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Zheng X, Wang J, Yang X, Xu L, Becker B, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin, but not vasopressin, decreases willingness to harm others by promoting moral emotions of guilt and shame. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02590-w. [PMID: 38769372 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02590-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Prosocial and moral behaviors have overlapping neural systems and can both be affected in a number of psychiatric disorders, although whether they involve similar neurochemical systems is unclear. In the current registered randomized placebo-controlled trial on 180 adult male and female subjects, we investigated the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin and vasopressin, which play key roles in influencing social behavior, on moral emotion ratings for situations involving harming others and on judgments of moral dilemmas where others are harmed for a greater good. Oxytocin, but not vasopressin, enhanced feelings of guilt and shame for intentional but not accidental harm and reduced endorsement of intentionally harming others to achieve a greater good. Neither peptide influenced arousal ratings for the scenarios. Effects of oxytocin on guilt and shame were strongest in individuals scoring lower on the personal distress subscale of trait empathy. Overall, findings demonstrate for the first time that oxytocin, but not vasopressin, promotes enhanced feelings of guilt and shame and unwillingness to harm others irrespective of the consequences. This may reflect associations between oxytocin and empathy and vasopressin with aggression and suggests that oxytocin may have greater therapeutic potential for disorders with atypical social and moral behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiayuan Wang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xi Yang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Hills Rd., Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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Ward K. Too good for this world: moral bioenhancement and the ethics of making moral misfits. MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2024; 50:144-152. [PMID: 37932030 DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2023-012709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Persson and Savulescu argue that moral bioenhancement is not only morally permissible; in some cases, it is morally obligatory. In this article, I introduce a new reason to worry about moral enhancement. I adapt the disability concept of misfit to show how moral enhancement could cause extreme moral disempowerment to those enhanced, which would result in moral injury. I argue that any safety framework that guides the development of moral bioenhancement must be sensitive to the problem of moral misfitting. I present the best case for moral bioenhancement before turning to my own worry concerning the development of moral bioenhancement and its practical implications. Finally, I consider a series of objections and responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Ward
- Philosophy, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
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Martinez RM, Chou SH, Fan YT, Chen YC, Goh KK, Chen C. Negative emotionality downregulation affects moral choice but not moral judgement of harm: a pharmacological study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1200. [PMID: 38216629 PMCID: PMC10786834 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51345-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous neuroscientific research has expounded on the fundamental role played by emotion during moral decision-making. Negative emotionality has been observed to exert a general inhibitory effect towards harmful behaviors against others. Nevertheless, the downregulation of negative affects at different levels of moral processing (e.g. impersonal versus personal moral dilemmas) alongside its possible interactions with other factors (e.g. perspective taking) hasn't been directly assessed; both of which can assist in predicting future moral decision-making. In the present research, we empirically test (Study 1, N = 41) whether downregulating negative emotionality through pharmacological interventions using lorazepam (a GABA receptor agonist), modulate the permissibility of harm to others -i.e. if participants find it more morally permissible to harm others when harm is unavoidable (inevitable harm moral dilemmas), than when it may be avoided (evitable harm moral dilemmas). Furthermore, using another sample (Study 2, N = 31), we assess whether lorazepam's effect is modulated by different perspective-taking conditions during a moral dilemma task -e.g. "is it morally permissible for you to […]?" (1st person perspective), relative to "is it morally permissible for [x individual] to […]?" (3rd person perspective)-, where the outcome of the different scenarios is controlled. The results of both studies converge, revealing an emotion-dependent, rather than an outcome-dependent, pharmacological modulation. Lorazepam only influenced interpersonal moral judgments when not modulated by the evitable/inevitable condition. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between perspective-taking and drug administration, as lorazepam exerted a larger effect in modulating moral choices rather than moral judgements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Marcelo Martinez
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan
- School of Psychological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Han Chou
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yang-Teng Fan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Chen
- Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Kah Kheng Goh
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan-Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- The Innovative and Translational Research Center for Brain Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chenyi Chen
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan.
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- The Innovative and Translational Research Center for Brain Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Armbruster D, Lesch KP, Strobel A. The long and the short of it: 5-HTTLPR and moral judgement. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114524. [PMID: 37269929 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114524] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Differences in moral sentiments are widespread. Increasingly, their biological correlates are investigated to elucidate potential sources of divergent moral attitudes and choices. Serotonin is one such potential modulator. We investigated the effects of a functional serotonergic polymorphism, 5-HTTLPR, which was previously linked to moral choices albeit with inconsistent findings. N = 157 healthy young adults completed a set of congruent and incongruent moral dilemmas. In addition to the traditional moral response score, this set allows by using a process dissociation (PD) approach an estimation a deontological and a utilitarian parameter. While there was no main effect of 5-HTTLPR on any of the three moral judgement parameters, there was an interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and endocrine status on PD parameters, which was mainly due to the deontological but not the utilitarian parameter. In men and free cycling women, LL homozygotes showed reduced deontological tendencies compared to S allele carriers. Contrariwise, in women using oral contraceptives, LL homozygotes had increased deontology parameter scores. Furthermore, LL genotypes in general reported less difficulty in making harmful choices, which were in addition associated with less negative emotions. The findings suggest that 5-HTTLPR might be involved in modulating cognitive and emotional processes contributing to moral decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Armbruster
- Personality Psychology and Assessment, Institute of Psychology, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Personality and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Daley RT, Kensinger EA. Cognitive decline, socioemotional change, or both? How the science of aging can inform future research on sacrificial moral dilemmas. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2023; 30:272-299. [PMID: 34933658 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2021.2019183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Older adults comprise the fastest-growing population in the United States. By exercising their right to vote, guiding the value systems of future generations, and holding political office, they shape the moral context of society. It is therefore imperative that we understand older adults' capacity for moral decision-making. Although the vast majority of research on moral decision-making has either focused specifically on younger adults or has not considered age, recent work points to age-related differences in sacrificial moral decision-making, with cognitively healthy older adults making more deontological decisions relative to younger adults. Although only a small number of studies have to date examined age-related differences, there is a wealth of relevant literature on cognitive aging, as well as on sacrificial moral decision-making in younger adults, that point to possible mechanistic explanations for the observed age-related differences. The goal of this review is to situate these age-related differences in sacrificial moral decision-making in the context of these existing literatures in order to guide future, theory-informed, research in this area. We specifically highlight age-related decline in cognitive abilities purported to support utilitarian moral decision-making in younger adults, along with age-related changes to socioemotional information processing as potential mechanistic explanations for these age-related differences. The last section of this review discusses how age-related neural changes may contribute to both cognitive decline and motivational shifts, highlighting the importance for future research to understand brain-behavior relationships on the topic of sacrificial moral decision-making and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T Daley
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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McAuley M, Buijs S, Muns R, Gordon A, Palmer M, Meek K, O’Connell N. Effect of reduced dietary protein level on finishing pigs’ harmful social behaviour before and after an abrupt dietary change. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Chun EK, Donovan M, Liu Y, Wang Z. Behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroimmune changes associated with social buffering and stress contagion. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 16:100427. [PMID: 35036478 PMCID: PMC8749234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Social buffering can provide protective effects on stress responses and their subsequent negative health outcomes. Although social buffering is beneficial for the recipient, it can also have anxiogenic effects on the provider of the social buffering - a phenomena referred to as stress contagion. Social buffering and stress contagion usually occur together, but they have traditionally been studied independently, thus limiting our understanding of this dyadic social interaction. In the present study, we examined the effects of preventative social buffering and stress contagion in socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). We tested the hypothesis that this dynamic social interaction is associated with coordinated alterations in behaviors, neurochemical activation, and neuroimmune responses. To do so, adult male prairie voles were stressed via an acute immobilization restraint tube (IMO) either alone (Alone) or with their previously pair-bonded female partner (Partner) in the cage for 1 h. In contrast, females were placed in a cage containing either an empty IMO tube (Empty) or one that contained their pair-bonded male (Partner). Anxiety-like behavior was tested on the elevated plus maze (EPM) following the 60-mins test and brain sections were processed for neurochemical/neuroimmune marker labeling for all subjects. Our data indicate that females in the Partner group were in contact with and sniffed the IMO tube more, showed fewer anxiety-like behaviors, and had a higher level of oxytocin expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) compared to the Empty group females. Males in the Partner group had lower levels of anxiety-like behavior during the EPM test, greater activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone expressing neurons in the PVN, lower activation of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe, and lower levels of microgliosis in the nucleus accumbens. Taken together, these data suggest brain region- and neurochemical-specific alterations as well as neuroinflammatory changes that may be involved in the regulation of social buffering and stress contagion behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen K. Chun
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Meghan Donovan
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, 1700 N Wheeling St, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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8
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Overcoming Depression with 5-HT2A Receptor Ligands. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010010. [PMID: 35008436 PMCID: PMC8744644 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a multifactorial disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, and none of the currently available therapeutics can completely cure it. Thus, there is a need for developing novel, potent, and safer agents. Recent medicinal chemistry findings on the structure and function of the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor facilitated design and discovery of novel compounds with antidepressant action. Eligible papers highlighting the importance of 5-HT2A receptors in the pathomechanism of the disorder were identified in the content-screening performed on the popular databases (PubMed, Google Scholar). Articles were critically assessed based on their titles and abstracts. The most accurate papers were chosen to be read and presented in the manuscript. The review summarizes current knowledge on the applicability of 5-HT2A receptor signaling modulators in the treatment of depression. It provides an insight into the structural and physiological features of this receptor. Moreover, it presents an overview of recently conducted virtual screening campaigns aiming to identify novel, potent 5-HT2A receptor ligands and additional data on currently synthesized ligands acting through this protein.
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Terenzi D, Liu L, Bellucci G, Park SQ. Determinants and modulators of human social decisions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:383-393. [PMID: 34216653 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Social decision making is a highly complex process that involves diverse cognitive mechanisms, and it is driven by the precise processing of information from both the environment and from the internal state. On the one hand, successful social decisions require close monitoring of others' behavior, in order to track their intentions; this can guide not only decisions involving other people, but also one's own choices and preferences. On the other hand, internal states such as own reward or changes in hormonal and neurotransmitter states shape social decisions and their underlying neural function. Here, we review the current literature on modulators and determinants of human social decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Terenzi
- Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE), Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetes, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE), Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetes, Neuherberg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Gabriele Bellucci
- Department of Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen, Germany
| | - Soyoung Q Park
- Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE), Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetes, Neuherberg, Germany
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Holmen SJ. A note on psychological continuity theories of identity and neurointerventions. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2021; 48:medethics-2021-107492. [PMID: 34172524 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2021-107492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An important concern sometimes voiced in the neuroethical literature is that swift and radical changes to the parts of a person's mental life essential for sustaining his/her numerical identity can result in the person ceasing to exist-in other words, that these changes may disrupt psychological continuity. Taking neurointerventions used for rehabilitative purposes as a point of departure, this short paper argues that the same radical alterations of criminal offenders' psychological features which under certain conditions would result in a disruption of numerical identity (and, thus, the killing of the offender) can be achieved without these having any effect on numerical identity. Thus, someone interested in making radical alterations to offenders' psychology can avoid the charge that this would kill the offenders, while still achieving a radical transformation of them. The paper suggests that this possibility makes the question of what kinds of qualitive alterations to offenders' identity are morally permissible (more?) pressing, but then briefly highlights some challenges for arguments against making radical qualitative identity alterations to offenders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Jon Holmen
- Department for Philosophy and Science Studies, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Bengart P, Gruendler T, Vogt B. Acute tryptophan depletion in healthy subjects increases preferences for negative reciprocity. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249339. [PMID: 33784350 PMCID: PMC8009398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reciprocity motivates to reward those who are kind (= positive reciprocity) and to punish those who are unkind (= negative reciprocity). The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) modulates human behavior in numerous social situations, such as retaliation in response to perceived unfairness. In a placebo-controlled study, we used acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) to investigate the influence of available serotonin on choice behavior and reciprocity in the Hawk-Dove game. This game illustrates a conflict situation and incorporates two potential strategies: the cooperative Dove strategy and the uncooperative, more aggressive Hawk strategy. After strategic choices, we elicited the subjects' expectations (= beliefs) regarding the opponent's choices and controlled for risk preferences and current mood. We defined strategy choices as negative reciprocity when the participants opted for Hawk in response to an expected Hawk. We hypothesized that the ATD-induced reduction of 5-HT availability would increase participants' preferences for negative reciprocity. Generalized estimating equations reveal no significant main effect of ATD on assessed belief, mood, or risk attitude. But assessment of ATD's marginal effects over beliefs suggests that ATD significantly increases the tendency for negative reciprocity, whereas positive reciprocity (Dove in response to an expected Dove) is unaffected. We could therefore demonstrate that 5-HT availability mediates (negative) reciprocal behavior in social decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Bengart
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Theo Gruendler
- Department of Empirical Economics, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Military Mental Health, Military Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bodo Vogt
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Empirical Economics, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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Evaluating the Effect of Inert Recruiting on Blood Donations Immediately After the Consecutive Earthquakes. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2021; 16:642-649. [PMID: 33531101 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2020.385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Disasters can have impact on the demand and supply of blood, with such a difficult perspective, planning of an appropriate response to counterbalance the need for blood is of paramount importance. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate how the impact of blood imbalances may be absorbed by inert recruitment of donors during 2 life-threatening earthquakes that shook Taiwan on the same date in 2016 and 2018. METHOD A retrospective database search from blood bank registries was developed. RESULTS Despite the public efforts to restrain the flow, a 3- to 4-fold increase in volunteers responded to the earthquakes. This surge alleviated after a day and did not contribute to sub-par collections. Those who donated more than usual immediately after the event were identified as first-time, younger, and female populations. The hospitals providing inpatient care to the injured transfused a slightly decreased amount of packed red cells, whereas the use of whole blood, platelets, and plasma remained stable. The inert recruiting was effective in reducing the duration of donor overabundance. CONCLUSION Compared with other examples, the inert recruiting approach was effective in reducing the duration of donor overabundance to 1 day and may be useful for disaster preparedness of transfusion supplies.
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Mulchandani R, Lyngdoh T, Kakkar AK. Statin use and safety concerns: an overview of the past, present, and the future. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2020; 19:1011-1024. [PMID: 32668998 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2020.1796966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dyslipidemia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and contributes to significant morbidity and mortality associated with CAD and stroke worldwide. Statins are the most commonly prescribed drugs for the prevention and management of dyslipidemia globally. Although they provide immense therapeutic benefit, they are associated with clinically significant adverse effects, predominantly muscle, nerve, liver, and cognition-related besides new-onset diabetes. This has sparked various controversies, bringing to the fore, ambiguities that continue to exist in the scientific evidence, in relation to statin-associated harms. Therefore, it becomes essential to have a better understanding of safety issues related to statin use in various populations. AREAS COVERED This review describes the most common adverse effects of statins, examines available evidence and highlights the role of ethnicity, lipophilicity and other biological factors that could mediate and/or influence the relationship. MEDLINE was searched via PubMed to obtain relevant articles on dyslipidemia and statin safety. EXPERT OPINION The effectiveness of statins is presently unmatched. Further research is warranted to gain insights into the diverse pharmacological effects of statins in various population subgroups. This would assist prescribers in making better informed decisions. Specific treatment strategies for vulnerable groups can significantly attenuate harms, improve risk-benefit ratios, and ultimately enhance patient experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubina Mulchandani
- Indian Institute of Public Health-Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India , Gurgaon, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad - 201002, India
| | - Tanica Lyngdoh
- Indian Institute of Public Health-Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India , Gurgaon, India
| | - Ashish Kumar Kakkar
- Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , Chandigarh, India
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Hu J, Wen Y, Duan Y, Yan S, Liao Y, Pan H, Zhu J, Yin P, Cheng J, Jiang H. The impact of extreme heat and heat waves on emergency ambulance dispatches due to external cause in Shenzhen, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 261:114156. [PMID: 32092626 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compared to hospital admissions (HAs), emergency ambulance dispatches (EADs) can be considered a real-time outcome for evaluating the public health impacts of ambient temperature. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess if temperature has a causal effect on cause-specific EADs and its potential main and added effect in Shenzhen from 2013 to 2017. METHODS A distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) with quasi-Poisson distribution was applied to quantify the association between temperature and EADs. Likewise, the fraction of EADs attributable to different temperature ranges was calculated to identify extreme temperature ranges affecting population health. We then explored the main and added wave effects of heatwaves. RESULTS Ambient temperature showed a U-shaped association with EADs. The minimum risk temperature was 17 °C (16th percentile of the daily mean temperature). Compared with the cold, the relative risk (RR) of heat on EADs presented smaller but the attributable risk larger. The main effects of heatwaves on EADs varied with external causes; and the peak RR of heat on EADs was observed in suicidal behaviors with heatwaves defined as 3 or more days with temperatures above the 75th percentile (RR = 4.53, 95% CI: 1.23-16.68), followed by assault (RR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.25-4.48) and accidents (RR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.30-2.28), while the added wave effect was negligible. CONCLUSIONS Heat was responsible for a higher proportion of EADs than cold. Most of the increase in health risk during warm season can be simply ascribed to the independent effects of daily temperature occurrences whether it is or not on the heat-wave day. And the main effects of heatwaves on cause-specific EADs showed varied change trends, of which the incidence of suicides seems more susceptible, followed by assault and accidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Wen
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanran Duan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Siyu Yan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Liao
- Department of Public Health Promotion, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haibin Pan
- Laboratory of Physical Testing and Chemical Analysis, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiahui Zhu
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ping Yin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinquan Cheng
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongwei Jiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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15
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Yang Y, Wang C, Li X, Yu R, Zhang M, Xue M, Guo W, He L, Gao X, Gong P. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism impacts moral permissibility of impersonal harmful behaviors. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 14:911-918. [PMID: 31506681 PMCID: PMC6847979 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspired by the roles of serotonin in an emotional aversion to harmful actions, we examined to what extent serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT)–linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), a proxy for measuring serotonin function, underpinned the individual differences in moral judgment through cross-sectional analysis and two-wave comparison. The cross-sectional analysis with a larger cohort (N = 1197) showed that the SS carriers of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, corresponding to the low ratio of serotonin recycling from the synaptic cleft, rated impersonal harmful actions (e.g. flipping a switch to divert a train to hit one person instead of five people) as more permissible as compared with the L-allele carriers. The two-wave comparison with a subsample from the larger cohort (N = 563) indicated that the association between 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and moral permissibility of impersonal harmful actions was stable from wave 1 to wave 2. Thus, these findings highlight the importance of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism to harmful moral behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafang Yang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Chunlan Wang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaohan Li
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570
| | - Mengfei Zhang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Mengying Xue
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Wenxuan Guo
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Linlin He
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaocai Gao
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Pingyuan Gong
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China.,College of Medicine, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China.,Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
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16
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Staes N, Sherwood CC, Freeman H, Brosnan SF, Schapiro SJ, Hopkins WD, Bradley BJ. Serotonin Receptor 1A Variation Is Associated with Anxiety and Agonistic Behavior in Chimpanzees. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 36:1418-1429. [PMID: 31045220 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in regulating behavior and personality in humans and other mammals. Polymorphisms in genes coding for the serotonin receptor subtype 1A (HTR1A), the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4), and the serotonin degrading enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) are associated with anxiety, impulsivity, and neurotic personality in humans. In primates, previous research has largely focused on SLC6A4 and MAOA, with few studies investigating the role of HTR1A polymorphic variation on behavior. Here, we examined variation in the coding region of HTR1A across apes, and genotyped polymorphic coding variation in a sample of 214 chimpanzees with matched measures of personality and behavior. We found evidence for positive selection at three amino acid substitution sites, one in chimpanzees-bonobos (Thr26Ser), one in humans (Phe33Val), and one in orangutans (Ala274Gly). Investigation of the HTR1A coding region in chimpanzees revealed a polymorphic site, where a C/A single nucleotide polymorphism changes a proline to a glutamine in the amino acid sequence (Pro248Gln). The substitution is located in the third intracellular loop of the receptor, a region important for serotonin signal transduction. The derived variant is the major allele in this population (frequency 0.67), and is associated with a reduction in anxiety, decreased rates of male agonistic behavior, and an increase in socio-positive behavior. These results are the first evidence that the HTR1A gene may be involved in regulating social behavior in chimpanzees and encourage further systematic investigation of polymorphic variation in other primate populations with corresponding data on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Staes
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC.,Department of Biology, Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Hani Freeman
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX
| | - Sarah F Brosnan
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX.,Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.,Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX
| | - William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.,Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative, Des Moines, IA
| | - Brenda J Bradley
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
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17
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THE USE OF CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE TO MANAGE AGGRESSION IN A MALE CHIMPANZEE ( PAN TROGLODYTES). J Zoo Wildl Med 2020; 50:1005-1007. [PMID: 31926537 DOI: 10.1638/2018-0147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
At times severe, and occasionally fatal, aggression plays an intrinsic role in chimpanzee behavior and social dynamics, particularly among male chimpanzees in both managed and free-ranging troops. At the Los Angeles Zoo, one adult male's natural aggressive behavior developed into unmanageable violence during a period of social and emotional instability consequent to the lack of an established alpha male in the colony. The severity and duration of resulting attacks on a subdominant member of the community, despite environmental and behavioral modification, indicated the need for psychopharmaceutical intervention. Prior treatment of this animal with haloperidol and gabapentin had produced undesirable side effects. Administration of citalopram hydrobromide, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, successfully reduced both the intensity and duration of this male chimpanzee's attacks upon a conspecific animal with minimal observable side effects or adverse behavioral changes.
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18
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Chalfin A, Danagoulian S, Deza M. More sneezing, less crime? Health shocks and the market for offenses. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2019; 68:102230. [PMID: 31585379 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2019.102230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A large literature points out that exposure to criminal victimization has far-reaching effects on public health. What remains surprisingly unexplored is that role that health shocks play in explaining aggregate fluctuations in offending. This research finds novel evidence that crime is sensitive to health shocks. We consider the responsiveness of crime to a pervasive and common health shock which we argue shifts costs and benefits for offenders and victims: seasonal allergies. Leveraging daily variation in city-specific pollen counts, we present evidence that violent crime declines in U.S. cities on days in which the local pollen count is unusually high and that these effects are driven by residential violence. While past literature suggests that property crimes have more instrumental motives, require planning, and hence are particularly sensitive to permanent changes in the cost and benefits of crime, we find that violence may be especially sensitive to health shocks.
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19
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Gago B, Perea M, Sierra P, Livianos L, Cañada-Martínez A, García-Blanco A. Do affective episodes modulate moral judgment in individuals with bipolar disorder? J Affect Disord 2019; 245:289-296. [PMID: 30419529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.11.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) patients experience altered emotional states and deficits in social adaptation that may also be involved in deontological moral judgments in which participants have to choose whether to sacrifice one person in order to save the lives of a greater number. METHODS In the present study we compared the utilitarian responses of BD patients in their different states (euthymia, mania, depression) and healthy controls to moral dilemmas with low (impersonal dilemma) and high (personal dilemma) emotional saliency. RESULTS Our findings revealed an increased tendency to utilitarian judgments in the three groups of BD patients in impersonal dilemmas relative to healthy individuals. In addition, utilitarian responses were increased during manic and depressive episodes in personal moral dilemmas relative to control group. Furthermore, we found no differences in social adaptation between utilitarian and deontological BD responders, though the depressive BD had a lower adaptation than the euthymic individuals. LIMITATIONS The recording of response times, the exhaustive control of medication effect, or the inclusion of a non-moral condition in the battery of moral dilemmas would provide a better characterization of moral judgment in BD. CONCLUSIONS For impersonal dilemmas, BD patients exhibited more utilitarian reasoning, which is also affected by emotional engagement for personal dilemmas during acute episodes of mania and depression. Social adaptation is not associated to utilitarian reasoning, but is rather influenced by mood state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belén Gago
- University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; "Institut Pere Mata" University Hospital, Reus, Spain
| | | | - Pilar Sierra
- University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; "La Fe" University and Polytechnic Hospital, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Livianos
- University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; "La Fe" University and Polytechnic Hospital, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Ana García-Blanco
- University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; "La Fe" Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain.
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20
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Moral Judgment: An Overlooked Deficient Domain in Multiple Sclerosis? Behav Sci (Basel) 2018; 8:bs8110105. [PMID: 30453483 PMCID: PMC6262463 DOI: 10.3390/bs8110105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system through which patients can suffer from sensory, motor, cerebellar, emotional, and cognitive symptoms. Although cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions are frequently encountered in MS patients, they have previously received little attention. Among the most frequently impaired cognitive domains are attention, information processing speed, and working memory, which have been extensively addressed in this population. However, less emphasis has been placed on other domains like moral judgment. The latter is a complex cognitive sphere that implies the individuals’ ability to judge others’ actions and relies on numerous affective and cognitive processes. Moral cognition is crucial for healthy and adequate interpersonal relationships, and its alteration might have drastic impacts on patients’ quality of life. This work aims to analyze the studies that have addressed moral cognition in MS. Only three works have previously addressed moral judgement in this clinical population compared to healthy controls, and none included neuroimaging or physiological measures. Although scarce, the available data suggest a complex pattern of moral judgments that deviate from normal response. This finding was accompanied by socio-emotional and cognitive deficits. Only preliminary data are available on moral cognition in MS, and its neurobiological foundations are still needing to be explored. Future studies would benefit from combining moral cognitive measures with comprehensive neuropsychological batteries and neuroimaging/neurophysiological modalities (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging, tractography, evoked potentials, electroencephalography) aiming to decipher the neural underpinning of moral judgement deficits and subsequently conceive potential interventions in MS patients.
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21
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Seeing for ourselves: Insights into the development of moral behaviour from models of visual perception and misperception. Behav Brain Sci 2018; 41:e40. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x17000656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractParallels from visual processing support Doris's cognitive architecture underlying moral agency. Unconscious visual processes change with conscious reflection. The sparse and partial representations of vision, its illusions, and hallucinations echo biases in moral reasoning and behaviour. Traditionally, unconscious moral processes are developed by teaching and reflection. Modern neuroscience could bypass reflection and directly influence unconscious processes, creating new dangers.
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22
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Driscoll CA, Lindell SG, Schwandt ML, Suomi SJ, Higley JD, Heilig M, Barr CS. OPRM1 genotype interacts with serotonin system dysfunction to predict alcohol-heightened aggression in primates. Addict Biol 2017; 22:1655-1664. [PMID: 27484010 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although the notion that alcohol promotes violence is widespread, not all individuals are aggressive while intoxicated. Genetic variation could be a contributing factor to individual differences in alcohol-heightened aggression. The present study examines the effects of OPRM1C77G genotype on responses to threat in rhesus macaques under normal conditions and following alcohol administration. Prior studies have shown that a low CSF level of 5-HIAA is a trait marker for individuals prone to escalated aggression. We wanted to examine whether the predictive value for this marker on aggression was moderated by OPRM1 genotype. Animals were administered alcohol (BAC 100-200 mg%), were provoked by a human intruder, and aggressive responses were recorded. Factor analysis was performed to generate aggressive response factors, which were then used as dependent variables for ANOVA, with OPRM1 genotype and CSF 5-HIAA as independent variables. Factor analysis generated three factors ('Threatening', 'Distance Decreasing' and 'High Intensity'). We found that High Intensity aggression was increased among carriers of the OPRM1 G allele, especially among individuals with low CSF levels of 5-HIAA. Aggression in the non-intoxicated state was predicted by 5-HIAA, but not by genotype. This study demonstrates that OPRM1 genotype predicts alcohol-heightened aggression in rhesus macaques with low CSF levels of 5-HIAA. Because OPRM1 variation predicts similar effects on alcohol response and behavior in humans and macaques, this study could suggest a role for OPRM1 genotype in alcohol-heightened aggression in humans. If so, it may be that compounds that block this receptor could reduce alcohol-associated violence in selected patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Driscoll
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics; LNG/NIAAA/NIH; Rockville MD United States
| | - Stephen G. Lindell
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics; LNG/NIAAA/NIH; Rockville MD United States
| | - Melanie L Schwandt
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies; NIAAA/NIH; Bethesda MD United States
| | - Stephen J Suomi
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology; NIH/NICHD; Poolesville MD United States
| | - J Dee Higley
- Department of Psychology; Brigham Young University; Provo UT United States
| | - Markus Heilig
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies; NIAAA/NIH; Bethesda MD United States
| | - Christina S Barr
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics; LNG/NIAAA/NIH; Rockville MD United States
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23
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Wong-Lin K, Wang DH, Moustafa AA, Cohen JY, Nakamura K. Toward a multiscale modeling framework for understanding serotonergic function. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:1121-1136. [PMID: 28417684 PMCID: PMC5606304 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117699612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Despite its importance in regulating emotion and mental wellbeing, the complex structure and function of the serotonergic system present formidable challenges toward understanding its mechanisms. In this paper, we review studies investigating the interactions between serotonergic and related brain systems and their behavior at multiple scales, with a focus on biologically-based computational modeling. We first discuss serotonergic intracellular signaling and neuronal excitability, followed by neuronal circuit and systems levels. At each level of organization, we will discuss the experimental work accompanied by related computational modeling work. We then suggest that a multiscale modeling approach that integrates the various levels of neurobiological organization could potentially transform the way we understand the complex functions associated with serotonin.
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Affiliation(s)
- KongFatt Wong-Lin
- Intelligent Systems Research Centre, School of Computing and Intelligent Systems, University of Ulster, Magee Campus, Derry~Londonderry, UK
| | - Da-Hui Wang
- School of Systems Science, and National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, and Marcs Institute for Brain and Behaviour, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jeremiah Y Cohen
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Kae Nakamura
- Department of Physiology, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy M Goodwin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
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25
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Trotter PD, McGlone F, McKie S, McFarquhar M, Elliott R, Walker SC, Deakin JFW. Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on central processing of CT-targeted and discriminatory touch in humans. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2072-83. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Diane Trotter
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour; School of Natural Sciences & Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; Byrom Street Liverpool L3 3AF UK
| | - Francis McGlone
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour; School of Natural Sciences & Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; Byrom Street Liverpool L3 3AF UK
- Institute of Psychology, Health and Society; University of Liverpool; Liverpool UK
| | - Shane McKie
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; The University of Manchester; Manchester UK
| | - Martyn McFarquhar
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; The University of Manchester; Manchester UK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; The University of Manchester; Manchester UK
| | - Susannah Claire Walker
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour; School of Natural Sciences & Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; Byrom Street Liverpool L3 3AF UK
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26
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Shen Q, Teo M, Winter E, Hart E, Chew SH, Ebstein RP. To Cheat or Not To Cheat: Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 SNP Variants Contribute to Dishonest Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:82. [PMID: 27199691 PMCID: PMC4852200 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although, lying (bear false witness) is explicitly prohibited in the Decalogue and a focus of interest in philosophy and theology, more recently the behavioral and neural mechanisms of deception are gaining increasing attention from diverse fields especially economics, psychology, and neuroscience. Despite the considerable role of heredity in explaining individual differences in deceptive behavior, few studies have investigated which specific genes contribute to the heterogeneity of lying behavior across individuals. Also, little is known concerning which specific neurotransmitter pathways underlie deception. Toward addressing these two key questions, we implemented a neurogenetic strategy and modeled deception by an incentivized die-under-cup task in a laboratory setting. The results of this exploratory study provide provisional evidence that SNP variants across the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene, that encodes the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of brain serotonin, contribute to individual differences in deceptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Shen
- College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang University of TechnologyHangzhou, China; Department of Management Science and Engineering, School of Management, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Meijun Teo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eyal Winter
- Center for the Study of Rationality, Hebrew UniversityJerusalem, Israel; Department of Economics, Hebrew UniversityJerusalem, Israel
| | - Einav Hart
- Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Soo H Chew
- Department of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of SingaporeSingapore, Singapore; Lab for Behavioral Biological × Economics and the Social Science, National University of SingaporeSingapore, Singapore
| | - Richard P Ebstein
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of SingaporeSingapore, Singapore; Lab for Behavioral Biological × Economics and the Social Science, National University of SingaporeSingapore, Singapore
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27
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Crockett MJ, Cools R. Serotonin and aversive processing in affective and social decision-making. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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28
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Chou TS, Bucci LD, Krichmar JL. Learning touch preferences with a tactile robot using dopamine modulated STDP in a model of insular cortex. Front Neurorobot 2015; 9:6. [PMID: 26257639 PMCID: PMC4510776 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2015.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurorobots enable researchers to study how behaviors are produced by neural mechanisms in an uncertain, noisy, real-world environment. To investigate how the somatosensory system processes noisy, real-world touch inputs, we introduce a neurorobot called CARL-SJR, which has a full-body tactile sensory area. The design of CARL-SJR is such that it encourages people to communicate with it through gentle touch. CARL-SJR provides feedback to users by displaying bright colors on its surface. In the present study, we show that CARL-SJR is capable of learning associations between conditioned stimuli (CS; a color pattern on its surface) and unconditioned stimuli (US; a preferred touch pattern) by applying a spiking neural network (SNN) with neurobiologically inspired plasticity. Specifically, we modeled the primary somatosensory cortex, prefrontal cortex, striatum, and the insular cortex, which is important for hedonic touch, to process noisy data generated directly from CARL-SJR's tactile sensory area. To facilitate learning, we applied dopamine-modulated Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) to our simulated prefrontal cortex, striatum, and insular cortex. To cope with noisy, varying inputs, the SNN was tuned to produce traveling waves of activity that carried spatiotemporal information. Despite the noisy tactile sensors, spike trains, and variations in subject hand swipes, the learning was quite robust. Further, insular cortex activities in the incremental pathway of dopaminergic reward system allowed us to control CARL-SJR's preference for touch direction without heavily pre-processed inputs. The emerged behaviors we found in this model match animal's behaviors wherein they prefer touch in particular areas and directions. Thus, the results in this paper could serve as an explanation on the underlying neural mechanisms for developing tactile preferences and hedonic touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Shuo Chou
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Liam D Bucci
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Krichmar
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA ; Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
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29
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Duke AA, Bègue L. The drunk utilitarian: Blood alcohol concentration predicts utilitarian responses in moral dilemmas. Cognition 2015; 134:121-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Revised: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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30
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Steenbergen L, Sellaro R, Colzato LS. Tryptophan promotes charitable donating. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1451. [PMID: 25566132 PMCID: PMC4268492 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The link between serotonin (5-HT) and one of the most important elements of prosocial behavior, charity, has remained largely uninvestigated. In the present study, we tested whether charitable donating can be promoted by administering the food supplement L-Tryptophan (TRP), the biochemical precursor of 5-HT. Participants were compared with respect to the amount of money they donated when given the opportunity to make a charitable donation. As expected, compared to a neutral placebo, TRP appears to increase the participants’ willingness to donate money to a charity. This result supports the idea that the food we eat may act as a cognitive enhancer modulating the way we think and perceive the world and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Steenbergen
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Roberta Sellaro
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Lorenza S Colzato
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
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Crockett MJ, Fehr E. Social brains on drugs: tools for neuromodulation in social neuroscience. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2013; 9:250-4. [PMID: 23887816 PMCID: PMC3907934 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulators such as serotonin, oxytocin and testosterone play an important role in social behavior. Studies examining the effects of these neuromodulators and others on social cognition and behavior (and their neural underpinnings) are becoming increasingly common. Here, we provide an overview of methodological considerations for those wishing to evaluate or conduct empirical studies of neuromodulation in social neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly J Crockett
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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