Psychological Stress and Mitochondria: A Systematic Review Picard, Martin PhD; McEwen, Bruce S. PhD

[Sly Saint]

I didn't think this deserved its own thread;
From
ARC Journal of
Psychiatry
Volume 3, Issue 1, 2018, PP1-2
www.arcjournals.org
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Childhood Traumas and the Tonic Immobility
Matti O. Huttunen, MD,Ph.D

Epidemiological studies suggest that emotional traumas during childhood is a major risk factor in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). More than half of these patients has experienced at least one type of early trauma, with the majority of these patients reporting multiple traumas (4,5).
It is proposed that the CFS is an equivalent of the tonic immobility of the “freeze” or apparent death response of animals in life-threatening situations. If the “fight/flight” behavior fails to protect the animal, the result is a defensive tonic immobilization (6). Tonic immobility is a behavior in which animals become apparently temporarily paralyzed. Despite appearances, the animal remains conscious throughout tonic immobility. Tonic immobility has also been hypothesized to occur in humans undergoing intense trauma, including sexual assault (7).

https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ajp/v3-i1/1.pdf

groan........maybe a bit of gin is needed?

 

[chrisb]

groan........maybe a bit of gin is needed?

Shaken, but not stirred?

 

[Hoopoe]

It is proposed that the CFS is an equivalent of the tonic immobility of the “freeze” or apparent death response of animals in life-threatening situations.

Yes, because all patients were in a situation where they faced threat of violence, collapsed as result, and then had CFS. Right? No, wait, that's never the story.

Is it possible to be traumatized by psychobabble?

 

[Sean]

Is it possible to be traumatized by psychobabble?

Exhibit A: ME/CFS

 

[Cheshire]

Is there the beguinning of an evidence that this theory is true? A proposal for an experimental device to prove its relevance?
No, but the author felt like he had a very clever idea and had to spread worldwide his incredible wit.

If this idea is true, the search for biological etiological biomarkers would be futile

Yeah, if...

 

[Inara]

 

[Flying Dutchman]

The senior author of the psycho-mito paper is a famous neuropsychiatry / neuroendocrinology researcher, Bruce McEwen. He is one of the fathers of modern psych theories of stress, and he coined the term "allostatic load".

He is a very senior figure - he holds a named chair at Rockefeller Uni, has published 700+ papers, and received all manner of awards and honours.

His status explains a paper like this being published.

The paper's first author, Picard, is an early career researcher from Columbia Uni, who researches mitochondria.

 

[arewenearlythereyet]

 

[Trish]

Erk, I never did like tripe, @arewenearlythereyet .