Publications by authors named "D Sam Schwarzkopf"

Most people can imagine images that they experience within their mind's eye. However, there are marked individual differences, with some people reporting that they are unable to visualise (aphantasics), and others who report having imagined experiences that are as realistic as seeing (hyper-phantasics). The vividness of imagery is most often measured via subjective self-report.

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Most studies in psychology, neuroscience, and life science research make inferences about how strong an effect is on average in the population. Yet, many research questions could instead be answered by testing for the universality of the phenomenon under investigation. By using reliable experimental designs that maximize both sensitivity and specificity of individual experiments, each participant or subject can be treated as an independent replication.

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There are substantial differences in the capacity of people to have imagined visual experiences, ranging from a lifelong inability (Congenital Aphantasia) to people who report having imagined experiences that are as vivid as actually seeing (Hyper-Phantasia). While Congenital Aphantasia has typically been framed as a cognitive deficit, it is possible that a weak or absent ability to have imagined visual sensations is balanced by a heightened resistance to intrusive thoughts - which are experienced as an imagined sensation. Here, we report on a direct test of that proposition.

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Introduction: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a rare complication after limb injuries. Early recognition of the symptomatology and interdisciplinary interventions are essential to prevent long-term disability and pain.

Objective: This article presents results on the incidence of CRPS after surgery in Germany and treatments used by patients with CRPS, using claims data from the BARMER, a German nationwide health care insurance.

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Background: The risk of persistent postoperative opioid use (PPOU) and its association with the type of surgery are still unclear in Germany.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study on the basis of claims data from BARMER, a statutory health insurance carrier in Germany. Opioid-naive adults who did not have cancer and who underwent inpatient surgery in 2018 were included in the study.

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