1
|
Verfaellie M, Patt V, Lafleche G, Vasterling JJ. Associations between PTSD and temporal discounting: The role of future thinking. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2024; 85:101978. [PMID: 38964185 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2024.101978] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Despite documented alterations in future thinking in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), our understanding of how individuals with PTSD make future-oriented decisions is limited. We tested the hypothesis that increased discounting in association with PTSD reflects failure to spontaneously envision future rewarding situations. METHODS Thirty-seven trauma exposed war-zone veterans completed a standard temporal discounting task as well as a temporal discounting task accompanied by episodic future thinking cues. RESULTS Severity of PTSD symptoms was associated with preference for sooner, smaller rewards in the standard task. Consistent with our hypothesis, when participants engaged in future thinking, greater PTSD symptom severity was no longer associated with steeper discounting. Moreover, difficulty anticipating future events, as measured contemporaneously in a separate task (Verfaellie et al., 2024), mediated the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and degree of discounting in the standard task. Among PTSD symptom clusters, the severity of avoidance and negative alterations in cognition and mood was related to steeper discounting. Measures of depression and alcohol use were not associated with discounting. LIMITATIONS The sample included mostly male, predominantly White veterans who experienced primarily combat-related trauma. CONCLUSIONS PTSD-associated alterations in temporal discounting reflect failure to spontaneously imagine future positive events. Two common correlates of PTSD, depression and alcohol use, could not account for the observed associations between PTSD and future-oriented decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mieke Verfaellie
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, United States.
| | - Virginie Patt
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, United States
| | - Ginette Lafleche
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, United States
| | - Jennifer J Vasterling
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Faustmann LL, Altgassen M. Practice is the best of all instructors-Effects of enactment encoding and episodic future thinking on prospective memory performance in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2024; 17:1258-1275. [PMID: 38800974 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3165] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Prospective memory (PM) is the ability to remember to carry out intended actions in the future. The present study investigated the effects of episodic future thinking (EFT) and enactment encoding (EE) on PM performance in autistic adults (ASD). A total of 72 autistic individuals and 70 controls matched for age, gender, and cognitive abilities completed a computerized version of the Dresden breakfast Task, which required participants to prepare breakfast following a set of rules and time restrictions. A two (group: ASD vs. controls) by three (encoding condition: EFT vs. EE vs. standard) between-subjects design was applied. Participants were either instructed to engage in EFT or EE to prepare to the different tasks prior to performing the Dresden breakfast or received standard instructions. Analyses of variance were conducted. Autism-spectrum-disorders (ASD) participants did not differ from control participants in their PM performance, regardless of which strategy they used. Compared to the standard condition, EE but not EFT improved time-based PM performance in all participants. This is the first study to find spared time-based PM performance in autistic individuals. The results confirm earlier results of beneficial effects of EE on PM performance. Findings are discussed with regards to the methodology used, sample composition as well as autistic characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Larissa L Faustmann
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mareike Altgassen
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hallford DJ, Seydavi M, Akbari M. The Perceived Functions and Phenomenological Characteristics of Future Thinking and Clinically Significant Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms. Clin Psychol Psychother 2024; 31:e2978. [PMID: 38706135 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2978] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Current research indicates that anxiety disorders and elevated levels of trait anxiety are associated with biases and impairments when thinking of personally relevant future events, that is, future thinking. However, to date, little research has been conducted into how people with symptoms of clinical anxiety perceive the functions of future thinking. The current study presents a cross-sectional survey comparing individuals with elevated symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and related functional impact (N = 51, 43.1% female, Mage = 33.1, SD = 10.2) matched on age and gender with individuals with no clinically significant symptoms of GAD (N = 51, 43.1% female, Mage = 33.3, SD = 10.1) on self-reported functions of future thinking and a battery of items assessing the phenomenological characteristics. The results indicated various significant differences in the perceived functions of future thinking and its phenomenological characteristics in those with elevated GAD symptoms. Broadly, they indicate more frequent future thinking and more commonly for self-distraction or processing negatively valenced future events, and generally less adaptive mental representations that support current thinking on the psychopathological process of increased worry, anxious arousal and maladaptive cognition in clinical anxiety symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J Hallford
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mohammad Seydavi
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Akbari
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Blumenthal A, Caparos S, Blanchette I. Understanding the structure of autobiographical memories: A study of trauma memories from the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Mem Cognit 2024:10.3758/s13421-024-01565-0. [PMID: 38693323 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-024-01565-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
How do we remember traumatic events, and are these memories different in individuals who experience post-traumatic stress? Some evidence suggests that traumatic events are mnemonically enhanced, or include more episodic detail, relative to other types of memories. Simultaneously, individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have more non-episodic details in all of their memories, a pattern hypothesized to result from impairment in executive function. Here, we explore these questions in a unique population that experienced severely traumatic events more than 20 years ago - individuals who lived through the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Participants recalled events from the genocide, negative events unrelated to the genocide, neutral events, and positive events. We used the Autobiographical Interview method to label memory details as episodic or non-episodic. We found that memories from the genocide showed robust mnemonic enhancement, with more episodic than non-episodic details, and contained more details overall than any other memory type. This pattern was not impacted by post-traumatic stress. Overall, this study provides evidence that traumatic events create vivid long-lasting episodic memories, in this case even more than 20 years later.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Blumenthal
- Université Laval, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard Local 1144, Québec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec, Canada
| | - Serge Caparos
- Université Paris 8, DysCo lab, Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Blanchette
- Université Laval, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard Local 1144, Québec, Canada.
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Verfaellie M, Patt V, Lafleche G, Strang C, Vasterling JJ. Future thinking in PTSD: Preliminary evidence for altered event construction. Psychiatry Res 2024; 333:115768. [PMID: 38325161 PMCID: PMC10901291 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Using a future event fluency task, the current study sought to examine future event construction in PTSD and to identify clinical profiles associated with altered event construction. Thirty-eight trauma exposed war-zone veterans with (n=25) and without (n=13) PTSD generated within one minute as many positive and negative future events as possible in the near and distant future. The PTSD group generated fewer specific, but not generic, events than the no-PTSD group, a difference that was amplified for positive events as a result of comorbid depression. Clinical correlates of event construction varied as a function of event valence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mieke Verfaellie
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA.
| | - Virginie Patt
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston MA, USA
| | - Ginette Lafleche
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston MA, USA
| | - Caroline Strang
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston MA, USA
| | - Jennifer J Vasterling
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bird BM, Levitt EE, Stewart SH, Wanklyn SG, Meyer EC, Murphy JG, McDevitt-Murphy ME, MacKillop J. Posttraumatic stress and delay discounting: a meta-analytic review. Psychol Med 2024; 54:437-446. [PMID: 37947238 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Delay discounting-the extent to which individuals show a preference for smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards-has been proposed as a transdiagnostic neurocognitive process across mental health conditions, but its examination in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is comparatively recent. To assess the aggregated evidence for elevated delay discounting in relation to posttraumatic stress, we conducted a meta-analysis on existing empirical literature. Bibliographic searches identified 209 candidate articles, of which 13 articles with 14 independent effect sizes were eligible for meta-analysis, reflecting a combined sample size of N = 6897. Individual study designs included case-control (e.g. examination of differences in delay discounting between individuals with and without PTSD) and continuous association studies (e.g. relationship between posttraumatic stress symptom severity and delay discounting). In a combined analysis of all studies, the overall relationship was a small but statistically significant positive association between posttraumatic stress and delay discounting (r = .135, p < .0001). The same relationship was statistically significant for continuous association studies (r = .092, p = .027) and case-control designs (r = .179, p < .001). Evidence of publication bias was minimal. The included studies were limited in that many did not concurrently incorporate other psychiatric conditions in the analyses, leaving the specificity of the relationship to posttraumatic stress less clear. Nonetheless, these findings are broadly consistent with previous meta-analyses of delayed reward discounting in relation to other mental health conditions and provide further evidence for the transdiagnostic utility of this construct.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Bird
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Emily E Levitt
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Sherry H Stewart
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sonya G Wanklyn
- MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Eric C Meyer
- Department of Counseling and Behavioral Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - James G Murphy
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yang Z, Xia L, Fu Y, Zheng Y, Zhao M, Feng Z, Shi C. Altered EEG Microstates Dynamics in Individuals with Subthreshold Depression When Generating Negative Future Events. Brain Topogr 2024; 37:52-62. [PMID: 37812293 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-023-01011-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Negative bias in prospection may play a crucial role in driving and maintaining depression. Recent research suggests abnormal activation and functional connectivity in regions of the default mode network (DMN) during future event generation in depressed individuals. However, the neural dynamics during prospection in these individuals remain unknown. To capture network dynamics at high temporal resolution, we employed electroencephalogram (EEG) microstate analysis. We examined microstate properties during both positive and negative prospection in 35 individuals with subthreshold depression (SD) and 35 controls. We identified similar sets of four canonical microstates (A-D) across groups and conditions. Source analysis indicated that each microstate map partially overlapped with a subsystem of the DMN (A: verbal; B: visual-spatial; C: self-referential; and D: modulation). Notably, alterations in EEG microstates were primarily observed in negative prospection of individuals with SD. Specifically, when generating negative future events, the coverage, occurrence, and duration of microstate A increased, while the coverage and duration of microstates B and D decreased in the SD group compared to controls. Furthermore, we observed altered transitions, particularly involving microstate C, during negative prospection in the SD group. These altered dynamics suggest dysconnectivity between subsystems of the DMN during negative prospection in individuals with SD. In conclusion, we provide novel insights into the neural mechanisms of negative bias in depression. These alterations could serve as specific markers for depression and potential targets for future interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoya Yang
- Department of Basic Psychology, School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
- School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Street, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Lei Xia
- Experimental Research Center for Medical and Psychological Science, School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
- School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Street, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yixiao Fu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Yingcan Zheng
- Department of Developmental Psychology for Armyman, School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
- School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Street, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Mengxue Zhao
- Department of Military Psychology, School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
- School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Street, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Zhengzhi Feng
- School of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Street, Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Chunmeng Shi
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Army Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Street, Chongqing, 400038, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Finch EF, Kalinowski SE, Hooley JM, Schacter DL. Grandiose narcissism influences the phenomenology of remembered past and imagined future events. Memory 2024; 32:25-40. [PMID: 37930782 PMCID: PMC10843788 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2274807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Little empirical work has examined future thinking in narcissistic grandiosity. We here extend prior work finding that people scoring high in grandiosity have self-bolstering tendencies in remembering past events, and we consider whether these tendencies extend to imagining future events. Across an initial study (N = 112) and replication (N = 169), participants wrote about remembered past events and imagined future events in which they embodied or would embody either positive or negative traits. Participants then rated those events on several subjective measures. We find that people scoring higher in grandiosity remember past events in which they embody positive traits with greater detail and ease than past events in which they embody negative traits. These same effects persist when people scoring high in grandiosity imagine possible events in their future. Those scoring higher in grandiosity endorse thinking about positive events in their past and future more frequently than negative events, and they judge positive future events as more plausible than negative future events. These tendencies did not extend to objective detail provided in their written narratives about these events. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that grandiosity is associated with self-bolstering tendencies in both remembering the past and imagining the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen F Finch
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Jill M Hooley
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Verfaellie M, Patt V, Lafleche G, Hunsberger R, Vasterling JJ. Imagining emotional future events in PTSD: clinical and neurocognitive correlates. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1428-1444. [PMID: 37700143 PMCID: PMC10592365 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01121-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Emotional future thinking serves important functions related to goal pursuit and emotion regulation but has been scantly studied in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study sought to characterize emotional future thinking in PTSD and to identify clinical and neurocognitive profiles associated with potential alterations in the level of detail in narratives of imagined future events. Fifty-eight, trauma-exposed, war-zone veterans, who were classified into current PTSD, past PTSD, and no-PTSD groups, were asked to vividly imagine future events in response to positive and negative cue words occurring in the near and distant future. These narratives were scored for internal (i.e., pertaining to the main event) and external (i.e., tangential to the main event) details. Participants also performed neurocognitive tasks of generative ability, working memory, and relational verbal memory. Linear mixed modeling revealed that the current and past PTSD groups generated fewer internal details than the no-PTSD group across positive and negative cue words and across temporal proximity. Partial least squares analysis revealed that symptom severity for all PTSD clusters was inversely associated with production of internal details, albeit with the association relatively weaker for intrusion symptoms. Among the neurocognitive tasks, only relational verbal memory was associated with production of internal details. These findings suggest, as predicted, that functional avoidance may underlie reduced detail generation but also point to potential additional mechanisms to be further investigated. That future event simulation remains overgeneral even when PTSD symptoms abate highlights the importance of addressing alterations in future thinking in this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mieke Verfaellie
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System (182 MDRC), 150 S Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Virginie Patt
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System (182 MDRC), 150 S Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Ginette Lafleche
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System (182 MDRC), 150 S Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Renee Hunsberger
- Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System (182 MDRC), 150 S Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Jennifer J Vasterling
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Raeder R, Clayton NS, Boeckle M. Narrative-based autobiographical memory interventions for PTSD: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1215225. [PMID: 37829075 PMCID: PMC10565228 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1215225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the efficacy of narrative-based interventions (NBIs) for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Investigating the efficacy of NBIs should yield insight on autobiographical memory (AM) phenomena implicated in PTSD onset and recovery, leading to improved intervention protocols. Furthermore, by analyzing how NBIs influence maladaptive AM distortions, we hope to shed light on the theorized narrative architecture of AM more generally. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted according to PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and PubMed. Additional studies were then also identified from the reference lists of other relevant literature and considered for inclusion. Studies were then evaluated for adherence to the inclusion/exclusion criteria and assessed for risk of bias. Various meta-analyses were performed on included studies to understand how NBIs may or may not influence the overall effect size of treatment. Results The results of the meta-analysis of 35 studies, involving 2,596 participants, suggest that NBIs are a viable and effective treatment option for PTSD, yielding a statistically significant within-group effect size and decrease in PTSD symptomatology at both post-treatment [g = 1.73, 95% CI (1.23-2.22)] and 3-9 month follow-up assessments [g = 2.33, 95% CI (1.41-3.26)]. Furthermore, the difference in effect sizes between NBIs compared to active and waitlist controls was statistically significant, suggesting that NBIs are superior. Sub-analyses showed that NET provided a stronger effect size than FORNET, which may be due to the nature of the traumatic event itself and not the treatment protocol. While evidence of small study and publication bias was present, a weight-function model and trim-and-fill method suggested it was not influencing the overall results. Discussion This meta-analysis presents strong evidence supporting the use of NBIs in the treatment of PTSD. Clear similarities can be identified between NBIs included in this analysis that make them distinct from non-NBI interventions, which are reviewed in the discussion. Controlled comparisons between NBIs and non-NBIs would help to further understand AM mechanisms of action implicated in recovery and how various interventions facilitate them. Future research should also aim to elucidate the full range of AM impairment in individuals with PTSD to gain insight on how other memory capabilities, such as the ability to mentally simulate the future, are implicated in the pathogenesis of PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Raeder
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola S. Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Boeckle
- Scientific Working Group, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
- Department of Transitory Psychiatry, University Hospital Tulln, Tulln, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Chaposhloo M, Nicholson AA, Becker S, McKinnon MC, Lanius R, Shaw SB. Altered Resting-State functional connectivity in the anterior and posterior hippocampus in Post-traumatic stress disorder: The central role of the anterior hippocampus. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103417. [PMID: 37148709 PMCID: PMC10193024 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-traumatic stress disorder can be viewed as a memory disorder, with trauma-related flashbacks being a core symptom. Given the central role of the hippocampus in autobiographical memory, surprisingly, there is mixed evidence concerning altered hippocampal functional connectivity in PTSD. We shed light on this discrepancy by considering the distinct roles of the anterior versus posterior hippocampus and examine how this distinction may map onto whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity patterns among those with and without PTSD. METHODS We first assessed whole-brain between-group differences in the functional connectivity profiles of the anterior and posterior hippocampus within a publicly available data set of resting-state fMRI data from 31 male Vietnam war veterans diagnosed with PTSD (mean age = 67.6 years, sd = 2.3) and 29 age-matched combat-exposed male controls (age = 69.1 years, sd = 3.5). Next, the connectivity patterns of each subject within the PTSD group were correlated with their PTSD symptom scores. Finally, the between-group differences in whole-brain functional connectivity profiles discovered for the anterior and posterior hippocampal seeds were used to prescribe post-hoc ROIs, which were then used to perform ROI-to-ROI functional connectivity and graph-theoretic analyses. RESULTS The PTSD group showed increased functional connectivity of the anterior hippocampus with affective brain regions (anterior/posterior insula, orbitofrontal cortex, temporal pole) and decreased functional connectivity of the anterior/posterior hippocampus with regions involved in processing bodily self-consciousness (supramarginal gyrus). Notably, decreased anterior hippocampus connectivity with the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus was associated with increased PTSD symptom severity. The left anterior hippocampus also emerged as a central locus of abnormal functional connectivity, with graph-theoretic measures suggestive of a more central hub-like role for this region in those with PTSD compared to trauma-exposed controls. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight that the anterior hippocampus plays a critical role in the neurocircuitry underlying PTSD and underscore the importance of the differential roles of hippocampal sub-regions in serving as biomarkers of PTSD. Future studies should investigate whether the differential patterns of functional connectivity stemming from hippocampal sub-regions is observed in PTSD populations other than older war veterans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Chaposhloo
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew A Nicholson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Suzanna Becker
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ruth Lanius
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Saurabh Bhaskar Shaw
- Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kowalchyk M, Chernoff E, Brinkman HR, Brown AD, Pietrzak RH, Feder A. Perceived social support moderates the relation between forward-focused coping and PTSD symptoms in World Trade Center trauma survivors. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 159:130-134. [PMID: 36708637 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.01.018] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Social support and perceived ability to cope with trauma have been linked to severity of PTSD symptoms. While previous literature has highlighted the influence of trauma coping style on PTSD severity, data are lacking regarding factors that may moderate this association. Such information may help inform more personalized treatments for PTSD. Toward this end, we analyzed data from 100 treatment-seeking WTC responders and survivors with full or subthreshold World Trade Center (WTC)-related PTSD who completed measures of perceived ability to cope with trauma and perceived social support prior to treatment initiation. Correlation analyses revealed that higher forward-focused perceived ability to cope (r = -0.24) and perceived social support (r = -0.32) were each associated with lower severity of PTSD symptoms. In a multivariable regression analysis, perceived social support emerged as a significant moderator of the relation between forward-focused coping and overall PTSD symptom severity (β = -0.36). Specifically, among individuals with higher forward-focused coping, those with higher social support had lower severity of symptoms than those with lower social support. Results suggest that interventions to bolster social support among trauma survivors with a forward-focusing coping style may help mitigate severity of PTSD symptoms in treatment-seeking trauma survivors with PTSD symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kowalchyk
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eva Chernoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah R Brinkman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam D Brown
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert H Pietrzak
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Adriana Feder
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Waisman A, Kleiman V, Slepian PM, Clarke H, Katz J. Autobiographical memory predicts postsurgical pain up to 12 months after major surgery. Pain 2022; 163:2438-2445. [PMID: 35385438 PMCID: PMC9667382 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Recent cross-sectional studies have identified differences in autobiographical memory (AM) among individuals with chronic pain, but the temporal relationship between the 2 is unknown. Moreover, AM has yet to be studied in patients undergoing major surgery. This study addressed these gaps by conducting a prospective, longitudinal study of memory performance, postsurgical pain, and psychosocial factors in 97 adult participants scheduled for major surgery. Memories were evaluated using the Autobiographical Memory Test before and one month after surgery when participants were asked to recall personal events related to positive and pain-related word cues. Responses were coded for level of specificity, emotional valence, and surgery-related content. Questionnaires assessing presence/absence of pain and psychological functioning were administered before and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Generalized estimating equations modelled pain at each postsurgical time point with memory variables as predictors. As hypothesized, higher numbers of specific pain memories recalled before surgery predicted lower odds of pain across all time points (OR = 0.58, 95% CI [0.37-0.91]). Participants who took longer to recall pain memories before surgery (OR = 2.65, 95% CI [1.31-5.37]) and those who produced more surgery-related content at the one-month assessment (OR = 1.31, 95% CI [1.02-1.68]) had greater odds of reporting postsurgical pain up to 12 months later. These findings indicate that presurgical AM biases are risk factors for development and maintenance of postsurgical pain. To the extent that these biases are causal, presurgical interventions that modify the quality and content of patients' memories may prove to be promising strategies in the prevention of chronic postsurgical pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Waisman
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Valery Kleiman
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Neurology Specialty Clinic, Altum Health, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - P. Maxwell Slepian
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hance Clarke
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel Katz
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Miragoli S, Camisasca E. An Examination of the Synergy of Age and PTSD on Narrative Coherence in Child Sexual Abuse Testimony. JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 2022; 31:743-757. [PMID: 36197834 DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2022.2131669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In a criminal proceeding, a witness is considered as reliable if he/she can recall in narrative form the events, chronologically ordered, with salient contextual (place and time) details, and essential evaluations for the definition of meanings. This study aimed to confirm the effects of age and PTSD on narrative coherence and to investigate the moderating role of age on the association between PTSD and narrative coherence. Narrative coherence was analyzed in 92 allegations of children (M = 10.3; range: 4-17), who were victims of sexual abuse. Thirty-five children presented the symptoms for a diagnosis of PTSD. Each deposition has been codified through the Narrative Coherence Coding Scheme, a coding scheme based on the three independent dimensions (context, chronology, and theme). Correlation analysis indicated the positive associations between age and context, chronology, and theme; and the negative associations between PTSD symptoms and context, chronology, and theme. Predictive effect of PTSD became less and less significant with increasing age. This study could underline the importance of age and PTSD (and their synergy) in legal testimony of children who have been sexually abused.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Miragoli
- Psychology Department, CRIdee, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Măirean C, Diaconu-Gherasim LR. The relation between time perspective and posttraumatic stress symptoms: The mediating role of traffic locus of control. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
16
|
Marlatte H, Beaton D, Adler-Luzon S, Abo-Ahmad L, Gilboa A. Scene Construction and Spatial Processing in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:888358. [PMID: 35846792 PMCID: PMC9278269 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.888358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with hippocampal system structural and functional impairments. Neurobiological models of PTSD posit that contextual memory for traumatic events is impaired due to hippocampal system dysfunction whilst memory of sensory details is enhanced due to amygdalar impact on sensory cortices. If hippocampal system dysfunction is a core feature of PTSD, then non-traumatic hippocampal-dependent cognitive functions such as scene construction, spatial processing, and memory should also be impaired in individuals with PTSD. Methods Forty-six trauma survivors, half diagnosed with PTSD, performed two tasks that involved spatial processing. The first was a scene construction task which requires conjuring-up spatially coherent multimodal scenarios, completed by all participants. Twenty-six participants (PTSD: n = 13) also completed a navigation task in a virtual environment, and underwent structural T1, T2 and diffusion-tensor MRI to quantify gray and white matter integrity. We examined the relationship between spatial processing, neural integrity, and symptom severity in a multiple factor analysis. Results Overall, patients with PTSD showed impaired performance in both tasks compared to controls. Scenes imagined by patients were less vivid, less detailed, and generated less sense of presence; importantly they had disproportionally reduced spatial coherence between details. Patients also made more errors during virtual navigation. Two components of the multiple factor analysis captured group differences. The first component explained 25% of the shared variance: participants that constructed less spatially coherent scenes also made more navigation errors and had reduced white matter integrity to long association tracts and tracts connecting the hippocampus, thalamus, and cingulate. The second component explained 20% of the variance: participants who generated fewer scene details, with less spatial coherence between them, had smaller hippocampal, parahippocampal and isthmus cingulate volumes. These participants also had increased white matter integrity to the right hippocampal cingulum bundle. Conclusion Our results suggest that patients with PTSD are impaired at imagining even neutral spatially coherent scenes and navigating through a complex spatial environment. Patients that showed reduced spatial processing more broadly had reduced hippocampal systems volumes and abnormal white matter integrity to tracts implicated in multisensory integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Marlatte
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Derek Beaton
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Data Science and Advanced Analytics, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Lina Abo-Ahmad
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Asaf Gilboa
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Sayuk GS, North CS, Pollio DE, Gott BM, Alpers DH. Episodic Memories Among Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Patients: An Important Aspect of the IBS Symptom Experience. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2022; 3:892313. [PMID: 35782224 PMCID: PMC9243497 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2022.892313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Some IBS patients possess detailed memories of the events surrounding their bowel symptom onset (“episodic memories”). In this exploratory study we sought to: (1) examine memory relationship with gastrointestinal (GI) symptom severity, extraintestinal symptoms, and mood; (2) qualitatively explore memory valence and content in IBS patients with or without episodic memories. Methods Referral IBS patients n = 29; age 47.0± 2.2 years, 79.3% female) enrolled in this cross-sectional, mixed methods research study. Participants completed validated specific memory instruments [Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), Sentence Completion for Events from the Past Test (SCEPT)] and relevant questionnaires [IBS symptoms 10-cm visual analog scale); SF-36 Health-related quality of life (HRQOL); Perley-Guze and PHQ-15/12: somatization; Beck Depression/Anxiety Inventories). Qualitative analysis examined the content and valence of general memories. Results 14/29 (48.3%) of IBS subjects endorsed episodic memories of IBS symptom onset, often GI infections/enteritis (35.7%). Recall of the exact year (69%) and month (60%) of symptom onset were common. Episodic memories were associated with greater IBS symptom severity/bother, higher anxiety/depression, and poorer HRQOL. Though AMT and SCEPT memory specificity were not different based on episodic memories, overgeneralization to negatively-valenced cues in the AMT was associated with more severe IBS in those without episodic memory. Qualitative analysis revealed no observable differences in topic focus of IBS patients with and without episodic memories. Conclusions IBS patients often endorse episodic memories associated with symptom onset, and this recall seems to associate with more severe symptoms. Overgeneralization responses to negative stimuli may lead to worse bowel symptoms in those without episodic memories. IBS memory specificity may associate with qualitative differences in processing psychosocial experiences and might be important to IBS pathophysiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S. Sayuk
- Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
- *Correspondence: Gregory S. Sayuk
| | - Carol S. North
- The Altshuler Center for Education & Research, Metrocare Services, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | | | - Britt M. Gott
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - David H. Alpers
- Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Wardell V, Grilli MD, Palombo DJ. Simulating the best and worst of times: the powers and perils of emotional simulation. Memory 2022; 30:1212-1225. [PMID: 35708272 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2022.2088796] [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: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
We are remarkably capable of simulating events that we have never experienced. These simulated events often paint an emotional picture to behold, such as the best and worst possible outcomes that we might face. This review synthesises dispersed literature exploring the role of emotion in simulation. Drawing from work that suggests that simulations can influence our preferences, decision-making, and prosociality, we argue for a critical role of emotion in informing the consequences of simulation. We further unpack burgeoning evidence suggesting that the effects of emotional simulation transcend the laboratory. We propose avenues by which emotional simulation may be harnessed for both personal and collective good in applied contexts. We conclude by offering important future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Wardell
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Matthew D Grilli
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Daniela J Palombo
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Cha CB, Robinaugh DJ, Schacter DL, Altheimer G, Marx BP, Keane TM, Kearns JC, Nock MK. Examining multiple features of episodic future thinking and episodic memory among suicidal adults. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2022; 52:356-372. [PMID: 34978101 PMCID: PMC9233069 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BCKGROUND Theories of suicide suggest that suicidal ideation (SI) results in part from difficulty imagining the future, which itself relies on the ability to remember the past. The present study examines multiple components of episodic future thinking and memory including event richness, which is commonly measured within the cognitive literature but has not previously been assessed with suicidal individuals. METHODS Here, we tested the associations between SI and episodic future thinking and episodic memory across two studies (Study 1, n = 25; Study 2, n = 141): the first with a healthy comparison group and the second with a psychiatric comparison group. RESULTS Future event richness yielded large but statistically non-significant deficits in the SI group relative to healthy controls in Study 1 after controling the false discovery rate. The most robust effects for future thinking emerged in the case of perceived duration of future events, such that the SI group (vs. psychiatric comparison) imagined future events as longer-lasting in Study 2. Across both studies, episodic memory was unrelated to SI, and neither episodic future thinking nor memory predicted future SI. CONCLUSION Episodic future thinking may better distinguish individuals with SI history from psychiatric controls when compared with episodic memory, but that this effect is limited to select components of future thinking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine B. Cha
- Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University
| | | | | | | | - Brian P. Marx
- National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, and Boston University School of Medicine
| | - Terence M. Keane
- National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, and Boston University School of Medicine
| | - Jaclyn C. Kearns
- National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, and Boston University School of Medicine
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Du JY, Hallford DJ, Grant JB. Characteristics of episodic future thinking in anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 95:102162. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
21
|
Waisman A, Pavlova M, Noel M, Katz J. Painful Reminders: Involvement of the Autobiographical Memory System in Pediatric Postsurgical Pain and the Transition to Chronicity. Can J Pain 2022; 6:121-141. [PMID: 35692557 PMCID: PMC9176239 DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2022.2058474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Waisman
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maria Pavlova
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Melanie Noel
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Joel Katz
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Nielsen NP, Berntsen D. How posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms affect memory for new events and their “hotspots” over a long delay. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dorthe Berntsen
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research Aarhus University Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Thomas KG, Bradley H, Chen A, Lipinska G. Trauma survivors with disrupted sleep generate less specific and less emotional autobiographical memories. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
|
24
|
Khan S, Haque S. Autobiographical memory impairment among Rohingya refugee people: roles of direct and indirect trauma exposures and PTSD symptom severity. Cogn Emot 2021; 35:1573-1587. [PMID: 34644246 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2021.1990018] [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: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Literature indicates that trauma exposure leads to autobiographical memory (AM) impairment, but the differential effects of direct and indirect trauma on memory remain unclear. We investigated AMs of 100 Rohingya refugees (Meanage = 35.79; SDage = 15.36) recruited from camps in Bangladesh and communities in Malaysia. Each participant retrieved ten memories to word cues and rated to what extent those memories were self-defining on a 5-point scale. They also completed the PTSD-8 scale and a trauma checklist reporting the types of traumatic events they experienced. Results showed that participants with frequent exposure to direct and indirect trauma recalled more traumatic memories. Surprisingly, more direct-trauma memories appeared to be specific than indirect trauma and non-trauma memories. As expected, individuals who scored higher on the PTSD-8 scale recalled more non-specific AMs. Rohingyas in Bangladesh who migrated months before data collection, thus retaining recent trauma experiences , retrieved more non-specific memories than those in Malaysia who migrated years ago. The direct trauma memories of the Malaysian cohort were more self-defining than their counterparts. The participant's ability to recall more direct trauma memories with specificity could be attributed to the repeated recall of those memories to the relevant authorities of the host countries to justify their refugee status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjida Khan
- Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Psychology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shamsul Haque
- Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Selangor, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
How did I do it then? How will I do it later? A theoretical review of the impact of mental time travel on decision-making processes. NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2021.100869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
26
|
Colin C, Martin A, Bonneviot F, Brangier E. Unravelling future thinking: a valuable concept for prospective ergonomics. THEORETICAL ISSUES IN ERGONOMICS SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/1463922x.2021.1943045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clement Colin
- Université de Lorraine, PERSEUS EA7312, Metz, France
- Total S.E., Corporate R&D, F-92078 Paris, France
| | | | - Flavie Bonneviot
- Université de Lorraine, PERSEUS EA7312, Metz, France
- Vedecom Institute, Versailles, France
| | - Eric Brangier
- Université de Lorraine, PERSEUS EA7312, Metz, France
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Memel M, Lynch K, Lafleche G, Verfaellie M. Autobiographical recall of a stressful negative event in veterans with PTSD. Memory 2021; 29:719-728. [PMID: 34148527 PMCID: PMC10068628 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2021.1940204] [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: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterised by alterations in autobiographical memory for traumatic and non-traumatic events. Studies that focus on event construction - the ability to search for and identify a specific event - have documented overgeneral memory in PTSD. However, the quality of autobiographical memory also depends on the ability to elaborate on an event once constructed by providing additional details. In a prior study, individuals with PTSD generated as many episodic (event-specific) details as trauma-exposed controls when demands on event construction were minimized, albeit the PTSD group generated more non-episodic details. The current study sought to further characterize PTSD-related alterations in event elaboration by asking participants to describe a stressful negative event specified by the experimenter, thus minimizing event construction demands. Narratives were scored for episodic and non-episodic details and relations with measures of executive function and self-reported avoidance were examined. Compared to controls, the PTSD group generated narratives with equivalent episodic detail but greater non-episodic detail, including semantic information and repeated or extended events. Non-episodic detail generation was associated with greater avoidance but not executive functions. Elaborated non-trauma memories may be perceived as overgeneral in PTSD due to greater generation of non-episodic details, rather than diminished episodic detail.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly Memel
- San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Mieke Verfaellie
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Khan S, Kuhn SK, Haque S. A Systematic Review of Autobiographical Memory and Mental Health Research on Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:658700. [PMID: 34149479 PMCID: PMC8211731 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.658700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research examining trauma, memory, and mental health among refugee and asylum-seeking people has increased in recent years. We systematically reviewed empirical work focusing on the link between autobiographical memory and mental health among these populations. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018095888). Six major databases were searched in August-2020 with no time limit for publication. Following PRISMA Statement guidelines, 22 articles reporting ten quantitative, nine qualitative, and three mixed-method studies were selected from 254 articles identified in the initial search. A basic convergent and qualitative meta-integration technique was employed for data extraction. Four recurrent themes were extracted: (1) memory activation method, (2) memory features, (3) memory content, and (4) refugee mental health. Theme 1 illustrates that narrative interviews, important event recall, and cue word methods were used in most studies. Theme 2 highlights that memories of refugee people were often less specific, inconsistent, and negative-focused. Retrieval failure was also common among these people. Theme 3 reveals that refugee and asylum-seeking people frequently discussed their abandoned identities, lost resources, injustices, ongoing sufferings, and pointless futures. Finally, theme 4 identifies the prevalence of various mental health conditions like Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, helplessness, and anger among these people. The results are discussed in the context of the current autobiographical memory and mental health theories, considering refugee-specific experiences in the asylum process and refugee status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjida Khan
- Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Sara K. Kuhn
- Department of Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - Shamsul Haque
- Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Haim-Nachum S, Levy-Gigi E. To Be or Not to Be Flexible: Selective impairments as a means to differentiate between depression and PTSD symptoms. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 136:366-373. [PMID: 33639329 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
During the course of their lives, most individuals experience at least one potentially traumatic event. For some individuals this experience may result in them developing depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The aim of the present study was to test the interactive effect of traumatic exposure and impaired cognitive flexibility on the tendency to develop either depression or PTSD symptoms. Eighty-two college students (M age = 25.32, SD age = 4.09) were assessed for exposure to traumatic events, depressive and PTSD symptoms. In addition, they completed a performance-based learning paradigm to evaluate the unique patterns of cognitive flexibility, defined as reduced and enhanced updating of prior knowledge in the face of new information. We predicted and found that for individuals with reduced updating, greater exposure to trauma was associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Contrary to our prediction, for individuals with enhanced updating, greater exposure was associated with elevated PTSD symptoms. While cognitive flexibility is traditionally associated with adaptive outcomes, our results illuminate the important role of a delicate updating balance to adaptively cope with aversive life events. The findings highlight the possible different roles of cognitive flexibility in the development of psychopathology and may serve as a first step toward developing tailored prevention and treatment methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Einat Levy-Gigi
- School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900, Israel; The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Rahman N, Brown AD. Mental Time Travel in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Current Gaps and Future Directions. Front Psychol 2021; 12:624707. [PMID: 33767647 PMCID: PMC7985348 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Rahman
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Adam D. Brown
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Quenstedt SR, Sucher JN, Pfeffer KA, Hart R, Brown AD. Autobiographical Memory and Future Thinking Specificity and Content in Chronic Pain. Front Psychol 2021; 11:624187. [PMID: 33510697 PMCID: PMC7835412 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.624187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is associated with high levels of mental health issues and alterations in cognitive processing. Cognitive-behavioral models illustrate the role of memory alterations (e.g., autobiographical memory and future thinking) in the development and maintenance of chronic pain as well as in mental health disorders which frequently co-occur with chronic pain (e.g., anxiety and mood disorders). This study aims to expand our understanding of specific cognitive mechanisms underlying chronic pain which may in turn shed light on cognitive processes underlying pain-related psychological distress. Individuals (N = 84) who reported a history of chronic pain and individuals who reported no history of chronic pain (N = 102) were recruited from MTurk to complete an online survey including standardized measures of anxiety and depression and two sentence completion tasks that assessed autobiographical memory and future thinking specificity and content. Chi square analyses revealed that participants who endorsed experiencing chronic pain were significantly more likely to recall at least one painful and negative event and to imagine at least one anticipated painful event in their future. Two ANCOVAs were performed to examine the degree to which chronic pain endorsement influenced specificity in memory and future imagining. Individuals with a history of chronic pain and higher levels of depression symptom severity generated autobiographical memories with significantly less specificity; whereas, individuals with a history of chronic pain also generated future autobiographical events with significantly less specificity. In addition, individuals with a history of chronic pain were more likely to generate episodes related to pain when asked to recall the past or imagine the future. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of the etiology of autobiographical memory and future thinking specificity and content in the pathogenesis of mental health conditions in the context of chronic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stella R Quenstedt
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jillian N Sucher
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kendall A Pfeffer
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Roland Hart
- Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Adam D Brown
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Sofis MJ, Lemley SM, Budney AJ. The Effects of Cannabis Use Frequency and Episodic Specificity Training on the Recall of Specific and Rewarding Events. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:643819. [PMID: 34305665 PMCID: PMC8292719 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.643819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Growing evidence implicates subjective episodic memory, the retrieval of detailed, integrated, and personally relevant past events, as a marker of cognitive vulnerability in mental disorders. Frequent and problematic cannabis use is associated with deficits in objective episodic memory (verbal memory), but the relationship between subjective episodic memory deficits and frequency of cannabis use is unknown. Further, whether a brief intervention designed to enhance the specificity of event retrieval, such as the Episodic Specificity Induction (ESI), might effectively target such deficits among regular cannabis users is unexamined. This study was designed to examine subjective episodic memory as a potential marker of cognitive vulnerability among frequent cannabis users. Methods: Active cannabis users (n = 133) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk or Qualtrics Panels were randomized to receive an ESI-control or ESI session and were separated into those who used cannabis 1-25 days in the past month (low to moderate frequency group) and those who used 26-30 days (high frequency group), which facilitated a low to moderate use/ESI-control group (n = 78), low to moderate use/ESI group (n =15), high-use/ESI-control group (n = 20), and high-use/ESI group (n = 20). Following the ESI or ESI-control intervention, participants selected four, positive events from the prior day, described the who, what, and where of the events, and rated how specific (vividness) and rewarding (enjoyable, importance, and exciting) each event was on a 0-100 scale. Four two-way ANCOVAs (demographics and problematic cannabis use covariates) were performed to examine the effects of frequency of cannabis use group and ESI group on the specificity and reward ratings. Results: Lower vividness and excitement ratings were reported for those with high relative to low to moderate cannabis use frequency patterns (p < 0.05). Those who received ESI reported greater vividness, excitement, and importance ratings than the ESI-control group (p < 0.01). No significant interactions between frequency and ESI were found. Conclusion: Findings from the current exploratory study provide initial evidence suggesting that more frequent cannabis use may be associated with the retrieval of less specific and rewarding events relative to less frequent users. Further, ESI may improve such deficits. Future studies that recruit larger and more clinically serious samples of cannabis users appear warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Sofis
- Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States
| | - Shea M Lemley
- Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States
| | - Alan J Budney
- Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Brunette AM, Schacter DL. Cognitive mechanisms of episodic simulation in psychiatric populations. Behav Res Ther 2020; 136:103778. [PMID: 33338778 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Episodic simulation is the construction of a mental representation of a specific autobiographical future event. Episodic simulation has increasingly been studied in psychiatric populations. Here we 1) review evidence indicating that episodic simulation is compromised in patients with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and PTSD; and 2) consider several potential cognitive mechanisms of episodic simulation in psychiatric populations: episodic retrieval, scene construction, mental imagery, components of the CaRFAX model (i.e., capture and rumination, functional avoidance, and executive functioning), and narrative style. We evaluate evidence regarding these mechanisms across psychiatric populations, and identify areas of future research. Understanding the factors that contribute to episodic simulation impairment in psychiatric populations may lead to targeted and effective treatment approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Brunette
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Psychology Service, 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, United States.
| | - Daniel L Schacter
- Harvard University, Department of Psychology, William James Hall, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Picco S, Pedreira ME, Fernández RS. Psychometric validation of the survey of autobiographical memory: confirmatory factor analysis and network analysis. Memory 2020; 28:1037-1050. [PMID: 32870072 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2020.1812662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Autobiographical memory (AM) represents the ability to remember personal experiences. There are several laboratory or neuropsychological tasks to assess different aspects of memory function. However, there has been little research on self-reported AM ability. The Survey of Autobiographical Memory (SAM) is a self-report questionnaire, developed to assess individual differences in AM. Evidence for the factor structure and network properties of the SAM is still needed. Here, using an integral approach, we validated the SAM using a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (Study 1) as in the original study, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Study 2), and a Network Analysis (Study 3) using two large independent samples (total n = 2896). We first replicated the original findings, then confirmed the existence of 4 factors and found that the Episodic and Semantic categories were the most central ones. Finally, we found between "groups" differences for Gender and Anxiety. Overall, three different methods revealed a robust profile of the SAM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soledad Picco
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE)- CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria E Pedreira
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE)- CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo S Fernández
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE)- CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Hallford DJ, Takano K, Raes F, Austin DW. Psychometric Evaluation of an Episodic Future Thinking Variant of the Autobiographical Memory Test – Episodic Future Thinking-Test (EFT-T). EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Future-oriented variants of the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) are often used to assess the generation of specific episodic future thoughts, however, as yet the underlying factor structure of items in this modified test has not been examined. Therefore, over two studies we examined the factor structure and validity of an episodic future thinking variant of the Autobiographical Memory Test (Episodic Future Thinking-Test; EFT-T). In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis ( N = 466) showed a one-factor structure underlying responses to positive, negative, and concrete noun cue words on the EFT-T. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis with a different sample ( N = 304) and using different cue words showed a good fit for a single-factor structure. In both studies, good convergent validity was found with scores on the EFT-T correlating with autobiographical memory specificity scores, with support for divergent factors also. Mixed support was found for associations with measures of mental imagery, and the implications for measurement are discussed. These studies provide the first evidence that the EFT-T unidimensionally assesses specificity in episodic future thinking across two cue word sets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J. Hallford
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Keisuke Takano
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
| | - Filip Raes
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - David W. Austin
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Mnemonic discrimination in treatment-seeking adults with and without PTSD. Behav Res Ther 2020; 131:103650. [PMID: 32504887 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by overgeneralized emotional reactivity following a trauma. Similarities between current, safe contexts and past, threatening events trigger recurrent, distressing responses and can contribute to a host of symptoms, including reexperiencing and hypervigilance. Mnemonic discrimination, a component process of episodic memory, could promote overgeneralization when impaired. Mnemonic discrimination reflects the integration of old and new experiences and one's ability to differentiate them despite their similarities. To date, little research has been conducted in clinical populations and none with individuals with PTSD. In this study, we examined mnemonic discrimination performance among treatment-seeking adults with and without PTSD and healthy comparison participants (n = 190). There were significant group differences in mnemonic discrimination performance, but not in general recognition memory. Individuals without psychopathology outperformed individuals with PTSD and treatment-seeking individuals without PTSD. However, there were no differences in mnemonic discrimination performance among individuals with PTSD and any other diagnoses. Finally, clinical groups with or without trauma exposure also did not differ in mnemonic discrimination performance. Results held when we adjusted for general recognition memory. Findings suggest that poor mnemonic discrimination is transdiagnostically associated with emotional disorders. Future work is merited to explore this as a measurable and potentially malleable, though non-specific, risk factor.
Collapse
|
37
|
Scalabrini A, Mucci C, Angeletti LL, Northoff G. The Self and its World: A Neuro-Ecological and Temporo-Spatial Account of Existential Fear. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2020; 17:46-58. [PMID: 34908967 PMCID: PMC8629082 DOI: 10.36131/clinicalnpsych20200203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The current international crisis situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is having a strong psychological impact on our subjectivities. We are constantly threatened by the danger of i) being infected, ii) infecting other people, and (iii) by the loss of social relation. Departing from these premises, we here aim to investigate the psychological and neurodynamics of this complex phenomenon. First, we discuss about recent psychological and neuronal findings on fear and its disorders, related to an unbalanced intero-exteroceptive processing and emotional regulation. Secondly we move to the psychological and neuronal dynamics of self and others characterized by a temporo-spatial alignment with the world. Due to the neural overlap of emotion and self and the deep-reaching neuro-ecological layers of self, emotional feelings like fear and anxiety cannot be detached and dissociated from the world; they signify the world–brain relation, and, more specifically, our self-other relation. The deepest neuro-ecological and neuro-social layers of self are threatened by the loss of subjectivity, which is manifest in our loss of body and thus the fear of dying, and the loss of intersubjectivity that surfaces in our fear of infecting others, which reflect the intimate anchorage of the self with the world. In our opinion the pandemic of COVID-19 deeply affect our sense of self and its spatio-temporal neuronal dynamics providing the prerequisites for the manifestation of fear and existential anxiety, thus disrupting the brain-world relation with significant repercussions on our psyche and on our daily lives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences (DiSPuTer), G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 33, 66100 Chieti (CH), Italy
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences (DiSPuTer), G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 33, 66100 Chieti (CH), Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lucherini Angeletti
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo G. Alessandro Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, 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, Ontario, Canada K1Z 7K4.,Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310013, China.,Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310013, China.,TMU Research Centre for Brain and Consciousness, Shuang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wu-Xing Street, 11031 Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wu-Xing Street, 11031 Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Muluk H, Umam AN, Milla MN. Insights from a deradicalization program in Indonesian prisons: The potential benefits of psychological intervention prior to ideological discussion. ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hamdi Muluk
- Faculty of Psychology Universitas Indonesia West Java Indonesia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
The effect of increasing state anxiety on autobiographical memory specificity and future thinking. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2019; 65:101488. [PMID: 31136879 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Impairments in the specificity of autobiographical memory (AM) and future thinking are associated with a range of affective and psychopathological states, however, whether these deficits also occur in the context of state anxiety is not well known. We examined the effects of increasing state anxiety on the specificity of AM and future thoughts, as well as whether changes in rumination and executive functioning mediate any observed effects. METHODS Sixty-four participants (M age = 29.1, SD = 11.5) were randomized to either an anxiety or neutral mood induction and completed pre and post-measures of the constructs of interest. RESULTS There were significant decreases observed in AM specificity in the anxiety induction group, relative to the neutral group. No changes were observed for future thinking specificity. Rumination was increased as a result of the anxiety induction, but only a non-significant trend was observed with respect to its association with changes in AM and future thinking specificity. Verbal fluency and working memory were not affected by the induction. LIMITATIONS Physiological measures of anxiety were not used. State anxiety, although increased, was not high in severity. Future research might use a clinical sample to assess generalizability of these findings. CONCLUSIONS Although preliminary, these findings provide first evidence of the causal impact of an anxiety induction on the ability to retrieve specific AM.
Collapse
|
40
|
Haim-Nachum S, Levy-Gigi E. A chink in the armor: The influence of training on generalization learning impairments after viewing traumatic stimuli. Cognition 2019; 193:104021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
41
|
Identifying the Most Effective Strategies for Improving Autobiographical Memory Specificity and Its Implications for Mental Health Problems: A Meta-analysis. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-019-10061-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
42
|
Effects of hydrocortisone on autobiographical memory retrieval in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder: the role of childhood trauma. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2038-2044. [PMID: 31279324 PMCID: PMC6898229 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0459-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In a previous study, we found that patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) showed better autobiographical memory (AM) retrieval after hydrocortisone administration than after placebo administration. Here we investigate the neural correlates of AM retrieval after hydrocortisone administration in patients with PTSD or BPD. We recruited 78 female participants for this placebo-controlled crossover study: 40 healthy controls, 20 patients with PTSD, and 18 patients with BPD (all without medication). All participants received an oral placebo or 10 mg hydrocortisone in a randomized order before performing an AM task. Neural activity was monitored during the task by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Neural activation did not differ between the three groups during AM retrieval, neither in the placebo condition nor after hydrocortisone intake. Multiple regression analysis revealed that Childhood Trauma Questionnaire scores correlated positively with hydrocortisone effects on activation in the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), angular gyrus, and cerebellum. These results suggest that hydrocortisone-induced neural activation pattern during AM retrieval is related to childhood trauma. Previously described effects in the hippocampus, which were absent in the current study, might be related to PTSD caused by trauma in adulthood. The effects of hydrocortisone on brain activation and how these effects are influenced by childhood trauma, trauma in adulthood, and PTSD symptoms should be determined in future studies.
Collapse
|
43
|
Lambert HK, McLaughlin KA. Impaired hippocampus-dependent associative learning as a mechanism underlying PTSD: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:729-749. [PMID: 31545990 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Smaller hippocampal volume is associated with increased risk for PTSD following trauma, but the hippocampal functions involved remain unknown. We propose a conceptual model that identifies broad impairment in hippocampus-dependent associative learning as a vulnerability factor for PTSD. Associative learning of foreground cues and background context is required to form an integrated representation of an event. People with poor associative learning may have difficulty remembering who or what was present during a trauma, where the trauma occurred, or the sequence of events, which may contribute to PTSD symptoms. We argue that associative learning difficulties in PTSD exist for cues and context, regardless of the emotional nature of the information. This contrasts with PTSD models that focus exclusively on threat-processing or contextual-processing. In a meta-analysis, people with PTSD exhibited poor associative learning of multiple information types compared to those without PTSD. Differences were of medium effect size and similar magnitude for neutral and negative/trauma-related stimuli. We provide evidence for associative learning difficulties as a neurocognitive pathway that may contribute to PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hilary K Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195-1525, USA.
| | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, William James Hall, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Gamble B, Moreau D, Tippett LJ, Addis DR. Specificity of Future Thinking in Depression: A Meta-Analysis. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2019; 14:816-834. [PMID: 31374179 DOI: 10.1177/1745691619851784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Reduced specificity of autobiographical memory has been well established in depression, but whether this overgenerality extends to future thinking has not been the focus of a meta-analysis. Following a preregistered protocol, we searched six electronic databases, Google Scholar, and personal libraries and contacted authors in the field for studies matching search terms related to depression, future thinking, and specificity. We reduced an initial 7,332 results to 46 included studies, with 89 effect sizes and 4,813 total participants. Random-effects meta-analytic modeling revealed a small but robust correlation between reduced future specificity and higher levels of depression (r = -.13, p < .001). Of the 11 moderator variables examined, the most striking effects were related to the emotional valence of future thinking (p < .001) and the sex of participants (p = .025). Namely, depression was linked to reduced specificity for positive (but not negative or neutral) future thinking, and the relationship was stronger in samples with a higher proportion of males. This meta-analysis contributes to our understanding of how prospection is altered in depression and dysphoria and, by revealing areas where current evidence is inconclusive, highlights key avenues for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beau Gamble
- 1 School of Psychology, The University of Auckland
| | - David Moreau
- 1 School of Psychology, The University of Auckland.,2 Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland
| | - Lynette J Tippett
- 1 School of Psychology, The University of Auckland.,2 Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland.,3 Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Donna Rose Addis
- 1 School of Psychology, The University of Auckland.,2 Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland.,3 Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand.,4 Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
The measurement of episodic foresight: A systematic review of assessment instruments. Cortex 2019; 117:351-370. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
|
46
|
Krans J, Bosmans G, Salemink E, De Raedt R. Cognitive Bias Modification of Expectancies (CBM-E): Effects on Interpretation Bias and Autobiographical Memory, and Relations with Social and Attachment Anxiety. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-019-10032-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
47
|
Joshi SA, Duval ER, Kubat B, Liberzon I. A review of hippocampal activation in post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13357. [PMID: 30829407 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often characterized by deficits in memory encoding and retrieval and aberrant fear and extinction learning. The hippocampus plays a critical role in memory and contextual processing and has been implicated in intrinsic functional connectivity networks involved in self-referential thought and memory-related processes. This review focuses on hippocampal activation findings during memory and fear and extinction learning tasks, as well as resting state hippocampal connectivity in individuals with PTSD. A preponderance of functional neuroimaging studies to date, using memory, fear learning, and extinction tasks, report decreased or "controls comparable" hippocampal activation in individuals with PTSD, which is usually associated with poorer performance on the task imaged. Existing evidence thus raises the possibility that greater hippocampal recruitment in PTSD participants may be required for similar performance levels. Studies of resting state functional connectivity in PTSD predominantly report reduced within-network connectivity in the default mode network (DMN), as well as greater coupling between the DMN and salience network (SN) via the hippocampus. Together, these findings suggest that deficient hippocampal activation in PTSD may be associated with poorer performance during memory, extinction recall, and fear renewal tasks. Furthermore, studies of resting state connectivity implicate the hippocampus in decreased within-network DMN connectivity and greater coupling with SN regions characteristic of PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonalee A Joshi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Elizabeth R Duval
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Bradley Kubat
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Temporal Self, Psychopathology, and Adaptive Functioning Deficits: An Examination of Acute Psychiatric Patients. J Nerv Ment Dis 2019; 207:76-83. [PMID: 30672879 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000000925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with psychiatric illness have difficulty remembering specific events from their personal past and imagining their future. We examined psychotic psychiatric inpatients' sense of self-continuity over time, predicting that low levels of temporal continuity would predict increased psychopathology and lower functionality. Inpatients (n = 60) were compared with healthy controls (n = 60) on a validated measure of self-continuity, psychiatric symptoms, insight, and adaptive functioning capacity. Results revealed that patients had significant difficulty perceiving their past, present, and future selves as unified over time compared with controls. Within the inpatient group, deficits in present to future self-continuity was associated with patients' severity of positive, negative, and mood symptoms, degree of insight, and adaptive capacity. It may be the case that temporal self-unity provides a context for deriving reinforcement from daily life experiences in the moment and in anticipating the future as well as a worthwhile goal for treatment exploration.
Collapse
|
49
|
Hosseini Ramaghani NA, Rezaei F, Sepahvandi MA, Gholamrezaei S, Mirderikvand F. The mediating role of the metacognition, time perspectives and experiential avoidance on the relationship between childhood trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019; 10:1648173. [PMID: 31489137 PMCID: PMC6713137 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1648173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The current study was designed to investigate the direct and indirect effects of the childhood trauma, metacognition, time perspectives and experiential avoidance in prediction of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Methods: Participants included 432 adult patients referred for treatment to psychological, psychiatric disorders clinics and medical clinics of Shiraz, Iran. They were exposed to a traumatic event according to criterion A in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition (DSM-V). Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Post-traumatic Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire - II (AAQ-II) and metacognitions questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) all were applied for data collection. Results: The results indicated that childhood trauma has a direct correlation with symptoms of PTSD, metacognition, and time perspectives, while it has an indirect correlation with experiential avoidance as well as symptoms of PTSD. Thus, metacognition and time perspectives play a mediating role between childhood trauma and experiential avoidance. In the same way, all three variables (metacognition, time perspectives, and experiential avoidance) play the same role between childhood trauma and symptoms of PTSD. Conclusions: Altogether, results of this study were consistent with the metacognitive model as well as Time Perspective Theory for PTSD and emphasizes that childhood trauma, metacognition, time perspectives and experiential Avoidance are important in explanation of PTSD symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fateme Rezaei
- Department of Psychology, Lorestan University, Khoramabad, Iran
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Moustafa AA, Morris AN, ElHaj M. A review on future episodic thinking in mood and anxiety disorders. Rev Neurosci 2018; 30:85-94. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2017-0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractFuture episodic thinking refers to the ability to imagine oneself in the future and project oneself into specific future events. This cognitive process is related to decision making and planning for the future. Although healthy populations commonly project themselves into the future (e.g. while planning a trip or career), patients with mood disorders show impairment in this ability. In this review article, we discuss the similarities and differences in future thinking among the following populations: major depressive disorder, dysphoria, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Importantly, we highlight the methodological variations in future episodic memory tasks in the literature that may explain the differences in the existing results.
Collapse
|