0000000000143524
AUTHOR
Benedict Herhaus
How acute physical and psychological stress differentially influence the kynurenine pathway: A randomized cross-over trial.
Abstract Psychological stress is associated with the pathogenesis of several neuropsychiatric disorders. In contrast, physical stress, as provoked by exercise, counteracts symptoms and potentially also disease progression. The kynurenine pathway, which is imbalanced in neuropsychiatric disorders, responds to both psychological and physical stress. Here, we compared the acute effects of psychological versus physical stress on the kynurenine pathway and inflammatory mediators. Thirty-five healthy males (mean age: 24.09±3.39 years) underwent both the Trier Social Stress Test (psychological stressor) and the Wingate-Test (physical stressor). The kinetics of tryptophan and its metabolites as wel…
Hormonal responsiveness in the Trier Social Stress Test and the dexamethasone‐corticotropin releasing hormone test in healthy individuals
A number of different laboratory procedures investigate the hormonal response in a standardized pharmacological challenge test (dexamethasone-corticotropin releasing hormone; DEX-CRH) or in a psychosocial stress induction on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). However, the magnitude of the response related to the different stressors and the interaction of the responsiveness between the two tests is still unclear. Fifty-two participants underwent both the DEX-CRH test and the TSST on two separate days. The cortisol and the plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release were assessed before and after the stress tests. For a specification o…
The effect of restrained eating on acute stress-induced food intake in people with obesity
Abstract Restrained eating, defined as a form of intense dieting or restrictive food intake of specific macronutrients or types of food with sporadic episodes of overeating, results in an increased risk of overweight and obesity. Acute stress situations cause irregular eating patterns and are connected to restrained eating. Therefore, the present study investigates the effect of high/low restrained eating on eating behavior in people with obesity after standardized acute stress induction as well as resting condition. Fifty men and women with obesity (BMI: 33.62 ± 3.93 kg/m2) were categorized into high restrained eaters (HRE) and low restrained eaters (LRE). The total energy intake was measu…
Effect of a Biofeedback Intervention on Heart Rate Variability in Individuals With Panic Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE Some individuals with panic disorder (PD) display reduced heart rate variability, which may result in an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Heart rate variability-biofeedback (HRV-BF) training has been shown to improve the modulation of the autonomic activity. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the effect of a four-week HRV-BF intervention in individuals with PD. Heart rate variability-biofeedback (HRV-BF) training improved the modulation of the autonomic activity. Therefore, with this randomized controlled trial we aimed to investigate the effect of a four-week HRV-BF intervention in people with PD. METHODS Thirty-six women and sixte…
Effects of stress on chewing and food intake in patients with anorexia nervosa
OBJECTIVE The present study investigates the impact of psychosocial stress on chewing and eating behavior in patients with anorexia nervosa (PAN ). METHOD The eating and chewing behavior of PAN were examined in a standardized setting by means of a chewing sensor. These procedures encompassed n = 19 PAN , age, and gender matched to n = 19 healthy controls (HC). Food intake and chewing frequency were assessed in two experimental conditions: rest versus stress (via Trier Social Stress Test). To verify stress induction, two appraisal scales were employed. In addition, chronic stress, psychological distress and eating disorder symptoms were assessed. RESULTS In terms of food intake and chewing f…
Depression, anxiety and health status across different BMI classes: A representative study in Germany
Abstract Background Changes in body mass index (BMI) over the course of one's lifetime are related to the development of mental disorders. In the current study we compared symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety as well as general health status in the four BMI-classes: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity. Furthermore, mediator role of general health status on the relationship between BMI and depression and generalized anxiety was analyzed. Methods A representative sample (random-route sampling) of the German population (N = 2350) was investigated in a cross-sectional survey by measuring the three questionnaires PHQ-9, GAD-7 and EQ-5D-5L. Results The results showed signifi…