title: Higher psychological and psychovegetative strain in adolescents with atypical pigment naevi.
abstract: An observational, exploratory, cross-sectional study was performed to assess whether the presence of atypical naevi (AN) in adolescents is associated with psychological and psychovegetative stress parameters. Fifty-one students of a secondary school in Graz, Austria, completed a defined test procedure consisting of an initial period of rest, a standardised mental stress task, another period rest and a questionnaire, the change-sensitive symptom list (ASS-SYM). Electrocardiogram and blood pressure were recorded continuously. The study population was divided in two groups: probands without AN (NAN, n = 33), and probands with at least one AN (n = 18). We found higher values for the AN group in all scales of ASS-SYM, reaching statistical significance in the dimensions "nervousness and mental tension" (p = 0.025), "psychophysiological dysregulation" (p = 0.020), burden of pain" (p = 0.023) and "general symptoms and problems" (p = 0.031). Regarding physiological parameters, the AN group showed higher vegetative strain reflected in heart rate and heart rate varibility during the periods of rest as well as a reduced baroreceptor sensitivity. On the basis of our results, the presence of AN in adolescents seems to be associated with a higher vegetative arousal. Additionally, participants with AN complained significantly more often about stress-associated general psychological symptoms and problems.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of Behavioural Medicine, Health Psychology and Empirical Psychosomatics, Department of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz, Roseggerweg 50, 8036 Graz , Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.forename: Josef Wilhelm
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kapfhammer
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.forename: Peter Michael
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rohrer
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hörlesberger
authors.forename: Gerold
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwantzer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Komericki
authors.forename: Michael Dennis
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lvov
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baulmann
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Richtig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D001317:Austria; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017704:Baroreflex; D001794:Blood Pressure; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors