Response to Dylan Thomas Lott

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Between-Groups Study Designs Demand Between-Groups Analyses: A Response to Hernandez-Reif, Shor-Posner, Baez, Soto, Mendoza, Castillo, Quintero, Perez, and Zhang

The most recent massage therapy (MT) study by Hernandez-Reif et al. displays flaws persistent in this area of research that are attributable to MT researchers’ frequent mistake of using within-group analyses of dependent variables in studies that are purported to be randomized control trials. This practise violates the logic of using randomization to create treatment and control groups, and thereby fails to control for the validity threats of spontaneous remission, placebo effects, and statistical regression. The result is that a clear understanding of what MT can and cannot do is seriously hampered

The Examination of Inhibition in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive, anxiety provoking obsessions and irresistible compulsions that are performed to relieve anxiety. It is theorized that a deficit in inhibition may play a role in obsessive-compulsive symptomology. Areas of cognitive functioning that are affected by inhibition deficits may lead to obsessions and intrusive thoughts, while behavioral inhibition deficits may lead to compulsions. In the current paper, inhibition is examined in individuals with OCD, how such a deficit affects attention, recall, and response control, and how this relates to the disorder’s symptoms. A better understanding of these relationships would help conceptualize core deficits in affected individuals and an understanding for treatments that target inhibitory deficits

Directions and Dilemmas in Massage Therapy Research: A Workshop Report from the 2009 North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Background: Massage therapy (MT) is widely used and expanding rapidly, but systematic research on its mechanisms and effects, in contrast with many other therapeutic fields, has a short history. Purpose: To take stock of the current state of MT research, and explore approaches, directions, and strategies with the potential to make the next two decades of MT research optimally productive. Setting: The 2009 North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine held in Minneapolis, MN. Method: Using a modified Delphi method, study authors led an interactive workshop that aimed to identify established MT research findings, needed MT research, weaknesses and limitations in currently available MT research, and directions to pursue in the next two decades of MT research. Participants: Thirty-seven conference attendees included MT researchers, educators, and practitioners, and other health care practitioners who already work interprofessionally with MT who actively participated in the workshop and ensured that a diversity of perspectives were represented. Results: The MT field has made rapid and laudable progress in its short history, but at the same time this short history is probably the main reason for most of the current shortcomings in MT research. Workshop participants, drawing on a diversity of backgrounds, identified many opportunities and strategies for future research. Conclusion: Though lost time can never be recovered, we should not allow our field's late start in research to be a demoralizing handicap to progress. Modern scientific methods and technologies, applied to the range of directions and dilemmas highlighted in this report, can lead to impressive progress in the next 20 years of MT research

Response to Pamela Fitch

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Randomized Controlled Trials of Pediatric Massage: A Review

The existing reviews of massage therapy (MT) research are either limited to infants, adults, or were conducted prior to the publication of the most recent studies using pediatric samples. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pediatric MT are reviewed. A literature search yielded 24 RCTs of pediatric MT, defined as the manual manipulation of soft tissue intended to promote health and well-being in recipients between 2 and 19 years of age. Because RCTs of pediatric MT varied considerably in the amount and types of data reported, quantitative and narrative review methods were both used. Single-dose and multiple-dose effects were examined separately. Among single-dose effects, significant reductions of state anxiety were observed at the first session (g = 0.59, P < 0.05) and the last session (g = 1.10, P < 0.01) of a course of treatment. Effects for salivary cortisol (g = 0.28), negative mood (g = 0.52) and behavior (g = 0.37) were non-significant. Three of eleven multiple-dose effects were statistically significant. These were trait anxiety (g = 0.94, P < 0.05), muscle tone (g = 0.90, P < 0.01) and arthritis pain (g = 1.33, P < 0.01). Results of studies not permitting effect size calculation were judged to be generally consistent with quantitative results. MT benefits pediatric recipients, though not as universally as sometimes reported. Numerous weaknesses endemic to MT research (e.g. low statistical power, frequent failure to report basic descriptive statistics) are identified, and recommendations for future pediatric MT research are discussed

How Birds Combat Ectoparasites

Birds are plagued by an impressive diversity of ectoparasites, ranging from feather-feeding lice, to feather-degrading bacteria. Many of these ectoparasites have severe negative effects on host fitness. It is therefore not surprising that selection on birds has favored a variety of possible adaptations for dealing with ectoparasites. The functional significance of some of these defenses has been well documented. Others have barely been studied, much less tested rigorously. In this article we review the evidence--or lack thereof--for many of the purported mechanisms birds have for dealing with ectoparasites. We concentrate on features of the plumage and its components, as well as anti-parasite behaviors. In some cases, we present original data from our own recent work. We make recommendations for future studies that could improve our understanding of this poorly known aspect of avian biology