The biology of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors

Linking emotional valence and anxiety in a mouse insula-amygdala circuit

Responses of the insular cortex (IC) and amygdala to stimuli of positive and negative valence are altered in patients with anxiety disorders. However, neural coding of both anxiety and valence by IC neurons remains unknown. Using fiber photometry recordings in mice, we uncover a selective increase of activity in IC projection neurons of the anterior (aIC), but not posterior (pIC) section, when animals are exploring anxiogenic spaces, and this activity is proportional to the level of anxiety of mice. Neurons in aIC also respond to stimuli of positive and negative valence, and the strength of response to strong negative stimuli is proportional to mice levels of anxiety. Using ex vivo electrophysiology, we characterized the IC connection to the basolateral amygdala (BLA), and employed projection-specific optogenetics to reveal anxiogenic properties of aIC-BLA neurons. Finally, we identified that aIC-BLA neurons are activated in anxiogenic spaces, as well as in response to aversive stimuli, and that both activities are positively correlated. Altogether, we identified a common neurobiological substrate linking negative valence with anxiety-related information and behaviors, which provides a starting point to understand how alterations of these neural populations contribute to psychiatric disorders.

The perceived control model of falling: developing a unified framework to understand and assess maladaptive fear of falling

BACKGROUND

fear of falling is common in older adults and can have a profound influence on a variety of behaviours that increase fall risk. However, fear of falling can also have potentially positive outcomes for certain individuals. Without progressing our understanding of mechanisms underlying these contrasting outcomes, it is difficult to clinically manage fear of falling.

METHODS

this paper first summarises recent findings on the topic of fear of falling, balance and fall risk-including work highlighting the protective effects of fear. Specific focus is placed on describing how fear of falling influences perceptual, cognitive and motor process in ways that might either increase or reduce fall risk. Finally, it reports the development and validation of a new clinical tool that can be used to assess the maladaptive components of fear of falling.

RESULTS

we present a new conceptual framework-the Perceived Control Model of Falling-that describes specific mechanisms through which fear of falling can influence fall risk. The key conceptual advance is the identification of perceived control over situations that threaten one's balance as the crucial factor mediating the relationship between fear and increased fall risk. The new 4-item scale that we develop-the Updated Perceived Control over Falling Scale (UP-COF)-is a valid and reliable tool to clinically assess perceived control.

CONCLUSION

this new conceptualisation and tool (UP-COF) allows clinicians to identify individuals for whom fear of falling is likely to increase fall risk, and target specific underlying maladaptive processes such as low perceived control.

Assessment of Different Distraction Behavioral Methods in Pediatric Dental Clinic: A Systematic Review

Dental anxiety is one of the main problems dentists may face during the treatment of pediatric dental patients; therefore, clinicians tend to perform different behavior management techniques to reduce dental anxiety in children. This review aimed to systematically compare and evaluate the published literature regarding the effects of distraction techniques on anxiety, pain perception, and patient experience during dental practice. A detailed electronic search was conducted on 3 databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library. The databases were searched for articles published in the English language between 2015 and 2022. Among 102 studies, 27 studies fulfilled the criteria of eligibility and were included in this study to be analyzed. Numerous approaches have been proposed for the reduction of dental anxiety, out of which the use of audio-visual aids and instruments, active distraction such as tablets, smartphones, and virtual reality glasses showed governance in decreasing the children's anxiety followed by cognitive and behavioral methods.

Validation of the Family Fear of Deportation Scale for youth

Objective

This study reports on the psychometric properties of a new instrument to assess family fear of deportation in two versions (binary and polytomous response options).

Background

The impact of fear of deportation extends beyond foreign-born youth to U.S. citizen children in families with unauthorized members, and negatively affects their academic achievement and their physical, mental, and behavioral health. A measure assessing levels of fear of deportation among youth is lacking.

Methods

Participants were first- and second-generation Latino immigrant youth (N = 145 in Study 1 and N = 107 in Study 2). Item response theory (IRT), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlation analysis, and reliability tests were used to assess the scale's psychometric properties.

Results

The results supported a five-item binary version and a six-item polytomous version of the scale. Both demonstrated excellent model fit, good reliability, and criterion validity.

Conclusions

The six-item polytomous version is slightly more parsimonious than the five-item binary version scale, has better internal consistency, and captures a modestly wider range of the construct. The binary version may be preferable for immigrant youth who prefer straightforward response options.

Implications

Researchers and practitioners can use either version of the Family Fear of Deportation Scale with confidence to assess deportation-related fear among Latino immigrant youth.

Touching a Mechanical Body: The Role of Anthropomorphic Framing in Physiological Arousal When Touching a Robot

The growing prevalence of social robots in various fields necessitates a deeper understanding of touch in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). This study investigates how human-initiated touch influences physiological responses during interactions with robots, considering factors such as anthropomorphic framing of robot body parts and attributed gender. Two types of anthropomorphic framings are applied: the use of anatomical body part names and assignment of male or female gender to the robot. Higher physiological arousal was observed when touching less accessible body parts than when touching more accessible body parts in both conditions. Results also indicate that using anatomical names intensifies arousal compared to the control condition. Additionally, touching the male robot resulted in higher arousal in all participants, especially when anatomical body part names were used. This study contributes to the understanding of how anthropomorphic framing and gender impact physiological arousal in touch interactions with social robots, offering valuable insights for social robotics development.

Anxiety in synucleinopathies: neuronal circuitry, underlying pathomechanisms and current therapeutic strategies

Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by alpha-synuclein (αSyn) accumulation in neurons or glial cells, including Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). αSyn-related pathology plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies leading to the progressive loss of neuronal populations in specific brain regions and the development of motor and non-motor symptoms. Anxiety is among the most frequent non-motor symptoms in patients with PD, but it remains underrecognized and undertreated, which significantly reduces the quality of life for patients. Anxiety is defined as a neuropsychiatric complication with characteristics such as nervousness, loss of concentration, and sweating due to the anticipation of impending danger. In patients with PD, neuropathology in the amygdala, a central region in the anxiety and fear circuitry, may contribute to the high prevalence of anxiety. Studies in animal models reported αSyn pathology in the amygdala together with alteration of anxiety or fear learning response. Therefore, understanding the progression, extent, and specifics of pathology in the anxiety and fear circuitry in synucleinopathies will suggest novel approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Here, we provide an overview of studies that address neuropsychiatric symptoms in synucleinopathies. We offer insights into anxiety and fear circuitry in animal models and the current implications for therapeutic intervention. In summary, it is apparent that anxiety is not a bystander symptom in these disorders but reflects early pathogenic mechanisms in the cortico-limbic system which may even contribute as a driver to disease progression.

Factors Associated with HIV Positive Serostatus Disclosure to Sexual Partners Among Sexually Active Young People on Anti-Retroviral Therapy in Central Uganda

Introduction

HIV serostatus disclosure is a fundamental HIV prevention and care strategy yet with a paucity of literature. This study comprehended the factors associated with HIV serostatus disclosure to sexual partners among young people aged 15-24 years on anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

Methods

This explanatory sequential study utilized quantitative data from 238 young people who had been on ART for over 12 months and were sexually active for at least 6 months in seven districts of Central Uganda. Pearson's Chi-square and multinomial logistic regression analysis at α=0.05 was used to determine the factors associated with serostatus disclosure among study participants. Qualitative data from 18 young people were collected using an in-depth interview guide and analyzed thematically.

Results

Non-disclosure was at 26.9%, one-way disclosure was at 24.4%, and two-way disclosure was at 48.7%. Participants who contracted HIV from their partners were three times more likely (RRR=2.752; 95% CI: 1.100-6.888) to have one-way disclosure than non-disclosure, compared to those who had a perinatal infection. Those who contracted HIV from their partners were twice more likely (RRR=2.357; 95% CI: 1.065-5.214) to have two-way disclosure than non-disclosure, compared to those who had a perinatal infection. Participants who stayed with their partners were four times more likely (RRR=3.869; 95% CI: 1.146-13.060) to have two-way disclosure than non-disclosure, compared to those who stayed with their parents. Young people disclosed because they were tired of secrecy and desired treatment adherence and did not disclose due to fear of stigma and losing their partners' support.

Conclusion

Many sexually active young people on ART did not disclose their HIV-positive status to sexual partners mainly due to poverty, having multiple-sexual partners, and stigma. Interventions fighting stigma, multiple-sexual relationships, and poverty among sexually active young people on ART should be strengthened.

Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Are Associated with Pain Intensity and Shoulder Disability in Adults with Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions, and for people over 40 years old, it represents the musculoskeletal pain with the greatest impact on quality of life. Psychological factors, such as fear-avoidance beliefs, are associated with musculoskeletal pain, and several studies suggest that they can influence various treatment outcomes. Our objective was to explore the cross-sectional association between fear-avoidance beliefs and shoulder pain intensity and disability in subjects with chronic shoulder pain. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 208 participants with chronic unilateral subacromial shoulder pain were recruited. The shoulder pain and disability index assessed pain intensity and disability. The Spanish fear-avoidance components scale assessed the presence of fear-avoidance beliefs. The association between fear-avoidance beliefs and pain intensity and disability was analyzed by means of multiple linear regression models and proportional odds models, reporting odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Shoulder and pain disability scores were significantly associated with fear-avoidance beliefs (p < 0.0001, adjusted R-square 0.93, multiple linear regression). There was no evidence of an association between sex and age in this study. The regression coefficient for shoulder pain intensity and disability score was 0.67446. The proportional odds model showed an odds ratio of 1.39 (1.29-1.50) for shoulder pain intensity and disability total score. This study suggests that greater levels of fear-avoidance beliefs are associated with greater levels of shoulder pain and disability in adults with chronic shoulder pain.

Neurocomputational mechanisms underlying fear-biased adaptation learning in changing environments

Humans are able to adapt to the fast-changing world by estimating statistical regularities of the environment. Although fear can profoundly impact adaptive behaviors, the computational and neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain elusive. Here, we conducted a behavioral experiment (n = 21) and a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment (n = 37) with a novel cue-biased adaptation learning task, during which we simultaneously manipulated emotional valence (fearful/neutral expressions of the cue) and environmental volatility (frequent/infrequent reversals of reward probabilities). Across 2 experiments, computational modeling consistently revealed a higher learning rate for the environment with frequent versus infrequent reversals following neutral cues. In contrast, this flexible adjustment was absent in the environment with fearful cues, suggesting a suppressive role of fear in adaptation to environmental volatility. This suppressive effect was underpinned by activity of the ventral striatum, hippocampus, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) as well as increased functional connectivity between the dACC and temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) for fear with environmental volatility. Dynamic causal modeling identified that the driving effect was located in the TPJ and was associated with dACC activation, suggesting that the suppression of fear on adaptive behaviors occurs at the early stage of bottom-up processing. These findings provide a neuro-computational account of how fear interferes with adaptation to volatility during dynamic environments.

Physiological Stress Responses to Fear and Anxiety in a Height Change Experiment among Non-Labor Teenagers

Working on elevated surfaces without prior experience can be dangerous, particularly for young people, who are significantly more at risk of developing fear and anxiety, which might lead to falls and fatalities. This critical problem has, however, received limited research attention. The present study aimed to demonstrate the associations among physiological responses, fear, and anxiety in Thai teenagers at various height levels. Sixty teenagers (30 males and 30 females) between the ages of 15 and 18 who had no labor skills were recruited to perform the task at 11 levels, starting at zero meters and increasing by one meter at each level. The measurements were examined and recorded once the task at each level was finished. The main results indicated that heart rate was partially positively associated with mean arterial pressure, fear, and anxiety (with all p values < 0.001) in all teenagers (after controlling for level and sex), as well as male and female teenagers (after controlling for level). The present study suggested monitoring heart rate data in teenagers conducting activities at heights, which can be triggered by fear and anxiety, as a strategy for preventing falls from height hazards.

Effects of common antiepileptic drugs on teleost fishes

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are globally prescribed to treat epilepsy and many other psychiatric disorders in humans. Their high consumption, low metabolic rate in the human body and low efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in eliminating these chemicals results in the frequent occurrence of these pharmaceutical drugs in aquatic systems. Therefore, aquatic organisms, including ecologically and economically important teleost fishes, may be inadvertently exposed to these chemicals. Due to their physiological similarity with humans, fishes may be particularly vulnerable to AEDs. Almost all AED drugs are detectable in natural aquatic ecosystems, but diazepam (DZP) and carbamazepine (CBZ) are among the most widely detected AEDs to date. Recent studies suggest that these drugs have a substantial capacity to induce neurotoxicity and behavioral abnormality in fishes. Here we review the current state of knowledge regarding the potential mode of action of DZP and CBZ as well as that of some other AEDs on teleosts and put observable behavioral effects into a mechanistic context. We find that following their intended mode of action in humans, AEDs also disrupt the GABAergic, glutamatergic and serotonergic systems as well as parasympathetic neurotransmitters in fishes. Moreover, AEDs have non-specific modes of action in teleosts ranging from estrogenic activity to oxidative stress. These physiological changes are often accompanied by dose-dependent disruptions of anxiety, locomotor activity, social behaviors, food uptake, and learning and memory, but DZP and CBZ consistently induced anxiolytic effects. Thereby, AED exposure severely compromises individual fitness across teleost fish species, which may lead to population and ecosystem impairment. We also showcase promising avenues for future research by highlighting where we lack data when it comes to effects of certain AEDs, AED concentrations and behavioral endpoints.

Short daylight photoperiod alleviated alarm substance-stimulated fear response of zebrafish

Photoperiod has been well-documented to be involved in regulating many activities of animals. However, whether photoperiod takes part in mood control, such as fear response in fish and the underlying mode(s) of action remain unclear. In this study, adult zebrafish males and females (Danio rerio) were exposed to different photoperiods, Blank (12 h light: 12 h dark), Control (12 h light: 12 h dark), Short daylight (SD, 6 h light: 18 h dark) and Long daylight (LD, 18 h light: 6 h dark) for 28 days. After exposure, fear response of the fish was investigated using a novel tank diving test. After alarm substance administration, the onset to higher half, total duration in lower half and duration of freezing in SD-fish were significantly decreased, suggesting that short daylight photoperiod is capable of alleviating fear response in zebrafish. In contrast, comparing with the Control, LD didn't show significant effect on fear response of the fish. Further investigation revealed that SD increased the levels of melatonin (MT), serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in the brain while decreased the plasma level of cortisol comparing to the Control. Moreover, the expressions of genes in MT, 5-HT and DA pathways and HPI axis were also altered consistently. Our data indicated that short daylight photoperiod might alleviate fear response of zebrafish probably through interfering with MT/5-HT/DA pathways and HPI axis.

Pain and Disability Following Exercise-Induced Injury in Prognostic and Intervention Studies: The Why May Be More Important Than the How

OBJECTIVES

In preclinical prognostic studies, the description of expected outcomes during an informed consent process indicates that the extent of pain and disability experienced and recovery time is unknown. In intervention studies, the consent process suggests that pain and disability will definitely occur and a treatment provided. Our objective was to determine whether study design (prognosis or intervention) was associated with the severity of pain intensity and disability reports from a preclinical model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We pooled pain and disability outcomes from prognostic and intervention studies using an exercise-induced muscle injury model of pain. Pain intensity, disability, and fear of pain were collected by validated self-report measures. Pain and disability data were z-transformed for pooled analyses and compared across the study design.

RESULTS

Data from 310 people were included. The primary findings were that self-reported pain intensity and disability were: (1) higher in prognostic studies than in the intervention studies and (2) associated with fear of pain. A secondary finding was that fear of pain was lower in the intervention compared with the prognostic studies.

DISCUSSION

Although there are other possible explanations, we speculate that these results could be related to the uncertainty inherent to providing informed consent for a prognostic study. In light of these findings, we recommend that informed consent language be more carefully considered when pain is induced in a controlled manner. Incorporating informed consent language commonly used in prognostic studies could result in higher pain intensity and disability ratings in studies that use preclinical models to test the efficacy of pain interventions.

Pedestrian crash frequency: Unpacking the effects of contributing factors and racial disparities

In this paper, we unpack the magnitude effects of the determinants of pedestrian crashes using a multivariate analysis approach. We consider four sets of exogenous factors that characterize residential neighborhoods as well as potentially affect pedestrian crashes and the racial composition of such crashes: (1) crash risk exposure (CE) attributes, (2) cultural variables, (3) built environment (BE) features, and (4) sociodemographic (SD) factors. Our investigation uses pedestrian crash and related data from the City of Houston, Texas, which we analyze at the spatial Census Block Group (CBG) level. Our results indicate that social resistance considerations (that is, minorities resisting norms as they are perceived as being set by the majority group), density of transit stops, and road design considerations (in particular in and around areas with high land-use diversity) are the three strongest determinants of pedestrian crashes, particularly in CBGs with a majority of the resident population being Black. The findings of this study can enable policymakers and planners to develop more effective countermeasures and interventions to contain the growing number of pedestrian crashes in recent years, as well as racial disparities in pedestrian crashes. Importantly, transportation safety engineers need to work with social scientists and engage with community leaders to build trust before leaping into implementing planning countermeasures and interventions. Issues of social resistance, in particular, need to be kept in mind.

The mediator role of well-being in the effect of COVID-19 anxiety on occupational commitment: research in the aviation sector

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which emerged in China in December 2019, has severely affected many industries across the world and created substantial psychological, social and economic impact on individuals. With the coronavirus outbreak labelled as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the first measures have been taken for the aviation industry. The crisis environment created by the pandemic had a negative impact on aviation personnel. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the mediator role of employee well-being in the effect of COVID-19 anxiety on occupational commitment. The data were collected through a survey of cabin and cockpit staff (n = 3862). After the analyses, it was found that the effect of COVID-19 anxiety on well-being, and occupational affective and normative commitment was significant. Moreover, it is among the findings that well-being has a partial mediator role in the effect of COVID-19 anxiety on occupational affective and normative commitment.

Effects of a variable light intensity lighting program on the welfare and performance of commercial broiler chickens

Our previous variable-light intensity lighting program studies indicate the light intensity preference behavior of broilers for their daily activity including eating and resting. To evaluate the effects of variable-light intensity lighting program on performance and welfare of broilers, four commercial trials were conducted for looking at behaviors, mortality, leg-health, performance, and brain welfare indicator genes including tryptophan hydroxylase 2 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), and melanopsin (Opn4) gene expression. One-day-old broilers were housed in four commercial broiler houses. Each quadrant (section) of the house was placed with 4,800 chicks. A total of four lighting programs began on day 7 with 5 lux (lx), 20 lx, natural light (NL, 480 lx), and variable light (2-5/40 lx) using LED lights on a 16L:8D photoperiod. In the variable-light house, the number of dustbathing holes was significantly higher than that in natural-light houses and 5-lx and 20-lx houses. Daily physical activities, footpad condition, fear response to novel objects, body weight, feed conversion ratio, and the number of leg-problem induced culled birds were affected by the variable-light intensity lighting program. Expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 in the DRN and VTA of variable-light treated birds was lower than that of 5-lx- and 20-lx-treated birds on day 42 (p < 0.05). Higher expression of VTA-TH in 5-lx-treated birds than that in 20-lx-, NL-, and variable-light-treated birds suggests the high stress-susceptibility of 5-lx treated birds. Lower VTA-GR expression in 20-lx- and variable-light-treated birds indicates lower stress than that in NL- and 5-lx-treated birds (p < 0.05). The VTA-BDNF expression of NL-treated birds was 2.5 fold higher than that of 5-lx-, 20-lx-, and variable-light-treated birds (p < 0.05), and variable-light-treated birds showed the lowest level of BDNF expression (p < 0.05), suggesting the chronic social defeat stress in NL-treated birds. The result of VTA-Opn4 expression on day 42 suggests the possible role of VTA-Opn4 in broiler welfare through central light perception. Taken together, the variable-light intensity lighting program increased volunteer natural behaviors and physical activity, which may improve footpad condition and leg health of birds, consequently. Performance data including the increased daily weight gain and the lowered feed conversion ratio and results of brain welfare indicator gene expression showed the beneficial effect of the variable-light intensity lighting program on the performance and welfare of commercial broilers.

Invertebrates as models of learning and memory: investigating neural and molecular mechanisms

In this Commentary, we shed light on the use of invertebrates as model organisms for understanding the causal and conserved mechanisms of learning and memory. We provide a condensed chronicle of the contribution offered by mollusks to the studies on how and where the nervous system encodes and stores memory and describe the rich cognitive capabilities of some insect species, including attention and concept learning. We also discuss the use of planarians for investigating the dynamics of memory during brain regeneration and highlight the role of stressful stimuli in forming memories. Furthermore, we focus on the increasing evidence that invertebrates display some forms of emotions, which provides new opportunities for unveiling the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying the complex interaction between stress, emotions and cognition. In doing so, we highlight experimental challenges and suggest future directions that we expect the field to take in the coming years, particularly regarding what we, as humans, need to know for preventing and/or delaying memory loss. This article has an associated ECR Spotlight interview with Veronica Rivi.

A systematic review of the effects of gut microbiota depletion on social and anxiety-related behaviours in adult rodents: Implications for translational research

The microbiota-gut-brain axis is associated with several behaviours, including those relevant to anxiety or sociability in rodents, however, no conceptual framework has yet been available. Summary of the effects of antibiotic-mediated gut microbiota depletion on anxiety and sociability is essential to both inform further preclinical investigations and to guide translational research into human studies. The main objective is to examine the role of gut microbiota depletion on anxiety and sociability in rodents, and to consider how the findings can be translated to inform the design of research in humans. We reviewed 13 research articles, indicating significant changes in gut microbiota composition and diversity have been found in animals treated with a mix or a single antibiotic. Nonetheless, there is no consensus regarding the impact of gut microbiota depletion on anxiety-like or social behaviour. Gut microbiota depletion may be a useful strategy to examine the role of gut microbes in anxiety and sociability, but the lack of data from rigorous animal investigations precludes any definitive interpretations for a translational impact on human health.

Assessing the association between subjective evaluation of space qualities and physiological responses through cinematic environments' emotion-eliciting stimuli

Objectives

Human perception of the built environment affects emotional and physiological states. This research focused on the association between evaluating a space's visual qualities and physiological responses by mediating film contents to indicate the association between physiological indicators and assessing the quality of space in the presence of environmental stimuli.

Method

Data collection was conducted using a psychological questionnaire and physiological indicators of heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), skin resistance level (SRL), and body temperature (BT) during the film screening. The ANOVA was conducted to compare different variables in the three films alongside linear regression to analyze the impact of variables on space quality. Spearman correlation coefficient analyses were performed to find the association between variables.

Results

The descriptive statistics showed significant changes in psychological and physiological variables in films. Associations between the NAQ factor and physiological changes in HR, SBP, and DBP factors were significant. The results derived from the simple and multiple linear regressions depicted the significant impact of physiological factors on HR and BP on perceiving the quality of space.

Conclusion

It was concluded that physiological changes caused by emotional arousal could be strongly associated with psychological assessments. Stimuli-affected video contents illustrating architectural spaces could efficiently extract the impact of physiological states and human cognitive responses to the space quality. Physiological characteristics related to the space appraisal could help realize the human-environment interaction in a multi-layered approach to the built environment and spatial cognition.

Biopsychosocial Approach in Identifying Risk Factors of Kinesiophobia in Persons with Subacromial Pain Syndrome and Developing a Clinical Prediction Tool

Introduction

Although the negative effects of kinesiophobia on functional status in subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS) patients are clearly demonstrated, no study examines the risk factors of kinesiophobia in individuals with SAPS from a biopsychosocial perspective. The present study aims to determine the risk factors of kinesiophobia in individuals with SAPS using a biopsychosocial approach. This study also aims to explore the compounding effects of multiple associative risk factors by developing a clinical prediction tool to identify SAPS patients at higher risk for kinesiophobia.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study included 549 patients who were diagnosed with SAPS. The Tampa-Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) was used to assess kinesiophobia. Visual analog scale (VAS), The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, the presence of metabolic syndrome, using any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Illness Perception Questionnaire-revised (IPQ-R), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), behavioral pattern of the patient, sociodemographic characteristics, and treatment expectancy were outcome measures.

Results

Thirteen significant risk factors of having kinesiophobia were: VASat rest (≥ 5.2), VASduring activity (≥ 7.1), DASH (≥ 72.1), presence of metabolic syndrome, PCShelplessness (≥ 16.1), IPQ-Rpersonal control (≤ 17.1), IPQ-Rtreatment control (≤ 16.3), HADSdepression (≥ 7.9), avoidance behavior type, being female, educational level (≤ high school), average hours of sleep (≤ 6.8), and treatment expectancy (≤ 6.6). The presence of seven or more risk factors increased the probability of having high level of kinesiophobia from 34.3 to 51%.

Conclusions

It seems necessary to address these factors, increase awareness of health practitioners and individuals.

Level of evidence

Level IV.

Reactivity to conditioned threat cues is distinct from exploratory drive in the elevated plus maze

Fear and anxiety are adaptive states that allow humans and animals alike to respond appropriately to threatening cues in their environment. Commonly used tasks for studying behaviour akin to fear and anxiety in rodent models are Pavlovian threat conditioning and the elevated plus maze (EPM), respectively. In threat conditioning the rodents learn to associate an aversive event with a specific stimulus or context. The learnt association between the two stimuli (the 'memory') can then be recalled by re-exposing the subject to the conditioned stimulus. The elevated plus maze is argued to measure the agoraphobic avoidance of the brightly lit open maze arms in crepuscular rodents. These two tasks have been used extensively, yet research into whether they interact is scarce. We investigated whether recall of an aversive memory, across contextual, odour or auditory modalities, would potentiate anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus maze. The data did not support that memory recall, even over a series of time points, could influence EPM behaviour. Furthermore, there was no correlation between EPM behaviour and conditioned freezing in independent cohorts tested in the EPM before or after auditory threat conditioning. Further analysis found the production of 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalisations revealed the strongest responders to a conditioned threat cue. These results are of particular importance for consideration when using the EPM and threat conditioning to identify individual differences and the possibility to use the tasks in batteries of tests without cross-task interference.

Effects of a variable light intensity lighting program on the welfare and performance of commercial broiler chickens

Our previous variable-light intensity lighting program studies indicate the light intensity preference behavior of broilers for their daily activity including eating and resting. To evaluate the effects of variable-light intensity lighting program on performance and welfare of broilers, four commercial trials were conducted for looking at behaviors, mortality, leg-health, performance, and brain welfare indicator genes including tryptophan hydroxylase 2 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), and melanopsin (Opn4) gene expression. One-day-old broilers were housed in four commercial broiler houses. Each quadrant (section) of the house was placed with 4,800 chicks. A total of four lighting programs began on day 7 with 5 lux (lx), 20 lx, natural light (NL, 480 lx), and variable light (2-5/40 lx) using LED lights on a 16L:8D photoperiod. In the variable-light house, the number of dustbathing holes was significantly higher than that in natural-light houses and 5-lx and 20-lx houses. Daily physical activities, footpad condition, fear response to novel objects, body weight, feed conversion ratio, and the number of leg-problem induced culled birds were affected by the variable-light intensity lighting program. Expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 in the DRN and VTA of variable-light treated birds was lower than that of 5-lx- and 20-lx-treated birds on day 42 (p < 0.05). Higher expression of VTA-TH in 5-lx-treated birds than that in 20-lx-, NL-, and variable-light-treated birds suggests the high stress-susceptibility of 5-lx treated birds. Lower VTA-GR expression in 20-lx- and variable-light-treated birds indicates lower stress than that in NL- and 5-lx-treated birds (p < 0.05). The VTA-BDNF expression of NL-treated birds was 2.5 fold higher than that of 5-lx-, 20-lx-, and variable-light-treated birds (p < 0.05), and variable-light-treated birds showed the lowest level of BDNF expression (p < 0.05), suggesting the chronic social defeat stress in NL-treated birds. The result of VTA-Opn4 expression on day 42 suggests the possible role of VTA-Opn4 in broiler welfare through central light perception. Taken together, the variable-light intensity lighting program increased volunteer natural behaviors and physical activity, which may improve footpad condition and leg health of birds, consequently. Performance data including the increased daily weight gain and the lowered feed conversion ratio and results of brain welfare indicator gene expression showed the beneficial effect of the variable-light intensity lighting program on the performance and welfare of commercial broilers.

No safety without emotional safety

This Personal View highlights how emotional safety is required for a person to keep themselves physically safe. We explain how trying to control behaviour to increase physical safety in the short term can carry the unintended consequence of reducing emotional safety, which might in turn result in higher levels of stress and hopelessness. We use examples from institutions with psychiatric inpatients to describe these processes. We argue that emotional and physical safety cannot be separated, and therefore that the absence of emotional safety compromises basic care either in an acute crisis or in the long term. Staff who fear being criticised, and so feel driven to take autonomy and responsibility away from patients, unwittingly undermine patients' experience of being empathically understood and supported, adding to patients' sense of emotional turmoil and lack of safety. We suggest that a change in culture and regulatory reform is required to bring psychiatric care more in line with the psychological needs of patients to achieve both physical and emotional safety.

Etiology of anxious and fearful behavior in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN3 disease)

Background

Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL, CLN3) is a childhood-onset neurodegenerative disease with prominent symptoms comprising a pediatric dementia syndrome. As in adult dementia, behavioral symptoms like mood disturbances and anxiety are common. In contrast to in adult dementia, however, the anxious behavioral symptoms increase during the terminal phase of JNCL disease. In the present study, the current understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of anxiety and anxious behavior in general is addressed as will a discussion of the mechanism of the anxious behavior seen in young JNCL patients. Based on developmental behavioral points of view, known neurobiological mechanisms, and the clinical presentation of the anxious behavior, a theory of its etiology is described.

Result and discussion

During the terminal phase, the cognitive developmental age of JNCL patients is below 2 years. At this stage of mental development individuals act primarily from a concrete world of consciousness and do not have the cognitive ability to encounter a normal anxiety response. Instead, they experience the evolutionary basic emotion of fear, and as the episodes typically are provoked when the adolescent JNCL patient is exposed to either loud sounds, is lifted from the ground, or separated from the mother/known caregiver, the fear can best be perceived as the developmental natural fear-response that appears in children 0-2 years of age. The efferent pathways of the neural fear circuits are mediated through autonomic, neuroendocrine, and skeletal-motor responses. The autonomic activation occurs early, is mediated through the sympathetic and parasympathetic neural systems, and as JNCL patients beyond puberty have an autonomic imbalance with a significant sympathetic hyperactivity, the activation of the autonomic nervous system results in a disproportionate high sympathetic activity resulting in tachycardia, tachypnea, excessive sweating, hyperthermia, and an increased atypical muscle activity. The episodes are thus phenotypically similar to what is seen as Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity (PSH) following an acute traumatic brain injury. As in PSH, treatment is difficult and so far, no consensus of a treatment algorithm exists. Use of sedative and analgesic medication and minimizing or avoiding provocative stimuli may partly reduce the frequency and intensity of the attacks. Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation might be an option worth to investigate rebalancing the sympathetic-parasympathetic disproportion.

The psychometric properties and gender invariance of the Italian version of the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire (I-PVDQ) during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire (PVDQ) measures beliefs associated with personal susceptibility to infectious diseases and behaviors or perceptions in the presence of potential risk of pathogen transmission. Given the onset of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 global pandemic, otherwise known as the COVID-19 pandemic, the construct being measured may function differently based on affective, behavioral, and cognitive changes along with the need to change norms and lifestyles in a global context. The present study aims to test the psychometric properties and the gender invariance of the Italian adaptation of the PVDQ to confirm that the scale can be used with Italian-speaking people, and that it functions effectively during a pandemic.

METHODS

A total of 509 participants filled out an online questionnaire including the Italian version of the I-PVDQ (I-PVDQ) and several measures of psychological constructs. Reliability and factor analyses (single and multigroup) were conducted. Bayesian correlation tests and Bayesian independent sample t-tests were used to assess the validity of I-PVDQ.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure of the I-PVDQ, and factor loadings loaded appropriately onto perceived infectability (PI) and germ aversion (GA). In terms of invariance, the scale showed configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance across genders. Decisive evidence in favor of correlation with the measure of COVID-19 related fears for both PI and GA was found. There was strong evidence for observed correlations with COVID-19 related constructs such as intolerance to uncertainty, psychological inflexibility, resilience, stress, and anxiety. Women showed higher GA than men, while there were no gender differences in PI.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these results suggest that the I-PVDQ confirms the psychometric properties of the original version and that can be used to detect PVD when it is affected by environmental circumstances since its functioning is preserved during a pandemic.

Emotional Reactions to COVID-19 Projections and Consequences for Protective Policies and Personal Behavior

How does the public react to information about the likely progression of COVID-19 cases in the United States? How do these reactions vary over the course of the pandemic and by partisanship, and with what consequences for policy attitudes and personal behavior? We argue that reading projections about the peak of COVID-19 cases in the United States is likely to lead to increased levels of anxiety and sadness. We expect that these effects will be more pronounced and less polarized along partisan lines earlier in the pandemic. Finally, we expect that elevated anxiety and sadness should in turn lead to greater support for protective policies to combat the pandemic and a greater inclination to engage in protective behaviors. To test these arguments, we fielded online survey experiments at three points in time (April, June, and August 2020), in which respondents were randomly assigned to a control group or one of two projections about the likely progression of COVID-19 cases in the United States. Across all three waves, we find that exposure to information about case peaks increases anxiety and sadness, though the effects get weaker over time, particularly among Republicans. We also find evidence that these elevated emotional responses increase support for protective policies and behavior.

Maternal Anxiety and Its Associated Factors During the First and Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Serbia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim

The COVID 19-pandemic affects people differently, while pregnant women are among the most sensitive populations. The data about maternal mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak are in some ways consistent but also country-specific.

Purpose

The study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women's anxiety and identify its associated factors.

Patients and Methods

This cross-sectional study included a sample of 358 pregnant women during the first and second waves of the pandemic in Serbia. An anonymous survey included basic demographic questions, pregnancy-related background questions, the question of self-reported COVID-19-related fear, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).

Results

The study revealed no pregnant women with low anxiety levels measured by STAI-T and STAI-S, while the STAI-S and STAI-T scores indicated high anxiety in 32.4% and 42.7% of pregnant women, respectively. The obtained results pointed out the nonlinear dependence of state anxiety on observed associated factors and their complex interactions, including the data collecting period.

Conclusion

Our findings reveal that COVID-19 affects pregnant women's mental health and makes it necessary for psychological monitoring and support for pregnant women, which may be reflected in their mental health but also the development of their offspring.

Neural Impacts of Stigma, Racism, and Discrimination

Racism is a chronic stressor fueled by stigma that can result in significant distress and dysfunction as well as negatively affect emotions, behavior, quality of life, and brain health. The effects of stigma and discrimination emerge early in life and have long-term consequences. In this review, we sought to use neuroscience research to describe how stigma, racism, and discrimination can impact brain and mental health. Societal stigmas may be encoded by associative fear learning and pattern completion networks, and experiences of racial discrimination may similarly affect threat-responsive regions and circuits. Race-related differences in brain function and structure supporting threat circuitry are largely attenuated when negative life experiences and discrimination are taken into account. Downstream, chronic activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axis in the context of discrimination and stigma can contribute to physical health disparities in minoritized and marginalized groups. Finally, we discuss models that provide a framework for interventions and societal-level strategies across ecologic systems to build resilience and foster posttraumatic growth.

The anti-anxiety drug lorazepam changes implicit behaviors but not explicit evaluations of sense of agency under authoritative pressure: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Previous research on coercion has neglected the fact that agents under authoritative pressure may also suffer from coercive power, which can trigger anxiety-like emotional negativity on its victims. Furthermore, high levels of neuroticism and/or anxiety have been found to be associated with the compliance of various forms of social pressure. In this study, we investigate the effects of the anxiolytic GABA A (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) modulator, lorazepam, on behavioral and neural responses to coercive power. Here, we applied a virtual obedience to authority paradigm alongside lorazepam administration (versus placebo), and during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Our results show that lorazepam administration exerted differential effects on the reaction times (RTs) when initiating harming versus helping behaviors, with longer harming RTs compared to helping RTs, despite comparable subjective ratings regarding perceived coercion. Coercive harming significantly increased activity in the amygdala, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Lorazepam administration decreased amygdala and hippocampus activity, but increased dlPFC and right temporoparietal junction activations. The lower activity in the hippocampus predicted higher ratings for perceived coercion. Furthermore, lorazepam significantly decreased the functional connectivity of the hippocampus with the dlPFC during coercive harming. In conclusion, we provide evidence -by incorporating multimodal indices, including neuroimaging, neuropharmacological interventions, and behavioral assessments- to posit that the GABA A agonist, lorazepam, might aid as a possible intervention in service of coping strategies against coercion.

Beyond the three-chamber test: toward a multimodal and objective assessment of social behavior in rodents

MAIN: In recent years, substantial advances in social neuroscience have been realized, including the generation of numerous rodent models of autism spectrum disorder. Still, it can be argued that those methods currently being used to analyze animal social behavior create a bottleneck that significantly slows down progress in this field. Indeed, the bulk of research still relies on a small number of simple behavioral paradigms, the results of which are assessed without considering behavioral dynamics. Moreover, only few variables are examined in each paradigm, thus overlooking a significant portion of the complexity that characterizes social interaction between two conspecifics, subsequently hindering our understanding of the neural mechanisms governing different aspects of social behavior. We further demonstrate these constraints by discussing the most commonly used paradigm for assessing rodent social behavior, the three-chamber test. We also point to the fact that although emotions greatly influence human social behavior, we lack reliable means for assessing the emotional state of animals during social tasks. As such, we also discuss current evidence supporting the existence of pro-social emotions and emotional cognition in animal models. We further suggest that adequate social behavior analysis requires a novel multimodal approach that employs automated and simultaneous measurements of multiple behavioral and physiological variables at high temporal resolution in socially interacting animals. We accordingly describe several computerized systems and computational tools for acquiring and analyzing such measurements. Finally, we address several behavioral and physiological variables that can be used to assess socio-emotional states in animal models and thus elucidate intricacies of social behavior so as to attain deeper insight into the brain mechanisms that mediate such behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we suggest that combining automated multimodal measurements with machine-learning algorithms will help define socio-emotional states and determine their dynamics during various types of social tasks, thus enabling a more thorough understanding of the complexity of social behavior.

Don't Panic: Remaining El Capitan While Navigating Unpreparedness in Response to Extreme Events

Company leaders are frequently confronted with highly uncertain and risky situations for which they are often ill-prepared, and consequently, in which they often panic. Based on an exploratory case study of extreme rock climber Alexander Honnold, we have developed propositions that help decision-makers to learn to avoid panic in crises. Our findings suggest that gradual exposure to incrementally more challenging tasks by adjusting individual learning goals allows decision-makers to leverage existing skills, and to develop their physical, mental and emotional states simultaneously. Deliberate confrontation with the challenges that may trigger panic through real-life simulation and imagination helps decision-makers to retrain and transform triggers for panic responses, and to build systemic confidence. This organic and holistic growth provides decision-makers with the simultaneous preparation and mastery of their physical, mental, and emotional states to ensure the lightness and calmness necessary not to panic when facing a crisis.

COVID-19 in Memes: The Adaptive Response of Societies to the Pandemic?

COVID-19 expanded rapidly throughout the world, with enormous health, social, and economic consequences. Mental health is the most affected by extreme negative emotions and stress, but it has been an underestimated part of human life during the pandemic. We hypothesized that people may have responded to the pandemic spontaneously with increased interest in and creation of funny internet memes. Using Google and Google Trends, we revealed that the number of and interest in funny internet memes related to COVID-19 exploded during the spring 2020 lockdown. The interest in coronavirus memes was positively correlated with interest in mortality due to COVID-19 on a global scale, and positively associated with the real number of deaths and cases reported in different countries. We compared content of a random sample of 200 coronavirus memes with a random sample of 200 non-coronavirus memes found on the Internet. The sentiment analysis showed that coronavirus memes had a similar proportion of positive and negative words compared to non-coronavirus memes. However, an internet questionnaire revealed that coronavirus memes gained higher funniness scores than a random sample of non-coronavirus memes. Our results confirm that societies may have turned to humor to cope with the threat of SARS-CoV-2.

Dogs can discriminate between human baseline and psychological stress condition odours

Previous research suggests that dogs can detect when humans are experiencing stress. This study tested whether baseline and stress odours were distinguishable to dogs, using a double-blind, two-phase, three-alternative forced-choice procedure. Combined breath and sweat samples were obtained from participants at baseline, and after a stress-inducing (mental arithmetic) task. Participants’ stress was validated with self-report and physiological measures recorded via a Biopac MP150 system. Thirty-six participants’ samples were presented to four dogs across 36 sessions (16, 11, 7 and 2 sessions, respectively). Each session consisted of 10 Phase One training trials and 20 Phase Two discrimination trials. In Phase One, the dog was presented with a participant’s stress sample (taken immediately post-task) alongside two blanks (the sample materials without breath or sweat), and was required to identify the stress sample with an alert behaviour. In Phase Two, the dog was presented with the stress sample, the same participant’s baseline sample (taken pre-task), and a blank. Which sample (blank, baseline, or stress) the dog performed their alert behaviour on was measured. If dogs can correctly alert on the stress sample in Phase Two (when the baseline sample was present), it suggests that baseline and stress odours are distinguishable. Performance ranged from 90.00% to 96.88% accuracy with a combined accuracy of 93.75% (N trials = 720). A binomial test (where probability of success on a single trial was 0.33, and alpha was 0.05) showed that the proportion of correct trials was greater than that expected by chance (p < 0.001). Results indicate that the physiological processes associated with an acute psychological stress response produce changes in the volatile organic compounds emanating from breath and/or sweat that are detectable to dogs. These results add to our understanding of human-dog relationships and could have applications to Emotional Support and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) service dogs.

Gut Microbiota and Fear Processing in Women Affected by Obesity: An Exploratory Pilot Study

The microbiota–gut–brain axis extends beyond visceral perception, influencing higher-order brain structures, and ultimately psychological functions, such as fear processing. In this exploratory pilot study, we attempted to provide novel experimental evidence of a relationship between gut microbiota composition and diversity, and fear-processing in obesity, through a behavioral approach. Women affected by obesity were enrolled and profiled for gut microbiota, through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Moreover, we tested their ability to recognize facial fearful expressions through an implicit-facial-emotion-recognition task. Finally, a traditional self-report questionnaire was used to assess their temperamental traits. The participants exhibited an unbalanced gut microbiota profile, along with impaired recognition of fearful expressions. Interestingly, dysbiosis was more severe in those participants with altered behavioral performance, with a decrease in typically health-associated microbes, and an increase in the potential pathobiont, Collinsella. Moreover, Collinsella was related to a lower expression of the persistence temperamental trait, while a higher expression of the harm-avoidance temperament, related to fear-driven anxiety symptoms, was linked to Lactobacillus. Once confirmed, our findings could pave the way for the design of innovative microbiome-based strategies for the treatment of psychological and emotional difficulties by mitigating obesity-related consequences and behaviors.

Alarm cues and alarmed conspecifics: neural activity during social learning from different cues in Trinidadian guppies

Learning to respond appropriately to novel dangers is often essential to survival and success, but carries risks. Learning about novel threats from others (social learning) can reduce these risks. Many species, including the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata), respond defensively to both conspecific chemical alarm cues and conspecific anti-predator behaviours, and in other fish such social information can lead to a learned aversion to novel threats. However, relatively little is known about the neural substrates underlying social learning and the degree to which different forms of learning share similar neural mechanisms. Here, we explored the neural substrates mediating social learning of novel threats from two different conspecific cues (i.e. social cue-based threat learning). We first demonstrated that guppies rapidly learn about threats paired with either alarm cues or with conspecific threat responses (demonstration). Then, focusing on acquisition rather than recall, we discovered that phospho-S6 expression, a marker of neural activity, was elevated in guppies during learning from alarm cues in the putative homologue of the mammalian lateral septum and the preoptic area. Surprisingly, these changes in neural activity were not observed in fish learning from conspecific demonstration. Together, these results implicate forebrain areas in social learning about threat but raise the possibility that circuits contribute to such learning in a stimulus-specific manner.

Aberrant orbitofrontal cortical activation interferes with encoding of Pavlovian fear conditioning

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients were usually found with the hyper-activation of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and a deficit in fear extinction learning. The OFC can be subdivided into the lateral OFC (lOFC) and the medial OFC (mOFC). Previous studies have suggested that both subregions are involved in the modulation of negative emotions. However, how aberrant activation of the OFC interacts with the encoding of Pavlovian fear remains unknown. In this study, the lOFC or the mOFC was pharmacologically activated or inactivated before the fear conditioning on Day 1, followed by a context test on Day 2 and a tone test on Day 3 in male Long-Evans rats. We found that for the animals that underwent fear conditioning under aberrant activation of either the lOFC or the mOFC, they showed normal within-session fear expression. However, the acquisition/consolidation of contextual fear was impaired under mOFC activation, while the acquisition/consolidation of cued fear was impaired under either the lOFC or the mOFC activation, in that these animals showed lower freezing compared to controls during the retrieval test. On the other hand, for the animals that underwent fear conditioning under inactivation of either the lOFC or the mOFC, they showed normal within-session fear expression, as well as intact encoding of both the contextual and cued fear. Together, our results suggested that the OFC was not actively engaged in the acquisition of Pavlovian fear conditioning, but aberrant activation of the OFC impaired fear learning.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Mental Health Outcomes among Greek Adults in 2021: Preliminary Evidence

Existing research on the association between COVID-19 vaccination and quantitatively measured mental health outcomes is scarce. We conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey on a random sample of 1039 adult Greek citizens in June 2021. Among the participants, 39.6% were vaccinated with two doses, 23.1% with one dose, 21.4% were planning to become vaccinated later, and 8.1% refused vaccination. Compared to those fully vaccinated, those against vaccination (“deniers”) and those who planned to do so later on (“not vaccinated yet”) had significantly higher scores across three stress, anxiety, and depression construct scales. Our findings suggest an association between COVID-19 vaccination status and mental health.

Ecological analysis of Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats

Pavlovian fear conditioning, which offers the advantage of simplicity in both the control of conditional and unconditional stimuli (CS, US) presentation and the analysis of specific conditional and unconditional responses (CR, UR) in a controlled laboratory setting, has been the standard model in basic and translational fear research. Despite 100 years of experiments, the utility of fear conditioning has not been trans-situationally validated in real-life contexts. We thus investigated whether fear conditioning readily occurs and guides the animal's future behavior in an ecologically-relevant environment. To do so, Long-Evans rats foraging for food in an open arena were presented with a tone CS paired with electric shock US to their dorsal neck/body that instinctively elicited escape UR to the safe nest. On subsequent test days, the tone-shock paired animals failed to exhibit fear CR to the CS. In contrast, animals that encountered a realistic agent of danger (a looming artificial owl) paired with a shock, simulating a plausible predatory strike, instantly fled to the nest when presented with a tone for the first time. These results highlight the possibility of a nonassociative, rather than standard associative, fear process providing survival function in life-threatening situations that animals are likely to encounter in nature.

Rate and correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the Beirut blast and the economic crisis among Lebanese University students: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that develops in some people after they have experienced a stunning, scary, or dangerous incident. Due to major disasters like as the Economic Crisis and the Beirut Blast, Lebanese people are struggling with a variety of mental health issues. The study objectives were to find the rate of PTSD and its association with stress, anxiety, depression, financial well-being and coping strategies among university students in Lebanon.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study, conducted between May and August 2021, which enrolled 419 university students from all districts of Lebanon. The PTSD Checklist-Specific Version (PCL-S) was used to evaluate manifestation of PSTD.

RESULTS

The results showed that 132 (31.5%), 109 (26.0%) and 169 (40.3%) had PTSD from COVID, Beirut blast and economic crisis respectively. More avoidant coping (Beta = 0.52) and more anxiety (Beta = 0.62) were significantly associated with more PTSD from the Beirut Blast. More avoidant coping (Beta = 0.56), depression (Beta = 0.40) and anxiety (Beta = 0.49) were significantly associated with more PTSD from the economic crisis, whereas more financial wellbeing (Beta = - 0.31) was significantly associated with less PTSD from the economic crisis.

CONCLUSION

Significant rates of PTSD were found in our sample of Lebanese university students, whether from the Beirut blast, or from the current economic crisis. Significant correlations of these PTSD rates were found with factors such as avoidant coping, depression, anxiety and financial wellbeing. Such findings must raise the attention to serious mental and psychosocial alteration endured by Lebanese youth that are still under fatal cumulative traumatic events, that were and even may be, intergenerationally and unintentionally transmissible, therefore, affecting not only the present, but also the future of a whole nation.

Existential and Spiritual Attitudes of Polish Medical and Nursing Staff towards Death

Issues related to death are difficult areas of human existence and are most often considered in terms of ethical or non-ethical behaviour. The aim of the research was to examine the attitudes of Polish medical and nursing personnel towards death. The research was conducted among medical (110 people) and nursing staff (110 people) working in Polish hospitals and representing 16 regions. The Questionnaire About Attitudes to Death (DAP-R-PL) was used. The attitude of medical staff, taking into account the holistic approach to the patient in his existential–spiritual dimension, is an extremely important element of professional care. The study outlines the attitudes of medical and nursing staff towards death. Medical personnel under examination demonstrate a mature attitude towards death. In light of this research, health care workers show great commitment to helping dying people with existential and spiritual needs.

Effects of Housing System on Anxiety, Chronic Stress, Fear, and Immune Function in Bovan Brown Laying Hens

The scientific community needs objective measures to appropriately assess animal welfare. The study objective was to assess the impact of housing system on novel physiological and behavioral measurements of animal welfare for laying hens, including secretory and plasma Immunoglobulin (IgA; immune function), feather corticosterone (chronic stress), and attention bias testing (ABT; anxiety), in addition to the well-validated tonic immobility test (TI; fearfulness). To test this, 184 Bovan brown hens were housed in 28 conventional cages (3 birds/cage) and 4 enriched pens (25 birds/pen). Feces, blood, and feathers were collected 4 times between week 22 and 43 to quantify secretory and plasma IgA and feather corticosterone concentrations. TI tests and ABT were performed once. Hens that were from cages tended to show longer TI, had increased feather corticosterone, and decreased secretory IgA at 22 weeks of age. The caged hens fed quicker, and more hens fed during the ABT compared to the penned hens. Hens that were in conventional cages showed somewhat poorer welfare outcomes than the hens in enriched pens, as indicated by increased chronic stress, decreased immune function at 22 weeks of age but no other ages, somewhat increased fear, but reduced anxiety. Overall, these novel markers show some appropriate contrast between housing treatments and may be useful in an animal welfare assessment context for laying hens. More research is needed to confirm these findings.

Challenges in the use of animal models and perspectives for a translational view of stress and psychopathologies

The neurobiology and development of treatments for stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders rely heavily on animal models. However, the complexity of these disorders makes it difficult to model them entirely, so only specific features of human psychopathology are emulated and these models should be used with great caution. Importantly, the effects of stress depend on multiple factors, like duration, context of exposure, and individual variability. Here we present a review on pre-clinical studies of stress-related disorders, especially those developed to model posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, and anxiety. Animal models provide relevant evidence of the underpinnings of these disorders, as long as face, construct, and predictive validities are fulfilled. The translational challenges faced by scholars include reductionism and anthropomorphic/anthropocentric interpretation of the results instead of a more naturalistic and evolutionary understanding of animal behavior that must be overcome to offer a meaningful model. Other limitations are low statistical power of analysis, poor evaluation of individual variability, sex differences, and possible conflicting effects of stressors depending on specific windows in the lifespan.

Edge-based network analysis reveals frequency-specific network dynamics in aberrant anxiogenic processing in rats

Uncovering interactions between edges of brain networks can reveal the organizational principle of the networks and also their dysregulations underlying aberrant behaviours such as in neuropsychiatric diseases. In this study, we looked into the applicability of edge-based network analysis in uncovering possible network mechanisms of aberrant anxiogenic processing. Utilizing a rat model of prodromal Parkinson's disease we examined how a dorsomedial striatum-tied associative network (DSAN) may mediate context-based anxiogenic behaviour. Following dopamine depletion in the dorsomedial striatum, an exaggerated bottom-up signalling (posterior parietal-hippocampal-retrosplenial to anterior prefrontal-cingulate-amygdala regions) and gradient specific to the theta frequency in this network was observed. This change was accompanied by increased anxiety behaviour of the animals. By employing an edge-based approach in correlating informational flow (phase transfer entropy) with functional connectivity of all edges of this network, we further explore how the abnormal bottom-up signalling might be explained by alterations to the informational flow-connectivity motifs in the network. Our results demonstrate usage of edge-based network analysis in revealing concurrent informational processing and functional organization dynamics across multiple pathways in a brain network. This approach in unveiling network abnormalities and its impact on behavioural outcomes would be useful in probing the network basis of neuropsychiatric conditions.

Behavioral and Synaptic Phenotypes of Female Prdx6-/- Mice

Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) is expressed throughout the brain, including the hippocampus, where it plays a potential role in synaptic regulation and forming emotional and spatial memories. PRDX6 is predominantly detected in the female mouse’s hippocampus; thus, we investigate the effect of the Prdx6 gene on behavioral phenotypes and synaptic functions using female Prdx6 knockout (Prdx6^−/−) mice. Our results demonstrate that female Prdx6^−/− mice exhibited anxiety-like behavior, enhanced contextual fear memory, and impaired spatial memory. We also found increased, paired–pulse facilitation ratios, and decreased long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal region of these female Prdx6^−/− mice. The present study helps to understand better the PRDX6’s role in emotional response and spatial memory formation in female mice.

Maternal gastrointestinal nematode infection enhances spatial memory of uninfected juvenile mouse pups

The developing brain is particularly vulnerable to factors including maternal infection during pregnancy. Establishment of neural networks critical for memory and cognition begins during the perinatal period, when Heligmosomoides bakeri, a gastrointestinal (GI) nematode restricted to the maternal mouse intestine, has been shown to upregulate expression of long-term potentiation genes in the young rodent pup brain. We explored the impact of maternal infection during pregnancy and early lactation on the spatial behavior of uninfected male and female juvenile mice. Pre-weaned pups of H. bakeri infected dams exhibited less exploratory behaviour compared to pups of uninfected dams on postnatal day (PD) 16 but not PD 17, possibly reflecting a transient fear of an unfamiliar environment and/or a brief neurodevelopmental delay. Our two spatial memory tests show for the first time an enhancement of spatial memory in response to maternal nematode infection regardless of pup sex. At PD 17, pups of infected dams expressed object location memories after 3 h in the Object Location Test whereas offspring of uninfected mothers did not. In addition, at PD 34, juveniles of infected mothers retained their ability to find the escape hole in the Barnes Maze Test for one week whereas offspring from uninfected mothers did not. This finding is even more striking given that spatial memory was positively associated with pup length, yet this maternal infection impaired linear growth of pups. Thus, the positive impact of maternal infection on spatial memory countered any impairment associated with the shorter length of the pups. Overall, these novel findings indicate that a maternal GI nematode infection during pregnancy and lactation positively influences the spatial memory of uninfected juvenile offspring with potential fitness implications for the next generation.

The Anxiolytic-like Properties of a Tryptic Hydrolysate of Bovine αs1 Casein Containing α-Casozepine Rely on GABAA Receptor Benzodiazepine Binding Sites but Not the Vagus Nerve

(1) Background: A tryptic hydrolysate of bovine α_s1-casein (CH) exerts anxiolytic-like properties in many species, including humans. This is mainly related to the presence of α-casozepine (α-CZP), which yields these properties in rodents. This study evaluates, in a rat model, the roles of the vagus nerve and the benzodiazepine binding site of GABA_A receptors in the mode of action of CH. (2) Methods: The conditioned defensive burying test was used to evaluate anxiety. (3) Results: Participation of the vagus nerve in the mode of action of CH was excluded, as the global anxiety score in vagotomised rats was not significantly different from that of non-vagotomised animals. The blocking of the binding sites of benzodiazepines with flumazenil antagonised CH anxiolytic-like properties. (4) Conclusions: The vagus nerve does not play a role in the anxiolytic-like properties of CH. On the other hand, this anxiolytic-like activity relies on the benzodiazepine binding site of the GABA_A receptors. This result is consistent with previous in vitro studies and, more specifically with the discovery of α-CZP, the peptide responsible for the anxiolytic-like properties of CH.

Validity and Reliability of the Anxiety Assessment Scale: A New Three-dimensional Perspective

Objective:

Anxiety is inseparable from life due to its survival value. Up-to-date and multidimensional assessment of anxiety is necessary to develop effective interventions to cope with high anxiety levels. This study was conducted to examine the psychometrics of the Anxiety Assessment Scale (AAS).

Methods:

Data were collected between January and April 2021 from 756 students (42.9% males and 57.1% females) studying medicine at Istanbul Medeniyet University. Seven experts evaluated the items to detect content validity in the final application form. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) were used for construct validity. The Beck Anxiety Inventory was also applied for concurrent validity. Test-retest reliabilities were calculated within four weeks. IBM SPSS 25 and AMOS 24 were used for statistical analyses.

Results:

Data were suitable for factor analyses (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin=0.800, chi-square=3018.854, df=45). The EFA showed the three-factor structure with 10 items, and 70.1% of the variance was explained. Factor loads of the items varied between 0.61 and 0.87; data-model fit was suitable (CFI=0.92, TLI=0.93, RMSEA=0.059, SRMR=0.046, chi-square/df=1.556) according to CFA. Concurrent scale validity was also confirmed by the Pearson correlation (r=0.167, p<0.01). The test-retest reliabilities (r) were all >0.5 (p<0.001). The Cronbach a coefficients were 0.845 (AAS), 0.770 (Physiological Tension=PT), 0.822 (Worrying=W), and 0.838 (Feeling Unsafe=FU).

Conclusions:

AAS is a reliable and valid measurement instrument to assess anxiety levels in three dimensions. AAS can be applied for research, psychological assessment, and other appropriate application purposes.