Previous studies on the role of hypnotizability in postural control indicate that the body sway of subjects with high or low hypnotizability to hypnosis is differentially modulated by eye closure. The aim of this study was to investigate whether hypnotizability also modulates the postural response to electrical vestibular stimulation and to head rotation in nonhypnotized individuals. The center of pressure (CoP) displacements were monitored in highs and lows standing on a stabilometric platform with closed eyes during basal conditions and electrical vestibular stimulation in 3 different positions of the head. Results showed that the CoP stimulus-locked displacements as well as the CoP mean position, area, and mean velocity were similar in highs and lows, but only in lows did the head position modulate the mean velocity. This finding might reflect a difference in sensory-motor integration between the 2 groups.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Apr;56(2):170-84. Santarcangelo EL, Scattina E, Orsini P, Bruschini L, Ghelarducci B, Manzoni D. University of Pisa, Italy. enricals@dfb.unipi.it

Postural control in subjects with high (Highs) and low (Lows) susceptibility to hypnosis is differentially affected by changes in visual and neck tactile/proprioceptive input. The aim of the present experiment was to investigate whether imagery of the visual and tactile sensory modalities also induces different modulation of postural control in Highs and Lows. Fourteen Highs and 16 Lows were included in the study; they were recorded while standing upright with eyes closed during visual and tactile imagery tasks and during mental computation. Their posture and movement were recorded with an Elite System and their experience was assessed after each task in a structured interview. Visual imagery was judged "easier" than tactile imagery by Lows, while Highs performed both tasks easily and judged the tactile imagery less effortful and more vivid than Lows. No difference was observed for the mental computation. The Highs' body sway was not affected by the cognitive tasks, while Lows showed a task-related modulation of body sway. The results are in line with the hypothesis of lower vulnerability of Highs to the effects of tasks interfering with postural control and of different sensory-motor integration in Highs and Lows.

Exp Brain Res. 2007 May;179(2):147-54. Carli G, Cavallaro FI, Rendo CA, Santarcangelo EL. Department of Physiology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

by David Kohlhagen LPC, NBCCH

I think that our clients have little understanding of what hypnosis is and what it is not. Even within the profession there is no universal definition. Our understanding of what can be achieved with hypnosis--and indeed even what hypnosis is--is experiencing a growth spurt due to studies in epigenetics, genomics, bioinformatics, activity-dependent gene expression, mind-body communication and healing, and new models like Ernest Rossi's "implicit processing heuristics." Even we professionals can be excused for being more than a little dazzled, giddy, and perhaps even confused by the ever-expanding possibilities of hypnosis.

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Content on integrative healthcare and complementary and alternative medicine is being taught in hundreds of educational programs across the country. Nursing, medical, osteopathic, chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathic, and other programs are finding creative and innovative ways to include these approaches in new models of education and practice. This column spotlights such innovations in integrative healthcare and CAM education and presents readers with specific educational interventions they can adapt into new or ongoing educational efforts at their institution or programs. We invite readers to submit brief descriptions of efforts in their institutions that reflect the creativity, diversity, and interdisciplinary nature of the field. Please submit to Dr Sierpina at vssierpi@utmb.edu or Dr Kreitzer at kreit003@umn.edu. Submissions should be no more than 500 to 1,500 words. Please include any Web site or other resource that is relevant, as well as contact information.

Explore (NY). 2009 Mar-Apr;5(2):121-3. Bakal D, Steiert M, Coll P, Schaefer J, Kreitzer MJ, Sierpina V. Clinic of Mind Body Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

by Joyce-Anne Locking

Create Beauty
By creating beauty in our lives all areas are made better. Choose an area of your life you wish to improve. Let us, for example, choose finance. How do we improve our finances? Create beauty in this area first by positive thought. Anything positive is clothed in beauty. Whenever you think of your finances allow a positive image to pop up in your mind. It may be red roses or an orchid, any image that is impressive to you. If you always wanted a sports car, use this image, or if you'd love to have a grand piano, use this image. Whatever the image, it instantly changes the sense of lack to the feeling of affluence in your own mind. Once thought is transformed on the inside, the outer life reflects this belief in prosperity. It may take some time to materialize so don't be in a rush to see results. You may have had negative beliefs in this area for such a long time the cobwebs will have to be removed before layers of negative thought begin to transform.

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by Bruce Arnold LCSW

Hypnotherapy, as exemplified so well by Milton Erickson, M.D., is a far more subtle and varied tool than merely putting people into hypnotic trance. I do not intent to explore that whole, rich vein at present. We are going to look at the hypnotic trance itself, which remains central to the practice of hypnotherapy.

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ABSTRACT Postpartum spontaneous cervicocephalic artery dissection is an uncommon, poorly understood condition following pregnancy. We report a case of a 32-year-old woman with no history of trauma, chiropractic manipulation, connective tissue disorder, or previous headache who developed a mild, unilateral headache 7 days after the uneventful delivery of her third child (no general or neuraxial anesthesia was delivered). Seven days latter she presented to our emergency department complaining of recurrent episodes of right-sided headache coupled with a transient episode of sensory deficits in her left lower limb. Brain magnetic resonance imaging disclosed small infarctions in the internal watershed distribution of right internal carotid artery (ICA). Carotid artery dissection was diagnosed using DSA and T1 FAT-SAT sequences for the depiction of intramural hematoma. The patient was placed under oral anticoagulation and remained asymptomatic during a follow-up period of 6 months. The present case report highlights that cervicocephalic artery dissection is a condition that should be looked for in women with persisting or remitting unilateral headache following childbirth. J Neuroimaging 2009;XX:1-3.

J Neuroimaging. 2009 Apr 23. Stamboulis E, Raptis G, Andrikopoulou A, Arvaniti C, Brountzos E, Oikonomopoulos N, Stefanis L, Voumvourakis K. >From the Second Department of Neurology, University of Athens School of Medicine, Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece (ES, GR, AA, CA, LS, KV); and Second Department of Radiology, University of Athens School of Medicine, Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece (EB, NO).

by Michele Ritterman, PhD

We usually think of hypnosis as something induced in a client by a therapist. But hypnosis is a naturally occurring phenomenon as well. It occurs in all human interactions, especially those that are intimate. Once we are aware of this fact, we see symptoms differently. They can be suggested by others and received by our clients unconsciously. To learn how to begin to observe these naturally occurring phenomena, we need a few new terms and concepts. This first paper is part of a series about the concept of tracking trance inductions wherever they occur and then countering them.

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Assessing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use remains difficult due to many problems, not the least of which is defining therapies and modalities that should be considered as CAM. Members of the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research (ISCMR) participated in a Delphi process to identify a core listing of common CAM therapies presently in use in Western countries. Lists of practitioner-based and self-administered CAM were constructed based on previous population-based surveys and ranked by ISCMR researchers by perceived level of importance. A total of 64 (49%) ISCMR members responded to the first round of the Delphi process, and 39 of these (61%) responded during the second round. There was agreement across all geographic regions (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Western Europe) for the inclusion of herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), chiropractic, naturopathy, osteopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, and massage therapy in the core practitioner-based CAM list, and for homeopathy products, herbal supplements, TCM products, naturopathic products, and nutritional products in the self-administered list. This Delphi process, along with the existing literature, has demonstrated that (1) separate lists are required to measure practitioner-based and self-administered CAM; (2) timeframes should include both ever use and recent use; (3) researchers should measure and report prevalence estimates for each individual therapy so that direct comparisons can be made across studies, time, and populations; (4) the list of CAM therapies should include a core list and additionally those therapies appropriate to the geographic region, population, and the specific research questions addressed, and (5) intended populations and samples studied should be defined by the researcher so that the generalizability of findings can be assessed. Ultimately, it is important to find out what CAM modality people are using and if they are being helped by these interventions.

J Altern Complement Med. 2009 May;15(5):489-94. Lachance LL, Hawthorne V, Brien S, Hyland ME, Lewith GT, Verhoef MJ, Warber S, Zick S. Center for Managing Chronic Disease, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2029, USA. lauriel@umich.edu

by Coach Cary Bayer

Recently, while preparing for a road trip, I was packing jars of vitamins and happened to examine the minimum daily requirement labels on each one. It dawned on me that human beings also have minimum daily requirements for what I call "inner vitamins."

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To examine the influence of hypnotic suggestibility testing as a source of individual differences in hypnotic responsiveness, we compared behavioral and subjective responses on three scales of hypnotic suggestibility: The Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS: A; Shor, R. E., Orne, E. C. (1962). Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility. Berlin: Consulting Psychologists Press); the Carleton University Responsiveness to Suggestion Scale (CURSS; Spanos, N. P., Radtke, H. L., Hodgins, D. C., Stam, H. J., Bertrand, L. D. (1983b). The Carleton University Responsiveness to Suggestion Scale: Normative data and psychometric properties. Psychological Reports, 53, 523-535); and the Group Scale of Hypnotic Ability (GSHA; Hawkins, R., Wenzel, L. (1999). The Group Scale of Hypnotic Ability and response booklet. Australian Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 27, 20-31). Behavioral and subjective responses to the CURSS were significantly different than those on the HGSHS: A and GSHA. More participants were classified as "low suggestible" on the CURSS and they reported subjective experiences more similar to everyday mentation. Attitudes and expectancies of participants who received the GSHA were less predictive of responding, but rates of responding and subjective experiences were similar on the GSHA and the HGSHS: A. Discussion focuses on implications for the use of group hypnotic suggestibility scales.

Conscious Cogn. 2009 Mar;18(1):255-65. Epub 2008 Sep 7. Barnes SM, Lynn SJ, Pekala RJ. Psychology Department, Binghamton University, SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13905, USA. sbarnes1@binghamton.edu

By Ralph McCutcheon ND DO BAc

As a young naturopath and osteopath in the early 1970's, I was pretty impressed with the results of these therapies compared with the medicine of the day. They had firm philosophical backgrounds and I felt that they provided a truly holistic approach to patients health. Thanks to my optimistic nature, and strong will, even my greenhorn skills seemed to work well, and patients got better. Looking back, it was because we reached the point where the patient made their own significant choice to choose to be healed, as much as anything I 'did'.

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by Val Gokenbach DM, RN, MBA

Introduction
When we hear the word rhythm, most of us think of a great song with a great beat that makes us feel good when we listen to it. Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf comes to mind for me, especially with the volume turned up! It is however, this simple example that highlights the effect a rhythm can have on the human body. Outcomes of various rhythmic patterns can have a profound effect on the mind, body and personal success far more profound than the beat of a song. This article will explore the notion of rhythm and the effects, both positive and negative on the body and personal success. Strategies to improve these rhythms will also be included.

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by Tim Brunson, PhD

There is a tremendous amount of scientific research within the published literature indicating that remarkable hidden potentials exist within the neuro-physiology of a typical human being. Noteworthy conclusions are easily derived by reviewing projects regarding mental pathologies – such as autism, the savant syndrome (i.e. idiot savant), and stroke recovery – the constant record-breaking athletic performance in competitions like the Olympics, and stories regarding ordinary people performing extraordinary feats under life-threatening stress. It is very obvious to even the most casual observer that there is much more to the human experience than we would like to admit. These potentials lie dormant within each and every human. Yet despite the propensity to resist change, social conditioning, and a tendency toward mediocrity, there is a yearning for greatness (or at least for a unique quality). Meanwhile, individuals and entire social systems insist on suppressing – and even frequently crucifying – those whom they feel deviate from the bland and normal. Nevertheless, in addition to the numerous clues found in mainstream research literature, there is a wealth of evidence of a desire for extra-ordinary human potential and desire for change in the pop culture as well.

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Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a diverse group of health care practices and products that fall outside the realm of traditional Western medical theory and practice and that are used to complement or replace conventional medical therapies. The use of CAM has increased over the past two decades, and surveys have shown that up to 44% of patients with epilepsy are using some form of CAM treatment. This article reviews the CAM modalities of meditation, yoga, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, nutritional and herbal supplements, dietary measures, chiropractic care, acupuncture, Reiki, and homeopathy and what is known about their potential efficacy in patients with epilepsy.

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2009 Jul;9(4):313-8. McElroy-Cox C. Columbia Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Columbia University, Neurologic Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. cam18@columbia.edu

by Christy Witman

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? Most people do, but struggle to find out the meaning behind it all. We observe what is happening and have a hard time understanding the big picture. Haven't you had the experience where you are going through something and you know that it is happening for a reason, but you can't figure out what the reason is? You let go, and then months later all the puzzle pieces fall into place and you then feel grateful that it all happened the way it did?

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by Brenda J. Crawford-Bee

For me, there is no one particular approach or technique in discovering how to become master of my spiritual destiny. As a matter of truth, I have not really mastered any one thing fully. Every day, every situation in some way is the same yet in some ways, different, so... What I have done though is become better in some things today and I was say, a couple of months ago, a year ago, 10 years ago or even a lifetime(s) ago. My reminder is, "A little progress in many areas is better than no progress in most."

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by Bernie Siegel, MD

As doctors we are not trained to communicate and understand the power of our words as they relate to a patient's ability and desire to survive. It is also not only doctors but all the authority figures in our patient's lives that affect their ability to survive and the outcome of their disease. Parents, teachers, clergy and physicians change lives with their words. It is hypnotic for a child or patient to hear an authority figures words. As I am always sharing, wordswordswords can become swordswordswords and we can kill or cure with either words or swords.

Up to the age of six a child's brain wave pattern is similar to that of a hypnotized individual. To quote a woman, whose mother only gave her failure messages and dressed her in dark colors, and who as an adult has more trouble with her mother's words than she does with cancer. "My mother's words were eating away at me and maybe gave me cancer." We know from recent studies that loneliness affects the genes which control the immune system. So as doctors we need to ask the right questions and know what a patient has experienced and is experiencing in their lives. Can you imagine treating Christopher Reeve's wife for cancer without knowing her family history?

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by Edward J. Longo

Defeat Premature Aging, Gain Physiological Dexterity, Weight Control, and Positive Transformation

Exercising, whether aerobic, or anaerobic, on any level tends to create a mellowing, calming parasympathetic response. It is that natural high that causes the release of endorphins, or natural opiates, to enter the blood stream. Exercise also releases hormones that have been known to slow down, and even reverse the aging process. Combined with deep breathing, even minimal exercise can influence the physical body, thereby preventing it from aging too soon. Physiologically, the person who exercises will eventually become so invigorated it would seem as though an exorcism has actually been performed. Although I am a practicing hypnotherapist I have spent many years using body building methods and developing exercise regimens in the past. Over the years I have incorporated them to inspire my clients to exercise. This logical explanation, while never expressed in writing my new novel before now, was the reason for coming up with the title called EXERCISE / EXORCISM.

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Recent research has suggested that a number of environmental factors may be associated with a tendency for susceptible individuals to report mildly anomalous sensations typically associated with "haunted" locations, including a sense of presence, feeling dizzy, inexplicable smells, and so on. Factors that may be associated with such sensations include fluctuations in the electromagnetic field (EMF) and the presence of infrasound. A review of such work is presented, followed by the results of the "Haunt" project in which an attempt was made to construct an artificial "haunted" room by systematically varying such environmental factors. Participants (N=79) were required to spend 50 min in a specially constructed chamber, within which they were exposed to infrasound, complex EMFs, both or neither. They were informed in advance that during this period they might experience anomalous sensations and asked to record on a floor plan their location at the time of occurrence of any such sensations, along with a note of the time of occurrence and a brief description of the sensation. Upon completing the session in the experimental chamber, they were asked to complete three questionnaires. The first was an EXIT scale asking respondents to indicate whether or not they had experienced particular anomalous sensations. The second was the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale, a widely used measure of belief in and experience of the paranormal. The third was Persinger's Personal Philosophy Inventory, although only the items that constitute the Temporal Lobe Signs (TLS) Inventory sub-scale were scored. These items deal with psychological experiences typically associated with temporal lobe epilepsy but normally distributed throughout the general population. Although many participants reported anomalous sensations of various kinds, the number reported was unrelated to experimental condition but was related to TLS scores. The most parsimonious explanation for our findings is in terms of suggestibility.

Cortex. 2009 May;45(5):619-29. Epub 2008 Jun 5. French CC, Haque U, Bunton-Stasyshyn R, Davis R. Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, London, UK.

by Deidre Madsen, OM

TGI (TRANSFORMATIONAL GUIDED IMAGERY) = QUANTUM ENERGETICS - TODAY'S HEALING TOOL OF CHOICE!

Are you ready to become pain-free? Do you suffer from any of the following?

Body Aches and Pains
Deep-Set Fears
Withdrawing from the World
Emotional Unbalance
Dis-ease
Menopause and Peri-Menopause
Emotional Scarring
Childhood Traumas
Confused or Overwhelmed in Life
Addictions
Lost and Abandoned
Out of Balance or Out of Sync with Life
Phobias
Unchecked or Out-of-Control Anger
Traumatic Loss and Grief
Depression
Disconnected from Self/Spirit/Soul
Other? Fill in the blank _________

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by Ligia M. Houben, MA,CT,CG-C,ACCP, CH

In life we encounter many transitions. Some of them involve losses and therefore grief. But....what is grief? It is the expression of our suffering when someone or something dear to us is no longer at our side. So what happens to us? Is it normal to grieve? For how long? Although I would like to tell you exactly how long your grief will last....I can't....each person has his or her own "clock" and each grieving process is unique. What I can tell you is that your attitude toward what has happened to you can really make a difference in your life and the lives of others.

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The growing acceptance of consciousness as a legitimate field of enquiry and the availability of functional imaging has rekindled research interest in the use of hypnosis and suggestion to manipulate subjective experience and to gain insights into healthy and pathological cognitive functioning. Current research forms two strands. The first comprises studies exploring the cognitive and neural nature of hypnosis itself. The second employs hypnosis to explore known psychological processes using specifically targeted suggestions. An extension of this second approach involves using hypnotic suggestion to create clinically informed analogues of established structural and functional neuropsychological disorders. With functional imaging, this type of experimental neuropsychopathology offers a productive means of investigating brain activity involved in many symptom-based disorders and their related phenomenology.

Trends Cogn Sci. 2009 Jun;13(6):264-70. Epub 2009 May 8. Oakley DA, Halligan PW. Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK; School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.

OBJECTIVE: This report presents selected estimates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among U.S. adults and children, using data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Trends in adult use were assessed by comparing data from the 2007 and 2002 NHIS. METHODS: Estimates were derived from the Complementary and Alternative Medicine supplements and Core components of the 2007 and 2002 NHIS. Estimates were generated and comparisons conducted using the SUDAAN statistical package to account for the complex sample design. RESULTS: In 2007, almost 4 out of 10 adults had used CAM therapy in the past 12 months, with the most commonly used therapies being nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products (17.7%) and deep breathing exercises (12.7%). American Indian or Alaska Native adults (50.3%) and white adults (43.1%) were more likely to use CAM than Asian adults (39.9%) or black adults (25.5%). Results from the 2007 NHIS found that approximately one in nine children (11.8%) used CAM therapy in the past 12 months, with the most commonly used therapies being nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products (3.9%) and chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation (2.8%). Children whose parent used CAM were almost five times as likely (23.9%) to use CAM as children whose parent did not use CAM (5.1%). For both adults and children in 2007, when worry about cost delayed receipt of conventional care, individuals were more likely to use CAM than when the cost of conventional care was not a worry. Between 2002 and 2007 increased use was seen among adults for acupuncture, deep breathing exercises, massage therapy, meditation, naturopathy, and yoga. CAM use for head or chest colds showed a marked decrease from 2002 to 2007 (9.5% to 2.0%).

Natl Health Stat Report. 2009 Dec 10;(12):1-23. Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Interview Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA.

We administered suggestions to see a gray-scale pattern as colored and a colored pattern in shades of gray to 30 high suggestible and eight low suggestible students. The suggestions were administered twice, once following the induction of hypnosis and once without an induction. Besides rating the degree of color they saw in the stimuli differently, participants also rated their states of consciousness as normal, relaxed, hypnotized, or deeply hypnotized. Reports of being hypnotized were limited to highly suggestible participants and only after the hypnotic induction had been administered. Reports of altered color perception were also limited to high suggestibles, but were roughly comparable regardless of whether hypnosis had been induced. These data indicate that suggestible individuals do not slip into a hypnotic state when given imaginative suggestions without the induction of hypnosis, but nevertheless report experiencing difficult suggestions for profound perceptual alterations that are pheonomenologically similar to what they report in hypnosis.

Conscious Cogn. 2009 Jun;18(2):494-9. Mazzoni G, Rotriquenz E, Carvalho C, Vannucci M, Roberts K, Kirsch I. University of Hull, Department of Psychology, Cottingham Road, Hull HU5 3EY, United Kingdom.

Childhood habit cough has been treated successfully by making suggestions that it can be stopped, desensitization techniques, use of distractors, provision of rewards, and self-hypnosis. All of these techniques have involved personal contact between a health care provider and a patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 5-year-old with cystic fibrosis was diagnosed with habit cough following evaluation by a pediatric pulmonologist and otolaryngologist. An expert in the treatment of habit cough provided instruction by telephone to the patient's mother regarding use of hypnotic techniques in this setting, which was associated with resolution of the cough within a week. CONCLUSION: As this report describes a single patient, it is possible that his improvement was unrelated to the given advice. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether therapy by telephone for habit cough is applicable widely.

Cough. 2009 Jan 21;5:2. Anbar RD. Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA. anbarr@upstate.edu.

Although various treatment approaches are available for alcohol problems, less than 25% of individuals with alcohol use disorders obtain treatment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate interest in attending alternative alcohol treatments, such as meditation and acupuncture, compared to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). A community sample of 156 adult participants concerned about their drinking were recruited through flyers and newspaper advertisements to complete a Web-based survey assessing identification with mainstream culture, sexual identity, and likelihood to attend alternative alcohol treatments. Participants reported higher likelihood of attending alternative treatments as compared to AA, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual participants (28.2% of the sample) were more likely to attend alternative treatments than heterosexual participants. A series of regression analyses were conducted to test whether the relationship between sexual identity and likelihood to attend alternative treatments was mediated by identification with mainstream culture. Participants who were less strongly identified with mainstream culture, regardless of sexual identity, reported higher likelihood of attending alternative treatments. These findings highlight that, for certain subgroups of the population, alternative treatments for alcohol misuse are appealing and suggest the need for future research testing the efficacy of alternative treatments for alcohol problems.

Behav Ther. 2009 Mar;40(1):72-81. Dillworth TM, Kaysen D, Montoya HD, Larimer ME. University of Washington, Box 354944, Seattle, WA 98195-0650, USA. tiara@u.washington.edu

This paean composed on the occasion of the inaugural Bernauer W. Newton Trust presentation celebrates the personal and professional culture of 50 years of mentorship, teaching, and research by the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). This review of current neuroscience concepts of therapeutic hypnosis and psychotherapy is made possible by the cooperation and dedication of all members of our society. Emerging pathways of psychosocial genomic research, which will lead to new directions for our society, are highlighted for their impact on our professional practice in the present and future.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2009 Jan;51(3):281-98. Rossi EL. Ernest@ErnestRossi.com

Many patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). We aimed to survey the prevalence, spectrum of use, and factors related to utilization of CAM in patients with PD in Korea. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 15 December 2005 and 30 April 2006, we studied 123 patients with PD who volunteered to be interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. RESULTS: Ninety-four (76%) patients had used CAM. The mean cost of CAM paid by patients (out-of-pocket costs) was 102.3 US Dollars (USD) per month, while medical costs of treatment for PD paid by patients (out-of-pocket costs) averaged 72.8 USD per month. Patients using CAM sought to improve motor symptoms (57.6%), fatigue (19.6%), pain (4.3%), constipation (5.4%) or specified no single reason (13.0%). The spectrum of CAM use included oriental medicines (76.6%), traditional food (44.7%), non-prescribed drugs (31.9%), traditional therapies (7.4%), massage (7.4%) and behavioral therapy (7.4%). Factors related to current use of CAM were disease duration, degree of education, and daily levodopa equivalent dose. In a logistic regression analysis, the duration of PD was a significant factor for CAM use. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a high proportion of Korean PD patients employed CAM, associated with high costs and serious side effects in some patients.

Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2009 Feb;111(2):156-60. Kim SR, Lee TY, Kim MS, Lee MC, Chung SJ. Center for Parkinsonism and Other Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

Intention is defined as a directed thought to perform a determined action. Thoughts targeted to an end can affect inanimate objects and practically all living things from unicelular organisms to human beings. The emission of light particles (biophotons) seems to be the mechanism through which an intention produces its effects. All living organisms emit a constant current of photons as a mean to direct instantaneous nonlocal signals from one part of the body to another and to the outside world. Biophotons are stored in the intracelular DNA. When the organism is sick changes in biophotons emissions are produced.Direct intention manifests itself as an electric and magnetic energy producing an ordered flux of photons. Our intentions seem to operate as highly coherent frequencies capable of changing the molecular structure of matter. For the intention to be effective it is necessary to choose the appropriate time. In fact, living beings are mutually synchronized and to the earth and its constant changes of magnetic energy. It has been shown that the energy of thought can also alter the environment. Hypnosis, stigmata phenomena and the placebo effect can also be considered as types of intention, as instructions to the brain during a particular state of consciousness. Cases of spontaneous cures or of remote healing of extremely ill patients represent instances of an exceedingly great intention to control diseases menacing our lives. The intention to heal as well as the beliefs of the sick person on the efficacy of the healing influences promote his healing. In conclusion, studies on thought and consciousness are emerging as fundamental aspects and not as mere epiphenomena that are rapidly leading to a profound change in the paradigms of Biology and Medicine.

Invest Clin. 2008 Dec;49(4):595-615. Bonilla E. Instituto de Investigaciones Clínica Dr. Ambrico Negrette-Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas IVIC-Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. ebromero@cantv.net

by Tim Brunson DCH

Upon transcending neonatal development, the human brain continually develops in stages generally through the first 25 years of life. Unless interfered with by trauma, disease, or inherited disorders, this development follows specific genetically-determined patterns.

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OBJECTIVES: To explore the use and perceived usefulness of complementary and alternative medicine therapies and nonhormonal conventional medicine alternatives to treat vasomotor symptoms occurring after withdrawal from hormone therapy. DESIGN: Retrospective, single cross sectional descriptive study. SETTING: Study volunteers were recruited via a direct mailed questionnaire sent to a sample of women throughout the United States. Additional respondents were recruited through flyers and postcards advertising the study placed with permission at several health care provider offices and other locations. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 563 menopausal women who had discontinued the use of hormone therapy completed a questionnaire describing their experiences with the use of complementary and alternative medicine. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses to an investigator developed survey. RESULTS: Nearly half of the women surveyed used complementary and alternative medicine. The most common choices of complementary and alternative medicine were (a) multivitamins and calcium, (b) black cohosh, (c) soy supplements and food, (d) antidepressants, (e) meditation and relaxation, (f) evening primrose oil, (g) antihypertensives, and (h) homeopathy. Of the alternative therapies that were used by at least 5% of the sample, antidepressants were perceived as the most useful. CONCLUSIONS: With the increased adoption of complementary and alternative medicine, it is important for health care providers to be familiar with the various methods so they are comfortable discussing the benefits and risks with their patients to assist them in making informed decisions.

J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2009 Jan-Feb;38(1):50-9. Kupferer EM, Dormire SL, Becker H. Duramed Research, Inc., Medical Affairs, Bala Cynwyd, PA, USA. EMKupferer@aol.com

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

Portuguese norms for the Waterloo-Stanford Group C (WSGC) scale of hypnotic susceptibility are presented. A Portuguese translation of this scale was given to 625 Portuguese college students. Score distribution, item analysis, and reliability of the WSGC are presented and compared to three North American samples. The findings show that normative data from the Portuguese sample are congruent with the reference samples. The only significant difference obtained was a lower proportion of participants scoring within the high range of hypnotic suggestibility on the WSGC.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Jul;56(3):295-305. Carvalho C, Kirsch I, Mazzoni G, Leal I. Higher Institute of Applied Psychology, Lisbon, Portugal. claudia.carvalho@ispa.pt

The study group included 21 patients with malignant melanoma stage II-IV, aged 25-67, and 25 patients, aged 28-68, (control) with stomach tumors stage I-IV. All patients received individually-tailored hypnosis. Our newly-developed methods used batteries of suggestive images to deal with non-psychotic disorders and to map out strategies to support immunocompromised patients. In group 1, suggestion stimulated the "devouring" effect of the "patroling" cells. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of immunocompetent cells of peripheral blood were assessed by flow cytometry, immuno-enzymatic analysis and other procedures to evaluate immunological status. Correlation analysis of data on group 1 identified 7 negative coefficients (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) exactly in the monocytic macrophageal link thus suggesting the modulating effect of hypnosis. Our results support evidence available on the potential of hypnosis for cancer patient immunity and point for the first time to feasibility of differentiated targeting specific of the immune system.

Vopr Onkol. 2007;53(6):699-703. Bukhtoiarov OV, Kozhevnikov VS, Samarin DM, Solov'ëva IG, Pronkina NV, Shishikova IV, Kozlov VA.