Influence of Chewing and Clenching on Salivary Cortisol Levels as an Indicator of Stress

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chewing and clenching on salivary cortisol levels as an indicator of stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen healthy dentulous subjects were given arithmetic exercises to perform within a 20-minute time limit in order to elicit stress (stress loading). In the first experiment (chewing), after stress loading, the subjects were asked to chew a paraffin wax while reading printed material (books, magazines, etc.) in silence for 10 minutes. The same procedure was then carried out again for control purposes, but this time the subjects were not required to chew wax. In the second experiment (light clenching), after stress loading, the subjects were required to carry out 5 seconds of light clenching followed by 5 seconds of rest repeatedly over a 3-minute period. The whole 3-minute process was repeated a total of three times. The control data for this second experiment consisted of measurements taken during the rest periods. Saliva specimens were collected in both experiments both before stress loading and after each procedure during 1-minute intervals to measure cortisol levels. RESULTS: In the chewing experiment, salivary cortisol levels were significantly reduced by chewing, compared with those in the controls (p < 0.05). This reduction in salivary cortisol was observed during chewing over a 10-minute period following stress loading. In the clenching experiment, salivary cortisol levels also showed a significant reduction during clenching, compared with those in the controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chewing and clenching promote relaxation in subjects under stress.     

水分胁迫条件下不同栽培居群菘蓝中4种有机酸的变化

目的:检测北京、内蒙古、河北和陕西等4个栽培居群菘蓝叶片中草酸、苹果酸、柠檬酸和抗坏血酸等4种有机酸成分含量的差异及在淹水胁迫下的变化.方法:采用高效液相色谱法测定正常及水分胁迫下不同栽培居群的菘蓝叶片中4种有机酸的含量.结果:不同栽培居群叶片中有机酸含量不同,而在水分胁迫条件下,各栽培居群有机酸含量变化趋势相同,草酸、苹果酸和柠檬酸含量升高,抗坏血酸含量下降.结论:不同栽培居群的菘蓝所含各有机酸存在一定差异,在水淹等逆境条件下,其叶片中有机酸含量发生不同程度地变化,并与其逆境生理密切相关.     

宁波普通高中教师职业压力、社会支持与亚健康躯体症状的典型相关分析

目的 探讨宁波市普通高中的教师心理压力,社会支持与亚健康状态的相关关系.方法 采用职业压力问卷、社会支持量表与亚健康躯体症状自评量表对随机抽取的128名宁波市普通高中教师进行相关关系分析.结果 当存在社会支持变量时,2组变量的典型相关系数达0.563,0.471( P <0.01).职业压力的增大与社会支持水平的减少都将导致教师亚健康躯体症状的增多.当撤去社会支持变量后,典型相关系数为0.497( P <0.01).典型变量ξ中"考试压力","工作负荷"与"职业期望"的因子负载分别增大为0.801,0.855,0.726.典型变量η中的"疲劳感觉"与"睡眠障碍"的因子负载分别增大为0.774,0.859.结论 社会支持水平在职业压力与亚健康躯体症状之间可能具有中介调节作用.     

September 11th related stress and trauma in New Yorkers

Exposure to trauma and stress has been linked with poor health, while forgiveness appears to be positively associated with health outcomes. The current study investigates whether traits such as forgiveness and ruminative tendencies predict levels of trauma and stress experienced by New York City residents on the 1‐year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attack. Seventy‐one students and staff members (57 females, 14 males) of a graduate school in New York City were administered the Impact of Events Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and questionnaires designed for the purpose of this study to measure ruminative tendencies and forgiveness on September 11, 2002. Rumination predicted levels of trauma (p < 0.05) and perceived stress (p < 0.01). Lower levels of forgiveness predicted perceived stress (p < 0.05), but not trauma. Rumination mediated the relationship between forgiveness and perceived stress. These findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of rumination have an elevated risk of experiencing trauma and stress‐related symptoms following a traumatic event. Forgiveness is associated with lower levels of stress, but not trauma, perhaps because trauma is an extreme form of stress. Forgiveness appears to serve as a buffer against stress more so in individuals with low levels of rumination than in individuals with high levels of rumination. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Short term correlates of the Neuro Emotional Technique for cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms: A pilot case series

Introduction As many as one quarter of all cancer survivors report traumatic stress symptoms from cancer-related experiences. While the majority of these patients do not meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is growing evidence that subsyndromal symptoms can significantly contribute to functional impairment and negative health outcomes. Treatment options for the hallmark symptoms of traumatic stress—unpleasant, intrusive thoughts and avoidant behaviors—have not been well investigated for the cancer survivorship population. Materials and methods Seven female cancer survivors with traumatic stress symptoms from cancer-related experiences and no other major psychopathology, were enrolled to receive three sessions of Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), a brief, targeted treatment that combines traditional desensitization principles with complementary modalities. Results Psychological outcome measures (Impact of Event Scale (IES) and Subjective Units of Distress (SUD) and physiological measures (Heart Rate (HR) and Skin Conductance Level (SCL) demonstrated the following changes: 71% on IES, 88% SUD, 74% on HR, and 65% on SCL following the intervention. Statistically significant changes were observed for all four parameters, and effect size g for proportion improved were 0.50 each for IES, SUD, and HR, and 0.20 for SCL. Conclusions These cases suggest feasibility of the NET intervention for cancer-related traumatic stress and the potential for change in symptoms and physiological reactivity. Further investigation is needed to determine the specific and long-term effects of such an approach. Implications for cancer survivors Traumatic stress from cancer-related experiences might represent a constellation of symptoms that are amenable to brief, targeted interventions. This study was supported by the O.N.E. Research Foundation     

Prospective multicenter clinical trial of Uretex Sup for surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence

AIM: To evaluate in a prospective multicenter study the efficacy and safety of the suburethral support Uretex (Sofradim, Trevoux, France) delivered by a suprapubic approach in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. METHODS: Between March 2002 and March 2003, 57 patients were treated for stress urinary incontinence with Uretex. Preoperative evaluation included urodynamic examination and questionnaires (symptoms and quality of life, Contilife). Forty patients had pure stress urinary incontinence and 17 mixed urinary incontinence. No associated procedure was performed. The objective cure rate was evaluated by clinical examination and pad-test, and the subjective cure rate was assessed through questionnaires at 1, 3 and 12 months. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 13 months (range 11-24 months). During follow up, chronic urinary retention requiring a tape section occurred in one patient, and in another patient a delay of vaginal healing was followed by a sling exposure and resection at 4 months. No infection or urethral erosion was reported. The objective cure rate was 96.2%, and the subjective cure rate was 79.2%; four patients reported low leakage on stress and nine patients complained of urge incontinence (four de novo and five persistent). CONCLUSION: The suprapubic Uretex Sup procedure is a safe and effective treatment for women with stress urinary incontinence.     

Association of psychological and physiological measures of stress in health‐care professionals during an 8‐week mindfulness meditation program: mindfulness in practice

Work stress, burnout, and diminished empathy are prevalent issues for health‐care professionals. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is one commonly used strategy to manage stress. Measuring salivary cortisol allows for the assessment of serum cortisol level, a known stress level indicator. This study evaluated the association of subject‐reported stress symptoms and salivary cortisol in health‐care professionals, in an 8‐week MM program, with data collected prospectively at baseline and 8 weeks after program completion. Questionnaires [Profile of Mood States—Short Form (POMS‐SF), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)] measured mood, burnout and empathy. A paired t‐test between groups for pre/post‐salivary cortisol yielded no significant change. The POMS‐SF was most sensitive to change (mean increase 12.4; p = 0.020). Emotional exhaustion, measured in the MBI, was also affected by MM (mean decrease 4.54; p = 0.001). Changes in empathy may not have been captured due to either absence of effect of MM on empathy, subject number or scale sensitivity. Baseline and 8‐week correlations between salivary cortisol and survey results, and correlations between changes in these measures, were weak and not statistically significant. Nevertheless, psychometric results present a strong case for additional clinical trials of MM to reduce stress for health‐care professionals. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

柴地合方对慢性应激大鼠大脑前额皮质和海马单胺类神经递质的影响

目的：研究柴地合方对脑组织单胺递质含量的影响，探讨其抗抑郁作用可能的机制。方法：复制大鼠慢性应激抑郁模型，慢性给予柴地合方，采用高效液相色谱系统(HPLC)加电化学检测器(ECD)检测前额皮质和海马组织中单胺类神经递质及相关代谢产物的含量。结果：慢性应激大鼠前额皮质中去甲肾上腺素(NE)、5羟色胺(5—HT)和3，4—二羟基苯乙酸(DOPAC)含量显著降低，柴地合方可以翻转这种降低；慢性应激大鼠海马中NE、5—HT含量显著降低，柴地合方可以部分逆转降低水平。结论：柴地合方可升高慢性应激模型大鼠前额皮质和海马中NE和5—HT水平，这可能是其抗抑郁的机制之一。     

Effect of moderate red wine intake on cardiac prognosis after recent acute myocardial infarction of subjects with Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background Oxidative stress and increased inflammation have been reported to be increased in subjects with diabetes and to be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications after myocardial infarction (MI). It is well recognized that red wine has antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities. We examined the effects of moderate red wine intake on echocardiographic parameters of functional cardiac outcome in addition to inflammatory cytokines and nitrotyrosine (oxidative stress marker), in subjects with diabetes after a first uncomplicated MI. Methods One hundred and fifteen subjects with diabetes who had sustained a first non‐fatal MI were randomized to receive a moderate daily amount of red wine (intervention group) or not (control group). Echocardiographic parameters of ventricular dys‐synchrony, circulating levels of nitrotyrosine, tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), interleukin‐18 (IL‐18) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) were investigated at baseline and 12 months after randomization. Results After 1 year of diet intervention, concentrations of nitrotyrosine (P < 0.01), CRP (P < 0.01), TNF‐α (P < 0.01), IL‐6 (P < 0.01) and IL‐18 (P < 0.01) were increased in the control group compared with the intervention group. In addition, myocardial performance index (P < 0.02) was higher, and transmitral Doppler flow (P < 0.05), pulmonary venous flow analysis (P < 0.02) and ejection fraction (P < 0.05) were lower in the control group, indicating ventricular dys‐synchrony. The concentrations of nitrotyrosine, CRP, TNF‐α and IL‐6 were related to echocardiographic parameters of ventricular dys‐synchrony. Conclusions In subjects with diabetes, red wine consumption, taken with meals, significantly reduces oxidative stress and pro‐inflammatory cytokines as well as improving cardiac function after MI. Moderate red wine intake with meals may have a beneficial effect in the prevention of cardiovascular complications after MI in subjects with diabetes.     

Lithium for irritability in Post-Traumatic stress disorder

Irritability is often a problem for patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We describe two cases that illustrate the use of lithium in the treatment of veterans with PTSD who complained of serious problems with irritability or angry outbursts. These cases are discussed in the context of evidence that lithium may be useful in other patients with disorders of impulse control. The evidence linking disorders of anger and impulse control to a dysregulation in neurotransmitter regulation, particularly in serotonergic pathways, supports a psychopharmacologic approach to treatment. These findings should lead to further study of the role of lithium in the treatment of this symptom complex in patients with PTSD.