Mapa de evidências sobre a efetividade clínica da ventosaterapia: informe executivo / Evidence map on the clinical effectiveness of cupping therapy: executive report

O mapa apresenta uma visão geral das evidências sobre os efeitos da Ventosaterapia. A partir de uma ampla busca bibliográfica foram incluídos no mapa 25 estudos de revisão. Todos os estudos foram avaliados, caracterizados e categorizados por um grupo de pesquisadores da área de acupuntura e Medicina Tradicional Chinesa. Principais Achados: • As revisões avaliaram o efeito da ventosaterapia em 4 tipos: apenas ventosa, Ventosa multimodal com MTC, Ventosa multimodal com MTC e não-MTC e Ventosa multimodal com não-MTC. • As intervenções foram associadas a 19 desfechos de saúde distribuídos em 5 grupos: Bem-Estar, Vitalidade e Qualidade de Vida, Dor, Doenças Crônicas Não Transmissíveis, Doenças Infectocontagiosas e Doenças Não Transmissíveis. • No total foram 40 associações entre intervenção e desfecho, sendo a maior parte (22) com Ventosa multimodal com MTC e não-MTC e para desfechos do grupo Dor (20). • O grupo dos desfechos Dor recebeu a maioria das associações (20), seguido do grupo Doenças Crônicas Não Transmissíveis (10). Dentre os desfechos, destaque para dor cervical (6), dor lombar (4), alívio da dor (4), dor muscular (3) e herpes zoster (3). Os outros 15 desfechos foram associados 2 ou 1 vez. Implicações para a prática e pesquisa: • Os efeitos positivos de 14 associações foram reportados principalmente para os desfechos: dor cervical (3), dor lombar (3), acne vulgar (2) e herpes zoster (2). • Os efeitos potencialmente positivos foram reportados para 20 associações principalmente para os desfechos: dor cervical (3), alívio da dor (2), Hipertensão Arterial (2), Osteoartrite (2) e Capacidade Funcional (2). • Foram reportados efeitos inconclusivos/misturados para 6 associações, sendo 2 para o desfecho dor muscular e 1 associação para outros 4 desfechos (acne vulgar, acidente vascular cerebral, alívio da dor e mobilidade). • Efeitos negativos não foram reportados.

A fractionated analysis of hot and cool self-regulation in cigarette smokers from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Smoking cigarettes and low socioeconomic status (SES) are both related to impaired cognition. However, it is unknown whether people of lower SES, who comprise most tobacco smokers worldwide, are more susceptible to cognitive impairment associated with smoking. In this non-randomized, cross-sectional study we investigated the effects of cigarette smoking, SES and their interaction on dissociable executive or "cool" and "hot" measures of behavioural self-regulation. Participants (n = 80) were selected among young physically and mentally healthy smokers and non-smokers who had graduated high school and were from different SES backgrounds. Cool self-regulation was measured by executive function tasks that tap inhibition, updating, shifting, dual tasking, planning, access to long-term memory (semantic fluency), and working memory capacity. Hot measures assessed self-reported impulsivity, delay discounting and risk taking. Exposure to tobacco (cotinine, exhaled carbon monoxide, tobacco dependence, cigarette consumption) was assessed to determine to what extent it mediated the cognitive effects of smoking. Nicotine abstinence and its acute effects were controlled, as were sex, age, schooling, and psychiatric symptoms despite the fact that smokers and non-smokers were selected as being as similar as possible in these demographic characteristics. Lower SES (less years of parental schooling) was associated with worse performance on tasks that measured all cool domains except dual tasking and fluency, while smoking status was related to impaired delayed discounting and impulsivity (hot domains), effects that were not mediated by tobacco exposure. Smoking and SES, however, did not interact. In short, impaired performance in measures of most cool skills was associated with SES irrespective of smoking status; in contrast, regardless of SES, smokers showed specific impairment in hot self-regulation domains (more difficulty resisting immediate temptations and weighing future consequences of actions). Possible explanations for the lack of mediation of tobacco exposure on hot skills of smokers are discussed.

Tibetan medicinal formulas used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders

Introduction: Men-Tsee-Khang in Dharamsala, India, formally known as the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute (TMAI), is dedicated to the teachings and practice of Tibetan medicine, which uses therapeutic agents in multi-ingredient formulas. Aim of the study: The aim of the present study was to identify formulas used at Men-Tsee-Khang for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and to compare the Tibetan usage of particular ingredients with pharmacological data from the scientific database. Methods: Using ethnographic techniques and methods, five physicians were selected, and the interviews were conducted between July 2010 and February 2011. Results: A correlation was observed between central nervous system disorders and rLung, one of the three humors in Tibetan medicine, and 10 formulas used to treat the imbalance of this particular humor were identified. These formulas utilize 61 ingredients, including salts, animal products and plants. The 48 plant species identified in these formulas are traditionally used in Tibetan medicine and are deposited at the Men-Tsee-Khang Herbarium. Each formula treats several symptoms related to rLung imbalance, so the plants may have therapeutic uses distinct from those of the formulas in which they are included. Data from the scientific literature indicate that all of the formulas include ingredients with neuropsychiatric action and corroborate the therapeutic use of 75,6% of the plants. Conclusion: These findings indicate a level of congruence between the therapeutic uses of particular plant species in Tibetan and Western medicines.