<p> The hospitalization of one's infant is a stressful situation that can lead to decreased bonding and poor health outcomes. This longitudinal comparative design study examined the effects of neonatal palliative care (PC) consultation on stress levels and satisfaction scores of parents of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. Clinical data was abstracted from the medical record. Demographic data, stress scores, and satisfaction reports were obtained via self-report.</p><p> Mean stress scores indicated most parents experienced moderate stress due to NICU hospitalization. Some parents met diagnostic criteria for acute stress disorder. While all parents expressed satisfaction with care received; PC parents were extremely satisfied with care. No statistically significant differences in stress or satisfaction scores were noted between parents who received PC consultation and those who did not. Study conclusions validate previous research regarding NICU parent stress and show that additional quantitative and qualitative research regarding NICU palliative care is warranted. </p>

<p>Over 40% of Americans are at risk for developing cancer during their lifetime. Technological advances have resulted in improved survival rates. The uncertainty associated with the diagnosis of cancer may give rise to psychological distress. Psychological distress is a multifaceted, complex concept that has shown to interfere with the patient's quality of life, treatment regimens, and treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence psychological distress in patients with cancer. Influencing factors of psychological distress include medical treatments, personal concerns, family relationships, social support, spirituality, uncertainty and professional support. The theoretical framework that guided this study was derived from the Theory of Uncertainty, Chaos Theory, and review of the literature. The sample consisted of 150 patients diagnosed with non-metastatic cancer living in the suburbs of a major Northeastern United States city. Data was collected using three instruments that measured the degree of psychological distress and the influencing factors: the Distress Thermometer, Mishel's Uncertainty Scale and the Distress Inventory for Cancer-Version 2. The results of this study revealed that significant relationships exist between psychological distress and personal concerns, finances, and uncertainty. In this study the influencing factor of personal concerns was shown to mediate the other factors. Studies have shown that nurses do not routinely screen for psychological distress. Nurses involved in the care of oncology patients can utilize the results of this study to recognize the impact of cancer beyond the clinical manifestations. In addition, nurses can use the results to develop a collaborative plan of care to address the psychological distress that patients with cancer may be experiencing. </p>

The importance of genes in the etiology of bipolar disorder (BD) has been substantiated through family, twin and adoption studies. The search for susceptibility genes, however, has proved to be an arduous task with disease complexity leading to the non-replication of published results. We have used lithium treatment response as a classification variable, thus providing a phenotypically more homogeneous sample to work with. With this sample we carried out pharmacogenetic studies to identify genes involved in the etiology of BD and/or in the response to Li. The phosphoinositide and cAMP pathway have been shown to be involved in Li's mode of action. Thus, a gene responsible for regulating inositol metabolism (prolyl endopeptidase, PREP) and three cAMP responsive element binding proteins (CREB1-3) were investigated. We have found an association indicating a possible role of CREB1 and 2 in the etiology of BD and Li response. Further studies in larger, independent samples and the analysis of additional markers should be undertaken to confirm these findings.

The relationship between migraine and bipolar disorder was the main interest of this study. The objectives were several: (1) to determine the prevalence of migraine in a clinical bipolar population and compare it to the rate in the general population; (2) to examine if there were any clinical differences between the bipolar groups with and without migraine; and lastly, (3) to determine the prevalence of migraine treatment among the bipolar population. Two questionnaires were administered to diagnose migraine and gather information about the clinical course of bipolar illness. The results showed a migraine rate among females of 43.8% and 31.5% among males which were both higher than in the general population. Migraine was also found to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. Several clinical correlates were found that may suggest that migraine and bipolar disorder share similar pathophysiological underpinnings.

While considerable information exists regarding the independent effects of caffeine and psychological stress on cardiovascular activity, there is relatively little information on their combined effects. Since caffeine may enhance cardiovascular responsivity to psychological stress, research on hemodynamic responses to caffeine-stress combinations may help elucidate mechanisms of hypertension development. In a series of studies, regular consumers of caffeine were exposed to laboratory and naturalistic stressors with and without prior caffeine intake. Among the findings were (1) caffeine and stress produced additive increases in blood pressure, (2) caffeine appears to potentiate beta-adrenergic responsivity to active coping, but not passive coping, stressors, (3) caffeine enhanced emotional responses to stress, and (4) cardiovascular responses to caffeine and stress in a naturalistic setting were similar to those observed in the laboratory. These results indicate that caffeine may enhance cardiovascular and psychological responses to stress, and that these responses may contribute to risk for essential hypertension.

A large number of behavioural methods have been developed to investigate nociception and the actions of analgesic drugs in animals. The formalin test is increasingly used as a model of injury-produced pain. The generally accepted method of rating pain used for mice is to count or time paw licks. The aim of this study was to examine scoring properties of other behaviours in the formalin test in mice, and determine the best measure of pain. / In the first experiment, the behavioural responses to intraplantar injection of a series of formalin concentrations were assessed. In the second experiment a fixed concentration of formalin was used, and the effects of increasing doses of various analgesic and non-analgesic drugs were examined. A time sampling method with momentary rating of nociceptive behaviours and behavioural state was used. / A correlational analysis of the data indicated that combinations of pain behaviours performed better than any single measurement, and the relationship between formalin concentration and behavioural measures were stronger when mice were habituated to the environment prior to testing. All four analgesic agents, morphine, amphetamine, dipyrone and xylazine, produced dose-dependent suppression of pain behaviours. The nociceptive measures were not significantly altered by sedative or neuroleptic drugs. / Considering the dose-effect relations for formalin and analgesic and non-analgesic agents, together, indicated that the sum of favouring, lifting and licking was the most consistent measure of both, pain and analgesia.

<p> The transcendent experience is a phenomenon that has long been studied and explored. First providing analysis of its researched content, triggers, and potential meaning, this thesis presents an alternative approach that examines the extent to which the transcendent experience is actually the invocation of an individual&rsquo;s unconscious. The author presents <i> aerobic green exercise,</i> or aerobic exercise within nature and the natural world, as a potential trigger for the transcendent experience, and investigates the concept of the runner&rsquo;s high as an expression of the transcendent experience. Through the author&rsquo;s personal examination, the methods of focusing and active imagination are presented as possible psychotherapeutic tools for clinical application. Using alchemical hermeneutics and heuristic methodologies, this thesis explores how aerobic green exercise might initiate a transcendent experience and also be utilized as a psychotherapeutic intervention. </p>

<p> Previous studies find prenatal stress to relate to negative health in mothers and their children. Health behaviors such as exercise, proper nutrition, and relaxation have been found to reduce stress in non-pregnant populations, yet few studies have investigated the effect of these behaviors on prenatal stress. The current study examined the impact of exercise, nutrition, and relaxation on perceived stress, anxiety, and cortisol reactivity to a stress task in pregnant women. We hypothesized that women who exercised, had better eating habits, and engaged in relaxation would have reduced perceived stress, anxiety and more adaptive cortisol responses. Our results suggest an adaptive effect of exercise, and maladaptive effect of fat consumption on prenatal cortisol responses, but no association between health behaviors and perceived stress or anxiety. These findings contribute to our understanding of the relationship between health behaviors and stress during pregnancy, and may be useful for prenatal health interventions.</p>

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between comfort food preferences of college faculty when under normal (non-stressful) and stressful conditions. Thirty-four percent (n=63) of the participants were males and 66 percent (n=121) were females. Sixty-seven percent (n=123) experienced a change in appetite when stressed, with 69 percent (n=85) experiencing an increase and 31 percent (n=38) experiencing a decrease in appetite. Participants chose a significantly wider variety of foods when under stressful conditions for both sweet (p=<.001) and salty/crunchy food categories (p=.004). High restrained eaters chose significantly more types of sweet foods (p=.031) and beverages (p=.020) than low restrained eaters when comparing stressful and normal conditions. These findings suggest the majority of adults may experience changes in appetite with stress, specifically an increased appetite, and may choose more types of sweet and salty/crunchy foods. An individual's restraint level, gender, and age may also play a role in comfort food choice. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The primary consequence of night shift work is a misalignment of the endogenous circadian pacemaker with the inverted sleep-wake cycle. This study evaluated the efficacy of a judicious schedule of light exposure on circadian adaptation to night work. Fifteen night shift workers (mean age +/-S.E.M.: 41.8 +/- 1.8 years) were studied for 3 weeks in their work environments under one of two experimental conditions. Treatment group participants underwent an intervention including bright light in the workplace, while control group participants were studied in their habitual light environments. The efficacy of the intervention was evaluated in the laboratory via constant routines. Following the intervention, treatment group subjects displayed a mean phase delay of (+/-S.E.M.) -9.32 +/- 1.06 hours and full entrainment to the night-oriented schedule while control group subjects displayed a phase delay -4.09 +/- 1.94 hours and a partial entrainment (F(1,30) = 11.33, p = 0.002). The results of this study suggest a means of alleviating the difficulties associated with night shift work with control of the overall pattern of light exposure.