http://localhost:1111/xmlui The CRFDL repository system captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/929 Stress Reduction through Mindfulness Meditation: Effects on Psychological Symptomatology, Sense of Control, and Spiritual Experiences Astin, John A. Background:This study examined the effects of an 8-week stress reduction Program based on training in mindfulness meditation. Previous research efforts suggesting this program may be beneficial in terms of reducing stress- related symptomatology and helping patients cope with chronic pain have Been limited by a lack of adequate comparison control groups. Methods: Twenty-eight individuals who volunteered to participate in the present study Were randomized into either an experimental group or an onintervention con- troll group. Results: Following participation, experimental subjects, when compared with controls, evidenced significantly greater changes in terms of: (1)reductions in overall psychological symptomatology; (2) increases in over- all domain-specific sense of control and utilization of an accepting or yielding mode of control in their lives, and (3) higher scores on a measure of spiritual experiences. Conclusions: The techniques of mindfulness meditation, with their emphasis on developing detached observation and awareness of the con- tents of consciousness, may represent a powerful cognitive behavioral. coping strategy for transforming the ways in which we respond to life events. They may also have potential for relapse prevention in affective disorders. Wed, 01 Jan 1997 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/928 Delirium Burns, A. Gallagley, A. Byrne, J. Delirium is a common cause of mortality and morbidity in older people in hospital, and indicates severe illness in younger patients. Identification of risk factors, education of professional carers, and a systematic approach to management can improve the outcome of the syndrome. Physicians should be aware that delirium sufferers often have an awareness of their experience, which may be belied by their varying grasp of reality. Mon, 01 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/927 Increased visual cortical excitability in ecstasy users: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study Oliveri, M. Calvo, G. Methods: Ecstasy users and control subjects underwent single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the occipital cortex. The phosphene threshold was analysed and compared in the two groups. Results: Phosphene thresholds were significantly lower in ecstasy users compared with control subjects, and were correlated negatively with frequency of ecstasy use. Frequency of use was positively correlated with the presence of visual hallucinations. The phosphene threshold of subjects with hallucinations was significantly lower than that of subjects without hallucinations. Conclusions: The use of ecstasy as a recreational drug is associated with an increased excitability of the visual cortex, possibly linked with massive serotonin release, followed by serotonin depletion, in this cortical area. Fri, 01 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/926 Brain Structure and Function Changes During the Development of Schizophrenia: The Evidence From Studies of Subjects at Increased Genetic Risk Lawrie, Stephen M. McIntosh, Andrew M. Hall, Jeremy Owens, David G.C. Johnstone, Eve C. This article reviews the evidence for changes in the structure and function of the brain in subjects at high risk of schizophrenia for genetic reasons during the genesis of the disorder. We first highlight the structural and functional abnormalities in schizophrenia and whether any similar or lesser abnormalities are apparent in unaffected relatives. There is good evidence for subtle abnormalities of hippocampal and ventricle volume in relatives that are not as marked as the deficits in schizophrenia. In addition, the functional imaging literature suggests that prefrontal cortex function may deteriorate in those at risk who go on to develop the disorder. We then review the findings from longitudinal imaging studies of those at high risk, particularly the Edinburgh High-Risk Study, which report gray matter density reductions in medial and lateral temporal lobe because people develop schizophrenia, as well as functional abnormalities which precede onset. We conclude by quoting our own and others' imaging studies of the associations of genetic and other risk factors for schizophrenia, including stressful life events and cannabis use, which provide mechanistic examples of how these changes may be brought about. Overall, the literature supports the view that there are measurable changes in brain structure and function during the genesis of the disorder, which provide opportunities for early detection and intervention. Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT