Evaluation of a Thiol-Detection Test to Assess Tooth Brushing Efficacy in Dogs.

Periodontal disease affects more than 80% of dogs over 3 years of age, making it the most common disease in dogs seen in veterinary clinics. Gingivitis, the early-stage of periodontal disease, may be reversible with tooth brushing. Thiol, a sulfuric compound, has previously been shown to correlate with the degree of periodontal disease.

[Treatment of anxiety syndrome. A systematic literature review. Summary and conclusions by the SBU].

A report by the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU) has reviewed, classified and evaluated the scientific literature on treatment of panic syndrome, specific phobias, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive syndrome (OCD), generalized anxiety syndrome (GAD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The review included treatment of children, adolescents and adults. The report concludes that there is effective treatment available for all anxiety syndromes.

Treatment of alcohol abuse: an evidence-based review.

This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2002 annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in San Francisco, CA, organized and cochaired by Mats Berglund and Sten Thelander. The presentations were (1) Preventive interventions against hazardous consumption of alcohol, by Mikko Salaspuro; (2) Treatment of alcohol withdrawal, by Johan Franck; (3) Psychosocial treatment for alcohol problems, by Sven Andréasson and Agneta Ojehagen; and (4) Pharmacological treatment of alcohol dependence, by Mats Berglund.

Organizing mental health services: an evidence-based approach.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Health policy makers and program developers seek evidence-based guidance on how to organize and finance mental health services. The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU) commissioned a conceptual framework for thinking about health care services as a medical technology. The following framework was developed, citing empirical research from mental health services research as the case example.

[Conflicting values in evaluation of psychiatric care--a review].

Greater understanding is needed regarding psychiatric disorders and their causes, as well as the effects of psychiatric care. Ethical issues ought to be discussed in terms of both the choice of questions and to the ways in which data are collected. So far, most evaluations of psychiatric care have focused on medical utility, while issues of autonomy and impartiality are sorely lacking.

Values and technology assessment in psychiatry.

Economic resources for health care are limited and they should be distributed as fairly and effectively as possible. But the basis for such a distribution is far from clear. What interests are involved? What kind of provision of care is most efficient? How far should the distribution be left to market solutions? What is the proper role of health care politicians and authorities? In technology assessment a promising combination of value premises and empirical knowledge is used in answering such questions.

Zuclopenthixol decanoate and haloperidol decanoate in chronic schizophrenia: a double-blind multicentre study.

Zuclopenthixol decanoate (ZPT-D) and haloperidol decanoate (HAL-D) were compared in the maintenance treatment of chronic schizophrenic patients. All patients were treated with either ZPT-D or HAL-D for at least 3 months and were then randomly allocated to treatment with either ZPT-D (100-600 mg every 4 weeks) or HAL-D (38-200 mg every 4 weeks) for 9 months. Sixty-four patients entered the study.

Antibody reactivity to brain membrane proteins in serum from schizophrenic patients.

Antibody reactivity to rat brain components in sera from schizophrenic patients and healthy controls was determined using ELISA and Western immunoblotting. Crude membranes prepared from striatum, hippocampus and cortex were used as antigens. The degree of ELISA reactivity varied between individuals but no significant difference was seen between the patient and control groups in any of the different preparations.