Dispositional optimism and cognitive functioning following traumatic brain injury

Psilocybin increases optimistic engagement over time: computational modelling of behaviour in rats

Psilocybin has shown promise as a novel pharmacological intervention for treatment of depression, where post-acute effects of psilocybin treatment have been associated with increased positive mood and decreased pessimism. Although psilocybin is proving to be effective in clinical trials for treatment of psychiatric disorders, the information processing mechanisms affected by psilocybin are not well understood. Here, we fit active inference and reinforcement learning computational models to a novel two-armed bandit reversal learning task capable of capturing engagement behaviour in rats. The model revealed that after receiving psilocybin, rats achieve more rewards through increased task engagement, mediated by modification of forgetting rates and reduced loss aversion. These findings suggest that psilocybin may afford an optimism bias that arises through altered belief updating, with translational potential for clinical populations characterised by lack of optimism.

Impact of Somatic Vulnerability, Psychosocial Robustness and Injury-Related Factors on Fatigue following Traumatic Brain Injury-A Cross-Sectional Study

Fatigue is a common symptom after traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and a crucial target of rehabilitation. The subjective and multifactorial nature of fatigue necessitates a biopsychosocial approach in understanding the mechanisms involved in its development. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive exploration of factors relevant to identification and rehabilitation of fatigue following TBI. Ninety-six patients with TBI and confirmed intracranial injuries were assessed on average 200 days post-injury with regard to injury-related factors, several patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) of fatigue, neuropsychological measures, and PROMS of implicated biopsychosocial mechanisms. Factor analytic approaches yielded three underlying factors, termed Psychosocial Robustness, Somatic Vulnerability and Injury Severity. All three dimensions were significantly associated with fatigue in multiple regression analyses and explained 44.2% of variance in fatigue. Post hoc analyses examined univariate contributions of the associations between the factors and fatigue to illuminate the relative contributions of each biopsychosocial variable. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

A global collaboration to study intimate partner violence-related head trauma: The ENIGMA consortium IPV working group

Intimate partner violence includes psychological aggression, physical violence, sexual violence, and stalking from a current or former intimate partner. Past research suggests that exposure to intimate partner violence can impact cognitive and psychological functioning, as well as neurological outcomes. These seem to be compounded in those who suffer a brain injury as a result of trauma to the head, neck or body due to physical and/or sexual violence. However, our understanding of the neurobehavioral and neurobiological effects of head trauma in this population is limited due to factors including difficulty in accessing/recruiting participants, heterogeneity of samples, and premorbid and comorbid factors that impact outcomes. Thus, the goal of the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium Intimate Partner Violence Working Group is to develop a global collaboration that includes researchers, clinicians, and other key community stakeholders. Participation in the working group can include collecting harmonized data, providing data for meta- and mega-analysis across sites, or stakeholder insight on key clinical research questions, promoting safety, participant recruitment and referral to support services. Further, to facilitate the mega-analysis of data across sites within the working group, we provide suggestions for behavioral surveys, cognitive tests, neuroimaging parameters, and genetics that could be used by investigators in the early stages of study design. We anticipate that the harmonization of measures across sites within the working group prior to data collection could increase the statistical power in characterizing how intimate partner violence-related head trauma impacts long-term physical, cognitive, and psychological health.

Cyberchondria During the Coronavirus Pandemic: The Effects of Neuroticism and Optimism

Health anxiety during the current coronavirus pandemic can be a serious psychological issue, amplified by the medical uncertainty around this disease and social isolation. As older people are especially at risk of becoming severely ill, it is important to examine the personal factors that make members of this age group more prone to health anxiety. Previous studies indicated that cyberchondria, i.e., the repeated online search for medical information, exacerbates health anxiety. The present research investigated the effect of two opposing traits, optimism and neuroticism, on cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic. The associations of cyberchondria with demographic factors (age, gender, and education) were also examined. A sample of 880 participants, aged 15-67, 65% of whom were female, participated in an online survey. Results show that neuroticism, age, and being female are positively associated with cyberchondria. Optimism was found to be related to cyberchondria, but this effect was qualified by a significant interaction with age. Further analysis revealed that the effect of optimism was significant only in the highest age group. Moreover, among these elderly participants, the psychologically protective influence of optimism against cyberchondria emerged as larger than the opposite effect of neuroticism. This demonstrates the mental benefits of encouraging a positive outlook on the current health crisis and on one's personal resilience in facing it, especially among the elderly. Conversely, among people who use the Internet as a major source of medical information, those high in neuroticism may be more prone to cyberchondria.