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Scalabrini A, Cavicchioli M, Benedetti F, Mucci C, Northoff G. The nested hierarchical model of self and its non-relational vs relational posttraumatic manifestation: an fMRI meta-analysis of emotional processing. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02520-w. [PMID: 38514803 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02520-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Different kinds of traumatic experiences like natural catastrophes vs. relational traumatic experiences (e.g., sex/physical abuse, interpersonal partner violence) are involved in the development of the self and PTSD psychopathological manifestations. Looking at a neuroscience approach, it has been proposed a nested hierarchical model of self, which identifies three neural-mental networks: (i) interoceptive; (ii) exteroceptive; (iii) mental. However, it is still unclear how the self and its related brain networks might be affected by non-relational vs relational traumatic experiences. Departing from this background, the current study aims at conducting a meta-analytic review of task-dependent fMRI studies (i.e., emotional processing task) among patients with PTSD due to non-relational (PTSD-NR) and relational (PTSD-R) traumatic experiences using two approaches: (i) a Bayesian network meta-analysis for a region-of-interest-based approach; (ii) a coordinated-based meta-analysis. Our findings suggested that the PTSD-NR mainly recruited areas ascribed to the mental self to process emotional stimuli. Whereas, the PTSD-R mainly activated regions associated with the intero-exteroceptive self. Accordingly, the PTSD-R compared to the PTSD-NR might not reach a higher symbolic capacity to process stimuli with an emotional valence. These results are also clinically relevant in support of the development of differential treatment approaches for non-relational vs. relational PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, P.le S. Agostino, 2, Bergamo, 24129, Italy.
| | - Marco Cavicchioli
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, 20132, Italy.
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- University Vita- Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, 20132, Italy
- Psychiatry & Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira d'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, P.le S. Agostino, 2, Bergamo, 24129, Italy
| | - Georg Northoff
- The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa. Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7K412, Canada
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Li C, Otgaar H, Battista F, Muris P, Wang J. Challenging memories reduces intrusive memories and the memory amplification effect. Memory 2023; 31:1039-1050. [PMID: 37259856 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2218631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This study scrutinizes the influence of attenuating beliefs about the veracity of traumatic experiences on the manifestation of intrusive recollections and the memory amplification effect. Participants were exposed to distress-inducing visual stimuli, subsequently rating their emotional status pre and post exposure. They engaged in a recognition task, identifying scenarios within the stimuli. Participants' recall was contested, casting doubt about the occurrence of certain scenes. Subsequently, they maintained a daily log of intrusive memories over a week. A second session reiterated the same process. This method effectively diminished the certainty in the participants' traumatic memories. Scenes whose occurrence was contested demonstrated a significant decline in both intrusive memories and memory amplification when juxtaposed with uncontested ones. Interestingly, no significant correlation emerged between the diminished belief in traumatic incidents and reductions in intrusive memory or memory amplification. Thus, this study advocates that interrogating the veracity of traumatic recollections can mitigate the prevalence of intrusive memories and the memory amplification effect, suggesting a novel potential therapeutic approach for trauma-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlin Li
- Faculty of Law and Criminology, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Henry Otgaar
- Faculty of Law and Criminology, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Fabiana Battista
- Faculty of Law and Criminology, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Muris
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Jianqin Wang
- Department of Psychology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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I forgot that I forgot: PTSD symptom severity in a general population correlates with everyday diary-recorded prospective memory failures. Mem Cognit 2023:10.3758/s13421-023-01400-y. [PMID: 36813990 PMCID: PMC10368574 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-023-01400-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Extant research suggests a complex relationship between prospective memory (PM) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. In a general population, this relationship exists for self-report assessment but not objective, in-lab PM performance (e.g., pressing a certain key at a particular time, or when particular words appear). However, both these measurement methods have limitations. Objective, in-lab PM tasks might not represent typical everyday performance, while self-report measurement might be biased by metacognitive beliefs. Thus, we used a naturalistic diary paradigm to answer the overarching question: are PTSD symptoms associated with PM failures in everyday life? We found a small positive correlation between diary-recorded PM errors and PTSD symptom severity (r = .21). Time-based tasks (i.e., intentions completed at a particular time, or after a specified time has elapsed; r = .29), but not event-based tasks (i.e., intentions completed in response to an environmental cue; r = .08), correlated with PTSD symptoms. Moreover, although diary-recorded and self-report PM correlated, we did not replicate the finding that metacognitive beliefs underpin the PM-PTSD relationship. These results suggest that metacognitive beliefs might be particularly important for self-report PM only.
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Nahleen S, Strange D, Nixon RDV, Takarangi MKT. Encouraging source‐monitoring after post‐event information exposure for analogue trauma. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Nahleen S, Nixon RDV, Takarangi MKT. The role of belief in memory amplification for trauma events. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2021; 72:101652. [PMID: 33639441 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2021.101652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Trauma survivors often report trauma events inconsistently over time. Many studies, for example, have found that people report having experienced trauma events that they initially failed to report or remember, a phenomenon called "memory amplification." Other studies have found the opposite: people report experiencing fewer events over time. Nahleen, Nixon, and Takarangi (2019) asked participants at two time-points, with a six-month delay, whether they had experienced 19 sexual assault events on a yes/no scale. Participants reported fewer events over time, that is, memory for sexual assault did not amplify overall. In the current study, we assessed whether inconsistency in reports of trauma exposure over time may be attributed to changes in participants' belief that certain events were experienced. METHODS We replicated Nahleen et al. (2019), but rather than respond to a yes/no trauma exposure scale, participants were required to rate the likelihood that each trauma event occurred on an 8-point scale (1 = definitely did not happen; 8 = definitely did happen). RESULTS We found that participants believed that they were less likely to have experienced the sexual assault events at follow-up compared to initial assessment. LIMITATIONS We could not corroborate trauma experiences or determine causality with our design. Further, not all of our findings were consistent with Nahleen et al. (2019). CONCLUSIONS Sexual assault memories did not amplify over time, perhaps because, compared to other types of trauma, the idea of experiencing additional sexual assault events that were not actually experienced is less believable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha Nahleen
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001, South Australia, Australia
| | - Reginald D V Nixon
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001, South Australia, Australia
| | - Melanie K T Takarangi
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001, South Australia, Australia.
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Moeck EK, Thomas NA, Takarangi MKT. Right Hemisphere Memory Bias Does Not Extend to Involuntary Memories for Negative Scenes. Perception 2021; 50:27-38. [PMID: 33446070 DOI: 10.1177/0301006620982210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Attention is unequally distributed across the visual field. Due to greater right than left hemisphere activation for visuospatial attention, people attend slightly more to the left than the right side. As a result, people voluntarily remember visual stimuli better when it first appears in the left than the right visual field. But does this effect-termed a right hemisphere memory bias-also enhance involuntary memory? We manipulated the presentation location of 100 highly negative images (chosen to increase the likelihood that participants would experience any involuntary memories) in three conditions: predominantly leftward (right hemisphere bias), predominantly rightward (left hemisphere bias), or equally in both visual fields (bilateral). We measured subsequent involuntary memories immediately and for 3 days after encoding. Contrary to predictions, biased hemispheric processing did not affect short- or long-term involuntary memory frequency or duration. Future research should measure hemispheric differences at retrieval, rather than just encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella K Moeck
- College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Australia.,Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Australia
| | - Nicole A Thomas
- College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Australia
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Vang ML, Ben-Ezra M, Shevlin M. Modeling Patterns of Polyvictimiztion and Their Associations with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Israeli Population. J Trauma Stress 2019; 32:843-854. [PMID: 31661573 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Although evidence is accumulating for the conceptual validity of the ICD-11 proposal for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD), our understanding of the specificity of trauma-related predictors is still evolving. Specifically, studies utilizing advanced statistical methods to model the association between trauma exposure and ICD-11 proposals of traumatic stress and differences in profiles of trauma exposure are lacking. Additionally, time since trauma and a clear memory of the trauma are yet to be examined as predictors of PTSD and CPTSD. We analyzed trauma exposure as reported by a general population sample of Israeli adults (N = 834), using latent class analysis, and the resultant classes were used in regression models to predict PTSD and CPTSD operationalized both dimensionally and categorically. Four distinct groups were identified: child and adult interpersonal victimization, community victimization-male, community victimization-female, and adult victimization. These groups were differentially related to PTSD and CPTSD, with only child and adult interpersonal victimization consistently predicting CPTSD and disturbances in self-organization. When modeled dimensionally, PTSD was associated with the child and adult interpersonal victimization and adult victimization groups, whereas only the child and adult interpersonal victimization group was predictive of PTSD when operationalized categorically. The roles of time since trauma and a clear memory of the trauma differed across PTSD and CPTSD. These findings support the use of trauma typologies for predicting PTSD and CPTSD and provide important insight into the distribution of trauma exposure in the Israeli population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Louison Vang
- School of Psychology and Psychology Research Institute, Ulster University, Derry, United Kingdom.,The Collabortive Network for Training and Excellence in Psychotraumatology (CONTEXT), www.psychotraumanetwork.com.,The Danish Children Centres, Region Southern Denmark, Denmark.,University of Southern Denmark, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Mark Shevlin
- School of Psychology and Psychology Research Institute, Ulster University, Derry, United Kingdom.,The Collabortive Network for Training and Excellence in Psychotraumatology (CONTEXT), www.psychotraumanetwork.com
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Merckelbach H, Dandachi-FitzGerald B, van Helvoort D, Jelicic M, Otgaar H. When Patients Overreport Symptoms: More Than Just Malingering. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0963721419837681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Mental-health patients may report more symptoms than they actually experience. Experts and laypeople often view this overreporting as a sign of malingering. We show that there are multiple pathways to symptom overreporting: carryover effects from previous tests that lower the threshold for answering affirmatively to symptom items, suggestive misinformation that escalates symptom reports, inattentive responding that promotes indiscriminate endorsement of symptoms, and personality traits that bias symptom reports in an upward direction. A one-sided focus on malingering may distract from a research agenda that may contribute to knowledge accumulation in this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Henry Otgaar
- Forensic Psychology Section, Maastricht University
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Schweizer T, Renner F, Sun D, Kleim B, Holmes EA, Tuschen-Caffier B. Psychophysiological reactivity, coping behaviour and intrusive memories upon multisensory Virtual Reality and Script-Driven Imagery analogue trauma: A randomised controlled crossover study. J Anxiety Disord 2018; 59:42-52. [PMID: 30269002 PMCID: PMC6249992 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peri- and post-traumatic factors predict the differential development of stress-associated mental disorders. Prospective designs assessing these risk factors in real-time under controlled experimental conditions can overcome limitations of retrospective designs. Therefore, we aimed to investigate multi-sensory, experimental analogues of a traumatic experience delivered in Virtual Reality (VR) or Script-Driven Imagery (SDI). METHODS In a randomised controlled crossover design, differences in the induced analogue trauma symptoms between multi-sensory analogue trauma by either VR or SDI versus a neutral condition were assessed in 127 non-clinical participants. RESULTS Analogue symptoms (psychophysiological responses, coping behaviour and intrusive memories of the experimental trauma) increased following analogue trauma in both VR and SDI, with more analogue symptoms for VR. Psychophysiological arousal was in general higher in VR. LIMITATIONS The analogue trauma situation of a car park fire that was used may be infrequent in real life. CONCLUSIONS Multisensory (vision, olfaction, hearing) analogue trauma in VR and SDI offers a useful tool for the induction and real-time assessment of peri- and post-traumatic risk factors for analogue stress-associated psychopathology. VR was more effective in inducing analogue symptoms than SDI, even though the latter might be more personalised. New experimental models for studying trauma exposure and responses may contribute to a better understanding of risk factors and help to identify and protect individuals at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Schweizer
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Fritz Renner
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany; MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, CB2 7EF Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dali Sun
- Department of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Birgit Kleim
- Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Emily A Holmes
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Brunna Tuschen-Caffier
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
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Oulton JM, Strange D, Nixon RDV, Takarangi MKT. Imagining trauma: Memory amplification and the role of elaborative cognitions. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2018; 60:78-86. [PMID: 29753170 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Trauma victims, such as war veterans, often remember additional traumatic events over time: the "memory amplification effect". This effect is associated with the re-experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including frequent and intrusive images of the trauma. One explanation for memory amplification is that people gradually incorporate new, imagined information about the trauma with what they actually experienced, leading to an amplified memory for what actually happened. We investigated this proposal here. METHODS Participants viewed highly negative and graphic photographs and recorded their intrusions. Critically, we instructed some participants to elaborate on their intrusions-that is, we asked them to imagine details about the trauma beyond what they actually witnessed. We assessed memory for the traumatic photos twice, 24-h apart. RESULTS The elaboration condition experienced fewer intrusions about the photos compared to the control condition. Furthermore, the elaboration condition were less susceptible to memory amplification compared to controls. LIMITATIONS The use of negative photos allowed experimental control, however does not permit generalization of our findings to real-world traumatic experiences. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that effortful imagination of new trauma-related details leads to a reduction in intrusions and an increased tendency to not endorse trauma exposure over time. One explanation for this finding is that elaboration enhanced conceptual processing of the trauma analogue, therefore reducing intrusions. Critically, this reduction in intrusions affected participants' tendency to endorse trauma exposure, which is consistent with the reality-monitoring explanation for memory amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deryn Strange
- Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, USA.
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Written cues provoke involuntary cognitions about a trauma analogue. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN MEMORY AND COGNITION 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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