Cannabis is the second most commonly used recreational drug, after alcohol, in the UK. The number of regular users has risen considerably over the past decade, and this has been particularly apparent in the adolescent population. With this rise there have been concerns about the long term consequences of heavy cannabis use. Cannabis use has [read the full story…]
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) is used to help people who experience difficulties in conceiving (see NICE’s guideline for information eligibility). It involves fertilising an egg with sperm in the laboratory, before reimplanting the fertilised egg into the woman’s womb to develop as normal. In cases of male infertility, the sperm can be injected directly in to [read the full story…]
This week sees the publication of a new Atlas of Variation, focusing on diagnostic services (in England) for the first time. Readers familiar with the Atlases of Variation will be aware the atlases are designed to highlight variations in services and to encourage commissioners and providers to ask questions to understand if the variations are [read the full story…]
Prior to orthodontic diagnosis a range or records may be obtained, typically these include, dental models, radiographs and facial and intra-oral photographs. Advances in digital technology means that 3D technology is also available. However, the role and use of any or each of these elements of the record set is unclear. Therefore the aim of [read the full story…]
Yesterday we looked at a review of the effectiveness of oral examination to detect potentially malignant disorders and mouth cancer today we are looking the latest version of the Cochrane review on screening programmes for the detection and prevention of oral cancer. The overall aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of current [read the full story…]
November is Mouth Cancer Awareness month here in the UK and around 6,500 cases are diagnosed a year. Mouth cancer is the 6th commonest cancer worldwide. In India, Sir Lanka and Pakistan it is the most common cancer for men and is responsible for 30% of all new cancer cases. Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, betel [read the full story…]
Negative childhood experiences have always been a big topic in psychology and psychiatry, as they tend to be associated with poor mental health outcomes in later life. Intimate partner violence (IPV) harms not only the adults directly involved in it, but also the children – witnessing IPV as a child is a known risk factor [read the full story…]
After recent posts delving off into dark woodlands of some methodologically challenging brain imaging studies, we are coming back to a more simple idea: repeatedly scanning the same people from before they develop a disorder through to receiving a diagnosis. What is different about this study is that it was done with infants aged 6-36 [read the full story…]
The lines between physical health and mental health are blurred in lots of ways, and one example is the fact that people with chronic physical conditions are also more likely to suffer from depression. As well as adding to their burden of illness, there’s also some evidence that those patients with comorbid depression have worse [read the full story…]
Behaviour within an intimate relationship which causes psychological, physical or sexual harm to either party is known as intimate partner violence (IPV). This violence is perpetrated by both men and women, but significant injuries are more commonly sustained by women. Consequently, IPV is a major public health concern as it contributes majorly to mortality in [read the full story…]
