Biomedical subjects

Eva Albertsen Malt

Publications and source records attributed to Eva Albertsen Malt.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Mutilation anxiety differs among females with fibromyalgia and functional dyspepsia and population controls.

BACKGROUND: Studies using self-report rating scales suggest a considerable overlap regarding symptom complaints in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and functional dyspepsia (FD), while clinical assessments point to important psychological differences. PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that measurement of psychological state by means of content analysis of speech will demonstrate differentiation between the two patient groups and between patients with these disorders and age-matched population-based random sample controls. METHOD: The Giessener Symptom Complaints Checklist assessed somatic complaints. The computerised Gottschalk-Gleser content analysis method assessed psychological state in 42 females with FM, 17 females with FD and 48 population-based, randomly selected control subjects. RESULTS: FM patients score higher on mutilation anxiety than FD and control subjects. FD patients had the highest score for death anxiety. Mutilation anxiety and low hope score identified FM patients (sensitivity 68%, specificity 81%, overall classification 75%), but only 19% of the variation in total somatic complaints could be predicted from these or other psychological state scores. In FD patients, however, death anxiety explained 59% of the variance in gastrointestinal complaints. INTERPRETATION: Psychological state was differentiated among the three groups. Mutilation anxiety may be a psychological marker of an underlying neurobiological vulnerability for FM or may represent a secondary long-term consequence of chronic illness. In FD, death anxiety is directly related to symptom complaints, suggesting a stronger etiological association between emotions and somatic complaints in this disorder.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Altered dopamine D2 receptor function in fibromyalgia patients: a neuroendocrine study with buspirone in women with fibromyalgia compared to female population based controls.

BACKGROUND: To what extent fibromyalgia belongs to affective spectrum disorders or anxiety spectrum disorders remains disputed. Buspirone induces a hypothermic response, which most likely is due to 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor stimulation, and growth hormone (GH) release, which probably is related to postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptor stimulation. The prolactin response to buspirone has been suggested to be mediated through dopamine (DA) antagonistic effects. OBJECTIVES: Based on the assumption that fibromyalgia is more strongly related to stress and anxiety than affective spectrum disorders, we hypothesized that compared to population controls, fibromyalgia patients should demonstrate an increased prolactin response (DA sensitivity) to buspirone challenge test, but no difference in hypothermic response or GH release (5HT sensitivity). METHOD: A 60-mg dose of buspirone was given orally to 22 premenopausal women with fibromyalgia and 14 age and sex matched healthy control subjects. Core body temperature, growth hormone and prolactin levels were analyzed at baseline and after 60, 90, and 150 min. RESULTS: Fibromyalgia patients showed an augmented prolactin response to buspirone compared to controls. Temperature and growth hormone responses did not differ from controls. CONCLUSIONS: Dopaminergic rather than serotonergic neurotransmission is altered in fibromyalgia, suggesting increased sensitivity or density of dopamine D(2) receptors in fibromyalgia patients. Stress and anxiety is an important modulator of dopaminergic neurotransmission. Our results suggest that fibromyalgia is related to anxiety and associated with disturbance in the stress response systems.

Anxiety↗

PubMed2002

[Functional somatic diseases--a review].

Functional somatic illness is a clinical concept used to define medically unexplained somatic symptoms considered to express psychological distress. Functional somatic illness may express underlying psychiatric disorders (e.g. fibromyalgia due to non-fearful panic disorder, irritable bowel syndrome due to bipolar disorder). Sustained physiological activation caused by stressful life events combined with catastrophic thinking may be another cause. Functional somatic illness may also be caused by classic conditioning of physiological responses that may have been triggered by biological or emotional stimuli. Operant conditioning may also be a cause. The therapeutic alliance relies on acceptance of the reality of the subjective complaints, without a priori acceptance of the patient's attribution of the cause of the symptoms. We recommend initial exploration of the patient's own ideas about aetiology, including appropriate medical tests. The physician should then change the agenda to a biopsychosocial perspective and identify current stressors and psychosocial variables that reinforce symptoms. Only a few randomised trials have been performed. They suggest that psychological treatment should be systematic and structured, with a focus on information, alternative ways of perception, and problem solving. Active forms of physiotherapy and psychopharmacological drugs may be of some benefit in selected patients.

Humans↗

PubMed2002

[Whiplash injuries--a psychosomatic perspective].

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial impairment after whiplash injury could be extensive; presumably about 15% of whiplash patients suffer from long lasting disabling health problems and about 5% do not return to work. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A PubMed search of all available literature on whiplash and whiplash-associated disorders was performed. RESULTS: Psychosocial impairment following whiplash injury is influenced by vulnerability factors, the biomechanical trauma and factors affecting symptom formation. Vulnerability factors indicating a poorer prognosis include low mental abilities, previous mental illness, old age and female sex, pre-existing cervical degenerative changes, narrow spinal canal and high neurobiological reactivity to sustained activation. The actual physical trauma consists of a nonphysiologic kinematic response in the cervical column, which may induce stress in neural structures, facet joints and musculature. Activation of reflex connections may lead to disturbances in the posture control and autonomic system. Trauma-related prognostic factors include head position at impact and degree of acute psychological stress reactions. Manual work, expectation of disability and an ongoing compensation claim case seem to be important moderator variables affecting symptom formation. INTERPRETATION: An integrated psychosomatic model is needed to explain psychosocial impairment after whiplash injury as presented.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2002

Factors explaining variance in perceived pain in women with fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that a substantial proportion of the subjectively experienced variance in pain in fibromyalgia patients would be explained by psychological factors alone, but that a combined model, including neuroendocrine and autonomic factors, would give the most parsimonious explanation of variance in pain. METHODS: Psychometric assessment included McGill Pain Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Rating Scale, Eysenck personality Inventory, Neuroticism and Lie subscales, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale and was performed in 42 female patients with fibromyalgia and 48 female age matched random sample population controls. A subgroup of the original sample (22 fibromyalgia patients and 13 controls) underwent a pharmacological challenge test with buspirone to assess autonomic and adrenocortical reactivity to serotonergic challenge. RESULTS: Although fibromyalgia patients scored high on neuroticism, anxiety, depression and general distress, only a minor part of variance in pain was explained by psychological factors alone. High pain score was associated with high neuroticism, low baseline cortisol level and small drop in systolic blood pressure after buspirone challenge test. This model explained 41.5% of total pain in fibromyalgia patients. In population controls, psychological factors alone were significant predictors for variance in pain. CONCLUSION: Fibromyalgia patients may have reduced reactivity in the central sympathetic system or perturbations in the sympathetic-parasympathetic balance. This study shows that a biopsychosocial model, including psychological factors as well as factors related to perturbations of the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, is needed to explain perceived pain in fibromyalgia patients.

Journal Article↗