FULL TITLE: The brain under self-control: modulation of inhibitory and monitoring cortical networks during hypnotic paralysis.

Brain mechanisms of hypnosis are poorly known. Cognitive accounts proposed that executive attentional systems may cause selective inhibition or disconnection of some mental operations. To assess motor and inhibitory brain circuits during hypnotic paralysis, we designed a go-no-go task while volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in three conditions: normal state, hypnotic left-hand paralysis, and feigned paralysis. Preparatory activation arose in right motor cortex despite left hypnotic paralysis, indicating preserved motor intentions, but with concomitant increases in precuneus regions that normally mediate imagery and self-awareness. Precuneus also showed enhanced functional connectivity with right motor cortex. Right frontal areas subserving inhibition were activated by no-go trials in normal state and by feigned paralysis, but irrespective of motor blockade or execution during hypnosis. These results suggest that hypnosis may enhance self-monitoring processes to allow internal representations generated by the suggestion to guide behavior but does not act through direct motor inhibition.

Neuron. 2009 Jun 25;62(6):862-75. Cojan Y, Waber L, Schwartz S, Rossier L, Forster A, Vuilleumier P. Department of Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. yann.cojan@unige.ch

by Adele Ryan McDowell, PhD

That's right: There is no discussion; there is no equivocation. The door is closed; the conversation is over. I have holstered my pointing finger that wagged so definitively in your direction. I have recovered from my case of eye-rolling; there is no more exasperated and exaggerated sighing. I have stormed off in a fit of pique – and I was glorious in my dramatic exit, I might add.

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Full Title: Complementary medicine in the primary care setting: Results of a survey of gender and cultural patterns in Israel

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in a primary care practice in Israel to determine prevalence and patterns of use. Methods: Trained research assistants invited all patients attending the administrative, medical, pharmaceutical, or nursing services of 7 clinics in urban and rural areas of northern Israel over a 16-month period, from April 1, 2005, through August 1, 2006, to complete a 13-item written questionnaire about CAM use and beliefs about CAM safety and efficacy. CAM was defined as therapies often referred to as alternative, complementary, natural, or folk/traditional medicine, and which are not usually offered as part of the medical treatment in the clinic, including herbal medicine, Chinese medicine (including acupuncture), homeopathy, folk and traditional remedies, dietary/nutritional therapy (including nutritional supplements), chiropractic, movement/manual healing therapies (including massage, reflexology, yoga, and Alexander and Feldenkrais techniques), mind-body techniques (including meditation, guided imagery, and relaxation), energy and healing therapies, and other naturopathic therapies. The Pearson chi(2) test and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess univariate associations with the odds ratios of CAM use among Arab and Jewish women. A t test was performed to determine whether there were any differences in the continuous variables between the 2 groups. Results: Of 3972 consecutive patients who received the questionnaire, 3447 responded; 2139 respondents (62%) were women. Of the female respondents, 2121 reported their religion (1238 respondents [58%] self-identified as being Arab, and 883 [41.6%] as being Jewish). Compared with men, more women used CAM during the previous year (46.4% vs 39.4%; P < 0.001). Women were more likely to use CAM and to be interested in receiving CAM at primary care clinics. Arab women reported less CAM use than Jewish women but were more interested in experiencing CAM, had a higher degree of confidence in CAM efficacy and safety, and more frequently supported the integration of CAM practitioners in primary care clinics. Conclusions: In this study, women visiting primary care clinics in northern Israel used CAM more often than men did. Arab women reported less use of CAM than did Jewish women but also reported greater confidence in CAM efficacy and safety.

Gend Med. 2009 Jul;6(2):384-97. Ben-Arye E, Karkabi S, Shapira C, Schiff E, Lavie O, Keshet Y. Complementary and Traditional Medicine Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee District, Haifa, Israel.

by Joyce-Anne Locking

Very often we hear or read about how to nourish our bodies and the proper foods required if we are to do this. There are also inner needs that, if we ignore, leave us with an unfulfilled hunger. These inner needs might be called our talents.

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The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a spiritual-hypnosis assisted therapy (SHAT) for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children. All children, age 6-12 years (N=226; 52.7% females), who experienced the terrorist bomb blasts in Bali in 2002, and subsequently were diagnosed with PTSD were studied, through a longitudinal, quasi-experimental (pre-post test), single-blind, randomized control design. Of them, 48 received group SHAT (treatment group), and 178 did not receive any therapy (control group). Statistically significant results showed that SHAT produced a 77.1% improvement rate, at a two-year follow up, compared to 24% in the control group, while at the same time, the mean PTSD symptom score differences were significantly lower in the former group. We conclude that the method of spiritual-hypnosis is highly effective, economic, and easily implemented, and has a potential for therapy of PTSD in other cultures or other catastrophic life-threatening events.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2009 Jul;52(1):23-34. Lesmana CB, Suryani LK, Jensen GD, Tiliopoulos N. University of Sydney, School of Psychology Brennan MacCallum Building (A18), Room 448 Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

by Bob Lucas, BS, MA, MA, CPLP

Showing Your Patients That You Care

Ask most people to describe their experience with their healthcare practitioner(s) or those associated with the profession and you will likely get responses like, "They do not treat me like a customer" or "I have to wait until it is convenient to them before I get seen, even with an appointment." In many cases their perceptions are based on situations that have occurred at numerous medical facilities and doctor offices throughout their lifetime.

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This article reports on the use of hypnosis to facilitate the diagnostic process in two cases of pediatric hysterical reactions. The Hypnotic Diagnostic Interview for Hysterical Disorders (HDIHD), an interview tool, specifically designed for these cases, is reported. The first case was an adolescent male with motor Conversion Disorder manifested as paralysis of his lower limbs. The second was a preadolescent girl with sensory Conversion Disorder manifested as reduction of visual field in her right eye. Freudian conceptualization of hysterical reactions was employed as the conceptual basis in the formulation of these cases. This orientation posits hysterical phenomena a psychological defense employed by individuals exposed to traumatic experiences in order to effectuate a defense from intolerable affective material. The emotionally overwhelming material converts into physical reactivity free of the traumatic consequences by keeping the intolerable images and emotions deeply repressed within the subconscious. As the focus on these cases was diagnostic, treatment efforts were avoided. As it turned out, environmental interventions, based on the obtained information from the hypnotic interviews, extinguished the symptoms. The children were symptom free at follow-up.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2009 Jul;52(1):35-43. Iglesias A, Iglesias A. phdalex@aol.com

by Jack Elias

I was particularly struck by the disabling hypnotic power unleashed by the unwitting imprecise use of language in a family session recently. Each member sincerely expressed that they wanted peace and even gave a brief explanation of why they valued it. But they were in my office because they did not have peace and were constantly fighting.

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Dr. Ewin recently reported his research on two "remarkable" cases where hypnosis performed by a lay hypnotist was allegedly associated with the death of the subject. Commentary is provided about both cases. In the first case, it seems clear that the death was co-incident to the hypnosis. In the second case, Dr. Ewin speculates that hypnosis may have been related to the subject's death following her experience in a stage hypnosis show. Instead, we propose that the alerting suggestion used to terminate the hypnosis (that "the subjects would feel 10,000 volts of electricity through the seat of their chairs"), not hypnosis per se, was inappropriate and may have specifically adversely affected this particular subject due to her phobia regarding electricity. Legal ramifications of these cases regarding the issue of informed consent are raised. It is concluded that these cases do not imply a duty to warn subjects/patients that one possible negative consequence of undergoing hypnosis is death.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2009 Jul;52(1):45-67. Frischholz EJ, Scheflin AW. AMJCH@sbcglobal.net

By Joyce-Anne Locking

It is very important to ensure good health continues with the addition of new medications. A great number of doctor visits and even hospital admittances are caused from ill effects brought on by interactions of prescription drugs. Often new drugs do not agree with drugs the patient is already taking. It takes extra time before the adverse effects are diagnosed. For example, patients may not realize they are breaking into hives until a few days have gone by. Then, stopping the drug takes a few days more before the hives disappear again. The patient must endure a great deal of unnecessary stress before they return to their original state of good health.

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OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence of utilization and social and economic profile of those using complementary and alternative medicine in the medium sized Brazilian city of Montes Claros, MG. METHODS: A transversal descriptive study was conducted. The sample of 3090 people was probabilistic, by clusters using the household as the sample unit for interview of both genders, older than 18 years. Data were collected by semi-structured questionnaires. RESULTS: Utilization of complementary and alternative medicine was of 8.9% when only those involving costs such as homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractics, techniques of relaxation/ meditation and massage are considered and of 70.0%, when all therapies found were included. Prevalent were prayers to God (52.0%), popular medicines (30.9%), physical exercises (25.5%), faith healers (15.0%), popular diets (7.1%), massage (4.9%), relaxation/meditation (2.8%), homeopathy (2.4%), and groups of self-help (1.9%), chiropractics (1.7%), acupuncture (1.5%) and orthomolecular medicine (0.2%). Women, Catholic, married of higher income and education were positively associated with utilization of therapies involving expenses. CONCLUSIONS: Complementary and alternative medicine is used by a significant number of those interviewed. Gender, religion, marital status, income and education were positively associated with utilization of complementary and alternative medicine. Access of those with less income and education could increase the utilization of the options that involve expenses.

Rev Assoc Med Bras. 2009 May-Jun;55(3):296-301. Neto JF, de Faria AA, Figueiredo MF. Departamento de Clínica Médica, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Montes Claros, MG. joao.felicio@unimontes.br

by Coach Cary Bayer

Wouldn't it be fabulous to own a business in which virtually everyone you met wanted what you offered? Even a giant like Microsoft isn't in demand by everyone; after all, not everyone owns a computer. But there are businesses desired by virtually every adult alive. Those businesses are called medicine, nursing, coaching, hypnotherapy, psychology, counseling, social work, massage therapy, energy medicine, chiropractic, and naturopathy, among other integrative healing modalities. If you're a practitioner in any of these fields and are uncomfortable with the use of the term business to denote your work, then please read on. And realize one other important distinction: what you do on your table, couch, office, etc. is your practice; everything else associated with it is your business. If someone pays you for the service you render you're a professional. That means that you work in a business--whether you're an entrepreneur yourself or an employee who works for some other business.

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The present work aimed at assessing whether the interference exerted by task-irrelevant spatial information is comparable in high- and low-susceptible individuals and whether it may be eliminated by means of a specific posthypnotic suggestion. To this purpose high- and low-susceptible participants were tested using a Simon-like interference task after the administration of a suggestion aimed at preventing the processing of the irrelevant spatial information conveyed by the stimuli. The suggestion could be administered either in the absence or following a standard hypnotic induction. We showed that, outside from the hypnotic context, the Simon effect was similar in high and low-susceptible participants and it was significantly reduced following the posthypnotic suggestion in high-susceptible participants only. These results show that a specific posthypnotic suggestion can alter information processing in high-susceptible individuals and reduce the interfering effect exerted by arrow stimuli.

Conscious Cogn. 2009 Jul 31. Iani C, Ricci F, Baroni G, Rubichi S. Dipartimento di Scienze Sociali, Cognitive e Quantitative, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent of use of complementary and alternative systems of medicine by different segments of society and to identify the diseases in which they have been found to be effective. METHODS: This was a questionnaire-based descriptive study carried out from April 2002 to March 2004, in selected urban and rural areas of four provinces of Pakistan representing general strata of population from various socioeconomic conditions. RESULTS: The overall trend in Pakistan shows that 51.7% (CI 54.3-49.1) chose complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) while 48.3% (CI 50.71-48.89) chose biomedicine. Of those who chose CAM, 20% (CI 21-19) also used biomedicine as well; 16% (CI 16.8-15.2) homeopathy, 12.4% (CI 13.02-11.78) unani medicine, 2.1% (CI 2.20-1.99) mind-body medicine (faith healing), 0.9% biologically based practices (home remedies, diet and nutrition) 0.05% energy medicine (Reiki), 0.05% Traditional Chinese Medicine, and 0.02% aromatherapy. CONCLUSIONS: About half of the studied population used CAM. The population estimates of use of CAM are within the range reported elsewhere. It reflects an increasing popularity of CAM in Pakistan as well. Combined use of biomedicine with CAM was common and often patients did not reveal the use of CAM to the biomedicine practitioners.

J Altern Complement Med. 2009 May;15(5):545-50. Shaikh SH, Malik F, James H, Abdul H. Drugs Control Division, NIH, Islamabad, Pakistan. shshaikh2001@yahoo.com

by Jeff Belyea, PhD

"Be outrageous. It's the only place that isn't crowded." --Anon

Sound a trumpet blast! Fling open the door! Flip the switch on the floodlights of wisdom and knowledge about the only universal healthcare plan that may ever work without bankrupting the country.

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Beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis of Spanish psychologists. The aims of this study are to analyze Spanish psychologists' beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis and to examine the responses obtained in different branches of the Spanish Psychological Association. The results will be useful for this Association in order to know psychologists' needs of training in hypnosis. The Valencia Scale of Attitudes and Beliefs toward Hypnosis-Therapist was applied to 2434 Spanish psychologists. Results indicated that participants, in general, hold correct beliefs about hypnosis and showed a positive attitude toward it. No differences in beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis were found among different branches of the Association. Because of the fact that there was a low response, it would be worthwhile for the different branches of the Spanish Psychological Association to repeat this research, increasing the sample size and offering scientific information about hypnosis. This would be very helpful to promote the efficacious and non-iatrogenic use of hypnosis.

Psicothema. 2009 Aug;21(3):465-70. Mendoza ME, Capafons A, Espejo B, Montalvo D. Universitat de Valencia.

by Joyce-Anne Locking

When someone plays back a tape recording and you hear the sound of your own voice for the first time, you may find it very amusing. Know that your voice is an instrument of the universe when you become a pure channel for her energy. Now you become the energy and the universe allows you an instrument of choice to work through. Your instrument may be a camera, pen, paintbrush, piano, computer, stove, or anything that allows you creative expression. No one can tell you how to express your own needs. No one can tell you what you must paint, cook, or play. They may suggest but the choice is always up to you. How do you see you work unfolding? This is your sacred space. Learn to focus on your own needs in order to express your desires.

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OBJECTIVE: The goal was to test a multifaceted distraction method designed to reduce injection-associated pain in school-aged children. METHODS: A clinical trial evaluated 41 children, 4 to 6 years of age, who were given 3 standard prekindergarten immunizations; 21 were assigned randomly to an office routine control group, whereas 20 received a multifaceted, discomfort-reducing intervention. The intervention added verbal suggestions of diminished sensation and a visual focusing activity to the use of ethyl chloride, an established pain-reducing measure. The distraction materials used for the intervention consisted of topical ethyl chloride spray, an improvised, plastic, multipronged arm gripper, and a vibrating instrument descending on the contralateral arm, which provided the focusing task and visual distraction. RESULTS: According to patient and parent Faces Pain Scale-Revised scores and nonblinded, video-taped observations scored according to the face-legs-activity-crying-consolability method, the intervention group showed highly significant reductions in pain and discomfort, compared with the control group (patient self-report, P < .0013; parent report, P < .0002; observation score, P < .0001). CONCLUSION: This multifaceted distraction intervention reduced significantly the pain and discomfort of childhood immunizations in children 4 to 6 years of age.

Pediatrics. 2009 Aug;124(2):e203-9. Epub 2009 Jul 13. Berberich FR, Landman Z. Pediatric Medical Group, Berkeley, California 94705, USA. dr.berberich@pediatricsuggestions.net

by Christy Witman

Your entire outer reality reflects how you feel about yourself. This is based on the Law of Attraction and the Law of Reflection. You have everything in your world for a reason and that reason is there to serve you. Do you know that whatever you have attracted into your life right now is precisely what you need to grow and expand? Think about a situation in your life that is negative or not exactly what you desire. Describe how this situation makes you feel. Ask yourself, how can I use this situation to help me learn and grow? What insights can you learn about yourself from this situation? Everything that comes to you is a tool to help you reach to the next level. Think about it . . . you have situations in your life that are personal just to you and specific for your growth. Your friends, family members and co-workers do not have the same situations and circumstances in their lives. We attract what we need in our lives, and that includes life lessons. If you start looking at situations as a blessing and an opportunity for growth, you come from a place of expanding instead of contracting. Answers and guidance will come to you in that place instead of fighting what is happening in your life. It is The Law of Attraction in action. Here is to your life lessons!

For more information visit www.7essentiallaws.com"

FULL TITLE: Effect of hypnosis on oral function and psychological factors in temporomandibular disorders patients

This study investigated the effect of hypnosis in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) with focus on oral function and psychological outcomes. Forty women (mean age +/- s.d.: 38.6 +/- 10.8 years) suffering from TMD (mean duration 11.9 +/- 9.9 years) were randomized to four individual 1-hour sessions of either hypnotic intervention or a control condition of simple relaxation. Pain intensity was assessed three times daily on a 0-10 Numerical Rating Scale. Additional outcomes were TMD-associated symptoms assessed by the Research Diagnostic Criteria examination form and questionnaire, psychological symptoms (Symptom Check List 60), pain coping strategies (Coping Strategies Questionnaire), sleep difficulties (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and use of analgesics. Data were analyzed with between-groups within-subjects anovas. The hypnosis group significantly reduced the daily NRS pain scores from 4.5 +/- 2.1 at baseline to 2.9 +/- 2.4 after treatment (P < 0.001) compared to the control group where no significant changes were found (4.2 +/- 1.4 to 3.9 +/- 1.5) (P = 0.733). Number needed to treat for a 50% pain reduction was 4.0. The hypnosis group also increased use of the coping strategy 'reinterpreting pain sensations' from 5.2 +/- 6.9 to 10.3 +/- 6.8 (P < 0.001). Both groups exhibited significant reductions in the number of painful muscle palpation sites and pain on palpation (P < 0.004), in number of awakenings due to pain (P < 0.006), and in somatization, obsessive compulsive symptoms and anxiety (P < 0.004). Hypnosis thus appears to effectively reduce some aspects of complex TMD pain.

J Oral Rehabil. 2009 Aug;36(8):556-70. Abrahamsen R, Zachariae R, Svensson P. Department of Clinical Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. rabrahamsen@odont.au.dk

by Kathy Caprino, MA

Are you a professional woman longing for a radical change?

You are not alone.

According to my research--a yearlong national study in partnership with the Esteemed Woman Foundation--seven out of 10 women today, particularly those in their middle years, say they are facing a major turning point in their professional lives. After devoting years to building successful careers, they feel that their professional lives and identities no longer work. As a result, most are facing at least one of 12 hidden work-life crises, including chronic health problems, financial bondage, and painful losses of the "real me."

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By Sharon M. O'Connor, RN

Companies today carefully calculate their bottom line, and the current cost of health care is of global concern. Yet, how often is one important ingredient--STRESS--factored in? The Gallup Organization Well Being Index, the country's largest poll of health and well-being, polls at least 1,000 adults daily. Here are some of their recent findings:

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In three experiments, undergraduates' subjective experiences were affected by positive magical intervention. A large number of participants accepted the offer of magical help, yet the outcomes they reported were contrary to the aims of the magical intervention. In Experiment 1, participants were offered magical help that aimed to improve their practical skills. However, in the magical-suggestion condition, they reported no improvement significantly more frequently than in the control no-suggestion condition. In Experiment 2, participants who accepted the offer of magical help aimed at improving their general life satisfaction reported a significant decrease in this satisfaction. Those who declined the offer of magical help reported a significant increase in satisfaction. In Experiment 3, in the magical-suggestion condition, participants experienced bad dreams significantly more frequently than in the control condition. In conclusion, the data suggest that adult participants protect their subjective experiences against magical intervention.

Br J Psychol. 2009 Aug;100(Pt 3):517-37. Epub 2008 Oct 31. Subbotsky E. Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK. E.Subbotsky@lancaster.ac.uk

By Sharon M. O'Connor, RN

How is life treating you? Many women in our culture feel pressured by a combination of home and work demands. At work, many have increased responsibilities because of cutbacks along with concerns about their own jobs. At home, we have responsibilities of taking care of our children, errands, and household tasks, as women tend to take on the bulk of the home responsibilities in addition to being business professionals and entrepreneurs. All of this responsibility creates a lot of stress. The American Psychological Association online study reports 77% of those polled said they experienced physical symptoms of stress during the prior month; 73% experienced psychological stress during that same time frame. If you're experiencing stress, you're not alone.

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Full Title: The brain under self-control: modulation of inhibitory and monitoring cortical networks during hypnotic paralysis.

Brain mechanisms of hypnosis are poorly known. Cognitive accounts proposed that executive attentional systems may cause selective inhibition or disconnection of some mental operations. To assess motor and inhibitory brain circuits during hypnotic paralysis, we designed a go-no-go task while volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in three conditions: normal state, hypnotic left-hand paralysis, and feigned paralysis. Preparatory activation arose in right motor cortex despite left hypnotic paralysis, indicating preserved motor intentions, but with concomitant increases in precuneus regions that normally mediate imagery and self-awareness. Precuneus also showed enhanced functional connectivity with right motor cortex. Right frontal areas subserving inhibition were activated by no-go trials in normal state and by feigned paralysis, but irrespective of motor blockade or execution during hypnosis. These results suggest that hypnosis may enhance self-monitoring processes to allow internal representations generated by the suggestion to guide behavior but does not act through direct motor inhibition.

Neuron. 2009 Jun 25;62(6):862-75. Cojan Y, Waber L, Schwartz S, Rossier L, Forster A, Vuilleumier P. Department of Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. yann.cojan@unige.ch

by David Kohlhagen LPC, NBCCH

In Force of Habit any emotional, psychological, mental, physical, biological or cognitive behavior is a habit if it is automatic, if it "does itself" without intentional conscious effort. Breathing, heartbeat and blood and lymph circulation, physical wound healing, etc. (the autonomic nervous system and other biological functions) are Type I habits. When they are functioning normally they are not the focus of psychological treatment. Type II habits are the usual therapy presenting symptoms. They include depression, anxiety, phobias, stress and PTSD symptoms, the habit disorders, and sexual problems. We were not born with any Type II habits: we learn them. When Type I habits have become modified and are not functioning normally (as in high blood pressure, the stress disorders, digestive and sleep problems, asthma, allergies, immune disorders and any number of physical and medical problems) they become Type II habits and the focus of psychotherapeutic treatment.

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by Jon Rhodes

Professors and lay people alike have all pondered the question of how hypnosis works. This has been going on for close to 200 years. How does hypnosis work? Does hypnosis even work for that matter? The various theories and myths continue, with skeptics and fanatics alike. Despite all this rhetoric, no one has even so far managed to come up with an accepted definition of exactly what hypnosis is.

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by Tim Brunson, PhD

Meditation is an often misunderstood practice with several variations that are taught by many different religions. It often is described in terms of calm-abiding (i.e. a quieting of the mind) or analytical (i.e. focused on a particular concept such as compassion). The unifying concept is a meditator's ability to harness their mental processes.

The direct mental benefits of a successful meditation session include a quieting of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) – which plays a key role in transitioning between thoughts – and the activation of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. However, while this may have a relaxation benefit – with all the implications for improving the digestive process and boosting the immune system – researchers are increasingly becoming aware of the potential for meditation to help with higher brain functions. Indeed, beyond the benefits derived from meditation-induced relaxation, it is the stimulative affect of analytical meditation that may have the biggest benefit.

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by Derrick Lonsdale, M.B.B.S.

An 84-year old man had sudden onset of chronic insomnia, localized palmar tenderness and "trigger finger" of the left hand ring finger. Laboratory studies indicated thiamin deficiency, increased inflammatory markers and fasting blood triglycerides. He discontinued sugar completely without changes in dietary supplements or life style. Gradual improvement in insomnia, trigger finger, weight loss and laboratory studies occurred over 6 months. Then a single minimal ingestion of simple carbohydrate resulted next day in increased blood triglycerides and thiamin pyrophosphate effect (TPPE) on transketolase activity (TKA).

Complete article click here.

OBJECTIVE: An estimated 24% of patients referred to epilepsy clinics actually have nonepileptic seizures. Various procedures have been used to precipitate nonepileptic events. The goal of this study was to use hypnosis in seizure provocation and differentiation between epileptic and nonepileptic seizure events. METHODS: Fifty study participants were enrolled from the Via Christi Comprehensive Epilepsy Center's video/electroencephalography unit. Patients underwent the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) to assess susceptibility to hypnosis. After completion of the HIP, participants underwent hypnosis by a physician trained to do so. They received a hypnotic suggestion to have a seizure. All seizure-like events were classified as either an epileptic, nonepileptic, or undetermined event based on whether or not the patient had abnormal EEG activity during the event. RESULTS: Of the 50 participants enrolled, 3 withdrew consent, resulting in 47 participants. Seven (15%) participants failed to have an event of any type and were classified as undetermined. Sixteen (34%) participants were classified as having epileptic seizure events, and 24 (51%) participants had nonepileptic events. Most participants were Caucasian (87%), female (57%), and unemployed (55%). HIP scores ranged from 0 to 10. Participants classified with nonepileptic scores had higher mean HIP scores (8.08, SD 2.483) than those diagnosed with epileptic seizures [5.94, SD 3.492, t(25)=2.126, P=0.044]. The sensitivity of eliciting a nonepileptic event during hypnosis was only 0.46, but the specificity was 0.88. CONCLUSION: Hypnosis may be considered as a method of seizure provocation. Events provoked by hypnotic suggestion were more likely than not to be nonepileptic events. However, the current study has moderate specificity and poor sensitivity. Seizures could not be induced in patients who did not also have spontaneous seizures. Additional methodologies for seizure provocation need to be explored.

Epilepsy Behav. 2009 May 20. Khan AY, Baade L, Ablah E, McNerney V, Golewale MH, Liow K. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Wichita, KS, USA.

by Tim Brunson, PhD

When perceptions or anticipation/imagination creates new input, the brain's initial action is to match the newly acquired phenomena with existing patterns stored in the explicit or implicit memory systems. When the brain fails to find a match, similar stored patterns are synthesized with externally or internally derived perceptions in order to produce new patterns. This can be looked upon either as a thinking process or as creativity.

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BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that response expectancies are an important mechanism of popular psychological interventions for pain. However, there has been no research on whether response expectancies and treatment credibility independently mediate hypnotic and cognitive-behavioral pain interventions and whether the pattern of mediation is affected by experience with the interventions. Also, past research has indicated that hypnotic pain interventions may be moderated by hypnotic suggestibility. However, these studies have typically failed to measure the full range of suggestibility and have assessed pain reduction and suggestibility in the same experimental context, possibly inflating the association between these variables. PURPOSE: To clarify the mediator role of response expectancies and treatment credibility, and the moderator role of hypnotic suggestibility in the hypnotic and cognitive-behavioral reduction of pain. METHODS: Approximately 300 participants were assessed for suggestibility. Then, as part of an apparently unrelated experiment, 124 of these individuals received analogue cognitive-behavioral, hypnotic, or placebo control pain interventions. RESULTS: Response expectancies and credibility independently mediated treatment. The extent of mediation increased as participants gained more experience with the interventions. Suggestibility moderated treatment and was associated with relief only from the hypnotic intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Response expectancies and treatment credibility are unique mechanisms of hypnotic and cognitive-behavioral pain interventions. Hypnotic suggestibility predicts relief from hypnotic pain interventions and this association is not simply an artifact of measuring suggestibility and pain reduction in the same experimental context. The relationship between suggestibility and hypnotic pain reduction appears to be linear in nature.

Ann Behav Med. 2007 Apr;33(2):167-78. Milling LS, Shores JS, Coursen EL, Menario DJ, Farris CD. Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT 06117, USA. milling@hartford.edu

by Christy Witman

Our minds have been programmed and conditioned to think in certain ways. There are a total of nine ways that our minds automatically think, and these thoughts are very disempowering. The good news is that we all can change our thoughts and therefore change the outcomes of our lives. We must first become aware of these limiting thoughts. Once we are aware of these thoughts, we can then make the conscious decision to change them. Everything starts and ends in your mind. How your mind works determines how happy you are, how successful you feel and how well you interact with other people. It also determines how you create by working with the Universal Laws, specifically The Law of Attraction. The patterns of your mind encourage you towards greatness or they cause you to flounder in mediocrity or worse. Learning how to focus and direct your mind is the most important ingredient of success.

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There are compelling reasons to empower nurses. Powerless nurses are ineffective nurses. Powerless nurses are less satisfied with their jobs and more susceptible to burnout and depersonalization. This article will begin with an examination of the concept of power; move on to a historical review of nurses' power over nursing practice; describe the kinds of power over nursing care needed for nurses to make their optimum contribution; and conclude with a discussion on the current state of nursing empowerment related to nursing care. Empowerment for nurses may consist of three components: a workplace that has the requisite structures to promote empowerment; a psychological belief in one's ability to be empowered; and acknowledgement that there is power in the relationships and caring that nurses provide. A more thorough understanding of these three components may help nurses to become empowered and use their power for better patient care.

Online J Issues Nurs. 2007 Jan 31;12(1):2. Manojlovich M. Medical Intensive Care Unit, University of Michigan Health System, MI, USA. mmanojlo@umich.edu

by Marta J. Luzim, MS

Everyone wants to be happy. As children, and still as adults, we want to believe Jiminy Cricket's lullabuy, "When you wish upon a star makes no difference who you are, when you wish upon a star your dreams come true."

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by Tim Brunson, PhD

Phrenological thinking was influential in 19th-century psychiatry. Originally it was based upon the idea that personality traits could be determined by examining bumps on the head. Phrenology was eventually discredited as a pseudoscience. However, the concept of relating specific brain function to specific behaviors did not totally go away. In the 1860s, Paul Broca discovered left temporal speech centers. And in 1874, Carl Wernicke revealed that an area near the Broca's Area affected receptive speech. This led to a renewed interest in the belief that specific brain substrates relate to particular functions of the mind. This was further promoted in the 1950s when Wilder Penfield was able to locate memory centers in discrete brain locations. This is the foundation of the theory of localization – which extremists view as a justification for cognitive rigidity. However, over the past few decades researchers have debated the relevance of localization as compared to a more dynamic view of the brain's plasticity – which posits that the environment can cause cognitive reorganization.

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Hypnotizability is a cognitive trait able to modulate many behavioural/physiological processes and associated with peculiar functional characteristics of the frontal executive system. This review summarizes experimental results on hypnotizability-related differences in sensorimotor integration at a reflex and an integrated level (postural control) and suggests possible interpretations based on morpho-functional considerations. In particular, hypnotizability-related differences in spinal motoneurones excitability are described, and the role of attention and imagery in maintaining a stable upright stance when sensory information is reduced or altered and when attention is absorbed in cognitive tasks is discussed as a function of hypnotic susceptibility. The projections from prefrontal cortex to spinal motoneurones and the balance between the activation of the right and left cortical hemisphere are considered responsible for the hypnotizability-related modulation of reflex responses, while the differences in postural control between subjects with high (highs) and low (lows) hypnotic susceptibility are considered a possible consequence of the activity of the locus coeruleus, which is also involved in attention, and of the cerebellum, which might be responsible for different internal models of postural control. We suggest a highly pervasive role of hypnotic susceptibility in human behaviour through the modulation of the integration of perception and action, which could be relevant for neurorehabilitative treatments and for the adaptation to special environments.

Cogn Neuropsychol. 2008 Oct-Dec;25(7-8):1065-76. Carli G, Manzoni D, Santarcangelo EL. Department of Physiology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

General

Full Title: Progression to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): could it be prevented by manual therapy and exercise during the 'at risk' stage (stage 0)?

A number of predisposing factors are recognised as increasing the risk of developing chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD). There is increasing recognition that COPD may be an inflammatory disease with systemic consequences. However, the trigger for the transition from 'at risk' (stage 0) to COPD state remains unclear. The current approach to intervention for the 'at risk' group is risk factor avoidance. We propose that if interventions shown to improve chronic respiratory symptoms in COPD sufferers could be applied to the 'at risk' group, then moderation or even reversal of the changes typical of this transition becomes a possibility. Exercise training has been shown to be beneficial at all stages of COPD. Mobility of the chest wall influences lung function. We hypothesise that the application to 'at risk' individuals (stage 0) of therapeutic interventions known to improve chronic respiratory symptoms and cardiovascular function in mild/moderate COPD (stages 1 and 2) could delay progression of the disease (i.e. manifestation of mild/moderate COPD). If the hypothesis were confirmed, the potential to delay or even prevent the onset of COPD would be feasible.

Med Hypotheses. 2009 Mar;72(3):288-90. Engel RM, Vemulpad S. Department of Health and Chiropractic, Macquarie University, Bldg E7A 222, Balaclava Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia. rengel@els.mq.edu.au

by Isa Gucciardi, PhD

From the shamanic perspective, one of the primary causes of imbalance is soul loss. Soul loss can be caused by any type of trauma: emotional, physical, spiritual, or psychological. And trauma can be the result of many things including verbal or physical attack, surgery, abuse, or a sudden loss. From a shamanic perspective, when trauma occurs, a soul part can become frozen outside of time. When this happens, the soul part does not evolve with the person as they continue their life. If this situation is not addressed, many problems can occur, including depression, addiction, and even chronic illness.

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by Robert DeMaria DC, DABCO, FASBE, NHD

I would like to take you on a journey back in time. Let's go back about forty five years ago for some of you, for the others ask those closest to you these questions.

• Did grandma complain of getting hot during the day or night?

• Did grandma have all of her organs when she passed on; her gall bladder and uterus were they removed?

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