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Homeopathy for dementiaMcCarney RW, Warner J, Fisher P, van Haselen R
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SummaryNo evidence that homeopathy is effective in treating dementiaDementia is a distressing illness that has major implications for individuals with the disease and their carers. Homeopathy is a popular type of complementary medicine. It is however controversial because although there is some evidence that it is not just a placebo, no one understands how it could work. The researchers did not find any good quality trials and so cannot say whether it is or is not effective for treating this condition. As no information is available on how much homeopathy is used for dementia, it is difficult to say whether it is important to conduct more trials.
This is a Cochrane review abstract and plain language summary, prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration, currently published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010 Issue 1, Copyright © 2010 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.. The full text of the review is available in The Cochrane Library (ISSN 1464-780X).
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January 20. 2003 AbstractBackgroundDementia is a common illness in older people and has major implications for individuals with the disease, their carers and society. A meta-analysis of population based studies in Europe found the prevalence of dementia in individuals over 65 to be 6.4%. Homeopathy (also spelt "homoeopathy") is a popular form of "complementary" or "alternative" treatment. Some studies have found evidence for efficacy of homeopathic treatment for some conditions, but any mechanism of action of the ultra molecular dilutions used in homeopathy is not comprehensible in terms of current scientific concepts. ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness and safety profile of homeopathically prepared medications used in treating dementia, as established by randomized controlled trials. Search strategyThe trials were identified from a searches of the Specialized Register of the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group, The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, LILACS, clinical trials registries and grey literature sources on 9 March 2009 using the terms alum*, homeop*, "nat sulph" and "natrum sulphate". In addition the reviewers searched CISCOM, AMED and Hom-Inform. Leading homeopathic researchers, practitioners and manufacturers were also contacted. Selection criteriaAll types of randomized controlled trials with a sample size of more than 20 were considered. Data collection and analysisThe database searches resulted in one trial being identified. After examining the abstract, a paper copy was obtained and independently assessed for inclusion by RM and JW. Main resultsThere were no studies that fulfilled the criteria for inclusion and no data to present. Authors' conclusionsIn view of the absence of evidence it is not possible to comment on the use of homeopathy in treating dementia. The extent of homeopathic prescribing for people with dementia is not clear and so it is difficult to comment on the importance of conducting trials in this area. |