Using Beta-blockers to Control Stage Fright: A Dancer’s Dilemma

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-76
Author(s):  
David Alan Harris
Keyword(s):  
Beta Blockers ◽  
Internal Conflict ◽  
Stage Fright ◽  
Comparable Data ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Safety And Efficacy ◽  
Exercise Metabolism ◽  
Control Stage ◽  
Orchestral Musicians ◽  
Neuroendocrine Activation

Performing artists face numerous challenges, of which few may be more threatening to a meaningful career than performance anxiety. Stage fright, as this anxiety is commonly known, involves an internal conflict between the need to display one’s artistry publicly and the concurrent fear of proving inadequate and ultimately suffering public rejection. Typically presenting as a fear of humiliation in situations involving scrutiny by others, this phobia is frequently associated with behavioral, cardiovascular, and neuroendocrine activation, and can manifest itself in a variety of physical discomforts. A body of research demonstrates successful alleviation of orchestral musicians’ stage fright through use of such blocking agents. No comparable data have been collected among dance artists of any kind, however, and given certain effects of b-blockade on exercise metabolism, targeted investigations assessing both safety and efficacy in this population are needed.

scholarly journals Health problems of orchestral musicians from a life-span perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 205920431773980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heiner Gembris ◽  
Andreas Heye ◽  
Andreas Seifert
Keyword(s):  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Average Frequency ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Stage Fright ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physical Problems ◽  
Medical Issues ◽  
Orchestral Musicians ◽  
Sampling Procedures

The profession of orchestral musician is often linked to musculoskeletal problems, hearing disorders, and struggles with stage fright. However, data on the prevalence of physical problems are very divergent because of different research methods and sampling procedures. It is to be expected that physical problems generally increase with age, but the literature on medical issues that affect musicians contains very few studies on this aspect. In light of this, the data produced by a cross-sectional study of 2,536 musicians from 133 professional symphony orchestras in Germany were analyzed with regard to a number of health aspects. The data from 894 female (36%) and 1,607 male (64%) professional orchestral musicians aged between 20 and 69 ( M = 45.5, SD = 9.52) were used to study physical problems, their duration and intensity, and psychological difficulties (such as pressure to perform in the orchestra and stage fright) in conjunction with variables such as age, gender, instrument family, position in the orchestra, and category of orchestra. The various health problems were also examined in relation to health behaviors, including preventative actions taken (nutrition, sleep, etc.). The results showed that more than one in two (55%) of the orchestral musicians who took part in the survey were suffering at the time from physical problems that affected their playing. The prevalence increased significantly with advancing age, and string players and harpists had an above-average frequency of experiencing physical problems. Interestingly, there was no significant correlation between the severity of problems and different health behaviors (including preventative action). Around half (49%) of the orchestral musicians said they felt the pressure to perform was intensifying, something that they partly attributed to an increase in artistic demands. The findings are discussed with reference to existing empirical results, potential methods of prevention and treatment, social aspects, and health-care policies.

Genees & Kunst 7: Seventh Biannual Symposium on Medical Problems of Dancers & Musicians, Amsterdam, October 11, 2008

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-49
Author(s):  
A.B.M. (Boni) Rietveld ◽  
C.I.C.A. (Camilla) Winterkorn-Pierrot
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Occupational Medicine ◽  
Beta Blockers ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Medical Centre ◽  
Stage Fright ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Performing Arts Medicine ◽  
Professional Dancers

On Saturday, October 11, 2008, the Dutch Performing Arts Medicine Association (NVDMG) organized a scientific and artistic symposium, Genees & Kunst 7, for its seventh member assembly, at the Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre in Amsterdam. Scientific presentations, interspersed with dance and music performances, were given by NVDMG members and by two invited international speakers: P. Lewton-Brain, Dancing uphill, insights into dancing on raked (inclined) stages, and Dr. J. Schloemicher-Thier, Occupational medicine in the Salzburger Festspiele. Other presenters included: Dr. A. de Gast, Functional impingement of the shoulder due to poor posture in musicians; Dr. C.C. de Cock, Beta-blockers and stage fright; Ms. A.E. Felter, Report of a study on the relation between dance floors and dance injuries; Dr. D.E. Meuffels, ACL injury in professional dancers; and Mr. G.J.F. de Haas, AD(H)D in musicians and dancers.

Stage Fright in Musicians: A Model Illustrating the Effect of Beta Blockers

1982 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 461-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus A. Neftel ◽  
Rolf H. Adler ◽  
Louis Kappeli ◽  
Mario Rossi ◽  
Martin Dolder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beta Blockers ◽  
Stage Fright

scholarly journals Treatment of migraine in patients with CADASIL

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 488-496
Author(s):  
Patrick A. Glover ◽  
Eric D. Goldstein ◽  
Mohammed K. Badi ◽  
Tara J. Brigham ◽  
Elizabeth R. Lesser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autosomal Dominant ◽  
Beta Blockers ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Migraine Treatment ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Consensus Guidelines ◽  
Safety And Efficacy ◽  
Cerebrovascular Autoregulation ◽  
Theoretical Risk

BackgroundMigraine is a common and often refractory feature for individuals with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) without consensus guidelines for treatment. Migraine treatment poses a theoretical risk within this unique population with precarious cerebrovascular autoregulation, given the vasomodulatory influence of many antimigraine medications. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluate the frequency and efficacy of treatments for migraine in individuals with CADASIL.MethodsA search protocol was designed to include all available publications reporting antimigraine therapies for CADASIL. Individual responses to medications were categorized as unfavorable, neutral, or favorable. Responses across medication classes were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test.ResultsThirteen studies were included, yielding a cohort of 123 individuals with a median age of 53 years (range: 23–83 years), with 61% (75/123) being women. No controlled trials were identified. Simple analgesics (35.8%, 44/123) and beta-blockers (22.0%, 27/123) were the most common abortive and prophylactic strategies, respectively. Over half (54.4%) of all patients had used more than 1 medication sequentially or concomitantly. Beta-blockers were significantly associated with a neutral or unfavorable response (13.5%, 22/163, p = 0.004). We found no significant associations among other medication categories.ConclusionsMigraine in CADASIL remains a formidable therapeutic challenge, with patients often tried on several medications. Antimigraine prophylaxis with beta-blockers may be contraindicated relative to other common therapies in CADASIL. Controlled studies are needed to rigorously evaluate the safety and efficacy of antimigraine therapies in this population.

Safety and efficacy of beta-blockers to improve oxygenation in patients on veno-venous ECMO

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 248-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen J.H. Bunge ◽  
Soufiane Diaby ◽  
Ana L. Valle ◽  
Jan Bakker ◽  
Diederik Gommers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beta Blockers ◽  
Safety And Efficacy

scholarly journals Transitions and Transcendence of the Self: Stage Fright and the Paradox of Shy Performativity

Sociology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-731
Author(s):  
Susie Scott
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Performance Art ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
The Self ◽  
Stage Fright ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Symbolic Interactionist ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Taking Action ◽  
Shifting Boundaries

This article explores the paradox of shy performativity, whereby people who identify as shy in everyday life can nevertheless give confident displays on stage. Professional performing artists’ accounts reveal that this is both enabled and complicated by transformations in consciousness concerning the Meadian social self. While taking on a fictional persona can provide liberating opportunities for the transcendent subject ‘I’, the critically self-doubting ‘Me’ reappears at certain moments, such as stage fright, transitions in and out of character, and disruptions of a scene’s dramatic frame. Managing the shifting boundaries between contrivance and reality creates ontological dangers, the brave pursuit of which presents a thrilling challenge for the shy performer. Symbolic Interactionist and dramaturgical theories are therefore applied alongside concepts of edgework and flow to analyse shy performance art as voluntary risk-taking action.

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