Stress response syndrome

Ilechukwu ST. Acute psychotic reactions and stress response syndromes following intramuscular aqueous procaine penicillin. Br J Psychiatry 1990 156 554-9. 

In 1976, psychiatrist Mardi Horowitz published a book entitled Stress Response Syndromes. In this landmark publication. Dr. Horowitz carved out a very useful model for understanding what appears to be a common pattern of human emotional... 

Let s take a look at the stress response syndrome (see figure 10-A). The full stress response syndrome is seen most clearly in situations where the stressful event is sudden and intense. Although a host of events may trigger this reaction. Each of the boxes in the figure represents a state of mind or emotion. The stress response reaction begins with awareness of some painful event. 

Since PTSD can have a variety of symptomatic presentations (owing to the above-mentioned variables and whether the person is in the intrusion or denial stage of the stress response syndrome), it is wise first to formulate the overall diagnosis and then delineate particular target symptoms (see symptom list, above). In all forms of PTSD, ultimately the psychiatric symptoms can be traced to the patient s exposure to extremely overwhelming psychosocial stressors. And in almost all cases, a common element is the person s experience of extraordinary helplessness or powerlessness in the face of such stressors. 

Horowitz, M. J. 1976. Stress response syndromes. New York Jason Aronson. 

M. Gurevich, et al., Psychosomatics Stress Response Syndromes and Cancer Conceptual and Assessment Issues, Psychosomatics 43 (2002) 259-281. Accessed at http psy.psychia tryonline.org/cgi/content/full/43/4/259. 

Chappell, P.B., Riddle, M., Anderson, G., Scahill, L., Hardin, M., Walker, D., Cohen, D., and Leckman, J. (1994) Enhanced stress responsivity of Tourette syndrome patients undergoing lumbar puncture. Biol Psychiatry 36 35-43. 

All absorbable topical corticosteroids possess the potential to suppress the pituitary-adrenal axis (see Chapter 39). Although most patients with pituitary-adrenal axis suppression demonstrate only a laboratory test abnormality, cases of severely impaired stress response can occur. Iatrogenic Cushing s syndrome may occur as a result of protracted use of... 

In addition to regulating the synthesis and release of ACTH from the pituitary, neurons in the PVN also project to areas in the brainstem that control the output of the sympathetic branch of the PNS. Activation of PVN neurons at the onset of a stress response thus leads to increased sympathetic outflow, resulting in release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve terminals and epinephrine from the adrenal medulla. The effects of these catecholamines are responsible for the behavioral syndrome known as the fight-or-fhght response. 

Variation in plasma protein concentrations can occur secondary to decreased albumin concentrations associated with hepatic cirrhosis, and nephrotic syndrome (Table 2). Increased (apadd glycoprotein concentrations are associated with the stress response to disease states such as myocardial infarction, inflammatory disease, and postsurgically. " A more relevant problem... 

Inflammatory Conditions. Many conditions associated with inflammation and increased oxidative stress could be influenced by selenium status. Positive effects from supplementation studies in arthritis and in pancreatitis have been reported. Low sermn selenium values are found in asthma, and some limited clinical trial studies show benefits firom supplementation." In a small trial in patients in intensive care with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), high-dose selenium supplements over 9 days were associated with reduced incidence of renal failure and reduced mortality in the most severely fll. ... 

Mental retardation and microcephaly Acute stress symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms Personality disorders A-bomb neurosis or radiation response syndrome excessive anxiety over symptoms of exposure, fear of cancer, subclinical stress symptoms... 

There are some studies where the ability of berberine to inhibit the HIV-I has been evaluated [107,119].Zhaet al. identified a key cellular mechanism underlying the protective effect of berberine on HIV Pl-induced inflammatoiy response in macrophages. Modulation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response represents a potential therapeutic target for various inflammatory diseases and metabolic syndromes, including HIV Pl-associated atherosclerosis. However, in vivo and clinical studies are needed to further clarify the putative application of berberine in anti-HIV therapy. 

Signs and symptoms of sympathetic nervous system activity are invariably found in MH. Levels of catecholamines are markedly increased in MH. Whether activation of the sympathetic nervous system is a primary or a secondary response in the syndrome has not been fully elucidated. Gronert reported that stress-induced sympathetic hyperactivity can initiate a malignant hyperthermic episode in susceptible swine without a triggering agent. Stress-induced MH in humans has been inferred because susceptible families have been shown to have an increased incidence of sudden death. Gronert s reasons that activation of the sympathetic... 

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