The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    British Association for Psychopharmacology rates CAM for dementia

    Actually, they reviewed more than CAM, but that’s what will be covered here.

    A rating system was used to assign the strength of the supporting evidence for each CAM treatment. So, starting from the stongest supporting research results…

    Type 1a evidence (based on an analysis of controlled trials)

    • Aromatherapy
    • Bright light therapy
    • Both are effective treatments for behavioral problems and psychiatric symptoms

    Type 1b evidence (based on analysis of at least one controlled trial)

    • Ginkgo biloba produces modest benefit in judgment and reasoning (cognition)
    • Vitamin E does not reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s in people with mildly impaired judgment and reasoning

    Type 2a evidence (based on one well-designed study)

    • Reminiscence therapy has a positive effect on judgment and reasoning at about one-fifth of that seen with cholinesterase inhibitors
    • Cognitive training does not work for rehabilitating judgment and reasoning
    • The authors do state however, that cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduces psychiatric problems experienced by caregivers

    Type 3 evidence (based on non-experimental descriptive studies)

    • Psychological interventions can improve behavioral symptoms in people with dementia

    Any effect of B12 and folate await the results of ongoing studies.

    Illustration: Neurofibrillary tangles and fiberlike processes of neurons (black) surround an amyloid plaque. Source: Chemical and Engineering News

    10/26/06 16:26 JR

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