A short audio visual tutortial that provides basic understanding of central nervous system reflexes.
More...

Since human beings have encounted stimulants, we have been fascinated by the potential effects of substances on cognitive function, memory, and intelligence, as,for example, exemplified in the theme of the film "Limitless". Currently, brain imaging is being used to market supplements that supposedly enhance brain function, memory, and, by implication, intelligence. This is the essence of positivism in a reductionist approach to scientific inquiry. Accordingly, increased brain activity is equivalent to more or better use of the brain somehow and that the absence of activity is equivalent to less effective brain function. Aside from the evidence indicating that the brain can metabolize glucose anaerobicly, as do muscles, who is to say that the surface of the brain does not act more like the retina in terms of integrating in transmitting the signals from impinging light frequencies to the visual cortex: signalling to the brain from the retina is based on inhibition of intrinsic activity. In essence what we see is sculpted by what gets turned off. This was suggested by Pribram in the early 70s as a mechanism by which information enters consciousness. Taking a drug to general increase activity in the brain in a non-specific way has nothing to do with intelligence, and while overall capacity might increase in a transient way, while a drug is active, history has shown us that there is invariably a downside to using stimulants as cognitive enhancers.
More...

A global network for learning about integrated people-centred health services.
More...

Claudio, Thank you for helping to make ABMS Conference 2016 a success!
More...

The Framework on integrated people-centred health services is a call for a fundamental shift in the way health services are funded, managed and delivered. Globally, more than 400 million people lack access to essential health care.
More...

The summit strives to enable quicker and better response during crisis and catastrophes in a more effective, sustainable and cost-efficient way.
More...

By the end of this month the 22nd International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) Congress will have come and gone. As this will have been its second congress hosted in Canada since 1954, it is perhaps time to take stock.
More...

There are huge shortcomings in the way that evidence based medicine operates today: bad quality research, evidence that is withheld, piecemeal dissemination, a failure to respect patients’ priorities, and more. There is also a long history of people, and organisations, trying to fix these problems. We want to pull together a clear set of achievable goals, and a strong overview of the strategies that work best, to help deliver change better, and faster. This is the EBM manifesto.
More...

RESEARCH SERVICES Meeting the Need for Rigorous Research in Health Care Claims The public is constantly faced with claims about therapeutic and healing practices. Trying to sort out what works and what does not is often done in a haphazard and unreliable manner—or the information is not available at all. The evidence gap poses a challenge to health professionals,educators, funders and patients seeking to establish whether a health claim is supported by valid clinical evidence. There is a need for a streamlined, systematic and valid process for evaluating the safety and effectiveness of these claims. Samueli Institute created SEaRCH™ (Scientific Evaluation and Review of Claims in Health Care) to fill this gap by offering a scientifically rigorous, yet systematic and streamlined method for evaluating claims of therapies,practices or products for treating disease, improving health and/or improving human performance. SEaRCH™ has particular applicability to traditional complementary and alternative medicine and integrative health practice but is equally valid for any claim of any intervention—be it a product, practice or program.
More...

More...

Use of network meta-analysis in clinical practice guidelines is a method paper published by the world health organization
More...

the OpenTrialsFDA team (a collaboration between Erick Turner, Dr. Ben Goldacre and the OpenTrials team at Open Knowledge) was selected as a finalist for the Open Science Prize. Working towards a first prototype in early December, OpenTrialsFDA will make the Drug Approval Packages (DAPs) from the FDA website easily accessible and searchable and link these to documents and data related to clinical trials. Other interested parties will also be able to access, search and present this information through the application programming interfaces (APIs) the team will produce.
More...

Our mission is to equip patients and families with the best information, resources and tools to overcome addiction and lead a lifelong recovery.
More...

DrugRehab.com is a web resource provided and funded by Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS). ARS is an integrated behavioral health care management organization. Addiction isn’t a choice, and people suffering from it need help to recover. The disease is caused by a variety of factors and leads to long-term negative consequences that could be deadly. Effective treatment for drug addiction and behavioral addictions exists to help addicts recover.
More...

This should help everyone!
More...