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Tamman AJF, Abdallah CG, Dunsmoor JE, Cisler JM. Neural differentiation of emotional faces as a function of interpersonal violence among adolescent girls. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 172:90-101. [PMID: 38368703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Interpersonal violence (IV) is associated with altered neural threat processing and risk for psychiatric disorder. Representational similarity analysis (RSA) is a multivariate approach examining the extent to which differences between stimuli correspond to differences in multivoxel activation patterns to these stimuli within each ROI. Using RSA, we examine overlap in neural patterns between threat and neutral faces in youth with IV. Participants were female adolescents aged 11-17 who had a history of IV exposure (n = 77) or no history of IV, psychiatric diagnoses, nor psychiatric medications (n = 37). Participants completed a facial emotion processing task during fMRI. Linear mixed models indicated that increasing hippocampal differentiation of fear and neutral faces was associated with increasing IV severity. Increased neural differentiation of these facial stimuli in the left and right hippocampus was associated with increasing physical abuse severity. Increased differentiation by the dACC correlated with increasing physical assault severity. RSA for most ROIs were not significantly associated with univariate activity, except for a positive association between amygdala RSA and activity to fear faces. Differences in statistically significant ROIs for physical assault and physical abuse may highlight distinct effects of trauma type on encoding of threat vs. neutral faces. Null associations between RSA and univariate activation in most ROIs suggest unique contributions of RSA for understanding IV compared to traditional activation. Implications include understanding mechanisms of risk in IV and trauma-specific treatment selection. Future work should replicate these findings in longitudinal studies and identify sensitive periods for neural alterations in RSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J F Tamman
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Chadi G Abdallah
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD - Clinical Neurosciences Division, VA Connecticut, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; Core for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CAMRI), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Joseph E Dunsmoor
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Josh M Cisler
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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2
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González-Alemañy E, Ostrosky F, Lozano A, Lujan A, Perez M, Castañeda D, Diaz K, Lara R, Sacristan E, Bobes MA. Brain structural change associated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in maltreated children. Brain Res 2024; 1825:148702. [PMID: 38070819 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severely maltreatment child is a harmful social factor that can disrupt normal neurodevelopment. Two commonly reported effects of maltreatment are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and brain structural and functional alteration. While Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is effectively used to reduce PTSD symptoms in maltreated children, yet, its impact on brain structural alterations has not been fully explored. This study investigated whether TF-CBT can attenuate alterations in brain structures associated with PTSD in middle childhood. METHODS The study evaluated the longitudinal effects of Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and gray matter volume (GMV) in two groups of children under 12 years old: maltreated children (MC) and healthy non- maltreatmentd children (HC). Structural magnetic resonance images T1 were obtained before and after TF-CBT in the MC group, while the HC group was scanned twice within the same time interval. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to analyze GMV changes over time. RESULTS After TF-CBT, maltreated children showed significantly reduced PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, a significant group-by-time interaction effect was observed in certain areas of the Left Temporal, Left Occipital, and bilateral Frontal Cortex, the Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum. These interaction effects were driven by a GMV decrease in the MC group compared to the HC group. GMV changes can be predicted with clinical improvement in the left Middle Temporal gyrus, left Precuneus, and Cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that TF-CBT intervention in very young maltreated children may have an effect on gray matter. This evidence demonstrates the importance of timely intervention when neuroplasticity mechanisms may be activated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rafael Lara
- Centro Nacional de Investigación en Imagenología e instrumentación Médica (CI3M, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM), México.
| | - Emilio Sacristan
- Centro Nacional de Investigación en Imagenología e instrumentación Médica (CI3M, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM), México.
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Jin X, Xu B, Lin H, Chen J, Xu R, Jin H. The influence of childhood emotional neglect on emotional face processing in young adults. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 232:103814. [PMID: 36527819 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103814] [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: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood emotional neglect (CEN) refers to a failure to meet the basic emotional needs of a child, which can seriously impact interpersonal communication and psychological health in young adults. Emotional face processing is critical in interpersonal communication; however, whether CEN affects this processing in young adults has not been investigated. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the effects of CEN on emotional face processing in young adults. Using the Child Trauma Questionnaire, an online survey was conducted with 5010 students from four universities in Tianjin, China. After online interviews and diagnosis by professional doctors, we obtained 20 participants with CEN (CEN group) and 20 without CEN (control group). None of the participants had any mental diseases. A 2 × 4 mixed design was used to investigate the differences in accuracy and response time when identifying the valence of the emotional faces. Compared to the control group, the CEN group identified the valence of all emotional faces more slowly, but there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of accuracy. CEN caused delayed emotional face processing in young adults, which may be related to unresponsive, unavailable, and limited emotional interaction patterns between parents and their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokang Jin
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Huiyan Lin
- Institute of Applied Psychology, School of Public Administration, Guangdong University of Finance, Guangzhou 510521, China
| | - Juntao Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Ruitong Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Hua Jin
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China.
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Letkiewicz AM, Cochran AL, Cisler JM. Frontoparietal network activity during model-based reinforcement learning updates is reduced among adolescents with severe sexual abuse. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 145:256-262. [PMID: 33199053 PMCID: PMC8195295 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Trauma and trauma-related disorders are characterized by impaired learning processes, including reinforcement learning (RL). Identifying which aspects of learning are altered by trauma is critical endeavor, as this may reveal key mechanisms of impairment and potential intervention targets. There are at least two types of RL that have been delineated using computational modeling: model-free and model-based RL. Although these RL processes differentially predict decision-making behavior, most research has examined the impact of trauma on model-free RL. Currently unclear whether model-based RL, which involves building abstract and nuanced representations of stimulus-outcome relationships, is impaired among individuals with a history of trauma. The present study sought to test the hypothesis of impaired model-based RL among adolescent females exposed to assaultive trauma. Participants (n = 60; 29 without a history of assault and 31 with a history of assault with and without PTSD) completed a three-arm bandit task during fMRI acquisition. Two computational models compared the degree to which participants' task behavior fit the use of a model-free versus model-based RL strategy. Although a history of assaultive trauma did not predict poorer model-based RL, greater sexual abuse severity predicted less use of model-based compared to model-free RL. Additionally, severe sexual abuse predicted less left frontoparietal network encoding of model-based RL updates. Altered model-based RL, which supports goal-directed behavior, may be an important route through which clinical impairment emerges among individuals with a history of severe sexual abuse and should be examined further in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Letkiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Amy L. Cochran
- Departments of Math and Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Josh M. Cisler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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Rakesh D, Allen NB, Whittle S. Balancing act: Neural correlates of affect dysregulation in youth depression and substance use - A systematic review of functional neuroimaging studies. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 42:100775. [PMID: 32452461 PMCID: PMC7139159 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Both depression and substance use problems have their highest incidence during youth (i.e., adolescence and emerging adulthood), and are characterized by emotion regulation deficits. Influential neurodevelopmental theories suggest that alterations in the function of limbic and frontal regions render youth susceptible to these deficits. However, whether depression and substance use in youth are associated with similar alterations in emotion regulation neural circuitry is unknown. In this systematic review we synthesized the results of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the neural correlates of emotion regulation in youth depression and substance use. Resting-state fMRI studies focusing on limbic connectivity were also reviewed. While findings were largely inconsistent within and between studies of depression and substance use, some patterns emerged. First, youth depression appears to be associated with exaggerated amygdala activity in response to negative stimuli; second, both depression and substance use appear to be associated with lower functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex during rest. Findings are discussed in relation to support for existing neurodevelopmental models, and avenues for future work are suggested, including studying neurodevelopmental trajectories from a network perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyangana Rakesh
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Rinne-Albers MA, Boateng CP, van der Werff SJ, Lamers-Winkelman F, Rombouts SA, Vermeiren RR, van der Wee NJ. Preserved cortical thickness, surface area and volume in adolescents with PTSD after childhood sexual abuse. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3266. [PMID: 32094427 PMCID: PMC7039962 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60256-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to childhood adverse events is associated with severe consequences for general health and structural and functional changes in the brain of its survivors. In order to unravel and in the end influence the pathway linking adversity and pathology, neuroimaging research is crucial. Up till now studies in minors are scarce and differ in type of adversity or methodology. Almost all studies report lower cortical thickness, but in a broad variety of regions. In this study we investigated cortical thickness measures and clinical data in a well circumscribed group of adolescents with PTSD related to childhood sexual abuse (CSA) (N = 21) and a healthy non-traumatised control group (N = 21). The ventromedial PFC (vmPFC), ACC, insula, and middle/superior temporal gyrus were chosen as ROI’s due to their respective roles in emotion and information processing. No significant effect of group was found for cortical thickness, surface area or volume in any of the ROIs. This is in line with the results of research in adult women with sexual abuse related PTSD, suggesting that this may be specific to this group, independent of age. Recent research points to differential biological and pathological consequences of different types of childhood adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam A Rinne-Albers
- Curium-LUMC, Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Oegstgeest, the Netherlands.
| | - Charlotte P Boateng
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Steven J van der Werff
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Serge A Rombouts
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands.,Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands.,Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robert R Vermeiren
- Curium-LUMC, Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Oegstgeest, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nic J van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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Garrett A, Cohen JA, Zack S, Carrion V, Jo B, Blader J, Rodriguez A, Vanasse TJ, Reiss AL, Agras WS. Longitudinal changes in brain function associated with symptom improvement in youth with PTSD. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 114:161-169. [PMID: 31082658 PMCID: PMC6633919 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies indicate that youth with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have abnormal activation in brain regions important for emotion processing. It is unknown whether symptom improvement is accompanied by normative changes in these regions. This study identified neural changes associated with symptom improvement with the long-term goal of identifying malleable targets for interventions. METHODS A total of 80 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were collected, including 20 adolescents with PTSD (ages 9-17) and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects, each scanned before and after a 5-month period. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy was provided to the PTSD group to ensure improvement in symptoms. Whole brain voxel-wise activation and region of interest analyses of facial expression task data were conducted to identify abnormalities in the PTSD group versus HC at baseline (BL), and neural changes correlated with symptom improvement from BL to EOS of study (EOS). RESULTS At BL, the PTSD group had abnormally elevated activation in the cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and medial frontal cortex compared to HC. From BL to EOS, PTSD symptoms improved an average of 39%. Longitudinal improvement in symptoms of PTSD was associated with decreasing activation in posterior cingulate, mid-cingulate, and hippocampus, while improvement in dissociative symptoms was correlated with decreasing activation in the amygdala. CONCLUSIONS Abnormalities in emotion-processing brain networks in youth with PTSD normalize when symptoms improve, demonstrating neural plasticity of these regions in young patients and the importance of early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Garrett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA; Research Imaging Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, USA.
| | - Judith A. Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry Drexel University College of Medicine, Allegheny Health Network
| | - Sanno Zack
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | - Victor Carrion
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | - Joseph Blader
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
| | - Alexis Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
| | - Thomas J. Vanasse
- Research Imaging Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio
| | - Allan L. Reiss
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | - W. Stewart Agras
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
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8
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Perizzolo VC, Berchio C, Moser DA, Gomez CP, Vital M, Arnautovic E, Torrisi R, Serpa SR, Michel CM, Schechter DS. EEG recording during an emotional face-matching task in children of mothers with interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 283:34-44. [PMID: 30530040 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of maternal interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic disorder (IPV-PTSD) on child appraisal of emotion, as measured by high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG) during an Emotional Face-matching Task (EFMT). We recorded HD-EEG in 47 children of mothers with and without IPV-PTSD during an Emotional Face-matching Task (EFMT). Mothers and children each performed the EFMT. Behavioral results demonstrated that both mothers who were directly exposed to violent events, and their children, presented attentional bias toward negative emotions when processing facial stimuli. EEG findings confirmed differences in emotion appraisal between children of IPV-PTSD mothers and non-PTSD controls at scalp-level and in terms of source localization upon which children of IPV-PTSD mothers demonstrated decreased activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in response to angry and fearful faces as compared to non-PTSD children with respect to the N170 component. Our study, to our knowledge, is the first to show that maternal IPV-PTSD significantly affects a mother's own and her child's neural activity in response to facial expressions of negative emotion. These findings are potentially important to the development and study of effective interventions to interrupt intergenerational cycles of violence and trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie C Perizzolo
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Cristina Berchio
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominik A Moser
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cristina Puro Gomez
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marylène Vital
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emina Arnautovic
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Raffaella Torrisi
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Rusconi Serpa
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christoph M Michel
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Biomedical Imaging Center (CIBM), Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniel S Schechter
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA
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