Kathi Keville has studied herbs since 1969. Her attraction to fragrant plants led to an involvement in aromatherapy. Her other books include Herbs for Health and Healing; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs; and Herbs: American Country Living. Keville is editor of the American Herb Association Quarterly, an honorary life member of the American Aromatherapy Association, a member of the National Institute of Holistic Aromatherapy, and a founding professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. She travels throughout North America teaching seminars.

For more information visit: www.healthy.net.

Ellen Langer, Yale PhD, Harvard Professor of Psychology, artist. Among other honors, she is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and three Distinguished Scientist Awards, the World Congress Award, the NYU Alumni Achievement Award, and the Staats award for Unifying Psychology, and has authored eleven books and over 200 research articles on the illusion of control, perceived control, successful aging, decision-making, to name a few of the topics. Each of these is examined through the lens of her theory of mindfulness. Her research has demonstrated that by actively noticing new things--the essence of mindfulness--health, well being, and competence follow. Her best selling books include Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity; and her most recent book, Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.

For more information visit: www.ellenlanger.com.

BACKGROUND: The action of homeopathic medicines, in ultra-high dilution, is not directly observable. An attempt was made to explore autonomic response of selective homeopathic medicines, in healthy persons, using Medical Analyzer System (Electronics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India). OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to observe the action of homeopathic medicines on physiologic variability of heart rate and blood flow. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pre- and postinterventional variability spectra of heart rate and blood flow of 77 subjects were recorded with the Medical Analyzer System, administering homeopathic preparations of Aconitum napellus (6c, 10M), Arsenicum album (200c, 1M), Gelsemium sempervirens (200c, 1M), Phosphorus (200c, 1M), Pulsatilla nigricans (200c) and Sulphur (200c, 1M) versus placebo control. The amplitude of the peaks viz. low-frequency, medium-frequency, and high-frequency was measured for postintervention analysis. An increase in the amplitude of any valid peak by 100% or a decrease by 50% was considered as significant change. RESULTS: Aconitum napellus produced a response in heart rate variability (HRV) with 30c potency and in blood flow variability with 1M potency. Sulphur 200c and 1M, Gelsemium 200c and Pulsatilla 200c, produced a 62.5% response in HRV against the placebo response of 16.6%. Gelsemium, Phosphorus, and Sulphur produced a response in blood flow variability with a 1M potency, similar to the response of Aconitum napellus 1M. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that it is possible to record the response of homeopathic medicines on physiologic parameters of the autonomic nervous system.

J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Aug;17(8):705-10. Mishra N, Muraleedharan KC, Paranjpe AS, Munta DK, Singh H, Nayak C. Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy, CCRH, Mumbai, India. Comment in J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Sep;17(9):771-3.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a computer interviewing system (CIS) could be used as part of the periodic patient reassessment process, if patients and practitioners perceived that the CIS enhanced communication, and if the CIS could be used to identify patients with possible anxiety and/or depression. METHODS: An observational method was used, whereby the CIS was used to augment the usual patient reassessment routine in a chiropractic clinic. One clinic in the Dundee region, with 3 chiropractors, collected information from 60 patients using a CIS directly before the patient treatment session. The patients were then asked to rate whether they had disclosed new information relative to their care, if they felt better prepared, or if it had helped them to formulate questions. The chiropractors reported whether the interview transcript was useful, if it helped to identify communication issues, and if it had altered the treatment session. RESULTS: The doctors of chiropractic rated the interview transcript as useful for 83% of patients, they altered the treatment session for 20% of patients, and the CIS helped to identify communication difficulties for 13% of patients. The chiropractors were surprised by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale results for 23% of patients. The patients were positive about the inclusion of the CIS, with 42% saying that they disclosed new information and 33% saying that they felt better prepared for the session with the chiropractor after having used the CIS. The CIS was acceptable to 90% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of the CIS at this one clinic appeared to be a useful addition to the periodic patient reassessment process and was perceived to be an efficient media to evaluate Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2011 Sep;34(7):468-75. Hands KA, Cashley M, McWilliam R, Steen L. PhD Student, School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK. katrina.hands@tiscali.co.uk

While neurofeedback (NF) has been extensively studied in the treatment of many disorders, there have been only three published reports, by D.C. Hammond, on its clinical effects in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this paper the efficacy of qEEG-guided NF for subjects with OCD was studied as a case series. The goal was to examine the clinical course of the OCD symptoms and assess the efficacy of qEEG guided NF training on clinical outcome measures. Thirty-six drug resistant subjects with OCD were assigned to 9-84 sessions of QEEG-guided NF treatment. Daily sessions lasted 60 minutes where 2 sessions with half-hour applications with a 30 minute rest given between sessions were conducted per day. Thirty-three out of 36 subjects who received NF training showed clinical improvement according to the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS). The Minnesota multiphasic inventory (MMPI) was administered before and after treatment to 17 of the subjects. The MMPI results showed significant improvements not only in OCD measures, but all of the MMPI scores showed a general decrease. Finally, according to the physicians' evaluation of the subjects using the clinical global impression scale (CGI), 33 of the 36 subjects were rated as improved. Thirty-six of the subjects were followed for an average of 26 months after completing the study. According to follow-up interviews conducted with them and/or their family members 19 of the subjects maintained the improvements in their OCD symptoms. This study provides good evidence for the efficacy of NF treatment in OCD. The results of this study encourage further controlled research in this area.

Clin EEG Neurosci. 2011 Jul;42(3):195-201. Sürmeli T, Ertem A. Healthy Living Center for Research and Education, Istanbul, Turkey. neuropsychiatry@yahoo.com

Background: Meridian Massage is a traditional practice that manually stimulates the body's meridian system - the same network of vital energy channels used in acupuncture. The present study was to assess the effect of Meridian Massage on the physical growth and infant's health as perceived by mothers. Methods: A study was conducted in a community health center in Korea. 169 healthy infant-mother dyads were assigned to Meridian massage group (n=89) or a gentle touch massage group (n=80), based on mother's preference. All massage were conducted by their mothers for 15 minutes per session, one time daily over a course of 6 weeks. In each group, the infant's weights, heights, and the number of days with illness as perceived by mothers and related clinic visits were measured. Results: Significant differences were observed in weight and height after 6 weeks between the Meridian group and gentle touch massage group (p<.001). Infants in the Meridian massage group showed significantly different number of days with perceived clinic visits compared to those in the control group (p<.001). Conclusions: Meridian Massage may facilitate physical growth and improve infant's health outcome as perceived by mothers. A randomized controlled trial is required to further explore the effects of Meridian Massage in early infancy.

Pediatr Int. 2011 Sep 14. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-200X.2011.03477.x. Cho KJ, Ji ES, Lee MH. Post doctoral fellow, College of nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA Professor, College of nursing science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Shinsung College, Dangjin, South Korea.

Full title: The effects of therapeutic instrumental music performance on endurance level, self-perceived fatigue level, and self-perceived exertion of inpatients in physical rehabilitation.

The present study investigated the effects of a Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) sensory-motor rehabilitation technique, Therapeutic Instrumental Music Performance (TIMP) as compared to Traditional Occupational Therapy (TOT), on endurance, self-perceived fatigue, and self-perceived exertion of 35 hospitalized patients in physical rehabilitation. The present study attempted to examine whether an active musical experience such as TIMP with musical cueing (i.e., rhythmic auditory cueing) during physical exercises influences one's perception of pain, fatigue, and exertion. All participants were diagnosed with a neurologic disorder or had recently undergone orthopedic surgery. Investigators measured the effects of TOT and TIMP during upper extremity exercise of the less affected or stronger upper extremity. Results showed no significant difference on endurance measures between the 2 treatment conditions (TIMP and TOT). Statistically significant differences were found between TIMP and TOT when measuring their effects on perceived exertion and perceived fatigue. TIMP resulted in significantly less perception of fatigue and exertion levels than TOT. TIMP can be used foran effective sensory-motor rehabilitation technique to decrease perceived exertion and fatigue level of inpatients in physical rehabilitation.

J Music Ther. 2011 Summer;48(2):124-48. Lim HA, Miller K, Fabian C. Sam Houston State University and Huntsville Memorial Hospital, TX, USA.

Co-founder and Chancellor Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, and a practitioner of traditional acupuncture since 1973, Dr. Connelly received her master's qualification from the College of Traditional Acupuncture (UK) in 1979. She earned a doctorate in crosscultural medicine from Union Graduate School in 1975, a master's degree from New York University School of Education in 1970, and her bachelor's degree from Le Moyne College in 1967. An international lecturer (she lectures regularly in Italy and Germany), Connelly is the author of Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements, All Sickness is Homesickness, Medicine Words: Language of Love for the Treatment Room of Life, and with Katherine Hancock Porter, Alive and Awake: Wisdom for Kids.

For more information visit: tai.edu.

by Tim Brunson, PhD

There are two unquestionable conclusions, which emanate from my just over a half a century ponderance and exploration into the human condition. The first is that subjective experience is related to behaviors, values, and attitudes, which are the results of a mixture of innate characteristics forced upon us by our heritage and the results of external influences and programming. Secondly, our use of the qualitative perceptions with which we experience space and time indubitably shapes how we progress on our journey through life.

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Background: A recent report showed increased frequency of apparent life-threatening events (ALTEs) in infants treated with the homeopathic medication GaliCol-Baby (GCB). The premise was that the ALTEs resulted from toxic effects of the drug's components. We examine an alternative explanation. Method: The toxicological literature was searched for known reactions to the various GCB components, noting doses and reported symptoms. Dosage quantities and severity of reaction to the GCB were ranked independently by two groups of physicians, and a dose-response curve was generated. Reported toxic doses and symptoms were compared with those of the GCB series. The homeopathic literature was searched as well to determine the propensity of the GCB components to cause ALTE symptoms, when given in homeopathic doses to healthy volunteers (proving). Results: Doses ingested in the GCB series were 10-13 orders of magnitude smaller than those reported to cause toxic reactions in humans. There was poor correlation between symptoms with GCB and toxic profiles of the components. A nonsignificant, inverse relationship between dose and severity of reaction was observed. Conversely, four GCB components (in homeopathic doses) had a high propensity to produce at least one of five symptoms which define ALTE, two of which had intermediate to high propensity to produce three symptoms. Conclusions: It is unlikely that the ALTE following ingestion of GCB was a toxic reaction to any of the drug's component. Homeopathic theory may explain this linkage, though further research is needed to understand the pathogenic effects of highly diluted homeopathic compounds.

Hum Exp Toxicol. 2011 Jul 29. Oberbaum M, Samuels N, Ben-Arye E, Amitai Y, Singer SR. Center for Integrative Complementary Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.

Full Title: Complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of pain in fibromyalgia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature for randomized trials of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for fibromyalgia (FM). METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted. Databases included the Cochrane library, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Manual, Alternative and Natural Therapy Index System (MANTIS), Index for Chiropractic Literature, and Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED). Inclusion criteria were (a) subjects were diagnosed with fibromyalgia and (b) the study design was a randomized controlled trial that compared a CAM therapy vs a control group. Studies were subgrouped by CAM treatment into 11 categories. Evidence tables and forest plots were organized to display quality ratings and effect sizes of each study. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 1,722 results; 102 abstracts were selected as potential articles for inclusion. Sixty studies met criteria and were rated by 2 reviewers; 18 were rated as good quality; 20, moderate; 18, low; and 4, very low. Synthesis of information for CAM categories represented by more than 5 studies revealed that balneotherapy and mind-body therapies were effective in treating FM pain. This study analyzed recent studies and focused exclusively on randomized controlled trials. Despite common use of manual therapies such as massage and manipulation to treat patients with FM, there is a paucity of quality clinical trials investigating these particular CAM categories. CONCLUSION: Most of these studies identified were preliminary or pilot studies, thus had small sample sizes and were likely underpowered. Two CAM categories showed the most promising findings, balneotherapy and mind-body therapies. Most of the other CAM categories showed a trend favoring the treatment group. It appears that several CAM therapies show some preliminary treatment effect for FM pain, but larger trials that are more adequately powered are needed.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2011 Sep;34(7):483-96. Terhorst L, Schneider MJ, Kim KH, Goozdich LM, Stilley CS. Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. lat15@pitt.edu

It has been well established that swallowing kinematics are modified with different forms of exogenous and endogenous input, however the underlying neural substrates associated with these effects are largely unknown. Our objective was to determine whether the swallowing BOLD response is modulated with heightened sensory modalities (taste, cutaneous electrical stimulation, and visual biofeedback) compared to water ingestion (control) in healthy adults across the age span. Habituation and sensitization were also examined for each sensory condition. Our principal findings are that each sensory swallowing condition activated components of the swallowing cortical network, plus regions associated with the particular sensory modality (i.e. primarily frontal motor planning and integration areas with visual condition). Overall, the insula was most commonly active among the sensory modalities. We also discuss gradual increases and decreases in BOLD signal with repeated exposures for each condition. We conclude that both stimulus- and intention-based inputs have unique cortical swallowing networks relative to their modality. This scientific contribution advances our understanding of the mechanisms of normal swallowing cortical control and has the potential to impact clinical uses of these modalities in treatments for neurogenic dysphagia.

Neuroimage. 2011 Aug 18. Humbert IA, Joel S. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 98 North Broadway, Suite 403, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by episodic abdominal pain or discomfort in association with altered bowel habits (diarrhea and/or constipation). Other gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloating and flatulence, are also common. A variety of factors are believed to play a role in the development of IBS symptoms, including altered bowel motility, visceral hypersensitivity, psychosocial stressors, altered brain-gut interactions, immune activation/low grade inflammation, alterations in the gut microbiome, and genetic factors. In the absence of biomarkers that can distinguish between IBS subgroups on the basis of pathophysiology, treatment of this condition is predicated upon a patient's most bothersome symptoms. In clinical trials, effective therapies have only offered a therapeutic gain over placebos of 7-15%. Evidence based therapies for the global symptoms of constipation predominant IBS (IBS-C) include lubiprostone and tegaserod; evidence based therapies for the global symptoms of diarrhea predominant IBS (IBS-D) include the probiotic Bifidobacter infantis, the nonabsorbable antibiotic rifaximin, and alosetron. Additionally, there is persuasive evidence to suggest that selected antispasmodics and antidepressants are of benefit for the treatment of abdominal pain in IBS patients. Finally, several emerging therapies with novel mechanisms of action are in development. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies including probiotics, herbal therapies and acupuncture are gaining popularity among IBS sufferers, although concerns regarding manufacturing standards and the paucity of high quality efficacy and safety data remain.

Gut Liver. 2011 Sep;5(3):253-66. Epub 2011 Aug 18. Chey WD, Maneerattaporn M, Saad R. Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the history of music therapy research and treatment of children with autism. Understanding such history is important in order to improve clinical efficacy and inform future research. This paper includes a history of autism diagnosis, reviews strengths and limitations of music therapy practice with children with autism from 1940-2009, and suggests direction for future music therapy research and clinical practice with this population. Literature was limited to the English language and obtained with the following search terms: autism, autistic, (early) infantile autism, child, therapeutic music, musical therapy, and music therapy. Table of contents from music therapy journals were searched, and reference lists from obtained articles were perused for additional articles. This historical review focused primarily on journal articles, however, books and book chapters that appeared to hold particular historical significance were also included.

J Music Ther. 2011 Summer;48(2):169-207. Reschke-Hernández AE. University of Missouri-Kansas City, MO, USA.

Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, where he has taught for over 25 years. He is a long-time student of mindfulness meditation and serves on the board of directors and faculty of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.

Dr. Siegel teaches internationally about mindfulness and psychotherapy and mind–body treatment, has worked for many years in community mental health with inner-city children and families, and maintains a private practice in Lincoln, Massachusetts. He is the coauthor of Back Sense: A Revolutionary Approach to Halting the Cycle of Chronic Back Pain, which integrates Western and Eastern approaches for treating chronic back pain, and coeditor of an acclaimed book for professionals, Mindfulness and Psychotherapy.

For more information visit: www.mindfulness-solution.com.

by Tim Brunson, PhD

The one area in which most people consistently fail involves setting and achieving goals. Whether this involves projects around the house, education, or changing bad habits, en vogue methods of goal setting and achievement rarely help us achieve the intended results. Even though I agree that it is essential to consciously select, write down, and proclaim objectives to others, from that point forward many find insurmountable difficulties causing delays or total abandonment of their dreams.

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Full Title: Usage of alternative medical systems, acupuncture, homeopathy and anthroposophic medicine, by older German adults.

OBJECTIVE: The manifold studies on the usage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) indicate that its utilization differs with respect to socio-cultural background, gender, age and underlying disease. This study intended to analyze the usage of specific CAM practices among a population of older German adults with health insurance coverage. METHODS: Data of 5 830 older individuals who participated in an anonymous cross sectional survey among German insurance beneficiaries were analyzed with respect to usage of CAM treatments applied by medical doctors or non-medical practitioners within the last 5 years. RESULTS: The most frequently used approaches were acupuncture/traditional Chinese medicine (21%), homeopathy (21%), movement therapies/physical exercises (19%), osteopathy/chiropractic (12%), herbs/phytotherapy (7%), diets/specific food recommendations (6%) and foot reflexology (5%). Anthroposophic medicine was used only to a minor degree. Acupuncture and homeopathy users were likely to choose more than one CAM treatment simultaneously, particularly the combination of homeopathy and acupuncture. Moreover, this study can confirm significant differences between women and men in the use of the main relevant CAM interventions. CONCLUSION: The relative proportion of acupuncture usage was similar to homeopathy, which is an alternative whole medical system originating from Western Europe. This means that an Eastern alternative system is established also in Germany. In several cases not only one CAM treatment was used but distinct combinations existed (particularly homeopathy and acupuncture); thus one should be cautious to draw predictive conclusions from studies with broad and unspecific CAM categories, for among them there are several therapies which should not be regarded as CAM.

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2011 Aug;9(8):847-56. Büssing A, Ostermann T, Heusser P, Matthiessen PF. Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, Center for Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Witten/Herdecke, Gerhard-Kienle-Weg 4, 58313 Herdecke, Germany. arndt.buessing@uni-wh.de