Allostasis ; physiology ; Chronic Disease ; General Adaptation Syndrome ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Stress, Psychological ; physiopathology

General Adaptation Syndrome ; prevention & control ; Health Education ; Humans ; Stress, Psychological ; prevention & control

Adrenal fatigue is a symptom complex occurring when chronic stress overwhelms one's own adaptation reserve. Morning fatigue, decreased performance, irritability, depressed mood, poor concentration, general myalgia, insomnia, cravings for stimulants, hypoglycemia, postural dizziness are the main symptoms. Adrenal fatigue or exhaustion is not a new concept. Selye presented the concept as a general adaptation syndrome to stress nearly 70 years ago, but it is still a valuable one. It is not easy to measure adrenal function; nowadays salivary cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone levels taken many times in a day has developed and used frequently. A lot of psychological methods and relaxation techniques including relaxation response, proper nutrition with supplements/herbs, deep sleep and rest, graded exercises and social supports make the patients recover from the state. Diagnostic methods or managements must be developed more to handle this syndrome easily because this syndrome has become much more prevalent than during the last century due to rapid changes and instability of modern societies.
Dizziness ; Exercise ; Fatigue ; General Adaptation Syndrome ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Relaxation ; Relaxation Therapy ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of neurofeedback training for reducing stress and enhancing self-regulation in late adolescence to identify the possibility of use for nursing intervention. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group pre-post quasi-experimental design was used. Participants were 78 late adolescents assigned to the experimental group (n=39) that received the neurofeedback training and the control group (n=39). Data were collected on heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance level (SCL) to assess stress-biomarker response. The questionnaire contained 164 items from: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and Self-regulatory Ability scale. The neurofeedback training was based on the general adaptation syndrome and body-mind medicine. The intervention was conducted in a total of 10 sessions for 30 minutes per session with high-beta, theta and sensory motor rhythm training on scalp at central zero. RESULTS: There were significant difference in standard deviation of normal to normal interval (p=.036) in HRV and SCL (p=.029) of stress-biomarker response between the two groups. Negative affect (p=.036) in PANAS and obsessive compulsive (p=.023) and depression (p < .001) in SCL-90-R were statistically significant. Self-regulation mode (p=.004) in self-regulation ability scale showed a significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the neurofeedback training is effective in stress-biomarkers, psychoemotional stress response and self-regulation. Therefore, neurofeedback training using neuroscientific approach based on brain-mind-body model can be used as an effective nursing intervention for late adolescents in clinics and communities for effective stress responses.
Adolescent* ; Appointments and Schedules ; Depression ; General Adaptation Syndrome ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Neurofeedback* ; Nursing ; Scalp ; Self-Control* ; Skin ; Stress, Physiological ; Stress, Psychological