Progressive and imaginal relaxation training for elderly persons with subjective anxiety.

Elders exposed to either progressive or imaginal relaxation procedures reported significant relaxation effects and showed improvement on measures of personal functioning. The results of the Physical Assessment Scale of the Relaxation Inventory indicated that relaxation responses were acquired within and across sessions. Large, consistent changes in relaxation occurred in all 4 sessions. The Symptom Checklist-90—Revised, which measures self-reported personal adjustment, showed significant positive changes following relaxation training and at 1-mo follow-up. Elders who imagined muscle tension release profited as much as those engaged in actual muscle tension-release activities. This finding is of importance for older adults who may experience physical limitations that contraindicate muscle-tension-release procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acute effects of qigong exercise on mood and anxiety.

Psychosocial stress may lead to increased rates of anxiety and depression. Aerobic exercise and mind-body therapies are frequently described as having positive effects on psychological well-being by enhancing mood and reducing anxiety. Few studies, however, have investigated the acute psychological effects of qigong exercise. Fifty-nine regular qigong exercisers (mean age 50.8 years) were randomized to a Qigong or Control group. Pre- and postmeasurements were then compared. POMS-Depression, Anger, and Fatigue, and STAI-State Anxiety scores decreased significantly in the Qigong group but not in the Control group. Results thereby suggest that qigong exercise can produce desirable psychological effects, and Qigong exercise may therefore be included among other activities performed to boost resistance to daily stressors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stimulus reduction as a technique in health psychology.

The uses of the Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique (REST) in health psychology, and theoretical explanations for its effectiveness, can be understood in the context of its impact on cognitive processes and on behaviors related to information overload in the normal environment. Cognitive effects, including openness to new information and better concentration, have been applied in the induction of habit change (cessation of smoking, weight reduction); the interruption of stimulus bombardment is central in the utilization of REST in stress management (hypertension, childhood dysfunctions). This paper reviews data on the inclusion of REST in health psychology programs, and suggests directions for further clinical research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Imaginal exposure alone and imaginal exposure with cognitive restructuring in treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.

This study investigated the extent to which providing cognitive restructuring (CR) with prolonged imaginal exposure (IE) would lead to greater symptom reduction than providing IE alone for participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fifty-eight civilian survivors of trauma with PTSD were randomly allocated to IE/CR, IE, or supportive counseling (SC). Treatment involved 8 individual weekly sessions with considerable homework. Independent assessments were conducted pretreatment, posttreatment, and at 6-month follow-up. IE/CR and IE resulted in reduced PTSD and depression compared with SC at posttreatment and follow-up. Further, IE/CR participants had greater reductions in PTSD and maladaptive cognitive styles than IE participants at follow-up. These findings suggest that providing CR in combination with IE may enhance treatment gains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modeling with role playing as a treatment for test anxiety.

Hypothesized that 21 test-anxious male undergraduates could learn to redirect their attention to the task, and away from the internal stimulation resulting from anxiety, through observation of a model succesfully coping with anxiety and through subsequent role playing of such behavior. Results indicate that the treatment was effective in modifying test anxiety, and that the treated Ss experienced success in relabeling their arousal and in redirecting this arousal to task-oriented behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitude modification and anxiety reduction.

"An experiment was conducted with approximately 500 newly inducted recruits at a military base to determine the effects of anxiety arousal and anxiety reduction on reported conformity to recommendations contained in a recorded communication, and on the learning of the substance of the recommendations. It was hypothesized that greater anxiety reduction would be associated with significantly better learning and significantly more conformity to the dental hygiene practices specified… . Neither prediction made on the basis of the present anxiety-reduction hypothesis was confirmed." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modified induced anxiety: A generalized anxiety reduction procedure.

A 25-yr-old male suffering from pervasive anxiety was treated with a modified induced anxiety procedure which attempted to focus the patient's awareness on the proprioceptive and somatic cues to anxiety, devoid of their situational context. A multiple-baseline design across 3 anxiety levels was used to demonstrate functional control over the problem behavior. Results indicate that as modified induced anxiety was sequentially applied to anxiety levels, there was a corresponding decline in self-monitored anxiety at the targeted level. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new reduction technique for a patellar fracture

PURPOSE: To provide methods for stereoscopic visual demonstration from 3D reconstructed MR angiographic images. METHODS: Stereoscopic viewing can be obtained with pairs of images that are displayed at angles of 15 degrees. Optical devices as stereoscopic binoculars or minor stereoscopes facilitate stereoscopic viewing. The possibility of stereoscopic projections for a larger auditorium is mentioned. RESULTS: Using three clinical examples the advantages of stereoscopic display of MR angiograms are demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: MR angiography allows stereoscopic viewing with simple methods, like CT- and conventional rotation angiography. This principle, which has been known for 100 years, may thus acquire a new significance.     

Acute decrease in serum triglycerides with exercise: is there a threshold for an exercise effect?

Acute reductions in triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations have been demonstrated in endurance athletes after prolonged exercise. To determine if similar changes occur in untrained subjects and to determine the duration of exercise necessary for such changes, we measured serum lipids and lipoproteins in 10 sedentary men after 1 hour of exercise at their anaerobic threshold. Findings in sedentary men were compared with those of 9 competitive cyclists after 1 and 2 hr of exercise. LDL cholesterol increased in the cyclists immediately after 1 and 2 hours of exercise. Total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol also increased in the cyclists immediately after the 2 hr session. These increases were transient and not significant when corrected for changes in plasma volume. Serum triglycerides were unchanged for 4 hr after exercise. By 24 hr, however, triglycerides had decreased in both the trained (17%) and untrained men (22%) after the 1 hr session and in the trained men (33% p less than 0.01) after the 2 hr session. These results demonstrate a delayed decrease in triglyceride concentration that is related to the duration of exercise and probably has no distinct threshold. The lower level of triglycerides in endurance athletes and in sedentary subjects after exercise training is due at least in part to an acute exercise effect.     

EMG biofeedback training versus systematic desensitization for test anxiety reduction.

Investigated EMG biofeedback training as a method to reduce test anxiety among 40 university students. A procedure combining EMG biofeedback training with systematic desensitization (SD) was compared to an automated SD program not using EMG feedback. The study also evaluated the effectiveness of EMG feedback relaxation training without SD. Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: (a) EMG biofeedback training with SD, (b) EMG biofeedback relaxation training, (c) automated SD, and (d) no-treatment control. At the end of the program, all participants were administered the Suinn Test Anxiety Behavior Scale, Sarason's Test Anxiety Scale, and an anagrams test, given under threat conditions. Results suggest that EMG biofeedback training is a useful technique for reducing test anxiety, but not necessarily more effective than SD. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of self-statements as a mediator in treatment for youth with anxiety disorders.

The authors investigated features of self-statements as predictors of anxiety in children with and without anxiety disorder (AD) and as a mediator of treatment of ADs in children. Children (N = 145) between the ages of 9 and 13 years participated (71 AD youth, 84 controls). Self-statements were classified by valence and content. Results indicated that children's anxious, but not positive or depressed, self-statements significantly predicted anxiety in children with and without AD. For children with AD, changes in anxious self-statements mediated treatment gains, replicating a previously reported finding. A states of mind ratio mediated only 1 outcome measure, and positive and depressive cognitions served no mediating role. The impact of anxious self-talk on children's adjustment and implications for cognitive theory of anxiety in children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

State anxiety as a function of trait anxiety and sex in a quasi-clinical situation.

Undergraduates who scored high, medium, or low on a scale of trait (predispositional) anxiety (n = 7 males and 7 females in each group) differed reliably in level of state (situational) anxiety when tested before and after 2 standardized interviews. This relationship held for both male and female Ss, although males manifested consistently higher levels of state anxiety than females. Moreover, first an increase and then a general decline in degree of state anxiety were noted over occasions of testing. Despite these temporary fluctuations in situational anxiety, however, the basic form of the state-trait relationship remained largely unchanged. Findings are interpreted as substantive confirmation of state-trait anxiety theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trauma-focused imaginal exposure for individuals with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence: Revealing mechanisms of alcohol craving in a cue reactivity paradigm.

With a sample (N = 43) of participants meeting current diagnostic criteria for both alcohol dependence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the authors tested the hypothesis that alcohol craving elicited by a trauma cue might be attenuated if trauma-elicited negative emotion were reduced following trauma-focused imaginal exposure. In a laboratory-based experiment, participants were randomly assigned to either trauma-focused imaginal exposure or imagery-based relaxation. A cue reactivity paradigm was used to assess alcohol craving prior to, and after completion of, the 6 clinical sessions. Attrition was high but did not differ between experimental conditions. For study completers, PTSD symptoms decreased in the exposure condition but not in the relaxation condition. Alcohol craving and distress elicited by trauma images decreased in the exposure condition but did not change in the relaxation condition. Results support the hypothesis that negative emotion is a mechanism of alcohol craving. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stimulus generalization as a function of clinical anxiety.

"It was hypothesized that the state inferred from manifest clinical symptoms of anxiety would show functionally similar motivational properties to the state of anxiety defined in terms of an implicit response that has been conditioned to situations involving noxious stimulation. It was predicted that both types of anxiety would exhibit the energizing properties of a drive and therefore elevate response gradients of generalization… . The results showed that the groups designated as high in clinical anxiety showed significantly more generalization than the low-clinical anxiety groups under the strong-shock condition. No difference was found between the 2 levels of clinical anxiety for either the weak-shock or buzzer condition." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Programed instruction as a technique for improving spatial visualization.

A 505-item program, using selected concepts of geometry to help condition the classes of behaviors specified as components of visual-spatial functions, was administered to a group of 27 8th-grade pupils; a carefully matched control group, receiving only the pre- and posttests, continued with its regularly scheduled mathematical classwork presented in the conventional manner. Results indicated that Ss receiving the program scored significantly (p     

Toe-to-finger transfer combined with wrap-around flap: a new technique for four-finger amputation

Doctor Felipe Castillo, head of the Hospital de San Pablo during the cholera epidemic of 1850, used "Salty water" as treatment for the patients who attended the hospital. The etiology and pathogenesis of this sickness were unknown in those days, so Castillo's conduct was surprising. This study is based on an unpublished report, classified as anonymous, that Castillo gave to the Governor of Mexico City during the cholera epidemic.     

Electromyograph feedback as a relaxation technique.

Compared an EMG feedback group of 10 normal undergraduate males with 2 control conditions of 10 Ss each. One control group was told to relax but given no specific instructions nor feedback, only a constant tone. The 2nd control group was given instructions about relaxation, a constant tone but no feedback. The feedback group received variable-tone feedback from the frontalis muscle. Every S had 1 baseline session and 7 21-min practice sessions over a 2-wk period. The feedback group achieved significantly lower EMG scores than the 2 control groups, which did not significantly differ between themselves. Measures of subjective anxiety (Mattsson's Anxiety Scale) showed significant decreases between the beginning and end of each session for all 3 groups, but only 1 of the 6 measures of state anxiety (e.g., Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, Nowlis Mood Adjective Check List, and Mooney Problem Checklist) favored the feedback group over the controls. No differences between groups emerged on measures of trait anxiety. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Defensiveness as a factor in sex differences in anxiety.

Hypotheses involving defensiveness as a rationale for explaining sex differences in scores on anxiety questionnaires were investigated. Instruments differentially susceptible to the influence of defensiveness, the Structured-Objective Rorschach Test (SORT) and the Taylor MA scale were used in gathering data from 236 college students enrolled in a general psychology course. The following results were obtained: the relation between the MA scale and SORT was not higher for females (contrary to predictions); MA scale scores were higher for females (as predicted) while SORT scores were higher for males (no difference predicted); and no relation between either the SORT or the MA scale and grade-point average was found (contrary to predictions). The results appeared to fit an acquiescence rationale better than a defensiveness rationale, and it was argued that this hypothesis merits further research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-disclosure as a function of state and trait anxiety.

Examined the influence of state and trait anxiety on self-disclosure in 48 male college freshmen rated as debilitative or facilitative test-anxious on the Achievement Anxiety Test. Ss participated in a verbal learning experiment under high and low anxiety conditions; self-disclosure was elicited by a personal information questionnaire. The effectiveness of the manipulations was checked using scores on the Anxiety factor of the Mood Adjective Check List. Ss' responses to the questionnaire items were assessed for breadth or amount of self-disclosure, depth or intimacy of self-disclosure, and positive–negative self-evaluation by content analysis of their statements. Results confirm the hypothesis that individuals experiencing state anxiety disclose less than "normals." Findings are discussed in light of various conceptual approaches to anxiety. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Manifest anxiety as a contributing factor in religious conversion.

Investigated the relationship between manifest anxiety and religious conversion. 3 groups of 20 residents in a predominantly Protestant town were identified by the community's 2 ministers: (a) Ss having had a sudden religious conversion experience, (b) Ss having had a more gradual religious development, and (c) Ss who were not religious at all. The MA scale was administered to the members of each group. Group b and Group c did not differ significantly from each other on manifest anxiety, but Group a obtained significantly higher scores on the MA scale than the other 2 groups combined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)