Childhood Traumas, Attachment And Alexithymia In Adolescents With Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizure Type Of Conversion Disorder

Objective: In this cross-sectional study, childhood traumas, attachment security and alexithymia in adolescents with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) were compared with those of adolescents without any psychiatric disorder using both semi-structured clinical interviews and self-report scales. Method: This study included 42 adolescents with PNES aged between 12-18 and 38 healthy adolescents who were matched with the study group in respect to socio-demographic variables. All adolescents and their parents were interviewed using Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version in order to evaluate psychiatric disorders. Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale for Children and Adolescents was used to examine the presence of PTSD symptoms. All adolescents completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-28, Short Form of Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. Results: Adolescents with PNES had more emotional and sexual traumatic experiences and PTSD symptoms compared to the control group. PNES group perceived higher “communication” but lower “trust” in attachment relationships with their mothers and fathers. Higher alexithymia and lower self-esteem were determined in the PNES group. Childhood traumas, lifetime PTSD symptoms and alexithymia were found to be significant risk factors for PNES in adolescents. Conclusion: Results indicate that comorbid psychiatric disorders, traumatic experiences, attachment problems and alexithymia need to be evaluated and treated in adolescents with PNES.WoSScopu

Hormonal contraceptive use and prevalence of premenstrual symptoms in a multiethnic Canadian population

Abstract Background Hormonal contraceptive use may be associated with a reduction in some premenstrual symptoms, however, the evidence remains equivocal. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the associations between ethnicity and hormonal contraceptive use with premenstrual symptoms. Methods One thousand one hundred two women participating in the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study provided data on their premenstrual symptoms and hormonal contraceptive use. Severity of symptoms was classified as none, mild, moderate, or severe. Prevalence of premenstrual symptoms was determined in the total population and among major ethnic groups. Logistic regressions were used to determine the association between ethnicity and prevalence of premenstrual symptoms. Logistic regressions were used to determine the associations between hormonal contraceptive use, and premenstrual symptoms, adjusting for ethnicity and other covariates. Results Prevalence of individual symptoms varied, and the most commonly reported were cramps (75%), bloating (75%), mood swings (73%), increased appetite (64%), and acne (62%). Prevalence of cramps differed between ethnic groups with East Asians reporting a lower prevalence than Caucasians and South Asians (p < 0.05). Use of hormonal contraceptives was associated with a lower RR (95% CI) of experiencing moderate/severe: cramps (0.82, 0.72-0.93), clumsiness (0.22, 0.07-0.73), confusion (0.22, 0.09-0.54) and desire to be alone (0.45, 0.28-0.73). Hormonal contraceptive use was not associated with the risk of premenstrual symptoms at mild severity. Hormonal contraceptive use was not associated with symptoms of anxiety, bloating, mood swings, increased appetite, acne, fatigue, sexual desire, depression, nausea, headache and insomnia. Conclusion This study demonstrates that East Asians may be at a lower risk of experiencing premenstrual cramps and that hormonal contraceptive use is associated with a lower risk of experiencing many, but not all, premenstrual symptoms at moderate/severe severity