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Donofry SD, Winograd D, Kothari D, Call CC, Magee KE, Jouppi RJ, Conlon RPK, Levine MD. Mindfulness in Pregnancy and Postpartum: Protocol of a Pilot Randomized Trial of Virtually Delivered Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Promote Well-Being during the Perinatal Period. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:622. [PMID: 38791836 PMCID: PMC11121592 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21050622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the period from pregnancy through the first year postpartum, vulnerable individuals are at elevated risk for the onset or worsening of psychological distress, and accessible (e.g., virtually delivered) mental health interventions are needed. Research suggests that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) can effectively mitigate psychological distress, although few studies have evaluated MBCT in the perinatal period, and samples have been clinically homogenous. Thus, we have designed and are conducting a pilot trial of virtually delivered MBCT with pregnant individuals experiencing a range of psychological symptoms to assess its feasibility and preliminarily explore its effectiveness. Here, we present the study protocol. METHODS Eligible participants (target N = 70) are ≥18 years with pregnancies between 12 and 30 weeks of gestation. Participants complete a diagnostic interview, self-report symptom ratings, and a computerized cognitive battery assessing self-regulation at the baseline. Participants are then randomized to either MBCT or care as usual. The MBCT intervention involves eight weekly group sessions delivered virtually, with each session focusing on a mindfulness practice followed by group discussion and skill development. Participants in the intervention group are also encouraged to practice mindfulness skills between sessions. Participants in the control condition are provided with information about mindfulness and treatment resources. Baseline measures are repeated following the eight-week intervention period and at three months postpartum. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study is designed to evaluate the feasibility of virtually delivered MBCT and explore group differences in psychological symptoms during the perinatal period, and will lay the foundation for a larger clinical trial focused on optimizing this intervention to improve psychological functioning among diverse pregnant individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon D. Donofry
- RAND, 4570 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Dayna Winograd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Diva Kothari
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Christine C. Call
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Kelsey E. Magee
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Riley J. Jouppi
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Rachel P. Kolko Conlon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Michele D. Levine
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Cantini D, Choleris E, Kavaliers M. Neurobiology of Pathogen Avoidance and Mate Choice: Current and Future Directions. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:296. [PMID: 38254465 PMCID: PMC10812398 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals are under constant threat of parasitic infection. This has influenced the evolution of social behaviour and has strong implications for sexual selection and mate choice. Animals assess the infection status of conspecifics based on various sensory cues, with odours/chemical signals and the olfactory system playing a particularly important role. The detection of chemical cues and subsequent processing of the infection threat that they pose facilitates the expression of disgust, fear, anxiety, and adaptive avoidance behaviours. In this selective review, drawing primarily from rodent studies, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the detection and assessment of infection status and their relations to mate choice are briefly considered. Firstly, we offer a brief overview of the aspects of mate choice that are relevant to pathogen avoidance. Then, we specifically focus on the olfactory detection of and responses to conspecific cues of parasitic infection, followed by a brief overview of the neurobiological systems underlying the elicitation of disgust and the expression of avoidance of the pathogen threat. Throughout, we focus on current findings and provide suggestions for future directions and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Cantini
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
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Diekhof EK, Deinert L, Keller JK, Degner J. The COVID-19 pandemic and changes in social behavior: Protective face masks reduce deliberate social distancing preferences while leaving automatic avoidance behavior unaffected. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2024; 9:2. [PMID: 38185759 PMCID: PMC10772029 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-023-00528-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Protective face masks were one of the central measures to counteract viral transmission in the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior research indicates that face masks impact various aspects of social cognition, such as emotion recognition and social evaluation. Whether protective masks also influence social avoidance behavior is less clear. Our project assessed direct and indirect measures of social avoidance tendencies towards masked and unmasked faces in two experiments with 311 participants during the first half of 2021. Two interventions were used in half of the participants from each sample (Experiment 1: protective face masks; Experiment 2: a disease prime video) to decrease or increase the salience of the immediate contagion threat. In the direct social avoidance measure, which asked for the deliberate decision to approach or avoid a person in a hypothetical social encounter, participants showed an increased willingness to approach masked as opposed to unmasked faces across experiments. This effect was further related to interindividual differences in pandemic threat perception in both samples. In the indirect measure, which assessed automatic social approach and avoidance tendencies, we neither observed an approach advantage towards masked faces nor an avoidance advantage for unmasked faces. Thus, while the absence of protective face masks may have led to increased deliberate social avoidance during the pandemic, no such effect was observed on automatic regulation of behavior, thus indicating the relative robustness of this latter behavior against changes in superordinate social norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther K Diekhof
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Laura Deinert
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Judith K Keller
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Degner
- Department of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Keller JK, Dulovic A, Gruber J, Griesbaum J, Schneiderhan-Marra N, Wülfing C, Kruse J, Hartmann A, Diekhof EK. SARS-CoV-2 specific sIgA in saliva increases after disease-related video stimulation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22631. [PMID: 38123577 PMCID: PMC10733377 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47798-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva is the most important immunoglobulin fighting pathogens in the respiratory tract and may thus play a role in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections. To gain a better understanding of the plasticity in the mucosal antibody, we investigated the proactive change in secretion of salivary SARS-CoV-2-specific sIgA in 45 vaccinated and/or previously infected, generally healthy persons (18 to 35 years, 22 women). Participants were exposed to a disease video displaying humans with several respiratory symptoms typical for COVID-19 in realistic situations of increased contagion risk. The disease video triggered an increase in spike-specific sIgA, which was absent after a similar control video with healthy people. The increase further correlated inversely with revulsion and aversive feelings while watching sick people. In contrast, the receptor binding domain-specific sIgA did not increase after the disease video. This may indicate differential roles of the two salivary antibodies in response to predictors of airborne contagion. The observed plasticity of spike-specific salivary antibody release after visual simulation of enhanced contagion risk suggests a role in immune exclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith K Keller
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Alex Dulovic
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Jens Gruber
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Johanna Griesbaum
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | | | - Clemens Wülfing
- Department of Biology, Interdisciplinary Neurobiology and Immunology, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jana Kruse
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Annika Hartmann
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Esther K Diekhof
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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Tasso NDAM, Castro FN. Family support during childhood as a predictor of mate retention and kin care in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: an exploratory study. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1276267. [PMID: 38169857 PMCID: PMC10758486 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1276267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Experiences during development help to explain behavior expression in adulthood. Aims In this study, we explored how unpredictability and harshness experienced during childhood may have impacted the occurrence of reproductive milestones in adulthood and the expression of fundamental motives related to self-protection, disease avoidance, mate seeking, mate retention, and kin care (children/family) during the pandemic. Methods This was an exploratory study with 438 participants. Through the administration of online questionnaires, participants were assessed and categorized based on their childhood experiences, resulting in three groups: low unpredictability, high unpredictability with family support, and high unpredictability without family support. Results We found that family support experienced during childhood predicts a slow life-history strategy. This involves an emphasis on growth and parenting efforts at the expense reproduction and was relevant even for participants who faced financial unpredictability. During the pandemic, we also observed that mate retention and kin care (family) motives were predominant among individuals who had greater family support during childhood. Discussion Overall, the findings suggest that unpredictability experienced during childhood is crucial for the development of life-history strategies and the manifestation of fundamental motives in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Felipe Nalon Castro
- Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Hansson LS, Lasselin J, Tognetti A, Axelsson J, Olsson MJ, Sundelin T, Lekander M. The walking sick: Perception of experimental sickness from biological motion. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 113:319-327. [PMID: 37517742 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of sick conspecifics allows for avoidance of infectious threats, and is therefore an important behavioral defense against diseases. Here, we investigated if humans can identify sick individuals solely from biological motion and posture (using point-light displays). Additionally, we sought to determine which movements and sickness parameters would predict such detection. We collected video clips and derived point-light displays (one stride presented in a loop) of sick walkers (injected with lipopolysaccharide at 2.0 ng/kg body weight) and the same walkers when healthy (injected with saline). We then presented these displays to two groups, one group classified each walker as sick or healthy (study 1, n = 106), and the other group scored the walkers' health on a visual analogue scale (study 2, n = 106). The raters were able to identify sick individuals above chance, and rated sick walkers as having worse health, both from observing video clips and point-light displays. Furthermore, both sickness detection and worse apparent health were predicted by inflammation-induced increase in rigidity and slower walking, but not other cues. Altogether, these findings indicate that biological motion can serve as a sickness cue, possibly allowing humans to identify sick conspecifics from a distance, and thereby allowing for disease avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- L S Hansson
- Stress Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Osher Center for Integrative Health, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Lasselin
- Stress Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Osher Center for Integrative Health, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - A Tognetti
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Axelsson
- Stress Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M J Olsson
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - T Sundelin
- Stress Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Lekander
- Stress Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Osher Center for Integrative Health, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Anja Juran S, Tognetti A, Lundström JN, Kumar L, Stevenson RJ, Lekander M, Olsson MJ. Disgusting odors trigger the oral immune system. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 11:8-17. [PMID: 36789013 PMCID: PMC9912705 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has characterized the behavioral defense against disease. In particular the detection of sickness cues, the adaptive reactions (e.g. avoidance) to these cues and the mediating role of disgust have been the focus. A presumably important but less investigated part of a behavioral defense is the immune system response of the observer of sickness cues. Odors are intimately connected to disease and disgust, and research has shown how olfaction conveys sickness cues in both animals and humans. This study aims to test whether odorous sickness cues (i.e. disgusting odors) can trigger a preparatory immune response in humans. We show that subjective and objective disgust measures, as well as TNFα levels in saliva increased immediately after exposure to disgusting odors in a sample of 36 individuals. Altogether, these results suggest a collaboration between behavioral mechanisms of pathogen avoidance in olfaction, mediated by the emotion of disgust, and mechanisms of pathogen elimination facilitated by inflammatory mediators. Disgusting stimuli are associated with an increased risk of infection. We here test whether disgusting odors, can trigger an immune response in the oral cavity. The results indicate an increase level of TNFα in the saliva. This supports that disease cues can trigger a preparatory response in the oral cavity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arnaud Tognetti
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan N Lundström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lalit Kumar
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Mats Lekander
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden,Osher Center for Integrative Health, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats J Olsson
- Corresponding author: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE 17177, Sweden. Tel: +46 707 135205; E-mail:
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