Anxious personality is a risk factor for developing complex regional pain syndrome type I.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of psychological factors in the development of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I following the fracture of the distal radius. Fifty patients (average age 57.70 ± 13.43 years) with a distal radius fracture were enrolled in the present study. All of the patients were treated by closed reduction and cast immobilization. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory were used to determine the patients' psychological features 2 days after the fracture. The patients were followed for 2 months after cast immobilization was completed using the International Association for the Study of Pain criteria to diagnose CRPS type I. CRPS type I developed in 13 (26%) patients of the 32 (34.4%) female patients and 18 (11.1%) male patients. The risk of CRPS type I was significantly increased in patients with high trait anxiety scores (P = 0.038). The results show that, after fracturing the distal radius, patients who have an anxious personality have a higher risk of developing CRPS type I. Following these patients closely for the development of CRPS type I may be advantageous for early preventative and therapeutic interventions.

[Factorial structure, validity, and reliability of the Turkish temperament and character inventory]. / Mizaç ve Karakter Envanteri'nin Türkçe Formunun Faktör Yapisi, Geçerlik ve Güvenilirligi.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the factorial structure, reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), a 240-item, self-report, paper-and-pencil test, and true-false format inventory based on Cloninger's psychobiological model of personality. It measures the four higher-order temperament dimensions and three character dimensions. METHOD: Using samples consisting of 470 healthy volunteers and 544 psychiatric patients, psychometric features were explored. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the scales was good (Cronbach alpha coefficients between 0.68 and 0.84), but weak for Reward dependence (0.55) and Persistence (0.56). The factor structures of the temperament and character dimensions, explored separately, were in agreement with the hypothesized constructs, except for the scales NS1 (Novelty Seeking 1 = exploratory excitability) and SD4 (Self-directedness 4 -- self-acceptance). The present study also confirmed that the TCI scales were weakly related among themselves. On the whole, psychiatric patients had higher harm avoidance and lower self-directedness, persistence, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence scores than the normal subjects. Gender differences were also found for different dimensions. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that the TCI can be applied in the investigation of psychiatric and normal populations.