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Biomedical subjects

H Benson

Publications and source records attributed to H Benson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Alleviation of premenstrual syndrome symptoms with the relaxation response.

During a 5-month study, we examined the effects of the relaxation response on premenstrual syndrome in 46 women who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a charting group, a reading group, and a relaxation response group. The relaxation response group showed significantly greater improvement than the charting and the reading groups on physical symptoms (P less than .025 for both comparisons). There was a significant group-by-severity effect for charting versus relaxation response and for reading versus relaxation response on symptoms measured daily (P less than .01 for both comparisons), on emotional symptoms measured retrospectively (P less than .001 and P less than .025, respectively), and on symptoms of social withdrawal measured retrospectively (P less than .01 and P less than .025, respectively). Women with severe symptoms in the relaxation response group showed a 58.0% improvement, compared with a 27.2% improvement for the reading group and a 17.0% improvement for the charting group. We conclude that regular elicitation of the relaxation response is an effective treatment for physical and emotional premenstrual symptoms, and is most effective in women with severe symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The efficacy of the relaxation response in preparing for cardiac surgery.

This study evaluated the efficacy of the relaxation response on the post-operative recovery of 27 cardiac surgery patients randomly assigned to one of two groups. Thirteen experimental group patients received educational information and practiced eliciting the relaxation response before and after surgery. The 14 patients in the control group received only information. Experimental and control groups were compared before and after surgery on both physiological and psychological recovery variables. There were no initial differences between experimental and control groups on demographic, physiological, and most psychological variables. The experimental group had lower incidence of postoperative supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) than the control group (p = .04) despite having had the same occurrence previously. Experimental and control groups did not significantly differ over the course of study on any other physiological variables. Patients practicing the relaxation response had greater decreases in psychological tension (p = .04) and anger (p = .04) than those who received only educational information. The decreases in psychological tension may have been a result of regression to the mean because the experimental group started with elevated tension relative to the control group (p = .04). We conclude that practicing the relaxation response before and after surgery may reduce SVT, tension, and anger.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Disorders of arousal and the relaxation response: speculations on the nature and treatment of stress-related diseases.

The classification of diseases represents an important, yet often enigmatic, process. This is especially true in the case of stress-related diseases. Until the 1980s, stress-related diseases were categorized on the basis of the target organ system affected. A merger of 20 years of clinical data with research and theoretical formulations from the neurosciences gave us the opportunity to reformulate, or at least add a fresh perspective to, the understanding of the nature and treatment of stress-related diseases. Based upon over two decades of research and clinical trials, one such reformulation is presented here. It is contended that many psychiatric and somatic stress-related diseases are but manifest variations on a theme of limbicogenic neurological hypersensitivity and resultant pathogenic arousal. The resultant stress-related diseases are, therefore, viewed as "disorders of arousal." From the reformulation offered herein emerges a neurologically-based rationale for the clinical use of the "relaxation response" in the treatment of stress-related diseases.

Arousal↗
PubMed1987

The preoperative use of the relaxation response with ambulatory surgery patients.

The efficacy of the regular elicitation of the relaxation response in reducing surgical anxiety and pain in an ambulatory surgery setting was studied in a population of patients scheduled for the surgical removal of a skin cancer. Forty-nine patients with skin cancer were enrolled in the study immediately after being informed of the ned for surgery; 21 of these patients elicited the relaxation response 20 minutes per day until the day of surgery, 21 read for 20 minutes per day, and 7 were noncompliant and were excluded from the study. Contrary to expectations, neither group of patients showed any increase in anxiety immediately before or after surgery on either psychological or physiological measures. Thus, there were no differences between the two groups on any of the psychological or physiological measures of anxiety, nor were there any differences in pain perception. There were statistically significant subjective differences; the experimental patients stated that the relaxation-response technique had reduced their anxiety several days before surgery and reportedly experienced their highest levels of anxiety prior to entering the study, while the controls experienced their highest levels of anxiety during and after surgery. This suggests that (1) minor outpatient surgery does not lead to detectable increased anxiety levels on the day of surgery and (2) regular elicitation of the relaxation response can alter subjective reports of distress associated with surgery.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1987

Aging of modulation of heart rate.

We postulated that measurements of autonomically mediated fluctuations in heart rate might provide a quantitative probe of biological aging. We used power spectrum analysis of instantaneous heart rate while 33 male subjects matched their breathing to a metronome at 15 breaths/min. Measurements were made in supine and standing position. Total power and its two major components, high- and low-frequency power, declined with age in both positions but at different rates. High-frequency power that represents parasympathetically mediated respiratory sinus arrhythmia declined linearly in supine position only in subjects 9-28 yr with a slope of -0.796, which was significantly different from zero at P = 0.0007. The absolute value of high-frequency power in standing position was approximately 60% of that in supine, a difference that was statistically significant (P = 0.01). Low-frequency power that represents beta-adrenergically mediated heart rate fluctuations, especially in standing position, declined linearly to 62 yr of age (P = 0.0001). Mean heart rate increased 17.2 beats/min, and diastolic blood pressure increased 8 mmHg in the entire group in the standing compared with supine position. There were no significant differences in these changes above and below 30 yr of age. We conclude that the influence of the two major mechanisms that modulate heart rate decline at significantly different rates with aging.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Reduced pupillary sensitivity to topical phenylephrine associated with the relaxation response.

Human pupillary dilatation after topical instillation of phenylephrine was assessed in a prospective, randomized, controlled experiment to measure alterations in alpha-end-organ responsivity after regular elicitation of the relaxation response. Baseline pupillometric measurements were taken in both experimental and control subjects. The experimental subjects then practiced daily a technique that elicited the relaxation response while the control subjects sat quietly for comparable periods of time without eliciting the relaxation response. After four to six weeks, both groups returned to the laboratory for an assessment identical to that of the first visit. Comparison between visits revealed that the pupillary dilatation in the experimental group was significantly diminished (p less than .02) as compared to that of the control group. This observation is consistent with reduced end-organ responsivity to an exogenous alpha-adrenergic agent after regular elicitation of the relaxation response.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Biofeedback and relaxation-response training in the treatment of pediatric migraine.

To assess the efficacy of electromyographic biofeedback, relaxation-response training and pain behavior management as a treatment for pediatric migraine, we studied 18 children between the ages of eight and 12 years (mean = 10 X 1) in a prospective, randomized, controlled investigation. Six patients received all three treatment procedures, six received relaxation-response training and pain behavior management, and the remaining six constituted a waiting-list control group. All patients kept a record of their headaches for the 15-week study period and then for four weeks one year later. Following four weeks of baseline, the treatment groups completed nine one-hour treatment sessions in 11 weeks. Both treatment groups experienced a significant reduction in headache symptoms and were significantly improved compared to the waiting-list control group by the end of treatment. The treatment groups did not differ from each other in any of these comparisons. The reduction in headache symptoms in the treatment groups was maintained one year after treatment ended. These results suggest that relaxation-response training, with or without biofeedback training, combined with pain behavior management, is an effective alternative treatment for pediatric migraine.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1985

Meditation as an adjunct to psychotherapy. An outcome study.

The effect of a 10-week meditation program on 20 patients who were undergoing long-term individual explorative psychotherapy was studied. Change in the psychological well-being of the patients and the impact of the program on the process of their psychotherapy was evaluated. Results obtained from the patients' self-ratings and the therapists' objective ratings demonstrated a significant and substantial improvement in most measures of psychological well-being.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Meditation and psychotherapy: a rationale for the integration of dynamic psychotherapy, the relaxation response, and mindfulness meditation.

A framework for the integration of meditation and psychotherapy is presented through a consideration of the psychobiological nature of meditation (the relaxation response) and discussion of a traditional meditation practice (mindfulness meditation) as an effective cognitive technique for the development of self-awareness. The mechanisms by which the emotional and cognitive changes of meditation can be of therapeutic value are explored and the synergistic advantages of the combination of psychotherapy and meditation are discussed.

Attention↗
PubMed1984

17 beta-estradiol for postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy.

After physiological or surgical menopause, women are suddenly deficient in their main estrogenic hormone, 17 beta-estradiol. Only a very small amount of estradiol is still produced from adrenal precursors. More than 50 per cent of all postmenopausal women suffer for varying periods of time from the symptoms of this estrogen deficiency, most notably vasomotor instability (hot flashes) and sleep disturbances. The trophic symptoms of estrogen deficiency have longer lasting and cumulative consequences: accelerated loss of bone density that eventually increases the risk of fractures, genitourinary atrophy resulting in dyspareunia and urinary atrophy; and lipoprotein changes with increased risk of coronary heart morbidity and mortality. Today estrogen deficiency is mainly treated by oral estrogens--either conjugated equine estrogens or estradiol--in milligram doses far in excess of what would be required by the parenteral route. Taken orally, estradiol is largely transformed to estrone through metabolism in the liver. Certain undesirable side effects of estrogen therapy (e.g., increased renin substrate) are caused by the unphysiologic nature of the oral route of administration. Dosage forms for parenteral estrogen administration have been widely studied: vaginal or percutaneous creams, intranasal solutions, and sublingual tablets. All of these result in a pronounced, transient elevation of plasma concentrations of estradiol and a minor increase of estrone. An improved regimen, which produces more constant plasma concentrations, is achieved with an experimental estradiol implant or with a vaginal ring delivering estradiol. These studies demonstrate that daily estradiol doses of 0.2 mg and less are effective in reducing hot flashes. Effective doses of conjugated estrogens and estradiol administered by different routes achieve estradiol plasma concentrations of similar magnitude (between 35 and 100 pg/ml). Estrone plasma levels vary widely with these different regimens and do not seem to be directly related to efficacy. In summary, the literature indicates that efficacy of estrogen replacement for the treatment of the menopausal symptoms appears to relate to the magnitude of estradiol plasma levels; effective therapy is achieved by an estradiol regimen that maintains plasma estradiol levels of at least 35-55 pg/ml. Efficacy of estrogens in the prevention of osteoporosis as assessed by densitometry has been demonstrated for conjugated oral estrogens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Academic stress, power motivation, and decrease in secretion rate of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A.

The effect of academic stress on immune function, as measured by the rate of secretion of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA), was studied prospectively in 64 first-year dental school students. Perceived stress and s-IgA secretion rate were measured five times--during an initial low-stress period, three high-stress periods coinciding with major examinations, and a final low-stress period. The s-IgA secretion rate was significantly lower in high-stress than low-stress periods for the whole group. In addition, personality characteristics differentiated patterns of s-IgA secretion rates. Students characterised by a great need to establish and maintain warm personal relationships secreted more s-IgA at each point than did all other subjects. The s-IgA secretion rates of those with a high inhibited need for power continued to decline through the final low-stress period rather than recovering as in all other subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Epinephrine-induced changes in the distribution of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of humans.

We have previously demonstrated that mitogen responsiveness of mononuclear cells (MNC) from peripheral blood is reduced after a single injection of epinephrine to human subjects. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the relative distributions of MNC subsets after epinephrine administration using monoclonal antibodies and conventional cell markers. The absolute number of circulating MNC increased 64% within 30 min after injection of epinephrine, and returned to baseline by 2 hr. Analysis of MNC subsets revealed that there were no changes in the relative percentages of total T lymphocytes [T3+ cells, or neuraminidase-treated sheep red blood cell rosettes (EN-rosettes)], B lymphocytes (B1+, or cells with surface-bound immunoglobulin), or monocytes (by morphologic criteria) after epinephrine administration. The percentage of inducer T cells (T4+) declined at 30 and 60 min postinjection. Overall, the percentage of suppressor/cytotoxic T cells (T8+) did not change after injection of epinephrine; however, analysis of individual subjects revealed opposing responses of this subset. The T4:T8 ratio was 2.19 before injection, declined to 1.56 at 60 min, then increased to 3.10 2 hr postinjection. The percentage of natural killer/killer cells (HNK-1+) increased from a baseline of 15.5% before epinephrine injection to 29.6% at 30 min postinjection, then declined to 11.4% at 2 hr. Therefore, the administration of physiologic doses of epinephrine results in changes in the relative proportions of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood, in addition to reduced mitogen responsiveness as reported previously.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1983

Decrease in mitogen responsiveness of mononuclear cells from peripheral blood after epinephrine administration in humans.

A single subcutaneous injection of 0.2 mg epinephrine into healthy human subjects caused a transient lymphocytosis in peripheral blood. Mononuclear cells (MNC), isolated at various times after epinephrine administration, were cultured in the presence of mitogens. The blastogenic responses to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were significantly reduced for up to 60 min post-epinephrine (p less than 0.05); the response to concanavalin A (Con A) was reduced in the 15-min samples only. All responses returned to pre-injection levels by 120 min post-injection. Removal of adherent monocytes from MNC isolates before culture did not restore normal mitogen responsiveness. When MNC were cultured in the absence of mitogens, there was no difference in survival between pre- and post-epinephrine samples. Incubation of untreated MNC for 2 hr or 18 hr in vitro with various concentrations of epinephrine (10(-5) to 10(-1) mg/ml) had no effect upon the subsequent blastogenic response to mitogens. Other workers have reported that epinephrine administration causes alterations in the composition of the circulating lymphocyte pool. Taken together, these data suggest that the reduction in mitogen responsiveness after epinephrine is the result of changes in the distribution of lymphocyte subclasses in peripheral blood.

Adult↗