The effectiveness of melatonin for promoting healthy sleep: a rapid evidence assessment of the literature.

A systematic review was conducted using Samueli Institute's Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Literature (REAL) process to determine the evidence base for melatonin as an agent to optimize sleep or improve sleep quality, and generalize the results to a military, civilian, or other healthy, active, adult population. Multiple databases were searched yielding 35 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meeting the review's inclusion criteria, which were assessed for methodological quality as well as for melatonin effectiveness. The majority of included studies were high quality (83.

Methodological complexities associated with systematic review of healing relationships.

Background/context: There is growing recognition within the field of medicine that healing and healing relationships are important and that developing evidence-based medicine approaches to healing should be an important aspect of this emerging field, including the use of systematic reviews. Health care leaders charged with developing healing initiatives in hospitals often are frustrated in their attempts to find rigorous reviews of the literature to support their programs.

Objective: The objective of this project was to conduct a systematic review that asked, "What is the return on investment to hospitals that implement programs aimed at enhancing healing relationships?"

Methods: A comprehensive literature search using several electronic databases was conducted to locate studies that evaluated hospital-based programs involving "healing relationships.

Systematic assessment of the quality of research studies of conventional and alternative treatment(s) of primary headache.

Background: Diversity of treatments used for headache, and varied quality of research conduct and reporting make it difficult to accurately assess the literature and to determine the best treatment(s) for patients.

Objectives: To compare the quality of available research evidence describing the effects and outcomes of conventional, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches to treating primary (migraine, tension, and/or cluster-type) headache.

Study Design: A systematic review of quality of research studies of conventional and alternative treatment(s) of primary headache.

Auricular acupuncture in the treatment of acute pain syndromes: A pilot study.

This pilot study used a randomized controlled clinical trial design to compare the effects of standard emergency medical care to auricular acupuncture plus standard emergency medical care in patients with acute pain syndromes. Eighty-seven active duty military personnel and their dependents with a diagnosis of acute pain completed the study, which was conducted in the emergency room (ER) at Malcolm Grow Medical Center, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. The primary outcome measure was change in pain level from baseline, as measured by the Numerical Rating Scale.

The healing presence: can it be reliably measured?

Religious and spiritual traditions from all cultures and times describe a spiritual or loving presence as a contributor to healing. In addition, there is a common belief that a special "presence" can exude from certain practitioners. Is it possible to measure a healing presence in an objective and reliable way? Most research on healing has focused on trying to prove spiritual and "energy" healing in comparative tests.

Alterations in random event measures associated with a healing practice.

Objective: To determine whether alterations in random events, as measured by a Random event generator (REG), occur in association with a bioenergy healing practice.

Design And Setting: Two REGs were set up and run in parallel: one in a bioenergy healer's office and another at a local library as a control. Two multiday sets of data were collected in each setting.

A systematic review of the quality of research on hands-on and distance healing: clinical and laboratory studies.

Purpose: To systematically review the quality of published experimental clinical and laboratory research involving hands-on healing and distance healing between 1955 and 2001.

Data Sources: Studies were identified through comprehensive literature searches on spiritual healing in MEDLINE, PSYCH LIT, EMBASE, CISCOM, and the Cochrane Library from their inceptions to December 2001.

Study Selection: We selected published randomized, controlled trials of spiritual healing (hands-on healing and distance healing) done in clinical and laboratory settings, all of which had been peer reviewed.