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| |  Emotions Affect Asthma In Children, Study Finds BALTIMORE, MD -- May 9, 1997 -- Sad emotions may predispose the body to asthma attacks in children, while happy emotions seem to ward off attacks, suggests a study in the May issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Led by child and adolescent psychiatrist Bruce D. Miller, M.D. and psychologist Beatrice L. Wood, Ph.D. of the State University of New York at Buffalo, the study found that emotions seem to affect involuntary responses in the cardiopulmonary system. Twenty-four children with asthma were monitored while watching the movie "E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial." The children's heart rate and oxygen saturation -- an indicator of how much oxygen was getting to their tissues --were least stable during a sad scene in which E.T. appears to have died. This suggests that sad emotions may lead to increased involuntary nervous system activity and changes in oxygen supply, similar to those seen during an asthma attack. Conversely, heart rate and oxygen saturation were more stable during a happy scene in which E.T. comes back to life. The results were mixed during a scene that was both sad and happy, in which E.T. parts with his friend and goes home to his own people. The researchers chose the movie "E.T." because it reflects emotional themes of concern to children in general -- such as family stress and separation -- and to children with chronic diseases in particular -- such as illness and death. Separation and loss were precisely the emotions evoked by the two scenes that prompted the greatest bodily response from the children -- namely, when E.T. dies and when he goes home. Though the link between emotions and asthma is a complex one, the results suggest that feelings of depression or hopelessness may make children more vulnerable to asthma attacks. All the children studied had moderate to severe asthma accompanied by emotional problems. The effects of emotion may be quite different in children with milder asthma who are more emotionally stable. The results point up the need for a comprehensive approach to the care of children with asthma, including psychological and family interventions as well as drug treatment. Medications to treat depression -- especially those that counteract airways constriction -- might help in combating asthma as well as depression. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry represents over 6,300 child and adolescent psychiatrists, physicians with at least five years of additional training beyond medical school in adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry. Academy members actively research, diagnose, and treat psychiatric disorders affecting children, adolescents, and their families.
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