A group of UCL Masters Students summarise a recent personal view by Mark Horowitz and David Taylor about tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate antidepressant withdrawal symptoms.
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Liz Collier and Solomon Towuru summarise the recently updated Cochrane systematic review on reminiscence therapy for dementia, which includes evidence showing that reminiscence therapy may improve quality of life, cognition, communication and possibly mood in people with dementia in some circumstances, although all the benefits were small.
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21 studies mainly retrospective studies were included in this review of the dental and skeletal effects of mandibular advancement devices in treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea. while the findings suggest a number of potential side effects the quality of the available evidence in low.
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Joseph Hayes and Sameer Jauhar set the record straight on antidepressant withdrawal. They show how the recent review by Davies and Read is seriously flawed and does not accurately portray the data. They conclude that we urgently need clearer evidence on the incidence, severity and duration of any symptoms related to antidepressant withdrawal.
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This review of the impact of fixed appliance orthodontic treatment on clinical attachment levels included 9 small prospective studies finding no no clinically relevant detrimental effect. However the overall level of evidence is low to very low.
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Linda Gask looks at a recent survey of people with depression that explores their experiences of emotional blunting. The research finds that nearly half of depressed patients on antidepressants report significant emotional blunting, but it’s impossible to say whether this is caused by their medication or the depression itself.
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Lisa Marzano and Andrea Cipriani explore a new systematic review and meta-analysis about the associations between problematic Facebook use, psychological distress and well-being among adolescents and young adults.
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38 trials were included in this updated Cochrane review of the effect of fissure sealants on occlusal caries. The data show a reduction in caries of between 11-51% at 24months compared to no sealant. The benefit was also maintained at longer-term follow up.
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While 24 studies were included in this review of the impact of orthodontic retainers on periodontal health there was a lack of high quality evidence to support any particular retainer on this or a range of other parameters. More well-designed and long terms studies are required.
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Joanne Wallace considers a recent health technology assessment on the risks and benefits of psychotropic medication in pregnancy, which supports previous associations between valproate and adverse child outcomes.
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