[Contribution of psychosomatic medicine to relationship medicine: a catalog of claims in times of crisis]. / Der Beitrag der Psychosomatik zu einer Beziehungsmedizin: ein Forderungskatalog in Zeiten der Krise.

The medical ideology being based on structure instead of function (specifically on the cgs-logic--centimetre, gram, second) instead of a patient-orientation, the patient's resources are rarely ever even touched. This is the basis for operating difficulties in self- and patient-management. Changes of this uneconomic approach should centre on training, focusing especially on how to increase the professional's sensitivity for the relationship with his patient. Unfortunately, Austria's situation is characterized by deficitary psychosomatic competence in medical professionals. In addition, the absence of universitary or other structures centering on psychosomatic training and co-ordination is to be criticized. An interuniversitary-psychosomatic structure in Austria is proposed as a starting-point to overcome these serious short-comings.

[Fourier analysis of pupil oscillations for measuring central activation in psychosomatic patients]. / Fourieranalyse der Pupillenoszillationen zur Messung der zentralen Aktiviertheit bei psychosomatischen Patienten.

The aim of the study was to answer the question if there are any differences in the central activation of different groups of psychosomatic patients and patients with eating disorders, which was measured by means of Fourier analysis of pupillary oscillations. A total of 132 patients (110 f, 22 m) with a mean age of 29.69 years (standard deviation: 9.9) participated in the study. In anorectic and bulimic patients high central activation was observed. Different groups of psychosomatic patients showed significant differences in their central nervous activation. In the group of subjects with the ICD-10 diagnosis F 41.3 (mixed anxiety disorders) the highest amplitudes was observed not only in the particular frequency bands but also in the total spectrum (power), which reflects high central activation. Reduced activation was found in subjects with somatoform autonomic function disorder of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract (F 45.3). The measurement of central activation in psychosomatic disorders could have consequences for therapeutic interventions.

[What does psychotherapy accomplish in the treatment of psychosomatic disorders?]. / Was bewirkt Psychotherapie in der Behandlung psychosomatischer Erkrankungen?

Psychosomatic disorders are epidemiologically so frequent as often accompanied by psychic (anxiety), vegetative, and psychiatric (depression) symptoms. Efficient psychotherapy of psychosomatic disorders must therefore influence vegetative (peripheric) and central arousal as well as deficient coping strategies. The latter trigger pathologic psychosomatic reaction patterns in (mostly) specific distressfull situations. Psychotherapy of psychosomatic disorders effects: Relaxation of the overactivated and stimulation of the desactivated, a shift of the patient's exclusively somatic attribution of the disease to a psychosomatic one, more efficient coping strategies, a break-up of the pattern "conflict - emotion - vegetative irritation - physiologic reaction".