Closely Spaced Stressful Life Events Precede the Onset of Bengin Essential Blepharospasm and Hemifacial Spasm

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Title Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, December 2007, Volume 27, Issue 4
Date 2007-12
Language eng
Format application/pdf
Type Text
Publication Type Journal Article
Collection Neuro-ophthalmology Virtual Education Library: NOVEL http://NOVEL.utah.edu
Publisher Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Holding Institution Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah, 10 N 1900 E SLC, UT 84112-5890
Rights Management © North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
ARK ark:/87278/s6cr90fr
Setname ehsl_novel_jno
ID 225601
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6cr90fr

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Title Closely Spaced Stressful Life Events Precede the Onset of Bengin Essential Blepharospasm and Hemifacial Spasm
Creator Johnson, LN; Lapour, RW; Johnson, GM; Johnson, PJ; Madsen, RW; Hackley, SA
Affiliation From the Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit of the Mason Eye Institute, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri 65212, USA. JohnsonLN@health.missouri.edu
Abstract BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the possible role of major stressful life events, complicated grief, and depression in the pathogenesis of benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) and hemifacial spasm (HFS). METHODS: This was a case-control study involving 23 participants with BEB/HFS and 23 control subjects, comparing the frequency of major stressful life events, depression on the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and complicated grief on the Inventory of Complicated Grief. RESULTS: There was no difference in the rate of depression or complicated grief between participants with BEB/HFS (57%) and control subjects (48%). Participants with BEB/HFS experienced a significantly (P = 0.0048) shorter time interval between two major stressful life events (median, 0.3 year) than did the control group (median, 3.0 years). The proportion of participants who had suffered two major stressful lifetime events separated by 1 year or less was significantly greater for participants with BEB/HFS than for control subjects (P = 0.0007). CONCLUSIONS: The onset of BEB and HFS was often preceded by a major lifetime stressor. The development of these conditions was significantly related to the number of stressful life events occurring within the preceding year rather than to the total number of stressful life events. Subjects who sustain closely spaced stressful life events may be at increased risk of developing BEB and HFS.
Subject Adolescent; Adult; Blepharospasm, etiology; Blepharospasm, psychology; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hemifacial Spasm, etiology; Hemifacial Spasm, psychology; Humans, Infant; Life Change Events; Male; Risk Factors; Stress, Psychological, complications
OCR Text Show
Format application/pdf
Holding Institution Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah, 10 N 1900 E SLC, UT 84112-5890
Setname ehsl_novel_jno
ID 225586
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6cr90fr/225586
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