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Viktorsson C, Portugal AM, Taylor MJ, Ronald A, Falck-Ytter T. Sustained looking at faces at 5 months of age is associated with socio-communicative skills in the second year of life. INFANCY 2024; 29:459-478. [PMID: 38358338 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Efficiently processing information from faces in infancy is foundational for nonverbal communication. We studied individual differences in 5-month-old infants' (N = 517) sustained attention to faces and preference for emotional faces. We assessed the contribution of genetic and environmental influences to individual differences in these gaze behaviors, and the association between these traits and other concurrent and later phenotypes. We found an association between the mean duration of looking at a face (before looking away from it) at 5 months and socio-communicative abilities at 14 months (β = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.08; 0.26, p < 0.001). Sustained attention to faces predicted socio-communicative abilities over and above variance captured by mean fixation duration. We also found a statistically significant but weak tendency to prefer looking at smiling faces (relative to neutral faces), but no indication that variability in this behavior was explained by genetic effects. Moderate heritability was found for sustained attention to faces (A = 0.23, CI: 0.06; 0.38), while shared environmental influences were non-significant for both phenotypes. These findings suggest that sustained looking at individual faces before looking away is a developmentally significant 'social attention' phenotype in infancy, characterized by moderate heritability and a specific relation to later socio-communicative abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Viktorsson
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ana Maria Portugal
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mark J Taylor
- Department of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelica Ronald
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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Park HRP, Chilver MR, Quidé Y, Montalto A, Schofield PR, Williams LM, Gatt JM. Heritability of cognitive and emotion processing during functional MRI in a twin sample. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26557. [PMID: 38224545 PMCID: PMC10785190 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26557] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite compelling evidence that brain structure is heritable, the evidence for the heritability of task-evoked brain function is less robust. Findings from previous studies are inconsistent possibly reflecting small samples and methodological variations. In a large national twin sample, we systematically evaluated heritability of task-evoked brain activity derived from functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used established standardised tasks to engage brain regions involved in cognitive and emotional functions. Heritability was evaluated across a conscious and nonconscious Facial Expressions of Emotion Task (FEET), selective attention Oddball Task, N-back task of working memory maintenance, and a Go-NoGo cognitive control task in a sample of Australian adult twins (N ranged from 136 to 226 participants depending on the task and pairs). Two methods for quantifying associations of heritability and brain activity were utilised; a multivariate independent component analysis (ICA) approach and a univariate brain region-of-interest (ROI) approach. Using ICA, we observed that a significant proportion of task-evoked brain activity was heritable, with estimates ranging from 23% to 26% for activity elicited by nonconscious facial emotion stimuli, 27% to 34% for N-back working memory maintenance and sustained attention, and 32% to 33% for selective attention in the Oddball task. Using the ROI approach, we found that activity of regions specifically implicated in emotion processing and selective attention showed significant heritability for three ROIs, including estimates of 33%-34% for the left and right amygdala in the nonconscious processing of sad faces and 29% in the medial superior prefrontal cortex for the Oddball task. Although both approaches show similar levels of heritability for the Nonconscious Faces and Oddball tasks, ICA results displayed a more extensive network of heritable brain function, including additional regions beyond the ROI analysis. Furthermore, multivariate twin modelling of both ICA networks and ROI activation suggested a mix of common genetic and unique environmental factors that contribute to the associations between networks/regions. Together, the results indicate a complex relationship between genetic factors and environmental interactions that ultimately give rise to neural activation underlying cognition and emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haeme R. P. Park
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of PsychologyUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Miranda R. Chilver
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of PsychologyUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Yann Quidé
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of PsychologyUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Arthur Montalto
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of PsychologyUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Peter R. Schofield
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Leanne M. Williams
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of MedicineStanford UniversityCaliforniaUSA
| | - Justine M. Gatt
- Neuroscience Research AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of PsychologyUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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Chilver MR, Champaigne-Klassen E, Schofield PR, Williams LM, Gatt JM. Predicting wellbeing over one year using sociodemographic factors, personality, health behaviours, cognition, and life events. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5565. [PMID: 37019908 PMCID: PMC10076502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32588-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Various sociodemographic, psychosocial, cognitive, and life event factors are associated with mental wellbeing; however, it remains unclear which measures best explain variance in wellbeing in the context of related variables. This study uses data from 1017 healthy adults from the TWIN-E study of wellbeing to evaluate the sociodemographic, psychosocial, cognitive, and life event predictors of wellbeing using cross-sectional and repeated measures multiple regression models over one year. Sociodemographic (age, sex, education), psychosocial (personality, health behaviours, and lifestyle), emotion and cognitive processing, and life event (recent positive and negative life events) variables were considered. The results showed that while neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, and cognitive reappraisal were the strongest predictors of wellbeing in the cross-sectional model, while extraversion, conscientiousness, exercise, and specific life events (work related and traumatic life events) were the strongest predictors of wellbeing in the repeated measures model. These results were confirmed using tenfold cross-validation procedures. Together, the results indicate that the variables that best explain differences in wellbeing between individuals at baseline can vary from the variables that predict change in wellbeing over time. This suggests that different variables may need to be targeted to improve population-level compared to individual-level wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda R Chilver
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | | | - Peter R Schofield
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305-5717, USA
- Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers VISN21, Veterans Administration Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, 94304-151-Y, USA
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia.
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
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Park HRP, Chilver MR, Montalto A, Jamshidi J, Schofield PR, Williams LM, Gatt JM. Associations between mental wellbeing and fMRI neural bases underlying responses to positive emotion in a twin sample. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1215-1223. [PMID: 37010213 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721002695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although mental wellbeing has been linked with positive health outcomes, including longevity and improved emotional and cognitive functioning, studies examining the underlying neural mechanisms of both subjective and psychological wellbeing have been sparse. We assessed whether both forms of wellbeing are associated with neural activity engaged during positive and negative emotion processing and the extent to which this association is driven by genetics or environment. METHODS We assessed mental wellbeing in 230 healthy adult monozygotic and dizygotic twins using a previously validated questionnaire (COMPAS-W) and undertook functional magnetic resonance imaging during a facial emotion viewing task. We used linear mixed models to analyse the association between COMPAS-W scores and emotion-elicited neural activation. Univariate twin modelling was used to evaluate heritability of each brain region. Multivariate twin modelling was used to compare twin pairs to assess the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to this association. RESULTS Higher levels of wellbeing were associated with greater neural activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, localised in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), in response to positive emotional expressions of happiness. Univariate twin modelling showed activity in the IFG to have 20% heritability. Multivariate twin modelling suggested that the association between wellbeing and positive emotion-elicited neural activity was driven by common variance from unique environment (r = 0.208) rather than shared genetics. CONCLUSIONS Higher mental wellbeing may have a basis in greater engagement of prefrontal neural regions in response to positive emotion, and this association may be modifiable by unique life experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haeme R P Park
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Miranda R Chilver
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Arthur Montalto
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Javad Jamshidi
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter R Schofield
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Medical Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Jin X, Xu B, Lin H, Chen J, Xu R, Jin H. The influence of childhood emotional neglect on emotional face processing in young adults. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 232:103814. [PMID: 36527819 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood emotional neglect (CEN) refers to a failure to meet the basic emotional needs of a child, which can seriously impact interpersonal communication and psychological health in young adults. Emotional face processing is critical in interpersonal communication; however, whether CEN affects this processing in young adults has not been investigated. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the effects of CEN on emotional face processing in young adults. Using the Child Trauma Questionnaire, an online survey was conducted with 5010 students from four universities in Tianjin, China. After online interviews and diagnosis by professional doctors, we obtained 20 participants with CEN (CEN group) and 20 without CEN (control group). None of the participants had any mental diseases. A 2 × 4 mixed design was used to investigate the differences in accuracy and response time when identifying the valence of the emotional faces. Compared to the control group, the CEN group identified the valence of all emotional faces more slowly, but there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of accuracy. CEN caused delayed emotional face processing in young adults, which may be related to unresponsive, unavailable, and limited emotional interaction patterns between parents and their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokang Jin
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Huiyan Lin
- Institute of Applied Psychology, School of Public Administration, Guangdong University of Finance, Guangzhou 510521, China
| | - Juntao Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Ruitong Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Hua Jin
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China.
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Morris S, Cranney J. Promoting Student Wellbeing Through Dedicated Units on the Psychological Science of Wellbeing: Rationale, Nature, and Student Evaluations. PSYCHOLOGY LEARNING AND TEACHING-PLAT 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/14757257221098024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The Complete State model of mental health differentiates between the dimensions of psychiatric disorders and wellbeing. The latter dimension is consistent with educators proactively creating learning-supportive curricular environments by, for example, translating the Basic Needs Satisfaction (BNS) theory into practical curricular strategies. One gap in the literature on curricular approaches to supporting student wellbeing is descriptions of innovations in the design of specific units focusing entirely on the psychological science of student self-management, success and wellbeing. The aim of this report was to address this gap by describing the nature and student evaluations of two such units. The curricula of these units, whose design and delivery were guided by BNS theory, are described. Institutional unit evaluation surveys over four years and eight unit deliveries revealed that the units were well received by students, regardless of variations in internal (e.g., online vs. flipped classroom mode of delivery) and external (e.g., presence of COVID-19 pandemic) factors. Moreover, students agreed with the statement that the unit “provided me with knowledge and skills I can apply”. By considering BNS theory during curriculum design and delivery, the success and wellbeing of students were supported while they learned about the science of wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Morris
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jacquelyn Cranney
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Dyer ML, Attwood AS, Penton-Voak IS, Munafò MR. The role of state and trait anxiety in the processing of facial expressions of emotion. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210056. [PMID: 35070339 PMCID: PMC8728173 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
State anxiety appears to influence facial emotion processing (Attwood et al. 2017 R. Soc. Open Sci. 4, 160855). We aimed to (i) replicate these findings and (ii) investigate the role of trait anxiety, in an experiment with healthy UK participants (N = 48, 50% male, 50% high trait anxiety). High and low state anxiety were induced via inhalations of 7.5% carbon dioxide enriched air and medical air, respectively. High state anxiety reduced global emotion recognition accuracy (p = 0.01, η p 2 = 0.14 ), but it did not affect interpretation bias towards perceiving anger in ambiguous angry-happy facial morphs (p = 0.18, η p 2 = 0.04 ). We found no clear evidence of a relationship between trait anxiety and global emotion recognition accuracy (p = 0.60, η p 2 = 0.01 ) or interpretation bias towards perceiving anger (p = 0.83, η p 2 = 0.01 ). However, there was greater interpretation bias towards perceiving anger (i.e. away from happiness) during heightened state anxiety, among individuals with high trait anxiety (p = 0.03, d z = 0.33). State anxiety appears to impair emotion recognition accuracy, and among individuals with high trait anxiety, it appears to increase biases towards perceiving anger (away from happiness). Trait anxiety alone does not appear to be associated with facial emotion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddy L. Dyer
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Angela S. Attwood
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ian S. Penton-Voak
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
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Chilver MR, Park HRP, Schofield PR, Clark CR, Williams LM, Gatt JM. Emotional face processing correlates with depression/anxiety symptoms but not wellbeing in non-clinical adults: An event-related potential study. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 145:18-26. [PMID: 34844048 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Whilst alterations in emotional face processing, as indicated by event-related potentials (ERPs), are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in clinical and non-clinical samples, it has remained unclear whether they are related to mental wellbeing. The current study aimed to address this question in a non-clinical sample. The analysis included 402 adult twins from the TWIN-E study. The COMPAS-W and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-42) were used to measure mental wellbeing and depression/anxiety symptoms, respectively. Participants viewed facial expressions under Unmasked (conscious) and Masked (subliminal) conditions while ERPs were recorded. The associations of emotion processing with mental wellbeing and depression/anxiety symptoms were assessed using multivariate linear mixed models. There was a strong association between depression/anxiety symptoms and the N170 amplitude difference for the Fear - Happy contrast in the Masked condition after controlling for wellbeing scores (B = 0.34, p < .001). Specifically, higher depression/anxiety symptoms were associated with a lack of differentiation between fearful and happy faces. No associations were found between emotional face processing and mental wellbeing scores. These results indicate that even within a non-clinical sample, alterations in emotional ERPs, namely the N170, reflect differences in depression/anxiety symptoms rather than differences in wellbeing. Furthermore, this effect was limited to automatic processing, rather than conscious processing of emotional stimuli, suggesting the observed differences apply only to the subconscious pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda R Chilver
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Haeme R P Park
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Peter R Schofield
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - C Richard Clark
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia, 5042
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5717, USA; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers VISN21, Veterans Administration Palo Alto Health Care System, California, 94304-151-Y, USA
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
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Egan LA, Mulcahy M, Tuqiri K, Gatt JM. The Thrive online wellbeing program for healthcare workers: Protocol for a randomised controlled trial (Preprint). JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 11:e34005. [PMID: 35451973 PMCID: PMC9073619 DOI: 10.2196/34005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mental health has come to be understood as not merely the absence of mental illness but also the presence of mental well-being, and recent interventions have sought to increase well-being in various populations. A population that deserves particular attention is that of health care workers, whose occupations entail high levels of stress, especially given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A neuroscience-based web-based well-being program for health care workers—the Thrive program—has been newly developed to promote habits and activities that contribute to brain health and overall mental well-being. Objective This paper describes the protocol for a randomized controlled trial whose objective is to evaluate the Thrive program in comparison with an active control condition to measure whether the program is effective at increasing well-being and decreasing symptoms of psychological distress in health care workers at a designated Australian hospital. Methods The trial will comprise two groups (intervention vs active control) and 4 measurement occasions over a 12-week period. A survey will be administered in each of weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12, and the well-being program will be delivered in weeks 1-7 (via web-based video presentations or digital pamphlets). Each of the 4 surveys will comprise a range of questionnaires to measure well-being, psychological distress, and other key variables. The planned analyses will estimate group-by-time interaction effects to test the hypothesis that mental health will increase over time in the intervention condition relative to the active control condition. Results The Thrive program was delivered to a small number of wards at the hospital between February 2021 and July 2021, and it will be delivered to the remaining wards from October 2021 to December 2021. A power calculation has recommended a sample size of at least 200 participants in total. A linear mixed model will be used to estimate the interaction effects. Conclusions This trial seeks to evaluate a new web-based well-being program for health care workers at a major public hospital. It will contribute to the growing body of research on mental well-being and ways to promote it. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621000027819; https://tinyurl.com/58wwjut9 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/34005
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A Egan
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Australia
| | - Mary Mulcahy
- Person Centred Care, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia
| | - Karen Tuqiri
- The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Alexander R, Aragón OR, Bookwala J, Cherbuin N, Gatt JM, Kahrilas IJ, Kästner N, Lawrence A, Lowe L, Morrison RG, Mueller SC, Nusslock R, Papadelis C, Polnaszek KL, Helene Richter S, Silton RL, Styliadis C. The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and wellbeing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 121:220-249. [PMID: 33307046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This review paper provides an integrative account regarding neurophysiological correlates of positive emotions and affect that cumulatively contribute to the scaffolding for happiness and wellbeing in humans and other animals. This paper reviews the associations among neurotransmitters, hormones, brain networks, and cognitive functions in the context of positive emotions and affect. Consideration of lifespan developmental perspectives are incorporated, and we also examine the impact of healthy social relationships and environmental contexts on the modulation of positive emotions and affect. The neurophysiological processes that implement positive emotions are dynamic and modifiable, and meditative practices as well as flow states that change patterns of brain function and ultimately support wellbeing are also discussed. This review is part of "The Human Affectome Project" (http://neuroqualia.org/background.php), and in order to advance a primary aim of the Human Affectome Project, we also reviewed relevant linguistic dimensions and terminology that characterizes positive emotions and wellbeing. These linguistic dimensions are discussed within the context of the neuroscience literature with the overarching goal of generating novel recommendations for advancing neuroscience research on positive emotions and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Alexander
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia; Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Oriana R Aragón
- Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA; Clemson University, 252 Sirrine Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Jamila Bookwala
- Department of Psychology and Program in Aging Studies, Lafayette College, 730 High Road, Easton, PA, USA
| | - Nicolas Cherbuin
- Centre for Research on Ageing, Health, and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Ian J Kahrilas
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - Niklas Kästner
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestraße 13, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Alistair Lawrence
- Scotland's Rural College, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, United Kingdom; The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Leroy Lowe
- Neuroqualia (NGO), Truro, NS, B2N 1X5, Canada
| | - Robert G Morrison
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Christos Papadelis
- Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center, Cook Children's Health Care System, 1500 Cooper St, Fort Worth, TX, 76104, USA; Laboratory of Children's Brain Dynamics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelly L Polnaszek
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestraße 13, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Rebecca L Silton
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA; Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, 633 N. Saint Clair, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | - Charis Styliadis
- Neuroscience of Cognition and Affection group, Lab of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
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Cheng PX, Park HRP, Gatt JM. Approach Coping Mitigates Distress of COVID-19 Isolation for Young Men With Low Well-Being in a Sample of 1,749 Youth From Australia and the USA. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:634925. [PMID: 34054598 PMCID: PMC8153185 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.634925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has led to lockdowns across the world with people being separated from their loved ones including partners, family, and friends. Here, using a large sample of 1,749 Australians and Americans, we investigated the impact of COVID-19 isolation on younger populations (13-25 years), and the influence of coping strategies and mental well-being on this impact. Overall, COVID-19 isolation had a more negative impact on adolescence (13-17 years) than young adulthood (18-25 years), but with no difference apparent between men and women, or between Australian and American residents. However, a deeper analysis revealed a gender-specific effect: the type of coping strategies differentially influenced the negative impact of COVID-19 isolation on men with various levels of well-being, an interaction effect not apparent in women. For men with lower levels of mental well-being, COVID-19 isolation appeared to have a less negative impact on them if they used more approach-oriented coping strategies (e.g., actively focusing on the problem). Our results provide cross-sectional evidence for a differential impact on young men at low levels of wellbeing by pandemic isolation. In sum, young men and adolescent boys with lower well-being coped better with COVID-19 isolation when they used more approach coping strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Xin Cheng
- Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Haeme R P Park
- Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
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12
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Chilver MR, Keller AS, Park HRP, Jamshidi J, Montalto A, Schofield PR, Clark CR, Harmon-Jones E, Williams LM, Gatt JM. Electroencephalography profiles as a biomarker of wellbeing: A twin study. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 126:114-121. [PMID: 32450375 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Alterations to electroencephalography (EEG) power have been reported for psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety, but not for mental wellbeing in a healthy population. This study examined the resting EEG profiles associated with mental wellbeing, and how genetics and environment contribute to these associations using twin modelling. Mental wellbeing was assessed using the COMPAS-W Wellbeing Scale which measures both subjective and psychological wellbeing. In 422 healthy adult monozygotic and dizygotic twins aged 18-61 years, we examined the association between mental wellbeing and EEG power (alpha, beta, theta, delta) using linear mixed models. This was followed by univariate and multivariate twin modelling to assess the heritability of wellbeing and EEG power, and whether the association was driven by shared genetics or environment. A significant association between wellbeing and an interaction of alpha, beta, and delta (ABD) power was found (β = -0.33, p < 0.001) whereby a profile of high alpha and delta and low beta was associated with higher wellbeing, independent of depression and anxiety symptoms. This finding was supported by a five-fold cross-validation analysis. A significant genetic correlation (rG = -0.43) was found to account for 94% of the association between wellbeing and the EEG power interaction. Together, this study has identified a novel EEG profile with a common genetic component that may be a potential biomarker of mental wellbeing. Future studies need to clarify the causal direction of this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda R Chilver
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Arielle S Keller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305-5717, USA
| | - Haeme R P Park
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Javad Jamshidi
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Arthur Montalto
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Peter R Schofield
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - C Richard Clark
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042, Australia
| | - Eddie Harmon-Jones
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305-5717, USA; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers VISN21, Veterans Administration Palo Alto Health Care System, California, 94304-151-Y, USA
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
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Abramson L, Uzefovsky F, Toccaceli V, Knafo-Noam A. The genetic and environmental origins of emotional and cognitive empathy: Review and meta-analyses of twin studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 114:113-133. [PMID: 32353470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is considered a cornerstone of human social experience, and as such has been widely investigated from psychological and neuroscientific approaches. To better understand the factors influencing individual differences in empathy, we reviewed and meta-analyzed the behavioral genetic literature of emotional empathy- sharing others' emotions (k=13), and cognitive empathy- understanding others' emotions (k = 15), as manifested in twin studies. Results showed that emotional empathy is more heritable, 48.3 % [41.3 %-50.6 %], than cognitive empathy, 26.9 % [18.1 %-35.8 %]. Moreover, cognitive empathy as examined by performance tests was affected by the environment shared by family members, 11.9 % [2.6 %-21.0 %], suggesting that emotional understanding is influenced, to some degree, by environmental factors that have similar effects on family members beyond their genetic relatedness. The effects of participants' age and the method used to asses empathy on the etiology of empathy were also examined. These findings have implications for understanding how individual differences in empathy are formed. After discussing these implications, we suggest theoretical and methodological future research directions that could potentially elucidate the relations between genes, brain, and empathy.
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Dam VH, Thystrup CK, Jensen PS, Bland AR, Mortensen EL, Elliott R, Sahakian BJ, Knudsen GM, Frokjaer VG, Stenbæk DS. Psychometric Properties and Validation of the EMOTICOM Test Battery in a Healthy Danish Population. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2660. [PMID: 31849772 PMCID: PMC6901831 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02660] [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: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Disruptions in hot cognition, i.e., the processing of emotionally salient information, are prevalent in most neuropsychiatric disorders and constitute a potential treatment target. EMOTICOM is the first comprehensive neuropsychological test battery developed specifically to assess hot cognition. The aim of the study was to validate and establish a Danish language version and reference data for the EMOTICOM test battery. To evaluate the psychometric properties of 11 EMOTICOM tasks, we collected data from 100 healthy Danish participants (50 males, 50 females) including retest data from 49 participants. We assessed test-retest reliability, floor and ceiling effects, task-intercorrelations, and correlations between task performance and relevant demographic and descriptive factors. We found that test-retest reliability varied from poor to excellent while some tasks exhibited floor or ceiling effects. Intercorrelations among EMOTICOM task outcomes were low, indicating that the tasks capture different cognitive constructs. EMOTICOM task performance was largely independent of age, sex, education, and IQ as well as current mood, personality, and self-reported motivation and diligence during task completion. Overall, many of the EMOTICOM tasks were found to be useful and objective measures of hot cognition although select tasks may benefit from modifications to avoid floor and ceiling effects in healthy individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibeke H. Dam
- Neurobiology Research Unit, The Neuroscience Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christa K. Thystrup
- Neurobiology Research Unit, The Neuroscience Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter S. Jensen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, The Neuroscience Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amy R. Bland
- Neuroscience and Psychiatric Unit, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Erik L. Mortensen
- Department of Public Health and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatric Unit, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara J. Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Gitte M. Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, The Neuroscience Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vibe G. Frokjaer
- Neurobiology Research Unit, The Neuroscience Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dea S. Stenbæk
- Neurobiology Research Unit, The Neuroscience Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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