A systematic review was conducted of school-based prevention and early intervention programs for anxiety. The aim of the review was to identify and describe the programs available, and to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing symptoms of anxiety. Twenty-seven outcome trials, describing 20 individual programs, were identified through the Cochrane Library, PsycInfo and PubMed databases. Results of the review indicated that most universal, selective and indicated prevention programs are effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety in children and adolescents, with effect sizes ranging from 0.11 to 1.37. Most programs targeted adolescents (59%), were aimed at reducing the symptoms of nonspecific anxiety (67%), and delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT; 78%). Further quality school-based research is required that involves longer-term follow-up, the use of attention control conditions and evaluates teacher delivery.

Clin Psychol Rev. 2009 Apr;29(3):208-15. Neil AL, Christensen H. Centre for Mental Health Research, Building 63 Eggleston Road, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. Alison.Neil@anu.edu.au

This survey investigated the demographic characteristics of the responding practitioners, the prevalence of shoulder pain symptoms seen in weekly chiropractic practice, the sources of shoulder pain, the chiropractor-diagnosed prevalence of shoulder clinical syndromes, and the management strategies for Australian chiropractors. METHODS: A survey was created by the authors consisting of questions seeking demographic information from the respondents, shoulder syndrome, and shoulder management information. The survey was mailed to every chiropractic practitioner based in the Australian state of New South Wales (general population 6.8 million in 2005). Contact details were derived from Yellow Pages online listings. RESULTS: One thousand thirty-seven surveys were mailed to New South Wales-based chiropractors, with 192 (21%) returning a completed survey. The prevalence of shoulder pain symptoms as reported by the practitioners was 12% of the total weekly patients, with the major cause of symptoms related to overuse (32%). The most prevalent working diagnosis of shoulder pain was shoulder impingement syndrome (13%), followed by impingement syndrome with rotator cuff tendinosis (17%), impingement syndrome without rotator cuff tendinosis (14%), and chiropractic shoulder subluxation (12%). Shoulder pain is managed with a combination of manipulation, mainly diversified technique (81%), peripheral joint manipulation (82%), and various soft tissue strategies used by 92% of practitioners. Rehabilitation strategies were also used by 89% of practitioners with a main emphasis placed on rotator cuff strengthening. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a moderate prevalence of shoulder pain in clinical practice with the most prevalent structure involved being the rotator cuff tendon. Most practitioners use a multimodal therapeutic treatment approach in managing disorders of the shoulder.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Feb;32(2):107-17. Pribicevic M, Pollard H, Bonello R. Private practice of chiropractic, Harbord NSW, Australia.

Breast cancer survivors have limited options for the treatment of hot flashes and related symptoms. Further, therapies widely used to prevent recurrence in survivors, such as tamoxifen, tend to induce or exacerbate menopausal symptoms. The aim of this preliminary, randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of a yoga intervention on menopausal symptoms in a sample of survivors of early-stage breast cancer (stages IA-IIB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven disease-free women experiencing hot flashes were randomized to the 8-week Yoga of Awareness program (gentle yoga poses, meditation, and breathing exercises) or to wait-list control. The primary outcome was daily reports of hot flashes collected at baseline, posttreatment, and 3 months after treatment via an interactive telephone system. Data were analyzed by intention to treat. MAIN RESULTS: At posttreatment, women who received the yoga program showed significantly greater improvements relative to the control condition in hot-flash frequency, severity, and total scores and in levels of joint pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, symptom-related bother, and vigor. At 3 months follow-up, patients maintained their treatment gains in hot flashes, joint pain, fatigue, symptom-related bother, and vigor and showed additional significant gains in negative mood, relaxation, and acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study provides promising support for the beneficial effects of a comprehensive yoga program for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms in early-stage breast cancer survivors.

Support Care Cancer. 2009 Feb 12. Carson JW, Carson KM, Porter LS, Keefe FJ, Seewaldt VL. Department of Anesthesiology and Peri-operative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., UHS, Portland, OR, 97239, USA, carsonja@ohsu.edu.

This article reports on a phenomenological study undertaken to explore the meaning of spiritual care as described by a group of palliative care professionals. The research process was informed by van Manen's (1990) hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Eight palliative care professionals (nurses, complementary therapists and pastoral carers) were recruited from a community palliative care agency in Melbourne, Victoria, which provided home-based palliative care. All participants were female and came from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Data were collected by in-depth conversational interviews and were analyzed thematically. Two themes emerged: 'a living nexus between spiritual care, spirituality and holism' and 'a world of relationships'. The findings of the study point to the need for healthcare professionals to incorporate spiritual care guidelines into practice in order for palliative care to be truly representative of holistic health care.

Int J Palliat Nurs. 2008 Nov;14(11):539-45. Bush T, Bruni N. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia. tony.bush@rmit.edu.au

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether participation in a mind-body skills group program based on psychological self-care, mind-body techniques, and self-expression decreases symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: Eighty-two adolescents meeting criteria for PTSD according to the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (which corresponds with 16 of the 17 diagnostic criteria for PTSD in DSM-IV) were randomly assigned to a 12-session mind-body group program or a wait-list control group. The program was conducted by high school teachers in consultation with psychiatrists and psychologists and included meditation, guided imagery, and breathing techniques; self-expression through words, drawings, and movement; autogenic training and biofeedback; and genograms. Changes in PTSD symptoms were measured using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. The study was conducted from September 2004 to May 2005 by The Center for Mind-Body Medicine at a high school in the Suhareka region of Kosovo. RESULTS: Students in the immediate intervention group had significantly lower PTSD symptom scores following the intervention than those in the wait-list control group (F = 29.8, df = 1,76; p < .001). Preintervention and postintervention scores (mean [SD]) for the intervention group were 2.5 (0.3) and 2.0 (0.3), respectively, and for the control group, 2.5 (0.3) and 2.4 (0.4), respectively. The decreased PTSD symptom scores were maintained in the initial intervention group at 3-month follow-up. After the wait-list control group received the intervention, there was a significant decrease (p < .001) in PTSD symptom scores compared to the preintervention scores. CONCLUSIONS: Mind-body skills groups can reduce PTSD symptoms in war-traumatized high school students and can be effectively led by trained and supervised schoolteachers. Copyright 2008 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

J Clin Psychiatry. 2008 Sep;69(9):1469-76. Gordon JS, Staples JK, Blyta A, Bytyqi M, Wilson AT. The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, 5225 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 414, Washington, DC 20015, USA. jgordon@cmbm.org

The use of massage in nursing practice has declined through the years in favor of high-tech interventions. This article describes a project using active learning to teach nursing students massage with dementia residents in assisted living. Students participated in a workshop to practice basic relaxation massage techniques with the guidance of their clinical instructor and then provided massages to resident volunteers. Afterward, students discussed their experience and completed a resident assessment form. The students requested more such activities, and the residents and facility management invited the students to return for another session. The instructor observed growth in the students' assessment skills and in their confidence. Use of massage to teach nursing students how to care for and relate to older adults with cognitive impairment is recommended. Further research is needed on the use of massage as an active learning method for nursing students in long-term care.

J Holist Nurs. 2009 Mar;27(1):51-6. Adler PA. Cleveland Clinic, and Case Western Reserve University, adlerp@ccf.org.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is one of the most commonly diagnosed nonarticular soft tissue conditions in all fields of musculoskeletal medicine, including chiropractic. The purpose of this study was to perform a comprehensive review of the literature for the most commonly used treatment procedures in chiropractic for FMS and to provide evidence ratings for these procedures. The emphasis of this literature review was on conservative and nonpharmaceutical therapies. METHODS: The Scientific Commission of the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP) was charged with developing literature syntheses, organized by anatomical region, to evaluate and report on the evidence base for chiropractic care. This article is the outcome of this charge. As part of the CCGPP process, preliminary drafts of these articles were posted on the CCGPP Web site www.ccgpp.org (2006-8) to allow for an open process and the broadest possible mechanism for stakeholder input. Online comprehensive literature searches were performed of the following databases: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; National Guidelines Clearinghouse; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; Manual, Alternative, and Natural Therapy Index System; Index to Chiropractic Literature, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; Allied and Complementary Medicine; and PubMed up to June 2006. RESULTS: Our search yielded the following results: 8 systematic reviews, 3 meta-analyses, 5 published guidelines, and 1 consensus document. Our direct search of the databases for additional randomized trials did not find any chiropractic randomized clinical trials that were not already included in one or more of the systematic reviews/guidelines. The review of the Manual, Alternative, and Natural Therapy Index System and Index to Chiropractic Literature databases yielded an additional 38 articles regarding various nonpharmacologic therapies such as chiropractic, acupuncture, nutritional/herbal supplements, massage, etc. Review of these articles resulted in the following recommendations regarding nonpharmaceutical treatments of FMS. Strong evidence supports aerobic exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy. Moderate evidence supports massage, muscle strength training, acupuncture, and spa therapy (balneotherapy). Limited evidence supports spinal manipulation, movement/body awareness, vitamins, herbs, and dietary modification. CONCLUSIONS: Several nonpharmacologic treatments and manual-type therapies have acceptable evidentiary support in the treatment of FMS.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Jan;32(1):25-40. Schneider M, Vernon H, Ko G, Lawson G, Perera J.

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa, USA. drmike@city-net.com

Jeffrey H. Cohen is a board certified hypnotist. He has a degree in psychology with certifications in hypnosis, Reiki, Life-Between-Life Spiritual Regression, NLP, pain management, Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, and Past Life Regression.

Jeff is a certified instructor of hypnosis with the INternational Association of Counselors and Therapists.

He has studied nutrition for the past 14 years and is the president and co-founder of The New York Hypnosis Center with offices in Bayside, Queens, and Manhattan.

Prognostic factors that predict the efficiency of autogenous training and psychopharmacotherapy were detected in 90 women with irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. A multifactor personality questionnaire, Spielberg's state-trait anxiety test, Beck's depression inventory scale, and visual analog scale were used for the purpose of psychodiagnosis. The efficiency of autogenous training was found to be higher in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and mildly or moderately compromised psychological adaptation associated with a moderately elevated level of anxiety. Psychopharmacotherapy proved to be especially efficacious in patients with hypochondriac, depressive, and manifest anxiety disorders. It was found that the pronouncedness of rigidity, tension, fixation-proneness, and the degree of depression could be used as predictors of positive effects of psychopharmacotherapy on stool patterns while hypochondriac trends served as predictors of the alleviation of pain syndrome in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.

Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult. 2008 Sep-Oct;(5):6-8. A?vazian TA, Za?tsev VP, Pakhomova IV, Gusakova EV.

The question of whether homeopathy is a science is currently discussed almost exclusively against the background of the modern concept of natural science. This approach, however, fails to notice that homeopathy-in terms of history of science-rests on different roots that can essentially be traced back to two most influential traditions of science: on the one hand, principles and notions of Aristotelism which determined 2,000 years of Western history of science and, on the other hand, the modern concept of natural science that has been dominating the history of medicine for less than 200 years. While Aristotle's "science of the living" still included ontologic and teleologic dimensions for the sake of comprehending nature in a uniform way, the interest of modern natural science was reduced to functional and causal explanations of all phenomena for the purpose of commanding nature. In order to prevent further ecological catastrophes as well as to regain lost dimensions of our lives, the one-sidedness and theory-loadedness of our modern natural-scientific view of life should henceforth be counterbalanced by lifeworld-practical Aristotelic categories. In this way, the ground would be ready to conceive the scientific character of homeopathy-in a broader, Aristotelian sense.

J Med Humanit. 2009 Jan 16. Schmidt JM. Institut für Geschichte der Medizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Lessingstr. 2, 80336, Munich, Germany, j.m.schmidt@lrz.uni-muenchen.de.

This review assesses the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Age Associated Memory Impairment (AAMI). Electronic searches of English and Chinese databases and hand searches of Chinese journal holdings were conducted. Randomised controlled trials comparing orally administered CHM with placebo, no intervention or other therapy were considered. Ginkgo biloba was excluded. Ten trials met inclusion criteria. Eight different CHM were investigated. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad scale and five studies scored three or above. Two studies compared CHM with placebo and eight with another intervention. This review found an overall benefit on some outcome measures for the eight CHMs involved in the 10 RCTs but methodological and data reporting issues were evident. Meta-analysis of three studies found the effects of the CHMs were at least equivalent to piracetam on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. No severe adverse events were reported.

Biogerontology. 2009 Apr;10(2):109-23. May BH, Yang AW, Zhang AL, Owens MD, Bennett L, Head R, Cobiac L, Li CG, Hugel H, Story DF, Xue CC. WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, Division of Chinese Medicine, School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.

Clarice Graham Carter is a professional educator, certified hypnotherapist, neurolinguistic programmer, lecturer, Reiki/Master Teacher and author. The recipient of several teaching awards, she is listed in Who's Who Biographical Record: Child Development Professionals. She is a Diplomate of IMDHA, a member of IACT, the Natoinal Federation of Neurolinguistic Programming and other hypnotherapy organizations. The author of Win-Win Attitudes for Kids, she is the founder of "listen to the Children International Foundation."

Reviewed by Judith E. Pearson, PhD, LPC

Despite the fact that many medical practitioners have been trained in clinical hypnotherapy, this discipline still has a distance to go to achieve full acceptance as an adjunctive therapy in medicine. Advances in the use of Hypnosis for Medicine, Dentistry, and Pain Prevention/Management, edited by Donald C. Brown, MD, could help that effort considerably. This book is compilation of papers on hypnotherapy in medicine, all written by established practitioners who use hypnosis in their medical specialties. The book is the outgrowth of the 6th Frontiers in Hypnosis Assembly in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2003.

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False beliefs and memories can affect people's attitudes, at least in the short term. But can they produce real changes in behavior? This study explored whether falsely suggesting to subjects that they had experienced a food-related event in their childhood would lead to a change in their behavior shortly after the suggestion and up to 4 months later. We falsely suggested to 180 subjects that, as children, they had gotten ill after eating egg salad. Results showed that, after this manipulation, a significant minority of subjects came to believe they had experienced this childhood event even though they had initially denied having experienced it. This newfound autobiographical belief was accompanied by the intent to avoid egg salad, and also by significantly reduced consumption of egg-salad sandwiches, both immediately and 4 months after the false suggestion. The false suggestion of a childhood event can lead to persistent false beliefs that have lasting behavioral consequences.

Psychol Sci. 2008 Aug;19(8):749-53. Geraerts E, Bernstein DM, Merckelbach H, Linders C, Raymaekers L, Loftus EF. University of St. Andrews, School of Psychology, St. Mary's Quadrangle, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, United Kingdom. elke.geraerts@st-andrews.ac.uk

This study assessed the psychoneuroimmunologic changes achieved by Shirodhara, an Ayurvedic treatment, characterized by dripping oil on the forehead, in a randomized, controlled protocol involving a novel approach using a robotic system. METHODS: In the first experiment for the determination of the most appropriate conditions of Shirodhara, 16 healthy females (33 +/- 9 years old) underwent a 30-minute treatment. In the second study, another 16 healthy females (39 +/- 9 years old) were assigned to either the Shirodhara treatment or control supine position for 30 minutes, with monitoring of physiologic, biochemical, immunologic, and psychometric parameters including anxiety and altered states of consciousness (ASC). RESULTS: The subjects receiving Shirodhara treatment showed lowered levels of state anxiety and higher levels of ASC than those in the control position. Plasma noradrenaline and urinary serotonin excretion decreased significantly more after Shirodhara treatment than in the control. Plasma levels of thyrotropin-releasing hormone, dopamine, and natural killer (NK) cell activity were different between control and Shirodhara treatment. The correlation between anxiolysis and the depth of ASC was significant in the Shirodhara treatment group (r = 0.52, p < 0.05, N = 16), while in the control no correlation was obtained (r = 0.13, p = 0.64, N = 16). The increase in foot skin temperature after Shirodhara showed a significant correlation with anxiolysis and the depth of Trance of ASC (r = 0.58, p < 0.01, r = 0.43, p < 0.01, respectively). NK cell activity after Shirodhara treatment showed a significant correlation with anxiolysis and the depth of Trance of ASC (r = 0.33, p < 0.05, r = 0.56, p < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that Shirodhara has anxiolytic and ASC-inducing effects, and it promotes a decrease of noradrenaline and exhibits a sympatholytic effect, resulting in the activation of peripheral foot skin circulation and immunopotentiation.

J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Dec;14(10):1189-98. Uebaba K, Xu FH, Ogawa H, Tatsuse T, Wang BH, Hisajima T, Venkatraman S. Department of Presymptomatic Health Promotion, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan. uebaba@inm.u-toyama.ac.jp

Profound neuronal dysfunction in the entorhinal cortex contributes to early loss of short-term memory in Alzheimer's disease. Here we show broad neuroprotective effects of entorhinal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) administration in several animal models of Alzheimer's disease, with extension of therapeutic benefits into the degenerating hippocampus. In amyloid-transgenic mice, BDNF gene delivery, when administered after disease onset, reverses synapse loss, partially normalizes aberrant gene expression, improves cell signaling and restores learning and memory. These outcomes occur independently of effects on amyloid plaque load. In aged rats, BDNF infusion reverses cognitive decline, improves age-related perturbations in gene expression and restores cell signaling. In adult rats and primates, BDNF prevents lesion-induced death of entorhinal cortical neurons. In aged primates, BDNF reverses neuronal atrophy and ameliorates age-related cognitive impairment. Collectively, these findings indicate that BDNF exerts substantial protective effects on crucial neuronal circuitry involved in Alzheimer's disease, acting through amyloid-independent mechanisms. BDNF therapeutic delivery merits exploration as a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

Nat Med. 2009 Mar;15(3):331-7. Nagahara AH, Merrill DA, Coppola G, Tsukada S, Schroeder BE, Shaked GM, Wang L, Blesch A, Kim A, Conner JM, Rockenstein E, Chao MV, Koo EH, Geschwind D, Masliah E, Chiba AA, Tuszynski MH. Department of Neurosciences-0626, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.

On Sunday, May 25, 2009, Dr. Tim Brunson will be offering The Neurology of Suggestion workshop for the first time. The workshop will occur between 2:00 and 5:45 p.m. at the annual conference of International Medical and Dental Hypotherapy Association in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Workshop Description:

The power of suggestion to influence the structure of our brain and body rests largely on our ability to orchestrate our mind with the capabilities of our neural system. This enlightening and entertaining workshop will give dedicated hypnotherapists a "layman's guide" to how the brain functions and provide valuable insights as to how hypnosis can be best sequenced to get maximum results – while avoiding the most common mistakes. Based upon recent advances in neurology, neurofeedback, energy modalities, and ancient Eastern concepts, you will quickly and easily master revolutionary concepts and acquire new skills which may be immediately incorporated into your practice. Students will also be introduced to Advanced Neuro-Noetic HypnosisTM , which is a comprehensive program of techniques based upon these principles. Participants will receive follow-on access to valuable written, audio, and video materials which will continue their training in this field.

For more information visit: International Medical and Dental Hypotherapy Association.

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) and myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are important aspects of musculoskeletal medicine, including chiropractic. The purpose of this study was to review the most commonly used treatment procedures in chiropractic for MPS and MTrPs. METHODS: The Scientific Commission of the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP) was charged with developing literature syntheses, organized by anatomical region, to evaluate and report on the evidence base for chiropractic care. This article is the outcome of this charge. As part of the CCGPP process, preliminary drafts of these articles were posted on the CCGPP Web site www.ccgpp.org (2006-8) to allow for an open process and the broadest possible mechanism for stakeholder input. PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and databases for systematic reviews and clinical guidelines were searched. Separate searches were conducted for (1) manual palpation and algometry, (2) chiropractic and other manual therapies, and (3) other conservative and complementary/alternative therapies. Studies were screened for relevance and rated using the Oxford Scale and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network rating system. RESULTS: A total of 112 articles were identified. Review of these articles resulted in the following recommendations regarding treatment: Moderately strong evidence supports manipulation and ischemic pressure for immediate pain relief at MTrPs, but only limited evidence exists for long-term pain relief at MTrPs. Evidence supports laser therapy (strong), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acupuncture, and magnet therapy (all moderate) for MTrPs and MPS, although the duration of relief varies among therapies. Limited evidence supports electrical muscle stimulation, high-voltage galvanic stimulation, interferential current, and frequency modulated neural stimulation in the treatment of MTrPs and MPS. Evidence is weak for ultrasound therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Manual-type therapies and some physiologic therapeutic modalities have acceptable evidentiary support in the treatment of MPS and TrPs.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Jan;32(1):14-24. Vernon H, Schneider M. Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Ontario, Canada. hvernon@cmcc.ca

Fibromyalgia is a common, chronic pain condition for which patients frequently use complementary and alternative medicine, including Reiki. Our objective was to determine whether Reiki is beneficial as an adjunctive fibromyalgia treatment. DESIGN: This was a factorial designed, randomized, sham-controlled trial in which participants, data collection staff, and data analysts were blinded to treatment group. SETTING/LOCATION: The study setting was private medical offices in the Seattle, Washington metropolitan area. SUBJECTS: The subjects were comprised 100 adults with fibromyalgia. INTERVENTION: Four (4) groups received twice-weekly treatment for 8 weeks by either a Reiki master or actor randomized to use direct touch or no touch (distant therapy). OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was subjective pain as measured by visual analog scale at weeks 4, 8, and 20 (3 months following end of treatment). Secondary outcomes were physical and mental functioning, medication use, and health provider visits. Participant blinding and adverse effects were ascertained by self-report. Improvement between groups was examined in an intention-to-treat analysis. RESULTS: Neither Reiki nor touch had any effect on pain or any of the secondary outcomes. All outcome measures were nearly identical among the 4 treatment groups during the course of the trial. CONCLUSION: Neither Reiki nor touch improved the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Energy medicine modalities such as Reiki should be rigorously studied before being recommended to patients with chronic pain symptoms.

J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Nov;14(9):1115-22. Assefi N, Bogart A, Goldberg J, Buchwald D. Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Attend the EFT Summit (at no charge!) and learn Emotional Freedom Techniques from 16 of the top EFT instructors in the country!

Starting on April 20, you will be able to sit in on a virtual seminar room to learn more about a technique that has shown to be a quick and simple method of releasing the negative blocks in your life.

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The authors review the literature relating hypnotizability and posttraumatic stress. Sixty-seven abstracts containing the key terms ASD, acute stress, trauma, traumatic, or PTSD in combination with either hypnotic susceptibility or hypnotizability were reviewed. Six articles were found containing data on hypnotizability and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Each of the studies showed some relation between hypnotizability and posttraumatic stress, but, in all of them, hypnotizability was measured after the potentially traumatizing event. High hypnotizability might be a risk factor for both acute and chronic posttraumatic symptoms. However, this cannot be determined until prospective studies measure hypnotizability in individuals before and after a potentially traumatizing event, perhaps by targeting populations that are at risk for experiencing trauma.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Jul;56(3):334-56. Yard SS, DuHamel KN, Galynker II. Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York, USA. samyard@u.washington.edu

Dr. Brucker is an accomplished motivational trainer and seminar leader. As apeak performance coach Marla has inspired thousands worldwide to realize their hidden potential by learning to trust their intuition, as they move toward achieving greater success. Marla has her Doctorate in Clinical Hypnotherapy, is a Registered Hypnotic Anesthesiologist, Master Practitioner of Neurolinguistic Programming, certified in Energy Psychology and as a Laugh leader. Marla is in private practice working with individuals and groups in San Diego, California.

For more information visit: www.sandiegohypnosis.com