Psychosomatic medicine
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Psychosomatic medicine · Jan 2009
Comparative StudyPain sensitivity and analgesic effects of mindful states in Zen meditators: a cross-sectional study.
To investigate pain perception and the potential analgesic effects of mindful states in experienced Zen meditators. ⋯ These results indicated that Zen meditators have lower pain sensitivity and experience analgesic effects during mindful states. Results may reflect cognitive/self-regulatory skills related to the concept of mindfulness and/or altered respiratory patterns. Prospective studies investigating the effects of meditative training and respiration on pain regulation are warranted.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Jan 2009
Comparative StudyAbsence of relation between depressive symptoms and carotid intimal medial thickness in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
To examine the relation between longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms as well as history of significant symptoms and subsequent carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT) among participants enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging and to assess longitudinal covariation of depressive symptoms and carotid IMT over two time points. Prior literature has identified inconsistent cross-sectional associations between depressive symptoms and carotid IMT in healthy persons, and existing longitudinal work has relied on depression assessment at a single time point. ⋯ There is no association between depressive symptoms and carotid IMT in the present sample of healthy community-dwelling volunteers.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Jan 2009
Changes of body composition in bulimia nervosa: increased visceral fat and adrenal gland size.
To study the hypothesis that young women suffering from active bulimia nervosa (BN) have more visceral fat and increased adrenal gland volumes (AGV) than healthy controls (HC). ⋯ The increase of the VAT volume and the increased AGV in BN women with purging point to chronic high stress levels associated with a hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in these patients. This is the first MR study showing morphological changes in stress associated endocrine organs of young BN patients.