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| 2. |
- Enblom, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Radiotherapy-induced Emesis in Patients Treated with Acupuncture, Sham Acupuncture or Standard Care : Effects of Unspecific Acupuncture Mechanisms
- 2010
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: It is not known if acupuncture or sham reduces radiotherapy-induced emesis more than standard care. Methods: Cancer patients were randomized to verum (skin penetrating) acupuncture (n = 109) in the alleged antiemetic acupuncture point PC6 or sham acupuncture (n = 106) performed with a telescopic nonpenetrating needle at a sham point during the whole radiotherapy period. The verum and sham treated patients were compared to a reference cohort receiving standard care only (n = 62). All patients received radiotherapy over abdominal or pelvic regions. The occurrence of emesis in each group was compared using replies documented in questionnaires after a mean dose of 27 Gray. Findings: Nausea (p=0.001) and vomiting were experienced during the preceding week by 37 and 7%, respectively, in the verum group, 38 and 7% in the sham group and 63 and 15% in the standard care group. The nausea intensity in the acupuncture cohort was lower (78% no nausea, 13% a little, 8% moderate, 1% much) compared to the standard care cohort (52% no nausea, 32% a little, 15% moderate, 2% much) (p=0.002). Almost all the verum and sham treated patients (95%) expected antiemetic effects from their treatment. Patients who expected nausea had increased risk for nausea compared to patients who expected low risk for nausea (relative risk 1.6; 95 % confidence interval 1.2-2.4). Interpretations: Both verum acupuncture and nonpenetrating sham acupuncture seem to reduce nausea and vomiting during radiotherapy, possibly by psychobiological mechanisms related to the extra care and expectancy.
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| 3. |
- Alme, Tomas Nordheim, et al.
(författare)
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Chronic fatigue syndromes: real illnesses that people can recover from
- 2023
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. - : TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. - 0281-3432 .- 1502-7724. ; 41:4, s. 372-376
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Oslo Chronic Fatigue Consortium consists of researchers and clinicians who question the current narrative that chronic fatigue syndromes, including post-covid conditions, are incurable diseases. Instead, we propose an alternative view, based on research, which offers more hope to patients. Whilst we regard the symptoms of these conditions as real, we propose that they are more likely to reflect the brains response to a range of biological, psychological, and social factors, rather than a specific disease process. Possible causes include persistent activation of the neurobiological stress response, accompanied by associated changes in immunological, hormonal, cognitive and behavioural domains. We further propose that the symptoms are more likely to persist if they are perceived as threatening, and all activities that are perceived to worsen them are avoided. We also question the idea that the best way to cope with the illness is by prolonged rest, social isolation, and sensory deprivation.Instead, we propose that recovery is often possible if patients are helped to adopt a less threatening understanding of their symptoms and are supported in a gradual return to normal activities. Finally, we call for a much more open and constructive dialogue about these conditions. This dialogue should include a wider range of views, including those of patients who have recovered from them.
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| 4. |
- Hansson, Lina S., 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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Perception of unfamiliar caregivers during sickness – Using the new Caregiver Perception Task (CgPT) during experimental endotoxemia
- 2024
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Ingår i: Brain, behavior, and immunity. - : ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE. - 0889-1591 .- 1090-2139. ; 119, s. 741-749
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Social withdrawal is a well-established part of sickness behavior, but in some contexts sick animals might gain from keeping close instead of keeping away. For instance, sick individuals are more willing to be near known individuals who can provide care and safety (close others) compared to when healthy. Yet, interactions with some strangers might also be beneficial (i.e., healthcare professionals), but it is not known how sickness interplay with social behavior towards such individuals. Here, we assessed if sickness affects perception of caregivers, and developed a new task, the Caregiver Perception Task (CgPT). Twenty-six participants performed the CgPT, once after an injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.8 ng/kg body weight, n = 24), and once after an injection of saline (n = 25), one hour and forty-five minutes post-injection. During the task, participants watched short video clips of three types of caregivers: a healthcare professional taking care of a sick individual, a healthcare professional not taking care of a sick individual, and a non-healthcare professional taking care of their sick adult child or partner. After each video clip, the likability, trustworthiness, professionalism, and willingness to interact with and receive care from the caregiver were rated on visual analogue scales. Results showed that participants injected with saline rated healthcare professionals who did not take care of a sick individual less positively on all aspects compared to healthcare professionals who took care of a sick individual. Moreover, compared to saline, LPS increased the participants’ willingness to receive care from healthcare professionals and non-healthcare professionals providing care, but not from healthcare professionals not providing care. Thus, our results indicate that sick individuals may approach unknown individuals with potential to provide care and support.
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| 5. |
- Hedman, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Internet- vs. group-based cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder : 4-Year follow-up of a randomized trial
- 2014
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Ingår i: Behaviour Research and Therapy. - : Elsevier. - 0005-7967 .- 1873-622X. ; 59, s. 20-29
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is common, debilitating and associated with high societal costs. The disorder can be effectively treated with Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT), but no previous study has investigated the long-term clinical or health economic effects of ICBT for SAD in comparison to an evidence-based control treatment. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of ICBT compared to cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) four years post-treatment. We conducted a 4-year follow-up study of participants who had received ICBT or CBGT for SAD within the context of a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. The cost-effectiveness analyses were conducted taking a societal perspective. Participants in both treatment groups made large improvements from baseline to 4-year follow-up on the primary outcome measure (d = 1.34-1.48) and the 95% CI of the mean difference on the primary outcome was well within the non-inferiority margin. ICBT and CBGT were similarly cost-effective and both groups reduced their indirect costs. We conclude that ICBT for SAD yields large sustainable effects and is at least as long-term effective as CBGT. Intervention costs of both treatments are offset by net societal cost reductions in a short time. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Hedman, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Mediators in internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for severe health anxiety
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- According to the cognitive behavioral model of severe health anxiety (hypochondriasis) four central maintaining mechanisms are how the individual perceives the risk of disease and how negative its consequences would be, attention to bodily sensations, and intolerance of uncertainty. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of these putative mechanisms in Internet-delivered CBT for severe health anxiety. We analyzed data from an RCT where participants were randomized to Internet-delivered CBT (n=40) or to a control condition (n=41). Mediators and outcome, i.e. health anxiety, were assessed weekly throughout the treatment, enabling fulfillment of the criterion of temporal precedence of changes occurring in the mediator in relation to the outcome to be met. The results showed that reduced perceived risk of disease, less attention to bodily symptoms, and reduced intolerance of uncertainty significantly mediated improvement in health anxiety. The study supports the validity of the cognitive behavioral model of health anxiety. The findings have theoretical and clinical implications as they indicate processes that may be causally related to the improvements observed after CBT for health anxiety.
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| 7. |
- Hedman, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Mediators in psychological treatment of social anxiety disorder: Individual cognitive therapy compared to cognitive behavioral group therapy
- 2013
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Ingår i: Behaviour Research and Therapy. - : Elsevier. - 0005-7967 .- 1873-622X. ; 51:10, s. 696-705
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- According to cognitive-behavioral models of social anxiety disorder (SAD), four of the important maintaining mechanisms are avoidance, self-focused attention, anticipatory processing and post-event cognitive processing. Individual cognitive therapy (ICT) and cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) both have substantial empirical support. However, it is unclear whether they achieve their effects by similar or different mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether changes in the four maintenance processes mediate clinical improvement in la and CBGT for SAD. We analyzed data from participants (N = 94) who received either ICT or CBGT in two separate RCTs. The results showed that ICT had larger effects than CBGT on social anxiety and each of the four potential mediators. More pertinently, moderated mediation analyses revealed significant between-treatment differences. Whereas improvement in ICT was mainly mediated by reductions in avoidance and self-focused attention, improvement in CBGT was mediated by changes in self-focused attention and in anticipatory and post-event processing. These results support the importance of the putative mediators, but suggest that their relative weights are moderated by treatment type.
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| 8. |
- Hedman, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Optimal Cut-Off Points on the Health Anxiety Inventory, Illness Attitude Scales and Whiteley Index to Identify Severe Health Anxiety
- 2015
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 10:4, s. e0123412-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Health anxiety can be viewed as a dimensional phenomenon where severe health anxiety in form of DSM-IV hypochondriasis represents a cut-off where the health anxiety becomes clinically significant. Three of the most reliable and used self-report measures of health anxiety are the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI), the Illness Attitude Scales (IAS) and the Whiteley Index (WI). Identifying the optimal cut-offs for classification of presence of a diagnosis of severe health anxiety on these measures has several advantages in clinical and research settings. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the HAI, IAS and WI as proximal diagnostic instruments for severe health anxiety defined as DSM-IV hypochondriasis. Methods We investigated sensitivity, specificity and predictive value on the HAI, IAS and WI using a total of 347 adult participants of whom 158 had a diagnosis of severe health anxiety, 97 had obsessive-compulsive disorder and 92 were healthy non-clinical controls. Diagnostic assessments were conducted using the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule. Results Optimal cut-offs for identifying a diagnosis of severe health anxiety was 67 on the HAI, 47 on the IAS, and 5 on the WI. Sensitivity and specificity were high, ranging from 92.6 to 99.4%. Positive and negative predictive values ranged from 91.6 to 99.4% using unadjusted prevalence rates. Conclusions The HAI, IAS and WI have very good properties as diagnostic indicators of severe health anxiety and can be used as cost-efficient proximal estimates of the diagnosis.
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| 9. |
- Hedman, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Personality Change following Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Severe Health Anxiety
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 9:12, s. e113871-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Personality traits have traditionally been viewed as stable, but recent studies suggest that they could be affected through psychological treatment. Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT) for severe health anxiety (DSM-IV hypochondriasis) has been shown to be effective in reducing health anxiety, but its effect on measures of personality traits has not been investigated. The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of ICBT on personality traits in the three broad dimensions -neuroticism, extraversion and aggression. We hypothesized that participants in ICBT would reduce their level of neuroticism compared to controls that did not receive the active treatment. No specific predictions were made regarding extraversion and aggression. Data from a randomized controlled trial were used in which participants were allocated to 12 weeks of ICBT (n=40) or to a basic attention control condition (n=41). Personality traits were assessed with the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality and the primary outcome of health anxiety was the Health Anxiety Inventory. There was a significant interaction effect of group and time on neuroticism-related scales, indicating larger pre-to post-treatment reductions in the Internet-based CBT group compared to the control condition. Analyses at 6-month follow-up showed that changes were stable. Traits relating to extraversion and aggression were largely unchanged. This study is the first to demonstrate that a brief ICBT intervention for severe health anxiety causes long-term changes in measures of personality traits related to neuroticism. The treatment thus has a broader impact than just reducing health anxiety.
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| 10. |
- Hedman, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Predictors of outcome in Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for severe health anxiety
- 2013
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Ingår i: Behaviour Research and Therapy. - : Elsevier. - 0005-7967 .- 1873-622X. ; 51:10, s. 711-717
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for severe health anxiety can be effective, but not all patients achieve full remission. Under these circumstances, knowledge about predictors is essential for the clinician in order to make reliable treatment recommendations. The primary aim of this study was to investigate clinical, demographic, and therapy process-related predictors of Internet-based CBT for severe health anxiety. We performed three types of analyses on data from a sample comprising participants (N = 81) who had received Internet-based CBT in a randomized controlled trial. Outcomes were a) end state health anxiety, b) improvement in health anxiety (continuous change scores), and c) clinically significant improvement. Outcomes were assessed at six-month follow-up. The results showed that the most stable predictors of both end state health anxiety and improvement were baseline health anxiety and depressive symptoms. Treatment adherence, i.e. the number of completed treatment modules, also significantly predicted outcome. Notably, health anxiety at baseline was positively associated with symptom improvement while depressive symptoms was negatively related to improvement. Demographic factors were largely without significant impact on end state symptoms or improvement. We conclude that baseline symptom burden and adherence to treatment have strong predictive effects in Internet-based CBT for severe health anxiety.
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