Alterations in electrodermal activity and cardiac parasympathetic tone during hypnosis

Exploring autonomic nervous system (ANS) changes during hypnosis is critical for understanding the nature and extent of the hypnotic phenomenon and for identifying the mechanisms underlying the effects of hypnosis in different medical conditions. To assess ANS changes during hypnosis, electrodermal activity and pulse rate variability (PRV) were measured in 121 young adults. Participants either received hypnotic induction (hypnosis condition) or listened to music (control condition), and both groups were exposed to test suggestions. Blocks of silence and experimental sound stimuli were presented at baseline, after induction, and after de-induction. Skin conductance level (SCL) and high frequency (HF) power of PRV measured at each phase were compared between groups. Hypnosis decreased SCL compared to the control condition; however, there were no group differences in HF power. Furthermore, hypnotic suggestibility did not moderate ANS changes in the hypnosis group. These findings indicate that hypnosis reduces tonic sympathetic nervous system activity, which might explain why hypnosis is effective in the treatment of disorders with strong sympathetic nervous system involvement, such as rheumatoid arthritis, hot flashes, hypertension, and chronic pain. Further studies with different control conditions are required to examine the specificity of the sympathetic effects of hypnosis

Hypnosis for acute procedural pain: a critical review

Clinical evidence for the effectiveness of hypnosis in the treatment of acute procedural pain was critically evaluated based on reports from randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). Results from the 29 RCTs meeting inclusion criteria suggest that hypnosis decreases pain compared to standard care and attention control groups and that it is at least as effective as comparable adjunct psychological or behavioral therapies. In addition, applying hypnosis in multiple sessions prior to the day of the procedure produced the highest percentage of significant results. Hypnosis was most effective in minor surgical procedures. However, interpretations are limited by considerable risk of bias. Further studies using minimally effective control conditions and systematic control of intervention dose and timing are required to strengthen conclusions

Az anya–magzat kötődést mérő Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale kérdőív magyar nyelvű adaptálása és felhasználásának lehetőségei az ultrahang-kommunikációs vizsgálatok során

Absztrakt Bevezetés: Az ultrahangvizsgálatok kommunikációs hatékonyságát vizsgáló kutatások arra hívják fel a figyelmet, hogy a szorongásoldáson túl alkalmasak az anya és magzata közötti kötődés megerősítésére. Célkitűzés: A szerzők célja az intrauterin kötődés mérésére használt leggyakoribb eszköz, a Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale magyar nyelvű adaptálása volt. Módszer: 114 várandós anya a második és harmadik trimeszter idején vett részt a kérdőíves vizsgálatban, amelyben a Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale magyar nyelvű változatát és egy adatlapot töltöttek ki. Eredmények: A kérdőív belső konzisztenciája kiváló volt, a Cronbach-alfa 0,87-os értéket mutatott az összpontszám tekintetében. A kérdőívben szignifikánsan magasabb pontszámot értek el a házasságban élő anyák, és emelkedett a pontszám a várandósság előrehaladásával. A magzat nemére vonatkozó bizonytalanság negatív irányba befolyásolta a kötődést. Nem találtak szignifikáns kapcsolatot a kötődési összpontszám és számos pszichoszociális tényező között. Következtetések: A Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale magyar nyelvű változata alkalmas mérőeszköz lehet a kötődést erősítő ultrahangos szűrővizsgálati helyzetek elemzésére a családközpontú várandósgondozásban. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(20), 789–795

Előzetes eredmények egy magyar mintán kidolgozott Intrauterin Kapcsolati Kérdőív méréses tapasztalatairól – pilot study = Az anya–magzat kapcsolat párkapcsolattal és szülői bánásmóddal való összefüggéseinek vizsgálata = Preliminary results of the reliability and validity of the Intrauterine Relationship Questionnaire, a scale developed on a Hungarian sample – pilot study : Investigation of the mother–fetus attachment and its correlation with partnership and parental bonding

Elméleti háttér Az 1980-as évektől kutatják az „anyai környezet” magzati fejlődésre gyakorolt hatását, ám az eredmények nem konzekvensek az anya–magzat kapcsolatot befolyásoló tényezőket illetően. Cél Magyar mintán kialakítani egy anya–magzat kapcsolatot mérő kérdőívet, valamint feltárni az intrauterin kötődésben meghatározó szerepet játszó jellegzetességeket. Módszerek 114, 15 és 38 gesztációs hét közötti várandós anya vett részt a kutatásban, kitöltve az Intrauterin Kapcsolati Kérdőívet, a Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale magyar változatát (MFAS-HU), az Intimitás és a Szülői Bánásmód Kérdőívet. Eredmények A kialakított 28 tételes Intrauterin Kapcsolati Kérdőív (IUKK) faktorstruktúrája illeszkedési mutatókban az elvárások alatt marad (RMSEA = 0,08; χ2/df = 1,645; NFI = 0,85; CFI = 0,87). A 8 alskála Cronbach-alfa értékei 0,56–0,93 közöttiek. Explorátoros faktorelemezéssel sikerült egy jó kommunalitási tulajdonságokkal rendelkező rövidebb modellt kialakítani (IUKK–R), amely 12 tételt és 3 alskálát tartalmaz (RMSEA = 0,08; χ2/df = 1,660; NFI = 0,95; CFI = 0,96). Az IUKK–R Cronbach-alfa értékei magasak: 0,81–0,93. Elemzéseinkhez az IUKK–R modellt használtuk. Kérdőívünk korrelál az MFAS–HU-val, ugyanakkor a megragadott magzati kötődés dimenzióik nem teljesen átfedőek. A nemzetközi tapasztalatokkal nagyjából összhangban, az anya–magzat kapcsolat erősségében szignifikánsan magasabb értéket ér el az anya, ha bármelyik tényező jellemzi: házasságban él; magasabb az anyagi hozzájárulása a családi kasszához; nem volt korábban spontán vetélése, ő maga beavatkozástól mentesen, természetes módon született; biztosan tudja, vagy nem tudja a magzat nemét. Nem befolyásol a várandósság ideje, az iskolai végzettség, a várandósság tervezettsége, a fogantatás módja, a meglévő gyermekek száma és a magzatmozgás észlelése. A magzati kötődés összefügg a párkapcsolati intimitással: az észlelt gondoskodás kedvezőbb, míg az észlelt kontroll kedvezőtlenebb anya–magzat kötődéssel jár együtt. Az anya saját szüleivel való kapcsolatának megélése, az anyai és apai szeretet, pozitívan korrelál a saját magzatához fűződő kapcsolattal. Következtetések A magyar mintára kidolgozott kérdőív megbízhatósága ígéretes, de szükségesek további validitásvizsgálatok, nagyobb, heterogén mintán. Tapasztalataink felhívják a figyelmet a szülői bánásmód és a párkapcsolati gondoskodás jelentőségére a várandósság időszakában és gyakorlati relevanciával bírnak a prevenciós munkában. | Background The effects of “maternal environment” on fetal development have been studied since the eighties, but the results regarding the features which influence mother–fetus relationship are inconsistent. Aim To develop a mother–fetus relationship assessment scale on a Hungarian sample, and to reveal the factors that determine mother–fetus bonding. Method 114 pregnant women, between 15 and 38 weeks of gestational age, filled out the Intrauterine Relationship Questionnaire, the Hungarian version of Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale, Intimate Bond Measurement and Parental Bonding Instrument. Results our 28 items Intrauterine Relationship Questionnaire’s (IURQ) factor structure indicators proved to remain below the expectations (RMSEA = .08, χ2/df = 1.645, NFI = .85, CFI = .87). The eight subscales’ Cronbach’s alphas are between .56 and .93. With exploratory factor analysis we managed to develop a shortened version model (IURQ-S), with better psychometric characteristics, which contains 12 items and 3 subscales (RMSEA = .08, χ2/df = 1.660, NFI = .95, CFI = .96). The internal consistency of IURQ-S is high, Cronbach’s alphas range from .81 to .93. For further analyses we used the IURQ-S model. Our questionnaire correlate with MFAS–HU but their dimensions are not entirely overlapping. In accordance with international experiences we found that a mother reaches significantly higher scores on the mother–fetus relationship scale, if she can be characterized with any of the following: married, has high contribution to family income, no previous experience of miscarriage, born in natural way, without any intervention, definitely knows or definitely does not know the fetus’ sex. The time of the pregnancy had no substantial effect, neither had the educational background of the mother or whether the pregnancy was planned. The method of conception, the number of children born previously and the fetal movement did not prove to be decisive either. Fetal attachment correlated with partnership intimacy: higher mother–fetus attachment scores were found with higher perceived care and lower perceived control. The mother’s own parental bonding, her perceived maternal and paternal love was found to be in positive correlation with her attachment to her fetus. Conclusions The questionnaire reliability is promising, but further validity examinations are needed in a larger, more heterogeneous sample. The results have drawn our attention to the importance of parental bonding and perceived partner care during pregnancy, and can help prevention of early attachment disfunction

Duration of disease does not equally influence all aspects of quality of life in Parkinson’s disease

Health related quality of life (HRQoL) is negatively impacted in patients suffering from Parkinsons disease (PD). For the specific components that comprise HRQoL, the relationship between clinical variables, such as disease duration, is not fully characterized. In this cross-sectional study (n=302), self-reported HRQoL on the Parkinsons Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) was evaluated as a global construct as well as individual subscale scores. HRQoL was compared in three groups: those within 5years of diagnosis, those within 6-10years of diagnosis, and those greater than 11years since diagnosis. Non-parametric analyses revealed lower HRQoL with increasing disease duration when assessed as a global construct. However, when subscales were evaluated, difficulties with bodily discomfort and cognitive complaints were comparable in individuals in the 1-5years and 6-10year duration groups. Exploratory regression analyses suggested disease duration does explain unique variance in some subscales, even after controlling for Hoehn and Yahr stage and neuropsychiatric features. Our findings show that HRQoL domains in PD patients are affected differentially across the duration of the disease. Clinicians and researchers may need to tailor interventions intended to improve HRQoL at different domains as the disease progresses

Bilateral comparison of traditional and alternate electrodermal measurement sites

Abstract Advances in mobile and wireless technology have expanded the scope of electrodermal research. Since traditional electrodermal measurement sites are not always suitable for laboratory research and are rarely appropriate for ambulatory measurements, there is a need to explore and contrast alternate measurement locations. We evaluated bilateral electrodermal activity (EDA) from five measurement sites (fingers, feet, wrists, shoulders, and calves). In a counterbalanced, randomized, within-subjects design study, participants (N = 115) engaged in a 4-min-long breathing exercise and were exposed to emotionally laden and neutral stimuli. High within-subject correlations were found between the EDA measured from fingers bilaterally (r = .89), between the left fingers and both feet (r = .72). Moderate correlations were found between EDA measured from the left fingers and wrists (r = .30 and r = .33), low correlations between the left fingers and the shoulders (r = ?.03 and r = ?.06) or calves (r = .05 and r = .14). Response latency was the shortest on the fingers while it was the longest on the lower body. Short response windows would miss some of the responses from the palmar surfaces and a substantial number from other evaluated locations. The fingers and the feet are the most reliable locations to measure from, followed by the wrists. We suggest setting site-specific response windows for different measurement locations. An investigation of repeatability showed that within-subject correlations, response frequencies, response amplitudes show a similar pattern from the first measurement time to a later one

Guidelines for the assessment of efficacy of clinical hypnosis applications

Research on the efficacy of hypnosis applications continues to grow, but there remain major gaps between the science and clinical practice. One challenge has been a lack of consensus on which applications of hypnosis are efficacious based on research evidence. In 2018, 6 major hypnosis organizations collaborated to form the Task Force for Establishing Efficacy Standards for Clinical Hypnosis. This paper describes a Guideline for the Assessment of Efficacy of Clinical Hypnosis Applications developed by the Task Force, which makes 10 specific recommendations. The guideline is intended to be a tool for those who want to assess the quality of existing evidence on the efficacy of clinical hypnosis for any particular indication. The paper also discusses methodological issues in the interpretation and implementation of these guidelines. Future papers will report on the other products of the Hypnosis Efficacy Task Force, such as best practice recommendations for outcomes research in hypnosis and an international survey of researchers and clinicians on current practice and attitudes about hypnosis

Can unconscious intentions be more effective than conscious intentions? Test of the role of metacognition in hypnotic response

While several theories assume that responses to hypnotic suggestions can be implemented without executive intentions, the metacognitive class of theories postulate that the behaviors produced by hypnotic suggestions are intended and the accompanying feeling of involuntariness is only a consequence of strategically not being aware of the intention. Cold control theory asserts that the only difference between a hypnotic and non-hypnotic response is this metacognitive one, that is, whether or not one is aware of one's intention to perform the relevant act. To test the theory, we compared the performance of highly suggestible participants in reducing the Stroop interference effect in a post-hypnotic suggestion condition (word blindness: that words will appear as a meaningless foreign script) and in a volitional condition (asking the participants to imagine the words as a meaningless foreign script). We found that participants had equivalent expectations that the posthypnotic suggestion and the volitional request would help control the conflicting information. Further, participants felt they had more control over experiencing the words as meaningless with the request rather than the suggestion; and they experienced the request largely as imagination and the suggestion largely as perception. That is, we set up the interventions we required for the experiment to constitute a test of cold control theory. Both the suggestion and the request reduced Stroop interference. Crucially, there was Bayesian evidence that the reduction in Stroop interference was the same between the suggestion and the volitional request. That is, the results support the claim that responding hypnotically does not grant a person greater first order abilities than they have non-hypnotically, consistent with cold control theory

Situational factors shape moral judgements in the trolley dilemma in Eastern, Southern and Western countries in a culturally diverse sample

Indexado en ScopusThe study of moral judgements often centres on moral dilemmas in which options consistent with deontological perspectives (that is, emphasizing rules, individual rights and duties) are in conflict with options consistent with utilitarian judgements (that is, following the greater good based on consequences). Greene et al. (2009) showed that psychological and situational factors (for example, the intent of the agent or the presence of physical contact between the agent and the victim) can play an important role in moral dilemma judgements (for example, the trolley problem). Our knowledge is limited concerning both the universality of these effects outside the United States and the impact of culture on the situational and psychological factors affecting moral judgements. Thus, we empirically tested the universality of the effects of intent and personal force on moral dilemma judgements by replicating the experiments of Greene et al. in 45 countries from all inhabited continents. We found that personal force and its interaction with intention exert influence on moral judgements in the US and Western cultural clusters, replicating and expanding the original findings. Moreover, the personal force effect was present in all cultural clusters, suggesting it is culturally universal. The evidence for the cultural universality of the interaction effect was inconclusive in the Eastern and Southern cultural clusters (depending on exclusion criteria). We found no strong association between collectivism/individualism and moral dilemma judgements.Revisión por pare