51动漫

LAUGHTER may be the best medicine, but just how good is it? For the next year, a group of American paediatricians will be trying to find out how much humour helps the healing process. They will be trying to measure the effects of magic, mime and music as dispensed by the 35 clowns of the Big Apple Circus.

The circus鈥檚 Clown Care Unit has been sending clowns into six New York hospitals for three days a week for nearly 10 years. And because staff and parents seem convinced that the laughter these performers bring to the wards does help sick and anxious children, the researchers are trying to determine scientifically whether their brand of therapy really works.

Starting this month, the children of the Babies and Children鈥檚 Hospital of New York at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center will be the focus of three studies designed to analyse the effects of humour on a cross section of patients undergoing a range of treatments.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had plenty of anecdotal evidence that our clowns are helping sick kids heal,鈥� says Jane Englebardt, who oversees health and community programmes for the circus. 鈥淜ids, parents, the medical staff 鈥� they all say 鈥榟ey, this is really something鈥�. Now we鈥檙e going to see whether that 鈥榮omething鈥� translates into shorter stays, less medication, just in general better quality of care.鈥�

The researchers, who are experts in fields ranging from child psychology to paediatric anaesthesia, all at Columbia University鈥檚 College of Physicians and Surgeons, want their laughter to be spontaneous. So they are keeping the details of their studies 鈥� and even their identities 鈥� secret so that neither the clowns nor the patients know they are being studied and feel self-conscious. If the cover was blown, notes one of the researchers, the study鈥檚 scientific credibility would be lost.

They have revealed, however, that in future the clowns will go where no clown has gone before. 鈥淚 like to say that we鈥檝e always had clowns in the operating room,鈥� says one of the researchers. 鈥淣ow we鈥檙e going to have professional ones.鈥�

With such 鈥減rocedures鈥� as kitty CAT scans, chocolate-milk transfusions, and red-nose transplants, the clowns have helped to alleviate children鈥檚 anxieties before and after they undergo the real thing.

鈥淲e鈥檒l look at whether children cope better with invasive or medical procedures when they鈥檙e getting distracted, cheered up,鈥� says another of the team. The clowns will now work their magic during 鈥渟cary, painful things鈥�, he says, for example, when a nurse inserts an intravenous drip or an anaesthetist puts them to sleep for an operation.

Todd Robbins, 鈥淒octor T. L.鈥�, has been a white-coated CCU clown for nine years. 鈥淲e鈥檝e quickly discovered that our presence alone seems to lighten the atmosphere not just for the kids, but also their parents, relatives, and yes, doctors, nurses, and staff as well.鈥�

Robbins entertains children who are about to undergo bone-marrow transplants, physiotherapy, treatment for AIDS and cancer, and emergency care.

The studies, overseen by Columbia鈥檚 Rosenthal Center for Alternative/Complementary Medicine, will evaluate the success of the clowns鈥� particular brand of therapy with a rating scale based on crying, difficulty keeping still, expressions of pain, and other factors.

鈥淣obody likes to see a child suffering,鈥� says one of the team. 鈥淲e hope to improve the atmosphere for everyone.鈥�