Psychosomatic medicine
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Psychosomatic medicine · Jun 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyEffect of written emotional disclosure on secondary hyperalgesia in women with trauma history.
This study investigated the effects of written emotional disclosure on a model of chronic pain in healthy women with and without trauma history. ⋯ Disclosure modulates secondary hyperalgesia observed in women with trauma history, producing a short-term enhancement and a long-term reduction. This suggests that disclosure has a long-term protective effect that reduces sensitization of pain, which may explain the therapeutic effects of disclosure in patients with chronic pain.
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Psychosomatic medicine · May 2014
Temporal summation of pain as a prospective predictor of clinical pain severity in adults aged 45 years and older with knee osteoarthritis: ethnic differences.
Enhanced pain facilitation is reportedly an important contributor to the clinical pain experiences of individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Ethnic differences in the prevalence and severity of knee OA in addition to associated pain are also well documented. Temporal summation (TS) of pain is a widely applicable quantitative sensory testing method that invokes neural mechanisms related to pain facilitatory processes. This study tested whether TS of pain, an index of pain facilitation, differentially predicts the clinical pain experiences of African Americans and non-Hispanic whites with symptomatic knee OA. ⋯ These results reveal the importance of considering ethnicity when examining pain facilitation and the clinical pain of individuals with symptomatic knee OA. The results of this study are discussed in terms of ethnic differences in the predictors of clinical pain experiences among African Americans and non-Hispanic whites with knee OA.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Apr 2014
Review Meta AnalysisVitamin D supplementation for depressive symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The aim of this study was to review the effects of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptoms in randomized controlled trials. Although low vitamin D levels have been observationally associated with depressive symptoms, the effect of vitamin D supplementation as an antidepressant remains uncertain. ⋯ Vitamin D supplementation may be effective for reducing depressive symptoms in patients with clinically significant depression; however, further high-quality research is needed.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Apr 2014
Observational StudyThe role of maternal attachment in the experience of labor pain: a prospective study.
To examine the influence of attachment dimensions and sociodemographic and physical predictors in the experience of labor pain. ⋯ The study findings suggest that perceived labor pain and anesthetic use are strongly associated with attachment, rather than demographic and physical factors. These data support the importance of understanding the experience of labor pain within an attachment theoretical framework.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Jan 2014
Review Meta AnalysisPsychological trauma and functional somatic syndromes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This meta-analysis systematically examined the association of reported psychological trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with functional somatic syndromes including fibromyalgia, chronic widespread pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, temporomandibular disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome. Our goals were to determine the overall effect size of the association and to examine moderators of the relationship. ⋯ Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that traumatic events are associated with an increased prevalence of functional somatic syndromes. The analyses also highlight limitations of the existing literature and emphasize the importance of prospective studies, examining the potential similarities and differences of these conditions, and pursuing hypothesis-driven studies of the mechanisms underlying the link between trauma, PTSD, and functional somatic syndromes.