Biomedical subjects

Hans Joergen Grabe

Publications and source records attributed to Hans Joergen Grabe.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Negative perceived paternal parenting is associated with dopamine D2 receptor exon 8 and GABA(A) alpha 6 receptor variants: an explorative study.

Twin studies suggest a genetic influence upon perceived parenting. The D(2) dopaminergic receptor is involved in the modulation of social behaviors, and might influence parenting and its perception. A polymorphism (E8) in exon 8 of the D(2) receptor gene (DRD2) has been previously associated with alcoholism-related phenotypes. Similarly, the Pro385Ser variant of GABRA6, the polymorphic gene for GABA(A) receptor alpha6 subunit, has been associated with alcohol- and depression-related traits; and rat pups maintained a more immature GABAR phenotype after brief separation distress. The relationships among DRD2 (E8) and GABRA6 (Pro385Ser) polymorphisms, and perceived parenting were studied here. The association of DRD2 (E8) and GABRA6 (Pro385Ser) genotypes and perceived parental rearing behavior (short-EMBU; questionnaire concerning own memories concerning upbringing) were determined in 207 unrelated adults using multivariate analysis of variance. Temperaments (Temperament and Character Inventory; TCI) were included as covariates. Probands with DRD2 (E8) A/A genotype showed higher scores for father rejection (P = 0.011), parents overprotection (P = 0.021), and father overprotection (P = 0.016) in the total group. An interaction between DRD2 and GABRA6 genotypes on father rejection (P = 0.010) and parents rejection (P = 0.030) was also observed. Further analyses showed that these associations were restricted to the female subgroup only; however, secondary gender-specific analyses were not corrected for multiple testing. Our findings support a role for DRD2 (E8) and GABRA6 (Pro385Ser) in perceived parenting.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Alexithymia in obsessive-compulsive disorder - results from a family study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested an association between alexithymia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it is unclear to which extent alexithymic traits in OCD patients reflect familial deficits in cognitively processing and communicating feelings that are also present in their first-degree relatives. This study investigates the hypotheses of an elevated level of alexithymia in subjects with OCD and their first-degree relatives compared to controls and their first-degree relatives. METHODS: 82 cases with OCD and 169 first-degree relatives were compared to 76 controls and 144 first-degree relatives from a German family study on OCD (GENOS). All subjects completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Direct or family informant interviews were carried out with the German version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia - lifetime version for anxiety disorders (DSM-IV). RESULTS: OCD was associated with significantly higher scores of alexithymia. However, first-degree relatives of OCD cases and of controls did not differ in TAS-20 scores. In linear regression analyses, the TAS-20 total score showed significant intrafamilial associations within the families of control subjects but not within families of OCD cases. CONCLUSION: OCD is a severe mental disorder that is associated independently from other current comorbid axis I disorders with deficits in identifying and expressing feelings. However, alexithymia does not represent a familial risk factor for OCD.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Familiality of obsessive-compulsive disorder in nonclinical and clinical subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Studies of the familiality of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have yielded inconsistent results. This study compared the familial aggregation of OCD in first-degree relatives of community subjects with never-treated OCD, outpatients with OCD, and comparison subjects. METHOD: Fifteen persons from the community with untreated OCD were matched on age and interview type (direct or through family informants) with 90 OCD patients from four treatment facilities and 70 comparison subjects. Direct or indirect interviews using the German-language version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version for Anxiety Disorders (DSM-IV) were obtained from 58, 285, and 247 first-degree relatives, respectively, of the three groups. The rate of OCD in case versus comparison relatives was assessed with chi-square tests, and odds ratios were calculated for risk estimation. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to estimate the age-related risk of relatives of being affected by OCD. RESULTS: Cox proportional hazards analyses revealed a 6.2-fold higher risk (hazard ratio) for relatives of all OCD cases for definite OCD and a 2.2-fold higher risk for subclinical OCD compared with relatives of comparison subjects. For relatives of community subjects with OCD, the risk for definite OCD (10.3% versus 5.6%) was 1.6, and the risk for subclinical OCD (15.4% versus 4.1%) was 3.4 compared with relatives of OCD patients from treatment sites. CONCLUSIONS: These results from the first controlled European family study of OCD confirm earlier U.S. data on the familiality of OCD in patients recruited from treatment facilities. The finding of a comparable familial aggregation of definite OCD and a higher familial aggregation of subclinical OCD in relatives of never-treated persons with OCD from the community strongly supports the impact of familial-genetic factors in OCD.

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMed2006

Frequency, clinical and demographic correlates of pathological dissociation in Europe.

Although pathological dissociation (PD) has received increasing scientific attention in Anglo-American countries, European research on the frequency, clinical and demographic correlates of this discontinuous construct are lacking. An 8-item subscale of the Dissociative Experiences Scale, called the DES-Taxon, was administered to five samples comprising a non-clinical population, students, unselected psychiatric inpatients, eating-disordered inpatients and psychosomatic outpatients with a total of 1,759 adult participants. In the two non-clinical samples, the frequency of PD ranged between 0.3 and 1.8%. Its prevalence was highest in the psychiatric inpatients (5.4%) followed by the eating disorders (4.8%) and the psychosomatic outpatients (2.2%). PD was seen in all diagnostic groups and it was associated with more psychopathological distress and younger age. PD is frequently found in clinical populations in European countries, too. However, methodological problems relating to its empirical determination might obscure the clinical and scientific value of the construct.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Borderline personality organization and dissociation.

The relationship between Kernberg's psychodynamic model of personality organization (PO) and dissociation has not yet been explored. Seventy-two nonclinical subjects and 222 psychiatric patients completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Inventory of Personality Organization. Its Reality Testing subscale emerged as the most important predictor for all facets of dissociation. Discussing our results in the framework of Fonagy and coworkers' model of mentalization, we suggest that dissociation may reflect the preoedipal "pretend" mode of psychic functioning while impaired reality testing and psychotic experiences might be indicative of the "psychic equivalent" mode.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Recent developments in the theory of dissociation.

Although the construct of dissociation was introduced into psychiatry at the end of the 19th century by Pierre Janet, the term still lacks a coherent conceptualization, which is partially reflected by differences in the classification of dissociative and conversion disorders in ICD-10 and DSM-IV. Given the clinical significance of dissociative psychopathology in numerous clinical conditions, it is very valuable that various efforts have been made to refine and to specify current conceptualizations in recent years. The most promising and convincing approaches converge in subdividing dissociation into qualitatively different types, i.e. pathological versus non-pathological dissociation, and "detachment" versus "compartmentalization". We review these concepts and discuss their scientific and clinical potential as well as their limitations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Alexithymia and interpersonal problems.

BACKGROUND: Interpersonal relationships are substantially codetermined by nonverbal communication, e.g. facial affect. Given the deficits of nonverbal affect recognition and expression in alexithymia, we hypothesized that alexithymics had more interpersonal problems than nonalexithymic individuals, and that the various facets of the alexithymia construct are differentially related to interpersonal problems. METHOD: 149 subjects participating in an inpatient group psychotherapy program completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-C) at the beginning of the treatment. The IIP-C was also administered to a subgroup at the end of the treatment. RESULTS: Based on the alexithymia scores, patients were classified as low- (TAS-20 score </=51), moderate- or high-alexithymic (TAS-20 score >/=61). High-alexithymic patients had significantly more interpersonal problems than low alexithymics, particularly in the IIP-C scales indicating hostility and social avoidance. The TAS-20 subscale difficulty describing feelings showed the highest correlations with interpersonal problems (r between 0.23 and 0.55). At the end of the treatment, the high alexithymics still scored highest on the IIP-C, but the magnitude of change in interpersonal problems did not differ across the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the interpersonal style of alexithymic individuals is characterized by a cold and socially avoidant behavior, corresponding to the predominantly insecure attachment pattern found in alexithymia. Additionally, our results indicate that group psychotherapy is as helpful for alexithymic as for nonalexithymic subjects with respect to interpersonal problems. Finally, we propose that alexithymia involves a reduced capacity to use social interactions for affect regulation.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Alexithymia and personality in relation to dimensions of psychopathology.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the capacity of alexithymia to predict a broad range of psychiatric symptoms relative to that of other personality dimensions, age, and gender. METHOD: The Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Temperament and Character Inventory, and the SCL-90-R were administered to 254 psychiatric patients. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The difficulties identifying feelings factor of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale significantly predicted all SCL-90-R subscale scores and was particularly effective, relative to the personality dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory, in predicting somatization. The Temperament and Character Inventory dimensions emerged as distinct and conceptually meaningful predictors for the different SCL-90-R subscales. CONCLUSIONS: A broad range of current psychopathology is associated with difficulties in cognitively processing emotional perceptions. Further research needs to clarify whether alexithymia represents a risk factor for mental illness and poorer outcome.

Affective Symptoms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Somatoform pain disorder in the general population.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain disorder is assumed to represent a frequent and disabling condition. However, data on the prevalence of somatoform pain symptoms and somatoform pain disorder in the community are limited to date. METHODS: German versions of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview were administered to a representative national sample of 4,075 people. Somatoform pain disorder was diagnosed by standardized diagnostic algorithm based on the DSM-III-R criteria (absence of adequate physical findings). One subgroup was identified as also meeting the DSM-IV criterion B for 'significant distress or psychosocial impairment due to the somatoform pain'. RESULTS: A lifetime prevalence rate of somatoform pain disorder according to DSM-III-R of 33.7% and a 6-month rate of 17.3% was found. When applying the DSM-IV B criterion, the prevalence rate dropped to 12.3 and 5.4%, respectively. In both groups more than 95% of the probands had contacted their doctor because of the pain. In 25% of the probands the pain was positively assigned to psychological factors. A female:male ratio of 2:1 was found. CONCLUSIONS: Somatoform pain disorder (DSM-III-R) is a frequent condition. However, only about one third of these subjects is severely distressed or impaired by the pain. A clear operationalized concept of the DSM-IV criterion C 'psychological factors are judged to have an important role in the onset, severity, exacerbation or maintenance of the pain' should be provided in the further development of the diagnosis 'pain disorder' in order to make this diagnosis suitable for general population surveys.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Interhemispheric transfer in alexithymia: a transcallosal inhibition study.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the hypothesis that alexithymia is associated with an interhemispheric transfer deficit via the corpus callosum (CC). METHOD: The transcallosal inhibition paradigm was used to assess interhemispheric transfer. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and peripheral electromyographic recordings were performed in 10 right-handed male and 10 female students with Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) scores of > or = 61 and controls (TAS-20 scores of < 61). The transcallosal conduction time (TCT) reflects the TMS-induced inhibitory cortical activity that is mediated via the CC. RESULTS: There was a significant interaction between gender and alexithymia (Wilks lambda = 0.89; F = 3.4; d.f. = 2, 57; p = 0.04) indicating that alexithymic males had shorter bidirectional TCTs than controls and a significantly shorter left to right TCT than controls (p = 0.002). However, the left to right TCT was not significantly different from the right to left TCT in alexithymic males (p = 0.39). Alexithymic females were not different from controls. CONCLUSION: Our results clearly stand in contrast to the hypothesis of a transfer deficit due to a dysfunction of the CC in alexithymia. Facilitated, bidirectional transcallosal inhibition of the contralateral motor activity is associated with alexithymia in males. Facilitated cortical inhibition may be a neurobiological correlate of alexithymia.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Specific somatoform disorder in the general population.

The authors assessed the validity of the recently proposed diagnosis for specific somatoform disorder in the general population. German versions of the DSM-IV adapted Composite International Diagnostic Interview were administered to a representative sample of 4075 individuals. Multivariate analyses were used to compare impairment, life satisfaction, and use of health care. A total of 803 of 4075 subjects (19.7%) with undifferentiated somatization disorder were identified, which included 51 subjects (1.3%) who met criteria for specific somatoform disorder. Subjects with specific somatoform disorder were more impaired, had lower life satisfaction, and had higher use of health care than subjects with undifferentiated somatization disorder only. The proposed diagnosis of specific somatoform disorder demonstrated a high validity independent of comorbid depressive and anxiety disorders.

Activities of Daily Living↗