Emotional Disturbances and Their Treatment in Patients with Somatoform Disorders
The objectives of the study were to assess emotional disturbances in patients with somatoform disorders (SD) and to evaluate the efficacy of Adaptol in the treatment of this disease. We studied forty patients with SD aged 18 to 45. Autonomic dysfunction in all patients was evaluated using A.M. Wein questionnaire for identification of autonomic dysfunction signs, and headache frequency and intensity were assessed using the HIT-6 digital rating scale. To evaluate the severity of emotional disturbances, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Spielberger-Khanin State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Subjective Happiness Scale were implemented. Attention and implulse control disorders were quantified using the TOVA (Test of Variables of Attention) psychophysiological test. The drug Adaptol was used for treatment of these patients. The control group consisted of thirty generally healthy individuals aged 18 to 45 years. The results of the conducted psychological study showed that patients with SD demonstrated a significant increase in indicators of anxiety along with lack of significant differences in depression measures, compared to the control group. A psychophysiological study using the TOVA revealed a statistically significant increase in inattention and impulsivity in these patients. The results of the control examination performed after the treatment course suggest that use of Adaptol in the treatment of SD is highly effective (improvement was observed in 72.5% of all patients). The second psychophysiological examination performed after the treatment course revealed a statistically significant decrease in impulsivity, while there was no deterioration in measures of attention and reaction time, which indicated that therapy did not have any negative impact on cognitive functions.