ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Treatment of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with homeopathy is difficult. The Swiss randomised, placebo controlled, cross-over trial in ADHD patients (Swiss ADHD trial) was designed with an open-label screening phase prior to the randomised controlled phase. During the screening phase, the response of each child to successive homeopathic medications was observed until the optimal medication was identified. Only children who reached a predefined level of improvement participated in the randomised, cross-over phase. Although the randomised phase revealed a significant beneficial effect of homeopathy, the cross-over caused a strong carryover effect diminishing the apparent difference between placebo and verum treatment. METHODS: This retrospective analysis explores the screening phase data with respect to the risk of failure to demonstrate a specific effect of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) with randomisation at the start of the treatment. RESULTS: During the screening phase, 84% (70/83) of the children responded to treatment and reached eligibility for the randomised trial after a median time of 5 months (range 1-18), with a median of 3 different medications (range 1-9). Thirteen children (16%) did not reach eligibility. Five months after treatment start, the difference in Conners Global Index (CGI) rating between responders and non-responders became highly significant (p = 0.0006). Improvement in CGI was much greater following the identification of the optimal medication than in the preceding suboptimal treatment period (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Because of the necessity of identifying an optimal medication before response to treatment can be expected, randomisation at the start of treatment in an RCT of homeopathy in ADHD children has a high risk of failure to demonstrate a specific treatment effect, if the observation time is shorter than 12 months.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Homeopathy/methods , Materia Medica/therapeutic use , Patient Selection , Adolescent , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/drug therapy , Child , Cross-Over Studies , Double-Blind Method , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Humans , Male , Multivariate Analysis , Research Design , Retrospective Studies , Severity of Illness Index , Switzerland , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The rigorous test to which homeopathy was subject in our recent double-blind clinical trail of homeopathic treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) necessitated optimized treatment meeting the highest standards. METHODS: Optimization was performed in three steps: (1) In successfully treated children, prescriptions leading to an insufficient response were analysed by a general questionnaire to identify unreliable symptoms. (2) Polarity analysis, a further development of Bönninghausen's concept of contraindications, was introduced in response to the frequently one-sided symptoms. This enabled us to use few but specific symptoms to identify the medicine whose genius symptoms exhibit the closest match to the patient's characteristic symptoms. (3) We investigated the influence of the primary perception symptoms on the result of the repertorization. Perception symptoms are not normally recorded during a patient interview even though they are among the most reliable facts related by the patients. At the same time we were able to improve the continuity of improvement of ADHD symptoms using liquid Q-potencies. RESULTS: Introducing the questionnaire, polarity analysis, and including perception symptoms, lead to an improvement in the success rate of the first prescription from 21% to 54%, of the fifth prescription from 68% to 84%.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/therapy , Child Behavior , Homeopathy/methods , Sick Role , Adolescent , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/drug therapy , Child , Child Welfare , Child, Preschool , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Male , Materia Medica/therapeutic use , Perception , Prospective Studies , Quality of Life , Surveys and Questionnaires , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Efficacy of higher homeopathic potencies is controversial. Universally accepted specific detection assays for homeopathic dilutions do not exist. Basic research has to develop a spectrum of standardized tools to investigate the mode of action and nature of homeopathic potencies. OBJECTIVE: Can the shoot growth reaction of dwarf peas (gibberellin- deficient mutants) be regarded as evidence of treatment with homeopathic potencies of plant growth substances? MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pea seed (Pisum sativum L. cv. Fruher Zwerg) is immersed for 24 hours in homeopathic potency or control solutions for soaking. Plants germinate and grow in a standard cultivation substrate under controlled environmental conditions. Shoot length is measured 14 days after planting. RESULTS: A screening of homeopathic potencies (12x-30x) of four different plant growth substances revealed biological activity of certain potency levels of gibberellin and kinetin (p < 0.05). Growth stimulation through gibberellin 17x (5 x 10(-18 M)) was assessed in six independent replications; results confirmed those of the screening (p < 0.05). The effect of gibberellin 17x seemed to weaken during the course of the experiments. CONCLUSION: The results back the hypothesis that homeopathic potencies of plant growth substances affect pea shoot growth. Dwarf peas might thus be an interesting system model for studying the action of homeopathic potencies. Further work is required to identify all boundary conditions modulating the reactivity of this system.
Subject(s)
Adenine/analogs & derivatives , Homeopathy , Pisum sativum/drug effects , Plant Growth Regulators/pharmacology , Plant Shoots/drug effects , Seeds/drug effects , Adenine/pharmacology , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Gibberellins/pharmacology , Kinetin , Pisum sativum/growth & development , Plant Shoots/growth & development , Seeds/growth & developmentABSTRACT
El tratamiento convencional de antibioticos para optitis media aguda (OMA) enfrenta varios problemas, incluyendo la resistencia bacteriana. La homeopatia es capaz de tratar la OMA con exito. Considerando que la OMA tiene un alto indice de resolucion espontanea, un ...
Subject(s)
Child , Homeopathy , Otitis Media , Homeopathic Therapeutics , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
El tratamiento convencional de antibioticos para optitis media aguda (OMA) enfrenta varios problemas, incluyendo la resistencia bacteriana. La homeopatia es capaz de tratar la OMA con exito. Considerando que la OMA tiene un alto indice de resolucion espontanea, un ... (AU)
Subject(s)
Child , Otitis Media , Homeopathy , Treatment Outcome , Homeopathic TherapeuticsABSTRACT
The conventional antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media (AOM) faces a number of problems, including antibiotic resistance. Homeopathy has been shown to be capable of treating AOM successfully. As AOM has a high rate of spontaneous resolution, a trial to prove any treatment-effect has to demonstrate very fast resolution of symptoms. The purpose of this study was to find out how many children with AOM are relieved of pain within 12 h after the beginning of homeopathic treatment, making additional measures unnecessary. Two hundred and thirty children with AOM received a first individualized homeopathic medicine in the paediatric office. If pain-reduction was not sufficient after 6 h, a second (different) homeopathic medicine was given. After a further 6 h, children who had not reached pain control were started on antibiotics. Pain control was achieved in 39% of the patients after 6 h, another 33% after 12 h. This resolution rate is 2.4 times faster than in placebo controls. There were no complications observed in the study group, and compared to conventional treatment the approach was 14% cheaper.
Subject(s)
Materia Medica/therapeutic use , Otitis Media/drug therapy , Acute Disease , Adolescent , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Materia Medica/economics , Otitis Media/complications , Otitis Media/economics , Remission, Spontaneous , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The sharp increase of the prescription of methylphenidate (MPD) in hyperactive children in recent years is a matter of increasing uneasiness among professionals, parents and politicians. There is little awareness of treatment alternatives. The purpose of this prospective trial was to assess the efficacy of homeopathy in hyperactive patients and to compare it MPD. The study was performed in a paediatric practice with conventional and homeopathic backgrounds. Children aged 3-17 y, conforming to the DSM-IV criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with a Conners Global Index (CGI) of 14 or higher were eligible for the study. All of them received an individual homeopathic treatment. When clinical improvement reached 50%, the parents were asked to reevaluate the symptoms. Those who did not improve sufficiently on homeopathy were changed to MPD, and again evaluated after 3 months. One hundred and fifteen children (92 boys, 23 girls) with a mean age of 8.3 y at diagnosis were included in the study. Prior to treatment the mean CGI was 20.63 (14-30), the mean index of the homeopathy group 20.52 and of the MPD-group 20.94. After an average treatment time of 3.5 months 86 children (75%) had responded to homeopathy, reaching a clinical improvement rating of 73% and an amelioration of the CGI of 55%. Twenty-five children (22%) needed MPD; the average duration of homeopathic (pre-) treatment in this group was 22 months. Clinical improvement under MPD reached 65%, the lowering of the CGI 48%. Three children did not respond to homeopathy nor to MPD, and one left the study. In cases where treatment of a hyperactive child is not urgent, homeopathy is a valuable alternative to MPD. The reported results of homeopathic treatment appear to be similar to the effects of MPD. Only children who did not reach the high level of sensory integration for school had to be changed to MPD. In preschoolers, homeopathy appears a particularly useful treatment for ADHD.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/drug therapy , Central Nervous System Stimulants/therapeutic use , Materia Medica/therapeutic use , Methylphenidate/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Central Nervous System Stimulants/administration & dosage , Child , Child, Preschool , Drug Administration Schedule , Family , Female , Humans , Male , Materia Medica/administration & dosage , Methylphenidate/administration & dosage , Prospective Studies , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The conventional antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media (AOM) faces a number of problems, including antibiotic resistence. Homeopathy has been shown to be capable of treating AOM successfully. As AOM has a high rate if spontaneous resolution, a trial to prove... (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Otitis Media , HomeopathyABSTRACT
The sharp increase of the prescription of methylphenidate (MPD) in hyperactive children in recent years is a matter of increasing uneasiness among professionals, parents and politicians. There is little awareness of treatment alternatives. The purpose of this prospective trial was to assess the efficacy of homeopathy in hyperactive... (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity , Homeopathy , MethylphenidateABSTRACT
The Resonance Phenomenon In the course of homoeopathic case-taking one can observe an intensive dynamic interaction, during which the patient will mostly experience a feeling of being eventually perceived and taken seriously. Therefore, he will start to tell further unasked details. The associative link through Materia medica knowledge enables the homoeopath to approach even indirectly yet uncovered fields. The more the interview is spontaneous, the greater the chance arises that central key points of the patient can be freed. In such situations a specific sensation can happen, which the author calls resonance phenomenon; it is hard to put into words, but is very clearly felt - in the author&'s case in the region of the solar plexus. At thismoment, the patient as well as the homoeopath realise immediately that a very important point of the patient's history is reached. The idea, essence, problem or character of this key-point has absolutely to be covered by the later prescribed remedy. As this phenomenon is not measurable, there remains the unanswered question whether the conditions which allow its happening are just a placebo effect.
