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Archive for August, 2015

the center stage…

( OPINION )

I’ve been preoccupied with other matters for a month or so, and looking at my posts – I’m afraid they’re kind of just newsy as a result. I’m free of those distractions at last, and find some things that deserve thinking about rather than just reporting. One such thing is the post I’d like to […]

therapeutic trials…

( OPINION )

My first real medical specialty was Rheumatology. I trained at a place that had a strong section, and they spent a lot of time with the trainees – high standards all around. Rheumatology was [and is] an unusual medical specialty. There are more than the usual number of diseases of unknown etiology; fewer cases with […]

we’re really going to miss this guy…

( OPINION )

my daughter’s chance meeting on the streets of Boston…

mysteries…

( OPINION )

I’ve always liked a good mystery. Nancy Drew was my favorite book·mobile selection, until I discovered The Complete Sherlock Holmes [my parents finally bought it for me because I would”t return it to the library]. Math problems were like mysteries to me – looking for the hidden answer. Little wonder I was a medical researcher […]

our decision…

( OPINION )

While it’s tempting to just mount a counter·argument to this article as I and others have done so many times in the past, I’m going to forgo doing only that. If you’re reading this, you probably have your own views and arguments on this topic, and hearing mine wouldn’t add much. Dr. Friedman concludes that […]

not really given the chance…

( OPINION )

Clinical Trials for Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder by S. Charles Schulz M.D. and Donald W. Black, M.D. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2015 172[8]:793. To the Editor: There are currently no standard treatments for borderline personality disorder. Several psychotherapies have been developed, and a few are now considered evidence-based. Medications have also been explored, yet […]

biggest indictment…

( OPINION )

Well, I didn’t plan it, but this post actually turns out to be a sequel [maybe prequel] to another post from two weeks ago [probably approximates zero…]. There, I was reporting on an analysis that showed that the major use of antipsychotics in children is not to treat psychosis, but rather to control disruptive impulsiveness […]

backwards…

( OPINION )

Continuing from the why of it…, there’s something backwards about Randomized Clinical Trials [probably best called randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled, clinical trials]. If you don’t know the story of how they came to be, these resources on the history of Louis Lasagna ought to help: David Healy’s blog, The Tragedy of Lou Lasagna and […]