Biomedical subjects

Henrik Kessler

Publications and source records attributed to Henrik Kessler.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Emotion recognition patterns in patients with panic disorder.

Recognition of facially expressed emotions is essential in social interaction. For patients with social phobia, general anxiety disorders, and comorbid anxiety, deficits in their emotion recognition and specific biases have already been reported. This is the first study to investigate facial emotion recognition patterns in patients with panic disorder [PD]. We assumed a general performance deficit in patients with PD. Exploratory analyses should have revealed recognition patterns and specific types of errors. Additionally, we checked the influence of depression and anxiety symptoms, per se, on recognition. A carefully selected group of 37 patients with PD without agoraphobia [DSM-IV 300.01] and no psychiatric comorbidity was compared to 43 controls matched for age and sex. We assessed emotion recognition with the FEEL Test [Facially Expressed Emotion Labeling], using faces displaying fear, anger, sadness, happiness, disgust, and anger. Recognition of emotions in patients with PD was significantly worse than that of controls, specifically, sadness and anger. They also showed a tendency to interpret nonanger emotions as anger. Interestingly, in patients with PD, depressive symptoms were more strongly related to emotion recognition than were anxiety symptoms, and recognition differences between patients and controls disappeared when we controlled for depression. This effect is discussed in the context of previous studies reporting emotion recognition deficits of depressed patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Alexithymia and facial emotion recognition in patients with eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with anorexia or bulimia nervosa are reported to show high levels of alexithymia and to have difficulties recognizing facially displayed emotions. The current study tested whether it could be that facial emotion recognition is a basic skill that is independent from alexithymia. METHOD: We assessed emotion recognition skills and alexithymia in a group of 79 female inpatients with eating disorders and compared them with a group of 78 healthy female controls. Instruments used were the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Facially Expressed Emotion Labeling (FEEL) test, and the revised Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between patients and controls in their emotion recognition scores, but patients with eating disorders displayed significantly more alexithymia and psychopathology. Emotion recognition in patients was not related to alexithymia, psychopathology, or clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the reported alexithymia of patients with eating disorders is complex and independent from basic facial emotion recognition.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Psychotherapy with chronic inflammatory bowel disease patients: a review.

Two distinct factors have lead in the past to the development of several psychotherapeutic treatments for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). First, clinicians and researchers believe that psychologic and somatic factors in chronic IBD, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis) are connected. In addition, IBD reduces the health-related quality of life for these patients. The purpose of the psychotherapies is to influence the somatic course of the disease, the psychological state of the patients, or the patients' health related quality of life. This report evaluates the existing studies with regard to the effectiveness of psychotherapy IBD patients received in addition to medical treatment. We have identified 10 psychotherapy studies and 4 additional studies on self management and patient education on this topic. The studies significantly differ from each other in regard to psychotherapeutic methods, inclusion criteria, and outcome assessments. The results so far lead to the conclusion that psychotherapy does not have an impact on the course of the disease but, in some cases, positively influences the patient's psychologic state (such as depression, anxiety, and health related quality of life or coping with the disease). Thus, psychotherapy cannot, in general, be recommended for all patients with chronic IBD. Patients, however, that display a tendency toward psychologic problems, especially as it pertains to their illness, might profit from it.

Humans↗