Thirty-eight men participated in a study of immunological, hormonal, and psychological parameters before and after acute stress situations. A brief but acute stress was repeated daily for 4 days. This exposure caused the plasma levels of IgM and C3 to increase from Basal Day to Experimental Day 4. Significant correlations between endocrine and immunological parameters, and also between psychological measures and immunological parameters, were found. Use of psychological defense was related both to endocrine and immunological changes. The authors concluded that psychological stress may influence immunological functions both indirectly, by hormonal changes, and directly, by nervous regulation during brief but acute stress periods.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Low vagal activity as mediating mechanism for the relationship between personality factors and gastric symptoms in functional dyspepsia.

Low vagal tone may represent a mediating mechanism for relationships between personality and symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD) through a mechanism of antral hypomotility. Twenty-one patients with FD and seventeen healthy controls completed a series of personality tests before vagal and sympathetic activity, antral motility, and abdominal symptoms were assessed in response to a laboratory task. Functional dyspepsia patients had lower scores on vagal tone (p = .054) and motility index (p = .011) in addition to the expected higher scores on epigastric discomfort (p = .002). Psychological factors explained a substantial amount of the variance in vagal activity, antral motility, and reported symptoms. Symptoms were predicted by trait anxiety (STAI-TR), depression (BDI), and neuroticism (EPQ-N). Poor vagal tone was related to neuroticism (EPQ-N). Poor motility was best explained by task-related state dysphoria (SACL-STR).

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of short-term cognitive psychotherapy on recurrence of duodenal ulcer: a prospective randomized trial.

The aim of this prospective, randomized trial was to assess whether short-term cognitive psychotherapy (10 sessions during 4 months) could reduce the 1-year recurrence rate of duodenal ulcer. One group received psychotherapy; one group was a control group. One hundred patients, aged 17 to 64 years, with duodenal ulcer were selected from March 1989 to May 1991. The main outcome measure was relapse of duodenal ulcer, which was verified by endoscopy. When psychotherapy started after cessation of antiulcer medication, the relapse-free time was significantly shorter in the therapy group than in the controls. When the protocol was modified so that psychotherapy and antiulcer medication were given concomitantly, there was no significant difference in recurrence rate between the groups at 1-year follow-up (84% in the therapy group and 92% in the control group). Symptoms of upper abdominal discomfort/pain, measured every second month, decreased significantly in the therapy group compared to the control group. Psychotherapy led to less neuroticism (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire) and less trait anxiety (Spielberger Trait Anxiety Scale) compared to controls at 4 months. At the 12-month follow-up, most of this gain was lost, but the psychotherapy group had lower scores on "concern about disapproval" on the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale than the control group. There is no beneficial effect of short-term cognitive psychotherapy on the 1-year recurrence rate of duodenal ulcer.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Physical exercise in women with intractable epilepsy.

Fifteen women with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy were given physical exercise (aerobic dancing with strength training and stretching) for 60 min, twice weekly, for 15 weeks. Seizure frequency was recorded by the patients for 3-7 months before the intervention, during the intervention period, and for 3 months after the intervention. Medication and other known seizure-influencing factors were kept as constant as possible. Self-reported seizure frequency was significantly reduced during the intervention period. The exercise also led to reduced level of subjective health complaints, such as muscle pains, sleep problems, and fatigue. The exercise reduced plasma cholesterol ratio and increased maximum O2 uptake. Because most of the patients were unable to continue the exercise on their own after the intervention period, the exercise effects were not maintained during the follow-up period. The patients were not unwilling to continue the exercise, but it was not sufficient to offer them the possibility of continuing similar types of exercise. We believe that 15 weeks is too short a time to establish a life-style change and that continued physical exercise for these patients requires a well-organized and supportive program, requiring experienced and dedicated instructors.

Adolescent↗