 beats per minute (p < 0.0003), respectively.

J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Mar;14(2):125-8. Kaye AD, Kaye AJ, Swinford J, Baluch A, Bawcom BA, Lambert TJ, Hoover JM. Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.

To systematically review the research evidence on the effectiveness of hypnosis for cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). A comprehensive search of major biomedical databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, ClNAHL, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library was conducted. Specialist complementary and alternative medicine databases were searched and efforts were made to identify unpublished and ongoing research. Citations were included from the databases' inception to March 2005. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were appraised and meta-analysis undertaken. Clinical commentaries were obtained. Six RCTs evaluating the effectiveness of hypnosis in CINV were found. In five of these studies the participants were children. Studies report positive results including statistically significant reductions in anticipatory and CINV. Meta-analysis revealed a large effect size of hypnotic treatment when compared with treatment as usual, and the effect was at least as large as that of cognitive-behavioural therapy. Meta-analysis has demonstrated that hypnosis could be a clinically valuable intervention for anticipatory and CINV in children with cancer. Further research into the fectiveness, acceptance and feasibility of hypnosis in CINV, particularly in adults, is suggested. Future studies should assess suggestibility and provide full details of the hypnotic intervention.

Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2007 Sep;16(5):402-12. Richardson J, Smith JE, McCall G, Richardson A, Pilkington K, Kirsch I. Faculty of Health and Social Work, Portland Square, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, UK. janet.richardson@plymouth.ac.uk

Karen is a pioneer in wellness. She has extensive experience in health care, wellness and disease management and presents at local, national and international conferences on subjects such as Mind/Body Medicine, health care reform, managed care, specific disease management strategies and integrated health management.

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Breast cancer surgery is associated with side effects, including postsurgical pain, nausea, and fatigue. We carried out a randomized clinical trial to test the hypotheses that a brief presurgery hypnosis intervention would decrease intraoperative anesthesia and analgesic use and side effects associated with breast cancer surgery and that it would be cost effective. METHODS: We randomly assigned 200 patients who were scheduled to undergo excisional breast biopsy or lumpectomy (mean age 48.5 years) to a 15-minute presurgery hypnosis session conducted by a psychologist or nondirective empathic listening (attention control). Patients were not blinded to group assignment. Intraoperative anesthesia use (i.e., of the analgesics lidocaine and fentanyl and the sedatives propofol and midazolam) was assessed. Patient-reported pain and other side effects as measured on a visual analog scale (0-100) were assessed at discharge, as was use of analgesics in the recovery room. Institutional costs and time in the operating room were assessed via chart review. RESULTS: Patients in the hypnosis group required less propofol (means = 64.01 versus 96.64 microg; difference = 32.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.95 to 61.30) and lidocaine (means = 24.23 versus 31.09 mL; difference = 6.86; 95% CI = 3.05 to 10.68) than patients in the control group. Patients in the hypnosis group also reported less pain intensity (means = 22.43 versus 47.83; difference = 25.40; 95% CI = 17.56 to 33.25), pain unpleasantness (means = 21.19 versus 39.05; difference = 17.86; 95% CI = 9.92 to 25.80), nausea (means = 6.57 versus 25.49; difference = 18.92; 95% CI = 12.98 to 24.87), fatigue (means = 29.47 versus 54.20; difference = 24.73; 95% CI = 16.64 to 32.83), discomfort (means = 23.01 versus 43.20; difference = 20.19; 95% CI = 12.36 to 28.02), and emotional upset (means = 8.67 versus 33.46; difference = 24.79; 95% CI = 18.56 to 31.03). No statistically significant differences were seen in the use of fentanyl, midazolam, or recovery room analgesics. Institutional costs for surgical breast cancer procedures were $8561 per patient at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Patients in the hypnosis group cost the institution $772.71 less per patient than those in the control group (95% CI = 75.10 to 1469.89), mainly due to reduced surgical time. CONCLUSIONS: Hypnosis was superior to attention control regarding propofol and lidocaine use; pain, nausea, fatigue, discomfort, and emotional upset at discharge; and institutional cost. Overall, the present data support the use of hypnosis with breast cancer surgery patients.

Montgomery GH, Bovbjerg DH, Schnur JB, David D, Goldfarb A, Weltz CR, Schechter C, Graff-Zivin J, Tatrow K, Price DD, Silverstein JH. Department of Oncological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1130, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA. guy.montgomery@mssm.edu

Every therapeutic strategy and system teach us the philosophy of the treatment system to the patient, but often this teaching is subliminal and the philosophical impact must be seen as "implanted philosophy", which gives distorted interpretations of past events called "implanted memories". Based on the understanding of the connection between "implanted memory" and "implanted philosophy" we have developed a strategy for avoiding implanting memories arising from one of the seven most common causes of implanted memories in psychodynamic therapy: 1) Satisfying own expectancies, 2) pleasing the therapist, 3) transferences and counter transferences, 4) as source of mental and emotional order, 5) as emotional defence, 6) as symbol and 7) from implanted philosophy. Freud taught us that child sexuality is "polymorphously perverted", meaning that all kinds of sexuality is present at least potentially with the little child; and in dreams consciousness often go back to the earlier stages of development, potentially causing all kinds of sexual dreams and fantasies, which can come up in therapy and look like real memories. The therapist working with psychodynamic psychotherapy, clinical holistic medicine, psychiatry, and emotionally oriented bodywork, should be aware of the danger of implanting philosophy and memories. Implanted memories and implanted philosophy must be carefully handled and de-learned before ending the therapy. In conclusion "clinical holistic medicine" has developed a strategy for avoiding implanting memories.

ScientificWorldJournal. 2007 Sep 17;7:1579-89. Ventegodt S, Kandel I, Merrick J. Quality of Life Research Center, Teglgårdstraede 4-8, DK-1452 Copenhagen K, Denmark. ventegodt@livskvalitet.org