Gaab
Fakultäten » Philosophische Fakultät » Psychologisches Institut » Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie » Prof. Dr. Ulrike Ehlert » Gaab
Completed research project
| Title / Titel | Evaluation of activity, reactivity and feedback sensitivity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-addrenal axis in patients with functional somatic syndromes | ||
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| Abstract (PDF, 14 KB) | |||
| Original title / Originaltitel | Evaluation der Aktivität, Reaktivität und Feedbacksensitivität der Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Nebennierenrinden-Achse bei Patienten mit Funktionellen Somatischen Syndromen | ||
| Summary / Zusammenfassung | Clinical syndromes, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome, are discussed not to be clinical entities, but rather that 'the similarities between them outweigh the differences' (Wessely et al., 1999), This assumption has important implications for etiological models, diagnostical procedures ad therapeutical interventions. Therefore, the simultaneous and direct comparison of a shared psychobiological mechanism, such as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenbal axis, is required to test the assumption of a general functional somatic syndrome. In a total of 100 subjects with functional somatic syndromes, (chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic whiplash syndrome and temporomandibular disorder and healthy controls) awakening and circadian cortisol profiles are assessed and compared with HPA axis profiles after the administration of 0.5 mg dexamethasone. The results will elucidate the role of neuroendocrine dysregulations in functional somatic syndromes and help to focus etiological models and therapeutical interventions. |
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| Publications / Publikationen | Gaab, J., Hüster, D., Peisen, R., Engert, V., Schad. T., Schürmeyer, T.H., Ehlert, U. (2002). The low dose dexamethasone suppression test in chronic fatigue syndrome and health, Psychosomatic Medicine, 64:311-318.Ehlert, U., Gaab, J., Heinrichs, M. (2001). Psychoneuroendocrinological contributions to the etiology of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and stress-related bodily disorders: The role of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Biological Psychology, 57(1-3), 141-52. | ||
| Project leadership and contacts / Projektleitung und Kontakte |
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| Funding source(s) / Unterstützt durch |
Forschungskredit der Universität Zürich |
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| Duration of Project / Projektdauer | Jan 2003 to Jan 2005 |