ABSTRACT
Purpose: To compare the anxiety levels related to visual field testing and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with glaucoma. Methods: This prospective, comparative study was conducted on patients with glaucoma. The participants’ anxiety traits were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]. Before visual field testing on Humphrey visual field analyzer (HVF) and retinal nerve fiber analysis on OCT, the participants completed Form Y1 to measure the current pretest level or ‘State’ anxiety [pretest anxiety]. Immediately after testing, participants were administered the Form Y1 questionnaire to assess the induced anxiety level during the testing [Intratest anxiety]. Results: A total of 228 patients were enrolled with 152 participants in the HVF group and 76 in the OCT group. The mean age of the participants in the HVF group was 57.2 ± 20.8 years and in the OCT group was 56.8 ± 20 years. There was no significant difference in trait and pretest anxiety between the HVF group and the OCT group (P = 0.971 and P = 0.716). Intratest test anxiety score was slightly higher in the HVF group (HVF: 42.13 ± 10.63, OCT: 40.71 ± 9.76; P = 0.33). The anxiety scores were higher when the experience of previous HVF tests was <2 and least when the number of tests exceeded five. Conclusion: Automated perimetry induces slightly more anxiety than OCT, which may affect test performance. The measured anxiety reduces as patients gain familiarity with the test with experience. This adds credence to the recommendation of more frequent visual field testing in newly diagnosed glaucoma patients
ABSTRACT
<b>Objective</b>: To assess the effectiveness of preferred colored light on psychosomatic state.<br> <b>Methods</b>: Preferred color light and other colored light were projected on a screen and shown to experimental and control subjects. To determine the effect of such light, mood adjective scores as determined by the Multiple Mood Scale (MMS) were measured as an emotional parameter, and levels of salivary chromogranin A (CgA) and salivary immune globulin A were measured as biochemical parameters. This study was performed in a randomized, crossover design. These data were analyzed statistically and a<i> p </i>value less than 0.05 was considered significant.<br> <b>Results</b>: After being exposed to preferred colored lights, mean MMS scores indicating positive moods, such as well-being increased significantly (p = 0.025), and scores indicating negative moods, such as depression and boredom decreased significantly (p = 0.005, p = 0.041). Mean value of salivary CgA also decreased and was significantly different between experimental and control group (p < 0.001).<br> <b>Conclusion</b>: Preferred colored light may be effective in promoting a calm positive state.<br>
ABSTRACT
Objective:We successfully treated a patient suffering from pain and numbness in the waist and lower limbs with phobia. Sedative acupuncture treatment was performed in addition to somatic treatment.<BR>Case:A 64-year-old woman complained mainly of pain and numbness in the right waist and the lower limbs and had a sense of fear. Following the postoperative pain of lumbar disk herniation (L4-L5) in X-14 year, dorsal positioning without grasping anything frequently triggered a sense of fear with a scary feeling that her body was suspended in midair, which could not be alleviated by medication. As the symptoms in the waist and lower limbs recurred due to a fall in January of X year, she consulted an orthopedist in April. She was given a diagnosis of lumbar disk hernia (L5-S1) and hospitalized. Since the symptoms sustained, she consulted the department of acupuncture attached to the Kansai University of Health Sciences Clinic in November. The sense of fear triggered by dorsal position in the acupuncture treatment interfered with the treatment. When she was referred to the department of psychosomatic medicine, the diagnosis of "Other types"of the DSM-IV "300.29 specific phobia"was given. While low-frequency acupuncture electrotherapy on the same side and the same level as the hernia was provided, we applied sedative acupuncture treatment once a week 30 times using the following acupuncture points:GV23;PC6;CV17;and CV6. Before and after every acupuncture treatment after the 10th, the symptoms were evaluated with Finger Floor Distance (FFD), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain and mood (feelings) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). <BR>Results:The sense of fear during the acupuncture treatment slowly decreased after the 14th treatment. Decreases in FFD, VAS for pain and mood (feelings), and state anxiety score of STAI were observed. The pain and the numbness in the waist and the lower limbs decreased in parallel with the sense of fear. Furthermore, the dosage of hypnotic agent decreased gradually as sleep improved. <BR>Conclusion:Pain and numbness in the waist and the lower limbs with phobia were relieved by sedative acupuncture treatment.