Experimental Approach to the Transmission of Information in Hypnosis

The means by which information can be transmitted in hypnosis are debated. Aim of this pilot study was to induce and maintain hypnosis without the hypnotist and the subject being in the same room. In other words, we wanted to clarify, using measurable outcomes, if the hypnotic message could be con-veyed through an electronic device. We studied 6 young healthy highly hyp-notizable volunteers. After a session aimed at creating the rapport, each par-ticipant underwent an experimental session consisting in the execution of a cold pressor test (CTP) in basal awake condition, during hypnotic focused analgesia in the presence of the hypnotist (HFA-P) and during hypnotic fo-cused analgesia suggested via transceiver (HFA-R). Cardiovascular monitor-ing was performed throughout the session. Perceived pain intensity and he-modynamic parameters during the CPT (baseline, 1stminute, end of the test) in the three phases of the experimental session were compared with paired t-test. During both HFA-P and HFA-R, perceived pain was nullified. The times of permanence in icy water significantly increased in comparison to non-hypnotic condition by 369.2% in HFA-P and by 394.3% in HFA-R. The systolic blood pressure 7 heart rate product increased in non-hypnotic condi-tions (+27.8%, p < 0.01, at the 1st minute; +35.3%, p = 0.01, at the end) but not during HFA-P ( 121% and 120.2%, NS) or HFA-R (+7.3% and 121.6%, NS). In conclusion, hypnosis induced and maintained viatransceiver was equivalent to that in the presence of the hypnotist. The hypnotic information therefore turned out to be more important than the means chosen to transmit it

Caffeine intake reduces incident atrial fibrillation at a population level

Background The general belief is that caffeine increases the risk of hyperkinetic arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of chronic caffeine intake on incident atrial fibrillation in general population. Design and methods A population cohort of 1475 unselected men and women observed for 12 years and left free to intake food or beverages containing caffeine was studied. Subjects were stratified into tertiles of caffeine intake both in the whole cohort and after genotyping for the -163C\u2009>\u2009A polymorphism of the CYP1A2 gene, regulating caffeine metabolism. Results In the whole cohort, the 12-year incidence of atrial fibrillation was significantly lower in the third (2.2%) than in the first (10.2%) or second (5.7%) tertile of caffeine intake ( P\u2009<\u20090.001). The same trend was observed in all genotypes; the apparently steeper reduction of atrial fibrillation in slow caffeine metabolisers found at univariate analysis was proved wrong by multivariate Cox analysis. Age, chronic pulmonary disease, history of heart failure and of coronary artery disease, and systolic blood pressure - but not the genotype or the caffeine\u2009 7\u2009 CYP1A2 interaction term - were significant confounders of the association between incident atrial fibrillation and being in the third tertile of caffeine intake (hazard ratio 0.249, 95% confidence intervals 0.161-0.458, P\u2009165\u2009mmol/day or\u2009>\u2009320\u2009mg/day) is associated with a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation in the 12-year epidemiological prospective setting based on the general population

The relationship between affective symptoms and hypertension-role of the labelling effect: the 1946 British birth cohort

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between repeated measures of affective symptoms collected over 2 decades and hypertension (clinically ascertained or self-report); to test whether, among people with hypertension, affective symptoms are associated with awareness of hypertension, and to evaluate the longitudinal effects of the label of hypertension on affective symptoms. METHODS: Multivariable logistic regression, accounting for confounders and mediators, were used to test the aforementioned associations in 1683 participants from a national British cohort. RESULTS: Weak evidence of a cumulative impact of affective symptoms across adulthood on self-reported hypertension at age 60-64 years was observed (OR 1.40 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.78) and 1.19 (0.79 to 1.80) for symptoms at 1-2 time points and at 3-4 time points vs no symptoms, respectively). Study members with affective symptoms in recent times were more likely to have self-reported hypertension at age 60-64 years than those without symptoms (OR 1.47 (1.10 to 1.96)). Similar results were observed for awareness of hypertension (OR 2.00 (1.30 to 3.06)). Conversely, no associations were found with clinically ascertained hypertension. The act of labelling someone as hypertensive at age 53 years was associated with affective symptoms at age 60-64 years, independently of antihypertensive treatment and affective symptoms at the time of the diagnosis (OR 2.40 (1.32 to 4.36)). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that elevated risk of hypertension in participants with affective symptoms might be explained by awareness of hypertension and by exposure to medical attention, though not by a direct effect of affective symptoms on blood pressure. Conversely, long-term psychological consequences of the label of hypertension are observed

Caffeine intake and abstract reasoning among 1374 unselected men and women from general population. Role of the -163C>A polymorphism of CYP1A2 gene

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The possible effect of caffeine as an enhancer of cognitive performance, particularly that on abstract reasoning, has never been studied in an epidemiological setting, especially in relation to -163C>A polymorphism of CYP1A2 gene, largely controlling caffeine metabolism. Aim of this study was to ascertain whether in general population free chronic caffeine intake modifies abstract reasoning, and if this effect is influenced by the above mentioned genotype, by age, schooling, ethanol intake and smoking habits. METHODS: We studied 1374 unselected men and women aged 51 \ub1 15 years (range 18-89) from a general population. Daily caffeine intake deriving from coffee, tea, chocolate or cola was calculated from an anamnestic questionnaire and from a 7-day dietary diary. Abstract reasoning was measured in the frame of a neuropsychological assessment as the ability to find a concept linking two words indicating objects or actions and explaining how they were connected. RESULTS: In age-schooling-adjusted linear regression, the higher the caffeine intake, the better the abstraction score. Abstract reasoning depended on caffeine in the -163C>A CC homozygous only (so-called slow metabolizers), where it was higher in the 3rd tertile of caffeine intake. Age and ethanol reduced while smoking and schooling enhanced this association. The interaction term between caffeine and the -163C>A polymorphism was accepted in linear regressions. Caffeine consumption resulted innocuous for the A-carriers (so-called fast metabolizers). CONCLUSIONS: In general population, a positive association between caffeine intake and abstract reasoning exists in the CC homozygous of the -163C>A polymorphism of CYP1A2 gene

The Mysterious Hypnotic Analgesia: Experimental Evidences

In the last years, the Laboratory of Experimental Hypnosis of the University of Padova and of the Institute Franco Granone of Torino, also in collaboration with the Foundation Hospital San Camillo in Venice, studied the effectiveness and the mechanisms of hypnotic analgesia in non-trigeminal an trigeminal pain. In this paper, the results of our work are summarized, starting from what was already known on the topic and exploring experimentally many different aspects of hypnotic analgesia. All the studies described in the present paper were conducted following scientific protocols and using the methods and means of Galilean science, employing in particular many instruments pertaining to human physiology and belonging to cardiology and neurology. This leads to the demonstration that hypnotic analgesia is an objective, real and measurable phenomenon

Doppler indexes of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in relation to the arterial stiffness in a general population

BACKGROUND: Late-systolic loading of the left ventricular (LV) is determined by arterial wave reflections and central vascular stiffening. We, therefore, investigated the relationship between various Doppler indexes reflecting LV systolic and diastolic function and arterial stiffness in the framework of a large population study of randomly recruited study participants. METHODS: In 1233 study participants (51.7% women; mean age, 48 years; 41.5% hypertensive), using conventional and tissue Doppler imaging, we measured: the transmitral early (E) and late (A) diastolic velocities; tissue Doppler imaging systolic and early (e') and late diastolic mitral annular velocities; and end-systolic longitudinal and radial strain. Using applanation tonometry, we assessed central pulse pressure (cPP), augmentation pressure and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. RESULTS: After full adjustment, transmitral E and A peaks increased with augmentation pressure and cPP (P less than 0.0001) and e' was positively associated with cPP (P\u200a=\u200a0.013). The E/e' ratio increased significantly with augmentation pressure (P less than 0.0001), cPP (P less than 0.0001) and pulse wave velocity (P\u200a=\u200a0.048). Although accounting for covariables, all arterial indexes were on average significantly higher in the diastolic dysfunction group with elevated filling pressure (n\u200a=\u200a171) when compared to participants with normal diastolic function (n\u200a=\u200a961; P\u200a 64\u200a0.0004) or with impaired relaxation (n\u200a=\u200a101; P\u200a 64\u200a0.008). Longitudinal strain decreased independently with mean arterial pressure (P\u200a=\u200a0.03). The correlation between radial strain and the arterial indexes shifted from positive at middle age (50-60 years) to negative at older (P less than 0.0001 for interaction). CONCLUSION: Our study underscored the importance of arterial characteristics as a mediator of LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction. We demonstrated an age-dependent relationship between radial strain and indexes of arterial stiffness. Comment in Indices of central aortic pressure waveform and ventricular function: an intimate conversation changing direction with age. [J Hypertens. 2016

Impact and pitfalls of scaling of left ventricular and atrial structure in population-based studies

BACKGROUND: Several allometric methods for indexing cardiac structures to body size have been proposed but the optimal way for normalization of cardiac structures is still controversial. We aimed to estimate the allometric exponents that best describe the relationships between cardiac dimensions and body size, propose normative values, and analyze how the different scaling metrics influence the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and chambers enlargement as well as predictive models for cardiovascular outcome in the community. METHODS: We measured left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, end-diastolic volume, left ventricular mass, and left atrial volume in randomly recruited population cohorts (n\u200a=\u200a1509; 52.8% women; mean age, 47.8 years). RESULTS: In a healthy subgroup (n\u200a=\u200a656), the allometric exponents that described the relationships between left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and body size were 1, 0.5, and 0.33 for body height, body surface area (BSA), and estimated lean body mass, respectively. With regard to left ventricular end-diastolic volume, left ventricular mass, and left atrial volume the allometric exponents for body height were 2.9, 2.7, and 2.0, respectively; for BSA, they ranged from 1.7 to 1.8; for estimated lean body mass all exponents were around 1. These exponents were used to appropriately scale the cardiac dimensions to body size and derived sex-specific cut-off limits for different indexed cardiac dimensions. The hazard ratios of cardiovascular outcome were highest for LVH defined by left ventricular mass/height. CONCLUSION: Our study resulted in a proposal for thresholds for various indexed cardiac dimensions. Left ventricular mass indexed to height was sensitive in detection of LVH associated with obesity and slightly better predicted outcome