Marco Warth
Heidelberg University
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Featured researches published by Marco Warth.
Journal of Nutrition Health & Aging | 2013
Julian Koenig; Marc N. Jarczok; Marco Warth; Robert J. Ellis; Claudia Bach; Thomas K. Hillecke; Julian F. Thayer
ObjectivesThe present analysis is a replication of previous findings presenting first evidence of an association between body mass index (BMI) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity as measured by heart rate variability (HRV), in healthy non-obese adults.DesignA total of fifty-nine apparently healthy male (M) and female (F) individuals (M/F = 15/44) were included in the trial. HRV data for analysis was derived from 5 minutes of baseline recordings, while the subject was sitting on a comfortable chair. Subjects’ body measures (weight and height) were taken and BMI was obtained according to common calculation (kg/m2).ResultsBMI was inversely related to pNN50 and RMSSD components of HRV. Statistically significant differences between stratified groups (BMI<20, BMI 20–25, BMI >25) only occurred for analysis of pNN50 components. The pNN50 components and RMSSD are strongly associated with cardiac vagal influence, and thus represents parasympathetic activity.ConclusionsThe present data supports previous findings, that sympatho-vagal balance is related to BMI in non-obese, healthy individuals, providing evidence for a prominent role of the vagus nerve in the modulation of the energy expenditure of the human organism. Furthermore, this relation can be observed in short term recordings of HRV of 5 minutes in length.
Pain Practice | 2015
Julian Koenig; Marc N. Jarczok; Robert J. Ellis; Marco Warth; Thomas K. Hillecke; Julian F. Thayer
The aim was to evaluate differences in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, indexed by heart rate variability (HRV) in apparently healthy subjects with self‐reported symptoms of pain (SRSP) within an exploratory analysis.
Deutsches Arzteblatt International | 2015
Marco Warth; Jens Keßler; Thomas K. Hillecke; Hubert J. Bardenheuer
BACKGROUND Music therapy has been used successfully for over 30 years as part of palliative care programs for severely ill patients. There is nonetheless a lack of high-quality studies that would enable an evidence-based evaluation of its psychological and physiological effects. METHODS In a randomized controlled trial, 84 hospitalized patients in palliative care were assigned to one of two treatment arms--music therapy and control. The music therapy intervention consisted of two sessions of live music-based relaxation exercises; the patients in the control group listened to a verbal relaxation exercise. The primary endpoints were self-ratings of relaxation, well-being, and acute pain, assessed using visual analog scales. Heart rate variability and health-related quality of life were considered as secondary outcomes. The primary data analysis was performed according to the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS Analyses of covariance revealed that music therapy was more effective than the control treatment at promoting relaxation (F = 13.7; p <0.001) and well-being (F = 6.41; p = 0.01). This effect was supported by a significantly greater increase in high-frequency oscillations of the heart rate (F = 8.13; p = 0.01). Music therapy did not differ from control treatment with respect to pain reduction (F = 0.4; p = 0.53), but it led to a significantly greater reduction in the fatigue score on the quality-of-life scale (F = 4.74; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION Music therapy is an effective treatment with a low dropout rate for the promotion of relaxation and well-being in terminally ill persons undergoing palliative care.
Music and Medicine | 2012
Alexander F. Wormit; Marco Warth; Julian Koenig; Thomas K. Hillecke; Hubert J. Bardenheuer
Music therapy is a prevalent treatment for people with a life-threatening illness, with inpatient oncology care being one of the most common fields of application. A recently published review on this topic shows that studies examining the effects of active music therapy treatments in an outpatient setting are still rare. Based on the Phase Model of Psychotherapy Outcome, a treatment manual has been developed for outpatient music therapy cancer care, consisting of 20 individual sessions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedures of this manual by comparing prescores and postscores of 20 patients’ self-reported general therapy outcome, quality of life, and subjective pain intensity ratings. Results show that the intervention led to a significant improvement on all 3 dependent measures. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large. The authors conclude that it is necessary to further expand outpatient cancer care in Germany and to integrate music therapy as an effective treatment into these areas.
Music and Medicine | 2013
Julian Koenig; Marco Warth; Rieke Oelkers-Ax; Alexander F. Wormit; Hubert J. Bardenheuer; Franz Resch; Julian F. Thayer; Thomas K. Hillecke
Music is widely used to reduce pain in a broad variety of clients and settings. Most studies focus on the pain-reducing effect of music- listening interventions on patients with acute pain, whereas studies investigating the effect of active therapy (ie, music making) on pain perception in patients with recurrent or chronic pain are rare. This article reviews the findings of a series of previously published studies by our work group, conducted during the past 10 years, using defined music therapy plans in the treatment of outpatients with conditions of recurrent or chronic pain. This review provides evidence that a specific music therapy concept tailored to the demands of the patient might be able to substantially reduce pain frequency and pain intensity in patients with recurrent or chronic pain. However, further studies need to investigate the nature of those beneficial effects and their specificity.
Complementary Medicine Research | 2017
Christine Gäbel; Natalia Garrido; Julian Koenig; Thomas K. Hillecke; Marco Warth
Background: Music-based interventions are considered an effective and low-cost treatment option for stress-related symptoms. The present study aimed to examine the trajectories of the psychophysiological response in apparently healthy participants during a music-based relaxation intervention compared to a verbal relaxation exercise. Material and Methods: 70 participants were assigned to either receptive live music (experimental group) or a prerecorded verbal relaxation exercise (control group). Self-ratings of relaxation were assessed before and after each intervention on visual analogue scales and the Relaxation Inventory (RI). The heart rate variability (HRV) was continuously recorded throughout the sessions. Statistical analysis focused on HRV parameters indicative of parasympathetic cardiovascular outflow. Results: We found significant quadratic main effects for time on the mean R-R interval (heart rate), the high-frequency power of HRV (indicative of parasympathetic activity), and the self-ratings of relaxation in both groups. A significant group × time interaction was observed for the cognitive tension subscale of the RI. Conclusions: Participants in both groups showed psychophysiological changes indicative of greater relaxation over the course of the interventions. However, differences between groups were only marginal. Music might be effective in relieving stress and promoting relaxation by altering the autonomic nervous system function. Future studies need to explore the long-term outcomes of such interventions.
Nordic Journal of Music Therapy | 2013
Julian Koenig; Marc N. Jarczok; Marco Warth; László Harmat; N. Hesse; K.V. Jespersen; Julian F. Thayer; Thomas K. Hillecke
This paper investigates the effects of a music listening intervention on sleep quality in young participants with normal sleep. Recent studies show that relaxing classical music is an effective intervention to reduce sleep problems. The question arises, if such an intervention might have side effects on people who are not faced with sleep difficulties at first instance. We hypothesized that listening to relaxing classical music has an effect (either positive or negative) on the sleep quality of normal sleepers. To test this hypothesis we conducted a randomized control trial (RCT). Ten students (age 20 to 29 years) without sleep complaints listened to relaxing classical music at bedtime for three weeks for 45 minutes. Participants in the control group (n = 10) received no intervention. Sleep quality was measured at four times using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before the study and weekly during the intervention period. To analyse the data, a two-way repeated measures ANOVA was calculated. Results did not reveal a statistically significant interaction between TIME and GROUP. Post-hoc comparisons showed that music listening has no influence on sleep quality at any given measuring time. However, the lack of significant effects may also be due to a type II error. Together with previous findings, we conclude that no adverse or side effects accompany the previously reported benefits of this music listening intervention. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of music characteristics, musical preferences of participants and possible side effects of the intervention in different populations.
Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience | 2017
Julian Koenig; Lena Rinnewitz; Marco Warth; Thomas K. Hillecke; Romuald Brunner; Franz Resch; Michael Kaess
Background Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is associated with reduced pain sensitivity and alterations in top–down processing of nociceptive information. The experience of acute pain is characterized by reactivity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, which to our knowledge has not been systematically investigated in the context of NSSI. Methods Adolescents fulfilling DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for NSSI and matched healthy controls received cold pain stimulation. We obtained self-reports on psychological distress and measured blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV) and saliva cortisol. Regression analyses were used to investigate group differences on observed difference scores, adjusting for confounding variables. Results We included 30 adolescents engaging in NSSI and 30 controls in our study. Adolescents in the NSSI group showed a greater pain threshold. Groups significantly differed in their psychological response to pain. In patients with NSSI, mood and body awareness increased after painful stimulation; in controls it decreased. Tension increased in controls only. The HPA axis response to painful stimulation was increased in the NSSI compared with the control group. Analysis of ultra-short-term recordings of HRV revealed significant group differences during the anticipation of pain and recovery. Limitations Future studies should incorporate multiple measures of saliva cortisol and replicate the present findings in a naturalistic setting. Conclusion Compared with controls, individuals engaging in NSSI show psychological benefits in response to pain. Biological findings highlight decreased physiologic arousal before and prolonged arousal (ANS and HPA axis response) after painful stimulation in adolescents engaging in NSSI. Greater pain-inflicted autonomic arousal and cortisol secretion may counteract dissociative states, reduce negative affect and increase body awareness in adolescents engaging in NSSI, lending support for a neurobiological pathomechanism underlying the intraindividual and antisuicide functions of NSSI.
SAGE Open | 2014
Julian Koenig; Marc N. Jarczok; Marco Warth; Thomas K. Hillecke; Julian F. Thayer
The article presents the Quick Inventory of Pain Symptoms (QIPS) to assess the frequency and intensity of pain experienced within the last week in non-clinical samples. The first evaluation of the inventory administered to 100 undergraduate and graduate students revealed a concurrent validity of the QIPS with the four pain-related items of the symptom checklist (SCL-90r). Furthermore, this preliminary analysis showed that the QIPS is capable of revealing sex differences. Further studies are needed to validate the inventory and its psychometric properties to evaluate its use in different populations.
BMJ Open | 2018
Corina Aguilar-Raab; Marc N. Jarczok; Marco Warth; Martin Stoffel; Friederike Winter; Maria Tieck; Judith A. Berg; Lobsang Tenzin Negi; Timothy G. Harrison; Thaddeus W. W. Pace; Beate Ditzen
Introduction Positive social interactions (PSIs) and stable relationships can exert substantial benefits on health. However, patients suffering from depression benefit less from these health-promoting effects. Moreover, relationship quality and even partners’ health has been found to be negatively affected by depressive symptomatology, which may result in overall impairments in social functioning of a romantic couple. Psychobiological research indicates that these impairments may be accompanied by a maladaptive regulation of the patient’s neuroendocrine response to external stressors. Concerning the improvement of social functioning, first studies showed promising results of “Cognitively Based Compassion Training (CBCT®)”. However, randomised trials are still scarce. Previous programmes did not involve participation of the patient’s romantic partner. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate whether a CBCT® programme adapted for couples (CBCT®-fC) can improve depressive symptoms, distress, social interaction skills and the neurobiological regulation of stress. Methods and analysis Couples with the female partner suffering from depression will be invited to participate in a pre-to-post intervention assessment on two consecutive days, respectively, involving a standardised PSI task, eye-tracking, ECG recordings, saliva-sampling, blood-sampling and questionnaire data. After baseline assessment, participating couples will be randomised to either a 10 week CBCT®-fC or to a treatment as usual control condition. The primary endpoint is the reduction of depressive symptoms measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes encompass self-rated depression (Beck Depression Inventory), attention towards the partners face during PSI (eye tracking), stress-related biomarkers (cortisol, α-amylase, interleukin (IL)-1ß/IL-6, heart rate variability), methylation of oxytocin-receptor-genes and serotonin-transporter-genes and self-ratings of psychological constructs such as relationship quality and empathy. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been obtained by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty Heidelberg. Results will be presented in international, peer-reviewed journals and on conferences in the field of clinical psychology and psychiatry. Trial registration number NCT03080025.