The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Schizophrenia' Category

Predicting the risk of psychosis in cannabis users

Sunday, April 17th, 2016

Cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of psychosis. It’s suggested that genetic variation in the AKT1 gene might influence this adverse effect.

Researchers at Kings College London, in the UK, studied the connection. (more…)

Omega-3 to treat mental illness

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Several health organizations have come together to review the evidence.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

Marijuana and brain volume changes in people at high risk of schizophrenia

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

Researchers at Royal Edinburgh Hospital, in the UK are the first to follow patients over 2 years. (more…)

Physiotherapy to treat schizophrenia

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

Researchers at Catholic University Leuven, in Belgium, reviewed the evidence for physical therapy in people with schizophrenia.

First, the details.

10 studies were included in the review.

  • 6 studies addressed the use of aerobic and strength exercises.
    • In 2 of these studies, yoga techniques also were investigated.
  • 4 studies addressed the use of progressive muscle relaxation.

And, the results.

  • There’s evidence that aerobic and strength exercises and yoga reduce psychiatric symptoms, anxiety and psychological distress, and improve health-related quality of life.
  • Aerobic exercise improves short-term memory.
  • Progressive muscle relaxation reduces anxiety and psychological distress.

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, “Physical therapy offers added value in the multidisciplinary care of people with schizophrenia.”

The differences between studies in terms of design and the small number of patients studies, say the researchers, make it necessary to conduct additional studies to confirm these findings.

11/6/11 18:48 JR

Sumarizing the mental health implications of music therapy

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Researchers at Kaohsiung Medical University, in Taiwan reviewed the evidence related to music’s effect on people with different mental illnesses. (more…)

Fatty acids, vitamin D, and the risk of psychotic-like symptoms

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Low intake of fish, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and vitamin D deficiency has been suggested to play a role in the development of schizophrenia.

Researchers from Scandinavia evaluated the association between the intake of different fish species, PUFA, and vitamin D, and the prevalence of psychotic-like symptoms in Swedish women. (more…)

Vitamin D levels in adolescents with severe mental illness

Sunday, April 17th, 2011

Research suggests that patients with schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics have low vitamin D blood levels and may have a higher risk of hip fractures in their later years than the general population.

Researchers at Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris, in France, evaluated whether the vitamin D levels in adolescent psychiatric inpatients were lower than the 30 ng/mL recommended to protect against osteoporosis. (more…)

Treating tardive dyskinesia with Ginkgo biloba

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Tardive dyskinesia is a disorder that involves involuntary movements, especially of the lower face.

Researchers at Peking University, in Beijing, China studied the value of EGb-761, a standardized extract given in capsule form, in patients with schizophrenia. (more…)

Review: Cannabis use in schizophrenia

Saturday, October 16th, 2010

marijuana leafPeople with schizophrenia frequently report benefit from cannabis use. Yet, cannabis may be a risk factor for schizophrenia.

Researchers from the University of Bergen, in Norway reviewed the medical research for a connection. (more…)

Cannabis and the risk for developing psychosis

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, hypothesized that cannabis use (or a cannabis use disorder) at a younger age relates to a high-risk symptoms at a younger age.

And a second study comes to rather odd conclusions about marijuana and schizophrenia severity. (more…)

Is there a role for exercise to treat schizophrenia?

Monday, May 17th, 2010

In this Cochrane Library review, researchers from the University of Toronto, in Ontario evaluated the mental health effects of exercise/physical activity programs for people with schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like illnesses. (more…)

Farm animals help treat mental disorders

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Researchers from the Norwegian University tell us, “The benefits of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) for humans with mental disorders have been well-documented using cats and dogs.”

But what about farm animals? (more…)

Using N-acetylcysteine to treat schizophrenia

Thursday, September 4th, 2008

 Brain levels of glutathione are lower in schizophrenia — a disorder that often is chronic and not responsive to treatment. Since N-acetylcysteine (NAC) increases brain levels of glutathione in rodents, an international group of researchers sought to determine its effect in patients. (more…)

Marijuana use increases the risk of schizophrenia

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

According to a study in The Lancet, “There is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life.” (more…)

Adding yoga to schizophrenia treatment

Wednesday, February 20th, 2008

Yoga instructor Janette Scott wrote in Yoga Magazine, “Yoga has been shown to give many positive benefits to people with the disease for maintaining balance and harmony in their lives.” She also knew, “there needs to be a lot of further research and verification of the effects and benefits of yoga for this condition.”

Now, 10 years later, here’s a study from the National Institute of Mental Health and NeuroSciences in Bangalore, India. (more…)

Spinning the effect of marijuana abuse in schizophrenics

Friday, January 25th, 2008

NORML, the medical marijuana advocacy group, thinks this is a positive study.

I don’t see it that way. (more…)

Winners of the Dr. Rogers Prize for Excellence in CAM

Sunday, January 6th, 2008

Dr. Alastair Cunningham of Toronto, Ontario and Dr. Abram Hoffer of Victoria, BC received the honor at an award ceremony in Vancouver last November. (more…)

Ayurvedic herbs used to treat schizophrenia

Thursday, October 18th, 2007

The Cochrane Library reviewed the literature and found 3 small studies. (more…)

Chinese herbal medicine plus antipsychotic medication to treat schizophrenia

Saturday, May 19th, 2007

The Cochrane Collaboration review of 7 studies suggests the following.

(more…)

Omega-3 effects on mood, personality, and behavior

Tuesday, March 27th, 2007

There’s growing interest in the relationship between fatty acids and variability in mood, behavior, and personality.

Here are the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh in the US.

(more…)