Psychotherapy and Psychobiology of Globus Sensations.
Research Project
|
01.05.2011
- 31.12.2015
Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) and somatoform disorders are characterized by the presence of medically unexplained symptoms. They are among the most prevalent disorders in the general medical setting, leading to individual suffering and having huge impact on public health alike. Unfortunately, many patients still remain untreated and not all patients get better, even when receiving currently proposed treatments. The aim of the present project is twofold: First, we want to improve the understanding of risk factors and psychobiological processes leading to the development of FSS. Second, we will explore and evaluate new ways of treating subjects with FSS. Within the project, we will examine subjects with globus sensations in the throat, a very common und impairing form of FSS. The proposed study has the potential to be of high scientific and societal relevance, as i) it may provide insight into the development of FSS, thereby improving our way by which we recognize and diagnose subjects with FSS, and ii) it may help fostering our understanding of how to better treat subjects suffering from FSS.