Converging evidence identifies trait optimism and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) as personality and brain factors influencing anxiety, but the nature of their relationships remains unclear. Here, the mechanisms underlying the protective role of trait optimism and of increased OFC volume against symptoms of anxiety were investigated in 61 healthy subjects, who completed measures of trait optimis...

The aim of this pilot study was to analyze the effect of a strength training program on indicators of trait and state anxiety in patients with ischemic stroke. The subjects were divided into two groups: experimental group (EG) consisting of 11 subjects aged 51.7 ± 8.0 years and a control group (CG) with 13 subjects aged 52.5 ± 7.7 years. EG underwent 12 weeks of strength training, with a freque...

BACKGROUND Screening for breast cancer reduces breast cancer-related mortality. Advantages of screening are explained clearly, but its disadvantages are underrepresented in consent folders. METHODS In September 2002 a prospective, longitudinal study started concerning quality of life (QoL) in women with breast disease. Between September 2002 and January 2007, 385 women with an abnormal screen...

INTRODUCTION Anxiety-related characteristics, including anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety, are elevated in individuals with alcohol and nicotine dependence and associated with greater difficulties with quitting smoking. However, little is known about how anxiety-related characteristics are related to smoking cessation outcomes in alcohol-dependent smokers. The present study, part of a large...

OBJECTIVE To compare state and trait anxiety in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients and matched control subjects, and to assess the impact of these variables in predicting conversion to Alzheimer's disease. METHODS One hundred and forty-eight patients with MCI, broadly defined, were assessed and followed systematically. Baseline predictors for follow-up conversion to AD (entire sample: 3...

This paper describes an evaluation of Taylor's (1998) hierarchic model of fears and its relationship to trait anxiety and disgust sensitivity (DS). In Study 1 (N=420), a confirmatory factor analysis supported a hierarchic structure of fears. Next, an analysis using structural equation modeling indicated that trait anxiety is associated with claustrophobic and social fears, whereas DS is associa...

Trait anxiety is thought to be associated with pathological anxiety, and a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. The present study examines the brain mechanisms associated with trait anxiety during the performing of verbal fluency tasks. The aim is to show how trait anxiety modulates executive functions as measured by verbal fluency, and to explore the link between verbal fluency and anxiety d...

background: the hospitalization of a child is a stressful experience for parents, especially mothers. not having access to theteacher and not being able to continue school studies within the hospital by hospitalized children is a common reason for anxiety in them and their parents. the current study aimed to determine the effect of teacher’s presence at children’s bedside on the anxiety of moth...

BACKGROUND A substantial group of patients with gallstone disease experience negative outcome after surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy). Early identification of these patients is important. PURPOSE The aim of the study is to identify predictors (clinical symptoms and trait anxiety) of negative symptomatic outcomes at 6 weeks after cholecystectomy. METHODS Consecutive patie...

The present study examined the influence of trait anxiety on the early stages of emotional face processing. In order to test if such early effect of anxiety could appear in response to positive as well as to negative stimuli, we recorded event-related potentials in response to both happy and fearful faces - contrasted with neutral faces - during a task where attention was explicitly directed to...