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The CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) is the first ESA S-class and exoplanetary follow-up mission headed for launch in 2018. It will perform ultra-high-precision photometry of stars hosting confirmed exoplanets on a 3-axis stabilised sun-synchronous orbit that is optimised for uninterrupted observations at minimum stray light and thermal variations. Nevertheless, due to the satellites structural design, the alignment of the star trackers and the payload instrument telescope is affected by thermo-elastic deformations. This causes a high pointing uncertainty, which requires the payload instrument to provide an additional acquisition system for distinct target identification. Therefor a star extraction software and two star identification algorithms, originally designed for star trackers, were adapted and optimised for the special case of CHEOPS. In order to evaluate these algorithms reliability, thousands of random star configurations were analysed in Monte-Carlo simulations. We present the implemented identification methods and their performance as well as recommended parameters that guarantee a successful identification under all conditions. more...

Der Einsatz von Effizienzsteigerungswerkzeugen ist recht und wichtig, tragt er doch dazu bei, dass der Blick auf Prozesse und Mitarbeiter kontinuierlich im Fokus bleibt und dadurch immer ein Antreiber prasent ist, nicht im Musiggang der Zufriedenheit mit dem bisher Erreichten zu verharren. Jedoch gilt es, dabei einiges zu beachten: Der Erfolgsfaktor liegt darin, dass erst nach Abarbeitung der Aktionslisten, nach erfolgreicher Implementierung der Projektergebnisse, nach bewusstem Befurworten der Ergebnisse durch die Prozesseigner und Sponsoren und anschliesendem intensivem Briefing aller vom Ergebnis Betroffenen das nachste Projekt startet. Dieser Artikel beschreibt die Lernkurve einer pharmazeutischen Business Unit von einer Erfolg versprechenden Ausgangslage mit Rekrutierung einer Unternehmensberatung uber eng gestrickte Lean-Projektplane bis hin zur Erkenntnis, dass nur der Fokus auf Wesentliches, gelebte Nachhaltigkeit und bewusste, prasente Fuhrung den Nahrboden fur Wirksamkeit in der Belegschaft bildet – getreu dem Motto „Gute Prozesse durch gute Fuhrung“. more...

Die vorliegende Studie beschreibt die Konzeption und Evaluation einer verhaltensonentierten Nichtraucherforderung an Schulen. Ziel der Studie war es, ein verhaltenstherapeutisches Angebot der Primar– und Sekundarpravention des Zigarettenrauchens fur Schulen bereitzustellen und wissenschaftlich zu uberprufen. An der Untersuchung nahmen 6 Schulen des allgemeinbildenden Schulsystems mit insgesamt 1299 Schulern teil. Drei verhaltensorientierte Programmpakete wurden an den teilnehmenden Schulen durch entsprechend ausgebildete Lehrkrafte angeboten: a) ein Raucherentwohnungsprogramm fur rauchende Lehrer und Eltern, b) ein Raucherentwohnungsprogramm fur rauchende Schuler im Sinne der Sekundarpravention und c) ein Trainingsprogramm zur Forderung der Lebenskompetenzen von noch nicht rauchenden, aber «gefahrdeten», selbstunsicheren Kindern im Sinne der Primarpravention. Zur Evaluation dieser Maβnahmen wurde ein Wartelisten-Kontrollgruppen-Design gewahlt: Wahrend die Intervention an 4 Schulen lief, dienten 2 weitere Schulen als Kontrollgruppe. Der Vergleich der Baseline-Daten mit den Daten direkt nach der Intervention belegt, daβ sich die Anzahl der rauchenden Schuler in der Experimentalgruppe statistisch und klinisch bedeutsam senkte, wahrend sie in der Wartelistenkontrollgruppe praktisch unverandert blieb. Eine Katamnese ein halbes Jahr nach Ende der Intervention zeigt, daβ die Effekte im wesentlichen stabil bleiben. Daher wird die Maβnahme als insgesamt auβerordentlich erfolgreich angesehen. more...

Until recently, olfactory dysfunction was an unknown feature of narcolepsy. Orexin A, also called hypocretin-1, is abnormally decreased or undetectable in the cerebrospinal fluid of narcoleptic patients with cataplexies. As hypothalamic orexin-containing neurons project throughout the entire olfactory pathway, from the olfactory mucosa to the olfactory cortex, disturbed orexinergic transmission may crucially be involved in impaired olfactory performance of narcolepsy patients. In our study we analysed the olfactory performance (threshold, discrimination, identification and sum score of these measurements, the TDI score) of narcoleptic patients with cataplexies (n = 10) and of age-, gender-, BMI- and smoker/non-smoker-matched healthy controls (n = 10). We then in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over design applied orexin A intranasally to seven of the patients and measured 2-phenyl-ethyl alcohol (PEA) single-staircase odour detection thresholds. Compared to the controls, patients showed significantly lower scores for olfactory threshold (patients: median 8.0, range 4.0-10.5; controls: median 9.4, range 7.5-13.3; P < 0.05), discrimination (patients: median 12.5, range 10-15; controls: median 15.0, range 12-16; P < 0.005), identification (patients: median 13.0, range 10-16; controls: median 14.0, range 13-16; P < 0.05) and TDI score (patients: median 33.4, range 30-36; controls: median 38.4, range 35-43; P < 0.0001). In all patients, the PEA olfactory threshold score increased after administration of orexin A (median 11.5, range 6.5-13.25) compared to placebo (median 7.75, range 6.25-11.25; P < 0.05). Our results support the hypothesis that mild olfactory dysfunction is an intrinsic symptom of narcolepsy with cataplexies. The observation that intranasal orexin A restores olfactory function is in favour of this hypothesis. Furthermore, our data support that the pathophysiological mechanism underlying olfactory dysfunction in narcolepsy is the lack of CNS orexin. more...

Objective Impairment in executive functions and disturbed weight regulation are common features in individuals with schizophrenia on antipsychotics. Still, the clinical management of weight gain, including educational programs, is insufficient. Therefore, we hypothesized that distinct executive impairment is associated with the inability to self-control food intake. Method In the present study we investigated the performance in a paradigm analyzing the executive subfunction “delay of gratification” in individuals with schizophrenia ( n = 29) compared with controls ( n = 23) and the interrelationship between delay of gratification, overall executive functioning, reported eating behavior and the BMI. We applied a board-game paradigm to operationalize delay of gratification: on designated fields individuals need to decide about a small amount of immediate reinforcement versus double the amount in the end. Appetite and eating behavior were assessed by self-report scales, executive functioning by BADS. Results We found that the patients performed significantly worse in our paradigm and that this is associated with lower executive functioning. However, the interrelationship between all parameters is complex: there is a significant positive correlation between the reported perceived appetite and executive functioning whereas the reported restrained eating behavior, significantly more frequent in patients, is correlated with low executive functioning and high disinhibition in eating situations. Conclusions We conclude that executive functions are necessary to successfully manage eating behavior. Thus, better understanding of the cognitive mechanisms might help to support the patients more efficiently in their tough job to keep control. more...

Impaired executive functions and disturbed weight regulation are well known features in individuals with schizophrenia on atypical antipsychotics. Still, the clinical management of the weight gain including educational programs on dieting is inefficient. Therefore, we hypothesized that distinct cognitive impairment in executive functioning is associated with the inability to self-control food intake. In the present study we investigated whether schizophrenic patients show impaired delay of nutritional gratification and implemented such paradigm. The individuals (29 patients, 23 controls) played a board game and on designated fields had to decide whether they choose an immediate small amount of sweeties or whether they continue playing and get a much larger amount of these sweeties in the end. Appetite was assessed by self report scales and executive functioning by BADS. The patients performed significantly worse than the controls. The self-reports on appetite did not significantly differ between groups. However, the test performance was significantly positively correlated with the score in BADS. Our results support that our paradigm is on executive functioning and measures delayed gratification. We speculate that significant impairment in managing gratification delay may be a key function for the ability of patients to handle increased appetite under atypical antipsychotic treatment. more...

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has been linked to encoding for individual olfactory identity. Experiments in mice and rats proved that behavior and mating were, at least in part, determined by genes within the MHC. This study was aimed at investigating whether sHLA are excreted in human urine, saliva and sweat. In particular examination of the molecular forms in these fluids would give clues to whether break down forms of soluble MHC molecules might participate in shaping behavior. Major bands of 45, 40, and 23 kD were detectable. Increased levels of sHLA were measured using a quantitative ELISA in urine shortly before ovulation decreasing to normal levels thereafter. In animal models strain specific MHC-linked odor cues have been detected in urine. Thus, excretion of sHLA in urine might indicate a similar role for these molecules in humans. more...

Besides its immunological function of self/non-self discrimination the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has been recognized as a possible source of individual specific body odors. Dating back to speculations on the role of the extraordinary polymorphism of the MHC as background of an individual chemosensory identity and to early observations of MHC-dependent mate choice in inbred strains of mice, systematic experimental studies revealed a first evidence for H-2 related body odors in this species. Meanwhile a large number of animal studies with rodents and a series of field studies and experiments with humans have extended our knowledge of MHC-related odor signals and substantiated the hypothesis of immunogenetic associated odor types. These results suggest that the most prominent feature of the MHC, its extraordinary genetic diversity, seems in part to be selectively maintained by behavioral mechanisms which operate in contemporary natural populations. The high degree of heterozygosity found in natural populations of most species seems to be promoted by non-disease-based selection such as mating preferences and selective block of pregnancy. more...

The chemosensory identity of mice and rats is determined partly by polymorphic genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In inbred strains of mice, as well as in seminatural populations, MHC-associated mating preferences selectively influence reproductive success, thus serving to promote heterozygocity in the MHC. In order to determine whether MHC-associated chemosignals are present in humans, two studies were conducted. In a first study, olfactory identification of MHC-associated chemosignals was conducted on 12 trained rats' responses to the urine odors of humans. In a second study, MHC-associated olfactory cues in humans were analyzed by means of gas chromatography. The results indicate that the urine odors of humans are associated with the MHC and demonstrate that the profile of volatile components in the urine odors shows some association with the MHC. Furthermore, results show that a profile of some specific components, as well as a few ubiquitous volatiles, constitutes MHC-associated odor signals in humans. more...

A new method will be presented which allows the perception of body odors in humans to be studied objectively. The analysis of body odor-evoked potentials was used to investigate if and how the human brain is able to differentiate self from non-self body odor for the first time. Six subjects (three females) participated in two experimental sessions. In each session, two body odors (axillary hair) were presented within an olfactory oddball paradigm. One of the odors was collected from the subject and the other from an odor donor of the same sex. In the first session the subjects' attention was distracted to a secondary task (passive paradigm), in the second session the subjects were asked to actively differentiate the odors (active paradigm). For the EEG recordings the odors were presented within a constantly flowing airstream. The results show that the subjects could hardly differentiate the body odors subjectively. However, it could be demonstrated that the central nervous processing of one's own odor was faster than the processing of the chemosensory non-self signal. Moreover, in the active paradigm, the potentials appeared to be larger when the subjects perceived their own body odor. The conclusion is reached that the measurement of chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERP) is the method of choice for the investigation of HLA-associated body odors. more...

Insensitivity to single odors, called specific anosmia, has been repeatedly reported in the literature. The main question of the present study was whether olfactory sensitivity is inducable in subjects with specific anosmia. For this reason the olfactory sensitivity of women with specific anosmia to the volatile steroid androstenone was investigated by threshold measurements at two times, before and after repeated odor exposure. Androstenone is a compound that contributes to human body odor and is found at a higher concentration in male axillary sweat than in female sweat. The results show that in more than 80% of the odor exposed anosmics olfactory perception of androstenone could be induced. more...

The influence of a 1-hour neuropsychological stress test on the distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations and on plasma catecholamine levels was investigated in 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 14 sex- and age-matched controls. Despite significant increases in lymphocyte counts in both groups, lymphocyte subsets did not change accordingly. A wide scattering of catecholamine levels in plasma before and after stress was observed. Plasma levels of lymphokines such as interleukin (IL)-1 beta and IL-6 could not be detected in RA patients. Enzyme immunoassay of markers of lymphocyte activation such as HLA-DR and cell-bound IL-2 receptor showed only a significant elevation of HLA-DR marked cells in RA patients at baseline. Significantly higher amounts of the soluble IL-2 receptor were detected in patients with RA before the stress test, but stress testing did not alter this parameter. In conclusion, lymphocyte activation in RA and a defect in the expression of IL-2 receptor on the cell surface of lymphocytes were confirmed in the present study. more...

Estimations of the prevalence of central nervous system involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) vary from 25 to 75%. In order to assess possible deficits in memory, attention, and/or reaction time, a battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to 15 patients with SLE and to two matched groups of control subjects; eight patients on corticosteroids and 15 healthy controls. The test battery included the Multiple Choice Word Fluency Test (MWT-B), Benton Visual Memory Scale, Syndrome Short Test (SKT; attention and memory), Attention and Concentration Test (d2), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) subtests for Comprehension, Digit Span, Block Design, a Computer Controlled Reaction Time task (CCRT), and a Learning and Memory Test (LGT-3). Results revealed a statistically significant short-term memory deficit (for all six relevant subtests used) and a marked delayed simple reaction time in SLE patients as compared with scores in healthy subjects. An attention deficit as well as the expected difference between the estimated premorbid and actual level of intelligence could not be demonstrated. With three exceptions (SKT-9 figural recognition, Benton Visual Memory, and LGT-3 figural recognition), patients treated with corticosteroids did not differ from healthy controls. They also did not differ from SLE patients in any of the parameters tested. It therefore appears that the demonstrated deficit in short-term memory and reaction time in SLE patients may not only be due to the neuropsychiatric manifestation of SLE but possibly also result from medication side-effects. more...

The influence of a 2-h neuropsychological stress test on plasma catecholamines, cortisol, and on the distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations was studied in 14 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 10 patients on prednisone treatment (without collagenosis), and 14 sex-and-age-matched healthy controls. Psychological stress induced comparably significant increases in plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline levels as compared with baseline values (P less than 0.05) in all three groups, whereas plasma cortisol remained unchanged. The rise in plasma catecholamines was accompanied by a significant cell mobilization in healthy subjects and prednisone-treated patients, but not in patients with SLE. CD19+ cells increased significantly in number from baseline in healthy subjects and prednisone-treated controls (P less than 0.05), while remaining unchanged in SLE patients. In conclusion, SLE patients showed a reduced cell mobilization due to psychological stress despite hormonal alterations paralleling those of healthy subjects or prednisone-treated patients without collagenosis. more...

Losgelost von der Psychologie im allgemeinen und von der Klinischen Psychologie im besonderen hat sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten eine interdisziplinare Forschungsrichtung etabliert, die als Chemical Senses Research die Untersuchung der Wahrnehmung von Geruch und Geschmack in ihren grundlagenwissenschaftlichen und anwendungsorientierten Aspekten betreibt. Physiologen, Neuroanatomen, Verhaltensforscher, Lebensmitteltechniker, Biologen, Zoologen und einige wenige Psychologen arbeiten auf diesem Gebiet an so unterschiedlichen Fragestellungen wie der Entdeckung des Rezeptors an den Zilien der Nasenschleimhaut oder den klinischen Problemen von Patienten mit Geschmacks- oder Geruchsstorungen. Wahrend die Psychophysik oder die Neuropsychologie der audiovisuellen Wahrnehmung einen zentralen Stellenwert auch in der Klinischen Psychologie besitzt - man denke etwa an die Arbeiten zur neuropsychologischen Rehabilitation von Patienten mit Gesichtsfeldlasionen - haben Untersuchungen der Veranderung des Riechens und Schmek-kens eine bislang untergeordnete, ja nahezu imbedeutende Rolle. more...

Betrachtet man die Literatur der klinisch-psychologischen Forschung der letzten Jahre, so fallt auf, daβ Themen der Geruchs- und Geschmackswahrnehmung kaum ein Thema dieses Forschungsbereichs waren. Trotz zahlreicher physiologischer, neuroanatomischer und biochemischer Befunde, die eine differenzierte Geruchsinformationsverarbeitung dokumentieren, wurde das menschliche olfaktorische System sehr lange als unterentwickelt betrachtet. Menschen wurden als Mikrosmaten (d.h. mit gering entwickeltem Geruchsvermogen) bezeichnet, wahrend viele Tiere als makrosmatisch, also als im Besitz eines hochsensitiven Riechapparates betrachtet werden (vgl. Engen 1982; Stoddart 1980; Stoddart 1988). Wie Goldstein (1989) in seinem exzellenten Uberblick uber die chemischen Sinne zu Recht diskutiert, muβ diese bisherige Auffassung aufgrund neuer Forschungsergebnisse revidiert werden. Seiner, aber auch unserer Meinung nach, gibt es in diesem Bereich mindestens 3 Mythen uber die menschliche Geruchswahrnehmung: 1. Menschliche olfaktorische Rezeptoren arbeiten weniger sensitiv als diejenigen anderer Lebewesen. Die geschatzte Zahl von Rezeptoren in der Nasenschleimhaut, z.B. von Hunden, steht in einem Zahlenverhaltnis von etwa 100:1 gegenuber derjenigen in der menschlichen Nasenschleimhaut. Dies bedeutet jedoch keinesfalls, daβ bei Bindung eines Geruchsmolekuls an einen Rezeptor eine unterschiedliche neurophysiologische Informationsverarbeitung bei Tier und Mensch nachweisbar ware. 2. Die Unterschiedsschwellen unseres Geruchssystems sind hoch. Die Bestimmung von Unterschiedsschwellen hangt offensichtlich von der Genauigkeit ab, mit der verschiedene Duftkonzentrationen prasentiert werden konnen. Eine prazise Kontrolle der Reizapplikation durch Olfaktometer ergab jedoch Schatzungen von Unterschiedschwellen von 5–11%. Diese entsprechen durchaus denjenigen anderer Sinnesmodalitaten. 3. Unsere Fahigkeit, Geruche zu identifizieren, ist verkummert. Nach Goldstein stammt diese Aussage aus Studien, in welchen Versuchspersonen auf ihre Wiedererkennensleistung in Serien mit unterschiedlichen Geruchen untersucht wurden. Diese Versuchspersonen wurden jedoch nicht danach befragt, ob sie bestimmte Geruche wie z.B. Hexan aus einer 1. Serie wiedererkennen konnten, sondern ob sie sich an eine vorher zugeordnete kunstliche Bezeichnung fur diese Geruche erinnerten. Verbesserte Testverfahren fur das Geruchsgedachtnis, die die richtigen Namen oder Bezeichnungen von bekannten Geruchen verwenden, zeigen im Gegensatz zu diesen Studien extrem hohe Identifikationsraten. more...

Bei jedem Thema der klinisch-psychologischen oder psychiatrischen Forschung, das sich die Frage nach den elementaren Storungen einer letztendlich als Pathologie betrachteten Symptomatik stellt, ist zunachst die Wahl des Forschungs- und Therapieansatzes ausschlaggebend dafur, welche Teilproblematik als Grundstorung betrachtet wird. Daher mus im Sinne Kuhns (1962) zunachst die Struktur der einer therapeutischen Richtung zugrundeliegenden Annahmen transparent werden, bevor uber die Definition des Begriffs „Grundstorung“ ein Versuch unternommen wird, die Gemeinsamkeiten und die differentiellen Aspekte der verschiedenen Suchtphanomene fur ihre Pravention und ihre Genese, Aufrechterhaltung und Therapie zu erlautern. Dies mochte ich im ersten Teil meiner Darstellung versuchen. Daran anschhesend sollen nach der Prazisierung dieses Begriffs die in der modernen psychobiologischen Verhaltenstheorie auffindbaren Modelle zu den verschiedenen Grundstorungsbereichen erlautert und anhand einiger Beispiele diskutiert werden. more...

Die Anzahl der Drogenabhangigen wird in der BRD auf ungefahr 60 000 geschatzt. Jedes Jahr beginnen schatzungsweise 4000 Drogenabhangige eine Entwohnungsbehandlung, und ein noch groserer Anteil versucht von sich aus in Selbstkontrolle, den Konsum von Drogen einzustellen. Die Ruckfallquote nach einer Therapie Hegt bei ungefahr 60% (Buhringer 1981). more...

Katamnestische Untersuchungen von behandelten Drogenabhangigen erlauben die Schlusfolgerung, das Drogenabstinenz nach einer Entwohnungsbehandlung ein realisierbares Ziel darstellt. Die Erfolgsquote bei der Behandlung Opiatabhangiger liegt wahrscheinlich zwischen 30 und 40% (siehe Klett et al. 1984; Ladewig 1987; Herbst et al. in diesem Band). Erfolg wird in den meisten Studien uber die Kriterien Art und Menge des Drogenkonsums definiert. In der Regel werden auch die Patienten als erfolgreich eingestuft, die einen Ruckfall hatten, den sie von selbst wieder beenden konnten (z. B. de Jong u. Henrich 1978). Genauere Angaben uber Anzahl, Art und Dauer der Ruckfalle bei den sog. erfolgreichen Patienten werden leider nicht gemacht. Informationen uber Dauer und Intensitat der Ruckfalle waren interessant, da unmittelbar nach Therapieende die Anzahl der Ruckfalle sehr hoch ist, mit zunehmender Zeit aber ein Ansteigen der abstinenten Patienten zu verzeichnen ist (Ladewig 1987; Vaillant in diesem Band). Das heist, das trotz inzwischen beachtlicher Erfolge und Verbesserungen in der Behandlung Drogenabhangiger der Ruckfall ein haufig auftretendes Ereignis darstellt. Ungefahr 60% der behandelten Drogenabhangigen nehmen uber einen langeren Zeitraum wieder harte Drogen zu sich, und ein unbekannter Anteil sog. erfolgreicher Patienten hat einen Ruckfall, der in Selbstkontrolle wieder beendet wird. Einerseits ist von Interesse, warum es der Mehrheit nicht gelingt, den Drogenkonsum wieder einzustellen. Aber noch bedeutender ist die Fragestellung wie es uberhaupt zum ersten Ruckfall mit harten Drogen kommt. Diesen beiden Fragestellungen soll in der folgenden Studie nachgegangen werden. more...

Avoidance is a characteristic component of neurotic behaviour. The phobic patient avoiding anxiety-evoking situations, as well as the obsessive patient who seeks to avoid aversive consequences by his ritual behaviour, are both trying to avoid unpleasant events. These patients typically show high resistance to extinction, obviously due to the self-reinforcing system of avoidance behaviour. A great deal of work has been done on this subject in animal studies (e.g. SIDMAN, 1966), but the literature on human avoidance behaviour is limited. more...

Forty-two male patients and their sexual partners were studied: 16 patients with "psychogenic" erectile failure (eight each with the primary and secondary forms), 16 premature ejaculators, and 10 patients with diabetes-related impotence. Due to the higher mean age of the diabetics, an age-matched older control group (eight healthy males and their sexual partners) and an age-matched younger control group (16 healthy males and their sexual partners) were also studied. In an experimental situation various psychophysiological parameters were evaluated. The viewing of films depicting sexual behavior produced psychophysiological reactions in all subjects. The patient groups and the controls differed on the following five parameters: amount of increase in systolic blood pressure, amount of increase in number of spontaneous fluctuations in skin resistance, erection amplitude, latency of erection, and duration of erection. In the diabetic group the three erection parameters were very depressed. In the group with primary psychogenic erectile impotence all five parameters were lower than in the controls, with the greatest difference in spontaneous fluctuations in skin resistance. The psychophysiological profile of the group of patients with secondary psychogenic erectile impotence was surprisingly similar to the profile of the diabetics, with a sharp increase in systolic blood pressure and in spontaneous fluctuations in skin resistance, but very depressed erection parameters. There were no marked differences between the controls and the premature ejaculators. There were only a few correlations between self-rated sexual arousal and psychophysiological measures of sexual stimulation and these were not very high. They were found mainly in the patient groups. more...

In order to determine whether the characteristically attenuated cell mobilization after physical stress in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or sarcoidosis is disease specific or the result of lower tolerance for such stress, SLE and sarcoidosis patients as well as healthy volunteers were subjected to an acoustic stress model, independent of physical capacity. After a 10-min period of intermittent acoustic stress, healthy subjects showed significant increases in leucocyte and lymphocyte counts, marked relative elevations of B and T suppressor cytotoxic lymphocytes (P less than 0.01), and a relative reduction in T helper lymphocytes (P less than 0.01). By contrast, this degree of change was significantly less pronounced in the 14 female SLE patients studied (P less than 0.01) as compared with the healthy controls, but not in the 12 sarcoidosis patients tested. No dependence was found between the severity of disease or administration of corticosteroid therapy and cell mobilization. It is yet to be determined whether the attenuated response of SLE patients to stress is a consequence of pathophysiological mechanisms or plays an aetiopathogenic role in the course of the disease. more...

This experiment deals with the modification of physiological, subjective and motoric aspects of anxiety, evaluated by 4 different measures during the course of 2 different but parallel therapy programs. more...