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Biomedical subjects

T Klauer

Publications and source records attributed to T Klauer.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Modulation of transcallosally mediated motor inhibition in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by medication with methylphenidate (MPH).

Motor hyperactivity is one of the most outstanding symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which might be caused by a disturbed inhibitory motor control. Using focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) we tested the cortico-callosal inhibition (duration and latency of the ipsilateral Silent Period, iSP) in 23 children with ADHD (mean age 11+/-2.6 years) before and on treatment with methylphenidate (MPH). iSP latency was age correlated, whereas iSP duration as well as Conners scores were age independent. Analyses of mean differences revealed a significant prolongation of iSP duration (p=0.001), shortening of iSP latency (p=0.027) and reduction of Conners score (p=0.001) under medication. Increase of iSP duration and reduction of Conners score under medication were significantly correlated (t=-9.87, p=0.016). Reduced iSP duration and prolonged iSP latency in ADHD children could be the result of a disturbed transcallosally mediated inhibition, most probable due to a combination of maturation deficits of callosal fiber tracts as well as neuronal synaptical transmission within the neuronal network between ipsilaterally stimulated cortex layer III--the origin of transcallosal motor-cortical fibers--and contralateral layer V, the origin of the pyramidal tract. MPH may indirectly improve the dysbalance between excitatory and inhibitory interneuronal activities of this neuronal network via dopaminergic modulatory effects of the striato-thalamo-cortical loop.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Stress and progression in multiple sclerosis].

The hypothesis that stress might be connected to causation or exacerbation of multiple sclerosis has been under discussion for a long time. The current studies indicate that there is a coincidence between stress and disease progression. Besides the state of art in research different stress models will be introduced in the paper and the relations between disease, resources and coping will be discussed. Besides the influence of distressing life events on disease, the effect of illness-related characteristics on the coping behaviour will be considered in this regard. From the results of the presented studies and the described stress models it was concluded that the possibilities of stress avoiding intervention programs should be taken into account more strongly in the future.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2000

[Axis I "illness experience and treatment preconditions" of operational psychodynamic diagnosis (OPD). Experiences in clinical practice].

In a selective survey, results on psychometric properties and aspects of application of the axis I, "illness experience and treatment preconditions" of the Operational Psychodynamic Diagnoses (OPD) are described. Following remarks on the role of defense and coping theories in the conceptualisation of the axis, its structure and contents are outlined. After a brief summary of findings on its interrater reliability, several aspects of validity are discussed. Results on discriminative validity show that axis I items are useful in the statistical discrimination of subsamples differing in age, clinical diagnoses, and diagnostic setting (psychotherapy outpatient vs. psychosomatic consultation-liasion services). The contribution of axis I items to prediction of treatment outcomes, moreover, reveals high degree of predictive or treatment validity. After an integrative discussion of these findings, implications of patient personality and coping behaviour for axis I ratings are highlighted as important objectives for future OPD research.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

[Influence of psychotherapy motivation on the course of psychotherapy].

The motivational characteristics of psychotherapy inpatients should be of crucial importance for treatment effectiveness. In the present study on 219 patients from two psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic treatment centers, four dimensions of motivation for psychotherapy (illness experience; lay etiology; treatment expectations; openness to psychotherapy) were assessed using the Questionnaire for the Measurement of Psychotherapy Motivation (Fragebogen zur Messung der Psychotherapiemotivation; FMP) and related to pre-post changes in symptomatology. In these analyses, psychological symptoms (SCL-90-R) as well as interpersonal problems (IIP) were considered as indicators of treatment effects. The results support the expectation that (a) a psychosocial causal attribution of illness symptoms and (b) a marked general openness to psychotherapy at the pretreatment interview predict more positive treatment outcomes. Implications of the results for the indication of pretreatment interventions are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Family support and coping with cancer: some determinants and adaptive correlates.

This paper studies the interrelationships between the coping behaviours of cancer patients and perceived amount and adequacy of family support, as well as the issue of how these predict psychosocial adjustment to cancer. Based on questionnaire data from a sample of 169 patients with cancers of various sites, three questions were considered in detail: (1) How might cognitive and behavioural modes of coping with cancer affect perceptions of support provided by one's family in terms of the amount as well as adequacy of various supportive acts? (2) Are coping modes to be considered when explaining inter-individual differences in perceived support adequacy, or can these differences be reduced to differences in amount of support? (3) Can distinct patterns of family support and coping preferences be identified and, if so, how do these patterns differ in indicators of psychosocial adjustment to cancer? Results suggest that cognitive strategies of coping may be more effective in 'mobilizing' family support than behavioural strategies. Moreover, the perceived adequacy of various support modes proves to be influenced by cognitive coping preferences independent of perceived amounts of support. Finally, results from cluster analyses point to a particular coping-support pattern identified as 'highly risky'. This pattern is characterized by generalized support deficits, strong tendencies towards rumination, and weak tendencies towards minimizing disease-related threat. The findings are discussed from an interactional perspective on support processes and with regard to implications for psychological intervention in cancer patients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sex-specific effects of social support on cortisol and subjective responses to acute psychological stress.

The effects of short-term social support on cortisol levels and subjective responses to acute psychological stress were investigated in healthy adults (total N = 66). In anticipation of a public-speaking task in front of an audience, subjects received either no social support ("no support") or social support from an opposite-sex stranger ("stranger") or from their boyfriend or girlfriend ("partner"). Support providers were instructed to enact both instrumental and emotional support during the 10-minute anticipation period. The results obtained suggest sex-specific effects of social support. Although men in the partner support condition showed significant attenuation of cortisol responses compared with unsupported and stranger-supported men, women showed no response decrement under stranger support. In contrast to men, women showed a tendency toward increased cortisol responses when supported by their boyfriends. The endocrine response differences between male and female subjects were unrelated to questionnaire-derived psychological variables. No sex and group differences in perceived stress, mood changes, or social desirability were observed. Although the overall level of subjective well-being throughout the experiment was elevated in the partner support condition, no sex or group differences were observed in perceived stress, well-being changes, and social desirability. Opposite to their cortisol responses, women rated both stranger and partner support attempts more favorably than did men. No significant correlations were observed between the perceived stressfulness of the situation, mood changes, and cortisol responses. These results provide preliminary evidence for sex-specific patterns of social support efficacy to acute psychological stress with respect to adrenocortical responses.

Adaptation, Psychological↗