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Biomedical subjects

P P Schnurr

Publications and source records attributed to P P Schnurr.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Levels of expression of Fcgamma receptor IIA (CD32) are decreased on peripheral blood monocytes in patients with severe atherosclerosis.

To obtain information in vivo concerning the role of Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaR) in atherosclerosis, we used quantitative flow cytometry to measure the levels of expression of FcgammaRI and FcgammaRIIA on peripheral monocytes in patients with severe atherosclerosis. Expression of several other markers was also measured. We found that differences in the levels of expression of FcgammaRI were not statistically significant when compared between patients and control subjects. For FcgammaRIIA, levels of expression were decreased in the patient group, a difference that was statistically significant. Levels of expression of CD14 and CD36 were also significantly decreased in the patient group. The decrease in expression of FcgammaRIIA was statistically significant when the effects of current cigarette smoking status or medication use, including statins, were taken into account. There was also a positive and statistically significant correlation between high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and levels of expression of FcgammaRIIA for all subjects. In contrast, decreased levels of expression of CD14 and CD36 were strongly associated with current smoking status or statin use. In summary, levels of expression of FcgammaRIIA on peripheral blood monocytes were significantly decreased in patients with clinical atherosclerosis. Additional studies are warranted to determine if levels of expression of FcgammaRIIA have utility as a phenotypic marker for assessing relative risk of atherosclerotic disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Design of Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study no. 420: group treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant problem for a large number of veterans who receive treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health-care system. VA Cooperative Study 420 is a randomized clinical trial of group psychotherapy for treating PTSD among veterans who sought VA care. Participants at ten sites were randomly assigned to receive one of the two treatments: active treatment that embedded exposure therapy in a group context or comparison treatment that avoided trauma focus and instead addressed current interpersonal problems. Treatment was delivered weekly to groups of six participants for 30 weeks, followed by five monthly booster sessions. Follow-up assessments were conducted at the end of treatment (7 months) and the end of boosters (12 months) for all participants. Long-term follow-up data were collected for a subset of participants at 18 and 24 months. The primary outcome is PTSD severity; other symptoms, functional status, quality of life, physical health, and service utilization also were assessed. Data analysis will account for the clustering introduced by the group nature of the intervention. The pivotal comparison was at the end of treatment. Analyses of subsequent outcomes will concentrate on the question of the durability of effects. The study provides an example of how to address the unique challenges posed by multisite trials of group psychotherapy through attention to methodological and statistical issues. This article discusses these challenges and describes the design and methods of the study. Control Clin Trials 2001;22:74-88

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Psychophysiological reactivity in female sexual abuse survivors.

This study examined psychophysiological reactivity in 37 female childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. After assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychiatric comorbidity, and trauma history, we conducted a psychophysiological assessment of forehead muscle tension, electrodermal activity, and heart rate during a mental arithmetic task and4 script-driven imagery tasks (neutral, consensual sex, pleasant, and trauma). PTSD symptom severity correlated positively with psychophysiologic changes and negative emotions during the trauma imagery task. During mental arithmetic, PTSD symptom severity correlated negatively with autonomic changes and positively with negative emotions. These results extend earlier PTSD research showing trauma-specific increased psychophysiological reactivity related to CSA in women with PTSD. They further suggest a negative association between PTSD severity and autonomic reactions to mental arithmetic.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Symptom differences between older depressed primary care patients with and without history of trauma.

OBJECTIVE: The current study explored the relationship between past traumatic experiences and current depression in a sample of depressed older adult primary care patients. METHOD: Sixty-six patients were referred from primary care to a psychogeriatric clinic that specialized in the treatment of unipolar depressive disorders. All patients received an extensive psychological assessment. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent had a history of trauma reported in their medical charts. Despite no differences found on a clinician-rated measure of depression, those with a trauma history had more depressive symptoms on a self-report measure. CONCLUSIONS: Although older patients with a history of trauma may not appear more depressed than a non-trauma comparison group, they may be in more psychological distress. The clinical implications of these findings and recommendations for mental health professionals are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Risk factors for adolescent substance abuse and dependence: data from a national sample.

A national household probability sample of 4,023 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years was interviewed by telephone about substance use, victimization experiences, familial substance use, and posttraumatic reactions to identify risk factors for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders--(4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) defined substance abuse/dependence. Age and ethnicity data were available for 3,907 participants. Major findings were (a) adolescents who had been physically assaulted, who had been sexually assaulted, who had witnessed violence, or who had family members with alcohol or drug use problems had increased risk for current substance abuse/dependence; (b) posttraumatic stress disorder independently increased risk of marijuana and hard drug abuse/dependence; and (c) when effects of other variables were controlled, African Americans, but not Hispanics or Native Americans, were at approximately 1/3 the risk of substance abuse/dependence as Caucasians.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Physician-diagnosed medical disorders in relation to PTSD symptoms in older male military veterans.

The association between physician-diagnosed medical disorders and combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms was examined in 605 male combat veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict. Physician exams were performed at periodic intervals beginning in the 1960s. PTSD symptoms were assessed in 1990. Cox regression was used to examine the onset of each of 12 disorder categories as a function of PTSD symptoms, controlling for age, smoking, alcohol use, and body weight at study entry. Even with control for these factors, PTSD symptoms were associated with increased onset of arterial, lower gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and musculoskeletal disorders. There was only weak evidence that PTSD mediated the effects of combat exposure on morbidity. Possible mediators of the relationship between combat exposure, PTSD, and physical morbidity are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

PTSD and utilization of medical treatment services among male Vietnam veterans.

This study investigated the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on help-seeking for physical problems. Merging two large data sets resulted in a sample of 1773 male Vietnam veterans from white, black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, and Japanese American ethnic groups. Predictors of utilization included PTSD, other axis I disorders, and substance abuse. In analyses that adjusted only for age, PTSD was related to greater utilization of recent and lifetime VA medical services, and with recent inpatient care from all sources. Further analysis showed that the increased utilization associated with PTSD was not merely due to the high comorbidity between PTSD and other axis I disorders. The uniqueness of the association between PTSD and medical utilization is discussed in terms of somatization and physical illness.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Predictors and outcomes of posttraumatic stress disorder in World War II veterans exposed to mustard gas.

Current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with participation in secret military tests of mustard gas during World War II was assessed in 363 male military veterans who were randomly sampled from a registry developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Current prevalence was 32% for full PTSD and 10% for partial PTSD. Prevalence of PTSD varied as a function of risk and protective factors, including volunteering, physical symptoms during the tests, and prohibited disclosure. Prediction of partial PTSD was weaker than prediction of full PTSD. Veterans with full PTSD reported poorer physical health, a higher likelihood of several chronic illnesses and health-related disability, greater functional impairment, and higher likelihood of health care use than those with no PTSD. Veterans with partial PTSD also had poorer outcomes than did veterans with no PTSD in a subset of these domains. There is discussion of the traumatic elements of experimental mustard gas exposure, vulnerability to PTSD, and the relevance of these findings to understanding the broad range of outcomes associated with PTSD.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Combat exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and health behaviors as predictors of self-reported physical health in older veterans.

We used path analysis to model the effects of combat exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and health behaviors on physical health. Participants were 921 male military veterans from the Normative Aging Study. Their mean age at time of study was 65. Measures of combat exposure, PTSD symptoms, smoking, and alcohol problems were used to predict subsequent self-reported physical health status. Both combat exposure and PTSD were correlated with poorer health. In path analysis, combat exposure had only an indirect effect on health status, through PTSD, whereas PTSD had a direct effect. Smoking had a small effect on health status but did not mediate the effects of PTSD, and alcohol was unrelated to health status. We conclude that PTSD is an important predictor of physical health and encourage further investigation of health behaviors and other possible mediators of this relationship.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

Physical health and post-traumatic stress disorder: review and synthesis.

This article reviews the empirical evidence on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical health and considers this evidence in light of the physical health outcomes associated with other psychiatric disorders. The existing data show that PTSD is associated with poor self-reported health and increased utilization of medical services. To a lesser extent, the data also show an association between PTSD and increased morbidity. Possible psychological, behavioral, and biological mechanisms are discussed, and a model integrating these mechanisms is presented.

Health↗
PubMed1998

Physical symptom trajectories following trauma exposure: longitudinal findings from the normative aging study.

This study modeled physical symptom trajectories from ages 30 to 75 in 1079 older male military veterans who were assessed every 3 to 5 years since the 1960s. Combat exposure and noncombat trauma were used to define four groups: no trauma (N = 249), noncombat trauma only (N = 333), combat only (N = 152), and both combat and noncombat trauma (N = 345). Number of symptoms on the Cornell Medical Index physical symptom scale increased 29% per decade. Men who had experienced either combat or noncombat trauma did not differ from nonexposed men, but those who had experienced both combat and noncombat trauma had 16% more symptoms across all ages. There were no differences in age-related trajectories as a function of trauma history. In cross-sectional analysis, men with combat and noncombat trauma had more posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, but not more depression symptoms, than men with either no trauma or noncombat trauma only. Discussion focuses on the importance of considering physical as well as psychological outcomes of exposure to traumatic events.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Post-traumatic stress disorder among World War II mustard gas test participants.

Open-minded and structured interviews were conducted to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychosocial outcomes among 24 men who had participated in the military's mustard gas testing program during World War II. Most men had volunteered (92%) and had participated in chamber tests (96%). During the tests, few (22%) understood the danger involved. The majority (67%) were ordered to refrain from discussing their participation with anyone. Most men (83%) experienced physical symptoms subsequent to the test. At present, the men were less psychologically and physically healthy than expected for men of similar age. The current prevalence of PTSD due to the mustard gas was 17%. The current prevalence of subdiagnostic mustard-gas-related PTSD was 25%. Lifetime estimates for full and subdiagnostic PTSD was 17 and 33%, respectively. The only mustard gas experience that predicted lifetime full or subdiagnostic PTSD was the number of exposures to the gas.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Posttraumatic stress disorder and war-zone exposure as correlates of perceived health in female Vietnam War veterans.

Previous studies have identified traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as predictors of physical health complaints without considering the relationship between exposure and PTSD. This study examined the unique associations of war-zone exposure and PTSD with perceived physical health outcomes in a nontreatment-seeking sample of 109 female veterans of the Vietnam War who responded to a series of psychological, exposure, and health questionnaires. Both PTSD and exposure were associated with reports of negative health outcomes when each variable was not adjusted for the other. The effects associated with exposure decreased when PTSD was controlled for, whereas the effects associated with PTSD remained when exposure was controlled for. Results suggest that effects of traumatic exposure on perceived health are partially mediated by increases in PTSD after exposure, supporting studies on the effects of stress on health.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in older men.

Nearly 25% of U.S. men aged 55 or older served in combat, yet its impact on aging is unknown. The relationship of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms to combat exposure was examined in 1,210 veterans of World War II (WWII) and the Korean War, who were participants in the Normative Aging Study. Over 54% of WWII and 19% of Korean veterans reported combat experience. The relationship between combat exposure and PTSD symptoms was stronger in the WWII cohort. The sample prevalence of PTSD by combat exposure ranged from 0% to 12.4%, differing by the PTSD measure. WWII veterans exposed to moderate or heavy combat had 13.3 times greater risk of PTSD symptoms measured 45 years later, compared with noncombat veterans. It is suggested that military service in general, and combat exposure in particular, is a "hidden variable" in the study of aging men.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Post-traumatic stress disorder in the military veteran.

1. Military personnel exposed to war-zone trauma are at risk for developing PTSD. Those at greatest risk are those exposed to the highest levels of war-zone stress, those wounded in action, those incarcerated as prisoners of war, and those who manifest acute war-zone reactions, such as CSR. 2. In addition to problems directly attributable to PTSD symptoms per se, individuals with this disorder frequently suffer from other comorbid psychiatric disorders, such as depression, other anxiety disorders, and alcohol or substance abuse/dependence. The resulting constellation of psychiatric symptoms frequently impairs marital, vocational, and social function. 3. The likelihood of developing chronic PTSD depends on premilitary and postmilitary factors in addition to features of the trauma itself. Premilitary factors include negative environmental factors in childhood, economic deprivation, family psychiatric history, age of entry into the military, premilitary educational attainment, and personality characteristics. Postmilitary factors include social support and the veteran's coping skills. 4. Among American military personnel, there are three populations at risk for unique problems that may amplify the psychological impact of war-zone stress. They are women whose war-zone experiences may be complicated by sexual assault and harassment; nonwhite ethnic minority individuals whose premilitary, postmilitary, and military experience is affected by the many manifestations of racism; and those with war-related physical disabilities, whose PTSD and medical problems often exacerbate each other. 5. The longitudinal course of PTSD is quite variable. Some trauma survivors may achieve complete recovery, whereas others may develop a persistent mental disorder in which they are severely and chronically incapacitated. Other patterns include delayed, chronic, and intermittent PTSD. 6. Theoretically primary preventive measures might include prevention of war or screening out vulnerable military recruits. In practice, primary preventive measures have included psychoeducational and inoculation approaches. Secondary prevention has been attempted through critical incident stress debriefing administered according to the principles of proximity, immediacy, expectancy, and simplicity. Tertiary prevention has included psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, dual diagnosis approaches, peer counseling, and inpatient treatment. Few treatments have been rigorously evaluated. 7. There are both theoretical reasons and empirical findings to suggest that military veterans with PTSD are at greater risk for more physical health problems, poorer health status, and more medical service usage. Much more research is needed on this matter. 8. Despite the potential adverse impact of war-zone exposure on mental and physical health, there is also evidence that trauma can sometimes have salutary effects on personality and overall function.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1993

Language content and schizophrenia in acute phase Turkish patients.

The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend, in a Turkish sample, previous investigations of speech content in English-speaking schizophrenics. Computer content analytic procedures, which quantify thematic emphases in the subjects' free speech, have been shown to differentiate schizophrenic patients from other acutely ill psychiatric patients and from normal controls. We repeated the speech sampling procedure with hospitalized psychiatric patients in Turkey, and analyzed their responses using content analysis procedures with a translation of the dictionary or language classification system used in the original studies of English-speaking patients in the United States. Eighty subjects were included in the study: 20 schizophrenics, 20 depressives, 20 manics and 20 healthy controls. There were ten females and ten males in each group. After being diagnosed separately by two clinicians using the Turkish version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID), each subject's free speech was tape-recorded in a standardized session. The speech content of Turkish patients with schizophrenia exhibited considerable similarity to that previously observed in American subjects, but there were certain dissimilarities that appeared to reflect the impact of culture on the manifestations of the schizophrenic disorder. The phenomenological differences between the three psychiatric syndromes compared were also reflected in the results of the content analysis. The most dissimilar syndromes were mania and depression whereas the most similar were mania and schizophrenia. The particular word categories emphasized by specific groups also appeared to be consistent with the effects of their psychiatric disorders.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗