Parent and Child Psychological Factors in Pediatric Syncope and Other Somatic Symptoms.

The authors examined associations among parental and child adjustment, child syncope, somatic, and school problems. Participants were children (N = 56) ages 7-18 years with syncope. Measures included syncope severity, parental distress, and children's internalizing symptoms. For children diagnosed negative for neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS), their fathers' and their own psychological symptoms were positively associated with the severity of syncope, whereas their mothers' functioning was negatively associated with the severity of syncope. Also, for the negative NCS group, fathers' psychological functioning was associated with children's nonsyncope somatic complaints but not with their school problems. For the positive NCS group, few significant father-child associations were found, but several significant positive associations were revealed between mothers' psychological symptoms and their children's syncope as well as somatic and school problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Towards Understanding the Genetic Nature of Vasovagal Syncope

Syncope, defined as a transient loss of consciousness caused by transient global cerebral hypoperfusion, affects 30–40% of humans during their lifetime. Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is the most common cause of syncope, the etiology of which is still unclear. This review summarizes data on the genetics of VVS, describing the inheritance pattern of the disorder, candidate gene association studies and genome-wide studies. According to this evidence, VVS is a complex disorder, which can be caused by the interplay between genetic factors, whose contribution varies from monogenic Mendelian inheritance to polygenic inherited predisposition, and external factors affecting the monogenic (resulting in incomplete penetrance) and polygenic syncope types.     

Applied tension and blood donation symptoms: The importance of anxiety reduction.

Objective: Despite being a voluntary activity, many blood donors experience anxiety, and fainting (syncope) is not unusual. The muscle-tensing technique applied tension (AT) has been found to be effective in reducing vasovagal symptoms and syncope. A series of studies was developed to investigate the role of AT on anxiety and fainting. Methods: The mechanisms of AT were examined in the laboratory and the blood donor clinic. In Study 1, 70 participants were assigned randomly to either a control group or an experimental group who learned AT before watching a video depicting blood draws. In Study 2, 667 volunteer blood donors completed similar questionnaires. Results: In Study 1, a significant Condition × Sex × Needle Fear interaction, F(1, 59)=4.97, p=.03, indicated that AT reduced vasovagal symptoms in higher-fear women. Study 2 also found a significant Condition × Sex × Needle Fear effect on vasovagal symptoms, F(2, 653)=3.95, p=.02, indicating that AT reduced symptoms but primarily among women with more pronounced fear of needles. Conclusions: Analysis of the physiological data and self-reported anxiety supports the conclusion that the reduction in vasovagal symptoms was due more to decreased anxiety rather than exercise-related cardiovascular change. These results suggest that AT may provide a useful means of coping with invasive medical procedures in part by reducing anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of applied tension on symptoms in french-speaking blood donors: A randomized trial.

Blood-donation-related symptoms such as dizziness and weakness discourage people from participating in this important health-related activity. Four hundred sixty-seven young adult, French-speaking blood donors were randomly assigned to (a) a condition in which they learned a possible preventive technique called applied tension and were asked to practice it from the time they got on the donation chair until they were just about to get up, (b) a placebo condition in which they learned applied tension and were asked to practice it from the time they got on the chair until the insertion of the donation needle, or (c) a no-treatment control condition. Donors assigned to the treatment condition reported significantly fewer blood-donation-related symptoms than did donors assigned to the other conditions and rated their likelihood of returning to give blood again as greater than did those in the no treatment condition. Among donors whose chairs were not reclined, participants in the treatment condition had significantly smaller heart rate reactions to blood donation than did those in the other conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vasovagal syncope and unexplained syncope: Concepts, treatments, and future perspectives.

Syncope (transient loss of consciousness) can lead to significant psychosocial and physical impairment and have a profound impact on the quality of life of the sufferer. While infrequently attended to, a psychological perspective may have much to offer within a comprehensive treatment plan. The present article reviews 26 articles that evaluate conventional (education, medication, cardiac pacemakers) and to a greater extent, complementary treatments (orthostatic training, applied tension, psychologically oriented interventions) designed to reduce the frequency and negative consequences of vasovagal and unexplained syncope. Applied tension demonstrated the greatest efficacy in reducing the frequency of vasovagal syncope. However, this intervention applies only to patients who experience a prodrome prior to fainting. Currently, no clinically proven treatment exists for patients with unexplained syncope or with vasovagal syncope without a prodromal phase. Suggestions regarding appropriate cognitive and/or behavioural interventions are provided based on the characteristics of the patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Association of parental psychological and behavioral factors and children's syncope.

The authors examined the associations between parental variables and child syncope (fainting). Children ages 7 to 18 years undergoing tilt-table testing for neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS) at a pediatric cardiac center served as participants (N = 56). Results revealed that fathers' shortness of breath and overall psychological distress were significantly related to syncope frequency and emergency room (ER) visits for girls. Mothers' overall psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and shortness of breath were associated with boys' frequency of syncope and ER visits. Fathers' psychological factors were highly correlated with syncope for the children diagnosed negative for NCS. The frequency of children's syncope was higher in stepfamilies than in homes with both biological parents, and the correlations between children's syncope and the stepfathers' psychological symptoms were greater than for the children and their biological fathers in intact families. The role of parental psychological factors on child syncope is supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)