Info sketchy on ‘new Alzheimer’s test

Info sketchy on ‘new Alzheimer’s test – Health News – NHS Choices.

NHS Choices examines the science behind the newspaper headlines.

What did the researchers conclude?

The lead study author, Marwan Sabbagh, concluded that this test provides an “easy, non-invasive way to assist an Alzheimer’s diagnosis at an early stage”. He said that it also offers exciting possibilities of using florbetaben as a tool in future clinical research studies looking at potential ways to reduce levels of amyloid in the brains of living patients.

Links to the headlines

New test for Alzheimer’s. Daily Express, April 16 2012

Alzheimer’s test predicts if disease will develop. The Daily Telegraph, April 16 2012

New test for Alzheimer’s: Drug pinpoints early signs of disease. Daily Mail, April 16 2012

Links to the science

New Method May Help Detect Marker for Alzheimer’s Disease Earlier. American Acadamy of Neurology, April 15 2012

Enhanced involvement of general practitioners in cancer rehabilitation: a randomised controlled trial — Bergholdt et al. 2 (2) — BMJ Open

Enhanced involvement of general practitioners in cancer rehabilitation: a randomised controlled trial — Bergholdt et al. 2 (2) — BMJ Open.

This article is available freely via Open Access. Please click on the above link to view it fully.

 

 

Abstract

 

Objective To test the hypothesis that a multimodal intervention giving the general practitioner (GP) an enhanced role in cancer rehabilitation improves patients’ health-related quality of life and psychological distress.

 

Design Cluster randomised controlled trial. All general practices in Denmark were randomised to an intervention group or to a control group. Patients were subsequently allocated to intervention or control (usual procedures) based on the randomisation status of their GP.

Study finds walking may ease depression symptoms

Study finds walking may ease depression symptoms – Health News – NHS Choices.

NHS Choices examines the science behind the newspaper headlines.

Conclusion

Physical activity is already thought to have a beneficial effect on depressive symptoms, and the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) currently recommends considering a structured group physical activity programme as a treatment option for people with mild-to-moderate depression and persistent ‘subthreshold’ depressive symptoms:

• subthreshold depression is defined as a person meeting fewer than five symptoms on an accepted set of diagnostic criteria for identifying depression
• mild depression is defined as having five of the symptoms (or a few more) required to make a diagnosis, but only minor functional impairment
• moderate depression is when symptoms or functional impairment are between mild and severe

NICE recommends that structured group physical activity is delivered in groups that are supported by a competent practitioner, and that it should typically consist of three sessions per week (lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour) over 10–14 weeks.

New approach to back pain management could save NHS £120m

via New approach to back pain management could save NHS £120m | News | Health Service Journal.

This article is solely the work of the HSJ. For a full copy of the article please contact the library.

Outcomes among back patients could be improved if a stratified management approach to providing primary care physiotherapy is adopted, research suggests.

 

Do adverts increase the probability of finding online cognitive behavioural therapy for depression? Cross-sectional study — Jones et al. 2 (2) — BMJ Open

Do adverts increase the probability of finding online cognitive behavioural therapy for depression? Cross-sectional study — Jones et al. 2 (2) — BMJ Open.

An NHS Athens account may be required to view this in full.

Abstract

Objective To estimate the effect of online adverts on the probability of finding online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for depression.

Design Exploratory online cross-sectional study of search experience of people in the UK with depression in 2011. (1) The authors identified the search terms over 6 months entered by users who subsequently clicked on the advert for online help for depression. (2) A panel of volunteers across the UK recorded websites presented by normal Google search for the term ‘depression’. (iii) The authors examined these websites to estimate probabilities of knowledgeable and naive internet users finding online CBT and the improved probability by addition of a Google advert.

Participants (1) 3868 internet users entering search terms related to depression into Google. (2) Panel, recruited online, of 12 UK participants with an interest in depression.

Main outcome measures Probability of finding online CBT for depression with/without an advert.

Results The 3868 users entered 1748 different search terms but the single keyword ‘depression’ resulted in two-thirds of the presentations of, and over half the ‘clicks’ on, the advert. In total, 14 different websites were presented to our panel in the first page of Google results for ‘depression’. Four of the 14 websites had links enabling access to online CBT in three clicks for knowledgeable users. Extending this approach to the 10 most frequent search terms, the authors estimated probabilities of finding online CBT as 0.29 for knowledgeable users and 0.006 for naive users, making it unlikely CBT would be found. Adding adverts that linked directly to online CBT increased the probabilities to 0.31 (knowledgeable) and 0.02 (naive).

Conclusions In this case, online CBT was not easy to find and online adverts substantially increased the chance for naive users. Others could use this approach to explore additional impact before committing to long-term Google AdWords advertising budgets.

Trial registration This exploratory case study was a substudy within a cluster randomised trial, registered on http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (reference: NCT01469689). (The trial will be reported subsequently).

 

 

New prostate cancer treatment may reduce side-effects

A new technique to treat early prostate cancer may have far fewer side-effects than existing therapies, say experts.

via BBC News – New prostate cancer treatment may reduce side-effects.

New report highlights obstacles for migrants in accessing healthcare in European Union

via New report highlights obstacles for migrants in accessing healthcare in European Union | BMJ.

An NHS Athens account may be required to view this in full.

The extent to which certain sections of society, particularly undocumented migrants, are excluded from healthcare systems in the European Union has been highlighted in a new report from Doctors of the World (Médecins du Monde), an international aid organisation providing medical care to vulnerable people across the world.

This report can be downloaded in full by clicking here

CCGs will be subject to Agenda for Change

via CCGs will be subject to Agenda for Change | News | Health Service Journal.

This article is solely the work of the HSJ. For a full copy of the article please contact the library.

Clinical commissioning groups will be made subject to the Agenda for Change pay agreement to avoid spiralling redundancy costs, it has been confirmed.

 

Sugar warning for ‘healthy’ soft drinks

People underestimate the amount of sugar in drinks which are perceived to be “healthy”, research suggests.

via BBC News – Sugar warning for ‘healthy’ soft drinks.

Obesity strategy criticised by royal colleges | News | Health Service Journal

Surgeons, psychiatrists, paediatricians and GPs launched a campaign today to battle rising levels of obesity, saying current strategies are not working.

via Obesity strategy criticised by royal colleges | News | Health Service Journal.

This article is solely the work of the HSJ. For a full copy of the article please contact the library.