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Riccardi E, Federica Mancini G, Pisaneschi A, Morena M, Campolongo P. Sex differences in fear expression and persistence in an animal model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Neuroscience 2024:S0306-4522(24)00498-6. [PMID: 39366450 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.09.045] [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: 05/19/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex psychiatric condition arising from traumatic experiences, marked by abnormal fear memories. Despite women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD, the biological mechanisms underlying this disparity remain inadequately explored, particularly in preclinical studies involving female subjects. Previous research shows that female rats exhibit active fear responses, while males display passive behaviors. Additionally, sex differences in ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during fear conditioning have been observed, indicating varying emotional responses. Here, we validated a traumatic stress model consisting of footshock exposure paired with social isolation - originally developed in male rats - on females for the first time, focusing on sex differences in fear memory expression, retention and extinction. Our findings reveal that only during trauma exposure, males predominantly exhibited passive responses, whereas females demonstrated more active responses, despite both sexes emitting similar numbers of alarm USVs. Females also showed lower levels of freezing and USV emissions throughout extinction sessions and displayed a higher extinction rate compared to males. Notably, only males displayed a conditioned fear response when triggered by a single mild stressor. These findings highlight sex differences in trauma responses and fear memory processes. The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating 22-kHz USV evaluations along with other behavioral metrics for a comprehensive understanding of fear memory. This research contributes to the existing literature on traumatic stress models as well as underscores the necessity of including female subjects in preclinical studies to better inform treatment and prevention strategies tailored to both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Riccardi
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy; Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome 00143, Italy
| | - Giulia Federica Mancini
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy; Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome 00143, Italy
| | | | - Maria Morena
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy; Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome 00143, Italy
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy; Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome 00143, Italy.
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2
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Skevington SM, Schick-Makaroff K, Rowland C, Molzahn A. Women's environmental quality of life is key to their overall quality of life and health: Global evidence from the WHOQOL-100. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0310445. [PMID: 39356697 PMCID: PMC11446438 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Gender inequalities in health-related quality of life (QoL) are generally few and small, even in large surveys. Many generic measures limit assessment to QoL overall and its physical and psychological dimensions, while overlooking internationally important environmental, social, and spiritual QoL domains. Unique cross-cultural legacy data was collected using four WHOQOL-100 surveys of adults living in 43 cultures world-wide (17,608 adults; ages 15-101). It was first used to examined gender profiles of its five QoL international domains, and their component facets. Few significant gender differences (p < .001) were found. Women reported higher spiritual QoL than men on faith, and spiritual connection facets specifically. Men reported higher physical and psychological QoL domains than women. We aimed to identify those QoL dimensions that contribute to women's overall QoL in health, as this information could inform gender inequalities interventions in health. Environmental QoL explained a substantial 46% of women's overall QoL and health (n = 5,017; 17 cultures) (stepwise multiple regression adjusted for age, education, and marital status covariates). Five environmental QoL facets contributed significantly to this result; home environment offered most explanation. Age band analysis was conducted to understand when interventions might be best timed in the lifespan to improve women's QoL. Younger women (< 45 years) reported the poorest QoL across the lifetime, and on every domain. After 45, all domains except physical QoL increased to very good at about 60, and high levels were sustained beyond 75, especially environmental QoL. Global findings show that assessing environmental, social, and spiritual QoL domains are key to fully understanding women's QoL and health. These assessments should be prioritized in surveys that aim to improve international conservation, and public health policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M. Skevington
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, Manchester Centre for Health Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Kara Schick-Makaroff
- Faculty of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christine Rowland
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, Manchester Centre for Health Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Anita Molzahn
- Faculty of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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3
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Seguí-Grivé M, Jurado N, Navarrete A, Morelló C, Ortega E, Boluda M, Muntané G, Llaurador-Coll M, Vilella E, Gutiérrez-Zotes A. Influence of the typology and timing of childhood trauma in psychoticism. Arch Womens Ment Health 2024; 27:705-719. [PMID: 38656388 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-024-01459-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Child maltreatment (CM) is associated with psychosis; however little is known about the frequency, type, and timing of abuse in the personality pathology domain of psychoticism (PSY) in the DSM-5. The purpose of this study was to analyze childhood trauma typology and frequency according to gender and to identify sensitive periods of susceptibility to CM in women with high PSY. METHODS The Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology Exposure (MACE) scale was used to evaluate the frequency, severity and timing of each type of maltreatment. The full sample consisted of 83 participants with different psychiatric diagnoses. Psychoticism was assessed with the DSM-5 Personality Inventory (PID-5). To identify the differences in CM exposure between the PSY+ (high psychoticism) and PSY- (low psychoticism) groups, the Mann-Whitney U test, the chi square test and random forest (RF) test were used. RESULTS Comparing PSY + and PSY-, revealed gender differences in the impact of abuse, with highly frequent and severe types of abuse, in women. In women, PSY + and PSY-, were differentiated especially in non-verbal emotional abuse, peer physical bullying and parental verbal abuse. Several periods with a major peak at age seven followed by peaks at age 17 and 12 years old were identified. CONCLUSION Increased exposure to CM occurs in women with PSY+. A sensitivity to CM exposure during early childhood and late adolescence could be a risk factor for psychoticism in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Seguí-Grivé
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
| | - N Jurado
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
| | - A Navarrete
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
| | - C Morelló
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
| | - E Ortega
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
| | - M Boluda
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
| | - G Muntané
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili-CERCA, Reus, Spain
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Llaurador-Coll
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili-CERCA, Reus, Spain
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
| | - E Vilella
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili-CERCA, Reus, Spain
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Gutiérrez-Zotes
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Ctra de l'Institut Pere Mata, s/n. 43206, Reus, Spain.
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili-CERCA, Reus, Spain.
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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Becegato M, Silva RH. Female rodents in behavioral neuroscience: Narrative review on the methodological pitfalls. Physiol Behav 2024; 284:114645. [PMID: 39047942 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114645] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Since the NIH 'Sex as biological variable' policy, the percentage of studies including female subjects have increased largely. Nonetheless, many researchers fail to adequate their protocols to include females. In this narrative review, we aim to discuss the methodological pitfalls of the inclusion of female rodents in behavioral neuroscience. We address three points to consider in studies: the manipulations conducted only in female animals (such as estrous cycle monitoring, ovariectomy, and hormone replacement), the consideration of males as the standard, and biases related to interpretation and publication of the results. In addition, we suggest guidelines and perspectives for the inclusion of females in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Becegato
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Regina H Silva
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; MaternaCiência, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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5
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Hellwig AF, Wroblewski KL, Krol KM, Connelly JJ, Allen JP. Epigenetic regulation of the oxytocin system as an indicator of adaptation to over-controlling parenting and psychosocial functioning in adulthood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 168:107123. [PMID: 39002450 PMCID: PMC11332246 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
The oxytocin system plays a role in social stress adaptation, and this role is likely to be particularly important in adolescence. One method of regulating the oxytocin system is through DNA methylation in the promoter of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm), which reduces the gene's expression. This multi-method, longitudinal study, using a diverse community sample of 184 adolescents followed from age 13-28, examined the links between OXTRm and exposure to over-controlling parenting in adolescence and conflict with romantic partners and internalizing symptoms in adulthood. Female, but not male, adolescents who were exposed to psychologically controlling parenting at age 13 had lower levels of OXTRm at site -924 at age 28. Reduced OXTRm at site -924 was associated with greater romantic partner-reported relationship conflict at age 27, and reduced OXTRm at site -934 was marginally associated with greater participant-reported conflict for males. Reduced OXTRm at site -924 was also associated with fewer internalizing symptoms at ages 24-25. These results in adulthood are consistent with an upregulated oxytocin system reducing the salience of negative socioemotional stimuli. Overall, findings are consistent with oxytocin playing a role in the stress response system, and more specifically, by helping us to adapt to social environments like parenting and romantic relationships, reducing the salience of negativity, and reducing risk for common emotional problems.
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Tsai MN, Cheng YC, Chen HC. Humor Styles and Marital Satisfaction: Cluster Analysis of the Relationship. Psychol Rep 2024; 127:2405-2426. [PMID: 36625132 DOI: 10.1177/00332941221149151] [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] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Humor use in communication is considered an important factor that affects relationship satisfaction according to past studies. However, there is insufficient evidence on how humor influences marital satisfaction at the couple level. This study aimed to classify couples into clusters with different humor types based on their humor styles and to investigate whether the humor styles of husbands and wives influence marital satisfaction. In total, 170 couples completed a humor style and marital satisfaction inventory by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with grouping the data of their humor styles and using cluster analysis to determine whether there were differences in marital satisfaction among couples with different humor types. The results revealed five humor types for the couples: "positive humor couples," "aggressive husband and self-defeating wife," "humor denier husband and general humor wife," "general humor husband and humor denier wife" and "humor denier couples." The ANCOVA results indicate that the highest marital satisfaction occurs among couples with positive humor and the lowest is among couples with denier humor. This study illustrates the humor types that likely occur among couples and concludes that marital satisfaction is high when both partners use positive humor and low when neither partner uses humor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Ning Tsai
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chieh Cheng
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Chih Chen
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, Chinese Language and Technology Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- MOST AI Biomedical Research Center, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
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7
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Klebanov B, Katz C. "I remember most of my family seeing it": The presence of others during child physical abuse, as conveyed in forensic interviews with Israeli children. FAMILY PROCESS 2024. [PMID: 39268746 DOI: 10.1111/famp.13053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Child physical abuse is often perceived as a crime perpetrated within the family and out of sight. However, recent studies have indicated the presence of others during incidents of physical abuse. The current study was designed to examine the experiences and perceptions of children who were physically abused in their families concerning the presence of others, as conveyed during their forensic interviews. A thematic analysis of 26 forensic interviews was conducted with Israeli children aged 5-13. Three main themes were identified: (1) Patterns, roles, and coping mechanisms: The multifaceted spectrum of familial abuse; (2) The echoes of family reactions: Shaping children's abuse experiences; and (3) Navigating the storm together: Sibling bonds amidst familial abuse. The children's narratives highlighted their distress and pointed to the abusive and chaotic daily routine in which they lived. In spotlighting their encounters with physical abuse, the children focused on their need to be seen and gain certainty in their daily routines. The discussion highlights the unique and elusive dynamics of families in which child physical abuse occurs and challenges the social perception that physical abuse occurs secretly. The characteristics of such abuse highlight the urgent need for policymakers and professionals to treat the phenomenon of physical abuse within the family as a visible phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bella Klebanov
- Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences the Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Carmit Katz
- Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Work, The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, The Haruv Institute, Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Work, Mount Scopus Campus, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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8
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Thurley J, Buades-Rotger M, Serfling G, Howaldt T, Reisch N, Krämer UM. Reduced threat avoidance but increased stress induced approach bias in women taking oral contraceptives. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 167:107111. [PMID: 38943719 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107111] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Recent research has increasingly acknowledged the impact of oral contraceptives on affective behavior and stress responses; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. Studies have previously shown that steroid hormones modulate automatic approach and avoidance behavior. Here, we thus investigated the effects of oral contraceptives on approach and avoidance behavior and whether these effects are modulated by stress. The study comprised 130 female participants, half of whom were using oral contraceptives, while the other half were not using any hormonal contraception (NC). The participants completed the Approach Avoidance Task (AAT), which measures automatic approach and avoidance behavior to socio-affective signals. The AAT was run once before and once after a stress manipulation using the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test. OC users showed absent avoidance behavior to social threat signals and a stress-induced increase in approach behavior to positive social signals. The latter was found in particular in women taking androgenic acting OC, demonstrating that different OC preparations need to be taken into account in research on OC effects. However, OC and NC group did not differ in their cortisol stress response. Overall, the results suggest that OC usage impacts on approach and avoidance behavior to social signals, which might also contribute to the development of affective side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Macià Buades-Rotger
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Georg Serfling
- Medizinische Klinik I und Institut für Endokrinologie und Diabetes, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Nicole Reisch
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, LMU Klinikum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrike M Krämer
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
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Li Y, Yan Z, Lu Z, Li K. Zebrafish gender-specific anxiety-like behavioral and physiological reactions elicited by caffeine. Behav Brain Res 2024; 472:115151. [PMID: 39019091 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115151] [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: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Caffeine exerts a biphasic effect on zebrafish behavior. High doses of caffeine have been associated with increased stress and anxiety, whereas low doses have been found to enhance performance on tasks requiring focus and attention. However, the sex-specific nature of these biphasic effects on behavior and physiology remains unclear. This study assessed the behavioral responses and hormone levels in male and female zebrafish after acute exposure to caffeine ranging from 0.3 to 600 mg/L. The results showed no significant difference in caffeine intake between males and females after acute exposure at each concentration. Caffeine-induced behavioral and physiological responses indicated a threshold dosage existed between 30 and 300 mg/L. Female fish displayed increased anxiety-like behavioral phenotypes, i.e., latency to upper and freezing, whereas males exhibited more erratic movement following acute exposure to a high-dose treatment. In addition, females exhibited a significant increase in whole-body cortisol levels, while males experienced a testosterone elevation at 300 mg/L of caffeine acute exposure. There was a significant decrease in the duration of erratic movements in males treated with the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide compared to the control group. The transcriptome analysis uncovered 511 and 592 up-regulated and 761 and 922 down-regulated differential expression genes in males and females, respectively, compared to the control. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) pathway analysis revealed that caffeine has the potential to impact various pathways in zebrafish, including phototransduction and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Our findings demonstrate that testosterone and cortisol play a combined role in regulating stress responses in both behavior and physiology. Furthermore, our study highlights the significance of encompassing both male and female zebrafish as a model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxi Li
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhi Yan
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China; School of Ocean, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Zhen Lu
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Ke Li
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China.
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10
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Torres-Rubio L, Reguilón MD, Mellado S, Pascual M, Rodríguez-Arias M. Effects of Ketogenic Diet on Increased Ethanol Consumption Induced by Social Stress in Female Mice. Nutrients 2024; 16:2814. [PMID: 39275131 PMCID: PMC11397041 DOI: 10.3390/nu16172814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress is a critical factor in the development of mental disorders such as addiction, underscoring the importance of stress resilience strategies. While the ketogenic diet (KD) has shown efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption in male mice without cognitive impairment, its impact on the stress response and addiction development, especially in females, remains unclear. This study examined the KD's effect on increasing ethanol intake due to vicarious social defeat (VSD) in female mice. Sixty-four female OF1 mice were divided into two dietary groups: standard diet (n = 32) and KD (n = 32). These were further split based on exposure to four VSD or exploration sessions, creating four groups: EXP-STD (n = 16), VSD-STD (n = 16), EXP-KD (n = 16), and VSD-KD (n = 16). KD-fed mice maintained ketosis from adolescence until the fourth VSD/EXP session, after which they switched to a standard diet. The Social Interaction Test was performed 24 h after the last VSD session. Three weeks post-VSD, the Drinking in the Dark test and Oral Ethanol Self-Administration assessed ethanol consumption. The results showed that the KD blocked the increase in ethanol consumption induced by VSD in females. Moreover, among other changes, the KD increased the expression of the ADORA1 and CNR1 genes, which are associated with mechanisms modulating neurotransmission. Our results point to the KD as a useful tool to increase resilience to social stress in female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Torres-Rubio
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Marina D Reguilón
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Susana Mellado
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - María Pascual
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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Nisbett KE. Moxie begets MOXI: The journey to a novel hypothesis about Mu-opioid and OXytocin system Interactions. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2024; 19:100244. [PMID: 39104824 PMCID: PMC11298892 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2024.100244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
This narrative review summarizes the early life of the author, Khalin E. Nisbett, and highlights the factors that led to her career in research and her development of two novel research hypotheses: the Mu-opioid and OXytocin system Interaction (MOXI) hypothesis and Mu-Opioid receptor antagonist and OXytocin receptor Agonist In Combination (MOXAIC) treatment hypothesis. Notably, Nisbett's career began in the era after countless studies demonstrated that oxytocin is not just a female neurotransmitter and not just a female reproductive hormone, an era in which researchers are exploring the role of oxytocin in emotion regulation, social interaction, and cognitive processing across both sexes. As such, the previously held perspective that oxytocin is "just a female hormone" did not impede Nisbett's ideas. Intrigued by science, emotion regulation, and social interaction, she began to explore the role of oxytocin and opioids in emotion regulation. On the heels of earlier theories, such as the Tend-and-Befriend theory and Opioid Theory of Social Attachment, she began to develop the MOXI hypothesis, which postulates that the μ-opioid receptor and oxytocin systems interact to mediate social interaction and emotion regulation. In this narrative review, Nisbett summarizes two studies that explored (i) the role of oxytocin in anxiety- and depression-like behavior and (ii) the effect of opioid receptor blockade on the anxiolytic-like effect of oxytocin, which led to a revision of the MOXI hypothesis and postulation of the Mu-Opioid receptor antagonist and OXytocin receptor Agonist In Combination (MOXAIC) treatment hypothesis. Nisbett also discusses several limitations of these hypotheses and her current research interests and aspirations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalin E. Nisbett
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate College, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
- Stress & Addiction Neuroscience Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
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12
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Vieira JB, Olsson A. The convergence between defence and care in mammals. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:714-725. [PMID: 38749809 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
The motivations to protect oneself and others have often been seen as conflicting. Here, we discuss recent evidence that self-defensive mechanisms may in fact be recruited to enable the helping of others. In some instances, the defensive response to a threat may even be more decisive in promoting helping than the response to a conspecific's distress (as predicted by empathy-altruism models). In light of this evidence, we propose that neural mechanisms implicated in self-defence may have been repurposed through evolution to enable the protection of others, and that defence and care may be convergent rather than conflicting functions. Finally, we present and discuss a working model of the shared brain mechanisms implicated in defence of both self and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana B Vieira
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Andreas Olsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
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Christensen C, Bracken AM, O'Riain MJ, Heistermann M, King AJ, Fürtbauer I. More allogrooming is followed by higher physiological stress in wild female baboons. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20240163. [PMID: 39106946 PMCID: PMC11303038 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Social bonds increase fitness in a range of mammals. One pathway by which social bonds may increase fitness is by reducing the exposure to physiological stress, i.e. glucocorticoid (GC) hormones, that can be detrimental to health and survival. This is achieved through downregulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity. Indeed, long-term measures of social (grooming) bonds are often negatively correlated with HPA-axis activity. However, the proximate role of physical touch through allogrooming remains an open question in the sociality-health-fitness debate. Demonstrating the potential anxiolytic benefits of grooming in the wild is hindered by methodological limitations. Here, we match accelerometer-identified grooming in wild female chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) to non-invasive faecal GC metabolite concentrations (fGCs). Consistent with previous work, we found a negative (but statistically non-significant) overall relationship between individual averaged fGCs and grooming rates. However, when time-matching grooming to fGCs, we found that both more giving and receiving grooming were followed by higher fGCs. This upregulation of HPA-axis activity suggests that maintaining social bonds (and its ultimate fitness benefits) may come at a shorter-term physiological cost. This finding sheds new light on a ubiquitous social behaviour typically considered 'relaxing' and suggests that sociopositive contact can trigger physiological stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Christensen
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SwanseaSA2 8PP, UK
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich8057, Switzerland
| | - Anna M. Bracken
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SwanseaSA2 8PP, UK
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - M. Justin O'Riain
- Department of Biological Science, Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch7701, South Africa
| | | | - Andrew J. King
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SwanseaSA2 8PP, UK
| | - Ines Fürtbauer
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, SwanseaSA2 8PP, UK
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Kelada L, Zamir O. What Promotes Positive Parenting During Breast Cancer? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Social Support, Emotion Regulation, and Meaning in Life. Int J Behav Med 2024; 31:595-604. [PMID: 37415037 PMCID: PMC11269428 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-023-10196-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motherhood and maintaining the child-parent relationship are top priorities for mothers with breast cancer (BC). The current study aimed to assess the positive intra- and inter-personal resources related to positive parenting among mothers with BC, as these may be promotive factors for positive parenting. Specifically, we examined whether social support (family, friend, spiritual), emotion regulation, and a sense of meaning in life are related to positive parenting among mothers undergoing BC treatments. METHODS The sample consisted of 100 Israeli mothers (mean age = 46.02 years, SD = 6.06 years) who were undergoing treatment for BC. Participating mothers had at least one child aged 6-17 years. Participants were recruited via closed social media groups to complete a questionnaire containing: the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, Cancer Perceived Agents of Social Support tool, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), and sociodemographic and clinical questions. We used structural equation modeling to regress the study variables on positive parenting. RESULTS Friend support (β = .35, p = .009) and meaning in life (β = .30, p = .012) were significantly related to positive parenting. Family support, spiritual support, cognitive reappraisal, and the sociodemographic and clinical variables were not related to positive parenting. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that promoting meaning in life and friend support may be key to helping mothers to sustain positive parenting behaviors throughout their cancer treatment. Future research may examine whether psychosocial interventions which foster meaning in life and friend support impact positive parenting among mothers with BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Kelada
- Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, 9190501, Jerusalem, Israel.
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
- Kids Cancer Centre, Behavioural Sciences Unit, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, Australia.
| | - O Zamir
- Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, 9190501, Jerusalem, Israel
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15
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Barton S, Zovko A, Müller C, Krabichler Q, Schulze J, Wagner S, Grinevich V, Shamay-Tsoory S, Hurlemann R. A translational neuroscience perspective on loneliness: Narrative review focusing on social interaction, illness and oxytocin. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105734. [PMID: 38796125 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105734] [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: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
This review addresses key findings on loneliness from the social, neurobiological and clinical fields. From a translational perspective, results from studies in humans and animals are included, with a focus on social interaction, mental and physical illness and the role of oxytocin in loneliness. In terms of social interactions, lonely individuals tend to exhibit a range of abnormal behaviors based on dysfunctional social cognitions that make it difficult for them to form meaningful relationships. Neurobiologically, a link has been established between loneliness and the hypothalamic peptide hormone oxytocin. Since social interactions and especially social touch regulate oxytocin signaling, lonely individuals may have an oxytocin imbalance, which in turn affects their health and well-being. Clinically, loneliness is a predictor of physical and mental illness and leads to increased morbidity and mortality. There is evidence that psychopathology is both a cause and a consequence of loneliness. The final section of this review summarizes the findings from social, neurobiological and clinical perspectives to present a new model of the complex construct of loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Barton
- Dept. of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Ana Zovko
- Dept. of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Christina Müller
- Dept. of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Quirin Krabichler
- Dept. of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Janna Schulze
- Dept. of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Dep. of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Dept. of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Simone Shamay-Tsoory
- Dept. of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - René Hurlemann
- Dept. of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, Oldenburg 26129, Germany.
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16
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Shaikh N, Asif PY, Saltzman W. Inhibition of alloparental behavior by acute stress in virgin male California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Behav Processes 2024; 220:105060. [PMID: 38909665 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
In many biparental mammals, such as California mice (Peromyscus californicus), fathers display affiliative behavior toward unfamiliar infants whereas reproductively naïve adult males show highly variable responses. Sources of this variability are not well understood, but evidence suggests that stress can either enhance or inhibit alloparental care. We evaluated immediate and delayed effects of acute stress on pup-directed behavior in adult virgin male California mice. Mice underwent three 10-minute tests with unfamiliar pups at 48-hour intervals. Stressed mice (N=22) received a subcutaneous oil injection immediately before tests 1 and 2, whereas controls (N=22) were left undisturbed. In controls, but not stressed mice, latency to approach the pup decreased and duration of alloparental behavior increased across the three tests. At each time point, stressed males were less likely than controls to perform alloparental behavior. Controls spent significantly more time performing alloparental behavior than stressed mice in tests 1 and 2 but not in test 3. Pup-directed aggression did not differ between the groups at any time point. These findings suggest that acute stress can both inhibit alloparental behavior in the short term and prevent the increase in alloparental behavior that typically occurs with repeated exposure to pups in virgin male California mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabeel Shaikh
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Parihan Y Asif
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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Saini R, Arora A, Joshi H, Gaurav AK. Exploring the link between eustress and adolescent health in India: An empirical study. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROMOTION 2024; 13:277. [PMID: 39310005 PMCID: PMC11414878 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1341_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modern psychological research challenges the conventional view of stress as solely detrimental by introducing the concept of eustress versus distress, emphasizing the potentially positive aspects of stress. In the context of India, limited studies have investigated the distinct effects of eustress and distress on adolescents, a group prone to stress-related health issues. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the correlation between eustress and both mental and physical well-being among adolescents attending government schools in two districts of Haryana, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS A non-experimental quantitative research approach was adopted to achieve this objective. The study involved a sample of 400 adolescent students, equally split between genders, aged 15 to 18 years, enrolled in grades 10 to 12. Participants were selected through systematic random sampling from two districts in Haryana. The assessment tools employed in the study included the Post Graduate Institute Health Questionnaire and the Eustress Scale, which were utilized to evaluate the participants' mental, physical, and eustress levels. RESULTS In our study involving Indian adolescents, we discovered a substantial positive correlation (r = 0.563, P < 0.01) between eustress and mental health, underlining the valuable role of positive stress in enhancing psychological well-being. Notably, male participants exhibited significantly higher eustress scores (mean = 26.63) than their female counterparts (mean = 22.82, P < 0.01), indicating gender-specific variations in stress responses. Furthermore, our findings emphasized the influence of cultural nuances inherent to the Indian context on how adolescents perceived and experienced eustress. These outcomes emphasize the urgency of culturally sensitive interventions to promote adolescents' well-being. CONCLUSION This investigation contributes valuable insights into the nexus between eustress and adolescent health in the Indian context. The study accentuates the potential advantages of leveraging eustress to foster positive development by underlining the differential influence of eustress and distress on adolescent health. Future research endeavors and policy formulation could delve into the mechanisms underpinning eustress and distress, thus guiding strategies to enhance adolescents' health and overall well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reena Saini
- Department of Psychology, Shaheed Udham Singh Government PG College, Matak Majri, Indri, Haryana, India
| | - Astha Arora
- Department of Psychology, Central University of Karnataka, Karnataka, India
| | - Hardeep Joshi
- Department of Psychology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India
| | - Alok K. Gaurav
- Department of Public Administration, Central University of Karnataka, Karnataka, India
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18
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Hasaniani N, Mostafa Rahimi S, Akbari M, Sadati F, Pournajaf A, Rostami-Mansoor S. The Role of Intestinal Microbiota and Probiotics Supplementation in Multiple Sclerosis Management. Neuroscience 2024; 551:31-42. [PMID: 38777135 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.05.013] [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: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological autoimmune disorder predominantly afflicting young adults. The etiology of MS is intricate, involving a variety of environmental and genetic factors. Current research increasingly focuses on the substantial contribution of gut microbiota in MS pathogenesis. The commensal microbiota resident within the intestinal milieu assumes a central role within the intricate network recognized as the gut-brain axis (GBA), wielding beneficial impact in neurological and psychological facets. As a result, the modulation of gut microbiota is considered a pivotal aspect in the management of neural disorders, including MS. Recent investigations have unveiled the possibility of using probiotic supplements as a promising strategy for exerting a positive impact on the course of MS. This therapeutic approach operates through several mechanisms, including the reinforcement of gut epithelial integrity, augmentation of the host's resistance against pathogenic microorganisms, and facilitation of mucosal immunomodulatory processes. The present study comprehensively explains the gut microbiome's profound influence on the central nervous system (CNS). It underscores the pivotal role played by probiotics in forming the immune system and modulating neurotransmitter function. Furthermore, the investigation elucidates various instances of probiotic utilization in MS patients, shedding light on the potential therapeutic advantages afforded by this intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima Hasaniani
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Seyed Mostafa Rahimi
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Marziyeh Akbari
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fahimeh Sadati
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abazar Pournajaf
- Biomedical and Microbial Advanced Technologies (BMAT) Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Sahar Rostami-Mansoor
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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Vaillancourt T, van Noordt S, Krygsman A, Brittain H, Davis AC, Palamarchuk IS, Arnocky S, Segalowitz SJ, Crowley MJ, Schmidt LA. Behavioral and neural responses to social exclusion in women: the role of facial attractiveness and friendliness. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15135. [PMID: 38956123 PMCID: PMC11219880 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65833-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The behavioral and neural responses to social exclusion were examined in women randomized to four conditions, varying in levels of attractiveness and friendliness. Informed by evolutionary theory, we predicted that being socially excluded by attractive unfriendly women would be more distressing than being excluded by unattractive women, irrespective of their friendliness level. Our results contradicted most of our predictions but provide important insights into women's responses to interpersonal conflict. Accounting for rejection sensitivity, P300 event-related potential amplitudes were largest when women were excluded by unattractive unfriendly women. This may be due to an expectancy violation or an annoyance with being excluded by women low on social desirability. An examination of anger rumination rates by condition suggests the latter. Only attractive women's attractiveness ratings were lowered in the unfriendly condition, indicating they were specifically punished for their exclusionary behavior. Women were more likely to select attractive women to compete against with one exception-they selected the Black attractive opponent less often than the White attractive opponent when presented as unfriendly. Finally, consistent with studies on retaliation in relation to social exclusion, women tended to rate competitors who rejected them as being more rude, more competitive, less attractive, less nice, and less happy than non-competitors. The ubiquity of social exclusion and its pointed emotional and physiological impact on women demands more research on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Vaillancourt
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | | | - Amanda Krygsman
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Heather Brittain
- Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
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20
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Sarmiento LF, Lopes da Cunha P, Tabares S, Tafet G, Gouveia Jr A. Decision-making under stress: A psychological and neurobiological integrative model. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 38:100766. [PMID: 38694793 PMCID: PMC11061251 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100766] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the impact of stress on cognitive processes, particularly decision-making, is crucial as it underpins behaviors essential for survival. However, research in this domain has yielded disparate results, with inconsistencies evident across stress-induction paradigms and drug administration protocols designed to investigate specific stress pathways or neuromodulators. Building upon empirical studies, this research identifies a multifaceted matrix of variables contributing to the divergent findings. This matrix encompasses factors such as the temporal proximity between stressors and decision tasks, the nature of stressors and decision contexts, individual characteristics including psychobiological profiles and affective states at the time of decision-making and even cultural influences. In response to these complexities, we propose a comprehensive model that integrates these relevant factors and their intricate interplay to elucidate the mechanisms governing decision-making during stressful events. By synthesizing these insights, our model not only refines existing paradigms but also provides a framework for future study designs, offering avenues for theoretical advancements and translational developments in the field of stress's impact on cognitive functions. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the nuanced relationship between stress and decision-making, ultimately advancing our knowledge of cognitive processes under challenging conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Felipe Sarmiento
- BioTechMed Center, Brain & Mind Electrophysiology Laboratory, Multimedia Systems Department, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Pamela Lopes da Cunha
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sonia Tabares
- International Foundation for the Development of Neurosciences, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Tafet
- International Foundation for the Development of Neurosciences, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Texas A&M University, Texas, USA
| | - Amauri Gouveia Jr
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Federal University from Pará, Brazil
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21
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Paudel NR, Kc P, Ghimire R, Nygård CH, Neupane S. Occupational burnout and their determinants among schoolteachers in Nepal: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:472. [PMID: 38937696 PMCID: PMC11210034 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05923-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Burnout syndrome attributable to cumulative stressors is highly prevalent among teachers. Despite this, knowledge of burnout syndrome among schoolteachers in lower-middle-income countries are limited, therefore we aimed to investigate self-reported occupational burnout syndrome and associated factors among schoolteachers in Nepal. METHODS A survey was conducted among randomly selected 37 community schools in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2022, with a total sample of 218 schoolteachers (70% male). Occupational burnout was assessed using the Nepali version of the validated Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-ES). MBI-ES consists of 22 items assessing occupational burnout, which were classified into emotional exhaustion (EE, 9 items, score range: 0-45), depersonalization (DP, 5 items, 0-23), and personal accomplishment (PA, 8 items; 3-48). The greater score in EE and DP and the lower score in PA indicate a higher level of burnout. Various socio-demographic, lifestyle, and work-related factors were examined as determinants of occupational burnout using ANOVA and multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS The mean scores of EE, DP, and PA were 14.99 (Standard Deviation, SD = 9.79), 4.18 (SD = 4.57), and 42.11 (SD = 6.82) respectively. Poor/moderate work ability contributed to poorer ratings of all three dimensions. Teaching special needs students contributed to EE and DP, whereas low physical activity and alcohol intake were associated with PA only. Younger age, being married, language of teaching, having a disability, sub-optimal physical fitness, poor sleep quality, and ever smoking contributed to EE only. CONCLUSION Occupational burnout among schoolteachers was relatively high. Marital status, lifestyle behavioral, and work-related factors were associated especially with EE and workability was a strong determinant of all three dimensions. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05626543.
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Affiliation(s)
- Netra Raj Paudel
- Unit of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, FI-33104, Finland.
- Health and Population Department, Central Department of Education, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
| | - Prakash Kc
- Unit of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, FI-33104, Finland
- Gerontology Research Center, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Radhika Ghimire
- Health System Strengthening Department, RMNCAH Unit, World Health Organization, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Clas-Håkan Nygård
- Unit of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, FI-33104, Finland
- Gerontology Research Center, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Subas Neupane
- Unit of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, FI-33104, Finland
- Gerontology Research Center, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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Mancini AD, Chapman C, Kadir A, Model Z, Prati G. Adaptive and maladaptive pathways of COVID-19 worry on well-being: A cross-national study. Scand J Psychol 2024. [PMID: 38924550 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.13049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In a preregistered study, we examined whether worries about COVID-19 are simultaneously linked with enhanced well-being through social interaction and with reduced well-being through depression symptoms. METHOD In August 2020, census-matched participants from high- and low-prevalence regions in the United States and Italy (N = 857) completed assessments of COVID-19 worry, social interaction, depression symptoms, and well-being. RESULTS Worries about COVID-19 predicted both more social interaction and more depression (ps < 0.001). In multiple mediational analyses, an adaptive pathway of COVID-19 worry through social interaction was associated with higher well-being, whereas a maladaptive pathway through depression symptoms was associated with lower well-being. Further, a comparison of high and low COVID-19 prevalence regions replicated the mediational findings for social interaction, providing evidence against reverse causation and common method variance. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that normative worries about acute stressors may both benefit and undermine well-being, depending on their impact on social behavior or depression symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Asha Kadir
- Department of Psychology, Pace University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zachary Model
- Department of Psychology, Pace University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabriele Prati
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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23
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Fauver M, Clark EM, Schwartz CE. A new framework for understanding stress and disease: the developmental model of stress as applied to multiple sclerosis. Front Integr Neurosci 2024; 18:1365672. [PMID: 38957213 PMCID: PMC11218666 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2024.1365672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper proposes a new model of stress that integrates earlier models and adds insights from developmental psychology. Previous models describe the behavioral and physical effects of stress events, but have not explained the translation of experiences into stress itself. The Developmental Model of Stress shows how psychosocial developmental challenges in childhood create persistent negative beliefs and behaviors that increase threat perception and maladaptive stress responses. These developmental challenges produce early psychological and physiological predispositions for increased stress responses over time. Ongoing stress leads to dysregulation of physical stress-response systems (allostatic load), which is associated with multiple diseases. High allostatic load provides the necessary preconditions for the diathesis-stress model, which says the addition of an acute stressor to a weakened or predisposed system can lead to disease development. The paper also documents the evolving measurement of stress to better understand the stress-disease relationship, helping to resolve conflicting results between studies. The Developmental Model of Stress was combined with clinician insight and patient reports to build an integrative framework for understanding the role of stress in the development and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). It includes the first mapping of maladaptive beliefs and behaviors arising from developmental challenges that are common to people with MS. An initial comparison shows these may be distinct from those of people with other chronic diseases. These beliefs and behaviors form the predisposing factors and contribute to the triggering factors, which are the acute stressors triggering disease onset. These often took two forms, a prolonged incident experienced as feeling trapped or stuck, and threat of a breach in a relationship. The reinforcing factors add the stress of a chronic disease with a poor prognosis and seemingly random symptom fluctuation, still managed with the same beliefs and behaviors developed in childhood, increasing physiological dysregulation and symptom severity. A pilot study is described in which these three categories of stress factors in MS were explicitly addressed. This study noted clinically important improvements in physical and mental well-being, providing preliminary support for the Developmental Model. Future research might expand on the pilot using a more robust sample and design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Fauver
- Integral Health Program, California Institute for Human Science, Encinitas, CA, United States
| | - Eva M. Clark
- MIND based Healing, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Carolyn E. Schwartz
- DeltaQuest Foundation, Inc., Concord, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine and Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tufts University Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Lee JH, Meyer EJ, Nenke MA, Lightman SL, Torpy DJ. Cortisol, Stress, and Disease-Bidirectional Associations; Role for Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin? J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2024:dgae412. [PMID: 38941154 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgae412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Selye described stress as a unified neurohormonal mechanism maintaining homeostasis. Acute stress system activation is adaptive through neurocognitive, catecholaminergic, and immunomodulation mechanisms, followed by a reset via cortisol. Stress system components, the sympathoadrenomedullary system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and limbic structures are implicated in many chronic diseases by establishing an altered homeostatic state, allostasis. Consequent "primary stress system disorders" were popularly accepted, with phenotypes based on conditions such as Cushing syndrome, pheochromocytoma, and adrenal insufficiency. Cardiometabolic and major depressive disorders are candidates for hypercortisolemic etiology, contrasting the "hypocortisolemic symptom triad" of stress sensitivity, chronic fatigue, and pain. However, acceptance of chronic stress etiology requires cause-and-effect associations, and practical utility such as therapeutics altering stress system function. Inherent predispositions to stress system perturbations may be relevant. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) variants have been associated with metabolic/neuropsychological states. The SERPINA6 gene encoding corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), was the sole genetic factor in a single-nucleotide variation-genome-wide association study linkage study of morning plasma cortisol, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with alterations in tissue-specific GR-related gene expression. Studies showed genetically predicted high cortisol concentrations are associated with hypertension and anxiety, and low CBG concentrations/binding affinity, with the hypocortisolemic triad. Acquired CBG deficiency in septic shock results in 3-fold higher mortality when hydrocortisone administration produces equivocal results, consistent with CBG's role in spatiotemporal cortisol delivery. We propose some stress system disorders result from constitutional stress system variants rather than stressors themselves. Altered CBG:cortisol buffering may influence interstitial cortisol ultradian surges leading to pathological tissue effects, an example of stress system variants contributing to stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica H Lee
- Department of Medicine, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Emily Jane Meyer
- Department of Medicine, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Endocrine and Diabetes Services, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville South, SA 5011, Australia
| | - Marni Anne Nenke
- Department of Medicine, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Endocrine and Diabetes Services, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville South, SA 5011, Australia
| | - Stafford L Lightman
- Systems Neuroendocrinology Research Group, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS1 3NY, UK
| | - David J Torpy
- Department of Medicine, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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25
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Ito W, Morozov A. Sex and stress interactions in fear synchrony of mouse dyads. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.09.598132. [PMID: 38915653 PMCID: PMC11195068 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.09.598132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Socially coordinated threat responses support the survival of animal groups. Given their distinct social roles, males and females must differ in such coordination. Here, we report such differences during the synchronization of auditory-conditioned freezing in mouse dyads. To study the interaction of emotional states with social cues underlying synchronization, we modulated emotional states with prior stress or modified the social cues by pairing unfamiliar or opposite-sex mice. In same-sex dyads, males exhibited more robust synchrony than females. Stress disrupted male synchrony in a prefrontal cortex-dependent manner but enhanced it in females. Unfamiliarity moderately reduced synchrony in males but not in females. In dyads with opposite-sex partners, fear synchrony was resilient to both stress and unfamiliarity. Decomposing the synchronization process in the same-sex dyads revealed sex-specific behavioral strategies correlated with synchrony magnitude: following partners' state transitions in males and retroacting synchrony-breaking actions in females. Those were altered by stress and unfamiliarity. The opposite-sex dyads exhibited no synchrony-correlated strategy. These findings reveal sex-specific adaptations of socio-emotional integration defining coordinated behavior and suggest that sex-recognition circuits confer resilience to stress and unfamiliarity in opposite-sex dyads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Ito
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Alexei Morozov
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
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Ascienzo S, Sprang G, Royse D. Are Differences Evident in the Ways Boys and Girls Appraise and Interpret Their Traumatic Experiences? A Qualitative Analysis of Youth Trauma Narratives. VIOLENCE AND VICTIMS 2024; 39:143-167. [PMID: 38955470 DOI: 10.1891/vv-2024-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore potential similarities and differences in the ways boys and girls appraise and interpret their traumatic experiences, and better understand how gender roles, performance, and socialization processes may impact trauma experiences, appraisals, and narratives within the context of trauma-focused treatment. We used thematic analysis to analyze the trauma narratives of youth (N = 16) ages 8-16 who had experienced multiple types (M = 5.38) of child maltreatment and who were receiving Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address clinically elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms. Four themes emerged: variations in the content of negative cognitions, differences in relational emotion, adoption of socially prescribed gender roles, and symptom differences. Although many similarities existed in youth's trauma narratives, differences emerged that point to the importance of social context and the ways gender role expectations and socialization processes influence youth's appraisal of and responses to traumatic events. Findings indicate the importance of considering distress tolerance, relational emotion, gender identity development, and role socialization within the treatment milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Ascienzo
- School of Social Work, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Ginny Sprang
- Center on Trauma and Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - David Royse
- College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Ringwald WR, Nielsen SR, Mostajabi J, Vize CE, van den Berg T, Manuck SB, Marsland AL, Wright AG. Characterizing Stress Processes by Linking Big Five Personality States, Traits, and Day-to-Day Stressors. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2024; 110:104487. [PMID: 38708104 PMCID: PMC11067701 DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2024.104487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The accumulation of day-to-day stressors can impact mental and physical health. How people respond to stressful events is a key mechanism responsible for the effects of stress, and individual differences in stress responses can either perpetuate or prevent negative consequences. Most research on daily stress processes has focused on affective responses to stressors, but stress responses can involve more than just affect (e.g., behavior, cognitions). Additionally, most research has studied the role of neuroticism in shaping those responses, but many other individual differences are associated with stress. In this study, we more broadly characterized daily stress processes by expanding the nomological networks of stress responses to include Big Five personality states. We also linked those stress responses to all Big Five traits, as well as individual differences in stress variety, severity, and controllability. We studied a sample of participants (N = 1,090) who reported on stressful events, their appraisal of events in terms of severity and controllability, and their Big Five personality states daily for 8-10 days (N = 8,870 observations). Multi-level structural equation models were used to separate how characteristics of the perceived stressful situation and characteristics of the person play into daily stress processes. Results showed that (1) all Big Five personality states shift in response to perceived stress, (2) all Big Five personality traits relate to average levels of perceived stress variety, severity, and controllability, (3) individual differences in personality and average perceived stress variety and perceived severity relate to the strength of personality state responses to daily stress, albeit in a more limited fashion. Our results point to new pathways by which stressors affect people in everyday life and begin to clarify processes that may explain individual differences in risk or resilience to the harmful effects of stress.
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Malvasi A, Baldini GM, Cicinelli E, Di Naro E, Baldini D, Favilli A, Quellari PT, Sabbatini P, Fioretti B, Malgieri LE, Damiani GR, Dellino M, Trojano G, Tinelli A. Localization of Catecholaminergic Neurofibers in Pregnant Cervix as a Possible Myometrial Pacemaker. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5630. [PMID: 38891818 PMCID: PMC11171499 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In eutocic labor, the autonomic nervous system is dominated by the parasympathetic system, which ensures optimal blood flow to the uterus and placenta. This study is focused on the detection of the quantitative presence of catecholamine (C) neurofibers in the internal uterine orifice (IUO) and in the lower uterine segment (LUS) of the pregnant uterus, which could play a role in labor and delivery. A total of 102 women were enrolled before their submission to a scheduled cesarean section (CS); patients showed a singleton fetus in a cephalic presentation outside labor. During CS, surgeons sampled two serial consecutive full-thickness sections 5 mm in depth (including the myometrial layer) on the LUS and two randomly selected samples of 5 mm depth from the IUO of the cervix. All histological samples were studied to quantify the distribution of A nerve fibers. The authors demonstrated a significant and notably higher concentration of A fibers in the IUO (46 ± 4.8) than in the LUS (21 ± 2.6), showing that the pregnant cervix has a greater concentration of A neurofibers than the at-term LUS. Pregnant women's mechanosensitive pacemakers can operate normally when the body is in a physiological state, which permits normal uterine contractions and eutocic delivery. The increased frequency of C neurofibers in the cervix may influence the smooth muscle cell bundles' activation, which could cause an aberrant mechano-sensitive pacemaker activation-deactivation cycle. Stressful circumstances (anxiety, tension, fetal head position) cause the sympathetic nervous system to become more active, working through these nerve fibers in the gravid cervix. They might interfere with the mechano-sensitive pacemakers, slowing down the uterine contractions and cervix ripening, which could result in dystocic labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Malvasi
- 1st Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari (BA), 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.M.); (G.M.B.); (E.C.); (E.D.N.); (G.R.D.); (M.D.)
| | - Giorgio Maria Baldini
- 1st Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari (BA), 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.M.); (G.M.B.); (E.C.); (E.D.N.); (G.R.D.); (M.D.)
| | - Ettore Cicinelli
- 1st Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari (BA), 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.M.); (G.M.B.); (E.C.); (E.D.N.); (G.R.D.); (M.D.)
| | - Edoardo Di Naro
- 1st Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari (BA), 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.M.); (G.M.B.); (E.C.); (E.D.N.); (G.R.D.); (M.D.)
| | | | - Alessandro Favilli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Perugia Medical School, University of Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (A.F.); (P.T.Q.)
| | - Paola Tiziana Quellari
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Perugia Medical School, University of Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (A.F.); (P.T.Q.)
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via dell’Elce di Sotto 8, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (P.S.); (B.F.)
- ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 20162 Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Sabbatini
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via dell’Elce di Sotto 8, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (P.S.); (B.F.)
| | - Bernard Fioretti
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via dell’Elce di Sotto 8, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (P.S.); (B.F.)
| | | | - Gianluca Raffaello Damiani
- 1st Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari (BA), 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.M.); (G.M.B.); (E.C.); (E.D.N.); (G.R.D.); (M.D.)
| | - Miriam Dellino
- 1st Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari (BA), 70124 Bari, Italy; (A.M.); (G.M.B.); (E.C.); (E.D.N.); (G.R.D.); (M.D.)
| | - Giuseppe Trojano
- Department of Maternal and Child, Madonna delle Grazie Hospital ASM, 75100 Matera, Italy;
| | - Andrea Tinelli
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, CERICSAL (CEntro di RIcerca Clinico SALentino), “Veris delli Ponti Hospital”, 73020 Lecce, Italy
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Wang G, Tang J, Yin Z, Yu S, Shi X, Hao X, Zhao Z, Pan Y, Li S. The neurocomputational signature of decision-making for unfair offers in females under acute psychological stress. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100622. [PMID: 38533483 PMCID: PMC10963855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100622] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress is a crucial factor affecting social decision-making. However, its impacts on the behavioral and neural processes of females' unfairness decision-making remain unclear. Combining computational modeling and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), this study attempted to illuminate the neurocomputational signature of unfairness decision-making in females. We also considered the effect of trait stress coping styles. Forty-four healthy young females (20.98 ± 2.89 years) were randomly assigned to the stress group (n = 21) and the control group (n = 23). Acute psychosocial stress was induced by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and participants then completed the one-shot ultimatum game (UG) as responders. The results showed that acute psychosocial stress reduced the adaptability to fairness and lead to more random decision-making responses. Moreover, in the stress group, a high level of negative coping style predicted more deterministic decision. fNIRS results showed that stress led to an increase of oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) peak in the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ), while decreased the activation of left middle temporal gyrus (lMTG) when presented the moderately unfair (MU) offers. This signified more involvement of the mentalization and the inhibition of moral processing. Moreover, individuals with higher negative coping scores showed more deterministic decision behaviors under stress. Taken together, our study emphasizes the role of acute psychosocial stress in affecting females' unfairness decision-making mechanisms in social interactions, and provides evidences for the "tend and befriend" pattern based on a cognitive neuroscience perspec.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangya Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Tang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhouqian Yin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Siyu Yu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Xindi Shi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiurong Hao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhudele Zhao
- College of Science, Northeastern University, 02115, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yafeng Pan
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shijia Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, 200335, Shanghai, China
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30
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Fang S, Luo Z, Wei Z, Qin Y, Zheng J, Zhang H, Jin J, Li J, Miao C, Yang S, Li Y, Liang Z, Yu XD, Zhang XM, Xiong W, Zhu H, Gan WB, Huang L, Li B. Sexually dimorphic control of affective state processing and empathic behaviors. Neuron 2024; 112:1498-1517.e8. [PMID: 38430912 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Recognizing the affective states of social counterparts and responding appropriately fosters successful social interactions. However, little is known about how the affective states are expressed and perceived and how they influence social decisions. Here, we show that male and female mice emit distinct olfactory cues after experiencing distress. These cues activate distinct neural circuits in the piriform cortex (PiC) and evoke sexually dimorphic empathic behaviors in observers. Specifically, the PiC → PrL pathway is activated in female observers, inducing a social preference for the distressed counterpart. Conversely, the PiC → MeA pathway is activated in male observers, evoking excessive self-grooming behaviors. These pathways originate from non-overlapping PiC neuron populations with distinct gene expression signatures regulated by transcription factors and sex hormones. Our study unveils how internal states of social counterparts are processed through sexually dimorphic mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels and offers insights into the neural mechanisms underpinning sex differences in higher brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunchang Fang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhengyi Luo
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zicheng Wei
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yuxin Qin
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jieyan Zheng
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Hongyang Zhang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jianhua Jin
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jiali Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Chenjian Miao
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Shana Yang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yonglin Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zirui Liang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Yu
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiao Min Zhang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Hongying Zhu
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | | | - Lianyan Huang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Boxing Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Advanced Medical Technology Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510655, China.
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31
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Yang M, Li J, Fu Y, Wang G, Liu M, Chen J, Liu J. Association of childhood trauma, social support, cognition, and suicidality in females with bipolar disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:243. [PMID: 38566037 PMCID: PMC10986031 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05672-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental disorder with heavy disease burden. Females with BD are special populations who suffer a lot from childhood trauma, social support, cognitive deficits, and suicidality. In this study, the relationship among childhood trauma, social support, and clinical symptoms of BD was investigated and the risk factors for suicidality were explored in female patients with BD. METHODS This study included 57 drug-naive female BD patients, 64 female BD patients with long-term medication, and 50 age-matched female healthy controls. Childhood trauma, social support, clinical symptoms, cognition, and suicidality (suicide ideation, suicide plan, suicide attempt, suicide frequency) were measured with scales. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, females with BD showed higher levels of childhood trauma and suicidality, and lower levels of social support and cognitive deficits. In the drug-naïve BD group, social support mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and insomnia symptoms (indirect effect: ab = 0.025). In the BD with long-term medication group, mania symptom was associated with suicide plan (OR = 1.127, p = 0.030), childhood trauma was associated with suicide attempt (OR = 1.088, p = 0.018), and years of education (OR = 0.773, p = 0.028), childhood trauma (OR = 1.059, p = 0.009), and delayed memory (OR= 1.091, p= 0.016) was associated with suicide frequency (OR = 1.091, p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS This study provides initial evidence that social support partially explains the relationship between childhood trauma and clinical symptoms in females with BD. Additionally, mania symptoms, childhood trauma, and delayed memory were risk factors for suicidality. Interventions providing social support and improving cognitive function may be beneficial for females with BD who are exposed to childhood trauma and with high suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jiaxin Li
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yaqian Fu
- Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Guotao Wang
- Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Minghui Liu
- Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jindong Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jieyu Liu
- Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Mirza S, Wiglesworth A, Fiecas MB, Cullen KR, Klimes-Dougan B. Revisiting Associations Among Parent and Adolescent Religiosity and Early Adolescent Suicide Risk in the United States. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2024; 63:1017-1037. [PMID: 38190059 PMCID: PMC11001271 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01981-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The contributions of religion to reduced suicide risk have been studied in adults and adolescents, though to our knowledge no comprehensive investigation has been conducted in early adolescents, at a time coinciding with emergence of suicide risk trajectories. In this largest study to date on this topic, we aimed to characterise the contributions of various measures of "private" and "public" religiosity to early adolescent suicide ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA) histories using information from a large, epidemiologically informed U.S. sample of adolescents (N = 7068; mean age = 12.89 years, 47% female) and their parents. In all youth, parent-reported adolescent religious importance was associated with reduced odds of SA (OR = 0.75, CI = 0.61-0.92, P = .005). Muslim youth were more likely (OR = 1.52, CI = 1.02-2.22, P = .033), and Catholic youth were less likely (OR = 0.80, CI = 0.67-0.95, P = .014), to report SI. A variety of sex differences were noted, with significant protective associations of adolescent self-reported religiosity on SI and SA, religious service attendance on SI, and religious importance on SI, in female-but not male-youth; and significant protective associations of religious importance on SA in male-but not female-youth. Against expectations, there was no evidence that parent religiosity moderated the link between youth religiosity and SI or SA. These results shed light on the roles of cultural and familial context in youth suicide risk, which may ultimately be targeted in screening and interventional approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salahudeen Mirza
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | | | - Mark B Fiecas
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kathryn R Cullen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Sigurvinsdottir R, Gisladottir B, Asgeirsdottir BB, Sigfusdottir ID. Sexual Attraction and Non-Suicidal Self-Harm: The Role of Stressors and Psychological Mediators. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1293-1306. [PMID: 38347324 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02792-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Non-suicidal self-harm (NSSH) is a serious concern for the well-being of youth. Stressors relate to greater NSSH risk, such as being non-heterosexual in a heteronormative society. Other stressors may include traumatic experiences. These relationships may be mediated by psychological factors (depressed mood, anxiety, anger, and self-esteem) as well as contextual factors (support from parents and peers). The purpose of this study was to examine NSHH ideation and behavior among Icelandic youth, as well as relationships with stressors and mediators. Students in Icelandic high schools (N = 8921, 50.8% female) completed an in-class survey in the year 2016. Results showed an elevated risk of NSSH ideation and behavior among bisexual and homosexual youth. Mediation analyses showed that, for girls, being bisexual related to greater NSSH ideation and behavior, and these relationships were mediated by depressed mood, anger, and self-esteem, as well as by support from parents and peers. For boys, however, both homosexual and bisexual attraction related to greater risk for NSSH ideation and behavior, which was mediated by depressed mood, anger, and self-esteem. These results suggest that NSSH risk factors vary by gender and, therefore, they may benefit from different interventions to stop and prevent this behavior. This is the first study of its kind in Iceland, where sexual minority stress may need further study within the Nordic context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Inga Dora Sigfusdottir
- Department of Psychology, Reykjavik University, Menntavegur 1, 102, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Kuroda KO, Fukumitsu K, Kurachi T, Ohmura N, Shiraishi Y, Yoshihara C. Parental brain through time: The origin and development of the neural circuit of mammalian parenting. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1534:24-44. [PMID: 38426943 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
This review consolidates current knowledge on mammalian parental care, focusing on its neural mechanisms, evolutionary origins, and derivatives. Neurobiological studies have identified specific neurons in the medial preoptic area as crucial for parental care. Unexpectedly, these neurons are characterized by the expression of molecules signaling satiety, such as calcitonin receptor and BRS3, and overlap with neurons involved in the reproductive behaviors of males but not females. A synthesis of comparative ecology and paleontology suggests an evolutionary scenario for mammalian parental care, possibly stemming from male-biased guarding of offspring in basal vertebrates. The terrestrial transition of tetrapods led to prolonged egg retention in females and the emergence of amniotes, skewing care toward females. The nocturnal adaptation of Mesozoic mammalian ancestors reinforced maternal care for lactation and thermal regulation via endothermy, potentially introducing metabolic gate control in parenting neurons. The established maternal care may have served as the precursor for paternal and cooperative care in mammals and also fostered the development of group living, which may have further contributed to the emergence of empathy and altruism. These evolution-informed working hypotheses require empirical validation, yet they offer promising avenues to investigate the neural underpinnings of mammalian social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi O Kuroda
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kansai Fukumitsu
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Takuma Kurachi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nami Ohmura
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Center for Brain, Mind and Kansei Sciences Research, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuko Shiraishi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshihara
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
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Kiiroja L, Stewart SH, Gadbois S. Can scent-detection dogs detect the stress associated with trauma cue exposure in people with trauma histories? A proof-of-concept study. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2024; 5:1352840. [PMID: 38606088 PMCID: PMC11006987 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2024.1352840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an impairing mental health condition with high prevalence among military and general populations alike. PTSD service dogs are a complementary and alternative intervention needing scientific validation. We investigated whether dogs can detect putative stress-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath of people with trauma histories (54% with PTSD) exposed to personalized trauma cues. Methods Breath samples were collected from 26 humans over 40 experimental sessions during a calm (control breath sample) and stressed state induced by trauma cue exposure (target breath sample). Two scent detection canines were presented with the samples in a two alternative forced choice (2AFC) discrimination and yes/no detection task. The 2AFC task assessed the dogs' ability to discriminate between the two states within the breath samples of one individual. The detection task determined their ability to generalize the target odour across different individuals and different stressful events of one individual. Signal Detection Theory was applied to assess dogs' sensitivity, specificity, precision, and response bias. Results The dogs performed at ∼90% accuracy across all sample sets in the discrimination experiment, and at 74% and 81% accuracy, respectively, in the detection experiment. Further analysis of dog olfactory performance in relation to human donor self-reported emotional responses to trauma cue exposure suggested the dogs may have been detecting distinct endocrine stress markers. One dog's performance correlated with the human donors' self-reported fear responses and the other dog's performance correlated with the human donors' self-reported shame responses. Based on these correlations between dog performance and donor self-report measures, we speculate that the VOCs each dog was detecting likely originated from the sympathetico-adreno-medullary axis (SAM; adrenaline, noradrenaline) in the case of the first dog and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA; glucocorticoids) in the case of the second dog. Conclusion Our proof-of-concept study is the first to demonstrate that some dogs can detect putative VOCs emitted by people with trauma histories when experiencing distress theoretically associated with the intrusion and arousal/reactivity symptoms of PTSD. Results have potential to improve the effectiveness and training protocol of PTSD service dogs with a focus on enhancing their alert function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kiiroja
- Canine Olfaction Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sherry H. Stewart
- Canine Olfaction Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Mood, Anxiety, and Addictions Comorbidity (MAAC) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Simon Gadbois
- Canine Olfaction Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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Schumacher A, Micheli L. Anticipated scarcity and stockpiling during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of perceived threat, childhood SES and materialism. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0294497. [PMID: 38527018 PMCID: PMC10962804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown that perceived existential threat experienced during or shortly after the first wave of the global COVID-19 pandemic, engendered anticipated scarcity and stockpiling behavior. However, the relationship between anticipated scarcity and stockpiling may not hold unambiguously for everyone. Across two studies and one preregistered replication (N = 644), we show that perceived threat of COVID-19 is associated with stockpiling tendencies by increasing the anticipation of product scarcity-a resource threat. The association between anticipated product scarcity and stockpiling depends, however, on childhood socio-economic status (SES) and materialism. For individuals with low childhood SES, the anticipation of product scarcity was only associated with stockpiling among those who valued materialism. Individuals with high childhood SES, by contrast, stockpiled in response to anticipated scarcity regardless of their level of materialism. Our findings qualify previous literature on the association between perceived threat of COVID-19, anticipated scarcity and stockpiling during the COVID-19 pandemic and help reconcile contradictory predictions about the role of childhood SES in individuals' consumption behavior in response to adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Schumacher
- Marketing Department, Grenoble École de Management, Grenoble, France
| | - Leticia Micheli
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Sigrist C, Ottaviani C, Baumeister-Lingens L, Bussone S, Pesca C, Kaess M, Carola V, Koenig J. A sex-specific pathway linking early life maltreatment, vagal activity, and depressive symptoms. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2024; 15:2325247. [PMID: 38512074 PMCID: PMC10962311 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2024.2325247] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Experiences of early life maltreatment (ELM) are alarmingly common and represent a risk factor for the development of psychopathology, particularly depression. Research has focused on alterations in autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning as a mediator of negative mental health outcomes associated with ELM. Early alterations in autonomic vagal activity (vmHRV) may moderate the relationship between ELM and depression, particularly when considering forms of emotional maltreatment. Recent evidence suggests that the relationships of both ELM and vmHRV with depression may be non-linear, particularly considering females.Objective: Building on and extending theoretical considerations and previous work, the present work aims to further the current understanding of the complex relationships between ELM exposure, vmHRV, and depression.Methods: This study uses an adaptive modelling approach, combining exploratory network-based analyses with linear and quadratic moderation analyses, drawing on a large sample of males and females across adolescence (total N = 213; outpatient at-risk sample and healthy controls) and adulthood (total N = 85; community-based convenience sample).Results: Exploratory network-based analyses reveal that exposure to emotional abuse is particularly central within a network of ELM subtypes, depressive symptoms, and concurrent vmHRV in both adolescents and adults. In adults, emotional neglect shows strong associations with both emotional abuse and vmHRV and is highly central as a network node, which is not observed in adolescents. Moderator analyses reveal significant interactions between emotional maltreatment and vmHRV predicting depressive symptoms in adult females. Significant quadratic relationships of emotional maltreatment and vmHRV with depression are observed in both adolescent and adult females.Conclusions: The present findings contribute to the understanding of the psychological and physiological mechanisms by which ELM acts as a risk factor for the development of depression. Ultimately, this will contribute to the development of targeted and effective intervention strategies to mitigate the detrimental effects of early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Sigrist
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Cologne, Germany
| | - Cristina Ottaviani
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Luise Baumeister-Lingens
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Cologne, Germany
| | - Silvia Bussone
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Pesca
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael Kaess
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Carola
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Julian Koenig
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Fiorenzato E, Bisiacchi P, Cona G. Gender differences in the effects of emotion induction on intertemporal decision-making. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299591. [PMID: 38507356 PMCID: PMC10954116 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
'Good things come to those who wait' is a popular saying, which goes along with numerous daily life decisions requiring trade-offs between immediate-small and later-larger rewards; however, some individuals have a tendency to prefer sooner rewards while discounting the value of delayed rewards, known as delay discounting. The extant literature indicates that emotions and gender can modulate intertemporal choices, but their interplay remains hitherto poorly investigated. Here, 308 participants were randomized to different conditions, inducing distinct emotions-fear, joy, a neutral state-through standardized movie clips, and then completed a computerized delay discounting task for hypothetical money rewards. Following the induction of fear, women discount the future steeper than men, thus preferring immediate-smaller rewards rather than larger-delayed ones. Also, women were more prone to choose immediate rewards when in a fearful condition than when in a positive state of joy/happiness. By contrast, men were unaffected by their emotional state when deciding on monetary rewards. Our findings provide evidence that fear can trigger different intertemporal choices according to gender, possibly reflecting the adoption of different evolutionary strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Fiorenzato
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Giorgia Cona
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Cherki BR, Winter E, Mankuta D, Zerbib S, Israel S. Intranasal oxytocin interacts with testosterone reactivity to modulate parochial altruism. COMMUNICATIONS PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 2:18. [PMID: 39242967 PMCID: PMC11332015 DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin and the steroid hormone testosterone have received attention as modulators of behavior in the context of intergroup conflict. However, to date, their interactive effect has yet to be tested. Here, in a double-blind placebo-control design, 204 participants (102 female participants) self-administrated oxytocin or placebo and completed an experimental economic game modeling intergroup conflict. Salivary testosterone (n = 192) was measured throughout the task to assess endogenous reactivity. As a caveat, even at this sample size, our derived power to detect small effects for 2- and 3-way interactions was relatively low. For male participants, changes in testosterone predicted willingness to sacrifice investments for the betterment of the group. Intranasal administration of oxytocin strongly diminished this effect. In female participants, we found no credible evidence for association between changes in testosterone and investments, rather, oxytocin effects were independent of testosterone. This 3-way interaction was of medium to large effect size (Odds Ratio 5.11). Behavior was also affected by social cues such as signaling of ingroup and outgroup members. Our findings provide insights as to the biological processes underpinning parochial altruism and suggest an additional path for the dual influence of oxytocin and testosterone on human social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boaz R Cherki
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel
- The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Eyal Winter
- The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
- Economics Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel
- Management School, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, LA1 4YX, UK
| | - David Mankuta
- Hadassah Medical Center, Department of Labor and Delivery, Kiryat Hadassah, Jerusalem, 9112001, Israel
| | - Shirli Zerbib
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel
| | - Salomon Israel
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel.
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O'Donoghue CR, Meixner C. Community Caring for a Family Member With Brain Injury: Women's Lived Experiences. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:350-361. [PMID: 38006209 DOI: 10.1177/10497323231210493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with a brain injury often require a caregiver to live safely in a community-based setting. This role typically defaults to a woman family member. Under the auspices of a constructivist interpretive tradition that honors a desire-based approach, this study blended narrative inquiry and grounded theory to explore the lived experiences of women caring for loved ones with brain injury. Twenty women completed the semi-structured interview, electing to participate either via videoconferencing or telephone. Employing a constant comparative method, three consecutive rounds of interviews, coding, and analysis occurred. Findings revealed an overarching theme surrounding the intractable challenges and enduring triumphs of caregiving. This discovery further sub-divided into four themes. Two themes focused on traversing a fragmented system of care and managing the burden of caregiving. The remaining two entailed finding supports in family and friends and leveraging professional skillset(s) to optimize caregiving. The recommendations garnered from the women's experiences included enhanced caregiver education with follow-up post-medical care, expanding services into the community to support caregivers and their family members appropriately, and building compassionate networks of women living the caregiving experience. Consistent with a desire-based paradigm, leveraging relationships to triumph over the challenges provided this group of women a voice to promote effective care for self, loved ones, and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia R O'Donoghue
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA
| | - Cara Meixner
- Department of Graduate Psychology, Counselor Education, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA
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Horsch A, Garthus-Niegel S, Ayers S, Chandra P, Hartmann K, Vaisbuch E, Lalor J. Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder: definition, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024; 230:S1116-S1127. [PMID: 38233316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.09.089] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Psychological birth trauma and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder represent a substantial burden of disease with 6.6 million mothers and 1.7 million fathers or co-parents affected by childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder worldwide each year. There is mounting evidence to indicate that parents who develop childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder do so as a direct consequence of a traumatic childbirth experience. High-risk groups, such as those who experience preterm birth, stillbirth, or preeclampsia, have higher prevalence rates. The main risks include antenatal factors (eg, depression in pregnancy, fear of childbirth, poor health or complications in pregnancy, history of trauma or sexual abuse, or mental health problems), perinatal factors (eg, negative subjective birth experience, operative birth, obstetrical complications, and severe maternal morbidity, as well as maternal near misses, lack of support, dissociation), and postpartum factors (eg, depression, postpartum physical complications, and poor coping and stress). The link between birth events and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder provides a valuable opportunity to prevent traumatic childbirths and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder from occurring in the first place. Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder is an extremely distressing mental disorder and has a substantial negative impact on those who give birth, fathers or co-parents, and, potentially, the whole family. Still, a traumatic childbirth experience and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder remain largely unrecognized in maternity services and are not routinely screened for during pregnancy and the postpartum period. In fact, there are gaps in the evidence on how, when, and who to screen. Similarly, there is a lack of evidence on how best to treat those affected. Primary prevention efforts (eg, screening for antenatal risk factors, use of trauma-informed care) are aimed at preventing a traumatic childbirth experience and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder in the first place by eliminating or reducing risk factors for childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Secondary prevention approaches (eg, trauma-focused psychological therapies, early psychological interventions) aim to identify those who have had a traumatic childbirth experience and to intervene to prevent the development of childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Tertiary prevention (eg, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) seeks to ensure that people with childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder are identified and treated to recovery so that childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder does not become chronic. Adequate prevention, screening, and intervention could alleviate a considerable amount of suffering in affected families. In light of the available research on the impact of childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder on families, it is important to develop and evaluate assessment, prevention, and treatment interventions that target the birthing person, the couple dyad, the parent-infant dyad, and the family as a whole. Further research should focus on the inclusion of couples in different constellations and, more generally, on the inclusion of more diverse populations in diverse settings. The paucity of national and international policy guidance on the prevention, care, and treatment of psychological birth trauma and the lack of formal psychological birth trauma services and training, highlight the need to engage with service managers and policy makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Horsch
- Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department Woman-mother-child, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne.
| | - Susan Garthus-Niegel
- Institute for Systems Medicine (ISM), Faculty of Medicine, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Childhood and Families, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Susan Ayers
- Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research, School of Health and Psychological Sciences, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Prabha Chandra
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Edi Vaisbuch
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Joan Lalor
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
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Witkiewitz K, Garcia CC, Muthén BO. Subjective stress and any drinking during alcohol treatment: Disentangling within and between person autoregressive effects. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100602. [PMID: 38221942 PMCID: PMC10784305 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use has been shown to increase stress, and there is some evidence that stress predicts subsequent alcohol use during treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), particularly among females who are more likely to report coping-motivated drinking. Gaining a better understanding of the processes by which stress and alcohol use are linked during treatment could potentially inform AUD treatment planning. The current study aimed to characterize the association between stress and drinking during the course of AUD treatment and whether there were sex differences in these associations. Secondary data analyses of the COMBINE study (N = 1375; 69% male, 76.3% non-Hispanic and white, average age of 44.4 years) were conducted to examine self-reported perceived stress and alcohol consumption across 16 weeks of treatment for AUD using a Bayesian random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. There was stronger evidence for any alcohol use predicting greater than typical stress in subsequent weeks and less strong evidence for stress increasing the subsequent probability of alcohol use, particularly among males. For females, greater stress predicted subsequent drinking earlier in the treatment period, and a lower probability of subsequent drinking in the last week of treatment. Interventions might specifically focus on targeting reductions in stress following drinking occasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Witkiewitz
- Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, And Addictions, University of New Mexico, USA
| | - Christian C. Garcia
- Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, And Addictions, University of New Mexico, USA
| | - Bengt O. Muthén
- University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- University of New Mexico and Mplus, USA
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Wang Y, Wang JJ, Zhou HF, Li WY, Liao YX, Xu MY, Gao CY, Lv B. The protective effect of social support on all-cause and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality among middle-aged and older adults in the US. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4758. [PMID: 38413678 PMCID: PMC10899207 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55012-w] [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: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The relationship between social support and mortality, especially cardio-cerebrovascular mortality, still has some limitations in the assessment of social support, sample selection bias, and short follow-up time. We used the data from 2005 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine this relationship. The study analyzed a total of 6776 participants, divided into Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 according to the social support score (0-1; 2-3; 4-5). Multivariable adjusted COX regression analyses of our study showed that Group 3 and Group 2 had a reduced risk of all-cause and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality (Group 3 vs 1, HR: 0.55, P < 0.001; HR: 0.4, P < 0.001; Group 2 vs 1, HR: 0.77, P = 0.017; HR: 0.58, P = 0.014) compared with Group 1. The same results were observed after excluding those who died in a relatively short time. Additionally, having more close friends, being married or living as married, and enough attending religious services were significantly related to a lower risk of mortality after adjustment. In brief, adequate social support is beneficial in reducing the risk of all-cause mortality and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality in middle-aged and older adults, especially in terms of attending religious services frequency, the number of close friends, and marital status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jun-Jun Wang
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hao-Feng Zhou
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei-Ya Li
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying-Xue Liao
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ming-Yu Xu
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chuan-Yu Gao
- Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Bo Lv
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Department of General Practice, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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Feki R, Zouari L, Majdoub Y, Omri S, Gassara I, Smaoui N, Bouali MM, Ben Thabet J, Charfi N, Maalej M. [Prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder in road traffic accidents]. Pan Afr Med J 2024; 47:89. [PMID: 38737217 PMCID: PMC11087282 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2024.47.89.38015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction trauma-related disorders following a road accident have both a health and an economic impact. Methods we conducted a prospective study to determine the prevalence of these disorders, and to identify risk factors in subjects victims of road accidents and hospitalized in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology of the University Hospital Center of Sfax-Tunisia. Results a total of sixty-ten subjects were included in this study. The prevalence of acute stress disorder was 37.1% and was associated with female sex, low educational level, previous medical and surgical history, passivity during the accident, severity of injuries and the presence of anxious and depressive symptoms. Post-traumatic stress disorder was observed in 40% of subjects and was associated with urban residential environment, passivity during the accident and anxious and depressive symptoms. Low scores for functional coping strategies and high scores for dysfunctional coping strategies were significantly associated with both disorders. Low educational level, urban residential environment, high levels of anxiety and depression, and denial coping strategy appear to be independent risk factors for acute stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. Conclusion It is therefore important to determine the profile of people at greater risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, to enable early diagnosis in victims of road accidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rim Feki
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Lobna Zouari
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Yosra Majdoub
- Service de Médecine Préventive et Sociale, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Sana Omri
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Imen Gassara
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Najeh Smaoui
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Manel Maalej Bouali
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Jihene Ben Thabet
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Nada Charfi
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
| | - Mohamed Maalej
- Service de Psychiatrie C, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hédi Chaker Sfax, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
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45
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Gold AI, Ryjova Y, Aviv EC, Corner GW, Rasmussen HF, Kim Y, Margolin G. Social contributions to meaning in life: the role of romantic relationship quality, parenting, and gender. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1349642. [PMID: 38390404 PMCID: PMC10881820 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349642] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The present study tests the association between romantic relationship quality and number of children on meaning in life (i.e., sense of purpose, coherence, and significance) and considers interactions between these constructs and gender. Methods A survey was conducted approximately one year into the pandemic among 473 individuals in the United States. Results Models demonstrated that relationship quality and number of children are positively associated with meaning, though relationship quality was more strongly related to meaning for men than women. We showed that for women there was an equally positive link between relationship quality and meaning regardless of number of children. However, for men, the positive association between relationship quality and meaning was strongest for those with more than one child, decreased in magnitude for those with one child, and was no longer significant for men with more than one child. Discussion These findings provide empirical evidence that social relationships benefit meaning in life and underscore the complexity of these associations. Results have implications for theoretical perspectives on meaning in life, as well as for policies that encourage family wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina I Gold
- Department of Psychology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yana Ryjova
- Department of Psychology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth C Aviv
- Department of Psychology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Geoffrey W Corner
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Veterans Health Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Hannah F Rasmussen
- Department of Psychology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yehsong Kim
- Department of Psychology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Gayla Margolin
- Department of Psychology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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46
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Parisi F, Høifødt RS, Bohne A, Wang CEA, Pfuhl G. Perceived Parenting Stress Is Related to Cardiac Flexibility in Mothers: Data from the NorBaby Study. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:117. [PMID: 38392470 PMCID: PMC10886085 DOI: 10.3390/bs14020117] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity, and high levels of stress and/or depressive symptoms may reduce HRV. Here, we assessed whether (a) parental stress affected HRV in mothers during the perinatal period and whether this is mediated by bonding and (b) whether antenatal maternal mental states, specifically repetitive negative thinking, depressive symptoms, and pregnancy-related anxiety, have an impact on infant HRV, and lastly, we investigated (c) the relationship between maternal HRV and infant HRV. Data are from the Northern Babies Longitudinal Study (NorBaby). In 111 parent-infant pairs, cardiac data were collected 6 months after birth. In the antenatal period, we used the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire; in the postnatal period, we used the Parenting Stress Index and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale. Higher levels of perceived parenting stress but not depressive symptoms were associated with lower HRV in mothers (τ = -0.146), and this relationship was not mediated by maternal bonding. Antenatal maternal mental states were not associated with infant HRV. There was no significant correlation between maternal HRV and infant HRV. Our observational data suggest that perceived stress reduces cardiac flexibility. Future studies should measure HRV and parenting stress repeatedly during the perinatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Parisi
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Agnes Bohne
- Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
- Division of Child and Adolescent Health, University Hospital of Northern Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Gerit Pfuhl
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
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Kulakova E, Graumann L, Cho AB, Deuter CE, Wolf OT, Roepke S, Otte C, Wingenfeld K. Evidence of deviant parasympathetic response to social exclusion in women with borderline personality disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024; 274:129-138. [PMID: 37650962 PMCID: PMC10786993 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01678-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Stressful social situations like social exclusion are particularly challenging for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and often lead to dysfunctional reactive behaviour of aggression and withdrawal. The autonomous signature of these core symptoms of BPD remains poorly understood. The present study investigated the parasympathetic response to social exclusion in women with BPD (n = 62) and healthy controls (HC; n = 87). In a between-subjects design, participants experienced objective social exclusion or overinclusion in the Cyberball task, a virtual ball-tossing game. Need threat scores served as individual measures of perceived exclusion and the resulting frustration of cognitive-emotional needs. Five-minute measurements of high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) at three time points (before, during, after Cyberball) indicated parasympathetic tone and regulation. We observed a trend towards lowered baseline HF-HRV in BPD vs. HC in line with previous findings. Interestingly, the parasympathetic response of patients with BPD to objective and perceived social exclusion fundamentally differed from HC: higher exclusion was associated with increased parasympathetic activation in HC, while this autonomic response was reversed and blunted in BPD. Our findings suggest that during social stress, the parasympathetic nervous system fails to display an adaptive regulation in patients with BPD, but not HC. Understanding the autonomous signature of the stress response in BPD allows the formulation of clinically relevant and biologically plausible interventions to counteract parasympathetic dysregulation in this clinical group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Kulakova
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Livia Graumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - An Bin Cho
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Eric Deuter
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stefan Roepke
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
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Tolonen I, Saarinen A, Sebert S, Hintsanen M. Do compassion and self-compassion moderate the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position and adulthood body composition? Psychol Health 2024:1-20. [PMID: 38270065 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2024.2305133] [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: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The study aims to investigate the associations of compassion and self-compassion with body composition, and whether adulthood compassion and self-compassion moderate the relationship between childhood SEP and adulthood body composition. The participants came from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 Study (n = 789, 52.1% women), with a mean age of 34.0 years. Compassion and self-compassion were measured with the Dispositional Positive Emotions Scale and Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, respectively. Body composition was assessed using anthropometric and body fat measurements at a clinic. Childhood SEP included parental occupation, education, and employment. The results showed that high compassion was associated with three out of the five body composition measurements, namely lower waist circumference (B = -0.960, p = 0.039, 95% CI: -1.870; -0.498), body fat percentage (B = -0.693, p = 0.030, 95% CI: -1.317; -0.069), and fat mass index (B = -0.325, p = 0.023, 95% CI: -0.605; -0.044) (adjusted for sex, and childhood and adulthood SEP) but not with body mass index or waist-to-hip ratio. Self-compassion was not associated with body composition. Neither compassion nor self-compassion moderated the association between childhood SEP and adulthood body composition, as the interaction effects were not significant. Therefore, the dispositions did not protect against the negative effects of childhood SEP on adulthood body composition. High other-directed compassion may be, however, associated with healthier body composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iina Tolonen
- Division of Psychology, VISE, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Aino Saarinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sylvain Sebert
- Research Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Mirka Hintsanen
- Division of Psychology, VISE, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Forbes PAG, Aydogan G, Braunstein J, Todorova B, Wagner IC, Lockwood PL, Apps MAJ, Ruff CC, Lamm C. Acute stress reduces effortful prosocial behaviour. eLife 2024; 12:RP87271. [PMID: 38180785 PMCID: PMC10942768 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute stress can change our cognition and emotions, but what specific consequences this has for human prosocial behaviour is unclear. Previous studies have mainly investigated prosociality with financial transfers in economic games and produced conflicting results. Yet a core feature of many types of prosocial behaviour is that they are effortful. We therefore examined how acute stress changes our willingness to exert effort that benefits others. Healthy male participants - half of whom were put under acute stress - made decisions whether to exert physical effort to gain money for themselves or another person. With this design, we could independently assess the effects of acute stress on prosocial, compared to self-benefitting, effortful behaviour. Compared to controls (n = 45), participants in the stress group (n = 46) chose to exert effort more often for self- than for other-benefitting rewards at a low level of effort. Additionally, the adverse effects of stress on prosocial effort were particularly pronounced in more selfish participants. Neuroimaging combined with computational modelling revealed a putative neural mechanism underlying these effects: more stressed participants showed increased activation to subjective value in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula when they themselves could benefit from their exerted effort relative to when someone else could. By using an effort-based task that better approximates real-life prosocial behaviour and incorporating trait differences in prosocial tendencies, our study provides important insights into how acute stress affects prosociality and its associated neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul AG Forbes
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Gökhan Aydogan
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Julia Braunstein
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Boryana Todorova
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Isabella C Wagner
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Patricia L Lockwood
- Centre for Human Brain Health, Institute of Mental Health and School of Psychology, University of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Matthew AJ Apps
- Centre for Human Brain Health, Institute of Mental Health and School of Psychology, University of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Christian C Ruff
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Claus Lamm
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of ViennaViennaAustria
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50
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Köster F, Lipps O. How loneliness increased among different age groups during COVID-19: a longitudinal analysis. Eur J Ageing 2024; 21:2. [PMID: 38170323 PMCID: PMC10764689 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-023-00798-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic entailed restrictions that hampered face-to-face interactions and social gatherings. In this paper, we examine whether loneliness increased to different extents among age groups due to these restrictions, and if these differences were mediated by specific life course conditions. Based on longitudinal data from the Swiss Household Panel, our results show that loneliness increased disproportionately among younger individuals during the pandemic. This finding aligns with the social convoy model and the socioemotional selectivity theory, which postulate a decline of social network size over the life course. It also corresponds to findings indicating a decrease in contact frequency with increasing age. Individuals aged 30 years and above experienced a lower increase in loneliness when they lived in shared households; however, this protective effect was not observed for younger individuals. Living together with a partner, being male, and not anticipating health complications in case of a COVID-19 infection moderated the increases of loneliness, but they were independent of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Köster
- LIVES, Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Oliver Lipps
- Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences (FORS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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