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Valk SL, Engert V, Puhlmann L, Linz R, Caldairou B, Bernasconi A, Bernasconi N, Bernhardt BC, Singer T. Differential increase of hippocampal subfield volume after socio-affective mental training relates to reductions in diurnal cortisol. eLife 2024; 12:RP87634. [PMID: 39196261 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87634] [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] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is a central modulator of the HPA-axis, impacting the regulation of stress on brain structure, function, and behavior. The current study assessed whether three different types of 3 months mental Training Modules geared towards nurturing (a) attention-based mindfulness, (b) socio-affective, or (c) socio-cognitive skills may impact hippocampal organization by reducing stress. We evaluated mental training-induced changes in hippocampal subfield volume and intrinsic functional connectivity, by combining longitudinal structural and resting-state fMRI connectivity analysis in 332 healthy adults. We related these changes to changes in diurnal and chronic cortisol levels. We observed increases in bilateral cornu ammonis volume (CA1-3) following the 3 months compassion-based module targeting socio-affective skills (Affect module), as compared to socio-cognitive skills (Perspective module) or a waitlist cohort with no training intervention. Structural changes were paralleled by relative increases in functional connectivity of CA1-3 when fostering socio-affective as compared to socio-cognitive skills. Furthermore, training-induced changes in CA1-3 structure and function consistently correlated with reductions in cortisol output. Notably, using a multivariate approach, we found that other subfields that did not show group-level changes also contributed to changes in cortisol levels. Overall, we provide a link between a socio-emotional behavioural intervention, changes in hippocampal subfield structure and function, and reductions in cortisol in healthy adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Louise Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- INM-7, FZ Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for System Neurosciences, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Research Group Social Stress and Family Health, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lara Puhlmann
- Research Group Social Stress and Family Health, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Roman Linz
- Research Group Social Stress and Family Health, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Benoit Caldairou
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea Bernasconi
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Neda Bernasconi
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
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Sarkar N, Zainal NH, Newman MG. Self-esteem mediates child abuse predicting adulthood anxiety, depression, and substance use symptoms 18 years later. J Affect Disord 2024; 365:542-552. [PMID: 39178955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.107] [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: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
According to biopsychosocial models, experiencing parental child abuse increases susceptibility to adulthood psychopathology. However, there is a paucity of studies examining potential mechanisms of the parental child abuse and adulthood psychopathology relationship. The purpose of the current study was to determine if Time 2 (T2) trait self-esteem mediated levels of Time 1 (T1) retrospectively recalled parental child abuse predicting (T3) past-year major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. The 18-year Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study included participants (N = 3294; T1 average age of 45.62 years) assessed at three different time points, each spaced about nine years apart. We performed structural equation mediation modeling analyses to determine how maternal and paternal child abuse at T1 would independently predict T3 MDD, GAD, PD, AUD, and SUD symptoms. We also examined whether T2 self-esteem mediated these relations while controlling for adulthood T1 psychopathology symptoms, demographics, socioeconomic status, somatic symptoms, and parental psychopathology. Consistent with our hypotheses, higher T1 maternal and paternal abuse predicted increased T3 GAD, PD, AUD, and SUD symptoms via diminished T2 self-esteem as the mediator (% proportion mediated = 33.0-100). However, childhood paternal, but not maternal, abuse predicted adulthood MDD symptoms via reduced self-esteem. Findings remained after adjusting for covariates. Our research highlights the importance of understanding retrospectively recalled parental child abuse-adulthood psychopathology relations, their potential mechanisms, and self-esteem as a malleable treatment target for adults with heightened child abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nur Hani Zainal
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Health Care Policy, United States of America; National University of Singapore, Department of Psychology, Singapore.
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3
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Wu H, Guo Y, Zhang Y, Zhao L, Guo C. Self-esteem and cortical thickness correlate with aggression in healthy children: A surface-based analysis. Behav Brain Res 2024; 458:114737. [PMID: 37924850 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114737] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior can have serious physical, psychological, and social consequences. However, little is known about the personality and neurological antecedents underlying aggressive behavior in children. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem, aggression, and brain structure (i.e., cortical thickness and surface area) in a population of healthy children (N = 78; 9-12 years; mean age: 9.95 ± 0.90 years). The results revealed that self-esteem showed a negative association with aggression and significantly predicted aggressive behavior. No gender differences were found in aggression and its neural correlates. We performed the cortical parcellation method to further explore the neural foundations underlying the association of self-esteem with aggression. Children with higher aggression had increased cortical thickness in four clusters after multiple comparison correction: right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right lateral orbitofrontal cortex, right superior frontal gyrus, and left insula. In a mediation analysis, cortical thickness in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex contributed to the effect of self-esteem on aggression. These findings extend our understanding of morphological correlates of aggression in children, suggesting that an increased cortical thickness in childhood is a potential mechanism linking low self-esteem to aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Wu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yiqun Guo
- School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Yaoyao Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Le Zhao
- School of Applied Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Cheng Guo
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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4
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Chang J, Song D, Yu R. The double-edged sword of the hippocampus-ventromedial prefrontal cortex resting-state connectivity in stress susceptibility and resilience: A prospective study. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 27:100584. [PMID: 37965440 PMCID: PMC10641247 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus has long been considered a pivotal region implicated in both stress susceptibility and resilience. A wealth of evidence from animal and human studies underscores the significance of hippocampal functional connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in these stress-related processes. However, there remains a scarcity of research that explores and contrasts the roles of hippocampus-vmPFC connectivity in stress susceptibility and resilience when facing a real-life traumatic event from a prospective standpoint. In the present study, we investigated the contributions of undirected and directed connectivity between the hippocampus and vmPFC to stress susceptibility and resilience within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings revealed that the left hippocampus-left vmPFC connectivity prior to the pandemic exhibited a negative correlation with both stress susceptibility and resilience. Specifically, individuals with stronger left hippocampus-left vmPFC connectivity reported experiencing fewer stress-related feelings during the outbreak period of the epidemic but displayed lower levels of stress resilience five months later. Our application of spectral dynamic causal modeling unveiled an additional inhibitory connectivity pathway from the left hippocampus to the left vmPFC in the context of stress susceptibility, which was notably absent in stress resilience. Furthermore, we observed a noteworthy positive association between self-inhibition of the vmPFC and stress susceptibility, with this effect proving substantial enough to predict an individual's susceptibility to stress; conversely, these patterns did not manifest in the realm of stress resilience. These findings enrich our comprehension of stress susceptibility and stress resilience and might have implications for innovative approaches to managing stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Chang
- Institute of Psychology, School of Public Policy, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Di Song
- Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
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5
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Smith KE, Graf E, Faig KE, Dimitroff SJ, Rockwood F, Hernandez MW, Norman GJ. Perceived control, loneliness, early-life stress, and parents' perceptions of stress. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13037. [PMID: 37563259 PMCID: PMC10415274 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39572-x] [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: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of understanding what contributes to individual variability in experiences of stress. Increases in stress related to the pandemic have been especially pronounced in parents, indicating a need for research examining what factors contribute to parents' perceptions of stress. Here, we assessed the relationship between parents' perceptions of stress, control, loneliness, and experiences of childhood trauma in two populations of caregivers. In Study 1, we examined the relationship between perceptions of stress, control, loneliness, and history of early stress, along with indices of socioeconomic risk and resting parasympathetic nervous systema activity, which has been linked to variability in perceptions of stress, in caregivers of young children. Perceived control, loneliness, childhood stress, and resting parasympathetic nervous system activity predicted caregivers' stress. In Study 2, we replicated these initial findings in a second sample of caregivers. Additionally, we examined how these processes change over time. Caregivers demonstrated significant changes in perceptions of control, loneliness, and stress, and changes in control and childhood trauma history were associated with changes in perceptions of stress. Together these results indicate the importance of assessing how caregivers perceive their environment when examining what contributes to increased risk for stress. Additionally, they suggest that caregivers' stress-related processes are malleable and provide insight into potential targets for interventions aimed at reducing parents' stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Smith
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA.
- Rutgers University-Newark, Smith Hall Rm 341, 101 Warren St, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA.
| | - Eileen Graf
- NORC at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kelly E Faig
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA
| | | | | | | | - Greg J Norman
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA
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6
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Lu H, Li X, Wang Y, Song Y, Liu J. Hippocampus links perceived social support with self-esteem. Soc Neurosci 2023; 18:132-141. [PMID: 37200111 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2023.2216471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Self-esteem is an important psychological resource with adaptive values, and numerous investigations have revealed that self-esteem is influenced by perceived social support. However, the potential neural basis linking perceived social support with self-esteem remains unclear. Therefore, we used voxel-based morphometry to explore whether the hippocampus and amygdala function as the neuroanatomical basis linking perceived social support with self-esteem in a cohort of 243 young healthy adults (128 women; mean age 22.64 years, standard deviation 1.01 years). The Social Provisions Scale and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale were used for the survey. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the gray matter volume of the hippocampus and amygdala. Correlation analysis revealed that those who perceived more social support had higher self-esteem. Notably, mediation analysis showed that hippocampal gray matter volume linked perceived social support with self-esteem. Our study suggests that the hippocampus plays a primary, but not exclusive, role in linking perceived social support with self-esteem, which provides a novel explanation for how perceived social support affects self-esteem from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhua Lu
- School of Marxism, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, China
| | - Xueting Li
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yinan Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiying Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Psychology & Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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7
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Hu X, Meier M, Pruessner J. Challenges and opportunities of diagnostic markers of Alzheimer's disease based on structural magnetic resonance imaging. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2925. [PMID: 36795041 PMCID: PMC10013953 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This article aimed to carry out a narrative literature review of early diagnostic markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on both micro and macro levels of pathology, indicating the shortcomings of current biomarkers and proposing a novel biomarker of structural integrity that associates the hippocampus and adjacent ventricle together. This could help to reduce the influence of individual variety and improve the accuracy and validity of structural biomarker. METHODS This review was based on presenting comprehensive background of early diagnostic markers of AD. We have compiled those markers into micro level and macro level, and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of them. Eventually the ratio of gray matter volume to ventricle volume was put forward. RESULTS The costly methodologies and related high patient burden of "micro" biomarkers (cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers) hinder the implementation in routine clinical examination. In terms of "macro" biomarkers- hippocampal volume (HV), there is a large variation of it among population, which undermines its validity Considering the gray matter atrophies while the adjacent ventricular volume enlarges, we assume the hippocampal to ventricle ratio (HVR) is a more reliable marker than HV alone the emerging evidence showed hippocampal to ventricle ratio predicts memory functions better than HV alone in elderly sample. CONCLUSIONS The ratio between gray matter structures and adjacent ventricular volumes counts as a promising superior diagnostic marker of early neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Hu
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Maria Meier
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jens Pruessner
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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8
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Friedl KE, Gifford RM. Integrating women into ground close combat roles: an opportunity to reflect on universal paradigms of arduous training. BMJ Mil Health 2023; 169:1-2. [PMID: 32796014 PMCID: PMC9887368 DOI: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Karl E. Friedl
- Science & Technology Office, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, Massachusetts, USA
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9
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Peralta-Malváez L, Turnbull A, Anthony M, Adeli E, Lin FV. CCA identifies a neurophysiological marker of adaptation capacity that is reliably linked to internal locus of control of cognition in amnestic MCI. GeroScience 2023:10.1007/s11357-023-00730-8. [PMID: 36697886 PMCID: PMC10400522 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00730-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Locus of control (LOC) describes whether an individual thinks that they themselves (internal LOC) or external factors (external LOC) have more influence on their lives. LOC varies by domain, and a person's LOC for their intellectual capacities (LOC-Cognition) may be a marker of resilience in older adults at risk for dementia, with internal LOC-Cognition relating to better outcomes and improved treatment adherence. Vagal control, a key component of parasympathetic autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation, may reflect a neurophysiological biomarker of internal LOC-Cognition. We used canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to identify a shared neurophysiological marker of ANS regulation from electrocardiogram (during auditory working memory) and functional connectivity (FC) data. A canonical variable from root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) time series and between-network FC was significantly related to internal LOC-Cognition (β = 0.266, SE = 0.971, CI = [0.190, 4.073], p = 0.031) in 65 participants (mean age = 74.7, 32 female) with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Follow-up data from 55 of these individuals (mean age = 73.6, 22 females) was used to show reliability of this relationship (β = 0.271, SE = 0.971, CI = [0.033, 2.630], p = 0.047), and a second sample (40 participants with aMCI/healthy cognition, mean age = 72.7, 24 females) showed that the canonical vector biomarker generalized to visual working memory (β = 0.36, SE = 0.136, CI = [0.023, 0.574], p = 0.037), but not inhibition task RMSSD data (β = 0.08, SE = 1.486, CI = [- 0.354, 0.657], p = 0.685). This canonical vector may represent a biomarker of autonomic regulation that explains how some older adults maintain internal LOC-Cognition as dementia progresses. Future work should further test the causality of this relationship and the modifiability of this biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizbeth Peralta-Malváez
- CogT Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Adam Turnbull
- CogT Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
| | - Mia Anthony
- CogT Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Ehsan Adeli
- CogT Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - F Vankee Lin
- CogT Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Kuhn L, Noack H, Wagels L, Prothmann A, Schulik A, Aydin E, Nieratschker V, Derntl B, Habel U. Sex-dependent multimodal response profiles to psychosocial stress. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:583-596. [PMID: 35238348 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex differences in stress reactions are often reported in the literature. However, the sex-dependent interplay of different facets of stress is still not fully understood. Particularly in neuroimaging research, studies on large samples combining different indicators of stress remain scarce. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, a sample of 140 healthy participants (67 females using oral contraceptives) underwent a standardized stress induction protocol, the ScanSTRESS. During the experiment, salivary cortisol and subjective ratings were obtained at multiple time points and heart rate was recorded. RESULTS Sex differences emerged in different facets of the stress response:Women reacted with enhanced subjective feelings of stress and increases in heart rate, while men showed more pronounced neural activation in stress-related brain regions such as the inferior frontal gyrus and insula. Subjective feelings of stress and (para) hippocampal activity were negatively related in women,whereas a slightly positive association was observed in men. DISCUSSION These results provide further insight in the sex-specific stress response patterns. Moreover, they emphasize the role of the hippocampus in the regulation of the stress response. This paves the way for the identification of sex-dependent vulnerability factors that can, in the future, be implemented in the prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandra Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Hannes Noack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Wagels
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straβe, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Anna Prothmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Anna Schulik
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ece Aydin
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical (Bio-)Analysis, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, (Haus B), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Nieratschker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Lead Research Network, University of Tübingen, Europastraβe 6, 72072 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straβe, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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Transformational leadership and older teachers’ intention to delay retirement in China: the roles of organization-based self-esteem and life expectancy. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03947-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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12
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Yamaoka K, Uotsu N, Hoshino E. Relationship between psychosocial stress-induced prefrontal cortex activity and gut microbiota in healthy Participants-A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 20:100479. [PMID: 36039149 PMCID: PMC9418982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain and gut microbes communicate in a bidirectional manner with each affecting a person's response to psychosocial stress. Although human studies demonstrated that the intake of probiotics can alter stress-related behavior in both patients and healthy participants, the association between stress-related brain functions and the gut microbiota has mostly been investigated in patients with depression. However, the response to psychosocial stress differs, even among healthy individuals, and elucidating the natural state of the gut microbiota would broaden the understanding of responses to psychosocial stress. We investigated the relationship between psychosocial stress response in the prefrontal cortex and the abundance of gut microbes in healthy male participants. The participants were exposed to psychosocial stress during a task while brain activation data were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The heart rate and subjective stress were recorded, and fecal samples were collected. The stressful condition was accompanied by high subjective stress, high heart rate, and higher prefrontal activation in the right pre-motor cortex/supplementary motor area, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right frontal pole, and right inferior prefrontal gyrus. The psychosocial stress response in the prefrontal cortex was also associated with changes in the gut microbiota abundance. The abundance of Alistipes, Clostridium IV, Clostridium XI, Faecalibacterium, and Blautia in healthy participants who had high psychosocial stress resembled that noted in patients with depression. These results suggest that the gut microbiota differs, among healthy participants, depending on the psychosocial stress response. We believe that this study is the first to report a direct relationship between brain function and the gut microbiota in healthy participants, and our findings would shed a new light on this field in the near future. Brain and gut microbe communication affects the response to psychosocial stress. Gut microbiota related to psychosocial stress in healthy individuals is unknown. Stress-induced brain activation was observed in the right prefrontal cortex. Brain activity was associated with gut microbiota related to depression. Gut microbiota differs depending on the response to psychosocial stress.
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Key Words
- ANOVA, Analysis of variance
- BD, Bipolar disorder
- BMI, Body mass index
- CH, Channel
- CRH, Corticotropin-releasing hormone
- DNA, Deoxynucleic acid
- Depression
- FP, Frontal pole
- Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
- GABA, Gamma Amino Butyric Acid
- Gut microbiome
- HPA-axis, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
- IFG, Inferior prefrontal gyrus
- MDD, Major depressive disorder
- MIST, Montreal Imaging Stress Task
- PANAS, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule
- PET, Positron emission tomography
- PFC, Prefrontal cortex
- PMC/SMA, Pre-motor cortex/supplementary motor area
- POMS2, Profile of Mood States 2 short version
- Prefrontal cortex
- Psychosocial stress
- SSES, State Self-Esteem Scale
- STAI, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
- VAS, Visual analog scale
- bpm, Beat per minute
- deoxy-Hb, Deoxygenated hemoglobin
- dlPFC, Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
- fMRI, Functional magnetic resonance imaging
- fNIRS, Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
- oxy-Hb, Oxygenated hemoglobin
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Affiliation(s)
- Kao Yamaoka
- FANCL Corporation Research Institute, 12-13 Kamishinano, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 244-0806, Japan
| | - Nobuo Uotsu
- FANCL Corporation Research Institute, 12-13 Kamishinano, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 244-0806, Japan
| | - Eiichi Hoshino
- Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI), 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8345, Japan
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Peters A, Hartwig M, Spiller T. Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Explained by the Free Energy Principle. Front Psychol 2022; 13:931701. [PMID: 35756264 PMCID: PMC9226719 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.931701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the free energy principle, all sentient beings strive to minimize surprise or, in other words, an information-theoretical quantity called variational free energy. Consequently, psychosocial “stress” can be redefined as a state of “heightened expected free energy,” that is, a state of “expected surprise” or “uncertainty.” Individuals experiencing stress primarily attempt to reduce uncertainty, or expected free energy, with the help of what is called an uncertainty resolution program (URP). The URP consists of three subroutines: First, an arousal state is induced that increases cerebral information transmission and processing to reduce uncertainty as quickly as possible. Second, these additional computations cost the brain additional energy, which it demands from the body. Third, the program controls which stress reduction measures are learned for future use and which are not. We refer to an episode as “good” stress, when the URP has successfully reduced uncertainty. Failure of the URP to adequately reduce uncertainty results in either stress habituation or prolonged toxic stress. Stress habituation reduces uncertainty by flattening/broadening individual goal beliefs so that outcomes previously considered as untenable become acceptable. Habituated individuals experience so-called “tolerable” stress. Referring to the Selfish Brain theory and the experimental evidence supporting it, we show that habituated people, who lack stress arousals and therefore have decreased average brain energy consumption, tend to develop an obese type 2 diabetes mellitus phenotype. People, for whom habituation is not the free-energy-optimal solution, do not reduce their uncertainty by changing their goal preferences, and are left with nothing but “toxic” stress. Toxic stress leads to recurrent or persistent arousal states and thus increased average brain energy consumption, which in turn promotes the development of a lean type 2 diabetes mellitus phenotype. In conclusion, we anchor the psychosomatic concept of stress in the information-theoretical concept of uncertainty as defined by the free energy principle. In addition, we detail the neurobiological mechanisms underlying uncertainty reduction and illustrate how uncertainty can lead to psychosomatic illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achim Peters
- Medical Clinic 1, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mattis Hartwig
- German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Kaiserslautern, Germany.,singularIT GmbH, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Spiller
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Hartwig M, Bhat A, Peters A. How Stress Can Change Our Deepest Preferences: Stress Habituation Explained Using the Free Energy Principle. Front Psychol 2022; 13:865203. [PMID: 35712161 PMCID: PMC9195169 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.865203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
People who habituate to stress show a repetition-induced response attenuation—neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, neuroenergetic, and emotional—when exposed to a threatening environment. But the exact dynamics underlying stress habituation remain obscure. The free energy principle offers a unifying account of self-organising systems such as the human brain. In this paper, we elaborate on how stress habituation can be explained and modelled using the free energy principle. We introduce habituation priors that encode the agent’s tendency for stress habituation and incorporate them in the agent’s decision-making process. Using differently shaped goal priors—that encode the agent’s goal preferences—we illustrate, in two examples, the optimising (and thus habituating) behaviour of agents. We show that habituation minimises free energy by reducing the precision (inverse variance) of goal preferences. Reducing the precision of goal priors means that the agent accepts adverse (previously unconscionable) states (e.g., lower social status and poverty). Acceptance or tolerance of adverse outcomes may explain why habituation causes people to exhibit an attenuation of the stress response. Given that stress habituation occurs in brain regions where goal priors are encoded, i.e., in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and that these priors are encoded as sufficient statistics of probability distributions, our approach seems plausible from an anatomical-functional and neuro-statistical point of view. The ensuing formal and generalisable account—based on the free energy principle—further motivate our novel treatment of stress habituation. Our analysis suggests that stress habituation has far-reaching consequences, protecting against the harmful effects of toxic stress, but on the other hand making the acceptability of precarious living conditions and the development of the obese type 2 diabetes mellitus phenotype more likely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattis Hartwig
- German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Lübeck, Germany
- singularIT GmbH, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anjali Bhat
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Achim Peters
- Medical Clinic 1, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- *Correspondence: Achim Peters,
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15
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Brummelman E, Nikolić M, Nevicka B, Bögels SM. Early physiological indicators of narcissism and self-esteem in children. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14082. [PMID: 35503928 PMCID: PMC9542209 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A common belief is that narcissism is a manifestation of high self‐esteem. Here, we argue that self‐esteem and narcissism are fundamentally distinct and have unique early physiological indicators. We hypothesized that children predisposed to narcissism would show elevated, whereas children predisposed to high self‐esteem would show lowered, physiological arousal in social‐evaluative contexts. We tested this in a prospective study including 113 children, who were first assessed at age 4.5, a critical age when children begin evaluating themselves through others' eyes. At age 4.5, children sang a song in front of an audience while being videotaped. Children's physiological arousal (skin conductance, heart rate, and heart rate variability) was assessed while children anticipated, performed, and recovered from the singing task. At age 7.5, children's narcissism and self‐esteem levels were assessed. Consistent with our predictions, children predisposed to higher narcissism levels showed elevated skin conductance levels during anticipation. Their skin conductance levels further rose during performance (but less so than for other children) and failed to return to baseline during recovery. By contrast, children predisposed to higher self‐esteem levels showed lowered skin conductance levels throughout the procedure. The effects emerged for skin conductance but not heart rate or heart rate variability, suggesting that arousal was sympathetically driven. Effects were larger and more robust for self‐esteem than for narcissism. Together, these findings uncover distinct physiological indicators of narcissism and self‐esteem: Narcissism is predicted by indicators reflecting early social‐evaluative concerns, whereas self‐esteem is predicted by indicators reflecting an early sense of comfort in social‐evaluative contexts. Some experts fear that self‐esteem can develop into narcissism. Challenging this view, we show that self‐esteem and narcissism (at age 7.5) have distinct early physiological indicators (at age 4.5). In our prospective study, narcissism was predicted by elevated, whereas self‐esteem was predicted by lowered, physiological arousal in a social‐evaluative context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddie Brummelman
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Milica Nikolić
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara Nevicka
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Susan M Bögels
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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16
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Kokubun K, Nemoto K, Yamakawa Y. Brain conditions mediate the association between aging and happiness. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4290. [PMID: 35277535 PMCID: PMC8915763 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07748-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
As the population ages, the realization of a long and happy life is becoming an increasingly important issue in many societies. Therefore, it is important to clarify how happiness and the brain change with aging. In this study, which was conducted with 417 healthy adults in Japan, the analysis showed that fractional anisotropy (FA) correlated with happiness, especially in the internal capsule, corona radiata, posterior thalamic radiation, cingulum, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. According to previous neuroscience studies, these regions are involved in emotional regulation. In psychological studies, emotional regulation has been associated with improvement in happiness. Therefore, this study is the first to show that FA mediates the relationship between age and subjective happiness in a way that bridges these different fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Kokubun
- Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. .,Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Kiyotaka Nemoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Yamakawa
- Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan), Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan.,Office for Academic and Industrial Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.,Brain Impact, Kyoto, Japan
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17
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Ruat J, Heinz DE, Binder FP, Stark T, Neuner R, Hartmann A, Kaplick PM, Chen A, Czisch M, Wotjak CT. Structural correlates of trauma-induced hyperarousal in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 111:110404. [PMID: 34303744 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic disease caused by traumatic incidents. Numerous studies have revealed grey matter volume differences in affected individuals. The nature of the disease renders it difficult to distinguish between a priori versus a posteriori changes. To overcome this difficulty, we studied the consequences of a traumatic event on brain morphology in mice before and 4 weeks after exposure to brief foot shocks (or sham treatment), and correlated morphology with symptoms of hyperarousal. In the latter context, we assessed hyperarousal upon confrontation with acoustic, visual, or composite (acoustic/visual/tactile) threats and integrated the individual readouts into a single Hyperarousal Score using logistic regression analysis. MRI scans with subsequent whole-brain deformation-based morphometry (DBM) analysis revealed a volume decrease of the dorsal hippocampus and an increase of the reticular nucleus in shocked mice when compared to non-shocked controls. Using the Hyperarousal Score as regressor for the post-exposure MRI measurement, we observed negative correlations with several brain structures including the dorsal hippocampus. If the development of changes with respect to the basal MRI was considered, reduction in globus pallidus volume reflected hyperarousal severity. Our findings demonstrate that a brief traumatic incident can cause volume changes in defined brain structures and suggest the globus pallidus as an important hub for the control of fear responses to threatening stimuli of different sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ruat
- Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel E Heinz
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Max Planck School of Cognition, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian P Binder
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), 80804 Munich, Germany; Department Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Tibor Stark
- Scientific Core Unit Neuroimaging, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czechia
| | - Robert Neuner
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Alice Hartmann
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Paul M Kaplick
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael Czisch
- Scientific Core Unit Neuroimaging, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Max Planck School of Cognition, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Central Nervous System Diseases Research (CNSDR), Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany.
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18
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De Longis E, Ottaviani C, Alessandri G. Personal Resources and Organizational Outcomes: Sex as a Moderator of the Complex Relationships Between Self-Esteem, Heart Rate Variability, and Work-Related Exhaustion. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:615363. [PMID: 34675761 PMCID: PMC8523779 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.615363] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Global self-esteem represents a protective personal resource lowering the risk of psychological distress. Research conducted in the work setting has confirmed the psychosocial benefits of high self-esteem. However, research linking self-esteem to neurobiological adaptability appears quite scarce. In this study, we propose a theoretical model in which self-esteem predicts work-related exhaustion indirectly, through the mediation of heart rate variability (HRV) and negative affect at work. Moreover, we explore the relationship between self-esteem and HRV. From one side, one would expect a positive link between self-esteem and HRV, signaling higher autonomic adaptability. However, recent studies have shown that in women, such associations become more complex, with even reversed patterns as compared with that in men. Thus, we included sex as a moderator of the relationship between HRV and self-esteem. The model was tested on a sample of 110 individuals working in the relational professions (54% males; M age = 42.6, SD = 13.73), observed for an entire workday. Results confirmed the protective role of self-esteem against the experience of negative affect and (indirectly) work-related exhaustion. Symptoms of exhaustion at work were also negatively predicted by HRV, and both HRV and negative affect acted as mediators of the relationship between self-esteem and work-related exhaustion. Notably, sex differences emerged in the association between global self-esteem and cardiac vagal tone at work: in women, self-esteem was negatively related to HRV, which in turn led to higher work-related exhaustion, whereas in men, no evidence of this indirect effect appeared. Burnout prevention programs should not ignore important sex differences in how individuals respond to work-related stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Ottaviani
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Alessandri
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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19
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Rojo López AM, Cifuentes Férez P, Espín López L. The influence of time pressure on translation trainees' performance: Testing the relationship between self-esteem, salivary cortisol and subjective stress response. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257727. [PMID: 34591901 PMCID: PMC8483415 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Translators face hectic daily schedules with deadlines they must duly meet. As trainees they receive tuition on how to work swiftly to meet them efficiently. But despite the prominent role of time pressure, its effects on the translation process are still scarcely researched. Studies point to the higher occurrence of errors under stringent time constraints. Most of these studies use key-logging or eye-tracking techniques to identify the problems encountered. But no attempt has yet been made to measure the physiological effects of time pressure in English-to-Spanish translation and their interplay with trainees' psychological state. The present study researches the influence of time pressure on translation by exploring trainees' physiological response (i.e., salivary cortisol) and psychological traits (i.e., self-esteem and anxiety). 33 Spanish translation trainees translated 3 English literary texts under different time pressure conditions: Text 1 (no time limit), Text 2 (10 minutes), Text 3 (5 minutes). Regression analysis results showed that higher cortisol levels during preparation predicted higher number of meaning errors in Text 1 and lower number of translated words in Text 2 and 3. Besides, higher trait anxiety emerged as predictor of lower number of translated words, but higher accuracy under extreme time constraints and in the absence of time pressure. Higher self-esteem correlated with lower levels of anxiety and lower levels of cortisol during preparation and recovery, suggesting that it may act as a protective factor against stress. And yet, the regression analysis showed that higher self-esteem predicted lower meaning and total accuracy under extreme time pressure. Besides, in our correlation analysis self-esteem was positively related to the number of translated words in Text 2 and 3. Results suggest that even if self-esteem could be a protective factor against stress, it may also have a negative effect on task performance mediated by overconfidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Mª Rojo López
- Department of Translation and Interpreting, Faculty of Arts, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Paula Cifuentes Férez
- Department of Translation and Interpreting, Faculty of Arts, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Laura Espín López
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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20
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Pollak SD, Smith KE. Thinking Clearly About Biology and Childhood Adversity: Next Steps for Continued Progress. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 16:1473-1477. [PMID: 34491865 PMCID: PMC8564234 DOI: 10.1177/17456916211031539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In a previous Perspectives article, we described conceptual problems that pose challenges for research on the effects of childhood adversity and offered promising directions for future research on this topic. In a commentary on that article, McLaughlin et al. disagree with some of these criticisms and defend the utility of their current approaches. Here, we briefly summarize where these perspectives overlap and diverge, using the exchange of views to highlight pressing gaps in knowledge that can be addressed through continued empirical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth D Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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21
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A large-scale study of stress, emotions, and blood pressure in daily life using a digital platform. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2105573118. [PMID: 34326265 PMCID: PMC8346904 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105573118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Exaggerated blood pressure (BP) reactivity is associated with the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Stress, and, to a lesser extent, emotions are suggested to be linked to BP reactivity, but this theorizing lacks robust evidence beyond small laboratory or field studies with narrow participant demographics. Using an app-based research study and analyzing more than 330,000 daily responses from over 20,000 people, we show that momentary stress, conceptualized as the perception of demands relative to resources, is associated with greater BP and heart rate reactivity. High-arousal negative emotions are associated with increased physiologic reactivity whereas low-arousal positive emotions are associated with decreased reactivity. These data point to daily stress experiences as likely candidates for improving physical health. Stress is often associated with pathophysiologic responses, like blood pressure (BP) reactivity, which when experienced repeatedly may be one pathway through which stress leads to poor physical health. Previous laboratory and field studies linking stress to physiological measures are limited by small samples, narrow demographics, and artificial stress manipulations, whereas large-scale studies often do not capture measures like BP reactivity in daily life. We examined perceived stress, emotions, heart rate, and BP during daily life using a 3-wk app-based study. We confirmed the validity of a smartphone-based optic sensor to measure BP and then analyzed data from more than 330,000 daily responses from over 20,000 people. Stress was conceptualized as the ratio of situational demands relative to individual resources to cope. We found that greater demands were associated with higher BP reactivity, but critically, the ratio of demands relative to resources improved prediction of BP changes. When demands were higher and resources were lower, there was higher BP reactivity. Additionally, older adults showed greater concordance between self-reported stress and physiologic responses than younger adults. We also observed that physiologic reactivity was associated with current emotional state, and both valence and arousal mattered. For example, BP increased with high-arousal negative emotions (e.g., anger) and decreased with low-arousal positive emotions (e.g., contentment). Taken together, this work underscores the potential for expanding stress science and public health data using handheld phones to reliably and validly measure physiologic responses linked to stress, emotion, and physical health.
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22
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Zeng M, Li J, Wang C, Deng C, Li R, Chen H, Yang J. Neural processing of personal, relational, and collective self-worth reflected individual differences of self-esteem. J Pers 2021; 90:133-151. [PMID: 34241894 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Self-esteem stems from an individual's attributes (PSE), relationships with important others (RSE), and collective membership (CSE). Our study aimed to identify neurological indicators in the processing of personal, relational, and collective self-worth, and to investigate whether these neural indicators could reflect individual differences of self-esteem. METHODS Fifty students underwent the evaluation of personal, relational, and collective self-worth using a self-referential paradigm while brain activities were recorded using functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging. Meanwhile, their PSE, RSE, and CSE were measured through questionnaires. RESULTS Conjunction analysis found self-worth processing recruited the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and posterior insula. Multivariate pattern analysis showed compared to relational and collective self-worth, personal self-worth processing was distinguished by cortical-midline-structures and affective-related regions, including caudate and putamen, and that these neural patterns could reflect individual differences of PSE. Compared to personal self-worth, relational self-worth was distinguished by the neural activity of temporoparietal-junction, and this neural pattern reflected individual differences of RSE. Compared to relational self-worth, collective self-worth was distinguished by neural activity of the anterior insula, and this neural pattern reflected individual differences of CSE. DISCUSSION These results suggested the neurological indicators of self-worth can be recognized as an alternative way to reflect individual differences of self-esteem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Zeng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiwen Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chong Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chijun Deng
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Rong Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Huafu Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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23
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Early life stress and neural development: Implications for understanding the developmental effects of COVID-19. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 22:643-654. [PMID: 33891280 PMCID: PMC8063781 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00901-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Chronic and/or extreme stress in childhood, often referred to as early life stress, is associated with a wide range of long-term effects on development. Given this, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to concern about how stress due to the pandemic will affect children's development and mental health. Although early life stress has been linked to altered functioning of a number of neural and biological systems, there is a wide range of variability in children's outcomes. The mechanisms that influence these individual differences are still not well understood. In the past, studies of stress in childhood focused on the type of events that children encountered in their lives. We conducted a review of the literature to formulate a new perspective on the effects of early life stress on development. This new, topological model, may increase understanding of the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development. This model is oriented on children's perceptions of their environment and their social relationships, rather than specific events. These factors influence central and peripheral nervous system development, changing how children interpret, adapt, and respond to potentially stressful events, with implications for children's mental and physical health outcomes.
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24
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Golding J, Iles-Caven Y, Ellis G, Gregory S, Nowicki S. Are the early childhood antecedents of men's external locus of control similar to those of their female partners? Wellcome Open Res 2021; 3:28. [PMID: 30363869 PMCID: PMC6182670 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14098.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The concept of locus of control of reinforcement was introduced by Julian Rotter and has been the focus of intense research for nearly half a century. Surprisingly little research has been directed at clarifying antecedents of locus of control (LOC) orientations in adult men apart from a few small studies. We previously identified a number of independent antecedents associated with women's LOC, including features of their parents and early childhood. This raised the question as to whether these factors were also associated with the development of LOC in men. Methods: To identify antecedents of LOC orientations in a representative population of women we previously analysed information concerning characteristics of their parents and their own childhood experiences using pregnant women taking part in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Here we use the same design to determine whether their male partners have similar antecedents of LOC orientation. As previously, we use a hypothesis-free exposome technique using all available information on the parents and childhood of the individuals. Results: We show that men had many of the same antecedent characteristics as the women - in particular, their mother's year of birth and father's social group, being exposed to cigarette smoke prenatally, starting to smoke regularly before the age of 11, and having a friend die were all associated with being external. Associations of internality common to both were warm maternal care, being breast fed, being born in an area other than that where they currently live, attending boarding school and having a parent admitted to hospital. Conclusions: In general, the antecedents of male external and internal personalities have many similarities to those of women, thus providing some features to inform the possible theoretical background as to how LOC might develop over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Golding
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Yasmin Iles-Caven
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Genette Ellis
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Steven Gregory
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Stephen Nowicki
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, GA30322, USA
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25
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Smirni D. Noli Timere: The Role of Reassuring Adults in Dealing with COVID-19 Anxiety in Pediatric Age. Pediatr Rep 2021; 13:15-30. [PMID: 33401500 PMCID: PMC7838802 DOI: 10.3390/pediatric13010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the earliest stages of the Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) spread, the elderly has been identified as the most vulnerable and health authorities have rightly focused on that population. Minor attention was paid to pediatric populations and their emotional reactions. Actually, children and adolescents faced severe anxiety, fear and stress conditions. An efficient management of the pandemic, therefore, must take into account the pediatric population which cannot be neglected as a minor matter compared to the elderly, the economy and health care. Since the lockdown time is over, children and adolescents must recover sociality, return to living in the open air, rediscover playing, free time, aiming for the beauty of their everyday life. In order to mitigate the long-term impact of COVID-19, the key response is the reassuring presence of the adult as 'a secure base'. The current study aimed to collect an overview of the recent references that report evidence on the role of adults in containing pandemic anxiety COVID-19 in pediatric populations, suggesting the need to ensure a reassuring presence of the adult, an effective child-parent communication, a child-friendly day and a long-lasting shared time with parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Smirni
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Rethinking Concepts and Categories for Understanding the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Childhood Adversity. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 16:67-93. [PMID: 32668190 PMCID: PMC7809338 DOI: 10.1177/1745691620920725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Discovering the processes through which early adverse experiences affect children's nervous-system development, health, and behavior is critically important for developing effective interventions. However, advances in our understanding of these processes have been constrained by conceptualizations that rely on categories of adversity that are overlapping, have vague boundaries, and lack consistent biological evidence. Here, we discuss central problems in understanding the link between early-life adversity and children's brain development. We conclude by suggesting alternative formulations that hold promise for advancing knowledge about the neurobiological mechanisms through which adversity affects human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E. Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | - Seth D. Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Early life stress and development: potential mechanisms for adverse outcomes. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:34. [PMID: 33327939 PMCID: PMC7745388 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09337-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic and/or extreme stress in early life, often referred to as early adversity, childhood trauma, or early life stress, has been associated with a wide range of adverse effects on development. However, while early life stress has been linked to negative effects on a number of neural systems, the specific mechanisms through which early life stress influences development and individual differences in children's outcomes are still not well understood. MAIN TEXT The current paper reviews the existing literature on the neurobiological effects of early life stress and their ties to children's psychological and behavioral development. CONCLUSIONS Early life stress has persistent and pervasive effects on prefrontal-hypothalamic-amygdala and dopaminergic circuits that are at least partially mediated by alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. However, to date, this research has primarily utilized methods of assessment that focus solely on children's event exposures. Incorporating assessment of factors that influence children's interpretation of stressors, along with stressful events, has the potential to provide further insight into the mechanisms contributing to individual differences in neurodevelopmental effects of early life stress. This can aid in further elucidating specific mechanisms through which these neurobiological changes influence development and contribute to risk for psychopathology and health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Seth D Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
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Anxiety in Older Adolescents at the Time of COVID-19. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9103064. [PMID: 32977568 PMCID: PMC7598163 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9103064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is a catastrophic health risk, with psychological, emotional, social, and relational implications. From the early stages of the virus spread, the elderly population was identified as the most vulnerable, and health authorities have rightly focused on this frailer population. Conversely, less attention was given to the emotional and psychological dimensions of children and adolescents. Moreover, even though they were the subjects whose lives and health were at low risk, they, nevertheless, had to face a reality full of anxiety, fears, and uncertainties. The current study investigated the state of anxiety and emotional awareness in a sample of healthy older adolescents, 84 females and 64 males, aged 17 to 19, during the pandemic lockdown, using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the Italian Emotion Awareness Questionnaire. An unexpected anxious phenomenology was found, affecting anxiety and the ideo-affective domain, while somatic symptomatology appeared to be less severe. The highest anxiety symptoms were breathing difficulties. These findings supported the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic may be a risk condition for an increased state of anxiety in older adolescents and suggested the need to provide (1) an effective, empathic communication system with direct participation of older adolescents, (2) a psychological counseling service for the stress management of adolescents.
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Pulopulos MM, Schmausser M, De Smet S, Vanderhasselt MA, Baliyan S, Venero C, Baeken C, De Raedt R. The effect of HF-rTMS over the left DLPFC on stress regulation as measured by cortisol and heart rate variability. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104803. [PMID: 32526225 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex, and especially the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), plays an inhibitory role in the regulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis under stressful situations. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that a sustained DLPFC activation is associated with adaptive stress regulation in anticipation of a stressful event, leading to a reduced stress-induced amygdala response, and facilitating the confrontation with the stressor. However, studies using experimental manipulation of the activity of the DLPFC before a stressor are scarce, and more research is needed to understand the specific role of this brain area in the stress-induced physiological response. This pre-registered study investigated the effect on stress regulation of a single excitatory high frequency (versus sham) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) session over the left DLPFC applied before the Trier Social Stress Test in 75 healthy young women (M = 21.05, SD = 2.60). Heart rate variability (HRV) and salivary cortisol were assessed throughout the experimental protocol. The active HF-rTMS and the sham group showed a similar cognitive appraisal of the stress task. No differences in HRV were observed during both the anticipation and the actual confrontation with the stress task and therefore, our results did not reflect DLPFC-related adaptive anticipatory adjustments. Importantly, participants in the active HF-rTMS group showed a lower cortisol response to stress. The effect of left prefrontal HF-rTMS on the stress system provides further critical experimental evidence for the inhibitory role played by the DLPFC in the regulation of the HPA axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias M Pulopulos
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Maximilian Schmausser
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Stefanie De Smet
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Belgium
| | - Shishir Baliyan
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain
| | - César Venero
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Brussels (UZBrussel), Belgium; Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
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Shattuck EC, Muehlenbein MP. Religiosity/Spirituality and Physiological Markers of Health. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2020; 59:1035-1054. [PMID: 29978269 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-018-0663-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The long-standing interest in the effects of religiosity and spirituality (R/S) on health outcomes has given rise to a large and diverse literature. We conducted a meta-analysis on research involving R/S and physiological markers of health to elucidate both the scope and mechanism(s) of this phenomenon. A combined analysis found a significant, but small, beneficial effect. Subgroup analyses found that some measures of both extrinsic and intrinsic religiosity were significantly associated with health. Several outcome measures, including blood pressure, C-reactive protein, and cardiovascular health markers, were significantly associated with R/S. Our findings suggest that R/S benefits health, perhaps through minimizing the disruptive effects of stress/depression on inflammation. We hope that researchers can use these results to guide efforts aimed at elucidating the true mechanism(s) linking religious/spiritual beliefs and physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric C Shattuck
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, One Bear Place 97173, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
- Institute for Health Disparities Research, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA
| | - Michael P Muehlenbein
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, One Bear Place 97173, Waco, TX, 76798, USA.
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Martin K, Périard J, Rattray B, Pyne DB. Physiological Factors Which Influence Cognitive Performance in Military Personnel. HUMAN FACTORS 2020; 62:93-123. [PMID: 31009241 DOI: 10.1177/0018720819841757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify and detail physiological factors that influence cognition in military personnel. BACKGROUND Maintenance of cognitive and task performance is important under several scenarios, none more so than in a military context. Personnel are prepared for and trained to tolerate many of the stressors they encounter; however, consideration of stressors typically extends only as far as the physical, psychological, and environmental requirements of a given task. While considering these factors certainly characterizes the broader picture, several physiological states and traits can influence cognition and thus, should also be considered. METHOD A systematic review of the electronic databases Medline (PubMed), EMBASE (Scopus), PsycINFO, and Web of Science was conducted from inception up to January 2019. Eligibility criteria included current military personnel, an outcome of cognition, and the assessment of a physiological factor. RESULTS The search returned 60,564 records, of which 60 were included in the review. Eleven studies examined the impact of demographic factors on cognition, 16 examined fatigue, 10 investigated nutrition, and 24 the impact of biological factors on cognitive performance. CONCLUSION Factors identified as having a positive impact on cognition include aerobic fitness, nutritional supplementation, and visual acuity. In contrast, factors identified as having a negative impact include fatigue arising from sustained operations, dehydration, undernutrition, and an exaggerated physiological stress response to a cognitive task or a stressor. A further subset of these factors was considered modifiable. APPLICATION The modifiable factors identified provide avenues for training and preparation to enhance cognition in ways previously unconsidered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy Martin
- 2234 University of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Julien Périard
- 2234 University of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Ben Rattray
- 2234 University of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - David B Pyne
- 2234 University of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Liao GY, Pham TTL, Cheng T, Teng CI. Impacts of real-world need satisfaction on online gamer loyalty: Perspective of self-affirmation theory. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2019.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Pulopulos MM, Baeken C, De Raedt R. Cortisol response to stress: The role of expectancy and anticipatory stress regulation. Horm Behav 2020; 117:104587. [PMID: 31639385 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
An exacerbated physiological response to stress is associated with the development of stress-related disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety disorders). Recently, it has been proposed that individuals with high expectancies of being able to deal with stressful situations will activate regulatory mechanisms during the anticipation of the stressful event that would improve stress regulation. To test this hypothesis, 52 women in young adulthood (M = 21.06; SD = 2.58) anticipated and performed a laboratory-based stress task after receiving positive or negative bogus feedback on their abilities to deal with stressful events. Heart rate variability and salivary cortisol were assessed throughout the experimental protocol. Participants receiving positive bogus feedback (i.e., High Expectancy group) showed a more positive anticipatory cognitive stress appraisal (i.e., they anticipated the stress task as less threatening/challenging, and they perceived that they were more able to deal with it), and they showed a lower cortisol response to stress. Moreover, a more positive anticipatory cognitive stress appraisal was associated with better anticipatory stress regulation (indexed as less decrease in heart rate variability), leading to a lower cortisol response. Our results indicate that people with positive expectancy initiate mechanisms of anticipatory stress regulation that enhance the regulation of the physiological stress response. Expectancy and anticipatory stress regulation may be key mechanisms in the development and treatment of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias M Pulopulos
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZBrussel), Brussels, Belgium; Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Shirata T, Suzuki A, Matsumoto Y, Noto K, Goto K, Otani K. Interrelation Between Increased BDNF Gene Methylation and High Sociotropy, a Personality Vulnerability Factor in Cognitive Model of Depression. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2020; 16:1257-1263. [PMID: 32523345 PMCID: PMC7237108 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s252177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE It is suggested that increased methylation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is involved in the pathogenesis of depression, while sociotropy and autonomy are proposed as personality vulnerability factors in cognitive model of depression. We examined the interrelation between BDNF gene methylation and sociotropy or autonomy, with taking into account the previously reported deleterious effect of parental overprotection on sociotropy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The participants consisted of 90 healthy Japanese volunteers. Methylation levels of the BDNF gene in peripheral blood were quantified by bisulfite pyrosequencing. Sociotropy and autonomy were assessed by the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale, and perceived parental protection was evaluated by the Parental Bonding Instrument. RESULTS In Pearson's correlation analysis, there was a positive correlation between methylation levels of the BDNF gene and sociotropy scores (p<0.05) but not autonomy scores, and a positive correlation between maternal protection scores and sociotropy scores (p<0.05). In structural equation modeling, two models were proposed; the first one is that hypermethylation of the BDNF gene and maternal overprotection independently contribute to high sociotropy, and the second one is that maternal overprotection contributes to high sociotropy which then leads to hypermethylation of the BDNF gene. CONCLUSION The present study suggests an interrelation between increased BDNF gene methylation and high sociotropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshinori Shirata
- Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
| | - Akihito Suzuki
- Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Matsumoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
| | - Keisuke Noto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
| | - Kaoru Goto
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
| | - Koichi Otani
- Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan
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Chang J, Yu R. Hippocampal connectivity in the aftermath of acute social stress. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 11:100195. [PMID: 31832509 PMCID: PMC6889252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is a core brain region that responds to stress. Previous studies have found a dysconnectivity between hippocampus and other brain regions under acute and chronic stress. However, whether and how acute social stress influences the directed connectivity patterns from and to the hippocampus remains unclear. In this study, using a within-subject design and Granger causal analysis (GCA), we investigated the alterations of resting state effective connectivity from and to hippocampal subregions after an acute social stressor (the Trier Social Stress Test). Participants were engaged in stress and control conditions spaced approximately one month apart. Our findings showed that stress altered the information flows in the thalamus-hippocampus-insula/midbrain circuit. The changes in this circuit could also predict with high accuracy the stress and control conditions at the subject level. These hippocampus-related brain networks have been documented to be involved in emotional information processing and storage, as well as habitual responses. We speculate that alterations of the effective connectivity between these brain regions may be associated with the registering and encoding of threatening stimuli under stress. Our investigation of hippocampal functional connectivity at a subregional level may help elucidate the functional neurobiology of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Chang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Hu X, Ren X, Yang J. Interdependent self-construal modulates the adrenocortical stress response in the socially evaluated cold-pressor test. Stress 2019; 22:679-686. [PMID: 31164057 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1617268] [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: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies suggested that the Trier social stress test (TSST) induced a higher cortisol stress response in individuals with high interdependent self-construal (InterSC) as compared to those with low InterSC, and that participants' perception of social evaluative threat mediated the association between InterSC and cortisol stress response. To further examine if individuals with high InterSC exhibit a strong psychological stress response independent of the stress paradigm, the current study investigated the stress response of individuals with high InterSC in a socially evaluated cold-pressor test (SECPT) paradigm, which has also been shown to reliably increase hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity with a social evaluative element. Fifty-five healthy participants (29 females; mean age = 20.55 years) completed the Self-Construal Scale and their salivary cortisol samples were collected at 0, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after waking up on a weekday morning. Participants' cardiovascular and adrenocortical stress responses in the SECPT were also measured while they immersed their hand in ice water, and they were observed by the experimenter and videotaped during this task. Our results indicated that participants with high InterSC showed a higher level of cortisol awakening response (CAR). Additionally, they perceived higher levels of social evaluative threat and exhibited higher saliva cortisol response to the SECPT. Taken together, the present findings and those obtained from previous studies suggest a significant and reliable role of InterSC in regulating biological and psychological stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Hu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University , Chongqing , China
| | - Xi Ren
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University , Chongqing , China
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University , Chongqing , China
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Leite HM, Garcez A, Nunes MAA, Pattussi MP, Canuto R, Paniz VMV, Olinto MTA. Shift work, sleep duration, and body image dissatisfaction among female workers in southern Brazil. Arch Womens Ment Health 2019; 22:583-592. [PMID: 30474745 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0927-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We examined the association between shift work and sleep duration with body image dissatisfaction (BID) among shift-working women in southern Brazil. In this cross-sectional study, data of 505 women shift workers, between 18 and 60 years old, were collected between January and April 2011. BID was assessed using the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale. Information on shift work, sleep duration, and other explanatory variables was collected through a questionnaire. An aggregated exposure variable was created and termed "sleep deprivation," with the exposure category being night-shift workers who slept < 7 h/day. The respective prevalence ratio values were estimated using a Poisson regression. The prevalence of BID among shift-working women was 42.4 (95% CIs = 38.0 to 46.7%), and 199 (93.0%) of these women wished they had a smaller body size. Shift work (PR = 1.40; p = 0.006) and sleep duration (PR = 1.32; p = 0.010) were independently associated with BID. Additionally, workers with sleep deprivation exhibited a higher probability of BID than those without sleep deprivation (PR = 1.31; p = 0.012). These results reveal a situation of vulnerability and the need for strategies and actions directed at shift-working women with the aim of reducing the effects of sleep deprivation on mental health, particularly with regard to body image disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloísa Marquardt Leite
- Post-graduate Program in Collective Health, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, C.P. 275, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil
| | - Anderson Garcez
- Post-graduate Program in Collective Health, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, C.P. 275, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Angélica Antunes Nunes
- Post-graduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), St. Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Marcos Pascoal Pattussi
- Post-graduate Program in Collective Health, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, C.P. 275, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil
| | - Raquel Canuto
- Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul State (UFRGS), St. Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Vera Maria Vieira Paniz
- Post-graduate Program in Collective Health, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, C.P. 275, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa Anselmo Olinto
- Post-graduate Program in Collective Health, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), Av. Unisinos 950, C.P. 275, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil.
- Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), St. Sarmento Leite 245, Porto Alegre, 90050-107, RS, Brazil.
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Gomaa N, Tenenbaum H, Glogauer M, Quiñonez C. The Biology of Social Adversity Applied to Oral Health. J Dent Res 2019; 98:1442-1449. [PMID: 31547748 DOI: 10.1177/0022034519876559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological embodiment is a concept derived from Engel's biopsychosocial model to health, theorized as the process by which adverse social exposures trigger neuroendocrine and immune responses, leading to disease and/or increased disease susceptibility. This critical review discusses the biopsychosocial model as applied to oral health and its relevance to oral health policy while deciphering some of the pathobiological processes underlying social adversity. In periodontal disease, for example, such processes can occur via the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the consequent release of the chronic stress hormone cortisol. The latter contributes to a proinflammatory immune state that increases the risk for periodontal inflammation. Recent research shows that cortisol relates to an elevated oral inflammatory load, demonstrated as hyperactive neutrophils that are pivotal to periodontal tissue damage. Consistent with the biopsychosocial model, this relationship is amplified in those of lower income and higher financial stress. Similarly, among children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, cortisol is linked to a higher cariogenic bacterial load. Such findings implicate the stress pathway as key in the oral pathogenic process, particularly under social/socioeconomic adversity. Collectively, this work emphasizes the importance of addressing social factors in alleviating oral disease burden and reducing the social gaps therein.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Gomaa
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - H Tenenbaum
- Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Centre for Advanced Dental Research and Care, Department of Dentistry, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - M Glogauer
- Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Dental Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - C Quiñonez
- Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Schoemaker D, Buss C, Pietrantonio S, Maunder L, Freiesleben SD, Hartmann J, Collins DL, Lupien S, Pruessner JC. The hippocampal-to-ventricle ratio (HVR): Presentation of a manual segmentation protocol and preliminary evidence. Neuroimage 2019; 203:116108. [PMID: 31472249 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Disentangling age-related changes from developmental variations in hippocampal volume has proven challenging. This article presents a manual segmentation protocol for the hippocampal-to-ventricle ratio (HVR), a measure combining the assessment of hippocampal volume with surrounding ventricular volume. By providing in a single measure both a standard volumetric assessment of the hippocampus and an approximation of volume loss, based on ventricular enlargement, we believe the HVR provides a superior cross-sectional estimation of hippocampal structural integrity. In a first attempt to validate this measure, we contrasted the HVR and standard hippocampal volume in their associations with age and memory performance in two independent cohorts of healthy aging individuals. The first cohort consisted in 50 cognitively normal subjects (mean age: 66.8 years, SD: 4.96, range: 60-75 years), while the second cohort included 88 cognitively normal subjects (mean age: 65.06 years, SD: 6.42, range: 55-80 years). We showed that the manual segmentation protocol for the HVR can be implemented with high reliability. In both cohorts, the HVR showed stronger negative associations with age than standard hippocampal volume. Correlations with memory performance were also numerically superior with the HVR than standard hippocampal volume, across the two cohorts. These findings support an added benefit of using the HVR over standard hippocampal volume when examining relationships with age or memory function in aging individuals. Although further validation is required, we propose that the computation of the HVR is a promising method to improve the evaluation of hippocampal integrity from cross-sectional MR images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothee Schoemaker
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA; McGill Centre for Studies in Aging & Douglas Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Claudia Buss
- Department of Psychology, Charite Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Pietrantonio
- McGill Centre for Studies in Aging & Douglas Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Larah Maunder
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
| | - Silka Dawn Freiesleben
- McGill Centre for Studies in Aging & Douglas Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Johanna Hartmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Constance, Constance, Germany
| | - D Louis Collins
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sonia Lupien
- Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jens C Pruessner
- McGill Centre for Studies in Aging & Douglas Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Constance, Constance, Germany.
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Smirni D, Carotenuto M, Precenzano F, Smirni P, Operto FF, Marotta R, Roccella M. Memory performances and personality traits in mothers of children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2019; 12:481-487. [PMID: 31303802 PMCID: PMC6611713 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s202469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic diseases in pediatric age have been identified as stressful risk factors for parents. Studies on caregivers have documented the impact of chronic parenting stress on emotion and cognition. Aim To investigate the differences between a group of mothers of children affected by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) for at least 4 years and a group of mothers of typically developing children (TDC) in relation to parental stress, self-esteem, locus of control, and memory performances. Methods A group of 86 mothers (mean age 35.6±4.9, ranged between 32 and 41 years) of children with OSAS diagnosis, and a group of 52 mothers of TDC (mean age 35.9±4.2, ranged between 32 and 41 years) participated in the study. All participants were administered stress level, global self-esteem, internal/external locus of control scales, and memory assessment. Results Mothers of OSAS children, compared to mothers of TDC, had a significantly higher level of stress, lower self-esteem, more external locus of control and poorer memory performance. Conclusions The child respiratory disease, with its sudden and unpredictable features, appeared as a significant source of stress for the mother. Such stress condition may have an impact on mothers’ personality traits (self-esteem, locus of control) and on their memory performances. The data have suggested a need for psychological support programs for mothers to better manage stress associated with children’s respiratory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Smirni
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Carotenuto
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Precenzano
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Pietro Smirni
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesca Felicia Operto
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Rosa Marotta
- Department of Health Sciences, University "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Michele Roccella
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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From serendipity to clinical relevance: How clinical psychology and neuroscience converged to illuminate psychoneuroendocrinology. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 105:36-43. [PMID: 30309685 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Revised: 09/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Dirk Hellhammer and his colleagues have played a major role in creating the field of psychoneuroendocrinology from their roots in psychology. In this review, using examples from the history of the McEwen laboratory and neuroscience and neuroendocrinology colleagues, I summarize my own perspective as to how the fields of neuroscience and neuroendocrinology have contributed to psychoneuroendocrinology and how they converged with the contributions from Dirk Hellhammer and his colleagues.
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Cabrera-Mino C, Shinnick MA, Moye S. Task-Evoked Pupillary Responses in Nursing Simulation as an Indicator of Stress and Cognitive Load. Clin Simul Nurs 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecns.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Gamaiunova L, Brandt PY, Bondolfi G, Kliegel M. Exploration of psychological mechanisms of the reduced stress response in long-term meditation practitioners. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:143-151. [PMID: 30849720 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous research links contemplative practices, such as meditation, with stress reduction. However, little is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship. This study compares the physiological stress response (reactivity and recovery) measured by changes in salivary cortisol, heart rate, heart rate variability, and the associated stress-related ratings in long-term meditation practitioners (N = 29) and age- and sex- matched meditation naïve controls (N = 26). The participants were administered the Trier Social Stress Test in its active and placebo versions. The results demonstrated that long-term meditation practitioners had faster cortisol recovery from stress, and experienced less shame and higher self-esteem after the exposure to social-evaluative threat. In addition, long-term meditation practitioners scored higher on adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, such as acceptance and positive reappraisal, and lower on maladaptive ones, such as catastrophizing. The cognitive emotion regulation strategy of acceptance mediated the relationship between meditation practice and cortisol recovery. These results suggest that meditation practice is associated with faster recovery from stress due to the employment of adaptive emotion regulation strategy of acceptance, delineating a pathway underlying the positive effects of meditation on stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liudmila Gamaiunova
- Institute of Social Sciences of Religions (ISSR), University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-Chamberonne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss National Center of Competences in Research LIVES-Overcoming vulnerability: life course perspectives, Switzerland.
| | - Pierre-Yves Brandt
- Institute of Social Sciences of Religions (ISSR), University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-Chamberonne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Kliegel
- Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Boulevard du Pont-d'Arve 40, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss National Center of Competences in Research LIVES-Overcoming vulnerability: life course perspectives, Switzerland
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Validation of hippocampal biomarkers of cumulative affective experience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 101:113-121. [PMID: 30951763 PMCID: PMC6525303 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Recent knowledge on hippocampal structural plasticity is reviewed. This knowledge is harnessed to develop biomarkers of cumulative experience. Hippocampal plasticity is shown to have construct, content and criterion validity in mammals. The biomarkers require further validation to be used in birds and fish. We discuss some practical considerations to implement the biomarkers.
Progress in improving the welfare of captive animals has been hindered by a lack of objective indicators to assess the quality of lifetime experience, often called cumulative affective experience. Recent developments in stress biology and psychiatry have shed new light on the role of the mammalian hippocampus in affective processes. Here we review these findings and argue that structural hippocampal biomarkers demonstrate criterion, construct and content validity as indicators of cumulative affective experience in mammals. We also briefly review emerging findings in birds and fish, which have promising implications for applying the hippocampal approach to these taxa, but require further validation. We hope that this review will motivate welfare researchers and neuroscientists to explore the potential of hippocampal biomarkers of cumulative affective experience.
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45
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Weinstein N, Legate N, Ryan WS, Hemmy L. Autonomous orientation predicts longevity: New findings from the Nun Study. J Pers 2019; 87:181-193. [PMID: 29524338 PMCID: PMC6446812 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Work on longevity has found protective social, cognitive, and emotional factors, but to date we have little understanding of the impact of motivational dynamics. Autonomy orientation, or stable patterns of self-regulation, is theorized to be a protective factor for long-term mental and physical health (Ryan & Deci, 2017), and it is therefore a prime candidate for examining how stable psychosocial factors are linked to longevity, or life expectancy. METHOD Essays written in the 1930s by participants in the Nun Study were coded for indicators of an autonomy orientation. These were selected in line with an extensive theoretical literature based in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Essays were coded for the propensity for choice in action, susceptibility to pressure, self-reflection, integration of experiences, and parental support for autonomy. These coded variables were used to predict age of death. RESULTS Using 176 codable essays provided by now-deceased participants, linear regression analyses revealed that choiceful behavior, self-reflection, and parent autonomy support predicted age of death. Participants who demonstrated these stable and beneficial motivational characteristics lived longer. CONCLUSIONS Personality constructs reflecting a healthy form of self-regulation are associated with long-term health. Implications for health interventions are discussed.
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The hippocampus underlies the association between self-esteem and physical health. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17141. [PMID: 30459409 PMCID: PMC6244287 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34793-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-esteem refers to the extent to which we feel positive or negative about ourselves, and reflects an individual's subjective evaluation of personal worth and attitudes about the self. As one kind of positive psychosocial resources, high self-esteem has been found to buffer the effects of stress on physical health. However, little is known about the possible neural basis underlying the association between physical health and self-esteem. In the present study, we investigated whether the hippocampus served as a neuroanatomical basis for the association between self-esteem and physical health in a large population of healthy young adults. We examined self-esteem and self-reported physical health with the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Chinese Constitution Questionnaire (CCQ) respectively, and gray matter volume of the hippocampus was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. As expected, we found that individuals with higher levels of self-esteem had better self-reported physical health. Importantly, the mediation analysis showed that the gray matter volume of the hippocampus mediated the link between self-esteem and physical health, suggesting its critical role in the neural circuitry through which self-esteem is related to physical health.
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Tsai N, Eccles JS, Jaeggi SM. Stress and executive control: Mechanisms, moderators, and malleability. Brain Cogn 2018; 133:54-59. [PMID: 30396706 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Stress pervades everyday life and more importantly, affects prefrontal cortices that support executive control functions, processes that are critical to learning and memory as well as a range of life outcomes. The positive or negative effect of stress on cognition depends on an interaction of factors related to the situation and the individual. Research has shown that psychological characteristics related to self-relevance and the availability of resources may lead individuals to perceive a stressor as a threat or challenge, driving performance outcomes. Given that perception is arguably the key to stress reactivity, positive affect and self-belief constructs are discussed in the context of how they may lead to preserved performance in the face of stress. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of stress perception could inform the development of interventions, a socially important endeavor given the impact of stress on health and cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Tsai
- University of California, Irvine, CA, United States.
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48
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Hu X, Wang Y, Pruessner JC, Yang J. Interdependent self-construal, social evaluative threat and subjective, cardiovascular and neuroendocrine stress response in Chinese. Horm Behav 2018; 106:112-121. [PMID: 30336123 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Interdependent self-construal (ISC) is a concept positing that people define their self through social roles and relationships with others. We investigated in two independent studies whether ISC had an effect on psychological and endocrine stress responses. Study 1 collected data of 295 healthy young Chinese participants' subjective report of ISC using the self-construal scale, and daily levels of stress using the daily stress inventory. Correlational analyses showed that individuals with higher ISC perceived higher levels of stress in daily life. Study 2 added biological measures of stress by analyzing both basal cortisol levels and reactive cortisol level of high/low ISC individuals (23 high and 23 low ISC healthy young Chinese participants recruited from a total of 440 participants), in response to the Trier Social Stress test. Participants with high ISC showed higher cortisol stress responses, higher heart rate measurements, and higher subjective stress reports when compared to low ISC participants. Further analyses suggested that participants' perception of social evaluative threat mediated the association between ISC and the cortisol stress response. Taken together, these findings suggest a significant role of ISC in regulating the biological and psychological stress response. These findings are discussed in the context of other personality factors known to affect the stress response, and the cultural-related self-construal literature. We also discuss the possible application of the ISC personality factor for future stress studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Hu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jens C Pruessner
- Department of Psychology, University of Constance, Constance, Germany
| | - Juan Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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Smith NB, Sippel LM, Presseau C, Rozek D, Mota N, Gordon C, Horvath M, Harpaz-Rotem I. Locus of control in US combat veterans: Unique associations with posttraumatic stress disorder 5-factor model symptom clusters. Psychiatry Res 2018; 268:152-156. [PMID: 30029062 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Given elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among US military veterans, identifying correlates of PTSD and specific PTSD symptom clusters that best represent PTSD in veterans (i.e., the five-factor Dysphoric Arousal model) is critical to prevention and intervention efforts. One potential correlate is locus of control (i.e., the extent to which individuals believe they have control over events in their lives). The aim of this study was to examine the relations between locus of control and five-factor model PTSD symptom clusters (i.e., re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, dysphoric arousal, anxious arousal) among combat veterans. Eighty-nine combat exposed veterans completed self-report measures of demographics, locus of control, PTSD symptoms, and combat exposure. Bivariate correlations indicated relations between locus of control and overall PTSD symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and numbing symptoms. When controlling for sex and combat exposure in regression analyses, only avoidance remained a significant correlate of locus of control. Among veterans with the most extreme scores (n = 26), external locus of control predicted overall PTSD symptoms and avoidance symptoms. External locus of control is uniquely associated with avoidance symptoms, and represents a potentially modifiable factor to address in trauma-focused treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle B Smith
- VA Northeast Program Evaluation Center, West Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Lauren M Sippel
- National Center for PTSD Executive Division, White River Junction, VT, USA; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Candice Presseau
- Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center (MAVERIC), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Rozek
- University of Utah, Department of Psychiatry, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Natalie Mota
- University of Manitoba, Department of Clinical Health Psychology, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Charles Gordon
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mark Horvath
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
- VA Northeast Program Evaluation Center, West Haven, CT, USA; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA; National Center for PTSD Clinical Neurosciences Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
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50
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Tanguy G, Sagui E, Fabien Z, Martin-Krumm C, Canini F, Trousselard M. Anxiety and Psycho-Physiological Stress Response to Competitive Sport Exercise. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1469. [PMID: 30210383 PMCID: PMC6119708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Sport is recognized as beneficial for health. In certain situation of practice, it nevertheless appears likely to induce a stress response. Anxiety is a stress response-modulating factor. Our objective is to characterize the role of anxiety in the stress response induced by a selective physical exercise. Method: Sixty-three young male military conducted a selective sporting running event (a 8-km commando-walk) and were recorded the day before, the day of the race, and the day after. The variables were psychometric [personality questionnaires, coping and anxious/stress state, and physiological (nocturnal heart rate variability and actigraphy)]. The subjects were classified, using scores on anxiety questionnaires at baseline, into two groups according to their anxious (G ANX) or non-anxious (G N-ANX). Results: Before the race, the G ANX was characterized by a lower level of self-esteem, higher scores in dysfunctional coping and a greater perceived stress compared to the G N-ANX. Compared to G N-ANX, the stress response to the exercise was higher in G ANX: G ANX exhibited (Selye, 1950) in immediate post-exercise, greater level in activation markers, and mental fatigue associated with a same level of physical fatigue and (Kim et al., 2018) in nocturnal post-exercise, an increase in sympathetic activation associated with a higher sleep fragmentation. Conclusion: A competition selection sport exercise causes a stress response, particularly for anxious subjects. Anxious status could be involved in the risk of emergence of overtraining in sport practice. These results must be taken into account when sport practice is used for anxiety management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelle Tanguy
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Laveran, Marseille, France.,Ecole du Val de Grâce, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Sagui
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Laveran, Marseille, France.,Ecole du Val de Grâce, Paris, France.,Fed 3C, LNC, UMR 7291, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Zagnoli Fabien
- Ecole du Val de Grâce, Paris, France.,Service de Neurologie, Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Clermont-Tonnerre, Brest, France
| | - Charles Martin-Krumm
- Ecole du Val de Grâce, Paris, France.,Unité de Neurophysiologie du Stress, Département de Neurosciences et Contraintes Opérationnelles, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France.,Laboratoire de Psychologie de l'Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens de Paris, Paris, France.,APEMAC, EA 4360, EPSaM, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Frédéric Canini
- Ecole du Val de Grâce, Paris, France.,Unité de Neurophysiologie du Stress, Département de Neurosciences et Contraintes Opérationnelles, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Marion Trousselard
- Ecole du Val de Grâce, Paris, France.,Unité de Neurophysiologie du Stress, Département de Neurosciences et Contraintes Opérationnelles, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France.,APEMAC, EA 4360, EPSaM, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France.,Chaire Mindfulness, Bien-être au Travail et Paix Économique, Grenoble Ecole de Management, Grenoble, France
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