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The grapes of war

Somatoform pain disorder and history of early war traumatization in older people

Die Früchte des Krieges

Somatoforme Schmerzstörungen und Vorgeschichten von früher Kriegstraumatisierung bei Älteren

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Abstract

Persistent pain is not a normal part of aging. Nevertheless, many older patients have long-lasting, more or less medically unexplained pain symptoms and, consequently, are often severely disabled, incur high health care costs, and have high comorbidity rates. Moreover, the effects of early traumatization, especially due to wars, and even below the level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are apparent. However, the developmental and neurobiological underpinnings of somatoform pain disorder, especially in pain-prone elderly patients, and its correlations with a history of war traumatization even decades after the incident remain unclear. Furthermore, a management strategy for this disorder tailored to older people and their special needs is lacking. Adequate therapeutic regimens such as adjusted psychotherapeutic procedures for elderly patients can only be promoted through a better understanding of the neurobiological and biographical underpinnings of this still controversial disorder.

Zusammenfassung

Anhaltende Schmerzen sind kein normaler Bestandteil des Alterns. Dennoch haben viele ältere Patienten dauerhaft eine mehr oder weniger medizinisch nicht erklärbare Schmerzsymptomatik. Sie sind damit oft schwer beeinträchtigt, verursachen hohe Kosten im Gesundheitswesen und zeigen eine hohe Komorbiditätsrate. Auch sind die Folgen früher Traumatisierungen, insbesondere durch Kriege und sogar unterhalb der Ausprägung einer posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung (PTSD), offensichtlich. Jedoch bleiben die Entstehungs- und neurobiologischen Grundlagen der somatoformen Schmerzstörung, vor allem in schmerzgeneigten, älteren Patienten, und ihre Zusammenhänge mit einer Vorgeschichte von Kriegstraumatisierung – sogar Jahrzehnte nach dem Ereignis – unklar. Darüber hinaus fehlt für diese Erkrankung eine Behandlungsstrategie, die auf ältere Menschen und ihre besonderen Bedürfnisse zugeschnitten wäre. Adäquates therapeutisches Vorgehen, wie angepasste psychotherapeutische Prozeduren für ältere Patienten, können nur durch ein besseres Verständnis der neurobiologischen und biographischen Grundlagen dieser nach wie vor kontroversen Störung gefördert werden.

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Noll-Hussong, M., Glaesmer, H., Herberger, S. et al. The grapes of war. Z Gerontol Geriat 45, 404–410 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-012-0303-9

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