Decreased experimental anxiety and voluntary ethanol consumption in rats following central but not basolateral amygdala lesions.

Moller C, Wiklund L, Sommer W, Thorsell A, Heilig M.

Magnus Huss Clinic, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

A long-debated 'tension reduction' hypothesis postulates anti-anxiety effects to be important for ethanol reward, and states that elevated anxiety levels might predispose for ethanol consumption and addiction. Human data are contradictory, possibly due to heterogeneity of patient samples. In rats, baseline levels of experimental anxiety have been reported to correlate with voluntary ethanol consumption. Here, we addressed the possibility that mechanisms underlying experimental anxiety might be causally related to regulation of voluntary ethanol intake. Rats were bilaterally lesioned in central amygdala using microinjections of ibotenic acid. This resulted in a robust release of punished drinking in a modified Vogel conflict test, an effect typically seen with anxiety reducing drugs. This effect was specific, as unpunished drinking was unaffected by the lesion. On the elevated plus-maze, central amygdala lesions did not affect behaviour under baseline conditions, but attenuated the anxiogenic effect of restraint stress. Measures of locomotor activity were not affected. Voluntary ethanol consumption was examined in a two-bottle, free choice paradigm. Ethanol intake was markedly decreased in the lesion group. Total fluid intake was not affected. Basolateral amygdala lesions, which did not affect conflict behaviour, also left ethanol intake unaffected. These results are consistent with previous reports of an important role for central amygdala in anxiety related behaviours, and suggest that cell bodies located in central amygdala might be important in this context. Further, our results support a relation between experimental anxiety and voluntary ethanol consumption.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9237523&dopt=Abstract anxiety medicine




Optimal and predicted anxiety in 9-12-year-old track and field athletes.

Wilson GS, Raglin JS.

Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405, USA. wilsongs indiana.edu

In an effort to determine the applicability of individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF) theory in young athletes, state anxiety was assessed in 40 track and field athletes (20 male and 20 female) from 9 to 12 years of age. Optimal anxiety was determined by having participants complete the state-trait anxiety scale for children (STAIC) with instructions to recall how anxious they felt prior to their best performance of the season. Twenty-four hours prior to three 'more important' and three 'less important' track meets, participants completed the STAIC under instructions to predict how anxious they would feel 1 h prior to the upcoming track meet. Actual precompetition anxiety was assessed 1 h prior to each meet. Self-ratings of performance were collected following each meet in which the athletes competed. Athletes were grouped by age (younger, 9-10 years old); (older, 11-12 years old) and by gender for analysis. Analysis by independent t-tests indicated that predicted and actual precompetition anxiety values did not differ for either age or gender for the more important meets. However, the 11-12-year-old girls had higher (P<0.05) predicted and actual anxiety values in the 'less important' meets than all other groups. Significant correlations (P<0.05) between predicted and actual precompetition anxiety occurred in all groups for both the less important and more important meets (r=0.66-0.97), with the exception of the 9-10-year-old girls for less important meets (r=0.38, P>0.05). Of all the participants, 26% reported performing best when anxiety values were in the high range. Self-ratings of performance were not lower (P>0.05) in cases in which the athlete experienced high levels of precompetition anxiety. In summary, the present findings indicate that several aspects of IZOF theory apply to preadolescent athletes.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9241033&dopt=Abstract anxiety medicine




Predictors of patient cooperation during gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Mahajan RJ, Johnson JC, Marshall JB.

Division of Gastroenterology, University of Missouri Health Sciences Center, Columbia 65212, USA.

We examined a number of patient variables, including three different scales of preprocedure patient anxiety, to determine which best predicted patient cooperation and satisfaction with gastrointestinal endoscopy. We prospectively evaluated 251 patients undergoing outpatient diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy under conscious sedation. All were given a questionnaire on arrival to our endoscopy center that included three measures of preprocedure anxiety: (a) a single question asking how anxious the patient was (termed "Anxiety I" scale); (b) a visual linear analog scale of anxiety; and (c) the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Patient cooperation during the procedure was rated by the attending endoscopist. Patients were telephoned the next day to complete a questionnaire assessing their endoscopic experience. Logistic regression analysis was used to construct models for predicting which patients were most likely to have difficulty during their procedures from both the endoscopists' and the patients' standpoint. Statistical analysis identified three parameters that by themselves significantly correlated with patient cooperation during endoscopy: age (p = 0.008), Anxiety I scale (p = 0.03), and visual linear analog anxiety score (p = 0.02). When used together, age, type of procedure, and Anxiety I scale were the best predictors of patient cooperation from the standpoint of the endoscopist. Age, type of procedure, Anxiety I scale, and education level were the best predictors of satisfaction with endoscopy from the perspective of the patient. Good cooperation during endoscopy was associated with greater patient satisfaction.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9252844&dopt=Abstract anxiety medicine




The impact of anxiety disorders on educational achievement.

Van Ameringen M, Mancini C, Farvolden P.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University,Hamilton, Ont., Canada L8N 3Z5. vanamer mcmaster.ca

Anxiety disorders typically have an age of onset in childhood and adolescence, resulting in significant disability in social and occupational functioning. Epidemiological evidence suggests that persons with psychiatric disorders and perhaps especially social phobia are at increased risk for premature withdrawal from school [Am. J. Psychiatry 157 (2000) 1606]. In order to further determine the impact of anxiety disorders on school functioning and/or premature withdrawal from school, 201 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for a primary anxiety disorder completed a school leaving questionnaire as well as self-report measures of anxiety, depression, and social adjustment. About 49% (n = 98) reported leaving school prematurely and 24% of those indicated that anxiety was the primary reason for this decision. Patients who had left school prematurely were significantly more likely to have a lifetime diagnosis of generalized social phobia, a past history of alcohol abuse/dependence and a greater number of lifetime diagnoses than those who completed their desired level of education. This study suggests that anxiety disorders, and perhaps especially generalized social phobia, are associated with premature withdrawal from school. Further studies are required to determine methods for early identification and treatment of anxiety disorders in school aged children to enable these students to reach their full potential.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12941366&dopt=Abstract anxiety medicine




The role of anxiety level, coping styles, and cycle phase in menstrual distress.

Sigmon ST, Whitcomb-Smith SR, Rohan KJ, Kendrew JJ.

University of Maine, 5742 Little Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA. sandra.sigmon umit.maine.edu

Using three samples, researchers investigated the relation between various anxiety levels, coping strategy use, and menstrual cycle phase to menstrual distress. In Studies 1 and 2, women low in anxiety sensitivity used more acceptance coping strategies and women high in anxiety sensitivity reported using more maladaptive coping strategies. In Study 2, women with medium anxiety sensitivity reported similar coping strategies to women low in anxiety. Menstrual cycle phase did not differentially affect coping strategy use in women varying in anxiety sensitivity levels in Studies 1 and 2. In addition to depressed mood emerging as a significant predictor of premenstrual distress in these two studies for all participants, avoidance coping for women high in anxiety sensitivity and problem-focused coping for women low in anxiety sensitivity were also significant predictors of premenstrual distress. In Study 3, during the premenstrual phase, women with panic disorder, compared to controls, reported using more avoidance coping whereas controls reported used more active coping and seeking social support for emotional and instrumental reasons. Results are discussed within a continuity model from high anxiety sensitivity to anxiety disorder for maladaptive coping and menstrual distress.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15033215&dopt=Abstract anxiety medicine