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Hypnosis for postpolio syndrome & Type-A behavior.

Many of the hundreds of thousands of survivors of polio are now developing postpolio syndrome. Symptoms include progressive muscle weakness, fatigue, decreased endurance, joint and muscle pain, weight gain, respiratory difficulties, and sleep disturbance, often precipitated or exacerbated by a Type-A Personality pattern. A postpolio patient with Type-A Personality was taught self-hypnosis as a vital component of treatment. Pre-post testing included the Profile of Mood States, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the State-Trait Anger Inventory, and the Personal Orientation Inventory; the patient's spouse was interviewed during the follow-up. At the 6-month follow-up, improvements were documented in pain level, depression, self-regard, self-acceptance, capacity for intimate contact, time competence (living in the present), confusion, anxiety, insomnia, and in trait and state anger. Only a mild improvement occurred in fatigue, and no improvement was found in weight control. Follow-up at 12 months confirmed the maintenance of improvements. Self-hypnosis training may prove extremely helpful for postpolio patients and may prove helpful in modifying central characteristics of Type-A Personality.

Autosuggestion↗

Associations of red blood cell fatty acids with personality traits: 10-year follow-up in the Kibbutzim Family Study (KFS).

BACKGROUND: The ability of hostility and type-A personality to predict cardiovascular outcomes makes understanding antecedents of these personality traits an important public health objective. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine whether blood-measured fatty acids (the exposure) are associated with hostility and type-A personality (the outcome), while accounting for lifestyle, sociodemographic factors, and polygenic background. METHODS: Personality traits, sociodemographic, and lifestyle data were obtained in 1992-1993 from 452 family members living in kibbutz settlements in Israel (visit 1) and remeasured 8 to 10 y later in 379 individuals (visit 2). Red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid concentrations were determined in visit 1 by gas chromatography. Longitudinal associations of visit 1 fatty acids with visit 2 personality traits were examined using linear models, before and after controlling for baseline personality scores. The contribution of environmental factors to personality scores beyond heritability was estimated by variance decomposition. RESULTS: In longitudinal analysis, 1% increase in visit 1 total n-6 (ω-6) fatty acid was associated with a 0.328-unit decrease in visit 2 type-A score [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.571, -0.085]. After adjustment for baseline personality levels, the association was slightly attenuated (β= -0.204; CI: -0.399, -0.009). One percent higher total n-6 was also associated with 1.119 units lower visit 2 hostility score (CI: -2.777, 0.038; P = 0.055). Finally, independent of the genetic contribution (32%-38% of adjusted variability in hostility and type-A personality), 1% increase in total n-3 and total n-6 was associated with 2.539 (CI: -3.907, -1.171) and 0.201 (CI: -0.365, -0.037) units lower hostility and type-A scores, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Higher RBC total n-6 fatty acid concentrations are associated with lower type-A personality scores. After adjustment for baseline personality levels, the associations between total n-6 and hostility and between total n-3 and hostility are attenuated. These findings support further investigation of the relationship between fatty acid biology and personality traits using study designs better suited to causal inference.

Humans↗

Alcohol consumption, age and personality characteristics as important determinants of within-subject variability in blood pressure.

Intra-individual variability in blood pressure is well recognized but its determinants have been largely unexplored. In a recent cross-sectional study, 343 subjects from a male working population were assessed. Ten supine blood pressure readings were taken at 2-min intervals for 20 min on each of three consecutive days. Each subject's body mass index (weight/height2) was recorded and a questionnaire completed to record demographic details and information about physical activity, personality characteristics, dietary habits, tea and coffee consumption, smoking habits and alcohol consumption. When systolic and diastolic blood pressure variability was defined as the average coefficient of variation of the 10 readings each day, systolic blood pressure variability was found to be positively correlated with alcohol consumption, verbal aggression score and extroversion score. Diastolic variability was positively correlated with verbal aggression score, type-A personality score and extroversion score, and negatively associated with age. Stepwise regression analysis revealed alcohol consumption to be the strongest determinant of systolic variability while age was the strongest determinant of diastolic variability. We conclude that alcohol consumption, age and personality characteristics may be important determinants of intra-subject variability in blood pressure.

Adult↗

[Psychosocial risk factors and coronary heart disease].

A literature review shows that besides the classical risk factors smoking, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and age psychosocial risk factors have been identified in the development and progress of coronary heart disease. They can be divided into four categories: inadvertent socio-economic conditions, insufficient physical exercise, type-A personality and emotional problems and lack of social support.

Coronary Disease↗

[Characteristics of the work site and their relevance for cardiovascular risk factors; consequences for prevention from an epidemiologic viewpoint].

Although standard risk factors are clearly related to cardiovascular diseases; even taken together they account for about half of the incidence rates in prospective studies. Therefore psychosocial variables - among them work related characteristics - are of increasing significance for research and prevention in CHD. Thus, an enlarged version of the KARASEK-conception was studied in the GDR-MONICA-Population, aged 25 to 64 years. Additional to the original Karasek-questionnaire, the more "objective" work characteristics as well as the scale "Social Interaction at workplace" are implemented. Based on data of this study, the usefulness but also the limitations of the diversified Karasek conception (Job Demands, Decision Latitude, Social Interaction at work) are demonstrated. In spite of the relevance for smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol and overweight of the Karasek-model recommended also the objective work characteristics as well as other mediating variables should be taken into account. As a consequence from our results, the GDR-MONICA-center has started a research programme which uses a complex system of diagnostic methods, among them the following conceptions: --Health knowledge/Attitudes --Social support/social network variables --Vital exhaustion --Life events --mediating personality factors (Type-A behaviour pattern etc.) together with other lifestyle-related factors, for instance physical activity, nutrition and smoking habits. Results from this multifactorial and integrative MONICA-Psychosocial study can be expected in the near future.

Adult↗

A brief type-A scale and the occurrence of cardiovascular symptoms.

A short Type-A behaviour pattern scale was tested on 3,221 Finnish state employees (65% men, mean age 38.7 years, and 22% with at least college-level vocational education). The Type-A sum score varied with age, sex and work status, but not with basic education. Respondents were further assigned to two extreme groups according to the Type-A sum score: the Type A's in the highest and -B's in the lowest quartile. Of those aged 40 years or more (n = 1,460), the persons with the Type-A behaviour pattern reported typical severe angina pectoris symptoms more frequently than the Type B's. There were no differences, however, in the frequency of typical mild angina pectoris symptoms between the Type A's and B's. The Type-A and -B men differed significantly in the frequency of a previous severe chest pain attack suggesting a possible myocardial infarction.

Adult↗

[Type A personality and its relations: the significance of hostility, neuroticism and verbal behavior for coronary heart diseases].

Despite the growing body of evidence against Type-A behavior pattern as a risk factor for coronary heart disease, there remains much interest in the relationship between some of the Type-A components, especially hostility, and coronary heart disease. However, the construct of hostility too needs further refinement into overt-expressive hostility which correlated positively with the severity of coronary occlusion and the covert experience of hostility, or neurotic hostility, which is negatively correlated. Loud speech and the frequency of simultaneous interruptive speech are other attributes associated with coronary disease. The paper concludes with a biobehavioral model that assumes a synergistic interaction between hostility, speech style and cardiovascular reactivity.

Arousal↗

A controlled study of type A behavior and psychophysiologic responses to stress in anorexia nervosa.

Adolescents and young adults meeting DSM-III criteria for anorexia nervosa (n = 13) and atypical eating disorders (n = 7) were compared with weight-recovered anorectics (n = 6) and normal weight controls (n = 11) using a type-A structured interview and a computerized stress procedure. Heart rate, blood pressure, and electrocardiographic changes were monitored. Anorexia nervosa subjects demonstrated significantly more type-A characteristics than controls. The emaciated and weight-recovered anorectics had elevated hostility scores on the type-A interview, which has been shown in recent studies of type-A behavior to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This pilot study is the first to demonstrate a significant relationship between anorexia and the type-A behavioral pattern. Also the anorectic subjects showed significantly more cardiovascular reactivity than controls as measured by failure of stressed anorectic subjects to lower their systolic blood pressure to baseline levels as controls did. These results support the importance of monitoring stress reactions and personality traits as well as traditional biological measures.

Adolescent↗

Type A behavior pattern and coronary angiographic findings.

One hundred forty-seven consecutive patients scheduled to undergo coronary angiography were classified according to the type-A behavior pattern. Statistically significant correlations were found between diseases severity and the physical risk factors cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, sex, and age. The correlation of the behavior pattern with angiographic disease severity was of the same magnitude as that of the other risk factors except cholesterol, which was greater. The association between the behavior pattern and severity persisted after adjustments had been made for the effects of five other major risk factors.

Adult↗

Plasma catecholamine response of coronary-prone subjects (type A) to a specific challenge.

Plasma norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) were assayed in 15 men prone to develop coronary heart disease (type-A behavior pattern) and in 15 coronary-disease-resistant men (type-B behavior pattern) under resting, noncompetitive conditions and also immediately before, during, and after participation in a nonphysical competitive struggle. The average concentration of catecholamines was virtually the same in both groups under resting conditions. Under competitive conditions the NE concentration of the coronary-susceptible group rose an average of 30%, while that of the resistant group remained essentially unchanged. E concentration remained unchanged in both groups.

Competitive Behavior↗

Coping subtypes for men with coronary heart disease: relationship to well-being, stress and Type-A behaviour.

We used cluster analysis to delineate coping subtypes in a sample of 166 men with coronary heart disease who completed the Antwerp out-patient rehabilitation programme. These subtypes were identified on the basis of three well-defined superordinate traits that were selected from a comprehensive taxonomy: negative affectivity, social inhibition, and self-deception. Using Ward's minimum variance method and the cubic clustering criterion, we identified four coping subtypes; low-negative affectivity (N = 48), high-negative affectivity (N = 30), inhibited (N = 62), and repressive (N = 26) individuals. The accuracy of the resulting classification was demonstrated across parallel data sets and was further validated against external, health-related correlates that were not included in the clustering. The identified coping subtypes were significantly related to self-reports of subjective distress/perceived stress, ratings of Type A behaviour and anger-in, return to work, prevalence of chest-pain complaints, and use of minor tranquillizers and sleeping pills. The major findings of this study suggest that (a) male coronary patients represent a heterogeneous population with distinctly different coping subtypes, and that (b) a relatively small number of homogeneous subtypes can account for a substantial amount of variance in subjective well-being, coronary-prone behaviour, and return to work. These findings indicate that psychosomatic research should focus on how superordinate traits interact within individuals and corroborate the appropriateness of a class model to describe coping styles of male coronary patients. It is argued that discrepant findings across studies of Type-A behaviour and hostility may be related to the coping subtypes of the subject sample. Further attempts to cross-validate this classification scheme and to examine its health-related correlates are needed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Type-A behavior and central serous chorioretinopathy.

A consecutive series of newly-diagnosed patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) was compared to two independent control groups chosen from the same patient population for the presence of a Type A behavioral pattern based on the Jenkins Activity Survey. The patients selected as matched controls had painless, reduced central vision and other chorioretinal diseases (Group I), or non-chorioretinal ocular conditions (Group II). The Type A behavior was significantly more frequent in study patients than in either Control Group I (X2 = 6.1 and P less than 0.025) or Control Group II patients (X2 = 17.7 and P less than 0.001). When both control groups were combined for comparison to the CSP patients, there was also a highly significant difference with regard to Type A behavior (X2 = 14.1 and P less than 0.001). A comparison of Control Group I with Control Group II revealed no significant difference in Type A behavior. Subfactor analysis of the Type A behavior pattern was also studied. The results of this clinical study were used in conjunction with experimental evidence linking catecholamines with CSP in developing a multifactorial etiologic hypothesis. The hypothesis suggests that the eyes as an organ system, and the macula as an ultimate target area, can be intermittently or continuously stimulated adversely by Type A behavior and its physiological consequences, most notably a sympathetic discharge. The multifactorial concept alludes to other potential risk factors such as age, race, sex, refractive state, or unknown tissue susceptabilities. The pathogenesis implies an inter-relationship between finely balanced components of a complex biopsychological system involving an individual's genetic endowment, his environment, and his behavioral pattern. The concept also offers new possible lines of investigation for the treatment of CSP, utilizing pharmacological regulators and for its prevention through early identification of CSP-prone individuals. A review of the pertinent cardiovasculature literature linking the Type A behavior with coronary artery disease and the significant papers in the ophthalmic literature on central serous pigment epitheliopathy are included in the discussion.

Adult↗

[A Japanese version of the Type A questionnaire (MYTH) for children].

The reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Matthews Youth Test for Health (MYTH) are reported. The MYTH is a questionnaire by which the degrees of Type A in children are measured. In Study 1, 23 teachers in kindergartens and day nurseries rated their children (N = 482 in all; 3 to 5 years old) by using the MYTH. Statistical analyses of the data indicate that this questionnaire is reliable and internally consistent, and has two factors, competitiveness and impatience-aggression, just as the American version. In Study 2, children (4 to 5 years old) were divided into two groups, Type-A (N = 24) and Type-B (N = 25), according to the scores of the MYTH. Each child was given three tasks (mailing, discrimination, and putting-in-chips). The results show that in those tasks Type-A children show more time urgency, hard-driving, and competition than Type-B children, which suggests that the Japanese version has a high construct validity. These two studies indicate that the Japanese version can be used in Japan to study Type A of young children.

Aggression↗

[Type-A behavior and coronary artery disease].

The association of coronary artery disease (CAD) and type-A behavior was studied by filling in the questionnaire of type-A behavior and discussing with the subjects in 139 CAD patients scheduled to undergo coronary angiography and 200 non-CAD controls. The odds ratio (i.e. OR) of type-A behavior for CAD in males was 6.33, for females was 5.05. There was significant correlation between the scores of behavior pattern and the OR of CAD and/or the number of arteries stenosed by 50% or more. Stratified analysis and logistic regression model analysis with other CAD risk factors have shown that type-A behavior pattern may be an independent risk factor of CAD.

Coronary Disease↗