The adolescent with conduct disorder

Conduct disturbances are some of the most prevalent, enduring, impairing, and costly problems of childhood and adolescence. Despite many advances in our understanding of these disorders, they still remain a problem for the individuals, families, and society alike. Large-scale, multifaceted efforts are needed within our schools and communities if we are to have an impact on the prevalence and progression of these very problematic disturbances.     

The biological effects of magnetic stimulation in epileptic patients

BACKGROUND: The magnetoencephalogram (MEG) is the magnetic activity emitted by the brain, which can be measured using a superconductive quantum interference device (SQUID). This is a totally non-invasive method for localizing functional healthy, epileptic and other CNS brain disorders. METHODS: Using the MEG brain activity recorded from epileptic patients we were able to obtain a mapping technique characterized by the ISO-spectral amplitude of scalp distribution of the MEG Fourier power spectrum. In addition, by utilizing the above recorded MEG activity we energize an electronic device, which emits back to the abnormal brain points of the epileptic patients magnetic fields with proper frequencies and intensities. RESULTS: Using this method we present here in more detail three randomly selected epileptic patients in which application of external magnetic fields of low intensities and frequencies produced a substantial attenuation of their abnormal brain activity. Furthermore, we present a statistical analysis of 50 randomly selected epileptic patients who underwent magnetic stimulation for the treatment of their seizures and we found that the anticonvulsant response to magnetic stimulation was statistically significant (chi 2 = 6.55, df = 1, p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the use of low external magnetic fields produce substantial attenuation in seizure activity in epileptic patients and therefore it may open new ways in the future for management of epileptic activity.     

The inadequacy of adolescent health statistics

Summary Published statistics about the health of adolescents are so aggregated that they are difficult to interpret. They are removed from the context in which they occur, and are not associated with other events in education, employment and crime. Publishing in single-year groups, and linking health, education, employment and criminal statistics would provide more informative data, and help stimulate effective preventive health.     

The adolescent athlete and ergogenic aids

Amphetamines and anabolic/androgenic steroids are the ergogenic aids with the most serious side effects that adolescents are likely to misuse, although adolescents are more frequently lured into taking expensive and worthless vitamin and protein supplements. Physicians performing preparticipation physical examinations should address the issue of ergogenic aids when they offer anticipatory guidance to adolescent athletes.     

The certification process in adolescent medicine

The first and second certifying examinations in adolescent medicine were administered jointly by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) on November 15, 1994, to 295 candidates, and on November 18, 1997, to 197 candidates including 170 who were taking the examination for the first time. This report describes the certification process and the characteristics of those taking the first and second examinations in adolescent medicine.

The purposes of certification in adolescent medicine, consistent with the purposes of specialty boards, are to improve the quality of patient care during the second decade of life, expand and improve training to include a comprehensive and scientifically based approach to the care of young people as they enter adulthood, and stimulate faculty development and research for the problems of the adolescent population [1]. Certification addresses these goals by establishing rigorous standards for training, verifying the knowledge base of candidates through a written examination, and requiring periodic recertification.

This certification program recognizes a growing number of physicians with expertise in the medical problems of adolescents and the emergence in the past 30 years of a body of knowledge about the health problems, the effects of rapid biologic and psychologic change, and the interaction of biologic, psychologic, social, and environmental forces that characterize this unique developmental period [2].