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Biomedical subjects

F Andrasik

Publications and source records attributed to F Andrasik.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Home-based behavioral treatments for chronic benign headache: a meta-analysis of controlled trials.

Controlled clinical trials have consistently demonstrated that behavioral treatments for chronic benign headache produce clinically beneficial outcomes both post-treatment and at follow-up. Given these results there is interest in cost-reduction and redesign of these treatments to improve their accessibility. One promising approach in this regard is home-based headache treatment. These treatments seek to provide the same amount of treatment as clinic-based treatments; however, some of the material typically presented to the patient by a clinician is presented through home-study materials (e.g., manuals, audiotapes). To date, the published literature contains 20 controlled clinical trials which have examined the outcomes produced by home-based treatments. This article presents the first comprehensive meta-analysis of these clinical outcome studies. Results of the quantitative analyses suggest that home-based treatments produce comparable, or with certain outcome measures, superior results to clinic-based treatments. Moreover, costeffectiveness scores of home-based treatments were found to be more than five times larger than those of clinic-based therapies. Methodological analyses are also presented along with suggestions for future research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Behavioral management of migraine.

Behavioral treatments for migraine have received increased attention over the past 25 years. In general, research has focussed on the six following areas: 1) comparative efficacy of treatments, 2) interplay of behavioral and pharmacological approaches, 3) development of delivery models that are cost-effective, 4) identification of characteristics associated with varied levels of response to treatment, 5) maintenance of effects and factors associated with long-term outcome, and 6) mechanisms of treatment. This paper briefly and selectively reviews the available literature in an attempt to point out the status of current research.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1995

Temperature acquisition as a function of the computer-based biofeedback system utilized: an exploratory analysis.

Thermal biofeedback is widely used to treat various clinical disorders. Given its widespread utility, and the variability among the biofeedback systems currently on the market, it is important to investigate which systems are most effective for training various skills. This study compared the performance of normal subjects on two different computer-biofeedback systems. Results indicated a significant difference in subject performance between the two systems. Limitations and implications of these findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Twenty-five years of progress: twenty-five more?

This address outlines important steps for ensuring the future of biofeedback and applied psychophysiology. These steps are contained in the acronym PHUTRE, wherein PH stands for Political activism of the Hard and fast variety, U represents United front, T encompasses Transfer of knowledge (from clinician to researcher, researcher to clinician, and from both to students in training), R refers to our Research base, and E represents the Excitement that our field has the potential to generate.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗
PubMed1994

Psychopathology in individuals with post-traumatic headaches and other pain types.

In this study, the psychological functioning of patients with chronic post-traumatic headache (PTH), chronic combination headache and chronic low back pain without headache, whose time of onset was similar, and a matched group of controls was investigated. The Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Form Y (STAI-Y), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess the degree of psychopathology. A MANOVA test indicated highly significant differences between groups. In general, the pain groups fell along a continuum with PTH subjects demonstrating the highest elevations, back pain subjects demonstrating the next highest elevations, and combination subjects demonstrating fewer elevations. A cluster analysis indicated that findings were best classified into four clusters, but no one pain diagnosis predominated in any cluster. Eighty-nine percent of controls were assigned to clusters 1 or 2, which revealed essentially normal scores on all tests. It is suggested that while chronic pain patients demonstrate more psychopathology than non-pain controls, a variety of coping styles exists within each pain group independent of diagnostic categorization.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Behavioral weight-loss for multiply-handicapped adults: assessing caretaker involvement and measures of behavior change.

Two groups of cerebral palsied, mentally retarded, overweight adults received training in seven behavioral self-control techniques for reducing caloric intake and increasing activity levels over the course of 19 weeks. One group's parents/caretakers had frequent contacts from the diet leader, (Home-Help Group); the other group, balanced with the first for degree of handicap, had no caretaker-directed communications other than initial notification (No Help Group). Measures of adherence were included to assess the process of behavioral change during the diet program. A significant treatment effect accrued for all participants in the diet program, with the Home-Help Group of dieters showing clinically, though not statistically superior weight loss at treatment end and at follow-ups through one year. Specific behaviors taught, such as replacing utensils after each bite and eating slowly, showed significant changes in the expected directions with weight change. Implications of the data for future treatment programs are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Psychologic and behavioral aspects of chronic headache.

It is important for physicians to be aware of the expectations and psychologic needs patients have, to understand how psychologic and personality variables can impact care, to realize the importance of patient education, and to be cognizant of how environmental factors can influence headache pain behaviors. Empirical data indicate that the nonpharmacologic treatments of biofeedback, relaxation, and stress coping training can serve as useful adjunctive or alternative procedures, and that the combined use of medication and nonpharmacologic treatments yields the greatest clinical outcome. Certain headache types show minimal response to nondrug therapies alone (cluster, menstrual, and post-traumatic headache). Age and personality variables have a bearing on nondrug treatment outcome as well.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1989

When headaches are good.

Occasionally patients with headache present with the complaint of "a really good one." This paper examines three cases of patients with migraine who often referred to their headaches as "good." When the patients were asked what made the headaches good, they immediately tried to clarify their terminology as "just a figure of speech" that really meant bad. Further exploration usually revealed the headache symptoms had indeed been "good" in a relative sense, in that it had somehow served to help the patient avoid a more unpleasant emotional situation. The headache may have allowed a "time out" or a forced period of rest in a hectic schedule, resolved a conflict for the patient in an acceptable way by becoming sick, or represented a suppressed or repressed affect, usually anger. When headaches are described as good, there may very well be something in the patient's life that is worse.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Home- vs. clinic-based biofeedback treatment for pediatric migraine: results of treatment through one-year follow-up.

While temperature biofeedback and related bio-behavioral procedures have become common in the treatment of adult migraineurs, the application of these techniques to the pediatric population has lagged far behind. The current investigation was undertaken to examine various methods for delivering biofeedback with this population. Nine children participated in this single-subject, clinical replication series in which clinic-based therapist-administered, home-based child-administered, and home-based parent-administered treatment formats were evaluated. Headache activity was assessed through the use of a daily headache log. Overall, results supported the utility of temperature biofeedback in the treatment of pediatric migraine. Further, it was suggested that home-based treatments may represent an equally efficacious and more cost-effective alternative to traditional clinic-based treatments. Finally, treatment effects were found to be stable, with results maintaining through a one-year follow-up period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Behavioral and biochemical effects of gradual reductions in cigarette yields in pregnant and nonpregnant smokers.

Smoking-related risks have been well-documented for both the smoker and the pregnant smoker's unborn child, but the risks associated with low tar/nicotine cigarette smoking are still controversial. The present study examined some of the behavioral and biochemical effects of gradual reductions in tar and nicotine yields in six pregnant and six nonpregnant smokers. Over four sessions spanning a 6-week period, smokers switched to cigarette brands progressively lower in tar and nicotine. Examination of the topographical variables assessed both during (cigarette frequency, puff frequency, and cigarette duration) and between sessions (daily cigarette rate and nicotine intake) revealed significant decreases in both pregnant and nonpregnant smokers' cigarette duration and nicotine intake. Also observed were significantly lower and less variable carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels among the pregnant smokers when they smoked the lowest tar and nicotine brands. However, even the pregnant smokers' lower mean COHb levels did not drop below the 3% minimal cardiovascular risk level. The pregnant smokers also tended to have lower and less variable salivary thiocyanate (SCN) levels, but these differences were nonsignificant. The results were discussed in terms of implications for controlled smoking treatment programs for pregnant smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Stressors and psychological symptoms of family practice residents and spouses.

Fifty-nine family practice residents and their spouses from one university-based and three community-based residency programs were studied to assess the frequency of stressful events in their lives and to quantify adverse psychosocial effects associated with that stress. A modified version of a questionnaire produced and tested by the University of Minnesota and the widely used, standardized Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) were used to assess stress and psychological symptoms. There was a high correlation between high numbers of stressful events in the residents' and spouses' lives and high ratings of psychological symptoms. This finding was particularly true for the female residents. Overall, the residents' responses were near the mean for a nonpatient group used as a normative comparison on each of the nine subscales of the SCL-90 and on the overall mean for the entire scale. This finding indicated that the residents, although their lives were quite stressful, were handling the stress without major problems. The residents and their spouses also answered questions about 10 therapeutic interventions concerning stress and indicated which interventions they preferred.

Family Practice↗