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Sep MSC, Sarabdjitsingh RA, Geuze E, Joels M. Pre-trauma memory contextualization as predictor for PTSD-like behavior in male rats. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 171:84-94. [PMID: 38262164 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.01.029] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
While many people experience potentially threatening events during their life, only a minority develops posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The identification of individuals at risk among those exposed to trauma is crucial for PTSD prevention in the future. Since re-experiencing trauma elements outside of the original trauma-context is a core feature of PTSD, we investigate if the ability to bind memories to their original encoding context (i.e. memory contextualization) predicts PTSD vulnerability. We hypothesize that pre-trauma neutral memory contextualization (under stress) negatively relates to PTSD-like behavior, in a prospective design using the cut-off behavioral criteria rat model for PTSD. 72 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided in two experimental groups to assess the predictive value of 1) memory contextualization without acute stress (NS-group) and 2) memory contextualization during the recovery phase of the acute stress-response (S-group) for susceptibility to PTSD-like behavior. A powerful extension to regression analysis -path analysis-was used to test this specific hypothesis, together with secondary research questions. Following traumatic predator scent stress, 19.4% of the rats displayed PTSD-like behavior. Results showed a negative relation between pre-trauma memory contextualization and PTSD-like behavior, but only in the NS-group. Pre-trauma memory contextualization was positively related to fear association in the trauma environment, again only in the NS group. If the predictive value of pre-trauma contextualization of neutral information under non-stressful conditions for PTSD susceptibility is replicated in prospective studies in humans, this factor would supplement already known vulnerability factors for PTSD and improve the identification of individuals at risk among the trauma exposed, especially those at high trauma risk such as soldiers deployed on a mission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milou S C Sep
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; GGZ inGeest Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience, Mood Anxiety, Psychosis, Sleep & Stress Program, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Program, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - R Angela Sarabdjitsingh
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marian Joels
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
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Zoladz PR, Cordes CN, Weiser JN, Reneau KE, Boaz KM, Helwig SJ, Virden EM, Thebeault CK, Pfister CL, Getnet BA, Niese TD, Parker SL, Stanek ML, Long KE, Norrholm SD, Rorabaugh BR. Pre-Learning Stress That Is Temporally Removed from Acquisition Impairs Fear Learning. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:775. [PMID: 37372060 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the time-dependent effects of stress on fear learning. Previously, we found that stress immediately before fear conditioning enhanced fear learning. Here, we aimed to extend these findings by assessing the effects of stress 30 min prior to fear conditioning on fear learning and fear generalization. Two hundred and twenty-one healthy adults underwent stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test) or a control manipulation 30 min before completing differential fear conditioning in a fear-potentiated startle paradigm. One visual stimulus (CS+), but not another (CS-), was associated with an aversive airblast to the throat (US) during acquisition. The next day, participants were tested for their fear responses to the CS+, CS-, and several generalization stimuli. Stress impaired the acquisition of fear on Day 1 but had no significant impact on fear generalization. The stress-induced impairment of fear learning was particularly evident in participants who exhibited a robust cortisol response to the stressor. These findings are consistent with the notion that stress administered 30 min before learning impairs memory formation via corticosteroid-related mechanisms and may help us understand how fear memories are altered in stress-related psychological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip R Zoladz
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Chloe N Cordes
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Jordan N Weiser
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Kassidy E Reneau
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Kayla M Boaz
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Sara J Helwig
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Emma M Virden
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Caitlin K Thebeault
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Cassidy L Pfister
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Bruktawit A Getnet
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Taylor D Niese
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Sydney L Parker
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Mercedes L Stanek
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Kristen E Long
- Psychology Program, The School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - Seth D Norrholm
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Boyd R Rorabaugh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755, USA
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3
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van Ast VA, Klumpers F, Grasman RPPP, Krypotos AM, Roelofs K. Postural freezing relates to startle potentiation in a human fear-conditioning paradigm. Psychophysiology 2021; 59:e13983. [PMID: 34954858 PMCID: PMC9285358 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Freezing to impending threat is a core defensive response. It has been studied primarily using fear conditioning in non-human animals, thwarting advances in translational human anxiety research that has used other indices, such as skin conductance responses. Here we examine postural freezing as a human conditioning index for translational anxiety research. We employed a mixed cued/contextual fear-conditioning paradigm where one context signals the occurrence of the US upon the presentation of the CS, and another context signals that the CS is not followed by the US. Critically, during the following generalization phase, the CS is presented in a third and novel context. We show that human freezing is highly sensitive to fear conditioning, generalizes to ambiguous contexts, and amplifies with threat imminence. Intriguingly, stronger parasympathetically driven freezing under threat, but not sympathetically mediated skin conductance, predicts subsequent startle magnitude. These results demonstrate that humans show fear-conditioned animal-like freezing responses, known to aid in active preparation for unexpected attack, and that freezing captures real-life anxiety expression. Conditioned freezing offers a promising new, non-invasive, and continuous, readout for human fear conditioning, paving the way for future translational studies into human fear and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A van Ast
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Raoul P P P Grasman
- Department of Psychological Methods, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Angelos-Miltiadis Krypotos
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Research Group of Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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4
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Sep MSC, Joëls M, Geuze E. Individual differences in the encoding of contextual details following acute stress: An explorative study. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 55:2714-2738. [PMID: 33249674 PMCID: PMC9291333 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Information processing under stressful circumstances depends on many experimental conditions, like the information valence or the point in time at which brain function is probed. This also holds true for memorizing contextual details (or ‘memory contextualization’). Moreover, large interindividual differences appear to exist in (context‐dependent) memory formation after stress, but it is mostly unknown which individual characteristics are essential. Various characteristics were explored from a theory‐driven and data‐driven perspective, in 120 healthy men. In the theory‐driven model, we postulated that life adversity and trait anxiety shape the stress response, which impacts memory contextualization following acute stress. This was indeed largely supported by linear regression analyses, showing significant interactions depending on valence and time point after stress. Thus, during the acutephase of the stress response, reduced neutral memory contextualization was related to salivary cortisol level; moreover, certain individual characteristics correlated with memory contextualization of negatively valenced material: (a) life adversity, (b) α‐amylase reactivity in those with low life adversity and (c) cortisol reactivity in those with low trait anxiety. Better neutral memory contextualization during the recoveryphase of the stress response was associated with (a) cortisol in individuals with low life adversity and (b) α‐amylase in individuals with high life adversity. The data‐driven Random Forest‐based variable selection also pointed to (early) life adversity—during the acutephase—and (moderate) α‐amylase reactivity—during the recoveryphase—as individual characteristics related to better memory contextualization. Newly identified characteristics sparked novel hypotheses about non‐anxious personality traits, age, mood and states during retrieval of context‐related information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milou S C Sep
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Radic A, Lück M, Ariza-Montes A, Han H. Fear and Trembling of Cruise Ship Employees: Psychological Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E6741. [PMID: 32947859 PMCID: PMC7559441 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic has evolved to unprecedented proportions. This research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ship employees stuck at sea. Using an inductive qualitative approach, a synchronous online focus group was conducted with nine cruise ship employees who were stuck at sea during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed that COVID-19 pandemic has managed to erase the feeling of joy from cruise ship employees who were stuck at sea while exposing weakness of cruise line companies such as poor human resource management leadership. Moreover, COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that it is of paramount importance that cruise line companies create a comprehensive strategy in assisting their employees who are experiencing an anxiety disorder and depression. The managerial implications are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Radic
- Independent Researcher, Gornji kono 8, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia;
| | - Michael Lück
- School of Hospitality & Tourism, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand;
| | - Antonio Ariza-Montes
- Department of Management, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, 14004 Córdoba, Spain;
- Faculty of Business Administration, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 7500912, Chile
| | - Heesup Han
- College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Korea
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