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Biomedical subjects

J G Arena

Publications and source records attributed to J G Arena.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Nonpharmacologic treatment of chronic headache: prediction of outcome.

We studied the ability of headache history, a 4-week headache diary, standard psychological tests, and laboratory measures of psychophysiologic responses to stress to predict the outcome of relaxation therapy and biofeedback for three types of chronic headache. Using canonical discriminant function analyses, each potential predictor set was tested separately, and all four were tested together. Information from the headache history alone correctly classified 89 to 95% of patients as improved or unimproved. No other single predictor set was consistently better than headache history. When all four predictor sets were combined, prediction improved; 93 to 100% of patients were correctly classified.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Interactions between oncologists and patients during rounds.

Physician behavior during inpatient rounds was observed and quantified for 394 interactions between patients with cancer and physicians. Most patients had solid tumors (90%) and a limited prognosis despite treatment (61%). The physicians spent 1.45 +/- 0.58 h on morning rounds seeing an average of 9.3 +/- 3.39 patients. For each patient an average of 3.61 +/- 2.83 min was spent in the room. The rest of the time was involved in reviewing the results of diagnostic tests, discussing treatment plans, and updating patient's charts. Time spent in the room was significantly related to the patient's sex and diagnosis. Physicians spent more time with patients having the poorest prognosis (p = 0.009). Specific behaviors were analyzed using a Physician Behavior Check List that allows accurate recording of behavior during a brief patients-physician encounter. Factor analysis of responses to the check list resulted in four factors that explained 58.7% of the variance. The physician behavior factor scores failed to correlate with factor scores from the responses of the same physicians to the Cancer Attitude Survey. In addition, the physicians were unable to accurately estimate the time they actually spent with patients or the frequency of specific behaviors that occurred during these interactions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Psychological functioning in headache sufferers.

The present study examined the psychological test responses of 99 headache sufferers and 30 matched nonheadache controls. Headache subjects were of four types: migraine (n = 26), muscle contraction (n = 39), combined migraine-muscle contract ion (n = 22), and cluster (n = 12). Measures consisted of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a modified hostility scale derived from the MMPI, Back Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Autonomic Perception Questionnaire, Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, Social Readjustment Rating Scale, Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist, Schalling-Sifneos Scale, Need for Achievement, and Hostile Press. Significant differences were found on five clinical scales of the MMPI--1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. Of the non-MMPI scales, only the Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist and Trait Anxiety Inventory were significant. Control subjects revealed no significant findings on any tests. The headache groups fell along a continuum, beginning with cluster subjects, who showed only minimal distress, continuing through migraine and combined migraine-muscle contraction, and ending with muscle contraction subjects, who revealed the greatest degree of psychological disturbance. However, none of the headache groups could be characterized by marked elevations on any of the psychological tests, which contrasts with past research findings. It is suggested that the present results may be more representative of the "typical" headache sufferer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Cross-validation of the Kudrow-Sutkus MMPI classification system for diagnosing headache type.

In order to determine the generality of the Kudrow-Sutkus (1979) MMPI classification system for diagnosing headache type, a cross-validation analysis was performed on 99 headache subjects. Results indicated a high level of support for Kudrow-Sutkus' Group A (migraine and cluster) classification criteria (65.4% and 75.0% correct assignments for female and male subjects, respectively) but a low level of support for Kudrow-Sutkus' Group B (combined and chronic scalp muscle tension) classification criteria (5.9% and 25.2% correct assignments for female and male subjects, respectively). Possible reasons accounting for these differences are discussed.

Cluster Headache↗
PubMed1981

Psychometric properties of a scale to measure alexithymia.

Four studies were conducted on a sample of 230 undergraduates to determine the psychometric properties of a measure of alexithymia, the Schalling-Sifneos Scale. In the first study it was found that scores on the scale are approximately normally distributed for each sex with 8.2% of males and 1.8% of females in the alexithymia range. In the second study a factor analysis of the scale revealed three distinct factors: (1) 'difficulty in expression of feelings'; (2) 'the importance of feelings especially about people'; (3) 'day-dreaming or introspection'. In the second factor analytic study, scores from several standard psychological tests on the same subjects were introduced with the scale items. Two factors in this analysis were comprised almost entirely of the other test scores: a 'general psychological distress factor' and a 'concerns about physical symptoms factor'. The other two factors were similar to factors 1 and 2 above in terms of items. The Rathus Assertiveness Scale loaded positively on the equivalent of factor 1. In the lst study, it was shown that Schalling-Sifneos Scale score is relatively orthogonal to other psychological tests with the exception of a Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist and thus is measuring something other than depression, anxiety, etc.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A comparison of frontal electromyographic biofeedback training, trapezius electromyographic biofeedback training, and progressive muscle relaxation therapy in the treatment of tension headache.

This study is the first systematic examination of a trapezius EMG biofeedback training regimen with tension headache sufferers. It evaluated the differential effects of three psychophysiological treatments for tension headache: (1) a standard 12-session frontal EMG biofeedback training regimen (n = 8), (2) a 12-session upper trapezius EMG biofeedback training regimen (n = 10), and (3) a standard seven-session progressive muscle relaxation therapy regimen (n = 8). Posttreatment assessment at 3 months following cessation of treatment revealed clinically significant decreases in overall headache activity (50% or greater) in 50% of subjects in the frontal biofeedback group, 100% in the trapezius biofeedback group, and 37.5% in the relaxation therapy group. Chi-squared analyses indicated that the trapezius biofeedback group was more effective in obtaining significant clinical improvement than the frontal biofeedback and relaxation therapy groups (which did not differ from each other). The three treatments did not differ on secondary measures of headache improvement (number of headache-free days, peak headache activity, and medication index). Implications for the psychophysiological treatment of tension headache, as well as future research directions, are discussed.

Adult↗