Influence of the role of a partner on anxiety due to a physically threatening situation

This study aimed to examine the influence of the presence of a partner in terms of affiliation level and role on anxiety in a physically threatening situation.

In the first experiment, nine male subjects waited alone for the electric shock, and the other nine subjects waited with their partner.

In the second experiment, 36 female subjects were assigned to four experimental groups by the difference of the role of a partner (coactor or audience) and the affiliation level of a partner (friend or stranger), and subjects waited for the electric shock with their partner.

It was found that anxiety of subjects decreased when the partner was a coactor and/or a friend. It was suggested that these two functioned differently in anxiety reduction in a physically threatening situation.     

Vagal influence during worry and cognitive challenge

Abstract

The primary foci of the study were exploration of the linkage between cognitive and autonomic inflexibility of worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and examination of the effects of an analog cognitive restructuring task on this relationship. Cardiac responses of GAD and non-GAD participants were measured to examine the sympathetic and parasympathetic effects of worry and cognitive challenge. Diagnostic groups of undergraduate students were determined via administration of a structured interview, yielding a GAD group (n=16) and a control group (n=19) of individuals without GAD, depression, or panic disorder diagnoses. Cardiac autonomic responses were acquired via electrocardiogram during rest, worry, and cognitive challenge conditions by an experimenter blind to diagnosis. Metrics were compared between the two groups and across the three conditions. Individuals diagnosed with GAD did not differ significantly from controls on autonomic indices. Worry was associated with significantly decreased parasympathetic influence and increased sympathetic activity. Cognitive challenge did not result in significant increased cardiac responsivity. The results indicate that worry behavior is associated with decreased vagal activity, suggest a linkage between autonomic and cognitive inflexibility, and provide further suggestions for improving protocols to assess the autonomic effects of cognitive therapy techniques.     

Psychophysiological Reactivity to Abuse-Related Stimuli in Sexually Revictimized Women

Prior research shows discrepant findings in relation to psychophysiological reactivity to threat in women with histories of sexual victimization. Women ages 18 to 22 (N?=?123) with histories of sexual abuse were categorized into child sexual abuse (CSA), adult sexual victimization, revictimization, or nonvictimization groups. Low- and high-frequency heart rate variability were measured at baseline and during an Emotional Stroop task of abuse-related words. Revictimized women showed a significant decrease from baseline to task in both parasympathetic and sympathetic measures when compared to the CSA group. The CSA group demonstrated chronic sympathetic activation at both baseline and task, relative to the revictimization group. Groups did not differ on performance (i.e., reaction time) on the Emotional Stroop task (i.e., more threatening stimuli, slower performance). Cardiovascular responses reported might point to biological reactivity patterns needed for women with a history of sexual abuse to cope with abuse-related stimuli.     

升高高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）面临的挑战——升HDL-C药物的不同机制和HDL-C升高的疗效评价

高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）水平与发生冠心病的危险性呈负相关。HDL通过促进胆固醇逆转运、改善内皮功能、抗氧化、抗炎和抗血栓而发挥心血管保护作用。HDL已成为冠心病防治工作的新靶点,生活方式和调脂药物的干预能升高HDL-C,然而HDL的功能比HDL-C血浆水平更重要,多项以HDL为靶点新的治疗措施正在研究中,临床上如何评价HDL-C升高的疗效价值及升高HDL-C的药物和策略有着重要意义。进一步研究HDL的结构、代谢和功能能够深入了解脂质代谢过程和动脉粥样硬化发生机制,使干预HDL成为动脉粥样硬化防治新的目标。     

ACC／AHA成人慢性心力衰竭诊疗指南的评解

美国心脏病学会／心脏学会（ACC／AHA）于2005年底对2001年的成人慢性心力衰竭（心衰）诊疗指南进行了更新。该指南不仅延用了过去的纽约心脏病学会（NYHA）心功能分级,而且采用了心脏病病程分期,对于准确估计心脏病程度、指导临床治疗和评估预后有重要的价值。该指南不仅进一步肯定了神经内分泌拮抗剂在心衰治疗中的地位,同时确立了器械治疗在心衰中的应用价值。     

用库恩“范式论”浅析心力衰竭的治疗进展

美国著名科学哲学家库恩认为每一个科学发展阶段都有特殊的内在结构,而体现这种结构的模型即“范式”。并认为任何科学研究都是在某一范式的指导下进行的,范式是一个科学部门达到成熟的标志,而科学革命实际上就是范式的转变,指出一种范式经革命向另一种范式逐步过渡,正是成熟科学的通常模式。本文就范式理论对心力衰竭治疗进展的影响进行探讨。     

激素替代治疗对绝经妇女心脏保护效应的重新认识

激素替代疗法（HRT）已有数十年历史,但是否具有心脏保护效应一直存在争议。早期研究提示HRT可维持血管正常功能,但大样本随机对照研究却发现服用雌激素和孕激素妇女的心血管疾病较安慰剂组增加22％,这导致了HRT应用的急剧减少。而2007年妇女健康启动计划——冠状动脉钙化研究（WHI—CACS）却证实HRT能显著降低冠状动脉钙化,再次提起了人们对HRT心脏保护效应的关注。     

一个有待探索的新概念:心性脑病

从共性与个性、整体与局部的哲学观点以及临床上探讨心性脑病的存在,为基础研究和临床治疗提供理论依据.     

Existential Trauma Therapy with Men After a Heart Attack

An existential trauma therapy treatment approach with men who are recovering from a heart attack is described as well as the treatment elements within the approach. Single-subject design case material is provided to evaluate and illustrate the described treatment approach.