Association between trauma exposure and delusional experiences in a large community-based sample.

Posted on May 18, 2007 by Maurice Preter MD
 
Br J Psychiatry. 2007 Apr;190:339-43. Related Articles, Links
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Association between trauma exposure and delusional experiences in a large community-based sample.

Scott J, Chant D, Andrews G, Martin G, McGrath J.

Kids in Mind Research, Mater Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane and Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland.

BACKGROUND: Surveys have found that otherwise well individuals report delusional experiences. Previous studies have shown an association between psychotic symptoms and exposure to trauma. AIMS: To explore the association between trauma and delusional experiences in a community sample. METHOD: Respondents (n=10 641) were assessed for delusional experiences, exposure to various types of traumatic experiences and the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The endorsement of delusional items was examined in people exposed to traumatic events who did or did not have PTSD. RESULTS: Exposure to any traumatic event but without the development of PTSD was associated with increased endorsement of delusional experiences (relative risk 2.68, 95% CI 2.18-3.30) and there was a significant dose-response relationship between the number of types of traumatic events and endorsement of such experiences (chi(2) =26.74, d.f.=2, P<0.001). A diagnosis of PTSD further increased endorsement of delusional experiences (RR=9.24, 95% CI 6.95-12.27). The association between PTSD and delusional experiences remained significant after adjusting for factors associated with psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation into the pathways between trauma, delusions and psychosis may provide insights into shared aetiological mechanisms underpinning these conditions.

PMID: 17401041 [PubMed – in process]

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Multivitamin use and risk of prostate cancer in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study.

Posted on May 18, 2007 by Maurice Preter MD
 
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 May 16;99(10):754-64. Related Articles, Links
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Multivitamin use and risk of prostate cancer in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study.

Lawson KA, Wright ME, Subar A, Mouw T, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A, Leitzmann MF.

Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA. lawsonka@mail.nih.gov

BACKGROUND: Multivitamin supplements are used by millions of Americans because of their potential health benefits, but the relationship between multivitamin use and prostate cancer is unclear. METHODS: We prospectively investigated the association between multivitamin use and risk of prostate cancer (localized, advanced, and fatal) in 295,344 men enrolled in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP Diet and Health Study who were cancer free at enrollment in 1995 and 1996. During 5 years of follow-up, 10,241 participants were diagnosed with incident prostate cancer, including 8765 localized and 1476 advanced cancers. In a separate mortality analysis with 6 years of follow-up, 179 cases of fatal prostate cancer were ascertained. Multivitamin use was assessed at baseline as part of a self-administered, mailed food-frequency questionnaire. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by use of Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for established or suspected prostate cancer risk factors. RESULTS: No association was observed between multivitamin use and risk of localized prostate cancer. However, we found an increased risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancers (RR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.67 and RR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.07 to 3.66, respectively) among men reporting excessive use of multivitamins (more than seven times per week) when compared with never users. The incidence rates per 100,000 person-years for advanced and fatal prostate cancers for those who took a multivitamin more than seven times per week were 143.8 and 18.9, respectively, compared with 113.4 and 11.4 in never users. The positive associations with excessive multivitamin use were strongest in men with a family history of prostate cancer or who took individual micronutrient supplements, including selenium, -carotene, or zinc. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that regular multivitamin use is not associated with the risk of early or localized prostate cancer. The possibility that men taking high levels of multivitamins along with other supplements have increased risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancers is of concern and merits further evaluation.

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PMID: 17505071 [PubMed – in process]

Posted in Aging, Health |

Insomnia in Parkinson’s disease: frequency and progression over time.

Posted on May 18, 2007 by Maurice Preter MD
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2007 May;78(5):476-9. Epub 2006 Nov 10. Related Articles, Links
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Insomnia in Parkinson’s disease: frequency and progression over time.

Gjerstad MD, Wentzel-Larsen T, Aarsland D, Larsen JP.

Department of Neurology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway. gjmi@sus.no

OBJECTIVES: To examine the development of nocturnal sleeping problems in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) over an 8-year period and to study the clinical and demographic correlates of insomnia. METHODS: 231 patients were included in a population-based prevalence study in 1993, and re-examined in 1997 and 2001. At all study visits, we applied semi-structured interviews to obtain information on clinical and demographic data, as well as on nocturnal sleeping problems. Standardised rating scales of parkinsonism, depression and cognitive impairment were used. The relationship between insomnia and demographic and clinical variables was analysed using population-averaged logistic regression models for correlated data. 231 patients were included at baseline, 142 were available for re-evaluation in 1997 and 89 patients in 2001. RESULTS: Most nocturnal sleeping problems varied little in prevalence over time, whereas problems related to turning in bed and vivid dreaming or nightmares increased. Insomnia was present in 54-60% of the patients at each of the three study visits and varied considerably in individual patients over time. The presence of insomnia was closely related to disease duration, higher Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores and female sex. CONCLUSION: Insomnia is a highly frequent complaint in patients with PD. It fluctuates over time in individual patients, and its origin seems to be multifactorial. Physicians should be aware of the high prevalence of insomnia in patients with PD and should examine their patients for a possible coexisting depression.

PMID: 17098844 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

Posted in Psychiatry/Neurology |

Acupuncture, a promising adjunctive therapy for essential hypertension: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

Posted on May 18, 2007 by Maurice Preter MD
 
Neurol Res. 2007;29 Suppl 1:S98-103. Related Articles, Links
Acupuncture, a promising adjunctive therapy for essential hypertension: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

Yin C, Seo B, Park HJ, Cho M, Jung W, Choue R, Kim C, Park HK, Lee H, Koh H.

Department of Acupuncture, CHA Biomedical Center, College of Medicine, Pochon CHA University, Seoul 135-081, Korea.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed effects of acupuncture as an add-on to conventional antihypertensive managements such as medication or lifestyle modification for hypertensive or pre-hypertensive subjects. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at Kyung Hee University Hospital. Forty-one hypertensive or pre-hypertensive (systolic BP> or =120 mmHg or diastolic BP> or =80 mmHg) volunteers were recruited and randomly assigned into real or sham acupuncture groups. The hypertensive subjects on antihypertensive medication continued their medication. Acupuncture point prescriptions were partially individualized, based on the Saam acupuncture theory. Park’s sham needle method was adopted for the sham procedure. Measurements were performed at baseline, weeks 4 and 8. BP, scales of overall health and pain, and anticipation or satisfaction for the treatments, were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty subjects completed the intervention, all of whom were on antihypertensive medication. The sham acupuncture group showed no significant change in mean BP, while the real acupuncture group showed a significant (p<0.01) decrease in mean BP after 8 weeks of intervention from 136.8/83.7 to 122.1/76.8 mmHg. Other factors showed no difference between the groups throughout the study. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture seems to offer an additional benefit to the treatment of hypertensive patients.

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PMID: 17359649 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

Posted in Psychiatry/Neurology |

Effectiveness of yoga therapy in the treatment of migraine without aura: a randomized controlled trial.

Posted on May 18, 2007 by Maurice Preter MD
Headache. 2007 May;47(5):654-61. Related Articles, Links
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Effectiveness of yoga therapy in the treatment of migraine without aura: a randomized controlled trial.

John PJ, Sharma N, Sharma CM, Kankane A.

Department of Zoology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur (Rajasthan), India.

Background.-Numerous studies have explored the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of migraine but there is no documented investigation of the effectiveness of yoga therapy for migraine management. Objectives.-To investigate the effectiveness of holistic approach of yoga therapy for migraine treatment compared to self-care. Design.-A randomized controlled trial. Methods.-Seventy-two patients with migraine without aura were randomly assigned to yoga therapy or self-care group for 3 months. Primary outcomes were headache frequency (headache diary), severity of migraine (0-10 numerical scale) and pain component (McGill pain questionnaire). Secondary outcomes were anxiety and depression (Hospital anxiety depression scale), medication score. Results.-After adjustment for baseline values, the subjects’ complaints related to headache intensity (P < .001), frequency (P < .001), pain rating index (P < .001), affective pain rating index (P < .001), total pain rating index (P < .001), anxiety and depression scores (P < .001), symptomatic medication use (P < .001) were significantly lower in the yoga group compared to the self-care group. Conclusion.-The study demonstrated a significant reduction in migraine headache frequency and associated clinical features, in patients treated with yoga over a period of 3 months. Further study of this therapeutic intervention appears to be warranted.

PMID: 17501846 [PubMed – in process]

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