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Balada F, Aluja A, García O, Aymamí N, García LF. Prefrontal activity during IOWA Gambling Task in young adult women. Behav Brain Res 2024; 466:114957. [PMID: 38490266 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114957] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the relationships between personality traits of impulsivity, using the UPPS-P Impulsive Behaviour Scales shortened version, and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during the IOWA Gambling Task (IGT) in young adult women. The study included a sample of 83 young, healthy females (19.8 ± 1.4 years), who voluntarily took part in the study. Repeated measures analysis during the IGT revealed a significant increase in HbO (all p <.001; ηp2 >.31) and a decrease in Hbr (all p <.003; ηp2 >.08) in all prefrontal quadrants. This increase in oxygenation occurs primarily during the choice period under ambiguity (r =.23; p =.039). Additionally, there was a significant linear decrease in selecting the decks associated with a high frequency of losses (p <.001), while the favorable deck with low losses showed a linear increase (F = 12.96; p <.001). Notably, discrepancies were found between UPPS-P and IGT impulsivity ratings. The Lack of Perseverance and Lack of Premeditation scales from the UPPS-P were identified as significant predictors of HbO levels, mainly in the two quadrants of the left hemisphere's, lateral (adjusted R2 =.23; p <.001; f2 =.34) and rostral (adjusted R2 =.13; p <.002; f2 =.17). These findings suggest that young adult women predominantly adopt a punishment-avoidance strategy during IGT, exhibiting increased activation in the left hemisphere, especially during the task's initial phase characterized by ambiguity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferran Balada
- Autonomous University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Lleida Institute for Biomedical Research, Dr. Pifarré Foundation, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Anton Aluja
- Lleida Institute for Biomedical Research, Dr. Pifarré Foundation, Catalonia, Spain; University of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Oscar García
- Lleida Institute for Biomedical Research, Dr. Pifarré Foundation, Catalonia, Spain; European University of Madrid, Spain
| | - Neus Aymamí
- Lleida Institute for Biomedical Research, Dr. Pifarré Foundation, Catalonia, Spain; Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions Service, Santa Maria Hospital of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Luis F García
- Lleida Institute for Biomedical Research, Dr. Pifarré Foundation, Catalonia, Spain; Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain
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Corbera S, Marín-Chollom AM. The Role of Anxiety and Prosocial Behaviors on Adherence Behaviors to Prevent COVID-19 in University Students in the United States: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIRX MED 2024; 5:e52970. [PMID: 38832671 PMCID: PMC11149054 DOI: 10.2196/52970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Background In situations of acute stress, individuals may engage in prosocial behaviors or risk-taking self-oriented behaviors. The COVID-19 pandemic created large stress-promoting conditions that impacted individuals' decisions to adhere to COVID-19 preventative behaviors. objectives The study aimed to examine the relationship between anxiety during the pandemic and adherence behaviors to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the moderating influence of prosocial behaviors. We hypothesized that individuals with high anxiety during COVID-19 would adhere more to preventive COVID-19 behaviors than ones with low anxiety and that this relationship would be stronger in those individuals with higher prosocial behaviors. Methods A web-based survey was administered through the SONA web-based participant tool of the psychology department of a university in the Northeastern United States. A final sample of 54 undergraduate students completed web-based questionnaires during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, from January to May 2021, which included demographic measures and surveys on prosocial behaviors, anxiety, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Moderation analyses were conducted using PROCESS in SPSS. Results Participants reported high levels of trait and state anxiety symptoms, most of them meeting or exceeding the cutoff criteria to be clinically meaningful (state anxiety: 47/54, 87%; trait anxiety: 38/44, 86%), and over 50% highly adhered to the COVID-19 preventive behaviors of wearing a face mask, using hand sanitizer, handwashing, coughing/sneezing into their elbow or a tissue, self-quarantining, maintaining social distance, avoiding social gatherings, and avoiding nonessential travel. No significant associations were observed between prosocial behavior, anxiety types, and adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors. However, when moderation analyses were conducted between anxiety types and adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors, results demonstrated a statistically significant interaction of public prosocial behavior with state anxiety (β=-.17, t53=-2.60; P=.01), predicting engagement in COVID-19 preventative behaviors. At high levels of anxiety, low levels of prosocial public behaviors were associated with higher engagement in COVID-19 preventative behaviors. In contrast, high levels of public prosocial behavior were associated with low engagement in COVID-19 preventative behaviors at higher levels of anxiety. Conclusions These results provide information that can aid in the creation of interventions that could increase adherence to COVID-19 preventative behaviors (Reviewed by the Plan P #PeerRef Community).
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Corbera
- Department of Psychological Science, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, United States
| | - Amanda M Marín-Chollom
- Department of Psychological Science, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, United States
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Zanini L, Picano C, Spitoni GF. The Iowa Gambling Task: Men and Women Perform Differently. A Meta-analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2024:10.1007/s11065-024-09637-3. [PMID: 38462590 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-024-09637-3] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) was designed to assess decision-making under conditions of complexity and uncertainty; it is currently one of the most widely used tests to assess decision-making in both experimental and clinical settings. In the original version of the task, participants are given a loan of play money and four decks of cards and are asked to maximize profits. Although any single card unpredictably yields wins/losses, variations in frequency and size of gains/losses ultimately make two decks more advantageous in the long term. Several studies have previously suggested that there may be a sex-related difference in IGT performance. Thus, the present study aimed to explore and quantify sex differences in IGT performance by pooling the results of 110 studies. The meta-analysis revealed that males tend to perform better than females on the classic 100-trial IGT (UMD = 3.381; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the significant heterogeneity observed suggests high variability in the results obtained by individual studies. Results were not affected by publication bias or other moderators. Factors that may contribute to differences in male and female performance are discussed, such as functional sex-related asymmetries in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and amygdala, as well as differences in sensitivity to wins/losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Zanini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli, 1, Rome, Italy.
| | - Chiara Picano
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli, 1, Rome, Italy
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Mishica C, Kyröläinen H, Taskinen S, Hynynen E, Nummela A, Holmberg HC, Linnamo V. Associations between objective measures of performance-related characteristics and perceived stress in young cross-country skiers during pre-season training. J Sports Sci 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38247021 DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2024.2304499] [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: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring performance-related characteristics of athletes can reveal changes that facilitate training adaptations. Here, we examine the relationships between submaximal running, maximal jump performance (CMJ), concentrations of blood lactate, sleep duration (SD) and latency (SL), and perceived stress (PSS) in junior cross-country skiers during pre-season training. These parameters were monitored in 15 male and 14 females (17 ± 1 years) for the 12-weeks prior to the competition season, and the data was analysed using linear and mixed-effect models. An increase in SD exerted a decrease in both PSS (B = -2.79, p ≤ 0.01) and blood lactate concentrations during submaximal running (B = -0.623, p ≤ 0.05). In addition, there was a negative relationship between SL and CMJ (B = -0.09, p = 0.08). Compared to males, females exhibited higher PSS scores and little or no change in performance-related tests. A significant interaction between time and sex was present in CMJ with males displaying an effect of time on CMJ performance. For all athletes, lower PSS appeared to be associated with longer overnight sleep. Since the females experienced higher levels of stress, monitoring of their PSS might be beneficial. These findings have implications for the preparation of young athletes' competition season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Mishica
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Heikki Kyröläinen
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Sara Taskinen
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Esa Hynynen
- Finnish Institute of High-Performance Sport KIHU, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Ari Nummela
- Finnish Institute of High-Performance Sport KIHU, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Vesa Linnamo
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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Chowdhury A, Rao BSS, Laxmi TR. Risky Decision-taking Task: a novel paradigm to assess the risk-taking behaviour in rats predisposed to early-life stress. J Neurosci Methods 2023; 392:109864. [PMID: 37080434 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109864] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
One of the characteristic features of adolescence is risk-taking behavioural traits. Uncontrolled risk-taking without proper assessment may have harmful impact on mental health later in life. Therefore, it is essential to identify it early for the preventable health problems. In the present study, we have designed a novel paradigm, viz. Risky Decision-taking Task (RDTT), to evaluate the spontaneous risk-taking behavioural repertoire in adolescent rodents. The task was designed based on both risk and cognitive factors. To validate and compare the risk-taking tendency, we have used early maternal separation and isolation (MS) stress model, as it is known to increase anxiety and curiosity-like behaviour at adolescence. We have used Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes. Rats were exposed to MS stress for 10 days daily for six hours during stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) from postnatal day 4 to 13. These rats were subjected to RDTT during adolescence. This task is a reward-based task where the latency to collect reward in the presence or absence of a risk factor is assessed. It consists of habituation, training to find the location of small and large rewards, reward preference for small and large reward and testing period under risky situation. Rats were trained individually to retrieve the valuation-based rewards under the risky, but innate aversive environments. The results from RDTT showed that as compared to controls, MS rats from both sexes showed reduced latency to collect large reward in the presence of a risk element and a reduced risk-index which is indicative of a higher risk-taking tendency in these rats. In addition, MS rats showed a trend towards anxiety-like behaviour as compared to controls in the Light-Dark Test. These results together show decreased risk latency for the large reward and reduced risk assessment in MS rats which is suggestive of more risk-taking tendency in these rats. Thus, we propose that RDTT paradigm can be used to evaluate the spontaneous risk-taking behavioural repertoire based on innate, spontaneous aversion and cognitive factors in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abanti Chowdhury
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru - 560 029
| | - B S Shankaranarayana Rao
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru - 560 029
| | - T R Laxmi
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru - 560 029.
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Cheung T, Lam JYT, Fong KH, Ho YS, Ho A, Cheng CPW, Sittlington J, Xiang YT, Li TMH. The Effectiveness of Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (VeNS) on Symptoms of Anxiety: Study Protocol of a Randomized, Double-Blinded, Sham-Controlled Trial. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4218. [PMID: 36901227 PMCID: PMC10002296 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety is increasing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A home use transdermal neurostimulation device might help to minimize the severity of anxiety disorder. To the best of our knowledge, there is no clinical trial using transdermal neurostimulation to treat individuals with symptoms of anxiety in Asia. This gives us the impetus to execute the first study which aims at evaluating the efficacy of Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (VeNS) on anxiety in Hong Kong. This study proposes a two-armed, double-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial including the active VeNS and sham VeNS group. Both groups will be measured at baseline (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and at the 1-month (T3) and 3-month follow-up (T4). A total of 66 community-dwelling adults aged 18 to 60 with anxiety symptoms will be recruited in this study. All subjects will be computer randomised into either the active VeNS group or the sham VeNS group in a 1:1 ratio. All subjects in each group will receive twenty 30 min VeNS sessions during weekdays, which will be completed in a 4-week period. Baseline measurements and post-VeNS evaluation of the psychological outcomes (i.e., anxiety, insomnia, and quality of life) will also be conducted on all participants. The 1-month and 3-month follow-up period will be used to assess the long-term sustainability of the VeNS intervention. For statistical analysis, ANOVA with repeated measures will be used to analyze data. Missing data were managed with multiple mutations. The level of significance will be set to p < 0.05. Results of this study will be used to determine whether this VeNS device can be considered as a self-help technological device to reduce perceived anxiety in the general population in the community setting. This clinical Trial was registered with the Clinical Trial government, identifier: NCT04999709.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teris Cheung
- School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
- The Mental Health Research Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joyce Yuen Ting Lam
- School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kwan Hin Fong
- School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yuen Shan Ho
- School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alex Ho
- Integrated Services for Persons with Disabilities, Christian Family Service Centre, Hong Kong SAR, China A
| | | | - Julie Sittlington
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Yu-Tao Xiang
- Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Tim Man Ho Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Impaired Outcome Evaluation During Risky Decision-Making in Individuals with Methamphetamine Use Disorder. Int J Ment Health Addict 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11469-022-00873-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
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Roberts SSH, Main LC, Condo D, Carr A, Jardine W, Urwin C, Convit L, Rahman SS, Snipe RMJ. Sex differences among endurance athletes in the pre-race relationships between sleep, and perceived stress and recovery. J Sports Sci 2022; 40:1542-1551. [PMID: 35767576 DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2022.2091345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined sex differences among endurance athletes in pre-race relationships between sleep, and perceived stress and recovery. Thirty-six athletes completed the Short Recovery and Stress Scale, and had sleep monitored via actigraphy, over four consecutive days prior to an ultra-marathon. Overall, compared with males, females had shorter wake after sleep onset (mean ± SD, 50 ± 23 vs 65 ± 23 min, p = .04) and lower emotional balance (3.9 ± 1.1 vs 4.8 ± 1.1 arbitrary units, p = .001). The day before the race, females scored higher for all stress-related items (p < 0.05). Among females, higher scores for emotional balance (β = -31 min, p = .01) and negative emotional state (β = -21 min, p < .001) were associated with reduced sleep duration. Among males, higher scores for overall stress were associated with increased sleep duration (β = 22 min, p = .01). Across all athletes, longer sleep duration was associated with improved overall recovery (β = 0.003 arbitrary units, p = .02). Females experienced greater pre-race stress than males, and their sleep duration was associated with emotional factors. The SRSS may help identify female athletes at risk of sleep difficulties prior to competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer S H Roberts
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Luana C Main
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Dominique Condo
- Centre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Amelia Carr
- Centre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - William Jardine
- Centre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Charles Urwin
- Centre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Lilia Convit
- Centre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Shant S Rahman
- Centre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Rhiannon M J Snipe
- Centre for Sport Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
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Jayakumar V, Simpson T. Multiple Criterion and Multiple Stimulus Signal Detection Theory Analysis of Corneal Painful and Cool Pneumatic Stimuli. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:759748. [PMID: 35370754 PMCID: PMC8971774 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.759748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the detectability of pneumatic corneal stimuli and response bias using multi-stimuli multi-criterion signal detection theory (MSDT). Methods: Thirty-six participants were recruited using convenience sampling. A Waterloo Belmonte esthesiometer was used to deliver cold, mechanical, and chemical stimuli to the center of the cornea at three separate study visits. The stimulus type was assigned randomly to each visit at the start of the study. The threshold (baseline for detection theory experiment) for the assigned stimulus type was obtained using the ascending method of limits. In the cold and mechanical MSDT experiments, 100 trials (80 signal (20 each for 4 intensities) and 20 catch trials) were presented in randomized order, and participants responded with a 5-point confidence rating to each trial. In the chemical MSDT experiments, 50 trials (20 signal trials each for two intensities and 10 catch trials) were presented, and responses were provided using 4-point confidence ratings. Detection theory indices were calculated individually and as groups, which were then analyzed using mixed models and paired t-tests. Results: Detectability (da) and the area under the curve (Az) were significantly different between stimulus intensities within each stimulus type (all p < 0.001) but were not different between the stimulus types. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were separable between the scaled intensities for all stimulus types, and no overlaps were observed in the z-ROC space. The log-likelihood ratio (lnβ) depended on stimulus intensity and psychophysical criterion for all stimulus types. Conclusion: It is feasible to use MSDT for analyzing ocular surface sensory processing and the theory provides insight into the possible bias associated with the use of pneumatic stimuli. With noxious and non-noxious pneumatic stimulation, detectability and criteria vary systematically with stimulus intensity, a result that cannot be derived using classical psychophysics and this highlights the importance of signal detection theory and its approaches in studying ocular surface pain and thermal processing.
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Hein TP, Herrojo Ruiz M. State anxiety alters the neural oscillatory correlates of predictions and prediction errors during reward-based learning. Neuroimage 2022; 249:118895. [PMID: 35017125 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety influences how the brain estimates and responds to uncertainty. The consequences of these processes on behaviour have been described in theoretical and empirical studies, yet the associated neural correlates remain unclear. Rhythm-based accounts of Bayesian predictive coding propose that predictions in generative models of perception are represented in alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta oscillations (13-30 Hz). Updates to predictions are driven by prediction errors weighted by precision (inverse variance) encoded in gamma oscillations (>30 Hz) and associated with the suppression of beta activity. We tested whether state anxiety alters the neural oscillatory activity associated with predictions and precision-weighted prediction errors (pwPE) during learning. Healthy human participants performed a probabilistic reward-based learning task in a volatile environment. In our previous work, we described learning behaviour in this task using a hierarchical Bayesian model, revealing more precise (biased) beliefs about the tendency of the reward contingency in state anxiety, consistent with reduced learning in this group. The model provided trajectories of predictions and pwPEs for the current study, allowing us to assess their parametric effects on the time-frequency representations of EEG data. Using convolution modelling for oscillatory responses, we found that, relative to a control group, state anxiety increased beta activity in frontal and sensorimotor regions during processing of pwPE, and in fronto-parietal regions during encoding of predictions. No effects of state anxiety on gamma modulation were found. Our findings expand prior evidence on the oscillatory representations of predictions and pwPEs into the reward-based learning domain. The results suggest that state anxiety modulates beta-band oscillatory correlates of pwPE and predictions in generative models, providing insights into the neural processes associated with biased belief updating and poorer learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Hein
- Goldsmiths, Psychology Department, Whitehead Building New Cross, University of London, Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, United Kingdom.
| | - Maria Herrojo Ruiz
- Goldsmiths, Psychology Department, Whitehead Building New Cross, University of London, Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, United Kingdom; Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation.
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11
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Michael A, Roska P. The difference between inpatient and outpatient programs regarding trait -anxiety, social support and state-anxiety in during the covid-19 pandemic in Israel. THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES 2021. [DOI: 10.1108/tc-03-2021-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the well-being and the psychological resilience of different populations, particularly in the addiction field. This study aims to assess anxiety and its severity among patients and staff from different types of addiction services in Israel during this emergency.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted during the period from March–July 2020. Participants included patients and staff (N = 282) from three different types of addiction services, were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support and demographic variables. In addition, a logistic regression model was applied to identify predictors of state anxiety by using statistical package for the social sciences software.
Findings
The results show that therapeutic communities clients reported more social support compared to other subjects. State anxiety has a positive strong correlation with trait anxiety both among patients and staff, and it was found as a crucial predictor of state anxiety in the regression equation. There is no statistically significant correlation between state anxiety and social support, gender or education among clients and staff as one. The state anxiety remains relatively stable and characterizes most people, staff and patients, men and women, medical staff members and other professionals.
Research limitations/implications
The current study has some contributions to the addiction field by understanding the psychological distress of a vulnerable population: substance users in treatment settings. The study population relied on convenient samples and future studies should be planned using a cross-sectional design and should take into account substance use measures. The findings are reinforcing the assumption that state anxiety was likely to increase during the coronavirus pandemic.
Practical implications
Adequate services should be planned to avoid relapse or mental deterioration of people who use drugs during health emergencies.
Originality/value
The research points out the unique and real difficulties of SUD clients, as well as the complexity and risks in their staff members’ works. The authors also saw that staff members need attention and maintenance; they are in the front line.
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Chandrasekaran S, Hibino H, Gorniak SL, Layne CS, Johnston CA. Fear of Falling: Significant Barrier in Fall Prevention Approaches. Am J Lifestyle Med 2021; 15:598-601. [PMID: 34916878 PMCID: PMC8669901 DOI: 10.1177/15598276211035360] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear of falling is a critical component in fall prevention approaches; however, it is often overlooked in the majority of fall prevention exercises. Alternative fall prevention approaches that take fear of falling into account are necessary. This article discusses fall prevention activities that are feasible for individuals with limited mobility who have an increased fear of falling. Health care providers should consider the degree to which a patient has a fear of falling and recommend activities that fit most to their patient's comfort level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hidetaka Hibino
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA (SC, HH, SLG, CSL, CAJ)
| | - Stacey L. Gorniak
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA (SC, HH, SLG, CSL, CAJ)
| | - Charles S. Layne
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA (SC, HH, SLG, CSL, CAJ)
| | - Craig A. Johnston
- Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA (SC, HH, SLG, CSL, CAJ)
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Khazaei H, Tareq MA. Moderating effects of personal innovativeness and driving experience on factors influencing adoption of BEVs in Malaysia: An integrated SEM-BSEM approach. Heliyon 2021; 7:e08072. [PMID: 34632141 PMCID: PMC8488495 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08072] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Electric cars are relatively in the early stage of acceptance in Malaysia, the purpose of the current research was to determine the factors affecting the adoption of battery electric vehicles in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This research utilized a quantitative method to gather and analyze the data and proposed a novel theoretical framework to explain the acceptance of battery electric vehicles. 500 surveys were distributed and 322 were gathered. Respondents of the study were University lecturers, postgraduate students, and employees in private companies. The results of SEM analysis indicated that the developed model provides a good fit for constructs used for this research. The result showed that social influence, facilitating conditions, environmental concern, and perceived enjoyment have positive effects on the adoption of BEVs. However, respondents indicated anxiety about the battery range. In conclusion, this study has contributed additional variables such as range anxiety and driving experience to the electric vehicle's acceptance literature. The findings are significant to electric car producers and policy makers who have environmental concerns to understand consumer prospective in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Khazaei
- Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), University Technology Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Ali Tareq
- Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), University Technology Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Liao YH, Sun LH, Chan YH, Cherng CG, Su YC, Yao WJ, Yu L. Observer's adrenal corticosterone secretion involvement in vicarious fear conditioning. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 129:105246. [PMID: 33932813 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Vicarious learning represents a far-reaching value for the survival of social animals. Adrenal hormones are known to affect many forms of learning, yet the roles of adrenal hormones in vicarious learning remain unexplored. This study was undertaken to assess whether observation-stimulated corticosterone (CORT) secretion may affect the magnitude of a vicarious fear conditioning. Mouse observers were individually subjected to an observational compartment next to the training compartment wherein three their cage-mate demonstrators received (1) 5 days of 15 randomly-scheduled footshocks (0.5 mA, 2 s in duration over a 30 min session) (G1); (2) a 30-min presentation of vanilla odors (G2); or (3) footshock delivery and vanilla odors in combination (G3). Demonstrator mice receiving G3 training session and their respective observer mice were found to exhibit greater training-induced and slightly greater observation-stimulated CORT secretion, greater vanilla odors-induced fear responses (FR) and conditioned place aversion (CPA), as compared with the observers vicariously learning from demonstrators receiving G1 or G2 sessions. Observers held in their home cages during demonstrators' trainings and those receiving null demonstrator (No Demonstrator) failed to exhibit vanilla odors-induced FR. Moreover, observers undergoing adrenalectomy (ADX) and G3 sessions exhibited lower vanilla odors-induced FR and CPA as compared to sham surgical (Sham) observers observing G3 sessions. Furthermore, systemic metyrapone injections (50 and 100 mg/kg) prior to daily vicarious G3 training session resulted in decreases in vanilla odors-induced FR and CPA magnitudes in observers. Finally, CORT (1 mg/kg)-pretreated G2 observers failed to display odors-induced FR escalation. These results, taken together, suggest that observation-stimulated CORT secretion is necessary for reliable establishment of vicarious fear conditioning in observer mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Han Liao
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Li-Han Sun
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ya-Hsuan Chan
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chienfang G Cherng
- Education Center of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yi-Chi Su
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wei-Jen Yao
- Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chai-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Lung Yu
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC.
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15
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Patt VM, Hunsberger R, Jones DA, Keane MM, Verfaellie M. Temporal discounting when outcomes are experienced in the moment: Validation of a novel paradigm and comparison with a classic hypothetical intertemporal choice task. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251480. [PMID: 33989315 PMCID: PMC8121536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
When faced with intertemporal choices, people typically devalue rewards available in the future compared to rewards more immediately available, a phenomenon known as temporal discounting. Decisions involving intertemporal choices arise daily, with critical impact on health and financial wellbeing. Although many such decisions are "experiential" in that they involve delays and rewards that are experienced in real-time and can inform subsequent choices, most studies have focused on intertemporal choices with hypothetical outcomes (or outcomes delivered after all decisions are made). The present study focused on experiential intertemporal choices. First, a novel intertemporal choice task was developed and validated, using delays experienced in real time and artistic photographs as consumable perceptual rewards. Second, performance on the experiential task was compared to performance on a classic intertemporal choice task with hypothetical outcomes. Involvement of distinct processes across tasks was probed by examining differential relations to state and trait anxiety. A two-parameter logistic function framework was proposed to fit indifference point data. This approach accounts for individual variability not only in the delay at which an individual switches from choosing the delayed to more immediate option, but also in the slope of that switch. Fit results indicated that the experiential task elicited temporal discounting, with effective trade-off between delay and perceptual reward. Comparison with the hypothetical intertemporal choice task suggested distinct mechanisms: first, temporal discounting across the two tasks was not correlated; and second, state and trait anxiety both were associated with choice behavior in the experiential task, albeit in distinct ways, whereas neither was significantly associated with choice behavior in the hypothetical task. The engagement of different processes in the experiential compared to hypothetical task may align with neural evidence for the recruitment of the hippocampus in animal but not in classic human intertemporal choice studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie M Patt
- Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Renee Hunsberger
- Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Dominoe A Jones
- Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Margaret M Keane
- Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, United States of America
| | - Mieke Verfaellie
- Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
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16
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Korzan WJ, Summers CH. Evolution of stress responses refine mechanisms of social rank. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100328. [PMID: 33997153 PMCID: PMC8105687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Social rank functions to facilitate coping responses to socially stressful situations and conditions. The evolution of social status appears to be inseparably connected to the evolution of stress. Stress, aggression, reward, and decision-making neurocircuitries overlap and interact to produce status-linked relationships, which are common among both male and female populations. Behavioral consequences stemming from social status and rank relationships are molded by aggressive interactions, which are inherently stressful. It seems likely that the balance of regulatory elements in pro- and anti-stress neurocircuitries results in rapid but brief stress responses that are advantageous to social dominance. These systems further produce, in coordination with reward and aggression circuitries, rapid adaptive responding during opportunities that arise to acquire food, mates, perch sites, territorial space, shelter and other resources. Rapid acquisition of resources and aggressive postures produces dominant individuals, who temporarily have distinct fitness advantages. For these reasons also, change in social status can occur rapidly. Social subordination results in slower and more chronic neural and endocrine reactions, a suite of unique defensive behaviors, and an increased propensity for anxious and depressive behavior and affect. These two behavioral phenotypes are but distinct ends of a spectrum, however, they may give us insights into the troubling mechanisms underlying the myriad of stress-related disorders to which they appear to be evolutionarily linked.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
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17
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Mamzer H, Zok A, Białas P, Andrusiewicz M. Negative psychological aspects of working with experimental animals in scientific research. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11035. [PMID: 33976956 PMCID: PMC8063873 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11035] [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: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to reveal the negative psychological aspects of using animals by scientists and to determine whether the emotional tensions and stress are associated with performing experiments on animals. All 150 participants of the study conduct experiments on animals in their work. Computer-assisted web interviewing, was used to collect the data. Correlation matrices for factorial analysis of main component loads and cluster analysis have been calculated as grouping methods revealed two different categories of researchers, which were mostly distinguished by acceptance and aversion to animal testing and animal welfare. The main findings demonstrated, that there is a group of respondents who feel discomfort when performing experiments on animals. Especially young people involved in animal testing, feel remorse, emotional tension and helplessness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Mamzer
- Faculty of Sociology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Greaterpoland, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Zok
- Division of Philosophy of Medicine and Bioethics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Greaterpoland, Poland
| | - Piotr Białas
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Greaterpoland, Polska
| | - Mirosław Andrusiewicz
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Greaterpoland, Polska
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18
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Dubois M, Habicht J, Michely J, Moran R, Dolan RJ, Hauser TU. Human complex exploration strategies are enriched by noradrenaline-modulated heuristics. eLife 2021; 10:e59907. [PMID: 33393461 PMCID: PMC7815309 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
An exploration-exploitation trade-off, the arbitration between sampling a lesser-known against a known rich option, is thought to be solved using computationally demanding exploration algorithms. Given known limitations in human cognitive resources, we hypothesised the presence of additional cheaper strategies. We examined for such heuristics in choice behaviour where we show this involves a value-free random exploration, that ignores all prior knowledge, and a novelty exploration that targets novel options alone. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled drug study, assessing contributions of dopamine (400 mg amisulpride) and noradrenaline (40 mg propranolol), we show that value-free random exploration is attenuated under the influence of propranolol, but not under amisulpride. Our findings demonstrate that humans deploy distinct computationally cheap exploration strategies and that value-free random exploration is under noradrenergic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Dubois
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Johanna Habicht
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jochen Michely
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Rani Moran
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Ray J Dolan
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Tobias U Hauser
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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19
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Garrido-Chaves R, Perez-Alarcón M, Perez V, Hidalgo V, Pulopulos MM, Salvador A. FRN and P3 during the Iowa gambling task: The importance of gender. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13734. [PMID: 33289135 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown gender-related psychobiological differences in risky and competitive strategies that affect win and loss outcomes. In addition, some studies have found differences in the decision-making process, with women taking longer to reach the same performance as men. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate gender differences in behavioral performance and neural correlates during a decision-making task, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Forty healthy young adults (23 men and 17 women) performed the IGT while the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and P3 were recorded as neural correlates of feedback processing. No gender differences were observed in the behavioral performance on the IGT after 100 and 150 trials, or in the P3 component. In women, but not in men, the FRN component showed a greater amplitude for losses than for wins. There were no significant gender-related differences in behavioral performance, and men and women revealed a similar learning process on the IGT. At the neural level, no direct differences between men and women were observed in the feedback processing stage for the FRN or P3. However, our results indicate that women showed greater sensitivity to losses than to wins during the decision-making task, as reflected in the FRN component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Garrido-Chaves
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mario Perez-Alarcón
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vanesa Perez
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of Psychobiology, University of Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, Teruel, Spain
| | - Matias M Pulopulos
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of Psychobiology, University of Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, Teruel, Spain
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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20
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Effect of Caffeine Consumption on the Risk for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders: Sex Differences in Human. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12103080. [PMID: 33050315 PMCID: PMC7601837 DOI: 10.3390/nu12103080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Caffeine occurs naturally in various foods, such as coffee, tea, and cocoa, and it has been used safely as a mild stimulant for a long time. However, excessive caffeine consumption (1~1.5 g/day) can cause caffeine poisoning (caffeinism), which includes symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, insomnia, and gastrointestinal disorders. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the effect of caffeine consumption as a protective factor or risk factor for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Currently, the importance of personalized medicine is being emphasized, and research on sex/gender differences needs to be conducted. Our review focuses on the effect of caffeine consumption on several neurological and psychiatric disorders with respect to sex differences to provide a better understanding of caffeine use as a risk or protective factor for those disorders. The findings may help establish new strategies for developing sex-specific caffeine therapies.
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21
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Hein TP, de Fockert J, Ruiz MH. State anxiety biases estimates of uncertainty and impairs reward learning in volatile environments. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117424. [PMID: 33035670 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical and subclinical (trait) anxiety impairs decision making and interferes with learning. Less understood are the effects of temporary anxious states on learning and decision making in healthy populations, and whether these can serve as a model for clinical anxiety. Here we test whether anxious states in healthy individuals elicit a pattern of aberrant behavioural, neural, and physiological responses comparable with those found in anxiety disorders-particularly when processing uncertainty in unstable environments. In our study, both a state anxious and a control group learned probabilistic stimulus-outcome mappings in a volatile task environment while we recorded their electrophysiological (EEG) signals. By using a hierarchical Bayesian model of inference and learning, we assessed the effect of state anxiety on Bayesian belief updating with a focus on uncertainty estimates. State anxiety was associated with an underestimation of environmental uncertainty, and informational uncertainty about the reward tendency. Anxious individuals' beliefs about reward contingencies were more precise (had smaller uncertainty) and thus more resistant to updating, ultimately leading to impaired reward-based learning. State anxiety was also associated with greater uncertainty about volatility. We interpret this pattern as evidence that state anxious individuals are less tolerant to informational uncertainty about the contingencies governing their environment and more willing to be uncertain about the level of stability of the world itself. Further, we tracked the neural representation of belief update signals in the trial-by-trial EEG amplitudes. In control participants, lower-level precision-weighted prediction errors (pwPEs) about reward tendencies were represented in the ERP signals across central and parietal electrodes peaking at 496 ms, overlapping with the late P300 in classical ERP analysis. The state anxiety group did not exhibit a significant representation of low-level pwPEs, and there were no significant differences between the groups. Smaller variance in low-level pwPE about reward tendencies in state anxiety could partially account for the null results. Expanding previous computational work on trait anxiety, our findings establish that temporary anxious states in healthy individuals impair reward-based learning in volatile environments, primarily through changes in uncertainty estimates, which play a central role in current Bayesian accounts of perceptual inference and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Hein
- Goldsmiths, University of London, Psychology Department, Whitehead Building, New Cross, London, SE146NW, United Kingdom
| | - Jan de Fockert
- Goldsmiths, University of London, Psychology Department, Whitehead Building, New Cross, London, SE146NW, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Herrojo Ruiz
- Goldsmiths, University of London, Psychology Department, Whitehead Building, New Cross, London, SE146NW, United Kingdom; Center for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation.
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22
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Aarde SM, Genner RM, Hrncir H, Arnold AP, Jentsch JD. Sex chromosome complement affects multiple aspects of reversal-learning task performance in mice. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 20:e12685. [PMID: 32648356 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Determining the mechanisms by which the sex-chromosome complement (SCC) affects learning, attention, and impulsivity has implications for observed sex differences in prevalence, severity, and prognosis of psychiatric/neurodevelopmental disorders and syndromes associated with sex-chromosome aneuploidy. Here, Four Core Genotypes (FCG) mice were evaluated in order to assess the separable and/or interacting effects of gonads (testes vs. ovaries) and their secretions and/or SCC (XX vs. XY) acting via non-gonadal mechanisms on behavior. We tested FCG mice on a reversal-learning task that enables the quantification of aspects of learning, attention and impulsivity. Across testing phases (involving the initial acquisition of a spatial discrimination and subsequent reversal learning), overall error rate was larger in XY compared with XX mice. Although XX and XY groups did not differ in the total number of trials required in order to reach a preset performance criterion, analyses of reversal error types showed more perseverative errors in XY than XX mice, with no difference in regressive errors. Additionally, prepotent-response latencies during the reversal phase were shorter in XY males, as compared with both XX gonadal males and females of either SCC, and failures to sustain the observing response were more frequent in XY mice than XX mice during the acquisition phase. These results indicate that SCC affects the characteristic pattern of response selection during acquisition and reversal performance without affecting the overall learning rate. More broadly, these results show direct effects of the SCC on cognitive processes that are relevant to psychiatric/neurodevelopmental disorders and syndromes associated with sex-chromosome aneuploidies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M Aarde
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rylee M Genner
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Haley Hrncir
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - James D Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
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23
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Merchán-Clavellino A, Salguero-Alcañiz MP, Barbosa F, Alameda-Bailén JR. Decision Making Profile of Positive and Negative Anticipatory Skin Conductance Responders in an Unlimited-Time Version of the IGT. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2237. [PMID: 31681074 PMCID: PMC6803756 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02237] [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: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on the somatic marker hypothesis (Damasio, 1994), many studies have examined whether or not physiological responses are “somatic markers” that implicitly guide the decision making process. Vegetative or motor reactions that are produced by negative or positive stimuli generate a series of somatic markers. So, when a similar stimuli is encountered in the future, these somatic marks will facilitate favorable decisions and inhibit the disadvantageous ones (Martínez-Selva et al., 2006). The most widely studied physiological responses, as indicators of these markers, are heart rate and the skin conductance response (Damasio, 1994; Bechara et al., 1996). The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been the most widely used tool in this research. The common IGT protocol for psychophysiological studies comprises limited inter-trial intervals, and does not distinguish participants as a function of relevant physiological traits, such as the anticipatory skin conductance response (aSCR). The objectives of this work were to determine whether “somatic markers” guide the decision making process without time restrictions and to examine the effects of opposite aSCR profiles on this process. Participants were 29 healthy subjects, divided into two groups according to positive (+) and negative (−) aSCR. Two different data analysis strategies were applied: firstly, gambling indices were computed and, secondly, we examined the parameters of the probabilistic Prospect Valence Learning (PVL) model in three versions: maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), PVL-Delta and PVL-Decay simulations with Hierarchical Bayesian analysis (HBA) for parameter estimation. The results show a significant group effect in gambling indices, with the aSCR+ group presenting lower risk in the decision making process than the aSCR− group. Significant differences were also observed in the Utility parameter of MLE-PVL, with the aSCR− group have low sensitivity to feedback outcomes, than aSRC+ group. However, data from the PVL simulations do not show significant group differences and, in both cases, the utility value denotes low sensitivity to feedback outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Merchán-Clavellino
- Social Psychology Area, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | | | - Fernando Barbosa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jose R Alameda-Bailén
- Basic Psychology Area, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
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24
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Madonna D, Delvecchio G, Soares JC, Brambilla P. Structural and functional neuroimaging studies in generalized anxiety disorder: a systematic review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 41:336-362. [PMID: 31116259 PMCID: PMC6804309 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2018-0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Brain imaging studies carried out in patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have contributed to better characterize the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder. The present study reviews the available functional and structural brain imaging evidence on GAD, and suggests further strategies for investigations in this field. METHODS A systematic literature review was performed in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, aiming to identify original research evaluating GAD patients with the use of structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging as well as diffusion tensor imaging. RESULTS The available studies have shown impairments in ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, posterior parietal regions, and amygdala in both pediatric and adult GAD patients, mostly in the right hemisphere. However, the literature is often tentative, given that most studies have employed small samples and included patients with comorbidities or in current use of various medications. Finally, different methodological aspects, such as the type of imaging equipment used, also complicate the generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal neuroimaging studies with larger samples of both juvenile and adult GAD patients, as well as at risk individuals and unaffected relatives, should be carried out in order to shed light on the specific biological signature of GAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Madonna
- Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Universitá di Milano, Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Salute Mentale, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Universitá di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Salute Mentale, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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25
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Predicting risk decisions in a modified Balloon Analogue Risk Task: Conventional and single-trial ERP analyses. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 18:99-116. [PMID: 29204798 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0555-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Event-related potential (ERP) has the potential to reveal the temporal neurophysiological dynamics of risk decision-making, but this potential has not been fully explored in previous studies. When predicting risk decision with ERPs, most studies focus on between-trial analysis that reflects feedback learning, while within-trial analysis that could directly link option assessment with behavioral output has been largely ignored. Suitable task design is crucial for applying within-trial prediction. In this study, we used a modified version of the classic Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). In each trial of the task, participants made multiple rounds of decisions between a risky option (pump up the balloon) and a safe option (cash out). Behavioral results show that as the level of economic risk increased, participants were less willing to make a risky decision and also needed a longer response time to do so. In general, the ERP results showed distinct characteristics compared with previous findings based on between-trial prediction, particularly about the role of the P1 component. Specifically, both the P1 (amplitude and latency) and P3 (amplitude) components evoked by current outcomes predicted subsequent decisions. We suggest that these findings indicate the importance of selective attention (indexed by the P1) and motivational functions (indexed by the P3), which may help clarify the cognitive mechanism of risk decision-making. The theoretical significance of these findings is discussed.
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26
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Weller J, Ceschi A, Hirsch L, Sartori R, Costantini A. Accounting for Individual Differences in Decision-Making Competence: Personality and Gender Differences. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2258. [PMID: 30534098 PMCID: PMC6276324 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging research has highlighted the utility of measuring individual differences in decision-making competence (DMC), showing that consistently following normatively rational principles is associated with positive psychosocial and health behaviors. From another level of analysis, functional theories of personality suggest that broad trait dimensions represent variation in underlying self-regulatory systems, providing a mechanistic account for robust associations between traits and similar life outcomes. Yet, the degree to which broad dispositional personality dimensions predict global tendencies to respond rationally is less understood. In a large online community sample (N = 804), we tested the associations between HEXACO personality dimensions, a 6-factor structural trait model, and a subset of DMC indicators (Applying Decision Rules, Resistance to Framing, Recognizing Social Norms, and Consistency in Risk Perception). Additionally, we examined gender differences across the DMC, first considering the potential for measurement non-invariance across groups for the DMC. We observed partial measurement invariance between men and women; only the Applying Decision Rules scale showed evidence of differential functioning across groups. Controlling for these differences, analyses revealed that higher Conscientiousness, Honesty/Humility, and Openness were associated with higher DMC scores. In contrast, Emotionality and Extraversion demonstrated gender-specific associations. Specifically, low Extraversion was associated with higher DMC scores for men, whereas higher Emotionality was associated with higher DMC scores for women. Our results suggest that traits related to self-regulatory functions of cognitive and behavioral control, and cognitive flexibility are associated with an increased tendency to engage in rational thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Weller
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Andrea Ceschi
- Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Lauren Hirsch
- Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Riccardo Sartori
- Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Polat Ş, Kutlu L, Ay F, Purİsa S, Erkan HA. Decision-making styles, anxiety levels, and critical thinking levels of nurses. Jpn J Nurs Sci 2018; 16:309-321. [DOI: 10.1111/jjns.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Şehrinaz Polat
- Directorate of Nursing Services, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine; Istanbul University; Istanbul Turkey
| | - Leman Kutlu
- Department of Midwifery, Vocational High School; Halic University; Istanbul Turkey
| | - Fatma Ay
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences; Istanbul University; Istanbul Turkey
| | - Sevim Purİsa
- Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy; Istanbul University; Istanbul Turkey
| | - Habibe A. Erkan
- Directorate of Nursing Services, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine; Istanbul University; Istanbul Turkey
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28
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Blanch A, Lucas I, Balada F, Blanco E, Aluja A. Sex differences and personality in the modulation of the acoustic startle reflex. Physiol Behav 2018; 195:20-27. [PMID: 30053432 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The modulation of the eyeblink component of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) has been used to study human motivation, attention, and emotion towards affective stimuli of different valence. However, sex and individual differences in personality have been rather overlooked concerning the change in the ASR to brief affective sequences. In this study, we aimed to evaluate sex differences in the ASR, together with the influence of sensitivity to punishment (SP) and sensitivity to reward (SR) in the affective modulation of the ASR to pleasant and unpleasant pictures. We addressed this topic with a latent curve model (LCM) representing the change in the ASR of an extensive group of men (n = 166) and women (n = 109). There was a significant habituation of the ASR to the pleasant pictures, and a significant sensitization of the ASR to the unpleasant pictures. Both effects were higher and more variable for women than for men. There were in addition interactive and quadratic effects of SP and SR on the ASR to the pleasant and unpleasant pictures. Men and women with extreme scores in SP, and women with low scores in SR habituated faster to the pleasant stimuli. For men scoring low in SP, higher scores in SR related with an attenuated initial ASR to the unpleasant stimuli. Women with extreme scores in SP had a higher initial ASR to the unpleasant stimuli. There were remarkable asymmetries between men and women concerning personality effects on the change in the ASR to affective stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel Blanch
- Department of Psychology, University of Lleida, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB), Lleida, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Lucas
- Department of Psychology, University of Lleida, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB), Lleida, Spain
| | - Ferran Balada
- Department of Psychology, University of Lleida, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB), Lleida, Spain; Department of Psychobiology, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduardo Blanco
- Department of Psychology, University of Lleida, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB), Lleida, Spain
| | - Anton Aluja
- Department of Psychology, University of Lleida, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB), Lleida, Spain
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Sex differences in self-regulatory executive functions are amplified by trait anxiety: The case of students at risk for academic failure. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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30
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Geng H, Wang Y, Gu R, Luo YJ, Xu P, Huang Y, Li X. Altered brain activation and connectivity during anticipation of uncertain threat in trait anxiety. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:3898-3914. [PMID: 29882617 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In the research field of anxiety, previous studies generally focus on emotional responses following threat. A recent model of anxiety proposes that altered anticipation prior to uncertain threat is related with the development of anxiety. Behavioral findings have built the relationship between anxiety and distinct anticipatory processes including attention, estimation of threat, and emotional responses. However, few studies have characterized the brain organization underlying anticipation of uncertain threat and its role in anxiety. In the present study, we used an emotional anticipation paradigm with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the aforementioned topics by employing brain activation and general psychophysiological interactions (gPPI) analysis. In the activation analysis, we found that high trait anxious individuals showed significantly increased activation in the thalamus, middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), as well as decreased activation in the precuneus, during anticipation of uncertain threat compared to the certain condition. In the gPPI analysis, the key regions including the amygdala, dmPFC, and precuneus showed altered connections with distributed brain areas including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), inferior parietal sulcus (IPS), insula, para-hippocampus gyrus (PHA), thalamus, and MTG involved in anticipation of uncertain threat in anxious individuals. Taken together, our findings indicate that during the anticipation of uncertain threat, anxious individuals showed altered activations and functional connectivity in widely distributed brain areas, which may be critical for abnormal perception, estimation, and emotion reactions during the anticipation of uncertain threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Geng
- Key laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.,Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, 518057, China.,BCN Neuroimaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yi Wang
- Key laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, China
| | - Ruolei Gu
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, China.,Key laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.,Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, 518057, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yuxia Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xuebing Li
- Key laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, China
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31
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Kang M, Han A, Kim DE, Seidle T, Lim KM, Bae S. Mental Stress from Animal Experiments: a Survey with Korean Researchers. Toxicol Res 2018; 34:75-81. [PMID: 29372004 PMCID: PMC5776918 DOI: 10.5487/tr.2018.34.1.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal experiments have been widely conducted in the life sciences for more than a century, and have long been a subject of ethical and societal controversy due to the deliberate infliction of harm upon sentient animals. However, the harmful use of animals may also negatively impact the mental health of researchers themselves. We sought to evaluate the anxiety level of researchers engaged in animal use to analyse the mental stress from animal testing. The State Anxiety Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to evaluate how researchers feel when they conduct animal, as opposed to non-animal, based experiments (95 non-animal and 98 animal testing researchers). The Trait Anxiety Scale of STAI was employed to measure proneness to anxiety, namely the base trait of the researchers. Additionally, the information on sex, age, education, income, and total working periods was collected. While the Trait Anxiety scores were comparable (41.5 ± 10.9 versus 42.9 ± 10.1, p = 0.3682, t-test), the State Anxiety scores were statistically significantly higher for animal users than non-animal users (45.1 ± 10.7 versus 41.3 ± 9.4, p = 0.011). This trend was consistent for both male and female. Notably, younger animal testers (≤ 30 years of age) with less work experience (≤ 2 years) and lower income level (≤ 27,000 USD) exhibited higher anxiety scores, whereas these factors did not affect the anxiety level of non-animal users. The present study demonstrated that participation in animal experiments can negatively impact the mental health of researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minji Kang
- College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - AhRam Han
- College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Da-Eun Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Troy Seidle
- Research and Toxicology Department, Humane Society International, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kyung-Min Lim
- College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.,Research and Toxicology Department, Humane Society International, Toronto, Canada
| | - SeungJin Bae
- College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
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32
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Georgiou P, Zanos P, Bhat S, Tracy JK, Merchenthaler IJ, McCarthy MM, Gould TD. Dopamine and Stress System Modulation of Sex Differences in Decision Making. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:313-324. [PMID: 28741626 PMCID: PMC5729565 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Maladaptive decision making is associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders, including problem gambling and suicidal behavior. The prevalence of these disorders is higher in men vs women, suggesting gender-dependent regulation of their pathophysiology underpinnings. We assessed sex differences in decision making using the rat version of the Iowa gambling task. Female rats identified the most optimal choice from session 1, whereas male rats from session 5. Male, but not female rats, progressively improved their advantageous option responding and surpassed females. Estrus cycle phase did not affect decision making. To test whether pharmacological manipulations targeting the dopaminergic and stress systems affect decision making in a sex-dependent manner, male and female rats received injections of a dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonist (eticlopride), D2R agonist (quinpirole), corticotropin-releasing factor 1 (CRF1) antagonist (antalarmin), and α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist (yohimbine; used as a pharmacological stressor). Alterations in mRNA levels of D2R and CRF1 were also assessed. Eticlopride decreased advantageous responding in male, but not female rats, whereas quinpirole decreased advantageous responding specifically in females. Yohimbine dose-dependently decreased advantageous responding in female rats, whereas decreased advantageous responding was only observed at higher doses in males. Antalarmin increased optimal choice responding only in female rats. Higher Drd2 and Crhr1 expression in the amygdala were observed in female vs male rats. Higher amygdalar Crhr1 expression was negatively correlated with advantageous responding specifically in females. This study demonstrates the relevance of dopaminergic- and stress-dependent sex differences to maladaptive decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polymnia Georgiou
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Panos Zanos
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shambhu Bhat
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - J Kathleen Tracy
- Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Istvan J Merchenthaler
- Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Margaret M McCarthy
- Departments of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Todd D Gould
- Departments of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, MSTF 936; 685 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA, Tel: +1 (410) 706-5585, E-mail:
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33
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Sidlauskaite J, González-Madruga K, Smaragdi A, Riccelli R, Puzzo I, Batchelor M, Cornwell H, Clark L, Sonuga-Barke EJS, Fairchild G. Sex differences in risk-based decision making in adolescents with conduct disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 27:1133-1142. [PMID: 28688012 PMCID: PMC6133105 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-017-1024-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Altered decision making processes and excessive risk-seeking behaviours are key features of conduct disorder (CD). Previous studies have provided compelling evidence of abnormally increased preference for risky options, higher sensitivity to rewards, as well as blunted responsiveness to aversive outcomes in adolescents with CD. However, most studies published to date have focused on males only; thus, it is not known whether females with CD show similar alterations in decision making. The current study investigated potential sex differences in decision making and risk-seeking behaviours in adolescents with CD. Forty-nine adolescents with CD (23 females) and 51 control subjects (27 females), aged 11-18 years, performed a computerised task assessing decision making under risk-the Risky Choice Task. Participants made a series of decisions between two gamble options that varied in terms of their expected values and probability of gains and losses. This enabled the participants' risk preferences to be determined. Taking the sample as a whole, adolescents with CD exhibited increased risk-seeking behaviours compared to healthy controls. However, we found a trend towards a sex-by-group interaction, suggesting that these effects may vary by sex. Follow-up analyses showed that males with CD made significantly more risky choices than their typically developing counterparts, while females with CD did not differ from typically developing females in their risk-seeking behaviours. Our results provide preliminary evidence that sex may moderate the relationship between CD and alterations in risk attitudes and reward processing, indicating that there may be sex differences in the developmental pathways and neuropsychological deficits that lead to CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justina Sidlauskaite
- Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Building 44, Southampton, UK.
| | - Karen González-Madruga
- 0000 0004 1936 9297grid.5491.9Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Building 44, Southampton, UK
| | - Areti Smaragdi
- 0000 0004 1936 9297grid.5491.9Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Building 44, Southampton, UK
| | - Roberta Riccelli
- 0000 0004 1936 9297grid.5491.9Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Building 44, Southampton, UK
| | - Ignazio Puzzo
- 0000 0004 1936 9297grid.5491.9Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Building 44, Southampton, UK
| | - Molly Batchelor
- 0000 0004 1936 9297grid.5491.9Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Building 44, Southampton, UK
| | - Harriet Cornwell
- 0000 0004 1936 9297grid.5491.9Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Building 44, Southampton, UK
| | - Luke Clark
- 0000 0001 2288 9830grid.17091.3eDepartment of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Edmund J. S. Sonuga-Barke
- 0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Graeme Fairchild
- 0000 0001 2162 1699grid.7340.0Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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Zhang F, Xiao L, Gu R. Does Gender Matter in the Relationship between Anxiety and Decision-Making? Front Psychol 2017; 8:2231. [PMID: 29312077 PMCID: PMC5742200 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate about whether and how anxiety level affects behavioral performance in risk and/or ambiguous decision-making. According to the literature, we suggest that gender difference might be a confounding factor that has contributed to heterogeneous findings in previous studies. To examine this idea, 135 students who participated in this study were divided into six groups according to their gender (male/female) and trait anxiety level (high/medium/low; measured by the Trait form of Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). All groups finished the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) for ambiguous decision-making, and the Game of Dice Task (GDT) for risk decision-making. Behavioral results revealed that the IGT but not the GDT showed an interaction between anxiety and gender. Specifically, men outperformed women in the IGT, but only when their trait anxiety levels were low. Meanwhile, the GDT showed a main effect of anxiety grouping, such that low anxious participants were more risk-seeking than their medium anxious counterparts. These findings indicate that gender selectively modulates the influence of anxiety on ambiguous decision-making, but not risk decision-making. The theoretical and practical implications of the current findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenghua Zhang
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
- Key Laboratory of Psychology and Cognition Science of Jiangxi, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Leifeng Xiao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ruolei Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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35
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Kataja EL, Karlsson L, Huizink AC, Tolvanen M, Parsons C, Nolvi S, Karlsson H. Pregnancy-related anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with visuospatial working memory errors during pregnancy. J Affect Disord 2017; 218:66-74. [PMID: 28458118 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive deficits, especially in memory and concentration, are often reported during pregnancy. Similar cognitive dysfunctions can also occur in depression and anxiety. To date, few studies have investigated the associations between cognitive deficits and psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy. This field is of interest because maternal cognitive functioning, and particularly its higher-order aspects are related to maternal well-being and caregiving behavior, as well as later child development. METHODS Pregnant women (N =230), reporting low (n =87), moderate (n =97), or high (n =46) levels of depressive, general anxiety and/or pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms (assessed repeatedly with EPDS, SCL-90/anxiety subscale, PRAQ-R2, respectively) were tested in mid-pregnancy for their cognitive functions. A computerized neuropsychological test battery was used. RESULTS Pregnant women with high or moderate level of psychiatric symptoms had significantly more errors in visuospatial working memory/executive functioning task than mothers with low symptom level. Depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy and concurrent pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms were significant predictors of the performance in the task. General anxiety symptoms were not related to visuospatial working memory. LIMITATIONS Cognitive functions were evaluated only at one time-point during pregnancy precluding causal conclusions. CONCLUSIONS Maternal depressive symptoms and pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms were both associated with decrements in visuospatial working memory/executive functioning. Depressive symptoms seem to present more stable relationship with cognitive deficits, while pregnancy-related anxiety was associated only concurrently. Future studies could investigate, how stable these cognitive differences are, and whether they affect maternal ability to deal with demands of pregnancy and later parenting.
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Affiliation(s)
- E-L Kataja
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland; FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland.
| | - L Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Child Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Finland
| | - A C Huizink
- Department of Clinical Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - M Tolvanen
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Community Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland
| | - C Parsons
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK; Interacting Minds Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - S Nolvi
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland
| | - H Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland
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36
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Enhanced Risk Aversion, But Not Loss Aversion, in Unmedicated Pathological Anxiety. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:1014-1022. [PMID: 28126210 PMCID: PMC5466268 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are associated with disruptions in both emotional processing and decision making. As a result, anxious individuals often make decisions that favor harm avoidance. However, this bias could be driven by enhanced aversion to uncertainty about the decision outcome (e.g., risk) or aversion to negative outcomes (e.g., loss). Distinguishing between these possibilities may provide a better cognitive understanding of anxiety disorders and hence inform treatment strategies. METHODS To address this question, unmedicated individuals with pathological anxiety (n = 25) and matched healthy control subjects (n = 23) completed a gambling task featuring a decision between a gamble and a safe (certain) option on every trial. Choices on one type of gamble-involving weighing a potential win against a potential loss (mixed)-could be driven by both loss and risk aversion, whereas choices on the other type-featuring only wins (gain only)-were exclusively driven by risk aversion. By fitting a computational prospect theory model to participants' choices, we were able to reliably estimate risk and loss aversion and their respective contribution to gambling decisions. RESULTS Relative to healthy control subjects, pathologically anxious participants exhibited enhanced risk aversion but equivalent levels of loss aversion. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with pathological anxiety demonstrate clear avoidance biases in their decision making. These findings suggest that this may be driven by a reduced propensity to take risks rather than a stronger aversion to losses. This important clarification suggests that psychological interventions for anxiety should focus on reducing risk sensitivity rather than reducing sensitivity to negative outcomes per se.
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Ruf BM, Bessette KL, Pearlson GD, Stevens MC. Effect of trait anxiety on cognitive test performance in adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2016; 39:434-448. [PMID: 27690740 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2016.1232373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety are frequently comorbid disorders associated with different types of abnormal performance on neuropsychological tests. Although some studies have shown that comorbid anxiety alters ADHD test performance, results inconsistently show both improvements and worsening of different abilities, with failures to replicate across different anxiety disorders. Alternatively, trait anxiety may reflect a more stable influence on ADHD test performance than various diagnosable anxiety disorders. METHOD To better understand the possible enhancing or deleterious effects of anxiety on ADHD cognitive impairments, this study examined the effect of individual differences in trait anxiety measured by the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) on a battery of computerized, rapid-performance tests measuring attention and impulsivity-related performance in 98 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) Combined-Subtype ADHD adolescents and 123 healthy controls. It was hypothesized that trait anxiety would attenuate response inhibition and attention deficits in ADHD. RESULTS ADHD-diagnosed adolescents with higher trait anxiety performed better on indices of sustained attention, reaction time, and motor variability, and had altered overall test-performance strategy, while response inhibition was affected in both ADHD and non-ADHD. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first evidence that pathological levels of anxiety are not needed to see differences in ADHD neuropsychological test performance. Instead, mildly elevated trait anxiety confers a protective influence by reducing the degree of impairment seen in ADHD. These findings suggest that better performing ADHD adolescents might have optimized levels of cortical arousal, and raise new questions about how best to identify the neurobiological substrates responsible for the beneficial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara M Ruf
- a Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living is the Institution , Hartford , CT , USA.,b Department of Psychiatry , Brown Alpert Medical School , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Katie L Bessette
- a Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living is the Institution , Hartford , CT , USA.,c Department of Psychology , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago , IL , USA
| | - Godfrey D Pearlson
- a Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living is the Institution , Hartford , CT , USA.,d Department of Psychiatry , Yale University School of Medicine , Hartford , CT , USA
| | - Michael C Stevens
- a Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living is the Institution , Hartford , CT , USA.,d Department of Psychiatry , Yale University School of Medicine , Hartford , CT , USA.,e The Institute of Living , Hartford , CT , USA
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Cao B, Wang J, Zhang X, Yang X, Poon DCH, Jelfs B, Chan RHM, Wu JCY, Li Y. Impairment of decision making and disruption of synchrony between basolateral amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex in the maternally separated rat. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 136:74-85. [PMID: 27664716 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable evidence to suggest early life experiences, such as maternal separation (MS), play a role in the prevalence of emotional dysregulation and cognitive impairment. At the same time, optimal decision making requires functional integrity between the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and any dysfunction of this system is believed to induce decision-making deficits. However, the impact of MS on decision-making behavior and the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms have not been thoroughly studied. As such, we consider the impact of MS on the emotional and cognitive functions of rats by employing the open-field test, elevated plus-maze test, and rat gambling task (RGT). Using multi-channel recordings from freely behaving rats, we assessed the effects of MS on the large scale synchrony between the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the ACC; while also characterizing the relationship between neural spiking activity and the ongoing oscillations in theta frequency band across the BLA and ACC. The results indicated that the MS rats demonstrated anxiety-like behavior. While the RGT showed a decrease in the percentage of good decision-makers, and an increase in the percentage of poor decision-makers. Electrophysiological data revealed an increase in the total power in the theta band of the LFP in the BLA and a decrease in theta power in the ACC in MS rats. MS was also found to disrupt the spike-field coherence of the ACC single unit spiking activity to the ongoing theta oscillations in the BLA and interrupt the synchrony in the BLA-ACC pathway. We provide specific evidence that MS leads to decision-making deficits that are accompanied by alteration of the theta band LFP in the BLA-ACC circuitries and disruption of the neural network integrity. These observations may help revise fundamental notions regarding neurophysiological biomarkers to treat cognitive impairment induced by early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Cao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xiangwei Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - David Chun-Hei Poon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Beth Jelfs
- Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Rosa H M Chan
- Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Justin Che-Yuen Wu
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; School of Veterinary Medicine, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
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Slope climbing challenges, fear of heights, anxiety and time of the day. Behav Brain Res 2016; 316:169-182. [PMID: 27609646 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
When exposed to an unfamiliar open space, animals experience fear and attempt to find an escape route. Anxiety emerges when animals are confronted with a challenging obstacle to this fear motivated escape. High anxiety animals do not take risks; they avoid the challenge. The present experiments investigated this risk avoidant behavior in mice. In experiment 1, BALB/c, C57BL/6J and CD-1 mice were exposed to a large platform with downward inclined steep slopes attached on two opposite sides. The platform was elevated 75 and 100cm from the ground, in a standard (SPDS) and in a raised (RPDS) configuration, respectively. In experiment 2, the platform was elevated 75cm from the ground. Mice had to climb onto a stand at the top of upward inclined slopes (SPUS). In experiment 3, BALB/c mice were exposed to SPDS with steep or shallow slopes either in early morning or in late afternoon. In all 3 test configurations, mice spent more time in the areas adjacent to the slopes than in the areas adjacent to void, however only C57BL/6J and CD-1 crossed onto the slopes in SPDS, and crossed onto the stands in SPUS whereas BALB/c remained on the platform in SPDS and explored the slopes in SPUS. Elevation of the platform from the ground reduced the crossings onto the slopes in C57BL/6J and CD-1, and no differences were observed between BALB/c and C57BL/6J. BALB/c mice demonstrated no difference in anxiety when tested early morning or late afternoon; they crossed onto shallow slopes and avoided the steep one.
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Ferrer RA, Maclay A, Litvak PM, Lerner JS. Revisiting the Effects of Anger on Risk-Taking: Empirical and Meta-Analytic Evidence for Differences Between Males and Females. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.1971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Ferrer
- Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch; National Cancer Institute; USA
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López R, Poy R, Segarra P, Esteller À, Fonfría A, Ribes P, Ventura C, Moltó J. Gender-specific effects of trait anxiety on the cardiac defense response. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Sobkow A, Traczyk J, Zaleskiewicz T. The Affective Bases of Risk Perception: Negative Feelings and Stress Mediate the Relationship between Mental Imagery and Risk Perception. Front Psychol 2016; 7:932. [PMID: 27445901 PMCID: PMC4919331 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has documented that affect plays a crucial role in risk perception. When no information about numerical risk estimates is available (e.g., probability of loss or magnitude of consequences), people may rely on positive and negative affect toward perceived risk. However, determinants of affective reactions to risks are poorly understood. In a series of three experiments, we addressed the question of whether and to what degree mental imagery eliciting negative affect and stress influences risk perception. In each experiment, participants were instructed to visualize consequences of risk taking and to rate riskiness. In Experiment 1, participants who imagined negative risk consequences reported more negative affect and perceived risk as higher compared to the control condition. In Experiment 2, we found that this effect was driven by affect elicited by mental imagery rather than its vividness and intensity. In this study, imagining positive risk consequences led to lower perceived risk than visualizing negative risk consequences. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that negative affect related to higher perceived risk was caused by negative feelings of stress. In Experiment 3, we introduced risk-irrelevant stress to show that participants in the stress condition rated perceived risk as higher in comparison to the control condition. This experiment showed that higher ratings of perceived risk were influenced by psychological stress. Taken together, our results demonstrate that affect-laden mental imagery dramatically changes risk perception through negative affect (i.e., psychological stress).
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Sobkow
- Department of Cognitive and Individual Differences Psychology, Faculty in Wroclaw, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Traczyk
- Department of Economic Psychology, Faculty in Wroclaw, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Zaleskiewicz
- Department of Economic Psychology, Faculty in Wroclaw, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities Wroclaw, Poland
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Mosca O, Lauriola M, Carleton RN. Intolerance of Uncertainty: A Temporary Experimental Induction Procedure. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155130. [PMID: 27254099 PMCID: PMC4890765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a trans-diagnostic construct involved in anxiety and related disorders. Research focused on cross-sectional reporting, manipulating attitudes toward objective and impersonal events or on treatments designed to reduce IU in clinical populations. The current paper presents an experimental procedure for laboratory manipulations of IU and tests mediation hypotheses following the Intolerance of Uncertainty Model. Methods On pre-test, undergraduate volunteers (Study 1, n = 43;68% women. Study 2, n = 169;83.8% women) were asked to provide an idiosyncratic future negative life event. State-IU, Worry, Positive and Negative Affect were assessed after that a standardized procedure was used to identify event’s potential negative consequences. The same variables were assessed on post-test, after that participants were asked to read-through increasing and decreasing IU statements. Results Temporary changes on IU were consistently reproduced in both studies. Participants receiving increasing IU instructions reported greater state-IU, Worry and Negative Affect than those receiving decreasing IU instructions. However, this latter condition was not different from a control one (Study 2). Both studies revealed significant indirect effects of IU induction instructions on Worry and Negative Affect through state-IU. Limitations Both studies used undergraduate psychology students samples, younger than average population and predominantly female. Experimental manipulation and outcome measures belongs to the same semantic domain, uncertainty, potentially limiting generalizability. Conclusions Results supported the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed IU manipulation for non-clinical sample. Findings parallel clinical research showing that state-IU preceded Worry and Negative Affect states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriana Mosca
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome ‘Sapienza’, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Marco Lauriola
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome ‘Sapienza’, Rome, Italy
| | - R. Nicholas Carleton
- The Anxiety and Illness Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Pick a Card, Any Card: The Relationship Between Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Decision-Making. BEHAVIOUR CHANGE 2016. [DOI: 10.1017/bec.2016.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Specific deficits in decision-making have been demonstrated in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The experience of anxious arousal in obsessive-compulsive (OC) patients has been posited to be responsible for disrupting the cognitive processes that lead to efficacious decision-making (Sachdev & Malhi, 2005). In spite of this, research has neglected to examine explicitly the effect of anxiety on the relationship between decision-making and OCD. The current study investigates whether decision-making differences on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) occur as a function of OC symptomatology in a non-clinical sample (n = 110). Participants were randomly allocated to either an anxiety condition (n = 58) or control condition (n = 52). Anxious arousal was induced in the anxiety condition via an experimental manipulation prior to commencing the IGT. Participants in the anxiety condition performed significantly worse than those in the control group on the IGT. However, OC symptomatology did not significantly predict IGT performance. The experience of anxiety did not significantly moderate the relationship between OC symptomatology and IGT performance. These findings indicate that decision-making differences do not occur as a function of OC symptomatology in a non-clinical sample; however, they do suggest that the experience of anxiety significantly impairs decision-making performance. The theoretical and practical applications of the findings are discussed.
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Pereira AM. Neuropsychological functioning in acromegaly: towards identification of modifiable factors to improve long-term care after remission. Endocrine 2015; 50:523-5. [PMID: 26349939 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-015-0736-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto M Pereira
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, and Center for Endocrine Tumors Leiden, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Buelow MT, Barnhart WR. The Influence of Math Anxiety, Math Performance, Worry, and Test Anxiety on the Iowa Gambling Task and Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Assessment 2015; 24:127-137. [PMID: 26310960 DOI: 10.1177/1073191115602554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Multiple studies have shown that performance on behavioral decision-making tasks, such as the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), is influenced by external factors, such as mood. However, the research regarding the influence of worry is mixed, and no research has examined the effect of math or test anxiety on these tasks. The present study investigated the effects of anxiety (including math anxiety) and math performance on the IGT and BART in a sample of 137 undergraduate students. Math performance and worry were not correlated with performance on the IGT, and no variables were correlated with BART performance. Linear regressions indicated math anxiety, physiological anxiety, social concerns/stress, and test anxiety significantly predicted disadvantageous selections on the IGT during the transition from decision making under ambiguity to decision making under risk. Implications for clinical evaluation of decision making are discussed.
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Mu L, Wang J, Cao B, Jelfs B, Chan RHM, Xu X, Hasan M, Zhang X, Li Y. Impairment of cognitive function by chemotherapy: association with the disruption of phase-locking and synchronization in anterior cingulate cortex. Mol Brain 2015; 8:32. [PMID: 26001812 PMCID: PMC4490721 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-015-0125-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Patients following prolonged cancer chemotherapy are at high risk of emotional and cognitive deficits. Research indicates that the brain neuronal temporal coding and synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) are critical in memory and perception. We studied the effects of cisplatin on induction of LTP in the basolateral amygdala (BLA)-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) pathway, characterized the coordination of spike timing with local theta oscillation, and identified synchrony in the BLA-ACC network integrity. Results In the study presented, the impacts of cisplatin on emotional and cognitive functions were investigated by elevated plus-maze test, Morris water maze test, and rat Iowa gambling task (RGT). Electrophysiological recordings were conducted to study long-term potentiation. Simultaneous recordings from multi-electrodes were performed to characterize the neural spike firing and ongoing theta oscillation of local field potential (LFP), and to clarify the synchronization of large scale of theta oscillation in the BLA-ACC pathway. Cisplatin-treated rats demonstrated anxiety- like behavior, exhibited impaired spatial reference memory. RGT showed decrease of the percentage of good decision-makers, and increase in the percentage of maladaptive behavior (delay-good decision-makers plus poor decision-makers). Cisplatin suppressed the LTP, and disrupted the phase-locking of ACC single neural firings to the ongoing theta oscillation; further, cisplatin interrupted the synchrony in the BLA-ACC pathway. Conclusions We provide the first direct evidence that the cisplatin interrupts theta-frequency phase-locking of ACC neurons. The block of LTP and disruption of synchronized theta oscillations in the BLA-ACC pathway are associated with emotional and cognitive deficits in rats, following cancer chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Mu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Bing Cao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | - Beth Jelfs
- Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | - Rosa H M Chan
- Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | - Xiaoxiang Xu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | - Mahadi Hasan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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Zhang L, Wang K, Zhu C, Yu F, Chen X. Trait Anxiety Has Effect on Decision Making under Ambiguity but Not Decision Making under Risk. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127189. [PMID: 26000629 PMCID: PMC4441420 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 04/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have reported that trait anxiety (TA) affects decision making. However, results remain largely inconsistent across studies. The aim of the current study was to further address the interaction between TA and decision making. 304 subjects without depression from a sample consisting of 642 participants were grouped into high TA (HTA), medium TA (MTA) and low TA (LTA) groups based on their TA scores from State Trait Anxiety Inventory. All subjects were assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) that measures decision making under ambiguity and the Game of Dice Task (GDT) that measures decision making under risk. While the HTA and LTA groups performed worse on the IGT compared to the MTA group, performances on the GDT between the three groups did not differ. Furthermore, the LTA and HTA groups showed different individual deck level preferences in the IGT: the former showed a preference for deck B indicating that these subjects focused more on the magnitude of rewards, and the latter showed a preference for deck A indicating significant decision making impairment. Our findings suggest that trait anxiety has effect on decision making under ambiguity but not decision making under risk and different levels of trait anxiety related differently to individual deck level preferences in the IGT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Chunyan Zhu
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Fengqiong Yu
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xingui Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Miloyan B, Bulley A, Suddendorf T. Episodic foresight and anxiety: Proximate and ultimate perspectives. BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2015; 55:4-22. [DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Bulley
- University of Queensland; Brisbane Australia
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Yu R. Choking under pressure: the neuropsychological mechanisms of incentive-induced performance decrements. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:19. [PMID: 25713517 PMCID: PMC4322702 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the assumption of efficiency wage models, which state that wage incentives should be positively correlated with productivity, high incentives may produce performance decrements in real life scenarios. Such a “choking under pressure” phenomenon exemplifies how psychological stress can profoundly shape human behavior, for good or for bad. Previous theories suggest that individual choking under pressure because that high pressure may distract individuals’ attention away from the task (the distraction account), raise the attention paid to step-by-step skill processes (the explicit monitoring account), or elevate the arousal in general (the over-arousal account). Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that several brain regions implicated in motivation and top-down control of attention also play a key role in stress-induced choking, supporting for the over-arousal and distraction theories of choking. This review aims to identify psychological factors that determine choking and the neural underpinnings of these processes. Insights into how incentives influence performance may aid engineering training regimens and interventions that equip individuals to better handle high-stakes-induced psychological stress, and to thrive under stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongjun Yu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore ; Center for Life Sciences, Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore
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