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Biomedical subjects

L Wolmer

Publications and source records attributed to L Wolmer.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Image vividness as a psychophysiological regulator in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

This study examined the relationship between image vividness and psychophysiological responses to trauma-related stimuli in participants with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). An auditory stimulus related to a shared trauma was presented to participants with and without PTSD and physiological parameters (heart rate and blood pressure) were measured concurrently. A negative correlation was noted in the PTSD group between image vividness and the level of physiological response. When the PTSD group was divided into high and low vividness, the physiological response was higher than that of the non-PTSD controls only when image vividness was low. The results are discussed in the context of Lang' s theoretical model, emphasizing the role of image vividness in the mediation and regulation of psychophysiology.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1999

Ondansetron treatment in patients with Tourette's syndrome.

Ondansetron, a selective 5-HT3 antagonist, may lower mesolimbic dopaminergic hyperactivity. The present open-label pilot study evaluated the effect of ondansetron in Tourette's syndrome. Six Tourette's syndrome men aged 14-48 years resistant to haloperidol participated in the study. Assessments included the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and Tourette's syndrome-Clinical Global Impression (TS-CGI) scale. The maximal ondansetron dosage (8-16 mg per day) was given for 3 weeks. Ondansetron treatment was associated with a significant decrease in the severity of tics. Two patients showed a definite response (score improvement of 40% or more), and two showed a probable response (> 25%). Two patients did not improve. Side-effects were transient and included abdominal pain (n = 5) and constipation (n = 2). Ondansetron may possess anti-tic effects in some Tourette's syndrome patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Image control and symptom expression in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Despite the devastating impact of affective dysregulation in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there has been little research on how trauma relates to affect regulation. This study examines the relationship between the cognitive capacity to control mental images and symptoms of individuals with (N = 23) and without (N = 23) PTSD after exposure to SCUD missile attacks during the Gulf War. The capacity to control mental images, symptoms of posttrauma, anxiety, and anger were assessed. PTSD subjects with a high image control reported a higher capacity to control anger, lower levels of anger state and expression, and lower levels of intrusive symptoms compared with PTSD subjects with low image control. In individuals without PTSD, results show that the better the image control, the lower the control of anger and the higher the expression of anger. Image control seems to play different functions in the emotional regulation of normal subjects (facilitatory) and PTSD patients (protective).

Affect↗
PubMed1999

Image control from childhood to adolescence.

Despite the recognized importance of imagery use by children as well as the developmental relevance for maturity and health of imagery properties such as vividness and control, only a few studies have investigated imagery of children. The aim of the present study was to examine the development of control of mental images in a sample of boys and girls aged 7 to 17 years. Children were assessed on two aspects of mental imagery, vividness and control, and teachers were asked to rate the children's intellectual and socioemotional performance. Analysis showed that the capacity for image control increased in adolescence and that children characterized by vivid and uncontrolled imagery received the lowest ratings from teachers, whereas those with nonvivid and controlled imagery received the highest ratings. The implications of these results were discussed in relation to normal and abnormal development as well as suggestions for research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The function of image control in the psychophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder.

The physiological response to trauma-related stimuli of up to one third of participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cannot be discriminated from that of controls. Psychophysiological measures (heart rate and blood pressure) of 22 PTSD and 23 control civilian participants, all exposed to missile attacks during the Gulf War, were recorded while listening to five scripts. The physiological response of PTSD subjects with high image control (IC) was lower than that of PTSD participants with low IC and similar to that of non-PTSD subjects. The physiological response poorly discriminated high IC PTSD participants from controls, but was successful in discriminating low IC PTSD subjects from controls with 91% specificity and 92% sensitivity. Image control is proposed as a function influencing physiological response in PTSD.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Lack of effect of methylphenidate on serum growth hormone (GH), GH-binding protein, and insulin-like growth factor I.

The aim of this study was to assess the growth hormone (GH) axis in methylphenidate (MPH)-treated and untreated boys with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by evaluating serum GH, GH-binding protein (GHBP) activity, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels as compared to age-matched normal controls. Blood samples were taken from 42 boys (aged 6-16 years) diagnosed as having ADHD according to DSM-III-R criteria and confirmed by using the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for school-age children (K[Kiddle]-SADS). A total of 21 patients were treated with MPH (5-20 mg/day; 0.15-0.77 mg/kg/day), on a drug holiday protocol, for 1-36 months, and 21 were drug naive. A total of 46 age-matched normal boys at height and weight within normal range served as controls. No significant differences were detected between the MPH-treated ADHD children, the untreated ADHD children, and the control children on fasting serum GH levels, GHBP activity, or IGF-I levels. Active treatment with MPH, in ADHD children on a drug holiday protocol, does not cause changes in GH axis as manifested by normal values of GH, GHBP, and IGF-I.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Israeli preschool children under Scuds: a 30-month follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Longitudinal studies of children exposed to traumatic events show contrasting findings regarding their symptomatic change over time. The present study reports on a 30-month follow-up of preschool children and their mothers who had been exposed to Scud missile attacks. METHOD: Families displaced during the Gulf War after their homes had been damaged by the missile attack and a control group whose homes remained intact were interviewed about posttraumatic and general symptomatology, the mothers' capacity to control images, and the children's adaptive behavior. RESULTS: Stress symptoms decreased in the displaced children but not in their mothers. Both reported more posttraumatic symptoms than did the control group. No differences in the children's adaptive behavior were observed. Posttraumatic symptoms of the displaced children correlated with the mothers' avoidant symptoms. The mothers' avoidant symptoms at follow-up were statistically explained by the mothers' symptoms during the war and their capacity for image control, the duration of displacement, and the cohesion of the family. CONCLUSIONS: The maternal stress-buffering capacity constitutes a central element in children's protective matrix and is crucial in minimizing long-term internal suffering of traumatized preschool children.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Platelet imipramine binding in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder before and after phenelzine treatment.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is frequently associated with major depressive disorder, and antidepressants have been reported to ameliorate PTSD symptoms in some patients. The present study assessed the number and affinity of platelet imipramine binding sites, as a marker of the serotonin transporter complex, in PTSD male patients (n = 10) before and after phenelzine treatment (30-60 mg/day, for 4 weeks) as well as in comparison to healthy controls (n = 10). In our sample, there was no evidence of a significant difference in the characteristics (Bmax and Kd) of platelet [3H]imipramine binding between the PTSD patients and the controls and within PTSD patients before and after phenelzine treatment. Moreover, no beneficial effect of phenelzine was detected in the patients (as assessed by PTSD, anxiety, and depression scales).

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Israeli preschoolers under Scud missile attacks. A developmental perspective on risk-modifying factors.

BACKGROUND: The devastating effects of traumatic events on children are modulated by risk and protective factors. This study examines the differential effects of traumatic displacement of preschool children and their families following Scud missile attacks on Israel during the Persian Gulf War. METHODS: Three groups participated in the study: families displaced after their houses were damaged, undisplaced families from the same neighborhood (without home damage), and families from a distant city that was threatened but not directly attacked. Data concerning the traumatic event, the child (personality, internalizing, externalizing, and stress symptoms), the mother (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised), and the family (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales) were gathered 6 months after the end of the war. RESULTS: Displaced children and mothers showed higher externalizing and stress symptom levels compared with undisplaced and threatened subjects. Destruction of the house and displacement, but not mere distance from the missile impact, explained symptomatic behavior. Inadequate family cohesion predicted symptomatic reaction for 3- and 4-year-old children but not for older ones. CONCLUSION: Both human and nonhuman factors contribute to the preschool child's adaptive mechanisms that regulate environmental stressful stimuli. These risk-modifying factors become more autonomous of caretakers with increasing age.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Altered platelet peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Peripheral-type benzodiazephine receptors (PBR) are involved in steroidogenesis and are sensitive to stress. Reduced platelet PBR density has been demonstrated in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), but not in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We extended this observation to another anxiety disorder, namely, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eighteen post-Persian Gulf War PTSD patients and 17 age- and sex-matched controls were included in the study. All subjects were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R-Patient Version. The severity of symptoms was assessed using the DSM-III-R scale for PTSD, the Impact of Event Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. [3H]PK 11195 was used to label platelet PBR. All psychological parameters (except trait anxiety) were higher in PTSD patients compared to controls. Decreased platelet PBR density (-62%; p < .001) was observed in the PTSD patients compared to controls. The reduction in PBR observed in PTSD patients was in accordance with the findings in GAD patients, but differed from those obtained in OCD patients. It is possible that the receptoral downregulation is an adaptive response aimed at preventing chronic overproduction of glucocorticoids in hyperarousal states.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

T cell subsets in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Stress can produce immunosuppression leading to increased susceptibility to infection, tumor growth or autoimmune disease. It has been recently noted, however, that certain kinds of stress need not increase the risk of immune pathology. The present study looked for immune pathology in an anxiety-related disorder. Acute exacerbation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety spectrum disorder, served as a model for stress. Seven OCD subjects in acute exacerbation, and 9 healthy age-matched control subjects participated in the study. T cell subsets were determined at baseline in both OCD and control groups, and after 6 weeks on clomipramine in the OCD group. No statistically significant changes in lymphocyte subsets were found between the control and the untreated patient groups. Likewise, no statistically significant changes were found in patients before and after treatment. The negative findings of the present study supports the view that stress need not compromise immunologic function. Various aspects of stress, which may turn the immune system vulnerable, are discussed as well.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Impact of the Gulf War on the anxiety, cortisol, and growth hormone levels of Israeli civilians.

OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the impact of continuous and repeated stress on Israeli civilians exposed to missile attacks during the Gulf War. METHOD: Study 1 included 26 healthy volunteers aged 28-59 years. Their scores on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and levels of plasma cortisol and growth hormone (GH) were evaluated before, during, and after the war. Study 2 included 13 healthy volunteers aged 25-59 years. Their scores on the state portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and levels of cortisol and GH were measured three times daily (8:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m.) at two time points (during and after the war). RESULTS: Anxiety levels of civilians exposed to the threat of war and later to actual missile attacks were significantly higher before and during the war than afterward. Anxiety during the war reached a peak in the evening. The increase in anxiety was not accompanied by any change from basal morning cortisol and GH levels or by diurnal variations in these hormones. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety levels during the war were similar to those 1 day before its onset, which can be explained by the nature of coping processes. During the war, anxiety levels were highest in the evening, reflecting the war routine (missile attacks occurred mostly at night). The unaltered hormone levels and their normal diurnal variations despite the subjects' persistent anxiety were probably due to adaptation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-somatotropin axes to continuous stress.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Alteration of platelet benzodiazepine receptors by stress of war.

Mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors play a major role in steroidogenesis. The authors determined plasma cortisol levels, platelet levels of mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors, and anxiety and depression scores in 11 civilians exposed to the Persian Gulf war. The density of mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors was 22% and 15% lower before and during the war, respectively, than 4 weeks after the end of the war. Relief of stress led to an increase in receptors, which correlated with the improvement in anxiety but not mood.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thyroid function in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.

In view of the recent conflicting findings regarding the causative role of thyroid abnormalities in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we performed a replication study to clarify the issue and establish clinical guidelines. Thyroid tests were performed in 43 ADHD children and 28 age- and gender-matched controls. Sixteen ADHD children showed total triiodothyronine (TT3) levels which were slightly above the upper limit of normal, but no significant difference in TT3 values was noted between the ADHD and the control groups. Moreover, none of the ADHD subjects had abnormal levels of total thyroxine, free thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone or total triiodothyronine reuptake. The present study supplies additional evidence for the lack of an association between thyroid function and ADHD, and counters the suggestion that thyroid function be routinely screened for in ADHD children.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The prevalence of mitral valve prolapse in children with anxiety disorders.

Studies in adults have suggested a comorbidity of mitral valve prolapse and anxiety disorders, especially panic disorder. The nature of the association between these disorders is yet unclear. In the last years, case studies have appeared, reporting on the comorbidity of anxiety disorders and mitral valve prolapse in children. The present study evaluated the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse in children with anxiety disorders as compared to normal controls. The study group consisted of 52 children, 6-18 years old, with a diagnosis of panic disorder (9.6%), separation anxiety disorder (65.4%) and/or overanxious disorder (61.5%). Fifty-one normal age- and gender-matched healthy children served as controls. All participants were evaluated for the presence of mitral valve prolapse by cardiac auscultation and echocardiography. None of the 52 children with anxiety disorder and one of the 51 control children (1.96%) had mitral valve prolapse. There appears to be no association between childhood anxiety disorders and mitral valve prolapse. Whether children with panic disorder proper show a greater prevalence of mitral valve prolapse remains an open question. Implications to the association of mitral valve prolapse and panic disorder are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cytokine production in panic disorder patients.

Based on findings that stress and anxiety may modulate immune function, we compared the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells between 24 patients with nonmajor depressed panic disorders, 9 with agoraphobia and 15 without, and 19 healthy volunteers. No differences in the production of these cytokines was noted between the patients with panic disorders and the volunteers or between the patients with and without agoraphobia. However, in the patients, a negative correlation was found for interleukin-3 production with severity of state anxiety, but not with trait anxiety or depression. This finding indicates that interleukin-3 levels may be sensitive to the presence of anxiety and stress.

Adult↗