Biomedical subjects

L A Zoellner

Publications and source records attributed to L A Zoellner.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Stability of emotions for traumatic memories in acute and chronic PTSD.

While memory for central factual information regarding an emotional event is considered to be relatively accurate, memory for emotions seem to be quite inaccurate (Christianson & Safer, 1995). We extended this line of research to examine memory for the emotional intensity surrounding a traumatic event (e.g., memory for the fear and horror of the event). We conducted a series of two studies. In Study 1, we examined memory for the emotional intensity of the traumatic event in recent sexual or non-sexual assault victims with acute PTSD at 2 and 12 weeks following the assault. In Study 2, we compared memory for emotional intensity in sexual and non-sexual assault victims with either acute or chronic PTSD at initial assessment and 12 weeks later. For both studies, participants were asked to recall general emotional intensity, fear intensity, and dissociative intensity of the traumatic event. Results suggested that memory for the fear of the traumatic event did not fluctuate over time. However, memory for the general emotional and dissociative intensity did fluctuate over time, decreasing for individuals with acute PTSD and increasing for individuals with chronic PTSD.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Processing of phobic stimuli and its relationship to outcome.

In the present study, we explored factors related to successful treatment outcome in a sample of participants with fear of spiders. We specifically examined the relationship of general memory, memory for the phobic stimulus, memory for anxious responses, and perceived self-efficacy to treatment outcome. Forty-eight participants who were afraid of spiders participated in two sessions of in vivo exposure therapy. On day 1, participants completed measures of general memory, memory for the phobic stimulus, recall of anxiety level during exposure tasks, and self-efficacy during exposure tasks. At post-treatment, better memory for anxious responses, but not memory for the phobic stimulus, was related to lower anticipatory and actual anxiety. Greater self-efficacy, on the other hand, was related to better behavioral performance.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Anger, dissociation, and posttraumatic stress disorder among female assault victims.

The goal of the present study was to explore the relationship between anger and dissociation and their relationship to symptoms of post-trauma pathology. One hundred four female assault victims were assessed prospectively 2, 4, and 12 weeks post-assault. Measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity, social functioning, anger, and dissociation were obtained at all assessments. Results revealed that differentiation between symptoms that predict later PTSD and impaired social functioning first becomes evident at 4 weeks post-assault. At 4 weeks post-assault, anger expression was predictive of later PTSD severity, whereas dissociation was predictive of poorer later functioning.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2000

Exploring the roles of emotional numbing, depression, and dissociation in PTSD.

Some researchers consider emotional numbing a cardinal feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Others view numbing symptoms as representing an overlap between PTSD, depression, and dissociation. In this study, we examined the ability of early emotional numbing, depression, and dissociation symptoms to predict PTSD. One-hundred sixty-one women who were recent victims of sexual or nonsexual assault were assessed prospectively for 12 weeks. Emotional numbing, depression, and dissociation were each associated with initial PTSD severity. Notably, regression analyses revealed that after depression and dissociation were accounted for, early numbing contributed to the prediction of later PTSD.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

PTSD severity and health perceptions in female victims of sexual assault.

In women with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), poor physical health may be related to their PTSD symptoms through an underlying negative affect or distress that accompanies the disorder, through the PTSD symptoms in general, or specifically through the chronic hyperarousal present in the disorder. The current study examined the relative contribution of these factors to reported physical symptoms in female victims of sexual assault. Seventy-six women with chronic PTSD were assessed, using measures of stressful life events, psychological difficulties, and perceived health. Negative life events, anger, depression, and PTSD severity were all related to self-reported physical symptoms; however, PTSD severity predicted self-reported physical symptoms beyond these other variables. Contrary to our hypothesis, the reexperiencing cluster of PTSD, and not the hyperarousal cluster, was related to self-reported physical symptoms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Interoceptive accuracy and panic.

Psychophysiological models of panic hypothesize that panickers focus attention on and become anxious about the physical sensations associated with panic. Attention on internal somatic cues has been labeled interoception. The present study examined the role of physiological arousal and subjective anxiety on interoceptive accuracy. Infrequent panickers and nonanxious participants participated in an initial baseline to examine overall interoceptive accuracy. Next, participants ingested caffeine, about which they received either safety or no safety information. Using a mental heartbeat tracking paradigm, participants' count of their heartbeats during specific time intervals were coded based on polygraph measures. Infrequent panickers were more accurate in the perception of their heartbeats than nonanxious participants. Changes in physiological arousal were not associated with increased accuracy on the heartbeat perception task. However, higher levels of self-reported anxiety were associated with superior performance.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Interpersonal friction and PTSD in female victims of sexual and nonsexual assault.

This study examines the relationship among features of social relationships, both negative and positive, and later posttrauma pathology. Using a prospective design, 142 female victims of sexual or nonsexual assault were assessed at both 2 weeks and 3 months following the assault. We examined self-reported perceptions of how often the participant has been the recipient of socially supportive actions by others and how often the participant has been engaged in interpersonal friction with others. Degree of interpersonal friction shortly after the assault predicted PTSD severity 3 months later. On the contrary, positive social support did not predict later PTSD severity. These results are consistent with previous studies that underscore the association between negative features of social relationships and PTSD.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Bipolar depression and antidepressant-induced mania: a naturalistic study.

BACKGROUND: The likelihood and character of antidepressant-induced mania remain important but poorly understood factors in the treatment of bipolar depression. METHOD: We examined the response to naturalistic treatment of 29 bipolar I patients who experienced a total of 79 depressive episodes. Treatment consisted primarily of mood stabilizers used alone (N = 31) or in combination with antidepressants (N = 48). Intensity of baseline mood stabilizer therapy, adequacy of added antidepressant therapy, intensity of ensuing mania or hypomania, and course of illness prior to study were measured, and selected comparisons were made between treatment groups. RESULTS: Postdepressive mood elevations (i.e., switches) that occurred during or up to 2 months after each depressive episode were present in 28% (22/79) and judged to be severely disruptive in only 10% (8/79) of episodes. Examining only the first episode per patient, a history of a greater number of past manic episodes was associated with a higher risk of switching (p < .023). Antidepressant treatment combined with mood stabilizer therapy was not associated with higher rates of postdepressive mood elevation than mood stabilizer therapy alone. At a descriptive level, subjects treated with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) were associated with a higher switch rate than those treated with fluoxetine; TCAs were also associated with more intense switches. CONCLUSION: The frequency and severity of postdepressive mood elevation associated with acute or continuation antidepressant therapy may be reduced by mood stabilizers. Such elevations may be more likely in patients with a strong history of mania.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Stability of catastrophic cognitions in panic disorder.

This study examined the degree to which panic disorder patients recognized the irrationality of their fearful cognitions during the midst of panic and at other times, when not panicking. Also, the degree to which panic-cognitions changed over time was examined. Approximately 40% retained at least moderately strong conviction in their panic-cognitions when not panicking. Females and non-medicated patients held stronger convictions. Fearful cognitions about physical dangers were more likely to decrease over time than fearful cognitions about mental or social dangers.

Agoraphobia↗