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Biomedical subjects

L Gannon

Publications and source records attributed to L Gannon.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Menopausal symptoms as consequences of dysrhythmia.

A theoretical model is presented for understanding physical and psychological changes which frequently accompany the menopausal transition. According to this, as yet untested, model, as the menopausal transition progresses, hormonal patterns become unpredictable and previously learned homeostatic mechanisms can no longer provide a balanced internal milieu. The consequences of this dysrhythmia are the physical and psychological disruptions typical of jet travel and shift work. Internal attributions of illness and deficiency, promoted by the medical model and the popular media, have transformed these disruptions into a universal "deficiency disease." The model represents a theoretical integration and synthesis of diverse and, historically, unrelated areas; it is presented in order to promote empirical research on the causes, correlates, and interventions of menopausal symptoms.

Circadian Rhythm↗
PubMed1992

Sex bias in psychological research. Progress or complacency?

A total of 4,952 articles published in 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, and 1990 in the areas of developmental, clinical, physiological, and social psychology were reviewed for the purpose of assessing various indicators of sexism in human psychological research. Significant changes in sex of first author, sex of participants, sexist language, and inappropriate generalization indicated that sexism has clearly diminished in the past two decades. Despite these improvements, however, the data revealed continued evidence of discriminatory practices, suggesting that efforts to eliminate sexism must be strengthened if psychology is to be a nonsexist discipline.

Female↗
PubMed1989

The importance of chronicity and controllability of stress in the context of stress-illness relationships.

The primary purpose of the present study was to increase our understanding of the roles of chronicity and controllability in the measurement of stress within the context of stress-illness relationships. Controllability and chronicity were assessed directly using a modified version of the Everyday Problems Scale. In addition to this scale, measures of depression, psychosomatic symptoms, and social support were administered to 128 women and 100 men. The results indicated that, for both men and women, the number of stressors was the best single predictor of symptoms. However, for women, chronicity and controllability of the stressors accounted for a significant amount of the variance in health outcomes over and above that accounted for by the number of stressors endorsed; for men, the addition of neither chronicity nor controllability consistently increased the strength of the association. While available social support was not found to influence the stress-illness relationships, greater willingness to utilize social support was associated with lower levels of depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The mediating effects of psychophysiological reactivity and recovery on the relationship between environmental stress and illness.

The present study investigated the association between psychophysiological reactivity and recovery and physical and psychological symptoms both directly and interactively with environmental stress. Symptoms, environmental stress, and psychophysiological reactivity to and recovery from a laboratory stressor were measured in 50 subjects. As in previous research, the results indicated a significant relationship between environmental stress and symptoms of illness. Although the data did not support a direct relationship between psychophysiological activity and illness, support for a buffering effect was found. Those individuals with greater physiological arousal to or slower recovery from a laboratory stressor exhibited a stronger relationship between environmental stress and symptoms than those who were less reactive or faster to recover. Implications of these results were discussed in the context of theoretical models relating stress and illness.

Arousal↗
PubMed1989

Perimenstrual symptoms: relationships with chronic stress and selected lifestyle variables.

Of primary interest in the present study was the assessment of the association between several contextual factors, including chronic stress, exercise, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine intake, and the self-report of perimenstrual symptoms. Two hundred and eleven women completed questionnaires designed to assess chronic stress, perimenstrual symptoms, and physical health. The results indicated that stress accounted for a significant amount of the variance in perimenstrual symptoms. Stress, however, accounted for a substantially greater amount of variance in scores on a general health measure than in self-reports of perimenstrual symptoms. Of those lifestyle variables assessed, only duration of current level of strenuous exercise was associated with perimenstrual symptoms to a meaningful extent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The potential role of exercise in the alleviation of menstrual disorders and menopausal symptoms: a theoretical synthesis of recent research.

Research in the last decade has advanced our understanding of menstrual disorders and menopause. Paralleling this research has been both a popular and a scholarly interest in the correlates and consequences of aerobic exercise. The purpose of this paper is to integrate these two domains on a theoretical and, when possible, an empirical level, and to discuss the potential benefits of exercise in the treatment of menstrual disorders and menopausal symptoms - specifically, dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, hot flashes, and osteoporosis.

Exercise Therapy↗
PubMed1987

Correlates of menopausal hot flashes.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships of frequency, duration, and intensity of hot flashes with daily stress, ambient temperature, and caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine intake in menopausal women. Ten menopausal women suffering from hot flashes monitored these variables daily for 6 weeks. Intrasubject correlational analyses revealed significant relationships between hot-flash activity and stress for half of the sample; few women exhibited significant relationships between hot-flash activity and other variables. The results are discussed with respect to theoretical implications and treatment strategies.

Arousal↗
PubMed1979

The Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire and spasmodic/congestive dysmenorrhea: measurement of an invalid construct.

Chesney and Tasto's (1975a) Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ) was developed on the basis of Dalton's theory of spasmodic and congestive dysmenorrhea, which states that the two types are caused by opposite hormonal imbalances and therefore should not be found in the same woman. Evidence is offered which suggests that the theory is incorrect. A multiple-group factor analysis failed to adequately support the two-component model. Subsequently, a factor analysis of 275 MSQs revealed seven factors rather than the two predicted by the theory. In addition, the incidence of both high premenstrual and menstrual symptoms in the same women was demonstrated. Finally, symptoms reported by women using oral contraceptives differed little from those reported by women not using oral contraceptives. It is concluded that scoring for the MSQ should be modified to include two subscales for premenstrual and menstrual symptoms, and that the labels "spasmodic" and "congestive" be discontinued until some evidence is found for their support.

Contraceptives, Oral↗
PubMed1977

The role of interoception in learned visceral control.

Research concerned with the psychology and physiology of interoceptive processes is reviewed with the purpose of evaluating theoretical formulations of learned visceral control. Basic animal research in interoception provides relevant information; however, much research dealing directly with interoception and learned control is inadequate due either to inappropriate measurement of interoceptive ability or to poor experimental design. The two primary theoretical orientations linking interoception and learned visceral control differ according to the role ascribed to external feedback; the first views feedback as an enhancement of interoceptive cues, the second as an enhancement of exteroceptive cues. These theories are discussed with regard to recent investigations of learned visceral control.

Afferent Pathways↗