Author Archives: Sam Snyder

Methylsulfonylmethane is a supplement that has demonstrated the following benefits in lab animal and human experiments:

1. enhances exercise recovery

2. protects the liver

3. may prevent breast cancer

4. protects against ulcerative colitis

5. reduces osteoarthritis pain

6. reduces symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis

References:

A multicentered, open-label trial on the safety and efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis. (Link)

Effect of chronic supplementation with methylsulfonylmethane on oxidative stress following acute exercise in untrained healthy men. (Link)

Effect of Methylsulfonylmethane on Paraquat-Induced Acute Lung and Liver Injury in Mice. (Link)

Effect of methylsulfonylmethane supplementation on exercise – Induced muscle damage and total antioxidant capacity. (Link)

Efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in osteoarthritis pain of the knee: a pilot clinical trial. (Link)

Hepatoprotective effect of methylsulfonylmethane against carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats. (Link)

Influence of methylsulfonylmethane on markers of exercise recovery and performance in healthy men: a pilot study. (Link)

Methylsulfonylmethane suppresses breast cancer growth by down-regulating STAT3 and STAT5b pathways. (Link)

Randomised, Double-Blind, Parallel, Placebo-Controlled Study of Oral Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane and their Combination in Osteoarthritis. (Link)

The effect of methylsulfonylmethane on the experimental colitis in the rat. (Link)

The Tower of London is a test that measures cognitive performance. Research in experiments with humans shows that certain medications and activities can increase performance on the Tower of London task (also known as the Tower of Hanoi). These medications and practices include:

Medications:

Methylphenidate

Modafinil

Olanzapine

Quetiapine

Exercise:

Resistance Exercise

Stationary Cycling

Yoga

References:

Differential effects of methylphenidate on problem solving in adults with ADHD. (Link)

Dose-response effect of acute resistance exercise on Tower of London in middle-aged adults. (Link)

Effects of acute exercise on executive function: a study with a Tower of London Task. (Link)

Improved performance in the Tower of London test following yoga. (Link)

Influence of atypical neuroleptics on executive functioning in patients with schizophrenia: a randomized, double-blind comparison of olanzapine vs. clozapine. (Link)

Methylphenidate improves aspects of executive function in African American children with ADHD. (Link)

Methylphenidate produces selective enhancement of declarative memory consolidation in healthy volunteers. (Link)

Quetiapine treatment and improved cognitive functioning in borderline personality disorder. (Link)

Sustaining executive functions during sleep deprivation: A comparison of caffeine, dextroamphetamine, and modafinil. (Link)

Yoga can change gene expression and reduce DNA damage and associated cellular dysfunction. In fact, one study showed that 68 genes were differentially expressed (19 up-regulated and 49 down-regulated) in response to Kirtan Kriya Yogic Meditation.

References:

Comparison of lymphocyte apoptotic index and qualitative DNA damage in yoga practitioners and breast cancer patients: A pilot study. (Link)

Yogic meditation reverses NF-κB and IRF-related transcriptome dynamics in leukocytes of family dementia caregivers in a randomized controlled trial. (Link)

Many studies show that yoga can reduce stress and anxiety. Some of the findings include:

• 87% decrease in severe depression

• 74% improvement on Profile of Moods Scale

• 72% increase in emotional intelligence

• 71% improvement on Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale

• 67% remission rate in depressed patients

• 66% decrease in anxiety

• 47% reduction in negative emotions

• 47% reduction in depression

• 41% anxiety remission rate as measured on the HAM-A

• 27% increase in brain GABA levels

• Reduced stress/anxiety and enhanced calmness in 83% of participants

• Remission of depression in 8 of 17 depressed patients

• Reduced symptoms of depression as measured by Beck Depression Inventory from 24.90 to 5.67

• State anxiety score decreased from 41.13 to 30.8

• Post-traumatic Checklist-17 declined by 42.5

• Improved 7 of 8 measures of mood and well-being on Profile of Mood States Bipolar and Inventory of Positive Psychological Attitudes

• Improved 9 of the 11 factors of Subjective Well Being Inventory

• Greater improvement on 16 of 18 mental health and quality-of-life factors

• Reduced reactivity in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to negative images

• Increased beta-endorphins

References:

“More than I expected”: perceived benefits of yoga practice among older adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. (Link)

A comparative randomised controlled trial of the effects of brain wave vibration training, iyengar yoga, and mindfulness on mood, well-being, and salivary cortisol. (Link)

A comprehensive yoga programs improves pain, anxiety and depression in chronic low back pain patients more than exercise: an RCT. (Link)

A multicomponent yoga-based, breath intervention program as an adjunctive treatment in patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder with or without comorbidities. (Link)

A randomised comparative trial of yoga and relaxation to reduce stress and anxiety. (Link)

A short-term, comprehensive, yoga-based lifestyle intervention is efficacious in reducing anxiety, improving subjective well-being and personality. (Link)

A yoga intervention for music performance anxiety in conservatory students. (Link)

A yoga intervention for young adults with elevated symptoms of depression. (Link)

Antidepressant efficacy and hormonal effects of Sudarshana Kriya Yoga (SKY) in alcohol dependent individuals. (Link)

Antidepressant efficacy of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) in melancholia: a randomized comparison with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and imipramine. (Link)

Benefits of yoga for psychosocial well-being in a US high school curriculum: a preliminary randomized controlled trial. (Link)

Effect of holistic yoga program on anxiety symptoms in adolescent girls with polycystic ovarian syndrome: A randomized control trial. (Link)

Effect of integrated yogic practices on positive and negative emotions in healthy adults. (Link)

Effect of Iyengar yoga on mental health of incarcerated women: a feasibility study. (Link)

Effect of Sahaj Yoga on depressive disorders. (Link)

Effect of Sahaja yoga meditation on quality of life, anxiety, and blood pressure control. (Link)

Effect of yoga based lifestyle intervention on state and trait anxiety. (Link)

Effect of yoga based lifestyle intervention on subjective well-being. (Link)

Effect of yoga on mental health: Comparative study between young and senior subjects in Japan. (Link)

Effect of yogic exercises on physical and mental health of young fellowship course trainees. (Link)

Effect of yogic practices on subjective well being. (Link)

Effects of a yoga breath intervention alone and in combination with an exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in survivors of the 2004 South-East Asia tsunami. (Link)

Effects of fitness training and yoga on well-being stress, social competence and body image. (Link)

Effects of Hatha yoga on stress in middle-aged women. (Link)

Effects of sensory-enhanced yoga on symptoms of combat stress in deployed military personnel. (Link)

Effects of yoga on sleep quality and depression in elders in assisted living facilities. (Link)

Effects of yoga versus walking on mood, anxiety, and brain GABA levels: a randomized controlled MRS study. (Link)

Efficacy of a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention in reducing stress and inflammation: preliminary results. (Link)

Evaluation of Siddha Samadhi Yoga for anxiety and depression symptoms: a preliminary study. (Link)

Immediate effects of two relaxation techniques on healthy volunteers. (Link)

Integrated yoga therapy for improving mental health in managers. (Link)

Iyengar yoga for distressed women: a 3-armed randomized controlled trial. (Link)

Medical yoga for patients with stress-related symptoms and diagnoses in primary health care: a randomized controlled trial. (Link)

Mood alteration with yoga and swimming: aerobic exercise may not be necessary. (Link)

Neurocognitive correlates of the effects of yoga meditation practice on emotion and cognition: a pilot study. (Link)

Open trial of Vinyasa yoga for persistently depressed individuals: evidence of feasibility and acceptability. (Link)

Performance in a substitution task and state anxiety following yoga in army recruits. (Link)

Post traumatic stress symptoms and heart rate variability in Bihar flood survivors following yoga: a randomized controlled study. (Link)

Profile of mood states and stress-related biochemical indices in long-term yoga practitioners. (Link)

Psychophysiological changes at the time of examination in medical students before and after the practice of yoga and relaxation. (Link)

Randomized controlled trial of yogic meditation techniques for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. (Link)

Rapid stress reduction and anxiolysis among distressed women as a consequence of a three-month intensive yoga program. (Link)

Reducing psychological distress and obesity through Yoga practice. (Link)

Sleep quality, depression state, and health status of older adults after silver yoga exercises: cluster randomized trial. (Link)

Stress due to exams in medical students–role of yoga. (Link)

Tai chi/yoga effects on anxiety, heartrate, EEG and math computations. (Link)

Tai chi/yoga reduces prenatal depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances. (Link)

The effect of yoga in stress reduction for dental students performing their first periodontal surgery: A randomized controlled study. (Link)

The effect of yoga on neuroticism in an Indian population varies with socio-demographic factors. (Link)

The effect of yoga therapy on selected psychological variables among male patients with insomnia. (Link)

The effectiveness of yoga for the improvement of well-being and resilience to stress in the workplace. (Link)

The effects of yoga on mood in psychiatric inpatients. (Link)

The impact of a short-term iyengar yoga program on the health and well-being of physically inactive older adults. (Link)

Transforming trauma: a qualitative feasibility study of integrative restoration (iRest) yoga Nidra on combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. (Link)

Yoga as a complementary treatment of depression: effects of traits and moods on treatment outcome. (Link)

Yoga Asana sessions increase brain GABA levels: a pilot study. (Link)

Yoga for reducing perceived stress and back pain at work. (Link)

Yoga Nidra as a complementary treatment of anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with menstrual disorder. (Link)

Yoga Reduces Performance Anxiety in Adolescent Musicians. (Link)

Yoga reduces symptoms of distress in tsunami survivors in the andaman islands. (Link)

Yoga therapy for developing emotional intelligence in mid-life managers. (Link)

Research shows that yoga has the following cardiovascular benefits and can enhance heart health:

1. reduces blood pressure

2. leads to regression of coronary lesions

3. reduces triglycerides

4. reduces LDL cholesterol

5. raises HDL cholesterol

6. improves treadmill endurance and cardiorespiratory performance

7. reduces atrial fibrillation episodes

8. decreases IL-6

9. decreases C-reactive protein

10. decreases blood glucose

11. raises adiponectin

12. enhances control of heart rate

References:

12-month follow-up of yoga and bio-feedback in the management of hypertension. (Link)

A brief but comprehensive lifestyle education program based on yoga reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. (Link)

A new physiological approach to control essential hypertension. (Link)

Adiponectin, Interleukin-6, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Are Modified by a Short-Term Yoga-Based Lifestyle Intervention in Overweight and Obese Men. (Link)

An assessment of a sequence of yoga exercises to patients with arterial hypertension. (Link)

An evaluation of the ability to voluntarily reduce the heart rate after a month of yoga practice. (Link)

Beneficial effects of yoga lifestyle on reversibility of ischaemic heart disease: caring heart project of International Board of Yoga. (Link)

Benefits of yoga for African American heart failure patients. (Link)

Comprehensive Approach to Lower Blood Pressure (CALM-BP): a randomized controlled trial of a multifactorial lifestyle intervention. (Link)

Effect of selected yogic practices on the management of hypertension. (Link)

Effect of short-term pranayama and meditation on cardiovascular functions in healthy individuals. (Link)

Effect of Yoga on Arrhythmia Burden, Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: The YOGA My Heart Study. (Link)

Effect of yoga on cardiovascular system in subjects above 40 years. (Link)

Effect of yogic bellows on cardiovascular autonomic reactivity. (Link)

Effect of yogic practices on lipid profile and body fat composition in patients of coronary artery disease. (Link)

Effects of Hatha yoga and Omkar meditation on cardiorespiratory performance, psychologic profile, and melatonin secretion. (Link)

Iyengar Yoga versus Enhanced Usual Care on Blood Pressure in Patients with Prehypertension to Stage I Hypertension: a Randomized Controlled Trial. (Link)

Modulation of cardiovascular response to exercise by yoga training. (Link)

Modulation of stress induced by isometric handgrip test in hypertensive patients following yogic relaxation training. (Link)

Non-pharmacological Interventions in Hypertension: A Community-based Cross-over Randomized Controlled Trial. (Link)

Randomised controlled trial of yoga and bio-feedback in management of hypertension. (Link)

Retardation of coronary atherosclerosis with yoga lifestyle intervention. (Link)

Role of sudarshan kriya and pranayam on lipid profile and blood cell parameters during exam stress: A randomized controlled trial. (Link)

Role of yoga in management of essential hypertension. (Link)

Role of yoga in modifying certain cardiovascular functions in type 2 diabetic patients. (Link)

The effect of a six-week program of yoga and meditation on brachial artery reactivity: do psychosocial interventions affect vascular tone? (Link)

The effects of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga on some physiological and biochemical parameters in mild hypertensive patients. (Link)

The effects of yoga on hypertensive persons in Thailand. (Link)

Therapeutic Effect of Yoga in Patients with Hypertension with Reference to GST Gene Polymorphism. (Link)

Therapeutic potential of yoga practices in modifying cardiovascular risk profile in middle aged men and women. (Link)

Using silver yoga exercises to promote physical and mental health of elders with dementia in long-term care facilities. (Link)

This post describes how to find a meta-analysis or multiple meta-analyses for guidance in treating medical conditions. A meta-analysis combines results from multiple studies or clinical trials. The rationale is that a combination of multiple studies is usually more effective than a single study in determining whether a treatment works.

1. Cochrane Collaboration

Cochrane Summaries is a page from the Cochrane Collaboration that allows people to search for treatments for certain conditions. The summaries list the number of studies that were analyzed. They also list the results of the combined studies that were examined when preparing the report.

2. PubMed

The following search lists all the published papers indexed by PubMed that have the words “meta analysis” in the title or have meta-analysis as the publication type. This search does not include meta-analyses published by Cochrane, since the previous step covers how to find those papers.

((“meta analysis”[title] OR “meta analysis”[publication type])) NOT “Cochrane Database Syst Rev”[jour]

Here are some examples of a search to find meta-analyses for a condition and for a medication. To search for a different condition or medication, replace the word in front of the [title/abstract] section.

Depression:

(((“meta analysis”[title] OR “meta analysis”[publication type])) AND depression[title/abstract]) NOT “Cochrane Database Syst Rev”[jour]

Fluoxetine:

(((“meta analysis”[title] OR “meta analysis”[publication type])) AND fluoxetine[title/abstract]) NOT “Cochrane Database Syst Rev”[jour]

Experiments involving people with generalized anxiety disorder show that brain stimulation can reduce feelings of anxiety. These include cranial electrotherapy stimulation and radioelectric brain stimulation.

References:

A pilot study of cranial electrotherapy stimulation for generalized anxiety disorder. (Link)

Radioelectric brain stimulation in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder with comorbid major depression in a psychiatric hospital: a pilot study. (Link)

Experiments show that the chamomile plant and its extracts has these medicinal benefits:

1. protects the brain

2. reduces anxiety

3. improves sleep

4. enhances wound healing

5. reduces depression symptoms

6. lowers blood glucose

7. reduces morphine dependence

8. helps treat ADHD

9. has anticonvulsant effects

10. protects the gastric mucosa

11. protects the kidneys

References:

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. (Link)

An experimental study of the effects of Matricaria chamomilla extract on cutaneous burn wound healing in albino rats. (Link)

Antihyperglycemic and antioxidative potential of Matricaria chamomilla L. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. (Link)

Apigenin, a component of Matricaria recutita flowers, is a central benzodiazepine receptors-ligand with anxiolytic effects. (Link)

Benefit of Aloe vera and Matricaria recutita mixture in rat irritable bowel syndrome: Combination of antioxidant and spasmolytic effects. (Link)

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, depressed humans: an exploratory study. (Link)

Comparative analysis between Chamomilla recutita and corticosteroids on wound healing. An in vitro and in vivo study. (Link)

Effect of chamomile on wound healing–a clinical double-blind study. (Link)

Hypnotic activities of chamomile and passiflora extracts in sleep-disturbed rats. (Link)

Matricaria chamomilla attenuates cisplatin nephrotoxicity. (Link)

Matricaria chamomilla extract inhibits both development of morphine dependence and expression of abstinence syndrome in rats. (Link)

Neuroprotective activity of Matricaria recutita against fluoride-induced stress in rats. (Link)

Neuroprotective activity of Matricaria recutita Linn against global model of ischemia in rats. (Link)

Observational study: Matricaria chamomilla may improve some symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. (Link)

Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. (Link)

Protective effect of Matricaria chamomilla on ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury in rats. (Link)

Study of antiseizure effects of Matricaria recutita extract in mice. (Link)

Wound healing activity of Matricaria recutita L. extract. (Link)

A large and growing body of human studies have demonstrated that the neuropathic pain medication pregabalin is useful for treating anxiety disorders. Research shows pregabalin is especially useful in relieving symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Unlike other pain medications, pregabalin has fewer restrictions on its use.

References:

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose, multicenter study of pregabalin in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. (Link)

Adjunctive therapy with pregabalin in generalized anxiety disorder patients with partial response to SSRI or SNRI treatment. (Link)

An international survey of reported prescribing practice in the treatment of patients with generalised anxiety disorder. (Link)

Augmentation with pregabalin in schizophrenia. (Link)

Does early improvement predict endpoint response in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) treated with pregabalin or venlafaxine XR? (Link)

Early onset anxiolytic efficacy after a single dose of pregabalin: double-blind, placebo- and active-comparator controlled evaluation using a dental anxiety model. (Link)

Effect of a single dose of pregabalin on post-operative pain and pre-operative anxiety in patients undergoing discectomy. (Link)

Effects of anxiolytic treatment on potentiated startle during aversive image anticipation. (Link)

Effects of pregabalin on subjective sleep disturbance symptoms during withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine use. (Link)

Efficacy and safety of pregabalin in elderly people with generalised anxiety disorder. (Link)

Efficacy and safety of pregabalin in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a 6-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison of pregabalin and venlafaxine. (Link)

Efficacy of pregabalin and venlafaxine-XR in generalized anxiety disorder: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week trial. (Link)

Efficacy of pregabalin in generalized social anxiety disorder: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose study. (Link)

Efficacy of pregabalin in preventing relapse in patients with generalized social anxiety disorder: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled 26-week study. (Link)

Efficacy of pregabalin in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison of BID versus TID dosing. (Link)

Efficacy of the novel anxiolytic pregabalin in social anxiety disorder: a placebo-controlled, multicenter study. (Link)

Impact of gastrointestinal symptoms on response to pregabalin in generalized anxiety disorder: results of a six-study combined analysis. (Link)

Long-term efficacy of pregabalin in generalized anxiety disorder. (Link)

Pregabalin augmentation in treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder. (Link)

Pregabalin augmentation of antidepressants in older patients with comorbid depression and generalized anxiety disorder-an open-label study. (Link)

Pregabalin effects on neural response to emotional faces. (Link)

Pregabalin for treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a 4-week, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pregabalin and alprazolam. (Link)

Pregabalin in generalized anxiety disorder: a placebo-controlled trial. (Link)

Pregabalin in the discontinuation of long-term benzodiazepines’ use. (Link)

Pregabalin influences insula and amygdala activation during anticipation of emotional images. (Link)

Pregabalin versus SSRIs and SNRIs in benzodiazepine-refractory outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder: a post hoc cost-effectiveness analysis in usual medical practice in Spain. (Link)

Switching from long-term benzodiazepine therapy to pregabalin in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. (Link)

The anxiolytic effect of pregabalin in outpatients undergoing minor orthopaedic surgery. (Link)

Several studies show that the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis medication riluzole is useful in treating anxiety disorders. I can imagine that doctors might be hesitant to prescribe ALS medication to young healthy people, but the results show riluzole can in fact be helpful for people with anxiety problems.

References:

A pilot study of hippocampal volume and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) as response biomarkers in riluzole-treated patients with GAD. (Link)

Hippocampal N-acetylaspartate concentration and response to riluzole in generalized anxiety disorder. (Link)

Open-label trial of riluzole in generalized anxiety disorder. (Link)

Riluzole effect on occipital cortex: A structural and spectroscopy pilot study. (Link)