Biomedical subjects

Silke Schmidt

Publications and source records attributed to Silke Schmidt.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

A pooled case-control study of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene in age-related maculopathy.

Age-related maculopathy (ARM) is a multifactorial disorder known to have a substantial genetic component. The epsilon4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE-4) has previously been reported to have a protective effect on ARM risk, while the APOE-2 allele may increase disease risk. This study combined four independent data sets (three US and one European) of Caucasian ARM patients and controls in order to obtain better statistical power to examine the role of APOE in ARM. APOE genotype and allele frequencies were compared for 617 ARM cases and 1260 controls, adjusting for age and sex differences between the two groups via multiple logistic regression. The protective effect of the APOE-4 allele on ARM risk was confirmed (age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for APOE-4 carriers 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.70, p < 0.0001). The effect of APOE-4 did not differ significantly between males and females and was observed consistently for both atrophic and neovascular ARM. Evidence for an increased risk of ARM due to the APOE-2 allele was found for men, but not for women (OR for men 1.54, 95% CI 0.97-2.45; OR for women 0.74, 95% CI 0.52-1.06, p = 0.01 for interaction of sex and APOE-2 carrier status). These data confirm that the APOE-4 allele, or an allele in linkage disequilibrium with it, reduces the risk of ARM. They also suggest that the effect of the APOE-2 allele may vary by gender, and that APOE-2 may confer an increased risk only to males.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2002

Assessing quality of life of children with chronic health conditions and disabilities: a European approach.

Quality of life has been used as a synonym for a subject-centred or individually appraised perspective on health. Despite the increase in quality of life research in adults, quality of life in children is relatively neglected. While generic measures begin to emerge now, methods to assess the quality of life of children with chronic conditions are still in development. The design of such an assessment tool for different age groups and different levels of disabilities is the objective of a European-Union-funded study: the DISABKIDS project. In addition, it addresses the psychosocial determinants of quality of life in children with disabilities. A major aim of the project is to develop and test instruments for children and adolescents with disabilities (as well as for their families) in seven countries, to assess the impact of the chronic health conditions on quality of life and to provide a tool for systematic monitoring of the quality of care given to children with disabilities. Assessment and monitoring will allow identification of unmet health care needs and, it is hoped, ultimately, the fostering of the development of effective intervention strategies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Subjective physical complaints and hypochondriacal features from an attachment theoretical perspective.

The main goal of the present study was to examine the association between physical complaints, hypochondriacal features and attachment characteristics in a representative German general population sample. A total of 1997 German adults, 883 males and 1114 females, completed the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), the short form of the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GSCL) to investigate gender-related bodily complaints and the Whiteley Index for assessing hypochondriacal concerns. Item response theoretical methods, i.e. mixed Rasch analysis, were used in order to identify the best model for the attachment items. Findings suggested that five latent classes yielded the best model fit. The findings provided evidence that attachment styles displayed different profiles of subjective physical complaints. The highest amount of physical symptoms and hypochondriacal features was identified in anxiously attached individuals with two subsets displaying functionally different subjective symptoms. Secure attachment was, in contrast, not related to a higher amount of specific symptoms. Results are discussed in terms of a developmental approach to symptom experience and somatization.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The Adult Attachment Scale (AAS) - psychometric evaluation and normation of the German version].

Based on conceptualizations and assessment instruments of adult attachment research, the development of the adult attachment scale is outlined. The AAS scale is a self report instrument reflecting attachment-related attitudes. The dimensional scales of the AAS assess to what extent a person feels close to his partner, to what extent he is able to rely on others, and how much someone is afraid of losing an intimate partner. The German version of the AAS was normed in a representative study and its psychometric properties were investigated. The reliability of all scales was satisfactory (alpha = 0.72 - 0.79), however, the scale structure only acceptable. Thus, the current version might be integrated in studies to analyze the convergence of adult attachment measures. Findings on the convergent and discriminant validity of the scales (sociodemographic data, the SOC-S, the HADS-D, the SOMS and the Whiteley-Index were included) suggest a high prognostic relevance of the scales in the fields of health psychology and psychosomatics.

Adult↗