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Biomedical subjects

S Ahrens

Publications and source records attributed to S Ahrens.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

[Influence of the anti-inflammatory agent tenoxicam on gastric potential difference].

Tenoxicam (Ro 12-0068), a thienothiacine derivate which belongs to the oxicam class, has been developed for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Standard antiinflammatory compounds are known for their irritative potency on the gastric mucosa. For this purpose a study was carried out with 15 volunteers after receipt of their informed consent, using the gastric potential difference model. The results of the study showed that tenoxicam is a compound with a low irritative potency on the gastric mucosa and that it is slightly superior to standard therapeutics.

Gastric Mucosa↗
PubMed1986

[Interaction of the analgesic substance tenoxicam with alcohol and its influence on psychometrically measurable performance].

Tenoxicam (Ro 12-0068) is a thienothiacine derivate, which proved to be a potent analgesic in preclinical and clinical trials. An interaction of analgesics, especially those with a possible central origin, with the simultaneous intake of alcohol can never be excluded. For this purpose a study was carried out with 12 volunteers, who had given their informed consent, investigating the influence of alcohol on psychometric parameters like reaction time, memory, ability to concentrate, psychomotor skills. The study led to the result that the simultaneous intake of a realistic volume of alcohol has no influence on the psychometrically measurable performance of the volunteers.

Attention↗
PubMed1986

[Differentiation of colitis and Crohn disease patients based on psychosocial variables].

Two groups of twenty-two patients each, one group suffering from morbus Crohn and the other from colitis ulcerosa, both groups receiving treatment in a medical institution, were compared on the basis of social data, standardized psychological testing techniques, experimental psychologic examinations, and data concerning their disorders. Generally there were hardly any differences between the patients in either group. Merely the results obtained in the experimental procedure differed slightly in that a more pronounced cognitive suppression of affects occurred with the colitis group. Furthermore, a stronger affinity to taking advantage of an offer for psychotherapeutic treatment could be observed in this group.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Alexithymia and affective verbal behaviour of three groups of patients.

The study described in this article was designed to investigate patients' response to affective stimuli on two levels of measurement: one was designed to yield information about cognitive attribution processes whereas the second level was aimed at uncovering deeper, more unconscious responses to the given stimuli. These were displayed as part of an experimental setting, in which three groups were compared: psychosomatic (duodenal ulcer), somatic and psychoneurotic patients. Systematic variation was introduced by showing either of two versions of a short film which differed in the degree of friendliness displayed by the main character. The results show differential effects on the two levels of measurement: in the case of the first level, an interpretation within the framework of current conceptualizations of alexithymia would have been possible, but results for the second level of measurement (utilizing Gottschalk-Gleser content analysis of speech) indicate that psychosomatic patients show the same kind of sensitive response to affective stimuli as patients from the other two groups.

Affect↗
PubMed1984

[Affect processing in psychosomatic patients. I].

The present article reports the results of an empirical investigation concerned with specific characteristics of psychosomatic patients. Subjects suffering from ulcus duodeni or from colitis ulcerosa designated as psychosomatic patients. Controls were chosen from among neurotic patients and from among patients with only somatic illness. Against the background of the criticism with regard to the scientific approaches so far, our own approach was conceived as an experiment. Film episodes of two contrating (friendly versus unfriendly) interactions between physician and patient were offered to the test subjects as triggering situations. The contents of these film segments were organized in a manner calculated to produce an affective embarrassment in the psychosomatic patients. The reactions of the test subjects were inventoried on two levels. One of the levels of investigation was geared to cognitive processes by the application of Hofstätter's list of polarities (1955, 1973). In this case the psychosomatic patients distinguished themselves from the two control groups in that they misinterpreted the differences in the affective contents of both film sequences. On the other level of investigation subconscious processes were recorded by the application of Gottschalk's analysis of verbal contents. In this context all three groups in the investigation reacted in a similar manner to friendly connotations in the behaviour of the physician, namely with hidden aggressions. The results infer an affective resonance of the investigated psychosomatic patients on a subconscious level which, however, does not become evident on the conscious cognitive level.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1984

[Affect processing in psychosomatic patients. II].

This study is the continuation of an earlier investigation (Ahrens, 1984) concerned with the working-through of affects in patients suffering from psychosomatic disorders. In the present study a group of psychosomatic patients is compared to a group of patients with organic complaints. Using the same methods (showing of film episodes in accordance with an experimental design, evaluation of the working-through of affects both on the cognitive and on the subconcious level) it was attempted to obtain findings of greater universality. Therefore, in contrast to the first investigation, the film episodes were of normal every-day situations in order to avoid as far as possible any personal involvement of the test subjects. The results confirm an important finding from the previous investigation, namely that even in psychosomatic patients a high rate of reaction to affective stimuli on the subconcious level can be observed. In contrast to the earlier investigated situation of intensive personal involvement, however, the group of patients suffering from psychosomatic disorders and the control group did not differ on the cognitive level with regard to their perception of the affective content of the film episodes.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

[Psychosomatic personality structure--fact or fiction?].

This article describes the different approaches to explaining psychosomatic disease according to the gradual scientific development of this concept in the course of medical history. Whereas Freud and also some of the later psychoanalytical authors considered psychosomatic disease as a special form of neurosis, recent efforts are directed at working out a specific psychosomatic personality structure which can be differentiated against that of the neurotic or psychotic personality. Besides the concept of the "infantile personality" formulated as early as 1948 by Ruesch in respect of the psychosomatic patient, specific characteristics of a psychosomatic personality have been outlined during the sixties by a French working team as part of a concept which they called "operative thinking"; independent of this development, American authors have also defined such specific characteristics under the designation "alexithymia". The central aspect of these definitions concerns a disturbance of affective perception and of the ability to psychic or affective working-over. The critical discussion of these approaches is carried out both on a theoretical and on a methodical empirical level. Basing on an empirical study conducted by the author himself, methodical drawbacks of previous studies are discovered and pointed out.

Affect↗
PubMed1983

[The psychosomatic phenomenon--or the phenomenon of psychosomatic research].

In the present article the methods of empirical research are put up for discussion. As a methodological problem the reduction of the subject of research by the empirical approach is pointed out. From lack of consideration of this--inevitably--reductory effect an interpretation of the empirically obtainable data in the sense of a self-fulfilling prophecy may occur. The implication of the interdependence of research methods and results is demonstrated by an empirical study of the author's, wherein it is shown that the finding "alexithymia" as a component of the "psychosomatic phenomenon" is dependent upon the empirical approach.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1982

[Empirical results on the consultation behavior of neurotic and psychosomatic patients].

The present investigation is concerned with data on the behaviour of out-patients during counselling. On the clinical diagnostic level three test groups were formed, consisting of neurotic patients, of patients with somatic illnesses, and of patients with stomach ulcers (the latter were chosen as examples for psychosomatic illness). The group-specific differences in the collected data on the duration of the illness, the latency before seeking consultation, and the number of consultants, as well as the reasons for a change in the consultant, show a polarized position of the neurotic versus the ulcer patients while the somatically ill patients occupy a middle position. The results may be interpreted as a process of designation typical for each specific illness and being viewed as variables imminent to the specific illness as well.

Duodenal Ulcer↗
PubMed1982

[Empirical results on the consultation behavior of neurotic, psychosomatic and somatically ill patients II].

Three groups of out-patients classified by means of clinical diagnostics and testpsylogic characteristics as neurotic, psychosomatically and somatically ill, showed significant differences with regard to the variables 'duration of complaint', 'latency in seeking counseling', and 'number of consultants'. The data revealed a polarization concerning the positions of the neurotic and the psychosomatically ill patients. Neurotic patients exhibited an active participation in consultation characterized by critical evaluation of the physician's manner both in the professional and in the personal sector which must be classified as adequate to the complaint in question. The ulcer patients, in our investigation standing for psychosomatic patients, were passive in their participation in consultation and uncritical in regard to professional and personal aspects of the medical advice. Their significantly lower rate of changing consultants, compared to both the other groups, is interpreted as the expression of a specific object relation toward the physician they originally chose. Because of the somatically oriented qualification of the physicians consulted it can be stated that the behaviour of the psychosomatically afflicted patients is per definition inadequate to their illness since the psychic dimension of their suffering is not taken into account. The illness-dependent behaviour of the patients in the three groups under investigation may be interpreted as immanent to their afflictions.

Humans↗
PubMed1976

[The importance of the medical discussion for diagnosis in general medicine (author's transl)].

The process of diagnostic decision by the doctor was analyzed in 84 first consultations in 3 general practices. In 78 cases or 92.8%, a diagnosis was already made during the first consultation, in 50 or 64.1% on the basis of the discussion between the doctor and patient alone, in 28 cases or 35.9% of the first consultations additional diagnostic examinations were carried out by the doctor. Half a year after the first consultations to any diagnostic investigations at all. The medical conversation has been shown, therefore, to be the doctor's most important diagnostic instrument. Consequently, lack of attention to it in general medical training seems to be unjustified, the change in the patients in general practice makes a psychosomatic orientation of the conversation necessary.

Diagnosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Descriptive epidemiology of Ewing's tumor--analysis of German patients from (EI)CESS 1980-1997].

BACKGROUND: Due to low absolute morbidity rates a reliable descriptive epidemiology of the Ewing family of tumors (EFT) has been mainly provided by large population-based cancer registry reports. To date, only few reports on this topic have been published. PATIENTS: The present report is based on data of 945 German patients who were enrolled into the (EI)CESS therapy studies between 1980 and 1997. It is assumed that under the age of 15 years an almost complete registration of all German patients with Ewing's sarcoma has been achieved. Diagnoses in all patients were ascertained by biopsies. METHODS: In this analysis we looked at the associations between year of first diagnosis, age at first diagnosis, gender, the histological subtypes and the primary skeletal localisation of the tumours. RESULTS: The majority of patients with EFT was male (60%). More than half of the patients developed the disease between age 10 and 19 (57%) while about 20% were younger and almost a quarter was diagnosed after age 20 years. The percentage of patients older than 15 years was higher in men (55%) than in women (45%). The age-standardized annual incidence before age 15 years was estimated as 3 per million, and the cumulative incidence up to that age as about 46 per million. Long bones of the lower extremities (32%, femur alone 16%) and the pelvis were the most common sites of primary localisation. While 70 to 80% of all tumours in the long bones of the extremities were composed of Ewing's sarcomas, about one third in the central skeleton and over 20% in the pelvic bones were Primitive neuroectodermal tumours (PNET). Atypical Ewing's sarcoma accounted for about 10% of tumours in all sites. CONCLUSIONS: The large (EI)CESS database enables the meaningful and reliable description of epidemiological characteristics of the rare occurrence of the Ewing family of tumours. Further analyses of this database seem to hold great promise.

Adolescent↗