| 101. |
- Österberg, Kai, et al.
(författare)
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Cognitive performance in patients with burnout, in relation to diurnal salivary cortisol.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Stress. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1607-8888 .- 1025-3890. ; 12:1, s. 70-81
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated cognitive performance in patients with burnout, in relation to the flexibility of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Clinical cases with work stress-induced burnout (n = 65), and demographically matched, healthy reference subjects (n = 65), were given six neuropsychological tests and a self-rating scale for cognitive problems. Diurnal salivary cortisol was measured among burnout cases and an external reference group (n = 174), including a dexamethasone suppression test (DST) among burnout cases. Compared with referents, the burnout group under-performed in a cognitive speed test (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Digit Symbol), but not in any other test of sustained attention, episodic memory, or vocabulary. Burnout cases had considerably more subjective cognitive problems, but ratings were unrelated to test performance. Compared with referents, burnout cases had similar morning salivary cortisol levels and similar awakening response, but lower evening cortisol. Among burnout cases, lower diurnal cortisol variability was related to slower performance in several tests. The DST response showed no consistent relationship with any cognitive parameter. Hence, despite considerable subjective cognitive problems, the burnout group showed only a partial, mild deviation in cognitive performance. A flatter diurnal cortisol profile was related to lower cognitive processing speed, but diurnal cortisol pattern and DST response were normal, suggesting a maintained HPA axis flexibility.
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| 102. |
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| 103. |
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| 104. |
- Österberg, Kai, et al.
(författare)
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Neuropsychological sequelae of work-stress-related exhaustion
- 2013
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Ingår i: Stress. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1025-3890 .- 1607-8888. ; 17:1, s. 59-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim was to assess long-term cognitive performance after substantial recovery from work-stress-related exhaustion, in relation to subjective cognitive complaints and return to active work. In total, 54 patients previously diagnosed with work-stress-related exhaustion participated in a neuropsychological examination similar to 2 years after initial sick leave. Most participants were substantially recovered at follow-up, with only 13% still meeting the criteria for exhaustion disorder suggested by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. When participants' scores on 14 neuropsychological tests were compared to a matched group of 50 controls, the former patient group showed lower performance mainly on attention tests of the reaction time type, but also slightly lower scores on visuo-spatial constructional ability. However, the former patient group performed better than controls on two memory tests and, in part, on a test of simultaneous capacity. Self-ratings of everyday cognitive problems remained significantly higher in the former patient group than among controls, but the extent of self-rated cognitive problems was generally unrelated to performance on the neuropsychological tests. No relationship between performance on these tests and the extent of work resumption was observed. In summary, persons with previous work-stress-related exhaustion showed persistent signs of a minor attention deficit, despite considerable general recovery and return to work.
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| 105. |
- Österberg, Kai, et al.
(författare)
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Neuropsychological test performance in Swedish multiple chemical sensitivity patients – an exploratory study
- 2002
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Ingår i: Applied Neuropsychology. - 0908-4282. ; 9:3, s. 139-147
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To address the hypothesis of brain dysfunction as a component of the multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) syndrome, a neuropsychological battery comprising 8 tests was given to 17 Swedish MCS patients and 34 demographically matched controls. Across the 6 tests used as indicators of brain impairment, comprising a total of 17 test variables, the MCS group performed poorer only in a complex reaction time test (mean reaction time; p = 0.002; t test). Correction for self-ratings of mental distress and trait psychasthenia did not eliminate the deviation in the reaction time test. Because the results on most tests were within normal limits, brain impairment was not evidenced. However, the similar minor deviations in neurobehavioral tests observed in several studies of MCS patients indicate the need for a study on a larger sample of MCS cases.
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| 106. |
- Österberg, Kai, et al.
(författare)
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Personality, mental distress, and risk perception in subjects with multiple chemical sensitivity and toxic encephalopathy.
- 2002
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. - : Wiley. - 1467-9450 .- 0036-5564. ; 43:2, s. 169-175
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Personality, mental distress, and risk perception were assessed in (a) cases of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS; n = 17), (b) chemically intolerant toxic encephalopathy cases (TE), type 2A (n = 31) and 2B (n = 26), and (c) healthy referents (n = 200). MCS cases showed elevated mental distress scores on the Depression, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Global Severity Index, and Somatization scales in the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). In the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) the MCS group showed an elevation only on the Psychasthenia scale. Both TE groups showed elevations across the KSP anxiety scales Muscular Tension, Psychasthenia, and Somatic Anxiety. TE type 2B subjects also showed elevations on the Irritability and Indirect Aggression scales. However, neither MCS nor TE groups showed deviating personality characteristics in the Meta Contrast Technique test. Similarly, none of the groups deviated from referents in a risk perception inventory.
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| 107. |
- Österberg, Kai, et al.
(författare)
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Personality, mental distress, and subjective health complaints among persons with environmental annoyance.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Human & Experimental Toxicology. - : SAGE Publications. - 0960-3271 .- 1477-0903. ; 26:3, s. 231-241
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to assess possible early determinants of idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI), contributing to an integrated model for the development of IEI. Questionnaires concerning personality traits, current mental distress, subjective health complaints, work load and satisfaction, and options for recovery, were given to 84 persons from the general population attributing annoyance to (i) chemicals/smells (smell-annoyed (SA) n=29); (ii) electrical equipment (electrically annoyed (EA) n=16); and (iii) both smells and electricity (generally annoyed [GA] n=39), but otherwise healthy and in active work. Compared to referents (n=54), the EA and GA groups showed strongly elevated scores on 5/6 scales within the trait anxiety/ neuroticism personality dimension, while the SA group had a slight elevation on only one anxiety scale. Current mental distress and subjective health complaints scores were generally elevated in the EA and GA groups, but only partially in the SA group. Higher proportions of the EA, GA, and SA groups reported low satisfaction with their work situation, including more frequent fatigue after work and a higher, and often unfulfilled, need for recovery. The findings suggest that trait anxiety is prominent already at prodromal stages of IEI, possibly indicating that trait anxiety facilitates the acquisition of attribution of health complaints to environmental factors.
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| 108. |
- Österberg, Kai
(författare)
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Psychological methods for the assessment of chronic toxic encephalopathy and multiple chemical sensitivity
- 2001
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The dissertation deals with psychological methods aimed at improving the understanding and assessment of two disorders related to contact with chemicals: solvent-induced chronic toxic encephalopathy (TE) and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). The main aim of Paper I was to study whether the addition of some newer psychological tests of complex attention and executive functions to a traditional test battery would improve the detection of TE. An improved detection of TE could not be demonstrated. However, while most TE cases with previous clear deviations in neurobehavioral tests (TE 2B) showed a stable impairment at re-testing, cases without previous deviations (TE 2A) were unstable at re-testing, which suggests that repeated examinations might improve the assessment. Paper II showed that a sample of Swedish MCS cases did not have any obvious deviations in the neurobehavioral test battery. Paper III demonstrated that the Swedish MCS sample had a partially elevated mental distress profile in the Symptom Checklist 90, similar to previous reports on North American MCS cases – a profile much lower and more limited than found among Swedish TE cases. The TE group had elevations on several anxiety- and aggression-related scales of the Karolinska Scales of Personality trait inventory, while the MCS sample scored slightly higher than referents on only one single anxiety scale (psychasthenia). Neither group showed any deviation in the personality test Meta-Contrast Technique. Neither the TE nor the MCS group showed higher than normal ratings of health risks from environmental threats, thus not supporting a cognitively based generalized fear of ambient factors as a factor of importance in MCS. In Paper IV and V the smell intolerance reactions common in TE cases were explored, aiming to develop a standardized chemical challenge design for the assessment of chemical intolerance. The annoyance reactions of TE cases was successfully reproduced during controlled chemical challenge at exposure levels below known levels for acute CNS-effects and trigeminal irritation. However, a corresponding performance reduction in neurobehavioral tests was not observed. Neither annoyance level nor test performance was related to the neurotoxic properties of the solvents used during the challenges.
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| 109. |
- Österberg, Kai, et al.
(författare)
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Psychological test performance during experimental challenge to toluene and n-butyl acetate in cases of solvent-induced toxic encephalopathy
- 2000
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140. ; 26:3, s. 219-226
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: This study determined whether performance in neurobehavioral tests deteriorates during subjectively annoying chemical challenge below known neurotoxic thresholds among persons with toxic encephalopathy with subjective hypersensitivity to chemicals. METHODS: Subjects with symptoms and previous neuropsychological test results compatible with toxic encephalopathy (TE) of either type 2A (N=12) or 2B (N=12) and unexposed referents (N=12) were challenged in an exposure chamber. In a counterbalanced design, the subjects were exposed on 2 occasions to increasing air concentrations of n-butyl acetate and toluene at levels well below the thresholds for neurotoxic effects. Attention and motor speed tests were given (i) in room air outside the chamber before the challenge, (ii) in room air inside the chamber before the exposure, (iii) at 12 ppm (44 or 56 mg/m3), and (iv) at 48 ppm (at 180 or 228 mg/m3). RESULTS: For both substances the TE groups showed a slight increase (deterioration) in the simple reaction-time task during chemical exposure, but not in the complex reaction-time task or in the digit symbol test of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Contrary to reference subjects, the TE subjects did not show any improvement or learning effect in the digit symbol test over the chamber phases. n-Butyl acetate tended to affect cognitive functioning more obviously than toluene did. Suggestion or expectancy effects were not observed in any group in the clean-air baseline conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The results do not support the notion that men with subjective hypersensitivity to chemicals would be more affected than healthy men regarding cognitive functioning during annoying solvent exposure below thresholds for acute neurotoxic effects.
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| 110. |
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