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Biomedical subjects

A R Kuczmierczyk

Publications and source records attributed to A R Kuczmierczyk.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Perception of family and work environments in women with premenstrual syndrome.

Seventy-three women with a prospectively confirmed diagnosis of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) were compared to 50 routine gynaecological care non-PMS controls on measures of social climate/environmental stress. Tests administered included the Family Environment Scale (FES), Work Environment Scale (WES), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The PMS group scored significantly higher on amount of conflict in their families as well as on emphasis on ethical and religious values but lower on direct emotional expressiveness within the family, intellectual-cultural orientation, and active-recreational orientation as compared to controls. Furthermore, the PMS group perceived having more work pressure, less autonomy on the job, and less variety in their work than controls. Overall, psychological distress was not associated with increased environmental stress either in the PMS or control groups.

Adult

Multi-component behavioral treatment of premenstrual syndrome: a case report.

A 36-year-old female was treated for severe Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) utilizing a multi-component behavioral approach which included relaxation training, stress inoculation, assertiveness training, marital therapy, and prescribed exercise. Following nine weeks of therapy the patient reported significantly less premenstrual distress and a decrease in sick leave each month. Treatment gains were maintained at both three and nine month follow-up.

Adaptation, Psychological

Repeated suicide attempts by the intravenous injection of elemental mercury.

The case of a patient who repeatedly injected himself intravenously with elementary mercury in suicide attempts is presented and the toxicological effects of this chemical form and route of exposure of mercury are examined. A review of the literature reveals that elemental mercury, when injected as opposed to inhaled, causes few of the effects typical of mercurialism; pleuritic chest pain was frequently reported, whereas renal and central nervous system involvement were less common. Evidence of premorbid psychiatric disturbances was found in ten of fourteen non-cardiac catheterization exposures to intravenous elemental mercury. Findings in our patient were consistent with these observations. One additional and noteworthy finding in our case was that documented deposits of elemental mercury in the right parietal lobe of the brain did not correlate with any specific deficits on neuropsychological testing. Consultation-liaison psychiatry plays an important role in the treatment and care of these complex patients.

Adolescent

Evaluation and management of premenstrual syndrome in clinical psychiatric practice.

Premenstrual syndrome, a long-recognized entity, has been the subject of increased interest in recent years. Many women, perhaps a majority, experience some premenstrual symptoms; a minority have severe symptoms. The authors explore possible links to psychiatric disorders, outline general evaluation and management approaches, and discuss specific implications for the treatment of psychiatric patients who have a menstrually related component to their symptoms. It is hoped that a continuing understanding of this complex area may further our conceptualization and treatment of both premenstrual symptoms and psychiatric disorders.

Bromocriptine

Autonomic arousal and pain sensitivity in women with premenstrual syndrome at different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Eleven women with a clinical diagnosis of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and ten non-PMS control women were compared on physiological measures in the intermenstrual and premenstrual phases of their menstrual cycle. Heart rate (HR) and skin conductance level (SCL) were monitored during baseline conditions and in response to a stressful laboratory procedure. Analyses for HR revealed a three-way interaction (groups X phase X tests) which approached significance indicating that the PMS group was generally lower during the intermenstrual testing but was higher in the premenstrual phase. No significant differences were observed on behavioral measures (pain threshold, pain tolerance) between the groups. Pain intensity ratings were found to be overall higher in the PMS group irrespective of menstrual cycle phase. The role of cognitive-perceptual processes is discussed in the context of the acquisition and maintenance of PMS symptomatology.

Adult

Pain responsivity in women with premenstrual syndrome across the menstrual cycle.

11 women with a clinical diagnosis of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and 10 control women with no such diagnosis were compared on pain threshold and pain-tolerance measures in the intermenstrual and premenstrual phases of their menstrual cycles. No significant differences were found between the groups for behavioral measures of pain sensitivity. Ratings of pain intensity, however, were higher in both phases for the PMS group.

Adult

Effects of familial pain models on pain complaints and coping strategies.

Recent evidence has underscored the effect of the number of parental pain models in an individual's environment on the frequency of current complaints about pain, yet little is known about the effect of number of familial pain models on other aspects of a person's pain behavior and on coping with pain. The present study assessed the effect of pain models by giving a questionnaire to 224 college students. Analysis showed that the number of familial pain models was related to the perception of pertinent secondary gains but not to the methods used to cope with pain.

Adult