Cannabis (marijuana) is the most widely used illicit drug in the world and reports of driving under the influence of cannabis have risen in recent years. A research team from Dalhousie University in Canada conducted a systematic search and identified observational epidemiology studies of motor vehicle collisions with an appropriate control group. They included studies [read the full story…]
This Cochrane systematic review examined the effectiveness of electronic health record-facilitated interventions on smoking cessation activity by clinicians and on patient smoking cessation outcomes. The review shows these interventions improve the documentation of tobacco use and referral to cessation counselling, but does not demonstrate an improvement in patients actually giving up smoking. While smoking rates [read the full story…]
This new systematic review compares how effective first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are at preventing relapse in patients with schizophrenia. The authors carried out a meta-analysis of 23 randomised controlled trials that lasted for ≥6 months and compared FGAs with SGAs in schizophrenia. The outcomes they studied were: Study defined relapse Relapse at 3, [read the full story…]
The aim of this review was to assess the scientific evidence on the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The authors searched the PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Clinical Trials Register, and PEDro databases. Papers were screened, extracted, and quality assessed independently by two reviewers. A meta-analysis- was performed [read the full story…]
The main aim of this systematic review was to quantitatively estimate the survival and success rates of immediate implants and the implant-supported prosthesis, the prevalence of biological, technical and aesthetic complications, and the magnitude of soft and hard tissue changes following implant placement in fresh extraction sockets. The MEDLINE (PubMed) and the Cochrane library databases [read the full story…]
We have learnt so much about mental illness in the last few decades and the science behind diagnosing, managing and supporting people with individual conditions has improved dramatically. Despite this improved knowledge, public attitudes to mental health issues remain varied and we still frequently hear horror stories about how people with mental health conditions are [read the full story…]
There is a growing pool of research that looks into the impact that exercise can have on depression, but this systematic review and meta-analysis claims to be the first summary of trials into the effects of exercise training on depressive symptoms among patients with a chronic illness. The research team from the University of Alabama [read the full story…]
One of important differences about Cochrane reviews is their commitment of their authors to regularly review and update the content of their reviews. This is an update of a Cochrane review published in 2006. The aim of the review being to establish whether orthodontic treatment, carried out without the removal of permanent teeth, in children [read the full story…]
With the increasing numbers of dental implants being placed there is growing interest in the problem of peri-implantitis, as studieshave shown that it could occur it around 16% of those placed. Various approaches to treatment have been used and this latest update of a Cochrane review aimed to identify the most effective interventions for treating [read the full story…]
Campaigns in the media that encourage people not to take illicit drugs are now commonplace in the US, but a systematic review of the effectiveness of these interventions has not been conducted until now. A team of researchers from Vancouver in Canada have carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 randomised controlled trials [read the full story…]
