Effect of juggling therapy on anxiety disorders in female patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of juggling therapy for anxiety disorder patients.</p> <p>Design and Method</p> <p>Subjects were 17 female outpatients who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders. Subjects were treated with standard psychotherapy, medication and counseling for 6 months. For the last 3 months of treatment, subjects were randomized into either a non-juggling group (n = 9) or a juggling therapy group (juggling group: n = 8). The juggling group gradually acquired juggling skills by practicing juggling beanbags (<it>otedama </it>in Japan) with both hands. The therapeutic effect was evaluated using scores of psychological testing (STAI: State and Trate Anxiety Inventry, POMS: Profile of Mood Status) and of ADL (FAI: Franchay Activity Index) collected before treatment, 3 months after treatment (before juggling therapy), and at the end of both treatments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After 6 months, an analysis of variance revealed that scores on the state anxiety, trait anxiety subscales of STAI and tension-anxiety (T-A) score of POMS were significantly lower in the juggling group than in the non-juggling group (p < 0.01). Depression, anger-hostility scores of POMS were improved more than non-jugglers. In the juggling group, activity scores on the vigor subscale of POMS and FAI score were significantly higher than those in the non juggling group (p < 0.01). Other mood scores of POMS did not differ between the two groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings suggest that juggling therapy may be effective for the treatment of anxiety disorders.</p

Obestatin, acyl ghrelin, and des-acyl ghrelin responses to an oral glucose tolerance test in the restricting type of anorexia nervosa

Background: Obestatin is a recently identified peptide encoded by the same ghrelin gene. It has been reported that obestatin has anorexigenic and antigastroprokinetic activities as opposed toghrelin. We investigated simultaneously obestatin, acyl ghrelin,and des-acyl ghrelin in the restricting type of anorexia nervosa (AN-R) patients. Methods: Three hormonal responses to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were measured in 10 AN-R patients and 10 healthy women. Results: Plasma obestatin, acyl ghrelin, and des-acyl ghrelin levels were significantly higher in AN-R patients than in control subjects throughout the OGTT. All of the three hormones decreased after the OGTT in both groups. Conclusions: We found that AN-R patients exhibited increased plasma levels of obestatin, acyl ghirelin, and des-acyl ghrelin throughout the OGTT compared with control subjects. The hormonal differences between groups are statistically most significant in obestatin, suggesting obestatin may serve as a marker reflecting both acute and chronic changes of the nutritional state in AN-R patients