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Yates JR, Adhikari S, Bako RE, Berling KL, Broderick MR, Mains R, Zwick B. Methamphetamine increases risky choice in rats, but only when magnitude and probability of reinforcement are manipulated within a session. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 239:173751. [PMID: 38548247 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173751] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Risky choice is associated with maladaptive behaviors, particularly substance use disorders. Current animal models of risky choice are often confounded by other constructs like behavioral flexibility and suboptimal choice. The purpose of the current experiment was to determine if the psychostimulant methamphetamine, a drug whose popularity has increased in recent years, increases risky choice in an equivalent expected value (EEV) task. In the EEV task, rats are given a choice between two reinforcer alternatives that differ in magnitude and probability of delivery, but have equivalent expected value. Forty-eight Sprague Dawley rats were tested in three versions of the EEV task. In the first version of the EEV task, both reinforcer magnitude and probability were adjusted across blocks of trials for both alternatives. In the second and the third versions of the EEV task, reinforcer magnitude was held constant across each block of trials (either 1 vs. 2 pellets or 4 vs. 5 pellets). We found that male rats preferred the "riskier" option, except when reinforcer magnitudes were held constant at 4 and 5 pellets across each block of trials. Methamphetamine (0.5 mg/kg) increased preference for the risky option in both males and females, but only when both reinforcer magnitude and probability were manipulated across blocks of trials for each alternative. The current results demonstrate that both magnitude of reinforcement and probability of reinforcement interact to influence risky choice. Overall, this study provides additional support for using reinforcers with expected value to measure risky choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Yates
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America.
| | - Shreeukta Adhikari
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America
| | - Rayah E Bako
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America
| | - Kevin L Berling
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America
| | - Maria R Broderick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America; Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States of America
| | - Reuben Mains
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America; Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America
| | - Bradley Zwick
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America; Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States of America
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Greiner EM, Witt ME, Moran SJ, Petrovich GD. Activation patterns in male and female forebrain circuitries during food consumption under novelty. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:403-429. [PMID: 38193917 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02742-8] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The influence of novelty on feeding behavior is significant and can override both homeostatic and hedonic drives due to the uncertainty of potential danger. Previous work found that novel food hypophagia is enhanced in a novel environment and that males habituate faster than females. The current study's aim was to identify the neural substrates of separate effects of food and context novelty. Adult male and female rats were tested for consumption of a novel or familiar food in either a familiar or in a novel context. Test-induced Fos expression was measured in the amygdalar, thalamic, striatal, and prefrontal cortex regions that are important for appetitive responding, contextual processing, and reward motivation. Food and context novelty induced strikingly different activation patterns. Novel context induced Fos robustly in almost every region analyzed, including the central (CEA) and basolateral complex nuclei of the amygdala, the thalamic paraventricular (PVT) and reuniens nuclei, the nucleus accumbens (ACB), the medial prefrontal cortex prelimbic and infralimbic areas, and the dorsal agranular insular cortex (AI). Novel food induced Fos in a few select regions: the CEA, anterior basomedial nucleus of the amygdala, anterior PVT, and posterior AI. There were also sex differences in activation patterns. The capsular and lateral CEA had greater activation for male groups and the anterior PVT, ACB ventral core and shell had greater activation for female groups. These activation patterns and correlations between regions, suggest that distinct functional circuitries control feeding behavior when food is novel and when eating occurs in a novel environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Greiner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Mary E Witt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Stephanie J Moran
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Gorica D Petrovich
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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d'Arqom A, Akram M, Azzahranisa NS, Nasution MZ, Surjaningrum ER, Yusof J. Societal influence and psychological distress among Indonesian adults in Java on the early Omicron wave of COVID-19. Future Sci OA 2023; 9:FSO894. [PMID: 37753359 PMCID: PMC10518838 DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2023-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim Changes during the COVID-19 pandemic might create pressure on different people, thus this study aimed to measure respondents' psychological distress during the early phase of the Omicron wave in Java Island. Methods A web-based survey on societal influence and COVID-19-related psychological distress was distributed through social media in November-December 2021, and received 396 responses. Results This study showed that almost 50% of respondents faced psychological distress during the early phase of the Omicron variant, especially concerning hypervigilance and avoidance. Several sociodemographic factors might contribute to the incidence of psychological distress including comorbidity, age and education. Conclusion Taken together, the incidence of COVID-19-related psychological distress was still found in the early phase of the Omicron variant, especially among young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette d'Arqom
- Division of Pharmacology & Therapy, Department of Anatomy, Histology, & Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, 60131, Indonesia
- Airlangga Research Group for Translational Medicine & Therapeutic, Universitas Airlangga, 60131, Indonesia
| | - Muh Akram
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60131, Indonesia
| | | | | | | | - Junaidah Yusof
- School of Human Resource Development & Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, 81310, Malaysia
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Allen MT. Weaker situations: Uncertainty reveals individual differences in learning: Implications for PTSD. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023:10.3758/s13415-023-01077-5. [PMID: 36944865 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01077-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Few individuals who experience trauma develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, the identification of individual differences that signal increased risk for PTSD is important. Lissek et al. (2006) proposed using a weak rather than a strong situation to identify individual differences. A weak situation involves less-salient cues as well as some degree of uncertainty, which reveal individual differences. A strong situation involves salient cues with little uncertainty, which produce consistently strong responses. Results from fear conditioning studies that support this hypothesis are discussed briefly. This review focuses on recent findings from three learning tasks: classical eyeblink conditioning, avoidance learning, and a computer-based task. These tasks are interpreted as weaker learning situations in that they involve some degree of uncertainty. Individual differences in learning based on behavioral inhibition, which is a risk factor for PTSD, are explored. Specifically, behaviorally inhibited individuals and rodents (i.e., Wistar Kyoto rats), as well as individuals expressing PTSD symptoms, exhibit enhanced eyeblink conditioning. Behaviorally inhibited rodents also demonstrate enhanced avoidance responding (i.e., lever pressing). Both enhanced eyeblink conditioning and avoidance are most evident with schedules of partial reinforcement. Behaviorally inhibited individuals also performed better on reward and punishment trials than noninhibited controls in a probabilistic category learning task. Overall, the use of weaker situations with uncertain relationships may be more ecologically valid than learning tasks in which the aversive event occurs on every trial and may provide more sensitivity for identifying individual differences in learning for those at risk for, or expressing, PTSD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Todd Allen
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA.
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Zhang Z, Lin Y, Liu J, Zhang G, Hou X, Pan Z, Dai B. Relationship between behavioral inhibition/activation system and Internet addiction among Chinese college students: The mediating effects of intolerance of uncertainty and self-control and gender differences. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1047036. [PMID: 36644769 PMCID: PMC9832708 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1047036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Internet addiction is a global public health issue among college students that is associated with a range of negative outcomes. Especially the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to shift most of their studies and life activities from offline to online, leading to a growing problem of Internet dependence and even Internet addiction. Although previous studies have indicated that the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System (BIS/BAS) have important effects on college students' Internet addiction, the mechanisms underlying these associations and gender differences are still unclear. Aims The present study investigated the mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and self-control in the association between BIS/BAS and Internet addiction following the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model. Gender differences in such associations between variables were also tested. Method A total of 747 Chinese college students were surveyed by using Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction, BIS/BAS Scales, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale and the Brief Self-Control Scale. Results The results from the structural equation modeling analysis showed that BIS was positively related to Internet addiction and that BAS had a negative association with Internet addiction. Moreover, intolerance of uncertainty and self-control mediated the relationships between BIS/BAS and Internet addiction. Multi-group analysis further revealed that the associations between BAS and Internet addiction and between intolerance of uncertainty and Internet addiction were stronger among the male students than among female students. The relationship between self-control and Internet addiction was greater in the female sample than in the male sample. Conclusions These findings extend our understanding of how BIS/BAS influence Internet addiction among college students and suggest that not only should training approaches based on intolerance of uncertainty and self-control be fully considered, but different intervention programs should be focused on gender sensitivity to maximize the intervention effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Zhang
- School of Public Administration, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yan Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Transplantation Center, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Guangyu Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaowen Hou
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zequan Pan
- School of Public Administration, Central South University, Changsha, China,*Correspondence: Zequan Pan
| | - Bibing Dai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China,Bibing Dai
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Palmer S, Oppler SH, Graham ML. Behavioral Management as a Coping Strategy for Managing Stressors in Primates: The Influence of Temperament and Species. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11030423. [PMID: 35336797 PMCID: PMC8945664 DOI: 10.3390/biology11030423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Primates involved in biomedical research experience stressors related to captivity, close contact with caregivers, and may be exposed to various medical procedures while modeling clinical disease or interventions under study. Behavioral management is used to promote behavioral flexibility in less complex captive environments and train coping skills to reduce stress. How animals perceive their environment and interactions is the basis of subjective experience and has a major impact on welfare. Certain traits, such as temperament and species, can affect behavioral plasticity and learning. This study investigated the relationship between these traits and acquisition of coping skills in 83 macaques trained for cooperation with potentially aversive medical procedures using a mixed-reinforcement training paradigm. All primates successfully completed training with no significant differences between inhibited and exploratory animals, suggesting that while temperament profoundly influences behavior, training serves as an important equalizer. Species-specific differences in learning and motivation manifested in statistically significant faster skill acquisition in rhesus compared with cynomolgus macaques, but this difference was not clinically relevant. Despite unique traits, primates were equally successful in learning complex tasks and displayed effective coping. When animals engage in coping behaviors, their distress decreases, improving welfare and reducing inter- and intra- subject variability to enhance scientific validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra Palmer
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55108, USA; (S.P.); (S.H.O.)
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Scott Hunter Oppler
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55108, USA; (S.P.); (S.H.O.)
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Melanie L. Graham
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55108, USA; (S.P.); (S.H.O.)
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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De Oliveira Sergio T, Wetherill L, Kwok C, Khoyloo F, Hopf FW. Sex differences in specific aspects of two animal tests of anxiety-like behavior. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2775-2787. [PMID: 34120205 PMCID: PMC11071636 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05893-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Anxiety, a negative state of high arousal and vigilance, is especially prevalent in women, making identification of underlying mechanisms critical for developing effective therapies. With the challenge of disentangling biological and social factors in humans, animal tests can provide valuable insights, although such tests, developed in males, have unclear validity for females. OBJECTIVE To better understand patterns of sex differences across multiple measures within two classical rodent anxiety tests. METHODS We examined female and male adult Wistar rats (n = 15-18/group) that were single-housed in the novelty suppression of feeding test (NSFT) that involves food under a bright light in food-restricted animals, and light-dark test (LDT), which reflects innate aversion to bright light. To further validate these tests in females, we also examined the impact of 1 mg/kg diazepam. RESULTS NSFT measures of the most direct interaction with food, latency to grab food and food consumed, indicated increased anxiety-like behavior in females versus males, with diazepam altering these behaviors in females but not males. Most other measures showed more similar effects of diazepam across the sexes, with some evidence of reduced anxiety-like behavior in LDT for females. Principal component analyses indicated limited relationships across behavioral factors, underscoring previous suggestions of the importance of assessing multiple measures to maximize information and ethological relevance. CONCLUSIONS Combining our findings and previous studies, we speculate that increased anxiety-like behavior in females manifests especially when there is a specific, life-relevant condition (e.g., food in the NSFT). Our findings also validate NSFT and LDT use in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thatiane De Oliveira Sergio
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 W. 15th Street, NB 300E, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California At San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Leah Wetherill
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Claudina Kwok
- Department of Neurology, University of California At San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Farrah Khoyloo
- Department of Neurology, University of California At San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Frederic W Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 W. 15th Street, NB 300E, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California At San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Tieskens JM, Buil JM, Koot S, van Lier PAC. Developmental associations between risk-taking and anxiety symptoms across ages 8-12 years. Child Dev 2021; 92:2563-2576. [PMID: 34463352 PMCID: PMC9292037 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This study explored the transactional association between anxiety symptoms and risk‐avoidance in Dutch elementary schoolchildren (N = 1200; 50% girls) across ages 8–12. Anxiety symptoms were obtained using self‐, peer‐, and teacher‐reports. Risk‐avoidance was measured using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task—Youth Version. Random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel models showed that, across informants, increases in anxiety symptoms predicted decreases in risk‐taking. Apart from minor exceptions, this effect was similar across sexes. For peer‐reports, the reverse path from decreases in risk‐taking to increased anxiety was also found. Overall, this study gives insight into the developmental link between symptoms of anxiety and risk‐avoidance which is important for early signaling and prevention as well as for our understanding of the consequences of childhood anxiety symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacintha M Tieskens
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Marieke Buil
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Koot
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pol A C van Lier
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Melles H, Spix M, Jansen A. Avoidance in Anorexia Nervosa: Towards a research agenda. Physiol Behav 2021; 238:113478. [PMID: 34058219 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Anorexia Nervosa is a severe and disabling mental disorder and a huge challenge to treat. Intense fears of e.g., food, eating, weight gain and social evaluation are core features of anorexia nervosa and obstacles during treatment. The perceived threats trigger avoidance and safety behaviors like highly restrictive eating, strict eating rules, vomiting and body checking, to minimize feared outcomes. The role of avoidance in anorexia nervosa is however hardly studied experimentally. In the present article, the focus is on a new transdiagnostic research agenda featuring both basic and clinical experimental research into avoidance as a most important mechanism maintaining the eating disorder. Avoidance learning and the generalization of learned avoidance behaviors are discussed, as well as safety behaviors and the need for inhibitory learning as a treatment target during exposure therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Melles
- Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Michelle Spix
- Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Anita Jansen
- Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
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Dhingra I, Zhang S, Zhornitsky S, Wang W, Le TM, Li CSR. Sex differences in neural responses to reward and the influences of individual reward and punishment sensitivity. BMC Neurosci 2021; 22:12. [PMID: 33639845 PMCID: PMC7913329 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-021-00618-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Men and women show differences in sensitivity to reward and punishment, which may impact behavior in health and disease. However, the neural bases of these sex differences remain under-investigated. Here, by combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a variant of the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MIDT), we examined sex differences in the neural responses to wins and losses and how individual reward and punishment sensitivity modulates these regional activities. METHODS Thirty-sex men and 27 women participated in the fMRI study. We assessed sensitivity to punishment (SP) and sensitivity to reward (SR) with the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ). In the MIDT, participants pressed a button to collect reward ($1, 1¢, or nil), with the reaction time window titrated across trials so participants achieved a success rate of approximately 67%. We processed the Imaging data with published routines and evaluated the results with a corrected threshold. RESULTS Women showed higher SP score than men and men showed higher SR score than women. Men relative to women showed higher response to the receipt of dollar or cent reward in bilateral orbitofrontal and visual cortex. Men as compared to women also showed higher response to dollar loss in bilateral orbitofrontal cortex. Further, in whole-brain regressions, women relative to men demonstrated more significant modulation by SP in the neural responses to wins and larger wins, and the sex differences were confirmed by slope tests. CONCLUSIONS Together, men showed higher SR and neural sensitivity to both wins, large or small, and losses than women. Individual differences in SP were associated with diminished neural responses to wins and larger wins in women only. These findings highlight how men and women may differ in reward-related brain activations in the MIDT and add to the imaging literature of sex differences in cognitive and affective functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Dhingra
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Wuyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Connecticut Mental Health Center S112, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06519-1109, USA.
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11
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Lemmens A, Smeets T, Beckers T, Dibbets P. Avoiding at all costs? An exploration of avoidance costs in a novel Virtual Reality procedure. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2021.101710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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12
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Xie J, Fang P, Zhang Z, Luo R, Dai B. Behavioral Inhibition/Activation Systems and Depression Among Females With Substance Use Disorder: The Mediating Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Anhedonia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:644882. [PMID: 33746802 PMCID: PMC7969652 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.644882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the behavioral inhibition/activation systems (BIS/BAS) have substantial effects on substance use disorder and emotional disorders, and substance use disorder and emotional disorders often occur; in particular, females with substance use disorder are more likely to also have serious emotional disorders including depression than their male counterparts. However, the associations between the BIS/BAS and depression in females with substance use disorder have received little attention. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of these relations are largely unknown. The present study examines the mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and anhedonia in the associations between the BIS/BAS and depression among females with substance use disorder from the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework. A total of 303 females with substance use disorder from a compulsory substance abuse detention center were tested using a cross-sectional survey involving BIS/BAS Scales, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The path analysis model revealed that both the BIS and BAS had a direct effect on depression, that the BIS had an indirect effect on depression through intolerance of uncertainty, and that the BAS had an indirect effect on depression via anhedonia. These findings contribute to a more thorough understanding of how the BIS/BAS influence depression among females with substance use disorder and suggest that the utility of targeting these associations in treatments would help reduce depression in females with substance use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlan Xie
- Department of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ping Fang
- Department of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Xiangya Nursing School, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ronglei Luo
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bibing Dai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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Martino PF, Miller DP, Miller JR, Allen MT, Cook-Snyder DR, Handy JD, Servatius RJ. Cardiorespiratory Response to Moderate Hypercapnia in Female College Students Expressing Behaviorally Inhibited Temperament. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:588813. [PMID: 33281546 PMCID: PMC7691270 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.588813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Behaviorally inhibited (BI) temperament is marked by heightened behavioral sensitivity to environmental threats. The degree to which threat sensitivity is reflected in cardiorespiratory responses has been relatively unexplored. Female college students were exposed to modest hypercapnia (7.0% CO2) or ambient air (AA) while engaging in a computerized task with cued reinforcement features. All physiological variables except for blood pressure were processed in 4 min epochs corresponding to pre-exposure, exposure, and post-exposure. Primary respiratory measures were respiratory frequency (fb), tidal volume (VT), and minute ventilation (VE). Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were processed using ARTiiFACT software with resultant heart rate variability (HRV) measures in the frequency domain and time domain. Consistent with the literature, modest hypercapnia increased VT, Fb, and VE. No differences in respiratory parameters were detected between BI and non-behaviorally inhibited individuals (NI). For HRV in the time domain, RMSSD and NN50 values increased during CO2 inhalation which then returned to pre-exposure levels after CO2 cessation. Hypercapnia increased high frequency (HF) power which then recovered. BI exhibited reduced low frequency (LF) power during the pre-exposure period. For NI, LF power reduced over the subsequent phases ameliorating differences between BI and NI. Hypercapnia improved the task performance of BI. This is the largest study of female reactivity to hypercapnia and associated HRV to date. In general, hypercapnia increased time domain HRV and HF power, suggesting a strong vagal influence. Those expressing BI exhibited similar respiratory and HRV reactivity to NI despite inherently reduced LF power. Although 7% CO2 represents a mild challenge to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, it is nonetheless sufficient to explore inherent difference in stress reactivity in those vulnerable to develop anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F Martino
- Biology Department, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, United States.,Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Daniel P Miller
- Neuroscience Department, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, United States
| | - Justin R Miller
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Michael T Allen
- School of Psychological Sciences, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, United States
| | - Denise R Cook-Snyder
- Biology Department, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, United States.,Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Justin D Handy
- Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory, Groton, CT, United States
| | - Richard J Servatius
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Syracuse VA Medical Center, Syracuse, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
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14
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Abstract
Differences in the prevalence and presentation of psychiatric illnesses in men and women suggest that neurobiological sex differences confer vulnerability or resilience in these disorders. Rodent behavioral models are critical for understanding the mechanisms of these differences. Reward processing and punishment avoidance are fundamental dimensions of the symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Here we explored sex differences along these dimensions using multiple and distinct behavioral paradigms. We found no sex difference in reward-guided associative learning but a faster punishment-avoidance learning in females. After learning, females were more sensitive than males to probabilistic punishment but less sensitive when punishment could be avoided with certainty. No sex differences were found in reward-guided cognitive flexibility. Thus, sex differences in goal-directed behaviors emerged selectively when there was an aversive context. These differences were critically sensitive to whether the punishment was certain or unpredictable. Our findings with these new paradigms provide conceptual and practical tools for investigating brain mechanisms that account for sex differences in susceptibility to anxiety and impulsivity. They may also provide insight for understanding the evolution of sex-specific optimal behavioral strategies in dynamic environments.
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15
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Prospective intolerance of uncertainty is associated with maladaptive temporal distribution of avoidance responses: An extension of Flores, López, Vervliet, and Cobos (2018). J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2020; 68:101527. [PMID: 31743800 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Excessive maladaptive avoidance has been claimed to be one of the mechanisms through which intolerance of uncertainty (IU) may play its causal role in the development and maintenance of several anxiety and compulsive disorders. Consistently, Flores et al. (2018) found that individuals with higher Prospective IU (P-IU), a specific IU subfactor, display excessive avoidance response repetitions in a free-operant discriminative task to avoid an aversive noise. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that P-IU not only predicts the amount of avoidance responses but also how well the temporal distribution of such responses fits the temporal distribution of threats. METHODS Further correlation and hierarchical regression analysis of Flores et al.'s (2018) data served to test this hypothesis. We evaluated two aspects of the temporal distribution of responses: a) for how long participants were performing the responses; b) the behavioral discrimination between threatening and safe time periods. RESULTS The results showed that scoring high in P-IU was positively associated with longer periods of time dedicated to avoiding and with worse behavioral discrimination between threatening and safe time periods. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that later addition of inhibitory intolerance of uncertainty and trait anxiety did not significantly improved the explained variance. LIMITATIONS Our results are exclusively based on the use of a low-cost avoidance response, and the present study does not clarify the precise mechanisms that lead high P-IU people to engage in non-optimal avoidance response distribution through time. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that excessive avoidance is also driven by uncertainty of threat timing and highlight the relevance of P-IU as a vulnerability factor for excessive and outspread avoidance behaviors.
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16
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Spiegler KM, Palmieri J, Pang KCH, Myers CE. A reinforcement-learning model of active avoidance behavior: Differences between Sprague Dawley and Wistar-Kyoto rats. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112784. [PMID: 32585299 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Avoidance behavior is a typically adaptive response performed by an organism to avert harmful situations. Individuals differ remarkably in their tendency to acquire and perform new avoidance behaviors, as seen in anxiety disorders where avoidance becomes pervasive and inappropriate. In rodent models of avoidance, the inbred Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat demonstrates increased learning and expression of avoidance compared to the outbred Sprague Dawley (SD) rat. However, underlying mechanisms that contribute to these differences are unclear. Computational modeling techniques can help identify factors that may not be easily decipherable from behavioral data alone. Here, we utilize a reinforcement learning (RL) model approach to better understand strain differences in avoidance behavior. An actor-critic model, with separate learning rates for action selection (in the actor) and state evaluation (in the critic), was applied to individual data of avoidance acquisition from a large cohort of WKY and SD rats. Latent parameters were extracted, such as learning rate and subjective reinforcement value of foot shock, that were then compared across groups. The RL model was able to accurately represent WKY and SD avoidance behavior, demonstrating that the model could simulate individual performance. The model determined that the perceived negative value of foot shock was significantly higher in WKY than SD rats, whereas learning rate in the actor was lower in WKY than SD rats. These findings demonstrate the utility of computational modeling in identifying underlying processes that could promote strain differences in behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Spiegler
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA; Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
| | - John Palmieri
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA; Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Kevin C H Pang
- Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA; VA New Jersey Health Care System, Department of Veterans Affairs, 385 Tremont Avenue, East Orange, NJ, 07018, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Catherine E Myers
- Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA; VA New Jersey Health Care System, Department of Veterans Affairs, 385 Tremont Avenue, East Orange, NJ, 07018, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
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17
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Bach DR, Moutoussis M, Bowler A, Dolan RJ. Predictors of risky foraging behaviour in healthy young people. Nat Hum Behav 2020; 4:832-843. [PMID: 32393840 PMCID: PMC7115941 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-0867-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
During adolescence and early adulthood, learning when to avoid threats and when to pursue rewards becomes crucial. Using a risky foraging task, we investigated individual differences in this dynamic across 781 individuals aged 14-24 years who were split into a hypothesis-generating discovery sample and a hold-out confirmation sample. Sex was the most important predictor of cautious behaviour and performance. Males earned one standard deviation (or 20%) more reward than females, collected more reward when there was little to lose and reduced foraging to the same level as females when potential losses became high. Other independent predictors of cautiousness and performance were self-reported daringness, IQ and self-reported cognitive complexity. We found no evidence for an impact of age or maturation. Thus, maleness, a high IQ or self-reported cognitive complexity, and self-reported daringness predicted greater success in risky foraging, possibly due to better exploitation of low-risk opportunities in high-risk environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik R Bach
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Aislinn Bowler
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
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18
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Greiner EM, Petrovich GD. The effects of novelty on food consumption in male and female rats. Physiol Behav 2020; 223:112970. [PMID: 32464137 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112970] [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] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Novelty powerfully impacts feeding behavior and can override homeostatic and hedonic drives, because consumption of a new food could lead to illness or even death. New foods and new feeding environments can decrease or inhibit feeding, but how the two interact and whether there are sex differences has not been determined. The current study examined consumption of a palatable (high sucrose) novel food compared to a familiar food in adult male and female rats that were fed in a familiar or a novel environment. Rats were deprived of food for 20 h prior to each of eight tests. During the first test, male and female rats that were tested in a familiar environment showed robust taste neophobia, as they mainly consumed familiar food. Across repeated tests, these rats increased consumption of the novel food, which indicated that they habituated to the novel taste and developed a preference for the novel food. In contrast, all rats tested in a novel feeding environment ate very little of both foods during the initial test. Across repeated tests, male rats habituated to the novel food faster than females and by the fourth test ate more of the novel than familiar food. In contrast, females showed sustained, suppressed consumption across habituation tests. These results demonstrated robust differences in feeding behavior depending whether rats were fed at home or in a novel feeding environment, and robust sex differences in habituation to eating in a new environment. These findings suggest that novel context has a greater impact on female consumption than male consumption. This difference may be relevant to sex differences in avoidant behaviors in maladaptive circumstances and the development of psychopathology. Therefore, the behavioral profile outlined in this study for consumption under novelty provides an important starting point for investigation of the underlying neural substrates of novelty processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Greiner
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Gorica D Petrovich
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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19
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Sheynin J, Baetu I, Collins-Praino LE, Myers CE, Winwood-Smith R, Moustafa AA. Maladaptive avoidance patterns in Parkinson's disease are exacerbated by symptoms of depression. Behav Brain Res 2020; 382:112473. [PMID: 31935419 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Given that dopamine is critically involved in learning and other cognitive processes, such as working memory, dopamine loss in PD has been linked both to learning abnormalities and to cognitive dysfunction more generally in the disease. It is unclear, however, whether avoidance behavior is impacted in PD. This is significant, as this type of instrumental behavior plays an important role in both decision-making and emotional (dys) function. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to examine avoidance learning and operant extinction in PD using a computer-based task. On this task, participants control a spaceship and attempt to shoot an enemy spaceship to gain points. They also learn to hide in safe areas to protect from (i.e., avoid) aversive events (on-screen explosions and point loss). The results showed that patients with PD (N = 25) acquired an avoidance response during aversive periods to the same extent as healthy age-matched controls (N = 19); however, patients demonstrated greater hiding during safe periods not associated with aversive events, which could represent maladaptive generalization of the avoidance response. Furthermore, this impairment was more pronounced during the extinction phase, and in patients who reported higher levels of depression. These results demonstrate for the first time that PD is associated with maladaptive avoidance patterns, which could possibly contribute to the emergence of depression in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jony Sheynin
- Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Irina Baetu
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Lyndsey E Collins-Praino
- Department of Medical Sciences, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Catherine E Myers
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Robyn Winwood-Smith
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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20
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Pittig A, Wong AH, Glück VM, Boschet JM. Avoidance and its bi-directional relationship with conditioned fear: Mechanisms, moderators, and clinical implications. Behav Res Ther 2020; 126:103550. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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21
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Ntourou K, DeFranco EO, Conture EG, Walden TA, Mushtaq N. A parent-report scale of behavioral inhibition: Validation and application to preschool-age children who do and do not stutter. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2020; 63:105748. [PMID: 32065916 PMCID: PMC7061916 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2020.105748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This two-part (i.e., Study 1, Study 2) study investigated behavioral inhibition (BI) in preschool-age children who do (CWS) and do not (CWNS) stutter. The purpose of Study 1 was to develop the Short Behavioral Inhibition Scale (SBIS), a parent-report scale of BI. The purpose of Study 2 was to determine, based on the SBIS, differences in BI between CWS and CWNS, and associations between BI and CWS's stuttering frequency, stuttering severity, speech-associated attitudes, and stuttering-related consequences/reactions. METHOD Participants in Study 1 were 225 CWS and 243 CWNS with the majority of them being included in Study 2. In Study 2, a speech sample was obtained for the calculation of stuttering frequency and severity, and the parents of a subset of CWS completed the Communication Attitude Test for Preschool and Kindergarten Children Who Stutter (Vanryckeghem & Brutten, 2007), and the Test of Childhood Stuttering Disfluency-Related Consequences Rating Scale (Gillam, Logan, & Pearson, 2009). RESULTS Study 1 analyses indicated that SBIS is a valid and reliable tool whose items assess a single, relatively homogeneous construct. In Study 2, CWS exhibited greater mean and extreme BI tendencies than CWNS. Also CWS with higher, compared to CWS with lower, BI presented with greater stuttering frequency, more severe stuttering, greater stuttering-related consequences, and more negative communication attitudes (for CWS older than 4 years of age). CONCLUSION Findings were taken to suggest that BI is associated with early childhood stuttering and that the SBIS could be included as part of a comprehensive evaluation of stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Ntourou
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Vanderbilt University, United States.
| | - Elizabeth Oyler DeFranco
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, United States
| | - Edward G Conture
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Vanderbilt University, United States
| | - Tedra A Walden
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Vanderbilt University, United States
| | - Nasir Mushtaq
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, United States
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22
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Schlund MW, Ludlum M, Magee SK, Tone EB, Brewer A, Richman DM, Dymond S. Renewal of fear and avoidance in humans to escalating threat: Implications for translational research on anxiety disorders. J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 113:153-171. [PMID: 31803943 PMCID: PMC8168406 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Exposure-based treatment for threat avoidance in anxiety disorders often results in fear renewal. However, little is known about renewal of avoidance. This multimodal laboratory-based treatment study used an ABA renewal design and an approach-avoidance (AP-AV) task to examine renewal of fear/threat and avoidance in twenty adults. In Context A, 9 visual cues paired with increases in probabilistic money loss (escalating threats) produced increases in ratings of feeling threatened and loss expectancies and skin-conductance responses (SCR). During the AP-AV task, a monetary reinforcer was available concurrently with threats. Approach produced the reinforcer or probabilistic loss, while avoidance prevented loss and forfeited reinforcement. Escalating threat produced increasing avoidance and ratings. In Context B with Pavlovian extinction, threats signaled no money loss and SCR declined. During the AP-AV task, avoidance and ratings also declined. In a return to Context A with Pavlovian threat extinction in effect during the AP-AV task, renewal was observed. Escalating threat was associated with increasing ratings and avoidance in most participants. SCR did not show renewal. These are the first translational findings to highlight renewal of avoidance in humans. Further research should identify individual difference variables and altered neural mechanisms that may confer increased risk of avoidance renewal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Schlund
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Pittsburgh
| | - Madonna Ludlum
- Department of Behavior Analysis, University of North
Texas
| | - Sandy K Magee
- Department of Behavior Analysis, University of North
Texas
| | - Erin B Tone
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University
| | - Adam Brewer
- Department of Education, Western Connecticut State
University
| | - David M Richman
- Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, Texas
Tech University
| | - Simon Dymond
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University
- Department of Psychology, Reykjavík University
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23
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Allen M, Handy J, Miller D, Servatius R. Avoidance learning and classical eyeblink conditioning as model systems to explore a learning diathesis model of PTSD. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 100:370-386. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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24
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Vogel S, Schwabe L. Stress, aggression, and the balance of approach and avoidance. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:137-146. [PMID: 30685681 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a well-established risk factor for many mental disorders including anxiety disorders or substance abuse. A hallmark of these disorders is an imbalance between behavioral approach and avoidance in situations with approach-avoidance conflicts and unclear outcomes. However, if and how stress affects human behavior in approach-avoidance conflicts is largely unknown. To investigate the effects of stress on approach-avoidance behavior, 80 participants underwent a stress or control manipulation before performing an approach-avoidance conflict task. Stress markedly increased behavioral inhibition when threats were distant and accelerated responses when threats were close; suggesting that stress amplifies the importance of threat distance. However, participants high in trait aggression showed increased approach behavior, particularly when stressed. These findings indicate that stress generally leads to enhanced avoidance, but induces approach in individuals prone to aggression, with important implications for stress-related psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Vogel
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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25
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Sheynin J, Myers CE, Ghafar F, Morris AN, Morley KC, Haber PS, Moustafa AA. A pilot study of escape, avoidance, and approach behaviors in treated alcohol-dependent males. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2019; 41:601-614. [PMID: 31023142 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2019.1595530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol-dependent individuals are often reported to use behavioral strategies both to escape from and avoid negative affective states, and also to approach positive affective states. However, there has been little examination of how these individuals acquire and express these types of behaviors. In this study, male adults meeting the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision (ICD-10) criteria for alcohol dependence recruited from an outpatient treatment clinic and healthy male controls were given a computer-based task to assess learning and performance of escape, avoidance, and approach behaviors. In this task, participants control a spaceship and can either gain points by shooting an enemy spaceship or hide in safe areas to escape or avoid on-screen aversive events. We found that patients with alcohol dependence exhibited greater escape and approach behaviors, tended to show greater avoidance behavior, and achieved higher total score on the computer task than healthy controls. This is the first demonstration of such behavioral differences in this population, supporting the overactivation of both positive and negative reinforcement systems in alcohol dependence, and suggesting that such behavioral biases are not limited to alcohol-related cues. The contribution of this work to behavioral assessment and therapeutic approaches, as well as possible future directions, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jony Sheynin
- a Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System , Ann Arbor , MI , USA.,b Department of Psychiatry , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| | - Catherine E Myers
- c Department of Veterans Affairs , New Jersey Health Care System , East Orange , NJ , USA.,d Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School , Rutgers University , Newark , NJ , USA
| | - Farahnaz Ghafar
- e School of Social Sciences and Psychology , Western Sydney University , Sydney , NSW , Australia
| | - Alejandro N Morris
- e School of Social Sciences and Psychology , Western Sydney University , Sydney , NSW , Australia
| | - Kirsten C Morley
- f NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School , The University of Sydney , Sydney , NSW , Australia
| | - Paul S Haber
- f NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School , The University of Sydney , Sydney , NSW , Australia
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- e School of Social Sciences and Psychology , Western Sydney University , Sydney , NSW , Australia.,g The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development , Western Sydney University , Sydney , Australia
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26
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Allen MT, Myers CE, Beck KD, Pang KCH, Servatius RJ. Inhibited Personality Temperaments Translated Through Enhanced Avoidance and Associative Learning Increase Vulnerability for PTSD. Front Psychol 2019; 10:496. [PMID: 30967806 PMCID: PMC6440249 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although many individuals who experience a trauma go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the rate of PTSD following trauma is only about 15-24%. There must be some pre-existing conditions that impart increased vulnerability to some individuals and not others. Diathesis models of PTSD theorize that pre-existing vulnerabilities interact with traumatic experiences to produce psychopathology. Recent work has indicated that personality factors such as behavioral inhibition (BI), harm avoidance (HA), and distressed (Type D) personality are vulnerability factors for the development of PTSD and anxiety disorders. These personality temperaments produce enhanced acquisition or maintenance of associations, especially avoidance, which is a criterion symptom of PTSD. In this review, we highlight the evidence for a relationship between these personality types and enhanced avoidance and associative learning, which may increase risk for the development of PTSD. First, we provide the evidence confirming a relationship among BI, HA, distressed (Type D) personality, and PTSD. Second, we present recent findings that BI is associated with enhanced avoidance learning in both humans and animal models. Third, we will review evidence that BI is also associated with enhanced eyeblink conditioning in both humans and animal models. Overall, data from both humans and animals suggest that these personality traits promote enhanced avoidance and associative learning, as well as slowing of extinction in some training protocols, which all support the learning diathesis model. These findings of enhanced learning in vulnerable individuals can be used to develop objective behavioral measures to pre-identify individuals who are more at risk for development of PTSD following traumatic events, allowing for early (possibly preventative) intervention, as well as suggesting possible therapies for PTSD targeted on remediating avoidance or associative learning. Future work should explore the neural substrates of enhanced avoidance and associative learning for behaviorally inhibited individuals in both the animal model and human participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Todd Allen
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, United States
- Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Stress and Motivated Behavior Institute, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
- Central New York Research Corporation, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Catherine E. Myers
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Kevin D. Beck
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Kevin C. H. Pang
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Richard J. Servatius
- Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Stress and Motivated Behavior Institute, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
- Central New York Research Corporation, Syracuse, NY, United States
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Syracuse, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
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27
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Spiegler KM, Smith IM, Pang KC. Danger and safety signals independently influence persistent pathological avoidance in anxiety-vulnerable Wistar Kyoto rats: A role for impaired configural learning in anxiety vulnerability. Behav Brain Res 2019; 356:78-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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28
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Examining the effects of punishment schedule density on the development and maintenance of avoidance and safety behaviours: Implications for exposure therapies. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2018; 61:172-179. [PMID: 30103104 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Engaging in safety behaviors in the absence of actual threat is a key feature of many psychological disorders, including OCD and depression. Failure to discriminate between threatening and safe environments may make these behaviors resistant to change. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the conditions under which avoidance and safety behaviors are developed and maintained. METHODS In experiment 1, sixty-seven participants who were initially screened for low obsessive-compulsive behavior were invited to play a computerized game to gain points and avoid their potential loss. In Phase 1, they were exposed to a lean punishment schedule (relatively frequent point losses) and a dense schedule (highly frequent point losses). In Phase 2, they were tested on engagement in safety behaviors, where no punishment had been programmed. In experiment 2, twenty-two new participants were exposed to the lean punishment schedule followed immediately by the no point loss condition (Phase 2), one and two weeks after their initial exposure to the punishment conditions to test for the maintenance of safety behavior over time. RESULTS Findings demonstrated that participants developed avoidance immediately, but safety behavior was developed and maintained only for those who were exposed to the lean punishment schedule. LIMITATIONS Prolonged exposure to dense punishment schedules may yield different results because the contrast between safe and aversive environments may be less discernible. CONCLUSIONS These findings are important because they provide experimental evidence on the conditions that render safety behaviors difficult to amend, and offer important recommendations for clinical practice.
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Allen MT. A computer-based avatar task designed to assess behavioral inhibition extends to behavioral avoidance but not cognitive avoidance. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5330. [PMID: 30083462 PMCID: PMC6074773 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Avoidance is a common feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as anxiety and depressive disorders. Avoidance can be expressed behaviorally as well as cognitively. Most personality assessments for avoidance involve self-report inventories which are susceptible to biased responding. The avatar task (Myers et al., 2016a) was developed as an objective measure of behavioral inhibition (BI) which is defined as a tendency for avoidance of unfamiliar people and situations. The avatar task has been demonstrated to screen avoidant behaviors related to BI, PTSD, as well as harm avoidance (HA) as measured by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ). In the current work, the avatar task was tested with cognitive as well as behavioral avoidance as measured by the cognitive-behavioral avoidance scale (CBAS; Ottenbreit & Dobson, 2004). The CBAS includes four subscales which measure behavioral social (BS) avoidance, behavioral non-social (BN) avoidance, cognitive social (CS) avoidance, and cognitive non-social (CN) avoidance. It was hypothesized that avatar scores would be significantly positively related to behavioral, but not cognitive, avoidance. In addition, it was also hypothesized that performance on the avatar task would be more related to social than non-social behavioral avoidance. Participants completed the avatar task, the HA scale of the TPQ and the CBAS. Pearson's product moment correlations revealed that avatar scores were significantly related to CBAS total scores as well as BS and BN scores, but not CS and CN scores. In addition, BS has a stronger relationship with avatar scores than BN avoidance which fits with the social aspects of the scenarios in the avatar task. A median split of the avatar scores produced a significant difference in scores on the behavioral but not the cognitive subscales. Overall, the current results supported the idea that the avatar task is measuring behavioral avoidance, specifically in social situations, rather than cognitive avoidance. Future work could adapt the avatar task to include scenarios similar to the cognitive items on the CBAS to create an objective measure of cognitive avoidance which may be relevant in measuring avoidance in depression and behavioral avoidance associated with PTSD as well as anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Todd Allen
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, United States of America
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Pittig A, Treanor M, LeBeau RT, Craske MG. The role of associative fear and avoidance learning in anxiety disorders: Gaps and directions for future research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 88:117-140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Sex difference in awareness of threat: A meta-analysis of sex differences in attentional orienting in the dot probe task. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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32
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Allen MT, Jameson MM, Myers CE. Beyond Behavioral Inhibition: A Computer Avatar Task Designed to Assess Behavioral Inhibition Extends to Harm Avoidance. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1560. [PMID: 28966600 PMCID: PMC5605618 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Personality factors such as behavioral inhibition (BI), a temperamental tendency for avoidance in the face of unfamiliar situations, have been identified as risk factors for anxiety disorders. Personality factors are generally identified through self-report inventories. However, this tendency to avoid may affect the accuracy of these self-report inventories. Previously, a computer based task was developed in which the participant guides an on-screen "avatar" through a series of onscreen events; performance on the task could accurately predict participants' BI, measured by a standard paper and pencil questionnaire (Adult Measure of Behavioral Inhibition, or AMBI). Here, we sought to replicate this finding as well as compare performance on the avatar task to another measure related to BI, the harm avoidance (HA) scale of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ). The TPQ includes HA scales as well as scales assessing reward dependence (RD), novelty seeking (NS) and persistence. One hundred and one undergraduates voluntarily completed the avatar task and the paper and pencil inventories in a counter-balanced order. Scores on the avatar task were strongly correlated with BI assessed via the AMBI questionnaire, which replicates prior findings. Females exhibited higher HA scores than males, but did not differ on scores on the avatar task. There was a strong positive relationship between scores on the avatar task and HA scores. One aspect of HA, fear of uncertainty was found to moderately mediate the relationship between AMBI scores and avatar scores. NS had a strong negative relationship with scores on the avatar task, but there was no significant relationship between RD and scores on the avatar task. These findings indicate the effectiveness of the avatar task as a behavioral alternative to self-report measures to assess avoidance. In addition, the use of computer based behavioral tasks are a viable alternative to paper and pencil self-report inventories, particularly when assessing anxiety and avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Todd Allen
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, GreeleyCO, United States
| | - Molly M Jameson
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, GreeleyCO, United States
| | - Catherine E Myers
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East OrangeNJ, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, NewarkNJ, United States
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Xia W, Dymond S, Lloyd K, Vervliet B. Partial reinforcement of avoidance and resistance to extinction in humans. Behav Res Ther 2017; 96:79-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Sheynin J, Shind C, Radell M, Ebanks-Williams Y, Gilbertson MW, Beck KD, Myers CE. Greater avoidance behavior in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Stress 2017; 20:285-293. [PMID: 28322068 PMCID: PMC5490437 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1309523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While avoidance is a core symptom of PTSD, little is known about whether individuals with PTSD show a general cognitive bias to acquire and express avoidance, in situations not related to trauma or fear. Here, we used a computer-based task to examine operant acquisition and extinction of avoidance in participants with and without severe self-reported PTSD symptoms. A total of 119 participants (77 male, 42 female; 74 veteran, 45 civilian) with symptoms (PTSS; n = 63) or with few/no symptoms (noPTSS; n = 56) performed a task, in which they controlled a spaceship and could shoot a target to gain points or hide in "safe areas" to escape or avoid on-screen aversive events. Results show that participants with PTSS exhibited more avoidance across trials than noPTSS participants, particularly due to more avoidance behavior in PTSS females compared to noPTSS females. Avoidance behavior decreased across extinction trials but interactions with PTSS and gender fell short of significance. Overall, PTSD symptoms were associated with propensity to acquire and express avoidance behavior, in both civilians and veterans, and even in a cognitive task that does not explicitly involve trauma or fear. This effect was more pronounced in females, highlighting the role of gender differences in PTSD symptomatology. Importantly, this study also demonstrates the potential of an objective assessment of avoidance behavior, which could be used to supplement the common but limited self-report tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jony Sheynin
- Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Christine Shind
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Milen Radell
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | | | | | - Kevin D. Beck
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Catherine E. Myers
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
- Corresponding Author: Catherine E. Myers, Research Services, VA New Jersey Health Care System, 385 Tremont Avenue, East Orange, NJ 07018, , Phone: 973-676-1000 x(1)1810
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Radell ML, Myers CE, Beck KD, Moustafa AA, Allen MT. The Personality Trait of Intolerance to Uncertainty Affects Behavior in a Novel Computer-Based Conditioned Place Preference Task. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1175. [PMID: 27555829 PMCID: PMC4977360 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work has found that personality factors that confer vulnerability to addiction can also affect learning and economic decision making. One personality trait which has been implicated in vulnerability to addiction is intolerance to uncertainty (IU), i.e., a preference for familiar over unknown (possibly better) options. In animals, the motivation to obtain drugs is often assessed through conditioned place preference (CPP), which compares preference for contexts where drug reward was previously received. It is an open question whether participants with high IU also show heightened preference for previously rewarded contexts. To address this question, we developed a novel computer-based CPP task for humans in which participants guide an avatar through a paradigm in which one room contains frequent reward (i.e., rich) and one contains less frequent reward (i.e., poor). Following exposure to both contexts, subjects are assessed for preference to enter the previously rich and previously poor room. Individuals with low IU showed little bias to enter the previously rich room first, and instead entered both rooms at about the same rate which may indicate a foraging behavior. By contrast, those with high IU showed a strong bias to enter the previously rich room first. This suggests an increased tendency to chase reward in the intolerant group, consistent with previously observed behavior in opioid-addicted individuals. Thus, the personality factor of high IU may produce a pre-existing cognitive bias that provides a mechanism to promote decision-making processes that increase vulnerability to addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milen L Radell
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East OrangeNJ, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, NewarkNJ, USA
| | - Catherine E Myers
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East OrangeNJ, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, NewarkNJ, USA
| | - Kevin D Beck
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East OrangeNJ, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, NewarkNJ, USA
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology and Marcs Institute for Brain and Behaviour, University of Western Sydney, Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Todd Allen
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley CO, USA
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Sheynin J, Moustafa AA, Beck KD, Servatius RJ, Casbolt PA, Haber P, Elsayed M, Hogarth L, Myers CE. Exaggerated acquisition and resistance to extinction of avoidance behavior in treated heroin-dependent men. J Clin Psychiatry 2016; 77:386-94. [PMID: 27046310 PMCID: PMC4822714 DOI: 10.4088/jcp.14m09284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Addiction is often conceptualized as a behavioral strategy for avoiding negative experiences. In rodents, opioid intake has been associated with abnormal acquisition and extinction of avoidance behavior. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these findings would generalize to human opioid-dependent subjects. METHOD Adults meeting DSM-IV criteria for heroin dependence and treated with opioid medication (n = 27) and healthy controls (n = 26) were recruited between March 2013 and October 2013 and given a computer-based task to assess avoidance behavior. For this task, subjects controlled a spaceship and could either gain points by shooting an enemy spaceship or hide in safe areas to avoid on-screen aversive events. Hiding duration during different periods of the task was used to measure avoidance behavior. RESULTS While groups did not differ on escape responding (hiding) during the aversive event, heroin-dependent men (but not women) made more avoidance responses during a warning signal that predicted the aversive event (analysis of variance, sex × group interaction, P = .007). Heroin-dependent men were also slower to extinguish the avoidance response when the aversive event no longer followed the warning signal (P = .011). This behavioral pattern resulted in reduced opportunity to obtain reward without reducing risk of punishment. Results suggest that, in male patients, differences in avoidance behavior cannot be easily explained by impaired task performance or by exaggerated motor activity. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence for abnormal acquisition and extinction of avoidance behavior in opioid-dependent patients. Interestingly, data suggest that abnormal avoidance is demonstrated only by male patients. Findings shed light on cognitive and behavioral manifestations of opioid addiction and may facilitate development of therapeutic approaches to help affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jony Sheynin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 ,
| | - Ahmed A. Moustafa
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA,Marcs Institute for Brain and Behaviour, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,School of Social Sciences and Psychology, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kevin D. Beck
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA,Joint Biomedical Engineering Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA,Stress & Motivated Behavior Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Richard J. Servatius
- Joint Biomedical Engineering Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA,Stress & Motivated Behavior Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Peter A. Casbolt
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul Haber
- Drug Health Services, Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mahmoud Elsayed
- Drug Health Services, Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lee Hogarth
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia,School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Catherine E. Myers
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA,Joint Biomedical Engineering Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA,Stress & Motivated Behavior Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA
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37
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Radell ML, Sanchez R, Weinflash N, Myers CE. The personality trait of behavioral inhibition modulates perceptions of moral character and performance during the trust game: behavioral results and computational modeling. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1631. [PMID: 27004148 PMCID: PMC4800786 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Decisions based on trust are critical for human social interaction. We judge the trustworthiness of partners in social interactions based on a number of partner characteristics as well as experiences with those partners. These decisions are also influenced by personality. The current study examined how the personality trait of behavioral inhibition, which involves the tendency to avoid or withdraw from novelty in both social and non-social situations, is related to explicit ratings of trustworthiness as well as decisions made in the trust game. In the game, healthy young adults interacted with three fictional partners who were portrayed as trustworthy, untrustworthy or neutral through biographical information. Participants could choose to keep $1 or send $3 of virtual money to a partner. The partner could then choose to send $1.5 back to the participant or to keep the entire amount. On any trial in which the participant chose to send, the partner always reciprocated with 50% probability, irrespective of how that partner was portrayed in the biography. Behavioral inhibition was assessed through a self-report questionnaire. Finally, a reinforcement learning computational model was fit to the behavior of each participant. Self-reported ratings of trust confirmed that all participants, irrespective of behavioral inhibition, perceived differences in the moral character of the three partners (trustworthiness of good > neutral > bad partner). Decisions made in the game showed that inhibited participants tended to trust the neutral partner less than uninhibited participants. In contrast, this was not reflected in the ratings of the neutral partner (either pre- or post-game), indicating a dissociation between ratings of trustworthiness and decisions made by inhibited participants. Computational modeling showed that this was due to lower initial trust of the neutral partner rather than a higher learning rate associated with loss, suggesting an implicit bias against the neutral partner. Overall, the results suggest inhibited individuals may be predisposed to interpret neutral or ambiguous information more negatively which could, at least in part, account for the tendency to avoid unfamiliar people characteristic of behaviorally inhibited temperament, as well as its relationship to anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milen L Radell
- Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory, VA New Jersey Health Care System , East Orange, NJ , United States
| | - Rosanna Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark, Newark, NJ, United States; Honors College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Noah Weinflash
- Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory, VA New Jersey Health Care System , East Orange, NJ , United States
| | - Catherine E Myers
- Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States; Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark, Newark, NJ, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
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Lalanza JF, Sanchez-Roige S, Cigarroa I, Gagliano H, Fuentes S, Armario A, Capdevila L, Escorihuela RM. Long-term moderate treadmill exercise promotes stress-coping strategies in male and female rats. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16166. [PMID: 26538081 PMCID: PMC4633642 DOI: 10.1038/srep16166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence has revealed the impact of exercise in alleviating anxiety and mood disorders; however, the exercise protocol that exerts such benefit is far from known. The current study was aimed to assess the effects of long-term moderate exercise on behavioural coping strategies (active vs. passive) and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal response in rats. Sprague-Dawley male and female rats were exposed to 32-weeks of treadmill exercise and then tested for two-way active avoidance learning (shuttle-box). Two groups were used as controls: a non-handled sedentary group, receiving no manipulation, and a control group exposed to a stationary treadmill. Female rats displayed shorter escape responses and higher number of avoidance responses, reaching criterion for performance earlier than male rats. In both sexes, exercise shortened escape latencies, increased the total number of avoidances and diminished the number of trials needed to reach criterion for performance. Those effects were greater during acquisition in female rats, but remained over the shuttle-box sessions in treadmill trained male rats. In females, exercise did not change ACTH and corticosterone levels after shuttle-box acquisition. Collectively, treadmill exercise improved active coping strategies in a sex-dependent manner. In a broader context, moderate exercise could serve as a therapeutic intervention for anxiety and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaume F Lalanza
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Fac de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Laboratori de Psicologia de l'Esport, Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Fac Psicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sandra Sanchez-Roige
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Fac de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Igor Cigarroa
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Fac de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Carrera de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Los Ángeles, región del Bio-Bio, Chile
| | - Humberto Gagliano
- Red de trastornos adictivos (RTA) and Institut de Neurociències, Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Fuentes
- Red de trastornos adictivos (RTA) and Institut de Neurociències, Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Armario
- Red de trastornos adictivos (RTA) and Institut de Neurociències, Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lluís Capdevila
- Laboratori de Psicologia de l'Esport, Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Fac Psicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa M Escorihuela
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Fac de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Testing the role of reward and punishment sensitivity in avoidance behavior: a computational modeling approach. Behav Brain Res 2015; 283:121-38. [PMID: 25639540 PMCID: PMC4351139 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Exaggerated avoidance behavior is a predominant symptom in all anxiety disorders and its degree often parallels the development and persistence of these conditions. Both human and non-human animal studies suggest that individual differences as well as various contextual cues may impact avoidance behavior. Specifically, we have recently shown that female sex and inhibited temperament, two anxiety vulnerability factors, are associated with greater duration and rate of the avoidance behavior, as demonstrated on a computer-based task closely related to common rodent avoidance paradigms. We have also demonstrated that avoidance is attenuated by the administration of explicit visual signals during "non-threat" periods (i.e., safety signals). Here, we use a reinforcement-learning network model to investigate the underlying mechanisms of these empirical findings, with a special focus on distinct reward and punishment sensitivities. Model simulations suggest that sex and inhibited temperament are associated with specific aspects of these sensitivities. Specifically, differences in relative sensitivity to reward and punishment might underlie the longer avoidance duration demonstrated by females, whereas higher sensitivity to punishment might underlie the higher avoidance rate demonstrated by inhibited individuals. Simulations also suggest that safety signals attenuate avoidance behavior by strengthening the competing approach response. Lastly, several predictions generated by the model suggest that extinction-based cognitive-behavioral therapies might benefit from the use of safety signals, especially if given to individuals with high reward sensitivity and during longer safe periods. Overall, this study is the first to suggest cognitive mechanisms underlying the greater avoidance behavior observed in healthy individuals with different anxiety vulnerabilities.
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Laricchiuta D, Petrosini L. Individual differences in response to positive and negative stimuli: endocannabinoid-based insight on approach and avoidance behaviors. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:238. [PMID: 25565991 PMCID: PMC4273613 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Approach and avoidance behaviors-the primary responses to the environmental stimuli of danger, novelty and reward-are associated with the brain structures that mediate cognitive functionality, reward sensitivity and emotional expression. Individual differences in approach and avoidance behaviors are modulated by the functioning of amygdaloid-hypothalamic-striatal and striatal-cerebellar networks implicated in action and reaction to salient stimuli. The nodes of these networks are strongly interconnected and by acting on them the endocannabinoid and dopaminergic systems increase the intensity of appetitive or defensive motivation. This review analyzes the approach and avoidance behaviors in humans and rodents, addresses neurobiological and neurochemical aspects of these behaviors, and proposes a possible synaptic plasticity mechanism, related to endocannabinoid-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression that allows responding to salient positive and negative stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Laricchiuta
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa LuciaRome, Italy
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University “Sapienza” of RomeRome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa LuciaRome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University “Sapienza” of RomeRome, Italy
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Sheynin J, Beck KD, Servatius RJ, Myers CE. Acquisition and extinction of human avoidance behavior: attenuating effect of safety signals and associations with anxiety vulnerabilities. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:323. [PMID: 25309373 PMCID: PMC4163982 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While avoidance behavior is often an adaptive strategy, exaggerated avoidance can be detrimental and result in the development of psychopathologies, such as anxiety disorders. A large animal literature shows that the acquisition and extinction of avoidance behavior in rodents depends on individual differences (e.g., sex, strain) and might be modulated by the presence of environmental cues. However, there is a dearth of such reports in human literature, mainly due to the lack of adequate experimental paradigms. In the current study, we employed a computer-based task, where participants control a spaceship and attempt to gain points by shooting an enemy spaceship that appears on the screen. Warning signals predict on-screen aversive events; the participants can learn a protective response to escape or avoid these events. This task has been recently used to reveal facilitated acquisition of avoidance behavior in individuals with anxiety vulnerability due to female sex or inhibited personality. Here, we extended the task to include an extinction phase, and tested the effect of signals that appeared during “safe” periods. Healthy young adults (n = 122) were randomly assigned to a testing condition with or without such signals. Results showed that the addition of safety signals during the acquisition phase impaired acquisition (in females) and facilitated extinction of the avoidance behavior. We also replicated our recent finding of an association between female sex and longer avoidance duration and further showed that females continued to demonstrate more avoidance behavior even on extinction trials when the aversive events no longer occurred. This study is the first to show sex differences on the acquisition and extinction of human avoidance behavior and to demonstrate the role of safety signals in such behavior, highlighting the potential relevance of safety signals for cognitive therapies that focus on extinction learning to treat anxiety symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jony Sheynin
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System , East Orange, NJ , USA ; Joint Biomedical Engineering Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Newark, NJ , USA ; Stress and Motivated Behavior Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Newark, NJ , USA
| | - Kevin D Beck
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System , East Orange, NJ , USA ; Joint Biomedical Engineering Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Newark, NJ , USA ; Stress and Motivated Behavior Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Newark, NJ , USA
| | - Richard J Servatius
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System , East Orange, NJ , USA ; Joint Biomedical Engineering Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Newark, NJ , USA ; Stress and Motivated Behavior Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Newark, NJ , USA
| | - Catherine E Myers
- Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System , East Orange, NJ , USA ; Joint Biomedical Engineering Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Newark, NJ , USA ; Stress and Motivated Behavior Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Newark, NJ , USA
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