The functions and dysfunctions of slow wave sleep and of REM sleep and its associated dreams have a tremendous significance in understanding the psychosomatic model of illness and in establishing preventive strategies. Ten patients suffering from a variety of psychosomatic illnessess spent 3-4 nights sleeping at the Dream Laboratory. A psychiatric evaluation was carried out and those suffering...
This paper reviews studies that have examined associations between unusual sleep experiences (including nightmares, vivid dreaming, narcolepsy symptoms, and complex nighttime behaviors) and dissociation and schizotypy. Using correlational studies and structural analyses, evidence is provided that unusual sleep experiences, dissociation, and schizotypy belong to a common domain. It is...
The presence of schizo-affective psychosis is postulated psychopathologically, if schizophrenic as well as manic or depressive cyclothymic symptoms, respectively, are to be found in the same clinical picture. This circumstance rises the question with what legitimation do we designate a symptom as schizophrenic, etc.? Generally, we call a symptom, e.g., schizophrenic, if: (1) like with K....
Although previous studies have examined anxiety and depression in ecstasy (±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA) users, it remains unclear whether symptoms are associated specifically with ecstasy or with polydrug use in general. We compared mean symptomatology and clinically significant symptoms in 45 ecstasy polydrug, 48 cannabis polydrug and 40 legal drug users, who completed...
Previous findings report use of the drug ecstasy (MDMA) to be associated with lower emotional intelligence (EI), and compromised functioning in brain areas responsible for emotion. This study explored the relationship between ecstasy use, EI, mood and parenting styles. Questionnaire measures of drug use, lifestyle, parenting style and EI were obtained, with separate IQ measures for fluid...
Recovery from emotional challenge and increased tolerance of negative affect are both hallmarks of mental health. Mindfulness training (MT) has been shown to facilitate these outcomes, yet little is known about its mechanisms of action. The present study employed functional MRI (fMRI) to compare neural reactivity to sadness provocation in participants completing 8 weeks of MT and waitlisted...
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an established program shown to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. MBSR is believed to alter emotional responding by modifying cognitive–affective processes. Given that social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by emotional and attentional biases as well as distorted negative self-beliefs, we examined MBSR-related changes in the...
The recreational party drug "ecstasy" (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine MDMA) is particularly popular among young adults who are in the childbearing age and thus there is a substantial risk of prenatal MDMA exposure. We applied an intermittent treatment protocol with an early first injection on pregnant Wistar rats (15 mg/kg MDMA s.c. on the E4, E11 and E18 days of gestation) to examine the...
This study examined whether breathing rate affected self-reported pain and emotion following thermal pain stimuli in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FM: n=27) or age-matched healthy control women (HC: n=25). FM and HC were exposed to low and moderate thermal pain pulses during paced breathing at their normal rate and one-half their normal rate. Thermal pain pulses were presented in four...
Informal caregivers, who provide unpaid care for family or friends, often experience numerous threats to their psychological well-being as a result of providing care. This study compared a traditional physical activity (mall walking, MW) to an alternative therapeutic intervention (mindfulness-based stress reduction, MBSR) to examine the impact on the psychological well-being of informal...