A case of "borrowed identity syndrome" after severe traumatic brain injury

Couvade syndrome among Polish expectant fathers

Background

The aim of the conducted study was to analyze the phenomenon of Couvade Syndrome amongst fathers expecting their children in Poland. The authors examined the frequency of couvade symptoms in male subjects as well as their associations with male empathy.

Material/Methods

The research involved 143 expectant fathers. All subjects attended antenatal classes, and their female partners were in their third trimester. Before the start of classes, participants were asked to fill in the following questionnaires: a survey for measurement of Couvade Syndrome (which includes a set of 16 symptoms identified by Lipkin and Lamb (19) and translated into Polish), and the Empathic Sensitiveness Scale (SWE). Although participants, on average, did not experience Couvade Syndrome, they did experience symptoms that are commonly linked with the syndrome, namely those related to weight (weight gain, changes in appetite and flatulence).

Results

The results indicate that expectant fathers experience couvade symptoms related to weight (weight gain, changes in appetite and flatulence). The only empathic component that positively correlates with Couvade Syndrome is personal distress, i.e. the tendency to take on the negative emotions of others. Demographic characteristics are not associated with Couvade Syndrome.

Conclusions

The frequency of couvade symptoms in male subjects is associated with male empathy. In other words, men who are emotionally sensitive or prone to distress may physiologically experience the pregnancy of their female partners, which can be interpreted as compathy.

DMN Operational Synchrony Relates to Self-Consciousness: Evidence from Patients in Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States

The default mode network (DMN) has been consistently activated across a wide variety of self-related tasks, leading to a proposal of the DMN’s role in self-related processing. Indeed, there is limited fMRI evidence that the functional connectivity within the DMN may underlie a phenomenon referred to as self-awareness. At the same time, none of the known studies have explicitly investigated neuronal functional interactions among brain areas that comprise the DMN as a function of self-consciousness loss. To fill this gap, EEG operational synchrony analysis [1, 2] was performed in patients with severe brain injuries in vegetative and minimally conscious states to study the strength of DMN operational synchrony as a function of self-consciousness expression. We demonstrated that the strength of DMN EEG operational synchrony was smallest or even absent in patients in vegetative state, intermediate in patients in minimally conscious state and highest in healthy fully self-conscious subjects. At the same time the process of ecoupling of operations performed by neuronal assemblies that comprise the DMN was highest in patients in vegetative state, intermediate in patients in minimally conscious state and minimal in healthy fully self-conscious subjects. The DMN’s frontal EEG operational module had the strongest decrease in operational synchrony strength as a function of selfconsciousness loss, when compared with the DMN’s posterior modules. Based on these results it is suggested that the strength of DMN functional connectivity could mediate the strength of self-consciousness expression. The observed alterations similarly occurred across EEG alpha, beta1 and beta2 frequency oscillations. Presented results suggest that the EEG operational synchrony within DMN may provide an objective and accurate measure for the assessment of signs of self-(un)consciousness in these challenging patient populations. This method therefore, may complement the current diagnostic procedures for patients with severe brain injuries and, hence, the planning of a rational rehabilitation intervention.

Level of optimism and health behavior in athletes

BACKGROUND

Persons with an optimistic attitude do not give up despite obstacles and failures. Optimistic athletes compete more out of hope for success than out of fear of defeat. The purpose of my research was to determine if optimism also promotes good health behavior in athletes.

MATERIAL/METHODS

In order to measure the role of optimism in shaping the health behavior of athletes, I examined a group of women (N=147) and men (N=385) who were currently in training for athletic competition. The control group consisted of women (N=262) and men (N=435) who were not and had never been competitive athletes. The "O-P" Attitude Questionnaire was used to measure optimism, while health behavior was measured with the Juczynski Health Behavior Inventory, which measures proper nutrition habits, preventive behavior, positive attitude, and healthy practices.

RESULTS

The level of pessimism in these athletes was average. The female athletes were less pessimistic than the female controls. A similar, highly significant difference occurred between the male athletes and non-athletes. Gender did not differentiate the level of optimism in either group. Among the women, optimism correlated with healthy practices, such as daily sleep and recreation habits, or physical activity. The greater the pessimism increased, positive attitudes declined in the female controls, the female athletes, and the male controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The athletes displayed greater optimism than the controls. Among the women, optimism correlated with good health practices.

An evaluation of the strategic approach to the rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients

BACKGROUND

The objective of our study was to evaluate a goal-driven strategic plan for the step-by-step rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, with effectiveness measured in terms of quality of life, as compared to patients treated according to a standard, progressive rehabilitation program.

MATERIAL/METHODS

We studied 40 patients after TBI awakened from a long-term coma. The patients were divided into two equal groups: a control group (n=20) involving patients treated before the introduction of the strategic approach, and an experimental group (n=20) involving patients rehabilitated under the strategic approach. In evaluating the effectiveness of rehabilitation we used a structured interview with clinical observation and a scale for assessing the quality of life of patients after TBI.

RESULTS

The deterioration in the quality of life of TBI patients is mainly related to difficulties in satisfying physiological needs, self-care, reduced mobility and disorders of cognitive, regulatory, and social functions. In both groups, the feature most susceptible to rehabilitation related change was movement, while the least susceptible functions were associated with the use of different means of transport. This change is significantly greater in persons in the experimental group, as compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that a rehabilitation program controlled by a strategic plan, with the cooperation of the patient, is more effective in improving the quality of life, as the patient is more self-motivated to individually designed objectives.