Releases Saturday 9 December 2000
No 7274 Volume 321
Please remember to credit the BMJ as source when publicising
an
article and to tell your readers that they can read its full text on
the
journal's web site (http://bmj.com).
If your story is posted on a website please include a link back to
the source BMJ article (URL's are given under titles).
(1) NEW ALZHEIMER'S DRUG WILL BENEFIT
PATIENTS AND CARERS
(2) SIMPLE
PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS CAN
REDUCE DEPRESSION
IN THE COMMUNITY
(3) LEAGUE
TABLES: DOCTORS WARNED TO THINK
AGAIN
(1) NEW ALZHEIMER'S
DRUG WILL BENEFIT
PATIENTS AND CARERS
(Efficacy and safety of galantamine
in patients with mild to
moderate Alzheimer's disease: multicentre
randomised
controlled trial)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/7274/1445
Galantamine, a new treatment for Alzheimer's
disease, is
effective and well tolerated in patients
with mild to moderate
forms of the disease and is associated
with significant benefits
on patients' daily living activities,
finds a study in this week's
BMJ.
Wilcock and colleagues identified 653 patients
with mild to
moderate Alzheimer's disease, attending
86 outpatient clinics
in Europe and Canada. Patients were randomly
assigned to
one of two galantamine treatment groups
or a placebo group
and were assessed after six months.
The authors found that, compared with placebo,
galantamine
significantly improved cognitive function
and also slowed the
progression of functional decline (ability
to carry out usual
daily activities). For most patients,
galantamine was well
tolerated, and the authors believe that
the drug will provide
meaningful benefits to patients and carers.
Contact:
Gordon Wilcock, Professor in Care of the
Elderly, Frenchay
Hospital, University of Bristol, Bristol,
UK Tel:
Email: Gordon.Wilcock{at}bris.ac.uk
(2) SIMPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL
TREATMENTS CAN
REDUCE DEPRESSION IN THE COMMUNITY
(Problem solving treatment and group
psychoeducation for
depression: multicentre randomised
controlled trial)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/7274/1450
As part of a major European study of depression
in urban
and rural communities, research in this
week's BMJ finds that
two simple psychological interventions
are effective in
reducing the severity and duration of
depression and
improving mental and social functioning
in adults.
Dowrick and colleagues identified 452 adults
with depressive
disorders in nine urban and rural communities
across Europe.
Participants were randomly assigned to
either problem
solving treatment, a course on prevention
of depression or
received no treatment (controls), and
were assessed at six
and 12 months.
Although problem solving was more acceptable
to depressed
people, both interventions were effective
in reducing the
severity and duration of depressive disorders
and improving
mental and social functioning. At six
months, the proportion
of depressed problem solving participants
was 17% less than
controls. Similarly, for the depression
prevention course, the
difference in proportions of depressed
participants was 14%.
By 12 months no significant effects were
retained in either
treatment group, but booster sessions
might sustain treatment
benefits, suggest the authors.
These findings should influence counselling
services and
encourage depressed people to seek psychological
help,
conclude the authors.
Contact:
Professor Christopher Dowrick, Department
of Primary
Care, University of Liverpool, UK
Email: cfd{at}liv.ac.uk
(3) LEAGUE TABLES:
DOCTORS WARNED TO THINK
AGAIN
(School' experience of league tables
should make doctors
think again)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/7274/1467
A letter in this week's BMJ reports on
the dysfunctional
effects of league tables in education
and suggests that these
effects may apply to some of the issues
surrounding league
tables in the health sector.
Researchers at the University of Durham
surveyed heads and
teachers from 54 randomly selected primary
schools in
England (with league tables) and Scotland
(without league
tables). Not surprisingly they found that,
compared with
Scottish schools, English schools were
more likely to
concentrate on meeting their targets at
the expense of other
important objectives, that target setting
had a narrowing effect
on the curriculum and had increased the
"blame culture."
What is surprising, say the authors, was
the substantially
greater degree of dysfunction reported
in English schools than
in Scottish schools, although schools
in both countries
seemed to be under similar pressure to
meet targets. This
suggests that having league tables does
not necessarily apply
greater pressure than other less public
techniques, they add.
These findings should give pause for thought,
say the authors,
and they warn that careful consideration
should be given to
the unintended consequences of league
tables.
Contact:
Andy Wiggins (Peter Tymms), University
of Durham, UK
Email: andy.wiggins{at}durham.ac.uk
FOR ACCREDITED JOURNALISTS
Embargoed press releases and articles are available from:
Public Affairs Division
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London WC1H 9JR
(contact: pressoffice{at}bma.org.uk)
and from:
the EurekAlert website, run by the American Association for the
Advancement of Science
(http://www.eurekalert.org)
What's new
Keep updated
Services
Tools
Online poll
Resources
Print issues
