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.

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    Benefits of balance and tone exercise in older women

    Researchers at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada studied the effects on cognitive function.

    First, the details.

    • 155 elderly community-dwelling women were randomly assigned to a treatment group.
      • Once-weekly resistance training
      • Twice-weekly resistance training
      • Control: Twice-weekly balance and tone training
    • Performance on the Stroop test — an executive cognitive test of selective attention and conflict resolution — was recorded, as well as a battery of other tests.
      • The Stroop Task is a psychological test of mental (attentional) vitality and flexibility.

    And, the results.

    • Both resistance training groups significantly improved their performance on the Stroop test compared with those in the control group.
    • Task performance improved 13% and 11% in the once-weekly and twice-weekly resistance training groups, respectively.
    • It deteriorated by 0.5% in the control group.
    • Enhanced selective attention and conflict resolution was significantly associated with increased gait speed.
    • Both resistance training groups demonstrated significant reductions in whole-brain volume compared with the control group at the end of the study.
      • This technique is a method of detecting early whole brain and gray matter volume loss associated with early dementia.

    The bottom line?

    The authors concluded, “12 months of once-weekly or twice-weekly resistance training benefited the executive cognitive function of selective attention and conflict resolution among senior women.”

    3/29/10 22:06 JR

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