Psychosomatic medicine
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Psychosomatic medicine · Nov 2005
Comparative StudyAbnormal affective modulation of somatosensory brain processing among patients with fibromyalgia.
It is well established that subjective pain perception can be modulated by negative mood states and that patients with chronic pain are characterized by high levels of depression and anxiety. Nevertheless, very little is known about the effects of negative mood induction on brain processing of somatosensory information in fibromyalgia. The objective of the present study was to examine the influence of two emotional states (pleasant and unpleasant) on brain activity of patients with fibromyalgia (FM; n = 27) and with musculoskeletal (MSK) pain resulting from identifiable somatic lesions (n = 16). ⋯ Our data suggest an abnormal processing of nonpainful somatosensory information in FM, especially when somatic signals are arising from the body within an aversive stimulus context. These findings provide further support for the use of biopsychosocial models for understanding FM and other chronic pain states.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Nov 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyLow perceived social support and post-myocardial infarction prognosis in the enhancing recovery in coronary heart disease clinical trial: the effects of treatment.
In post hoc analyses, to examine in low perceived social support (LPSS) patients enrolled in the Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease (ENRICHD) clinical trial (n = 1503), the pattern of social support following myocardial infarction (MI), the impact of psychosocial intervention on perceived support, the relationship of perceived support at the time of MI to subsequent death and recurrent MI, and the relationship of change in perceived support 6 months after MI to subsequent mortality. ⋯ Baseline LPSS predicted death/recurrent MI in the ENRICHD cohort, independent of treatment assignment. Intervention effects indicated a partner surrogacy role for the interventionist and the need for a moderate level of support at baseline for the intervention to be effective.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Nov 2005
Comparative StudyAfrican Americans show alterations in endogenous pain regulatory mechanisms and reduced pain tolerance to experimental pain procedures.
To examine ethnic differences in pain sensitivity and relationship of pain tolerance to blood pressure and neuroendocrine factors. ⋯ The results suggest that there are alterations in endogenous pain regulatory mechanisms involving BP, cortisol, and NE in African Americans. Such dysregulation may contribute to the greater rate of clinical pain symptoms they experience. It is hypothesized that greater chronic stress in African Americans may be a contributing factor to the alterations in pain regulation.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Sep 2005
ReviewPosttraumatic stress disorder in the wake of heart disease: prevalence, risk factors, and future research directions.
There is increasing recognition that patients after a cardiac event may be at risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present article reviews studies looking at PTSD as a sequel of heart disease with a focus on prevalence, risk factors, and future research directions. ⋯ Despite substantial heterogeneity in the methodology of studies and differences in prevalence across studies, this review indicates that subgroups of patients are at risk of PTSD after a cardiac event. Future studies investigating PTSD as a sequel of heart disease should be more systematic, use a prospective study design with multiple assessments, and include sufficiently large samples. PTSD should not be ignored as a sequel of heart disease, given preliminary evidence that PTSD may be associated with nonadherence with medication and an increased risk of clinical adverse events.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Sep 2005
ReviewThe development of persistent pain and psychological morbidity after motor vehicle collision: integrating the potential role of stress response systems into a biopsychosocial model.
Persistent pain and psychological sequelae are common after motor vehicle collision (MVC), but their etiology remains poorly understood. Such common sequelae include whiplash-associated disorders (WAD), fibromyalgia, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Increasing evidence suggests that these disorders share overlapping epidemiologic and clinical features. A model is proposed in which central neurobiological systems, including physiologic systems and neuroanatomical structures involved in the stress response, are an important substrate for the development of all 3 disorders and interact with psychosocial and other factors to influence chronic symptom development. ⋯ New models are needed to stimulate deeper examination of the interacting influences of initial tissue damage, acute pain, psychosocial contingencies, and central stress pathways during chronic symptom development after MVC. Deeper understanding could contribute to improved treatment approaches to reduce the immense personal and societal burdens of common trauma-related disorders.