Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome of unknown etiology. It was previously suggested that patients with fibromyalgia were, in early life, often subjected to either psychological or physiological trauma. It is, in general, known that early life experiences and attachment to primary caregivers can influence physiological function in adult life, especially those functions related to stress vulnerability. Many studies have been performed on fibromyalgia patients but most of them investigated either psychological or physiological aspects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological profile (attachment style, preferred way of thinking as well as prevalence of depression and anxiety) and physiological aspects (autonomic nervous system function and cortisol levels) simultaneously in an attempt to see whether a link exists between the two aspects and whether a specific psychoneurological profile could be discerned for fibromyalgia patients. Sixteen patients (14 females, 2 males) with fibromyalgia, and 15 age- and sex-matched controls (13 females, 2 males) were studied. Patients were diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR, 1990) criteria for fibromyalgia. The Patient Health Questionnaire gathered information on the patient’s past health problems, operations, accidents and the prevalence of traumatic events. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Review of Current Symptoms Questionnaire were completed to assess the severity of the disorder. The Experiences in Close Relationships – Revised Questionnaire determined attachment styles. Hemisphere dominance (preferred way of thinking) was evaluated by the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), heart rate variability (HRV) by recording R-R intervals and calculating time and frequency domain parameters and salivary cortisol levels by ELISA. Significant differences were seen between patients and controls for cortisol levels; the total number of symptoms; the number of adverse events in lifetime; anxiety and avoidance subscales of the ECR-R; FIQ total scores; and scores for scales within the FIQ. R-R spectral analysis revealed distinct lowered overall HRV in patients. An orthostatic test revealed a weakened shift towards sympathetic dominance upon standing. During a psychological stressor (filling out the ECR-R), the patients’ autonomic nervous system failed to respond with lower HRV as with the controls. As far as the hemispheric dominance of the patients was concerned, the majority appeared to be right-brain orientated with thinking styles preferences strongly influenced by limbic functions. Preference for thinking styles influenced by right limbic structures increased during stress. A link existed between anxiety and depression and the severity of the fibromyalgia symptoms. The results of individual psychological and physiological parameters found in this study are largely in concordance of that of other studies. Significant differences exist between the psychoneurological variables of fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls: The patient group in this study were characterised by a high prevalence adverse events, insecure attachment styles, high emotionality in the absence of rationality, multiple somatic symptoms, and altered stress-axes activity reflected in low HRV, an inability to mount an appropriate sympathetic response to acute stressors and elevated baseline cortisol levels. It can be concluded that fibromyalgia patients in the present study presented with a distinct psychoneurological profile. / Dissertation (MSc (Physiology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Physiology / unrestricted

Neste estudo, testamos a hipótese de que a estimulação colnérgica pela administração de piridostigmina, um agente anticolinesterásico reversível, protege o miocárdio submetido à isquemia miocárdica crônica durante 3 tempos de observação: 7, 21 e 42 dias. Para essa avaliação foram medidos a área de acinesia (índicador de área de infarto), os índíces das funções sistólica e diastólica pela ecocardiografia e por medida direta bem como marcadores da função autonômica como a sensibilidade do barorreflexo e a variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (FC) e da pressão arterial (PA). O bloqueio farmacológico do sistema nervoso autônomo e o estudo da via eferente parassimpática foram também realizados. Utilizou-se ratos Wistar machos divididos em 4 grupos: controle, controle piridostigmina, infartado e infartado piridostigmina. Os resultados mostraram os efeitos protetores da piridostigmina nos diferentes tempo de infarto com redução da área de acinesia ( maior que 80%) tanto pelo ecocardiograma quanto pela histologia. Além disso observou-se recuperação das funções sistólica e diastólica, com normalização da pressão diastólica final e das derivadas de contração e relaxamento. Essas melhoras foram mais consistentes em 21 e 42 dias, sem diferenças entre esses tempos de tratamento. Em 7 dias ainda persistiram alguns índices de disfunção ventricular, embora a função autonômica estivesse bem preservada. Parte dessa melhora se deve, provavelmente, ao aumento do tônus vagal e redução do simpático. A potenciação da bradicardia pela estimulação elétrica do vago induzida pela piridostigmina confirma seu papel com estimulador colinérgico. A sensibilidade do barorreflexo reduzida de forma semelhante pelo infarto do miocárdio aos 7, 21 e 42 dias, voltou aos valores controle após o tratamento com piridostigmina, sem diferenças devidas ao tempo de tratamento. Da mesma forma, a variabilidade da FC foi aumentada após o tratamento com o brometo de piridostigmina no grupo infartado o que também ocorreu no grupo controle. Em adição, o aumento da banda de alta frequência e a redução da banda de baixa frequência que refletem respectivamente a modulação parassimpática e simpática da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca, levaram a uma redução no balanço simpato-vagal dos animais infartados tratados. Em conclusão, a estimulação colinérgica por piridostigmina preserva a função parassimpática protegendo o miocárdio da isquemia induzida por oclusão coronariana, mantendo a função cardíaca e a função autonômica dentro dos valores da normalidade / In this study we tested the hypothesis that cholinergic stimulation by pyridostigmine administration, a reversible cholinergic inhibitor, protects the ischemic myocardial in three periods of follow-up: 7, 21 and 42 days. For this evaluation we measured the akinetic area (infacrtion area indicator), systolic and diastolic indexes by echocardiography and left ventricle direct measurements as well as autonomic function markers, as baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) variabilities. Pharmacological blockade of the autonomic nervous system and the study of the efferent parasympathetic pathway were also performed. Male Wistar rats were divided in 4 groups: control, control treated with pyridostigmine, infarcted and infarcted treated with pyridostigmine. The results showed the protective effects of pyridostigmine in the different periods of infarction, with the reduction of the akinetic area (more than 80%), either by the echocardiography and by histology. Moreover, we observed systolic and diastolic functions recovery, with normalization of the end diastolic pressure and the maximum rates of left ventricle BP rise and fall. These improvements were more consistent in 21 and 42 days, with no differences between these two periods of treatment. In 7-day treatment, some indexes of ventricular dysfunction remained, although the autonomic function seemed to be preserved. Part of these improvements is probably due to the increase in the vagal tonus and the decrease in the sympathetic tonus. The pyridostigmine effects in the potencialization of the bradycardia induced by vagus nerve electrical stimulation confirms its role as a cholinergic stimulator. The reduced baroreflex sensitivity by myocardial infarction, which was similar in 7, 21 and 42 days, returned to control values after pyridostigmine treatment, without differences related to treatment extent. Similarly, HR variability was increased after pyridostigmine treatment in the infarcted group, which also occurred in the control group. In addition, the increase in the high frequency band and the reduction in the low frequency band, which reflect, respectively, the parasympathetic and the sympathetic modulation of HR variability, led to the diminishment in the sympatho-vagal balance in the infarcted-treated animals. In conclusion, cholinergic stimulation by pyridostigmine preserves parasympathetic function, protecting the myocardial against the ischemia induced by coronary occlusion, maintaning cardiac and autonomic functions within normal values

Our knowledge of prognostic factors and optimal treatment organisation in schizophrenia is incomplete. The disparity of outcome measures used has been a major obstacle for research. Increasing evidence has shown that schizophrenia is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, development of obesity and autonomic nervous system imbalance. Assertive community treatment (ACT) has been suggested as a promising direction for organising treatment services for first-episode schizophrenia, but its long-term effect has not been evaluated. One aim of the present thesis was to investigate prognostic factors for 5-year symptomatic and functional outcome and obesity development. A further aim was to evaluate a recently proposed definition of remission and examine the long-term effects of introducing a modified ACT programme (mACT). Thus, we performed a follow-up study of all consecutive first-episode psychosis patients in Uppsala County, Sweden during 1995-2000 (n=144). In the first study we investigated the changes in a broad 5-year outcome of symptoms and function among patients presenting first time ever to psychiatric health care during 3 years before and during 3 years after the implementation of mACT. This change in the psychiatric service, however, was not followed by any long-term clinical benefits. In the second study, we examined the association between remission of eight core schizophrenia symptoms and functional outcome. Remission was strongly associated with having good function and having a higher self-rated satisfaction with life. In the third study, we explored a set of biochemical markers as predictors of weight gain and development of obesity. Haemoglobin, red blood cell count, hematocrit, γ-glutamyltransferase and creatinine were associated with the development of obesity in first-episode schizophrenia. In the fourth and final study, we tested electrocardiographic measures of autonomic imbalance as predictors of symptomatic remission. Higher heart rate and high ST and T-wave amplitudes were related to symptomatic remission, indicating that cardiac autonomic imbalance at baseline may have a prognostic value in first-episode schizophrenia.

Neste estudo, testamos a hipótese de que a estimulação colnérgica pela administração de piridostigmina, um agente anticolinesterásico reversível, protege o miocárdio submetido à isquemia miocárdica crônica durante 3 tempos de observação: 7, 21 e 42 dias. Para essa avaliação foram medidos a área de acinesia (índicador de área de infarto), os índíces das funções sistólica e diastólica pela ecocardiografia e por medida direta bem como marcadores da função autonômica como a sensibilidade do barorreflexo e a variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (FC) e da pressão arterial (PA). O bloqueio farmacológico do sistema nervoso autônomo e o estudo da via eferente parassimpática foram também realizados. Utilizou-se ratos Wistar machos divididos em 4 grupos: controle, controle piridostigmina, infartado e infartado piridostigmina. Os resultados mostraram os efeitos protetores da piridostigmina nos diferentes tempo de infarto com redução da área de acinesia ( maior que 80%) tanto pelo ecocardiograma quanto pela histologia. Além disso observou-se recuperação das funções sistólica e diastólica, com normalização da pressão diastólica final e das derivadas de contração e relaxamento. Essas melhoras foram mais consistentes em 21 e 42 dias, sem diferenças entre esses tempos de tratamento. Em 7 dias ainda persistiram alguns índices de disfunção ventricular, embora a função autonômica estivesse bem preservada. Parte dessa melhora se deve, provavelmente, ao aumento do tônus vagal e redução do simpático. A potenciação da bradicardia pela estimulação elétrica do vago induzida pela piridostigmina confirma seu papel com estimulador colinérgico. A sensibilidade do barorreflexo reduzida de forma semelhante pelo infarto do miocárdio aos 7, 21 e 42 dias, voltou aos valores controle após o tratamento com piridostigmina, sem diferenças devidas ao tempo de tratamento. Da mesma forma, a variabilidade da FC foi aumentada após o tratamento com o brometo de piridostigmina no grupo infartado o que também ocorreu no grupo controle. Em adição, o aumento da banda de alta frequência e a redução da banda de baixa frequência que refletem respectivamente a modulação parassimpática e simpática da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca, levaram a uma redução no balanço simpato-vagal dos animais infartados tratados. Em conclusão, a estimulação colinérgica por piridostigmina preserva a função parassimpática protegendo o miocárdio da isquemia induzida por oclusão coronariana, mantendo a função cardíaca e a função autonômica dentro dos valores da normalidade / In this study we tested the hypothesis that cholinergic stimulation by pyridostigmine administration, a reversible cholinergic inhibitor, protects the ischemic myocardial in three periods of follow-up: 7, 21 and 42 days. For this evaluation we measured the akinetic area (infacrtion area indicator), systolic and diastolic indexes by echocardiography and left ventricle direct measurements as well as autonomic function markers, as baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) variabilities. Pharmacological blockade of the autonomic nervous system and the study of the efferent parasympathetic pathway were also performed. Male Wistar rats were divided in 4 groups: control, control treated with pyridostigmine, infarcted and infarcted treated with pyridostigmine. The results showed the protective effects of pyridostigmine in the different periods of infarction, with the reduction of the akinetic area (more than 80%), either by the echocardiography and by histology. Moreover, we observed systolic and diastolic functions recovery, with normalization of the end diastolic pressure and the maximum rates of left ventricle BP rise and fall. These improvements were more consistent in 21 and 42 days, with no differences between these two periods of treatment. In 7-day treatment, some indexes of ventricular dysfunction remained, although the autonomic function seemed to be preserved. Part of these improvements is probably due to the increase in the vagal tonus and the decrease in the sympathetic tonus. The pyridostigmine effects in the potencialization of the bradycardia induced by vagus nerve electrical stimulation confirms its role as a cholinergic stimulator. The reduced baroreflex sensitivity by myocardial infarction, which was similar in 7, 21 and 42 days, returned to control values after pyridostigmine treatment, without differences related to treatment extent. Similarly, HR variability was increased after pyridostigmine treatment in the infarcted group, which also occurred in the control group. In addition, the increase in the high frequency band and the reduction in the low frequency band, which reflect, respectively, the parasympathetic and the sympathetic modulation of HR variability, led to the diminishment in the sympatho-vagal balance in the infarcted-treated animals. In conclusion, cholinergic stimulation by pyridostigmine preserves parasympathetic function, protecting the myocardial against the ischemia induced by coronary occlusion, maintaning cardiac and autonomic functions within normal values

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2015-07-27T14:45:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernando Oliveira Costa.pdf: 1199928 bytes, checksum: f721f323b7b101614061ea44e7dd6cb3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-27T14:45:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernando Oliveira Costa.pdf: 1199928 bytes, checksum: f721f323b7b101614061ea44e7dd6cb3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-21 / The metabolic syndrome (MetS) consists of a combination of conditions that tend to cluster together, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The components of the metabolic syndrome include central (abdominal) obesity, elevated fasting glucose, dyslipidemia (abnormally high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and elevated blood pressure. MetS is also associated with proinflammatory and prothrombotic states, non-alcoholic liver steatosis, obstructive sleep apnea and reproduction disorders. Although a common unifying physiopathological mechanism is not known, central obesity and inflammation play a major role in MetS and upon each of its components. The MetS has reached epidemic proportions and to date there are no proven pharmacological interventions that simultaneously target all of the components of this syndrome. Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the MetS. Recently, it was discovered that inflammation can be regulated by neural, cholinergic mechanisms and a cholinergic drug, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor galantamine suppresses abnormal inflammation and alleviates MetS pathologies in rodents. The fact that galantamine is an approved drug, used to treat patients with Alzheimer´s disease with a known safety profile, will facilitate its clinical application in another situations. We hypothesize that treatment of subjects with the MetS with galantamine will result in alleviation in the MetS clinical conditions and inflammation. The objective of our study was to initiate an investigation on the safety profile of galantamine in MetS patients, with special attention on autonomic, hemodynamic and cognitive parameters. A randomized, double-blind, prospective study evaluated clinical, autonomic, hemodynamic and cognitive variables of patients with MetS in two moments: before treatment (basal state) and after 28 days of treatment with galantamine 8 mg daily. There was a statistical tendency in reducing systolic blood pressure in the HRV with Finometer® in patients under galantamine (124.4 ± 4 vs 119.7 ± 3.7 mmHg, basal and 28 days values, respectively) and also a reduction in diastolic blood pressure (72.5 ± 1.3 vs 67.2 ± 1.7 mmHg, basal and 28 days values, respectively). Paradoxically, an increase in the sympathetic modulation of the heart was observed with the HRV study measuring the LF (nu) value (46.2 ± 3.8 vs 57.1 ± 3.4 basal and 28 days, respectively) and a decrease in the parasympathetic modulation HF (nu) value (53.8 ± 3.8 vs 43.0 ± 3.4, basal and 28 days, respectively). We did not observe any significant change in cognitive domains. Our conclusion is that treatment with galantamine 8 mg exhibits a safe clinical profile and can be used in MetS patients. / A síndrome metabólica consiste na combinação de condições agrupadas e aumentam o risco para diabetes tipo 2 e doença cardiovascular. Seus componentes incluem obesidade central, níveis aumentados de glicose, dislipidemia caracterizada por aumento de triglicérides e baixos níveis de HDL e aumento da pressão arterial. Também está associada a um estado proinflamatório, a um estado protrombótico, a esteatose hepática não-alcoólica, apnéia obstrutiva do sono e a desordens reprodutivas. Apesar da não determinação de um mecanismo fisiopatológico unificador, obesidade central e inflamação parecem ser centrais na síndrome metabólica e nos seus componentes individuais. A síndrome metabólica tem alcançado proporções epidêmicas universais e até o presente não há intervenção farmacológica comprovada que atue simultaneamente em todos os seus componentes. Sabe-se hoje que o processo inflamatório tem um papel importante na patogenia da síndrome. Recentemente foi evidenciado que a inflamação pode ser regulada por mecanismos neurais colinérgicos, e que a galantamina, um inibidor da acetilcolinesterase, suprime a inflamação e atua nos componentes da síndrome diminuindo a patogenia em roedores. O fato de a galantamina ser uma droga já aprovada e de perfil seguro em portadores de demência facilita seu uso em outras situações clínicas. Considerando a hipótese de que a galantamina causará melhora da inflamação e dos outros distúrbios relacionados, o objetivo deste estudo foi iniciar a investigação sobre o perfil de segurança da galantamina em pacientes com síndrome metabólica, em especial, em parâmetros hemodinâmicos, autonômicos e de cognição. Realizamos um estudo prospectivo, duplo-cego e randomizado, que avaliou os dados clínicos e os parâmetros descritos, no momento basal e após 28 dias de uso de galantanima (8mg por dia), em portadores de síndrome metabólica. Houve uma tendência à redução da PAS, avaliada batimento-a-batimento com o Finometer no grupo que usou galantamina (124,4 ± 4 vs 119,7 ± 3,7 mmHg, respectivamente basal e após 28 dias de uso, p=0,04), o mesmo ocorrendo com a PAD (72,5 ± 1,3 vs 67,2 ± 1,7, p=0,005), respectivamente basal e após 28 dias de uso). De forma paradoxal, ocorreu um aumento da atividade simpática na modulação autonômica para o coração, avaliada por meio do estudo da variabilidade da freqüência cardíaca como atestado por um valor LF (nu) (46,2 ± 3,8 vs 57,1 ± 3,4 , p=0,0005)), e redução da modulação parassimpática, representada pelo valor do HF (nu) (53,8 ± 3,8 vs 43,0 ± 3,4, p=0,0005) respectivamente basal e após 28 dias de uso. Não observamos alterações significativas nos testes que avaliam o domínio cognitivo dos indivíduos. Concluímos que a dose utilizada de galantamina tem um perfil de segurança clínica que permite expandir seu uso em pacientes portadores de síndrome metabólica.

Understanding physiological responses to threat can inform therapeutic interventions for phobias, anxieties, and PTSD. The defense cascade is reviewed as a theoretical model that predicts behavioral and physiological responses to threats. Nineteen undergraduates (five male), average age 19.4 experienced a novel virtual reality (VR) threat scenario while their physiology was measured. The Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) was used as a self-report indicator of distress in the research setting. Averaged SUDS reports suggested that the VR stimulus was experienced as threatening for most participants, but their autonomic response patterns did not fit those predicted by the defense cascade. Participants who had scored high on adaptive response questionnaires tended to show uncoupled ANS activation during baseline, but varied across the stimulus condition. Nearly all participants showed either coactivation or reciprocal activation during the stimulus period except those reporting the most dissociative trauma experiences, who mostly showed uncoupled ANS activation. / M.S. / The more we understand about how people’s bodies and their energies act when they feel threatened, the better we can find help for folks who struggle with anxiety, trauma or other challenging conditions. This research uses a theoretical model called the defense cascade to explore how people respond mentally and physically to threatening situations. Nineteen undergraduates went through a virtual reality (VR) experience that was designed to feel threatening while their body and its energy systems were measured. A scale was introduced called the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) and was used to help the researchers understand how distressed people felt while they were in the VR experience. Averaged SUDS reports suggested that the VR stimulus was experienced as threatening for most participants, but their body response patterns did not fit those predicted by the defense cascade. Participants whose questionnaire responses suggested they were not anxiety-prone or traumatized, tended to show bodily activation that uncoupled their two autonomic bodily systems during a baseline period before the threatening stimulus. However, their autonomic responses during the stimulus period varied. Nearly all participants showed either both autonomic systems acting together or only one system acting in a mutually exclusive way to the other system during the stimulus period. This was the case for most participants except those reporting the most trauma involving dissociative experiences. This latter group mostly showed uncoupled autonomic bodily patterns.