Sleep experiences, dissociation, imaginal experiences, and schizotypy: the role of context.

Watson (2001) reported moderate correlations between the Iowa Sleep Experience Survey (ISES) and self-report measures of dissociation and schizotypy. Subsequent investigations (Fassler, Knox, & Lynn, 2003; Watson, 2003) reported similar, although somewhat more modest, correlations between the ISES and measures of dissociation and schizotypy, as well as with measures of absorption and negative affect. The present study tested subjects in conditions in which the measures of sleep experiences were administered with other measures in either the same (N=86) or a different (N=87) test context.

Inhibitory control test for the diagnosis of minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

Background & Aims: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is difficult to diagnose. The Inhibitory Control Test (ICT) measures response inhibition and has diagnosed MHE with 90% sensitivity and specificity in a selected population; high lure and low target rates indicated poor ICT performance. We studied the reliability and validity of ICT for MHE diagnosis.

The high prevalence of restless legs syndrome symptoms in liver disease in an academic-based hepatology practice.

Study Objectives: Survey-based epidemiologic studies suggest that restless legs syndrome (RLS) affects approximately 10% of the general population and can cause significantly reduced quality of life due to sleep disturbance. This condition is more prevalent in certain disease states, such as iron deficiency anemia, neuropathy, and renal insufficiency. No such prevalence data exists for RLS in liver disease.

Is hypnotic suggestibility a stable trait?

The present study examined the trait-like nature of hypnotic suggestibility by examining the stability of hypnotic responsiveness in a test-retest design in which the procedures were administered either live or by audiotape. Contrary to the idea that hypnotizability is a largely immutable, stable trait, scores on the scale of hypnotic responsiveness decreased significantly at the second session. Measures of subjective experiences and expectancies accounted for a sizable portion of the variance in hypnotic responding, both at initial test and at retest.

Increased rates of early adverse reaction to azathioprine in patients with Crohn's disease compared to autoimmune hepatitis: a tertiary referral center experience.

Objectives: Idiosyncratic drug hypersensitivity may occur at increased rates in specific patient populations. Azathioprine has a significant early adverse reaction (EAR) profile, which includes an acute syndrome of constitutional symptoms, fever, rash, and acute pancreatitis and often requires discontinuation of drug. EAR precludes azathioprine use in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

An evaluation of Woodard's theory of perceptually oriented hypnosis.

This article evaluates Woodard's theory of Perceptually Oriented Hypnosis, a welcome addition to theories of hypnosis that emphasize the centrality of subjective experiences in understanding and studying hypnosis. With a focus on subjective experience. Woodard's account of perceptually oriented hypnosis is based on elements of humanistic, client-centered, and perceptual psychology.

Leflunomide treatment of Crohn's disease patients intolerant to standard immunomodulator therapy.

Background: Immunomodulator therapy with the purine analogs azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), is efficacious in the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD), but is not tolerated by a significant minority of patients. The pyrimidine analog, leflunomide, has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Because established RA immunomodulator agents may demonstrate success in the treatment of CD, we reviewed our clinical open-label experience with leflunomide in a refractory CD population.

Unsedated transnasal endoscopy: a new technique for accurately detecting and grading esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients.

Objectives: Endoscopic screening of cirrhotics for large esophageal varices (EV) is advocated before initiation of prophylactic therapy for variceal bleeding. Conscious sedation for conventional endoscopy is problematic in cirrhotic patients because of risk of prolonged encephalopathy. Unsedated transnasal endoscopy (T-EGD) is a new technique, which allows for unsedated examination because it is well tolerated.