Effects of exposure to food images on physiological reactivity and emotional responses in women with bulimia nervosa / Efecto de la exposición a imágenes de comida sobre la reactividad psicofisiológica y las reacciones emocionales en mujeres con bulimia nerviosa

Background: The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of two exposure procedures on habituation of emotional responses to food stimuli: (a) exposure to external cues (food images) without eating forbidden food (CE) and (b) exposure to external cues eating forbidden food (with purge prevention). The influence of craving-trait and mood state on the habituation process is also studied. Method: Emotional modulation of the defense startle reflex was assessed in 26 women at risk of bulimia nervosa. After four exposure trials, changes in the following variables were measured: (a) food craving-state; (b) physiological measures: hearth rate (HR) and skin conductance response (SCR); (c) motivational patterns towards food (defense startle response); and (d) valence, arousal and dominance of the emotional response to food images. Results: After treatment, subjects tended to show non-significant lower SCR and heart orientation responses (vs. defense responses); defense startle response was also significantly lower. Conclusions: The exposure procedure, the induced emotional state and the number of exposure trials are analyzed (AU)

Antecedentes: en este estudio comparamos la eficacia de dos procedimientos de exposición sobre la habituación de reacciones emocionales a alimentos: a) claves externas (imágenes de comida) sin ingerir alimentos prohibidos, y b) claves externas en personas que sí los han ingerido (impidiendo que se produzca el vómito). Además consideramos la influencia de la intensidad del craving rasgo y del estado de ánimo. Evaluamos la modulación emocional del reflejo defensivo de sobresalto motor (RMS) en 26 mujeres con riesgo de padecer bulimia nerviosa. Método: tras cuatro bloques de exposición, se midieron los cambios en: a) craving estado por la comida; b) tasa cardíaca (TC) y respuesta electrodérmica de conductancia (SCR); c) patrones motivacionales ante la comida (RMS); y d) estimaciones afectivas de valencia, arousal y dominancia de las emociones producidas por las imágenes de los alimentos. Resultados: como consecuencia del tratamiento los sujetos tendían a mostrar de forma estadísticamente no significativa menores SCRs y una tendencia de cambio de patrón de respuesta de defensa cardíaca (RD) a respuesta de orientación (RO); sí se apreciaban diferencias significativas en RMS. Conclusiones: se comenta el papel desempeñado por el tipo de exposición utilizado, los estados emocionales inducidos y el número de ensayos de exposición (AU)

Influencia de la música y su momento de aplicación en el rendimiento y en las variables psicofisiológicas durante una contrarreloj de 5 km / Influence of music and its moments of application on performance and psychophysiological parameters during a 5km time trial

Objetivo. El propósito de este estudio fue verificar la influencia de la música introducida en diferentes momentos en una contrarreloj de ciclismo de 5 km sobre las variables psicofisiológicas. Método. Diez ciclistas entrenados participaron en este estudio (24 ± 1 años; 73,5 ± 10,4 kg, 180 ± 12 cm). Los participantes realizaron la contrarreloj de ciclismo de 5 km en 3 condiciones diferentes: música durante el precalentamiento, música durante el protocolo y control. Durante todas las condiciones fue evaluado el tiempo, la potencia, la frecuencia cardíaca y la percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo, y el estado de humor fue evaluado con el cuestionario BRUMS. Después de la estadística descriptiva, la normalidad de los datos fue confirmada por el test de Shapiro-Wilk. La media de rendimiento, el rendimiento a cada 500 m, percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo a cada 1.000 m y el estado de humor fueron comparados con la ANOVA de 2 factores para medidas repetidas (momento x condición). El nivel de significancia fue fijado en p < 0,05. Una estadística paralela fue utilizada para encontrar la menor variación de valor de todas las variables y de esta forma verificar la posibilidad de que el efecto sea trivial, benéfico o perjudicial. Resultados. Ninguna de las variables presentó diferencia entre los grupos (p > 0,05), pero existe una posibilidad de que su percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo sea pequeña cuando el individuo escucha música durante (90%) o antes (93%) del test en comparación con el test de condición de control. Conclusiones. Nuestros resultados mostraron que con independencia del momento de aplicación (por ejemplo, antes o durante el ejercicio), la música no afectó al rendimiento y las variables psicofisiológicas durante una contrarreloj de ciclismo de 5 km(AU)

Objective. The purpose of this study was to verify the influence of music introduced in different moments in a 5-km time-trial cycling (TT5KM) on psychophysical variables. Methods. Ten trained cyclists participated in this study (24 ± 1 years; 73.5 ± 10.4 kg; 180 ± 12 cm). The participants performed the TT5KM in three distinct conditions: music during warm-up (MW), music during the protocol (MP) and control (C). During all conditions the time (T), power output (W), heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was evaluated and the mood state was assessed with the BRUMS questionnaire. After descriptive statistics, data normality was confirmed using the Shapiro-Wilk's test. Mean performance, performance at each 500m, RPE at each 1000m and mood state were compared with ANOVA two way for repeated measures (moment x condition). The significance level was set at p<0.05. A parallel statistic was used to find the smallest worthwhile change of all variables to verify the possibility of the effect to be trivial, beneficial or prejudicial. Results. None of the variables showed any difference between groups (p>0.05), but there is a possibility of RPE to be smaller when the subject listen music during (90%) or before (93%) the test compared with control condition. Conclusion. Our results showed that regardless the time of application (i.e., before or during exercise), music did not affect performance and psychophysiological parameters during the TT5KM(AU)

The mind-body connection: not just a theory anymore.

The field of psychoneuroimmunology has witnessed an explosion of empirical findings during the last two decades. Research has documented the mechanisms through which stressful emotions alter white blood cell function. Stress diminishes white blood cell response to viral infected cells and to cancer cells. Moreover, vaccination is less effective in those who are stressed and wounds heal less readily in those who are stressed. While stress decreases the activity of some white blood cells, stress does not compromise the function of all types of white blood cells. Indeed, some types of autoimmune disease, which involve particular subsets of white blood cells, are exacerbated by stress. The literature documents the efficacy of talk-therapy interventions in altering immune system parameters and enhancing the body's ability to combat disease. The literature also documents the impact of the chronic stress of poverty on immune system function.

Shén: categoria estruturante da racionalidade médica chinesa / Structural category of chinese medical rationality

A Medicina Chinesa divulgada no Ocidente tem sido estudada de forma fragmentada entre as suas diferentes formas de expressão desenvolvidas ao longo da história do Pensamento Médico Chinês. Nesse sentido o texto destaca três possíveis vertentes desta expressão, que denomina: Medicina Clássica Chinesa古代中醫 (GǓ DÀI ZHŌNG YĪ), Medicina Tradicional Chinesa中醫 (ZHŌNG YĪ) e Medicina Chinesa Contemporânea當代中醫(DĀNG DÀI ZHŌNG YĪ). A primeira expressa as formulações nas obras clássicas surgidas a partir do período formativo da Medicina Chinesa, na Dinastia HÀN (206 a.C. a 221 d.C.). A segunda como o corpo teórico e prático de conhecimento que, se disseminou no Oriente em geral e, posteriormente, no Ocidente como uma continuidade da Medicina Clássica Chinesa. A terceira refere-se à corrente hegemônica, hoje, na República Popular da China, surgida a partir de uma sistematização e unificação da Medicina Tradicional Chinesa中醫 (ZHŌNG YĪ) proposta por Mao Zedong, praticada na República Popular da China e mais tarde nos meios ocidentais. O objetivo do trabalho é investigar como tem sido divulgada no Ocidente por diferentes autores representantes de cada uma dessas vertentes a categoria SHÉN神, freqüentemente traduzida no Ocidente como “Mente” ou “Espírito”. Para tal, leva-se em conta a notoriedade acadêmica, a familiaridade com o idioma chinês, os pressupostos adotados, a história pessoal de cada um desses autores, entendidas como determinantes para suas apreensões de sentidos e significados da categoria SHÉN神 e, conseqüentemente, para os sentidos que assumem sua divulgação no Ocidente. Entendendo a Medicina Chinesa como uma Racionalidade Médica, conforme definição de Madel Therezinha Luz composta de seis dimensões: Cosmologia, Doutrina Médica, Dinâmica Vital, Morfologia, Diagnose e Terapêutica, o trabalho investiga do ponto de vista...

Applied psychophysiology: beyond the boundaries of biofeedback (mending a wall, a brief history of our field, and applications to control of the muscles and cardiorespiratory systems).

The field of applied psychophysiology overlaps a number of others, from behavioral and psychosomatic medicine to Eastern disciplines and complementary medicine. Although the proliferation of societies and professional identities across these fields emphasizes this diversity, it also may hinder growth. The history of our field is one of innovation, often at odds with conventional wisdom and practice. It is important that this innovativeness not be sacrificed in a justified quest for professional respectability. This paper reviews the earliest research in biofeedback and applied psychophysiology, and modern applications and interpretations in the areas of muscular and autonomic control, including progressive relaxation and heart rate variability biofeedback, and draws parallels to disciplines of Yoga, QiGong, and Zen practices and their psychophysiological effects.

Theory, methods and new directions in the psychophysiology of the schizophrenic process and schizotypy.

Theoretical and methodological issues in the psychophysiology of the schizophrenic process are reviewed. These include the importance of schizotypy with its compensatory abilities as well as deficits for elucidating the processes of development and prevention of schizophrenia. The importance of individual differences, syndromes and single case studies. The recognition that this is a dynamic and fluctuating illness and hence the relevance of functional neurophysiology, including the role of imbalances in hemispheric activation in ontogeny, developmental course, expression of symptoms, the effects of neuroleptics and recovery process, and the influence of stress a precipitant of breakdown. The role of thalamo-cortical activation systems. The particular value of electrocortical measures including the interrelations of electroencephalographic rhythms throughout the spectrum, and relations of gamma, dynamic core neuronal complexity, connectivity and sensory gating with experiences of unreality and disturbances of consciousness.

Family health: an emerging paradigm for social workers.

The profession of social work has, since its inception, stressed the importance of the family system in social treatment. Even though the family has always been central to effective social work intervention, the framing of the family system from a family health perspective is new to the field. The goal of this paper is to present the empirical grounding of family health and the implications of this emerging paradigm for social policy. Family health is built on the biopsychosocial model and emphasizes the importance of the role of the family system in the social functioning of individuals. Family health is defined (Pardeck and Yuen, 1999, p. 1) "as a state of holistic well-being of the family system. Family health is manifested by the development of, and continuous interaction among, the physical, mental, emotional, social, economic, cultural and spiritual dimensions of the family which results in the holistic well-being of the family and its members."

Creating the future of applied psychophysiology and biofeedback: from fantasy to reality.

AAPB and its membership are faced with a number of giant challenges, including but not limited to: (1) the cost savings efforts of third-party payors and managed care organizations; (2) the lack of public awareness of biofeedback and its usefulness; and (3) the lack of sufficient research data on both the effectiveness and efficacy of biofeedback. In spite of these challenges, there are windows of opportunity that have been or which could be created to move biofeedback further into the realm of conventional treatment. We must focus our efforts on working together to: (1) create strategic plans for creating the future of applied psychophysiology and biofeedback; (2) educate all decision makers, including the general public; (3) establish better relationships with other professionals with common interest; (4) conduct more efficacy and effectiveness research; and (5) create a demand for our services so that the public will be more willing to pay for our services "out of their own pocket." In order for this to happen, we must stop fighting with each other and direct our energies to productive activities that can change fantasies into realities.

Inserçäo da psicossomática na prática em saúde pública / Insertion of psycosomatic concepts in public health practice

Este trabalho analisa questöes relativas aos progressos e fatores que detêm o avanço das concepçöes psicossomáticas e sua impregnaçäo nas rotinas do atendimento em saúde pública. Nesse sentido, situa a questäo sob o ponto de vista metodológico e das lacunas no conhecimento científico. Apesar das aberturas atuais e do recente esboço de métodos que poderiam viabilizar a inserçäo desses conceitos na prática da Medicina e da Psicologia, a Psicossomática é, hoje, preponderantemente, um campo de pesquisa. A questäo torna-se complexa na medida em que as possíveis mudanças näo estariam restritas às atividades intrínsecas dos serviços de saúde, mas envolveriam setores da sociedade contemporânea.

Twenty-five years of progress: twenty-five more?

This address outlines important steps for ensuring the future of biofeedback and applied psychophysiology. These steps are contained in the acronym PHUTRE, wherein PH stands for Political activism of the Hard and fast variety, U represents United front, T encompasses Transfer of knowledge (from clinician to researcher, researcher to clinician, and from both to students in training), R refers to our Research base, and E represents the Excitement that our field has the potential to generate.

Biofeedback and applied psychophysiology at the crossroads.

Biofeedback and applied psychophysiology, as tools, as objects of scientific inquiry, and as clinical interventions, have progressed from speculative experiment to data-based research, from trial clinical intervention to efficacy studies and accountability. These are multidisciplinary approaches, crossing the boundary between traditional professions such as medicine, psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other health care related fields. Along the way we as an Association, our members both scientists and practitioners, have encountered the many hurdles and stumbling blocks that stand in the way of developing new technologies. How we deal with these obstacles shapes us as a group and shapes the perceptions of others who view us. An attempt will be made to place the current development of the field within the context of the rapidly changing health care environment, and to address the challenges, and sometimes conflicting demands, of experimental science and clinical practice.