Behavioral treatment of essential hypertension: a comparison between cognitive therapy and biofeedback of heart rate

The efficacy and the mechanisms of action of two behavioral treatments for essential hypertension were compared: cognitive group therapy for anger control and biofeedback for heart rate control. The cognitive therapy aimed at lowering the "general anger" level and helping overt expression of "anger out;" heart rate biofeedback aimed at slowing heart rate in stress situations. Ninety-seven essential hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to three groups; after 20 dropouts, 77 patients fully participated in the study: cognitive treatment (N = 30), biofeedback (N = 27), and control (no treatment, N = 20). The treatments were held in 17 weekly sessions; during treatment, blood pressure was measured once a month, and during follow-up after 1 and 6 months. The anger level and heart rate control were assessed at the beginning and the end of treatment. The main results were: 1) a significant decrease of blood pressure for both treatments as compared with control, 2) a significant decrease of blood pressure with heart rate biofeedback as compared with cognitive therapy, and 3) a better control in anger achieved with cognitive therapy and a lesser control in heart rate as compared with biofeedback.     

Pathway Home™ for High Utilizers of Psychiatric Inpatient Services: Impact on Inpatient Days and Outpatient Engagement

Community Mental Health Journal - This study examined the impact of Pathway Home™ (PH) transition services for high utilizers of psychiatric hospitalization on inpatient days and outpatient...     

Effects of conjugated equine estrogen on health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women with hysterectomy: results from the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial of conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs), involving 10,739 postmenopausal women with hysterectomy, aged 50 to 79 years, was stopped early owing to lack of overall health benefit and increased risk of stroke. Because CEE is still prescribed for treatment of menopausal symptoms and prevention of osteoporosis, it is important to understand the overall impact of this therapy on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHODS: All participants completed 6 specific measures of quality of life at baseline and 1 year, and a subsample (n = 1189) also completed the questions 3 years after randomization. Changes in scores were analyzed for treatment effect. RESULTS: Randomization to CEE was associated with a statistically significant but small reduction in sleep disturbance at year 1 compared with baseline (mean benefit, 0.4 points on a 20-point scale) and a statistically significant but small negative effect on social functioning (mean effect, -1.3 points on a 100-point scale). There were no significant improvements due to CEE in the areas of general health, physical functioning, pain, vitality, role functioning, mental health, depressive symptoms, cognitive function, or sexual satisfaction at year 1. A subgroup examined 3 years after baseline had no significant benefits for any HRQOL outcomes. Among women aged 50 to 54 years with moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms at baseline, CEE did not improve any of the HRQOL variables at year 1. CONCLUSION: In this trial of postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy, oral CEE did not have a clinically meaningful effect on HRQOL.     

Research staff turnover and participant adherence in the Women's Health Initiative

Maintaining participant adherence is a prerequisite for successful completion of randomized controlled trials requiring long-term follow-up. While patient characteristics influencing adherence are well studied, the influence of contact with clinical staff on this process has received almost no attention. To address this issue the authors evaluated the association of turnover in key clinical research staff with measures of participant adherence to protocol requirements at 40 clinical centers participating in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a large multicenter study. Key staff turnover in positions with potential influence on maintaining participant adherence in the Dietary Modification Clinical Trial (DM-CT) and the two Menopausal Hormone Therapy Clinical Trials (HT-CT) of the WHI was determined at each clinical center. Three prospectively established measures of participant adherence for the DM-CT and HT-CT were related to key staff turnover at each clinical center by staff category. More frequent turnover of the clinic practitioner, clinic manager, and principal investigator positions was significantly (p<0.05) associated with lower participant adherence in the HT-CT but was not associated with DM-CT participant adherence. More frequent turnover of the lead nutritionist was not associated with HT-CT participant adherence but was significantly (p<0.05) associated with one measure of decreased DM-CT participant adherence, as would be expected since the lead nutritionist did not typically see the HT-CT participants. These significant and plausible associations suggest that providing consistent contact with key staff in randomized, controlled clinical trials may facilitate long-term participant adherence. Further prospective study exploring process evaluation of the provider side of controlled trial conduct is indicated.     

Khat-induced hypnagogic hallucinations

Khat is a plant whose leaves are chewed for their stimulating effect. This effect is attributed to cathinone, an alkaloid identical to dextroamphetamine. Khat chewing is widespread among eastern African and Yemenite populations and is believed to be innocuous. Our experience shows, however, that a substantial number of chronic khat chewers experience persistent hypnagogic hallucinations - a symptom that has not yet been described. Three vignettes illustrates this phenomena, which often interferes with psychiatric diagnosis. Different explanatory models are discussed, among them chronic suppression of REM sleep.