Psychotherapy with Multiple-Sclerosis Patients

2000 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 495-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnold Langenmayr ◽  
Norbert Schöttes

We wanted to find out if psychotherapy may influence the course of the physical aspects of multiple sclerosis and the consequences of psychotherapy for coping processes. 46 patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis who had chosen to undergo a 1-yr. group psychotherapy treatment were compared with a control group of 24 multiple-sclerosis patients without such treatment. They were given the Giessen test (personality test), the Achievement Capacities Questionnaire by Kesselring, an intensive interview as well as the content analysis scales of verbal behavior by Gottschalk and Gleser. The various tests were carried out at each of four times of measurement with a 2-yr. follow-up. There were significant changes in the area of relationships and aggressive loosening (interview) between the Therapy and Control groups. Several changes were also found with regard to physical symptoms (Achievement Capacities Questionnaire) in the Therapy group compared to the Control group, e.g., increases in physical mobility and decreases in care of the body. The decreases appear to be a known effect of therapy with psychosomatic disorders. We interpret it psychoanalytically as resistance against releasing anxiety of countercathected motives which multiple sclerosis helps to keep unconscious. In a follow-up, the Therapy group showed greater optimism and physical improvements, e.g., decrease in feeling cold and lack of energy. Some positive changes appeared in both groups, such as, for example, an improvement of cognitive impairment (Gottschalk & Gleser). It appears that the attention from the research itself may have affected both groups because some members of both groups were in contact and hence the Control group was also informed about the research project and its underlying hypothesis.

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 480-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Dalgas ◽  
E. Stenager ◽  
J. Jakobsen ◽  
T. Petersen ◽  
HJ Hansen ◽  
...  

Fatigue occurs in the majority of multiple sclerosis patients and therapeutic possibilities are few. Fatigue, mood and quality of life were studied in patients with multiple sclerosis following progressive resistance training leading to improvement of muscular strength and functional capacity. Fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale, FSS), mood (Major Depression Inventory, MDI) and quality of life (physical and mental component scores, PCS and MCS, of SF36) were scored at start, end and follow-up of a randomized controlled clinical trial of 12 weeks of progressive resistance training in moderately disabled (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS: 3—5.5) multiple sclerosis patients including a Control group ( n = 15) and an Exercise group ( n = 16). Fatigue (FSS > 4) was present in all patients. Scores of FSS, MDI, PCS—SF36 and MCS—SF36 were comparable at start of study in the two groups. Fatigue improved during exercise by —0.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) —1.4 to 0.4) a.u. vs. 0.1 (95% CI —0.4 to 0.6) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.04), mood improved by —2.4 (95% CI —4.1 to 0.7) a.u. vs. 1.1 (—1.2 to 3.4) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.01) and quality of life (PCS—SF36) improved by 3.5 (95% CI 1.4—5.7) a.u. vs. —1.0 (95% CI —3.4—1.4) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.01). The beneficial effect of progressive resistance training on all scores was maintained at follow-up after further 12 weeks. Fatigue, mood and quality of life all improved following progressive resistance training, the beneficial effect being maintained for at least 12 weeks after end of intervention.


Author(s):  
Jihen Maatoug ◽  
Sihem Ben Fredj ◽  
Zeineb Msakni ◽  
Emna Dendana ◽  
Jihene Sahli ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Obesity is a serious health issue and predisposes individuals to an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Its prevalence in children has increased worldwide. Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of a school-based management program based on healthy lifestyle promotion for obese and overweight adolescents in Sousse, Tunisia. Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study among overweight and obese school children enrolled in 7th and 8th grades in Sousse, Tunisia with two groups, intervention and control. The 1-year intervention was based on promoting healthy eating and physical activity through a collective intervention for all recruited children and an individual intervention only for obese children who require intensive managing. Data collection was done before, at the end and at a 4-month follow up of the intervention, both in intervention and control groups. Results: The body mass index Z score decreased significantly from pre-intervention to post-intervention (1.89±0.57 to 1.76±0.63, p<0.001) and from post-intervention to the follow-up (1.76±0.63 to 1.55±0.68, p<0.001) in the intervention group. In the control group, it decreased significantly from pre-intervention to post-intervention but not significantly from post-intervention to follow-up assessment. Calorie intake decreased significantly both in intervention and control groups. Conclusion: This project began with introducing a new culture of health management in schools on one side and with increasing awareness of the importance of obesity prevention and treatment. The support of authorities for this type of action is very important to guarantee its sustainability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Razieh Eatesamipour ◽  
Khadigeh Ramazanzade Moghadam ◽  
Borzo Amirpor

Background: Since COVID-19 is a new disease with devastating effects worldwide, its emergence and spread aroused confusion, anxiety, and fear among the public. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of paradox therapy on the COVID-19 anxiety in adult population in Jahrom, Iran. Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a two-month follow-up. The research population encompassed all individuals willing to participate in the present study who were residing in Jahrom during 2020-2021. According to the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, 30 participants with high levels of COVID-19 anxiety were selected using the convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental group received eight sessions of paradox therapy; however, the control group remained on the waiting list. The research tools included structured clinical interviews and the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using Friedman’s statistical method. Results: The results showed that paradox therapy was effective in decreasing COVID-19 anxiety (P = 0.001) and its psychological (P = 0.001) and physical (P = 0.002) symptoms, and the scores of the COVID-19-induced psychological and physical symptoms in the posttest phase were significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group (P < 0.001). The decrease was noticed in the follow-up phase as well. Conclusions: According to the results, paradox therapy can effectively reduce anxiety and its psychological and physical symptoms due to COVID-19.


Author(s):  
Sameh Said ◽  
Shwikar Ahmed ◽  
Mona Hamdy ◽  
Richard Wani ◽  
Ahmed Ibrahim ◽  
...  

Background: Gut microbiota cluster into three enterotypes named the Bacteroides, Prevotella and Ruminococcus. While each person’s microbial “fingerprint” is unique, there are specific patterns seen in those that are healthy and those that have specific illnesses. The aim of the present study is to identify the enterotypes that are likely related to Multiple Sclerosis Egyptian patients as well as their possible role in the course of the disease. Subjects & Methods: Thirty patients with remitting relapsing multiple sclerosis, who presented to the MS Clinic of Alexandria University Hospital were enrolled in our study. These were diagnosed according to according to McDonnald 2017 criteria. A cross matching control group of 20 healthy subjects of similar age and sex were included. Stool specimens were taken from each. Quantitative SYBR Green Real-Time PCR was done for the identification and quantitation of Bacteroides, Prevotella and Ruminococcus which constitute the core of the three major enterotypes. Results: Enterotype 1 is the most common enterotype detected in MS and control cases (80% versus 65%). For Enterotype 3, it was not detected in any of the 20 control cases while detected in multiple sclerosis case (16.7%). However, by comparing the multiple sclerosis and control cases Enterotype 2 is significantly less in multiple sclerosis than control (3.3% versus 35%). Conclusion: Although Enterotype 2 is significantly less in multiple sclerosis patients, collapsing the whole microbiome variations into dominant enterotypes was not appropriate to identify disease association or to be used as a disease biomarker.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsu Po Chiang ◽  
Miguel Aguiar ◽  
Bruno Tavares ◽  
Wilson Mathias ◽  
Bruno C Borges ◽  
...  

Introduction: Preclinical studies in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) indicate that high mechanical index impulses guided with transthoracic diagnostic ultrasound associated with intravenously administered microbubbles results in the dissolution of the thrombus (sonothrombolysis), improving coronary microcirculation and epicardial coronary recanalization rate. Hypothesis: Left atrial (LA) echocardiographic parameters are compromised in STEMI and can be accurately measured by two-dimensional echocardiography. To study the effect of sonotrombolysis on the LA pressure and volume we propose our study. Methods: A total of 100 patients were randomized, 50 for the control group and 50 for the therapy group. Echocardiographic analysis of LA pressure and volume were performed immediately before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), 72 hours, 1 month and 6 months of follow-up. LA pressure was classified in normal or elevated, depending on the grade of left ventricular diastolic disfunction (DD): normal diastolic function and DD grade 1 have normal LA pressure, and DD grades 2 and 3 have elevated LA pressure, according to the American and European guideline. LA volume was evaluated by Simpson method and indexed to the body surface area. Results: The LA pressure and volume had lower values in the therapy group after 6 months of PCI. The comparison of LA pressure between the therapy and control groups respectively was: before PCI (72% vs. 70% normal; 28% vs. 30% elevated; p=0.826), after PCI (68% vs. 65% normal; 32% vs. 35% elevated; p=0.777), 72 hours (75% vs. 62% normal; 25% vs. 38% elevated; p=0.147), 1 month (68% vs. 52% normal; 32% vs. 48% elevated; p=0.123) and 6 months (84% vs. 64% normal; 16% vs. 36% elevated; p=0.035). The comparison of LA volumes between the therapy and control groups respectively was: before PCI (19.0±6.2 vs. 22.4±9.8 ml/m 2 ; p=0.061), after PCI (22.8±7.9 vs. 24.4±12.1 ml/m 2 ; p=0.469), 72 hours (25.9±8.5 vs. 26.4±12.7 ml/m 2 ; p=0.815), 1 month (27.2±8.3 vs. 29.1±13.1 ml/m 2 ; p=0.410) and 6 months (26.7±7.5 vs. 33.1±14.9 ml/m 2 ; p=0.013). Conclusions: The use of sonothrombolysis as adjuvant therapy in STEMI patients results in better values of LA pressure and volume, demonstrating the benefit of using this new therapy.


1969 ◽  
Vol 115 (524) ◽  
pp. 765-775 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Jambor

In previous studies the estimation of the incidence of intellectual changes in multiple sclerosis has varied from as low as 2 per cent. (Cottrell and Wilson, 1926) to as high as 72 per cent. (Ombredane, 1929). In order to establish the incidence accurately, the most satisfactory method would clearly be a long-term follow-up (covering lifetime) of a sample of multiple sclerosis patients. Any cross-sectional study would include patients in varying degrees of advancement of the disease, and patients found to be free of intellectual deficits at the time of investigation would not necessarily remain so. Also, the indirect psychometric assessment of intellectual loss is notoriously difficult, and the direct method of follow-up would give much more accurate results. The only direct study up to date has been that of Canter (1951), who found a highly significant (i.e. 13·48 points) loss on re-testing multiple sclerosis patients on the Army General Classification Test after a four-year period. Even after such a short period as six months he found slight losses on most Wechsler-Bellevue subtests, in contrast to an average gain of six full IQ points of the control group.


2010 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. S112
Author(s):  
Alberto J. Leon ◽  
Victoriano J. Leon ◽  
Jesus L. Cacho ◽  
Jesus Arcaya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursula Muñoz ◽  
Cristina Sebal ◽  
Esther Escudero ◽  
Maria Isabel García Sánchez ◽  
Elena Urcelay ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: The detection of intrathecal IgA synthesis (IAS) in multiple sclerosis (MS) is cumbersome, for this reason, we developed a highly sensitive assay to assess it in MS. Methods: 151 MS patients and 22 controls with different neurological diseases were recruited. IgA concentration was analyzed by ELISA. Oligoclonal IgA bands to detect IAS were determined by a new ultrasensitive assay based on isoelectrofocusing (IEF). Results: Most individuals showed an IgA concentration within normal range in serum samples (95.95%) but 38.41% of individuals had a low IgA concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), with no significant differences observed between MS and control groups, neither in CSF nor in serum. The new IEF was more sensitive than those previously described (0.01 mg/dl of IgA), and clearly identified patients with and without IAS, that was not related with IgA concentration. MS patients showed higher percentage of IAS (43.00%) than the control group (18.20) (p = 0.035), because the incidence was especially higher in MS patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS, 66.00%). Conclusions: Intrathecal IgA synthesis is observed more frequently in MS patients than in other neurological diseases, and with higher incidence than assumed in the past.


Author(s):  
Yasaman JAMSHIDI ◽  
Mohammad Reza POURMAND ◽  
Zahra PAKBAZ ◽  
Amirhossein POURMAND ◽  
Abbas RAHIMI FOROUSHANI ◽  
...  

Background: Asymptomatic nasal colonization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus is common in Multiple Sclerosis patients. SCCmec types I to III are mainly attributed to HA-MRSA strains whereas SCCmec types IV and V have commonly been reported in CA-MRSA infections. Here, we assessed the frequency of nasal carriage of MRSA in MS patients. This study aimed to evaluate MRSA SCCmec typing in MS nasal carriage. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from Feb and Jun 2017 in MS Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Iran. Overall, 620 nasal swabs were collected (325 from MS patients and 295 from control group). Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the disk diffusion and E-test method. Presence of mecA gene was confirmed by PCR assay and multiplex PCR was performed for SCCmec typing of MRSA isolates. Results: The frequency of MRSA among the MS patients and control group was almost equal (9.2% and 10.1%, respectively). SCCmec typing detected only types III, IV and V in both groups and type IV was the most predominant type in MS patients and control group. SCCmec type III was more prevalent in control group than MS patients (40% vs. 20%). Moreover, the frequency of SCCmec type V in MS patients was significantly higher than control group (36.7% vs. 3.3%). Conclusion: Although most MRSA isolates were collected from inpatients, interestingly there is a high frequency of SCCmec types IV and V in MS group. Moreover, MRSA isolates were not resistant to more antibiotics in SCCmec type III than types IV-V.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azam Azari ◽  
Hamid Kazemi-Zahrani ◽  
Masoumeh Mohammadi Khashouei

<p>Because of multiple psychological-physical symptoms and failure to accept the reality, multiple sclerosis (MS), patients are suffering from negative mood disorders and fatigue which affects their life quality negatively. Therefore this study has been conducted to determine the effect of Dohsa Psycho-Motor Rehabilitation Method on fatigue severity, sleep quality, and Resilience promotion of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Isfahan, Iran. A quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test and follow up was administered on both the experimental and control groups. The population consisted of all patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Isfahan with clinical and MS society records. By purposive sampling 30 patients were selected for the experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. Patients completed fatigue (FSS), Scale of sleep quality (PSQI) and Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) questionnaire before the beginning of the treatment (pretest) and also later for post-test. Dohsa treatment duration was ten sessions, three sessions per week and their post test was administered 30 days later. Finally, data were analyzed using SPSS18. The results of the multivariable covariance analysis showed that Dohsa Psycho-Motor Rehabilitation Method decreases fatigue severity, increases quality of sleep, and resilience of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (p&lt;0.001). Since MS disease has led to widespread symptoms and different clinical signs, MS patients may need psychological rehabilitation in the future, therefore Dohsa Psycho-Motor Rehabilitation Method is an effective treatment for reducing fatigue, improving sleep quality and increasing the resilience of multiple sclerosis patients.</p>


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