Migraine-Like Visual Auras Among Traumatized Cambodians with PTSD: Fear of Ghost Attack and Other Disasters.

This article profiles visual auras among traumatized Cambodian refugees attending a psychiatric clinic. Thirty-six percent (54/150) had experienced an aura in the previous 4 weeks, almost always phosphenes (48% [26/54]) or a scintillating scotoma (74% [40/54]). Aura and PTSD were highly associated: patients with visual aura in the last month had greater PTSD severity, 3.6 (SD = 1.8) versus 1.9 (SD = 1.6), t = 10.2 (df = 85), p < 0.001, and patients with PTSD had a higher rate of visual aura in the last month, 69% (22/32) versus 13% (7/55), odds ratio 15.1 (5.1-44.9), p < 0.001. Patients often had a visual aura triggered by rising up to the upright from a lying or sitting position, i.e., orthostasis, with the most common sequence being an aura triggered upon orthostasis during a migraine, experienced by 60% of those with aura. The visual aura was often catastrophically interpreted: as the dangerous assault of a supernatural being, most commonly the ghost of someone who died in the Pol Pot period. Aura often triggered flashback. Illustrative cases are provided. The article suggests the existence of local biocultural ontologies of trauma as evinced by the centrality of visual auras among Cambodian refugees.

National women's knowledge of stroke warning signs, overall and by race/ethnic group.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recognition of stroke warning signs may reduce treatment delays. The purpose of this study was to evaluate contemporary knowledge of stroke warning signs and knowledge to call 9-1-1, among a nationally representative sample of women, overall and by race/ethnic group. METHODS: A study of cardiovascular disease awareness was conducted by the American Heart Association in 2012 among English-speaking US women ≥25 years identified through random-digit dialing (n=1205; 54% white, 17% black, 17% Hispanic, and 12% other). Knowledge of stroke warning signs, and what to do first if experiencing stroke warning signs, was assessed by standardized open-ended questions. RESULTS: Half of women surveyed (51%) identified sudden weakness/numbness of face/limb on one side as a stroke warning sign; this did not vary by race/ethnic group. Loss of/trouble talking/understanding speech was identified by 44% of women, more frequently among white versus Hispanic women (48% versus 36%; P<0.05). Fewer than 1 in 4 women identified sudden severe headache (23%), unexplained dizziness (20%), or sudden dimness/loss of vision (18%) as warning signs, and 1 in 5 (20%) did not know 1 stroke warning sign. The majority of women said that they would call 9-1-1 first if they thought they were experiencing signs of a stroke (84%), and this did not vary among black (86%), Hispanic (79%), or white/other (85%) women. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of stroke warning signs was low among a nationally representative sample of women, especially among Hispanics. In contrast, knowledge to call 9-1-1 when experiencing signs of stroke was high.

Beliefs and emotional reactions in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Psychologic studies in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are scarce, considering the high frequency of the disorder. We performed a repeated-measures design questionnaire study in a cohort of patients with BPPV before and after treatment to investigate the dynamics of the psychologic findings and possible treatment consequences. METHODS: Thirty-seven consecutive patients with idiopathic BPPV participated in the study. During the first visit and 2 to 3 months after therapy, the patients completed 4 questionnaires: the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS: The scores for all questioned items did not change before and after treatment except for the physical handicap scores. Correlation was found between the grade of functional and emotional impact of the disease and belief in consequences as well as anxiety levels of the patients. Moreover, uncertainty scores were in correlation with emotional impact, anxiety levels, and perceived consequences of the disease. The belief in personal control of the condition was correlated with the belief in treatment control and understanding of the disease. CONCLUSION: The main finding in this study is the lack of a significant change in beliefs and emotional reactions in patients with BPPV after treatment of their condition. Physicians dealing with BPPV should be aware that the disease is not solely a somatic condition but has a serious impact on the patient's mental state. Selected patients might benefit from anxiolytic medication.

Adaptation of the dizziness handicap inventory for use in the Arab population.

OBJECTIVE: To generate an Arabic version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and to assess its reliability by applying it to a group of patients with vestibular disorders and control healthy subjects of Arabic origin. METHODS: The Arabic version of the DHI was developed using the standard protocol for test translation. This pilot study was carried out between January 2009 and January 2011 at the Otology/Neurotology Clinic at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The translated version was then tested using 50 patients with vestibular disorders, and 50 control subjects. Participants` responses were statistically analyzed for internal consistency within and between the patient and control groups. RESULTS: An Arabic DHI showed a significantly high internal consistency and reliability. Cronbach`s alpha coefficient with 95% confidence interval for functional score among patients was 0.87 (0.81-0.92), 0.81 (0.72-0.88) for physical score, 0.79 (0.69-0.87) for emotional score, and 0.92 (0.89-0.95) for the overall DHI score. A significant difference was found in domain scores and total DHI score between the dizzy and control groups (p=0.00). CONCLUSION: The Arabic version of the DHI is a valid and reliable self-assessment tool for the severity of vestibular disorders.

The panic attack-posttraumatic stress disorder model: applicability to orthostatic panic among Cambodian refugees.

This article examines the ability of the panic attack-posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) model to predict how panic attacks are generated and how panic attacks worsen PTSD. The article does so by determining the validity of the panic attack-PTSD model in respect to one type of panic attack among traumatized Cambodian refugees: orthostatic panic (OP) attacks (i.e. panic attacks generated by moving from lying or sitting to standing). Among Cambodian refugees attending a psychiatric clinic, the authors conducted two studies to explore the validity of the panic attack-PTSD model as applied to OP patients (i.e. patients with at least one episode of OP in the previous month). In Study 1, the panic attack-PTSD model accurately indicated how OP is seemingly generated: among OP patients (N = 58), orthostasis-associated flashbacks and catastrophic cognitions predicted OP severity beyond a measure of anxious-depressive distress (Symptom Checklist-90-R subscales), and OP severity significantly mediated the effect of anxious-depressive distress on Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale severity. In Study 2, as predicted by the panic attack-PTSD model, OP had a mediational role in respect to the effect of treatment on PTSD severity: among Cambodian refugees with PTSD and comorbid OP who participated in a cognitive behavioural therapy study (N = 56), improvement in PTSD severity was partially mediated by improvement in OP severity.

Individuals with peripheral vestibulopathy and poor quality of sleep are at a higher risk for falls / Indivíduos com vestibulopatia periférica e má qualidade de sono têm risco mais elevado de quedas

Abstract Introduction There is a lack of scientific studies on the assessment of patients with vestibular disorders associated with sleep quality disorders and its impact on the balance and overall quality of life. Objectives to assess the impact of the sleep quality on the balance and quality of life of individuals with peripheral vestibulopathies. Methods 52 individuals with peripheral vestibulopathies underwent sleep quality assessment through the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, neurotological examination through dizziness handicap inventory and Tetrax posturography (Sunlight Medical Ltd.) in eight sensory conditions. Thirty-two healthy individuals (G3) participated as the control group. Results Fourteen individuals with vestibulopathy had good quality of sleep (G1) and 38 showed poor quality of sleep (G2) as demonstrated by the Pittsburgh sleep quality index global scores (p = 0.001). The dizziness handicap inventory showed worse impact of the dizziness on the quality of life in G2 when compared to G1 (p = 0.045). The G2 showed higher risk of falling in posturography when compared to G3 (p = 0.012) and higher index of postural instability in five sensory conditions in comparison with G3. In the vestibulopathy groups, the worse the sleep quality, the higher the risk of falling (r = 0.352) and the worse the quality of life (r = 0.327). Conclusion Individuals with peripheral vestibulopathies and poor quality of sleep demonstrate worse balance evidenced by increased postural instability, higher risk of falls and worse perceived quality of life. The quality of sleep is a predictive factor for worse perceived quality of life and for higher risk of falls in individuals with peripheral vestibulopathies.

Resumo Introdução Há uma falta de estudos científicos sobre a avaliação de pacientes com distúrbios vestibulares relacionados a distúrbios da qualidade do sono e seu impacto sobre o equilíbrio e a qualidade de vida em geral. Objetivos Avaliar o impacto da qualidade do sono sobre o equilíbrio e a qualidade de vida de indivíduos com vestibulopatias periféricas. Método Foram submetidos 52 indivíduos com vestibulopatias periféricas à avaliação da qualidade do sono por meio do índice de qualidade do sono de Pittsburgh, ao exame neurotológico por meio do dizziness handicap inventory e posturografia Tetrax (Sunlight Medical Ltd.) em oito condições sensoriais. O grupo controle incluiu (G3) 32 indivíduos saudáveis. Resultados Dos indivíduos, 14 com vestibulopatia apresentaram boa qualidade de sono (G1) e 38 apresentaram má qualidade de sono (G2), conforme evidenciado pelos escores globais de índice de qualidade do sono de Pittsburgh (p = 0,001). O dizziness handicap inventory apresentou pior impacto da tontura sobre a qualidade de vida no G2 em comparação ao G1 (p = 0,045). O G2 apresentou risco mais elevado de quedas na posturografia em comparação ao G3 (p = 0,012) e índice mais alto de instabilidade postural em cinco condições sensoriais em comparação ao G3. Nos grupos com vestibulopatia, quanto pior a qualidade do sono, mais alto foi o risco de quedas (r = 0,352) e pior a qualidade de vida (r = 0,327). Conclusão Indivíduos com vestibulopatias periféricas e má qualidade de sono demonstram pior equilíbrio, comprovado pelo aumento da instabilidade postural, risco mais elevado de quedas e pior qualidade de vida percebida. A qualidade do sono é um fator preditivo de qualidade de vida percebida e risco mais elevado de quedas em indivíduos com vestibulopatias periféricas.

Chronic Health Conditions, Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviors of Bhutanese Refugees: A Houston-Based Needs Assessment.

Bhutanese refugees resettling in the U.S. face many challenges including several related to health and health care. Limited health literacy and the relatively complicated US health care system may contribute to health disparities as well. A health assessment was conducted on adult refugees in Houston, Texas to provide healthcare providers, community organizations, and stakeholders baseline data to plan programs and interventions. A convenience sample of 100 participants had a mean age of 38.37 years, 56 % where males, and almost 80 % did not have high school level education. High blood pressure (27 %), dizziness (27 %), and arthritis (22 %) were the commonly identified chronic health conditions and trouble concentrating (34 %) and fatigue (37 %) were also reported. Sixty-two percent of the respondents reported that they consume recommended servings of fruits and vegetables and 41 %reported that they were currently getting at least 20-30 min of aerobic exercise per day. The assessment concluded with recommendations on how better provide care and services for the refugees.

Elderly blacks have a blunted sympathetic neural responsiveness but greater pressor response to orthostasis than elderly whites.

Neural control of blood pressure (BP) has been reported to differ between young blacks and whites. We hypothesized that elderly blacks have enhanced sympathetic neural responses during orthostasis compared with elderly whites. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity, arm-cuff BP, and heart rate were recorded continuously, and cardiac output, stroke volume, and total peripheral resistance were measured intermittently during supine and 5-minute 60° upright tilt in 10 blacks (65 [SD, 4] years; 4 women) and 20 whites (68 [6] years; 8 women). We found that muscle sympathetic nerve activity burst frequency was similar between blacks and whites in the supine position (44 [10] versus 42 [7] bursts per minute) and during upright tilt (59 [11] versus 60 [9] bursts per minute; P=0.846 for race, P<0.001 for posture, and P=0.622 for interaction). However, upright total muscle sympathetic nerve activity was smaller in blacks than in whites (162 [39] versus 243 [112]%; P=0.003). Systolic BP, heart rate, cardiac output, and stroke volume were not different between groups. Diastolic BP was similar in the supine position, increased in all of the subjects during tilting; upright diastolic BP was greater in blacks than in whites (80 [10] versus 71 [7] mmHg; P=0.008). Total peripheral resistance did not differ between blacks and whites in the supine position or during upright tilt (P=0.354 for race, P<0.001 for posture, P=0.825 for interaction). Thus, elderly blacks have a blunted sympathetic neural responsiveness but enhanced pressor response to orthostasis compared with elderly whites, which may be attributable to an augmented sympathetic vascular transduction and/or nonadrenergic vasoconstrictor mechanisms (ie, angiotensin II or the venoarteriolar response).

Methods used in cross-cultural comparisons of somatic symptoms and their determinants.

This paper is the third in a series of reviews of cross-cultural studies of symptoms at midlife. The goal of this review is to examine methods used previously in cross-cultural studies of menopause and women's health at midlife to (1) identify challenges in the measurement of somatic symptoms across cultures and (2) recommend questions and tools that can be used in future research. This review also aims to examine the determinants of somatic symptoms. The review concludes that methods used for assessing somatic symptoms differ across studies. Somatic symptoms, particularly, aches, pain, and fatigue have a high prevalence. Statistically significant differences were seen in the prevalence of somatic symptoms across cultures. Based on the number of studies that demonstrated cross-cultural differences in symptom prevalence, we recommend that the following symptoms be included in future studies of symptoms at midlife: headaches, aches/pain, palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, breathing difficulties, numbness or tingling, and gastrointestinal difficulties. We also recommend that objective measures of physical function be administered when possible to supplement subjective self-evaluation.

Racial/ethnic differences in adolescents' physical symptoms.

This study was conducted to establish race/ethnic-specific prevalence for 10 physical symptoms in American youths and to examine the extent to which socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms explained racial differences in those symptoms. This descriptive study was based on a cross-sectional analysis of survey data from Wave I of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health including a school-based sample of over 20,000 adolescents in Grades 7 through 12. Self-reported physical symptoms during the past 12 months were examined. White youths reported the highest frequency of headaches, musculoskeletal pain, and dizziness; feeling hot, chest pain, cold sweats, and urinary symptoms were more common in Black youths. The three symptoms reported by Whites remained significant after controlling for family income and depressive symptoms, whereas racial differences in the four symptoms prominent in Blacks were accounted for by family income and depressive symptoms. Findings highlight racial differences in symptom types and in psychosocial factors contributing to physical symptoms in adolescents and warn against health-care providers' stereotyping associations between physical symptoms and socioeconomic status.

Dizziness and panic in China: associated sensations of zang fu organ disequilibrium.

In China, distress is commonly experienced as dizziness that can develop into acute episodes resembling Western panic attacks. These distressing sensations occur in a unique cultural context with a distinctive set of associated symptoms, beliefs and purported etiologies. The experience of illness is informed by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an indigenous theory that elaborates a system of organ functioning called zang fi. Depending on the implicated zang fi organ disequilibrium, dizziness and panic present with a specific constellation of associated physical and mental symptoms. This paper presents a clinical survey of psychiatric disorders that demonstrates dizziness to be characteristic of Chinese anxiety states, most particularly panic. Three specific cases of dizziness-focused panic ascribed to different states of zangfu disequilibrium are described. In a typical pattern, initial dizziness and associated symptoms intensify until they generalize into panic attacks. The degree of dizziness and panic corresponds to the state of disequilibrium of the zang fu organ system as well as instability of the social, interpersonal and environmental context of the patient. This paper elucidates the dynamic interpretants of dizziness in the Chinese context to contribute to a medical anthropology of this sensation.