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Bi T, Kou H, Kong Y, Shao B. Widowhood Impairs Emotional Cognition Among Elderly. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 13:808885. [PMID: 35173602 PMCID: PMC8841410 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.808885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe negative impacts of spousal bereavement on the emotional health of the elderly (e.g., depression and anxiety) have been revealed. However, whether widowhood impairs emotional cognition among the elderly is less known. The purpose of this study is to reveal the emotional cognitive deficits among the widowed elderly.MethodsIn this study, we recruited 44 widowed elderly (WE) and 44 elder couples (non-widowed elderly, NWE) and examined their emotional cognition including attention and visual working memory, which were measured by the visual search task and delayed-match-to-sample task, respectively. Three kinds of emotional faces (i.e., sad, angry, and happy) were adopted as the attentional or mnemonic targets.ResultsIt revealed that WE had a general deficit in search efficiency across emotional types, while they showed mnemonic deficits in negative faces but not positive faces. Furthermore, the modeling analysis revealed that the level of depression or state anxiety of the elderly moderated the effects of widowhood on the deficits of mnemonic processing, i.e., the deficits were only evident among WE with the high level of depression or state anxiety.ConclusionThese findings reveal the attentional deficits in sad, angry, and happy faces and the mnemonic deficits in sad and angry faces among elderly who suffer from widowhood and point out the important role of emotional problems such as depression and state anxiety in modulating these emotional cognitive deficits.
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Silveri MM, Sneider JT, Cohen-Gilbert JE, Oot EN, Seraikas AM, Schuttenberg EM, Hamilton DA, Sabolek H, Harris SK, Nickerson LD. Perceived stress and rejection associated with functional network strength during memory retrieval in adolescents. Cogn Neurosci 2022; 13:99-112. [PMID: 35086436 PMCID: PMC8935633 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2022.2026313] [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: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The brain undergoes substantial structural and functional remodeling during adolescence, including alterations in memory-processing regions influenced by stress. This study evaluated brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during spatial memory performance using a virtual Morris water task (MWT) and examined the associations between default mode network (DMN) activation, task performance, and perceived stress and rejection. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired at 3 Tesla from 59 (34 female) adolescents (13-14 years). The NIH Emotion Toolbox was used to measure perceived stress and rejection. During the MWT, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex showed greater activation during memory retrieval relative to motor performance. Templates of brain functional networks from the Human Connectome Project study were used to extract individual participants' brain network activation strengths for the retrieval > motor contrast for two sub-networks of the default mode network: medial temporal lobe (MTL-DMN) and dorsomedial prefrontal (dMPFC-DMN). For the MTL-DMN sub-network only, activation was significantly associated with worse MWT performance (p = .008) and greater perceived stress (p = .008) and perceived rejection (p = .002). Further, MWT performance was negatively associated with perceived rejection (p = .007). These findings suggest that perceived stress and rejection are related to engagement of MTL-DMN during spatial memory and that engagement of this network impacts performance. These findings also demonstrate the utility of examining task-related network activation strength to identify the impact of perceived stress and rejection on large-scale brain network functioning during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa M. Silveri
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer T. Sneider
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia E. Cohen-Gilbert
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily N. Oot
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna M. Seraikas
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Eleanor M. Schuttenberg
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Sion K. Harris
- Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa D. Nickerson
- Applied Neuroimaging Statistics Lab, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Brain and Cognitive Development in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review of fMRI Studies. Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11081907. [PMID: 31443192 PMCID: PMC6723243 DOI: 10.3390/nu11081907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder often occurring in adolescence. AN has one of the highest mortality rates amongst psychiatric illnesses and is associated with medical complications and high risk for psychiatric comorbidities, persisting after treatment. Remission rates range from 23% to 33%. Moreover, weight recovery does not necessarily reflect cognitive recovery. This issue is of particular interest in adolescence, characterized by progressive changes in brain structure and functional circuitries, and fast cognitive development. We reviewed existing literature on fMRI studies in adolescents diagnosed with AN, following PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies had to: (1) be written in English; (2) include only adolescent participants; and (3) use block-design fMRI. We propose a pathogenic model based on normal and AN-related neural and cognitive maturation during adolescence. We propose that underweight and delayed puberty-caused by genetic, environmental, and neurobehavioral factors-can affect brain and cognitive development and lead to impaired cognitive flexibility, which in turn sustains the perpetuation of aberrant behaviors in a vicious cycle. Moreover, greater punishment sensitivity causes a shift toward punishment-based learning, leading to greater anxiety and ultimately to excessive reappraisal over emotions. Treatments combining physiological and neurobehavioral rationales must be adopted to improve outcomes and prevent relapses.
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Wang Q, Liu X. Peer victimization, depressive symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury behavior in Chinese migrant children: the roles of gender and stressful life events. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2019; 12:661-673. [PMID: 31496850 PMCID: PMC6698170 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s215246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has become a worldwide health concern, especially for the disadvantaged group such as Chinese rural-to-urban migrant children. Peer victimization is a risk factor for NSSI and is quite common among Chinese migrant children. However, few studies that focused on this group have paid attention to the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the mediating role of depressive symptoms and the moderating role of stressful life events in the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI in male and female migrant children. Methods A total of 650 migrant children completed self-report surveys that addressed peer victimization, NSSI, depressive symptoms, and stressful life events. Results Results showed that peer victimization was significantly related to NSSI for both migrant girls and boys. Depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI among girls, but not among boys. Additionally, stressful life events significantly moderated the relationships between depressive symptoms and NSSI and between peer victimization and NSSI among girls; higher levels of depressive symptoms or peer victimization coupled with more stressful life events related to a higher probability of NSSI. For boys, stressful life events moderated the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI; higher levels of peer victimization combined with increased NSSI behaviors among the boys who reported more stressful life events. Conclusions These findings contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms that inform the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI. Moreover, they indicate that future interventions can be enhanced by targeting depressive symptoms among girls and stressful life events among both girls and boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanquan Wang
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Liu
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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