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Bortolini T, Laport MC, Latgé-Tovar S, Fischer R, Zahn R, de Oliveira-Souza R, Moll J. The extended neural architecture of human attachment: An fMRI coordinate-based meta-analysis of affiliative studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105584. [PMID: 38367888 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105584] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Functional imaging studies and clinical evidence indicate that cortical areas relevant to social cognition are closely integrated with evolutionarily conserved basal forebrain structures and neighboring regions, enabling human attachment and affiliative emotions. The neural circuitry of human affiliation is continually being unraveled as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) becomes increasingly prevalent, with studies examining human brain responses to various attachment figures. However, previous fMRI meta-analyses on affiliative stimuli have encountered challenges, such as low statistical power and the absence of robustness measures. To address these issues, we conducted an exhaustive coordinate-based meta-analysis of 79 fMRI studies, focusing on personalized affiliative stimuli, including one's infants, family, romantic partners, and friends. We employed complementary coordinate-based analyses (Activation Likelihood Estimation and Signed Differential Mapping) and conducted a robustness analysis of the results. Findings revealed cluster convergence in cortical and subcortical structures related to reward and motivation, salience detection, social bonding, and cognition. Our study thoroughly explores the neural correlates underpinning affiliative responses, effectively overcoming the limitations noted in previous meta-analyses. It provides an extensive view of the neural substrates associated with affiliative stimuli, illuminating the intricate interaction between cortical and subcortical regions. Our findings significantly contribute to understanding the neurobiology of human affiliation, expanding the known human attachment circuitry beyond the traditional basal forebrain regions observed in other mammals to include uniquely human isocortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Bortolini
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; IDOR - Pioneer Science Initiative, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Maria Clara Laport
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Sofia Latgé-Tovar
- Institute of Psychiatry, Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ronald Fischer
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; IDOR - Pioneer Science Initiative, São Paulo, Brazil; School of Psychology, PO Box 600, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
| | - Roland Zahn
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; The Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, The D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; IDOR - Pioneer Science Initiative, São Paulo, Brazil
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Tromp DPM, Fox AS, Riedel MK, Oler JA, Zhou X, Roseboom PH, Alexander AL, Kalin NH. Early life adversity in primates: Behavioral, endocrine, and neural effects. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 162:106953. [PMID: 38232531 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that early life adversity is associated with maladaptive behaviors and is commonly an antecedent of stress-related psychopathology. This is particularly relevant to rearing in primate species as infant primates depend on prolonged, nurturant rearing by caregivers for normal development. To further understand the consequences of early life rearing adversity, and the relation among alterations in behavior, physiology and brain function, we assessed young monkeys that had experienced maternal separation followed by peer rearing with behavioral, endocrine and multimodal neuroimaging measures. METHODS 50 young rhesus monkeys were studied, half of which were rejected by their mothers and peer reared, and the other half were reared by their mothers. Assessments were performed at approximately 1.8 years of age and included: threat related behavioral and cortisol responses, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measurements of oxytocin and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), and multimodal neuroimaging measures (anatomical scans, resting functional connectivity, diffusion tensor imaging, and threat-related regional glucose metabolism). RESULTS The results demonstrated alterations across behavioral, endocrine, and neuroimaging measures in young monkeys that were reared without their mothers. At a behavioral level in response to a potential threat, peer reared animals engaged in significantly less freezing behavior (p = 0.022) along with increased self-directed behaviors (p < 0.012). Levels of oxytocin in the CSF, but not plasma, were significantly reduced in the peer reared animals (p = 0.019). No differences in plasma cortisol or CSF CRH were observed. Diffusion tensor imaging revealed significantly decreased white matter density across the brain. Exploratory correlational and permutation analyses suggest that the impact of peer rearing on behavior, endocrine and brain structural alterations are mediated by separate parallel mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results demonstrate in NHPs the importance of maternal rearing on the development of brain, behavior and hormonal systems that are linked to social functioning and adaptive responses. The findings suggest that the effects of maternal deprivation are mediated via multiple independent pathways which may account for the heterogeneity in behavioral and biological alterations observed in individuals that have experienced this early life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do P M Tromp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Marissa K Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan A Oler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Xiaojue Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Patrick H Roseboom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
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Hauck AGV, van der Vaart M, Adams E, Baxter L, Bhatt A, Crankshaw D, Dhami A, Evans Fry R, Freire MBO, Hartley C, Mansfield RC, Marchant S, Monk V, Moultrie F, Peck M, Robinson S, Yong J, Poorun R, Cobo MM, Slater R. Effect of parental touch on relieving acute procedural pain in neonates and parental anxiety (Petal): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial in the UK. THE LANCET. CHILD & ADOLESCENT HEALTH 2024; 8:259-269. [PMID: 38373429 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-4642(23)00340-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Touch interventions such as massage and skin-to-skin contact relieve neonatal pain. The Parental touch trial (Petal) aimed to assess whether parental stroking of their baby before a clinically required heel lance, at a speed of approximately 3 cm/s to optimally activate C-tactile nerve fibres, provides effective pain relief. METHODS Petal is a multicentre, randomised, parallel-group interventional superiority trial conducted in the John Radcliffe Hospital (Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK) and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK). Neonates without neurological abnormalities who were born at 35 weeks gestational age or more and required a blood test via a heel lance in the first week of life were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive parental touch for 10 s either before (intervention group) or after (control group) the clinically required heel lance. Randomisation was managed at the Oxford site using a web-based minimisation algorithm with allocation concealment. The primary outcome measure was the magnitude of noxious-evoked brain activity in response to the heel lance measured with electroencephalography (EEG). Secondary outcome measures were Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) score, development of tachycardia, and parental anxiety score. For all outcomes, the per-protocol effect was estimated via complier average causal effect analysis on the full analysis set. The trial is registered on ISRCTN (ISRCTN14135962) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04901611). FINDINGS Between Sept 1, 2021, and Feb 7, 2023, 159 parents were approached to participate in the study, and 112 neonates were included. 56 neonates were randomly assigned to the intervention group of parental stroking before the heel lance and 56 to the control group of parental stroking after the heel lance. The mean of the magnitude of the heel lance-evoked brain activity was 0·85 arbitrary units (a.u.; SD 0·70; n=39; a scaled magnitude of 1 a.u. represents the expected mean response to a heel lance in term-aged neonates) in the intervention group and 0·91 a.u. (SD 0·76; n=43) in the control group. Therefore, the primary outcome did not differ significantly between groups, with a mean difference of -0·11 a.u. (lower in intervention group; SD 0·77; 95% CI -0·42 to 0·20; p=0·38; n=82). No significant difference was observed across secondary outcomes. The PIPP-R difference in means was 1·10 (higher in intervention group, 95% CI -0·42 to 2·61; p=0·15; n=100); the odds ratio of becoming tachycardic was 2·08 (95% CI 0·46 to 9·46; p=0·34, n=105) in the intervention group with reference to the control group; and the difference in parental State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State score was -0·44 (higher in control group; SD 6·85; 95% CI -2·91 to 2·02; p=0·72; n=106). One serious adverse event (desaturation) occurred in a neonate randomly assigned to the control group, which was not considered to be related to the study. INTERPRETATION Parental stroking delivered at an optimal speed to activate C-tactile fibres for a duration of 10 s before the painful procedure did not significantly change neonates' magnitude of pain-related brain activity, PIPP-R score, or development of tachycardia. The trial highlighted the challenge of translating an experimental researcher-led tactile intervention into a parent-led approach, and the value of involving parents in their baby's pain management. FUNDING Wellcome Trust and Bliss.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eleri Adams
- Newborn Care Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Luke Baxter
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Aomesh Bhatt
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Amraj Dhami
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ria Evans Fry
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Roshni C Mansfield
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Newborn Care Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Simon Marchant
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Vaneesha Monk
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fiona Moultrie
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mariska Peck
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Jean Yong
- Newborn Care Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Ravi Poorun
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK; Department of Paediatrics, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK
| | - Maria M Cobo
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biologicas y Ambientales, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Rebeccah Slater
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Burns EJ, Gaunt E, Kidane B, Hunter L, Pulford J. A new approach to diagnosing and researching developmental prosopagnosia: Excluded cases are impaired too. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:4291-4314. [PMID: 36459376 PMCID: PMC9718472 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-02017-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Developmental prosopagnosia is characterized by severe, lifelong difficulties when recognizing facial identity. Unfortunately, the most common diagnostic assessment (Cambridge Face Memory Test) misses 50-65% of individuals who believe that they have this condition. This results in such excluded cases' absence from scientific knowledge, effect sizes of impairment potentially overestimated, treatment efficacy underrated, and may elicit in them a negative experience of research. To estimate their symptomology and group-level impairments in face processing, we recruited a large cohort who believes that they have prosopagnosia. Matching prior reports, 56% did not meet criteria on the Cambridge Face Memory Test. However, the severity of their prosopagnosia symptoms and holistic perception deficits were comparable to those who did meet criteria. Excluded cases also exhibited face perception and memory impairments that were roughly one standard deviation below neurotypical norms, indicating the presence of objective problems. As the prosopagnosia index correctly classified virtually every case, we propose it should be the primary method for providing a diagnosis, prior to subtype categorization. We present researchers with a plan on how they can analyze these excluded prosopagnosia cases in their future work without negatively impacting their traditional findings. We anticipate such inclusion will enhance scientific knowledge, more accurately estimate effect sizes of impairments and treatments, and identify commonalities and distinctions between these different forms of prosopagnosia. Owing to their atypicalities in visual perception, we recommend that the prosopagnosia index should be used to screen out potential prosopagnosia cases from broader vision research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin J Burns
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.
| | - Elizabeth Gaunt
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
| | - Betiel Kidane
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
| | - Lucy Hunter
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
| | - Jaylea Pulford
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
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Pfaus JG, Safron A, Zakreski E. From distal to proximal to interactive: behavioral and brain synchrony during attraction, courtship, and sexual interaction-implications for clinical assessments of relationship style and quality. Sex Med Rev 2023; 11:312-322. [PMID: 37544764 DOI: 10.1093/sxmrev/qead034] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Synchronous behaviors between individuals are nonverbal signs of closeness and common purpose. In the flow from initial attraction to intimate sexual interaction, attention and synchrony move from distal to proximal to interactive and are mediated by sensitized activation of neural systems for sexual motivation, arousal, and desire and those that recognize and mimic common facial and body movements between individuals. When reinforced by sexual pleasure and other relationship rewards, this results in the strengthening of attraction and bonding and the display of more common motor patterns. As relationships falter, nonverbal behaviors likely become asynchronous. OBJECTIVES To define behavioral, romantic, and sexual synchrony during phases of attraction and how their disruption can be observed and utilized by clinicians to assess individual relationship styles and quality. METHODS We review the literature on behavioral and attentional synchrony in humans and animals in an effort to understand experiential and innate mechanisms of synchrony and asynchrony and how they develop, as well as implications for attraction, relationship initiation, maintenance of romantic and sexual closeness, and relationship disintegration. RESULTS Evidence is presented that behavioral synchrony and the neural mechanisms that underlie it are vital to relationship formation and satisfaction. CONCLUSION Behavioral synchrony helps to create feelings of sexual and romantic synergy, cohesion, and arousal among individuals. Asynchrony is aversive and can spark feelings of discontent, aversion, and jealousy. Thus, observing patterns of nonverbal sexual and romantic synchrony between individuals offers insights into the potential quality of their relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, 18200, Czech Republic
- Center for Sexual Health and Intervention, Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, 25067, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Safron
- Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, 21224, United States
| | - Ellen Zakreski
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, 18200, Czech Republic
- Center for Sexual Health and Intervention, Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, 25067, Czech Republic
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Collarini E, Capponcelli L, Pierdomenico A, Norscia I, Cordoni G. Sows' Responses to Piglets in Distress: An Experimental Investigation in a Natural Setting. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2261. [PMID: 37508041 PMCID: PMC10376744 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) possess complex socio-cognitive skills, and sows show high inter-individual variability in maternal behaviour. To evaluate how females-reared under natural conditions-react to the isolation calls of their own piglets or those of other females, we conducted observations and experimental trials. In January-February 2021, we conducted all-occurrences sampling on affiliation, aggression, and lactation (daily, 7:30-16:30 h) on six lactating and four non-lactating females at the ethical farm Parva Domus (Turin, Italy). The trials (30 s each, n = 37/sow) consisted of briefly catching and restraining a piglet. We recorded the sow response (none/reactive/proactive movement towards the piglet; self-directed anxiety behaviours such as body shaking) before and during the trial and under control conditions. Increased levels of anxiety behaviour in sows were accompanied by an increased frequency of responses. Less aggressive sows and lactating sows showed the highest frequencies of response. Finally, the isolation calls' maximum intensity had an influence on the type of response observed, with higher proactive response frequencies following lower intensity isolation calls. Our results suggest that being under lactation could play a key role in increasing sow response levels and that specific acoustic features may influence the response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Collarini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
| | - Luca Capponcelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Pierdomenico
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
| | - Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
| | - Giada Cordoni
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino (DBIOS), Via Accademia Albertina 13, 20123 Torino, Italy
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Scatà C, Carandina A, Della Torre A, Arosio B, Bellocchi C, Dias Rodrigues G, Furlan L, Tobaldini E, Montano N. Social Isolation: A Narrative Review on the Dangerous Liaison between the Autonomic Nervous System and Inflammation. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1229. [PMID: 37374012 DOI: 10.3390/life13061229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Social isolation and feelings of loneliness are related to higher mortality and morbidity. Evidence from studies conducted during space missions, in space analogs, and during the COVID-19 pandemic underline the possible role of the autonomic nervous system in mediating this relation. Indeed, the activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system enhances the cardiovascular response and activates the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes, which leads to a stimulation of inflammatory activation. This response is adaptive in the short term, in that it allows one to cope with a situation perceived as a threat, but in the long term it has detrimental effects on mental and physical health, leading to mood deflection and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as imbalances in immune system activation. The aim of this narrative review is to present the contributions from space studies and insights from the lockdown period on the relationship between social isolation and autonomic nervous system activation, focusing on cardiovascular impairment and immune imbalance. Knowing the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this relationship is important as it enables us to structure effective countermeasures for the new challenges that lie ahead: the lengthening of space missions and Mars exploration, the specter of future pandemics, and the aging of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Scatà
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Angelica Carandina
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Della Torre
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice Arosio
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Bellocchi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriel Dias Rodrigues
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Ludovico Furlan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Tobaldini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Montano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
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Liu Y, Shan L, Liu T, Li J, Chen Y, Sun C, Yang C, Bian X, Niu Y, Zhang C, Xi J, Rao Y. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of the first social relationship: A conserved role of 5-HT from mice to monkeys, upstream of oxytocin. Neuron 2023; 111:1468-1485.e7. [PMID: 36868221 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.010] [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: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Maternal affiliation by infants is the first social behavior of mammalian animals. We report here that elimination of the Tph2 gene essential for serotonin synthesis in the brain reduced affiliation in mice, rats, and monkeys. Calcium imaging and c-fos immunostaining showed maternal odors activation of serotonergic neurons in the raphe nuclei (RNs) and oxytocinergic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Genetic elimination of oxytocin (OXT) or its receptor reduced maternal preference. OXT rescued maternal preference in mouse and monkey infants lacking serotonin. Tph2 elimination from RN serotonergic neurons innervating PVN reduced maternal preference. Reduced maternal preference after inhibiting serotonergic neurons was rescued by oxytocinergic neuronal activation. Our genetic studies reveal a role for serotonin in affiliation conserved from mice and rats to monkeys, while electrophysiological, pharmacological, chemogenetic, and optogenetic studies uncover OXT downstream of serotonin. We suggest serotonin as the master regulator upstream of neuropeptides in mammalian social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China.
| | - Liang Shan
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Zhongguangcun Life Science Park, Beijing, China
| | - Tiane Liu
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Zhongguangcun Life Science Park, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yongchang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Changhong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chaojuan Yang
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China
| | - Xiling Bian
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Zhongguangcun Life Science Park, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyu Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China
| | - Jianzhong Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yi Rao
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Changping Laboratory, Yard 28, Science Park Road, Changping District, Beijing, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Zhongguangcun Life Science Park, Beijing, China; Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Harvey AM, Beausoleil NJ, Ramp D, Mellor DJ. Mental Experiences in Wild Animals: Scientifically Validating Measurable Welfare Indicators in Free-Roaming Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091507. [PMID: 37174544 PMCID: PMC10177449 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The mental experiences of animals are what characterises their welfare status. The Five Domains Model for assessing welfare aligns with the understanding that physical and mental states are linked. Following measurement of indicators within each of the four physical/functional Domains (1. Nutrition; 2. Physical environment; 3. Health; and 4. Behavioural interactions), the anticipated negative or positive affective consequences (mental experiences) are cautiously inferred and assigned to Domain 5. Those inferences derive credibility from validated knowledge of the underlying systems of physiology, neurophysiology, neuroethology and affective neuroscience. Any indicators used for assessing welfare need to be scientifically validated. This requires, firstly, evidence of the links between a measurable/observable indicator and the physical/functional impact (in Domains 1 to 4), and secondly, a demonstrable relationship between the physical/functional impact and the mental experience it is inferred the indicators reflect (in Domain five). This review refers to indicators of physical/functional states in Domains 1 to 4, which have been shown to be measurable in free-roaming wild horses, and then evaluates the scientific evidence linking them to inferred mental experiences in Domain 5. This is the first time that the scientific evidence validating a comprehensive range of welfare indicators has been synthesised in this way. Inserting these indicators into the Five Domains Model enables transparently justifiable assessment and grading of welfare status in free-roaming horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M Harvey
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, TD School, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Ngaio J Beausoleil
- Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, TD School, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - David J Mellor
- Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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10
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Ohmura N, Okuma L, Truzzi A, Esposito G, Kuroda KO. Maternal physiological calming responses to infant suckling at the breast. J Physiol Sci 2023; 73:3. [PMID: 36918820 DOI: 10.1186/s12576-023-00860-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
The mother-infant relation is key to infant physical, cognitive and social development. Mutual regulation and cooperation are required to maintain the dyadic system, but the biological foundation of these responses remains to be clarified. In this study, we report the maternal calming responses to infant suckling during breastfeeding. Using behavioral measures and a Holter electrocardiogram as a readout of the maternal autonomic nervous system, the maternal activities during resting, sitting with her infant on her lap, and breastfeeding were assessed. We found that during breastfeeding, mothers talked less and maternal heart rate was lower than during sitting with the infant without breastfeeding. Congruently, maternal heart rate variability measurements indicated a higher parasympathetic activity during breastfeeding. Time-locked analyses suggested that this maternal calming response was initiated by the tactile stimulation at the breast by the infant face or mouth latch, which preceded the perceived milk ejection. These findings suggest that somatosensory stimuli of breastfeeding activate parasympathetic activity in mothers. Just as how the infant Transport Response facilitates the carrying of infants, the maternal calming responses during breastfeeding may promote efficient milk intake by inhibiting spontaneous maternal activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nami Ohmura
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan.
| | - Lana Okuma
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan.,Laboratory for Human Cognition and Learning, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Anna Truzzi
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy.,School of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Kumi O Kuroda
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan.
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11
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Chaudhari AJ, Nimbalkar SM, Patel DV, Phatak AG. Effect of Kangaroo Mother Care on Cerebral Hemodynamics in Preterm Neonates Assessed by Transcranial Doppler Sonography in Middle Cerebral Artery. Indian Pediatr 2023; 60. [PMID: 36333897 PMCID: PMC9885412 DOI: 10.1007/s13312-023-2690-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Objective To study the effect of KMC in premature newborns on cerebral hemodynamics in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) using transcranial doppler sonography. Methods In this descriptive study, 40 clinically stable preterm neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of our institute and undergoing Kangaroo mother care (KMC) were enrolled. Physiological and cerebral blood flow parameters of MCA were obtained by using transcranial doppler sonography at baseline, at 60 minutes of KMC, and after 60 minutes of stopping KMC. Results Of the 40 enrolled neonates (24 males), the mean (SD) birth weight, gestation age, and postnatal age were 1698.25 (495.44) g, 33.00 (1.67) wk, and 6.80 (4.51) days, respectively. The mean (SD) cerebral blood flow velocities increased (peak systolic velocity (PSV), P=0.03; end diastolic velocity, P<0.001; mean velocity, P<0.001) and doppler indices decreased (resistive index, P=0.001; pulsatility index, P<0.001) significantly; whereas, heart rate (P<0.001) decreased but SpO2 (P=0.001) and mean blood pressure (P=0.003) increased significantly at 60 minutes of KMC as compared to baseline. Sixty minutes after stopping KMC, all parameters (except PSV) were higher than baseline, indicating post KMC effect. Conclusion KMC improves cerebral hemodynamics in clinically stable preterm neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anal J. Chaudhari
- Department of Neonatology, Pramukhswami Medical College, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, Gujarat India
| | - Somashekhar M. Nimbalkar
- Department of Neonatology, Pramukhswami Medical College, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, Gujarat India
- Central Research Services, Charutar Arogya Mandal, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, Gujarat India
| | - Dipen V. Patel
- Department of Neonatology, Pramukhswami Medical College, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, Gujarat India
| | - Ajay G. Phatak
- Central Research Services, Charutar Arogya Mandal, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, Gujarat India
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12
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Geißert L, Schmidt NM, Henkel K, Luxem A, Hennig J. Dopamine and oxytocin and their relevance for attachment: A gene x gene interaction study. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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13
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Khan I, Cañamero L. The Long-Term Efficacy of “Social Buffering” in Artificial Social Agents: Contextual Affective Perception Matters. Front Robot AI 2022; 9:699573. [PMID: 36185976 PMCID: PMC9520257 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2022.699573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In dynamic (social) environments, an affective state of “stress” can be adaptive and promote agent wellbeing, but maladaptive if not appropriately regulated. The presence of (and interactions with) affect-based social support has been hypothesised to provide mechanisms to regulate stress (the “social buffering” hypothesis), though the precise, underlying mechanisms are still unclear. However, the hormone oxytocin has been implicated in mediating these effects in at least two ways: by improving social appraisals and reducing the short-term release of stress hormones (i.e., cortisol), and adapting an agent’s long-term stress tolerance. These effects likely facilitate an agent’s long-term adaptive ability by grounding their physiological and behavioural adaptation in the (affective) social environment, though these effects also appear to be context-dependent. In this paper, we investigate whether two of the hypothesised hormonal mechanisms that underpin the “social buffering” phenomenon affect the long-term wellbeing of (artificial) social agents who share affective social bonds, across numerous social and physical environmental contexts. Building on previous findings, we hypothesise that “social buffering” effects can improve the long-term wellbeing of agents who share affective social bonds in dynamic environments, through regular prosocial interactions with social bond partners. We model some of the effects associated with oxytocin and cortisol that underpin these hypothesised mechanisms in our biologically-inspired, socially-adaptive agent model, and conduct our investigation in a small society of artificial agents whose goal is to survive in challenging environments. Our results find that, while stress can be adaptive and regulated through affective social support, long-term behavioural and physiological adaptation is determined by the contextual perception of affective social bonds, which is influenced by early-stage interactions between affective social bond partners as well as the degree of the physical and social challenges. We also show how these low-level effects associated with oxytocin and cortisol can be used as “biomarkers” of social support and environmental stress. For socially-situated artificial agents, we suggest that these “social buffering” mechanisms can adapt the (adaptive) stress mechanisms, but that the long-term efficacy of this adaptation is related to the temporal dynamics of social interactions and the contextual perception of the affective social and physical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Khan
- Embodied Emotion, Cognition, and (Inter-)Action Lab, School of Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Imran Khan,
| | - Lola Cañamero
- Embodied Emotion, Cognition, and (Inter-)Action Lab, School of Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, United Kingdom
- ETIS Lab, CY Cergy Paris University—ENSEA—CNRS UMR8051, Cergy, France
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14
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Bales KL, Rogers FD. Interactions between the
κ
opioid system, corticotropin-releasing hormone and oxytocin in partner loss. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210061. [PMID: 35858099 PMCID: PMC9272146 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective adult social attachments, or ‘pair bonds’, represent central relationships for individuals in a number of social species, including humans. Loss of a pair mate has emotional consequences that may or may not diminish over time, and that often translate into impaired psychological and physical health. In this paper, we review the literature on the neuroendocrine mechanisms for the emotional consequences of partner loss, with a special focus on hypothesized interactions between oxytocin, corticotropin-releasing hormone and the κ opioid system. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Forrest D. Rogers
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, NJ 08540, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, NJ 08540, USA
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15
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Campbell-Yeo M, Benoit B, Newman A, Johnston C, Bardouille T, Stevens B, Jiang A. The influence of skin-to-skin contact on Cortical Activity during Painful procedures in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (iCAP mini): study protocol for a randomized control trial. Trials 2022; 23:512. [PMID: 35725632 PMCID: PMC9208173 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06424-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Strong evidence suggests that maternal-infant skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is effective in reducing behavioural responses to pain. Given the multi-sensory benefits of SSC, it is highly likely that SSC provided during pain in early life may reduce pain-induced brain activity. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of SSC compared to 24% sucrose on pain-induced activity in the preterm infant brain during a medically required heel lance. Secondary objectives include determining (a) differences between behavioural pain response and noxious-related brain activity during heel lance and (b) rate of adverse events across groups. Methods We will randomly assign 126 babies (32 to 36 completed weeks gestational age) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, and their mothers within the first seven days of age to receive (i) SSC plus sterile water and (ii) 24% oral sucrose. Each baby will receive a medically indicated heel lance, following a no treatment baseline period. The primary outcome is noxious-related brain activity measured using an electroencephalogram (EEG) pain-specific event-related potential. Secondary outcomes include pain intensity measured using a bio-behavioural infant pain assessment tool (Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised) and rate of adverse events. Discussion This will be the first clinical trial to compare the effect of SSC and 24% sucrose on pain-induced brain activity in the preterm infant brain during a clinical noxious stimulus, measured using EEG. Given the negative neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with unmanaged pain, it is imperative that preterm babies receive the most effective pain-reducing treatments to improve their health outcomes. Our findings will have important implications in informing optimal pain assessment and management in preterm infants. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03745963. Registered on November 19, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marsha Campbell-Yeo
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University and IWK Health, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - Britney Benoit
- Rankin School of Nursing, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada
| | - Aaron Newman
- Faculty of Science, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Tim Bardouille
- Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Bonnie Stevens
- Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto and Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON, Canada
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16
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Plekanchuk VS, Prokudina OI, Ryazanova MA. Social behavior and spatial orientation in rat strains with genetic predisposition to catatonia (GC) and stereotypes (PM). Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2022; 26:281-289. [PMID: 35733816 PMCID: PMC9164122 DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-22-35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Various psychopathologies, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, are associated with abnormalities in social behavior and learning. One of the syndromes that may also take place in these disorders is catatonia. Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome in which motor excitement, stereotypy, stuporous state, including the phenomenon of “waxy flexibility” (catalepsy), can be observed. Rats with genetic catatonia (GC) and pendulum-like movements (PM) of the anterior half of the body have physiological and behavioral changes similar to those observed in schizophrenia and depression in humans and can be considered as incomplete experimental models of these pathologies. The social behavior of the GC and PM rats has not been previously studied, and the cognitive abilities of animals of these strains are also insufficiently studied. To determine whether the GC and PM rats have changes in social behavior and spatial learning, behavioral phenotyping was performed in the residentintruder test, three-chamber test, Barnes maze test. Some deviations in social behavior, such as increased offensive aggression in PM rats in the resident-intruder test, increased or decreased social interactions depending on the environment in different tests in GC, were shown. In addition, principal component analysis revealed a negative association between catatonic freezing and the socialization index in the three-chamber test. Decreased locomotor activity of GС rats can adversely affect the performance of tasks on spatial memory. It has been shown that PM rats do not use a spatial strategy in the Barnes maze, which may indicate impairment of learning and spatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. S. Plekanchuk
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk State University
| | - O. I. Prokudina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - M. A. Ryazanova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
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17
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Itskovich E, Bowling DL, Garner JP, Parker KJ. Oxytocin and the social facilitation of placebo effects. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2640-2649. [PMID: 35338314 PMCID: PMC9167259 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01515-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Significant clinical improvement is often observed in patients who receive placebo treatment in randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials. While a proportion of this "improvement" reflects experimental design limitations (e.g., reliance on subjective outcomes, unbalanced groups, reporting biases), some of it reflects genuine improvement corroborated by physiological change. Converging evidence across diverse medical conditions suggests that clinically-relevant benefits from placebo treatment are associated with the activation of brain reward circuits. In parallel, evidence has accumulated showing that such benefits are facilitated by clinicians that demonstrate warmth and proficiency during interactions with patients. Here, we integrate research on these neural and social aspects of placebo effects with evidence linking oxytocin and social reward to advance a neurobiological account for the social facilitation of placebo effects. This account frames oxytocin as a key mediator of treatment success across a wide-spectrum of interventions that increase social connectedness, thereby providing a biological basis for assessing this fundamental non-specific element of medical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Itskovich
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Daniel L. Bowling
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Joseph P. Garner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Karen J. Parker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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18
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Hornstein EA, Craske MG, Fanselow MS, Eisenberger NI. Reclassifying the Unique Inhibitory Properties of Social Support Figures: A Roadmap for Exploring Prepared Fear Suppression. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:778-785. [PMID: 35063185 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent work has revealed that social support cues are powerful inhibitors of the fear response. They are endowed with a unique combination of inhibitory properties, enabling them to both inhibit fear in the short term and reduce fear in the long term. While these findings had previously been thought to suggest that social support cues belong to a category of prepared safety stimuli, mounting evidence clearly shows that the mechanisms underlying safety signaling cannot account for the unique effects of social support cues. Here, we propose a reclassification of social support cues as members of a prepared fear suppressor category. We present an argument for the prepared fear suppressor classification, discuss potential mechanisms underlying the unique effects of prepared fear suppressors, and outline next steps to build an understanding of this category and its clinical implications. This review is meant to serve as a roadmap for exploring this novel category of prepared fear suppressors, whose never-before-seen range of inhibitory effects makes them an important and impactful discovery with implications for both fear learning theory and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica A Hornstein
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Michelle G Craske
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael S Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Naomi I Eisenberger
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
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19
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Zak PJ, Curry B, Owen T, Barraza JA. Oxytocin Release Increases With Age and Is Associated With Life Satisfaction and Prosocial Behaviors. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:846234. [PMID: 35530727 PMCID: PMC9069134 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.846234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Helping behaviors and life satisfaction generally increase after middle-age. Identifying the neural substrates of prosocial behaviors in older adults may offer additional insights into these changes over the lifespan. The present study examines the endogenous release of the neuromodulator oxytocin (OT) in participants aged 18-99 and its relationship to prosocial behaviors. OT has been shown to influence trust, altruism, charity, and generosity, yet the effect of age on OT release has not been well-established. Blood samples before and after a video stimulus were obtained from 103 participants in order to examine the impact of OT on prosocial behaviors. We found that OT release following a social prime increased with age (r = 0.49, p = 0.001) and that OT moderated the relationship between age and donations to charity. We tested for robustness by examining three additional prosocial behaviors, money and goods donated to charity during the past year and social-sector volunteering. OT moderated the impact of age on all three prosocial behaviors (ps < 0.05). The analysis also showed that participants' change in OT was positively associated with satisfaction with life (p = 0.04), empathic concern (p = 0.015), dispositional gratitude (p = 0.019), and religious commitment (p = 0.001). Our findings indicate that the neural chemistry that helps sustain social relationships and live a fulfilled life appear to strengthen with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J. Zak
- Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, United States
| | - Ben Curry
- TripActions, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Tyler Owen
- Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, United States
| | - Jorge A. Barraza
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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20
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Beckes L, Medina-DeVilliers SE, Gunderson EW, Coan JA. Mechanisms supporting the social regulation of neural threat responding with marital partners: A test of the opioid hypothesis. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14076. [PMID: 35438799 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Positive social contact predicts better health, but the mechanisms for this association remain debated. One way to explore this link is through the social regulation of emotion, particularly anticipatory anxiety. Previous research finds less neural threat response during partner handholding than when people are alone or stranger handholding. Various mechanistic accounts have been forwarded, including the hypothesis that this effect is mediated by endogenous opioid activity. This experiment critically tested the opioid hypothesis in 60 married participants and their partners. The study used a naltrexone opioid blockade in a double-blind placebo control with functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine whether endogenous opioids were necessary for handholding effects. Regulatory effects of supportive handholding manifested in threat network regions during opioid blockade, but not with placebo. Despite a surprising lack of effect in the placebo group, the overall study findings provide initial evidence that endogenous opioids may not be necessary for the social regulation of neural threat responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lane Beckes
- Department of Psychology, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Erik W Gunderson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - James A Coan
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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21
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Granata LE, Valentine A, Hirsch JL, Brenhouse HC. Infant ultrasonic vocalizations predict adolescent social behavior in rats: Effects of early life adversity. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22260. [PMID: 35312059 PMCID: PMC9340574 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) increases risk for psychopathologies that often manifest during adolescence and involve disrupted social functioning. ELA affects development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which plays a role in social behavior. PFC oxytocin and vasopressin are important regulators of, first, mother-infant attachment, and, later, social behavior, and are implicated in psychiatric disorders. Here, we tested whether infant social communication is predictive of PFC development and adolescent social behavior. We used the limited bedding (LB) ELA model in rats during postnatal days (P)2-14, and measured isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) at P10 to characterize differences in an early social response. Rats were tested for dyadic social interaction in adolescence (P34). Adolescent oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) and arginine-vasopressin receptor 1a mRNA were measured in the PFC. Relationships between infant USVs, adolescent behavior, and gene expression were assessed. LB-reared rats exhibited fewer USVs at P10. While social behaviors were not robustly affected by rearing, fewer total and complex-type infant USVs predicted fewer interactions in adolescence. LB increased Oxtr in both sexes but Oxtr was not directly predicted by USVs. Findings support the use of USVs as indicators of differential early life experience in rodents, toward further characterization of early factors associated with vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason L. Hirsch
- Department of Psychology Northeastern University Boston MA USA
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22
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Vuoskoski JK, Zickfeld JH, Alluri V, Moorthigari V, Seibt B. Feeling moved by music: Investigating continuous ratings and acoustic correlates. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261151. [PMID: 35020739 PMCID: PMC8754323 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The experience often described as feeling moved, understood chiefly as a social-relational emotion with social bonding functions, has gained significant research interest in recent years. Although listening to music often evokes what people describe as feeling moved, very little is known about the appraisals or musical features contributing to the experience. In the present study, we investigated experiences of feeling moved in response to music using a continuous rating paradigm. A total of 415 US participants completed an online experiment where they listened to seven moving musical excerpts and rated their experience while listening. Each excerpt was randomly coupled with one of seven rating scales (perceived sadness, perceived joy, feeling moved or touched, sense of connection, perceived beauty, warmth [in the chest], or chills) for each participant. The results revealed that musically evoked experiences of feeling moved are associated with a similar pattern of appraisals, physiological sensations, and trait correlations as feeling moved by videos depicting social scenarios (found in previous studies). Feeling moved or touched by both sadly and joyfully moving music was associated with experiencing a sense of connection and perceiving joy in the music, while perceived sadness was associated with feeling moved or touched only in the case of sadly moving music. Acoustic features related to arousal contributed to feeling moved only in the case of joyfully moving music. Finally, trait empathic concern was positively associated with feeling moved or touched by music. These findings support the role of social cognitive and empathic processes in music listening, and highlight the social-relational aspects of feeling moved or touched by music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonna K. Vuoskoski
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Musicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Vinoo Alluri
- Cognitive Science Lab, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Vishnu Moorthigari
- Cognitive Science Lab, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Beate Seibt
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Torres N, Martins D, Monteiro L, Santos AJ, Vaughn BE, Veríssimo M. Salivary oxytocin after play with parents predicts behavioural problems in preschool children. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 136:105609. [PMID: 34875423 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxytocin (OXT) has attracted research interest for its potential involvement in many of the behavioural problems observed in childhood. Due to its logistical advantages, saliva is an attractive fluid to quantify neuropeptides in children. Salivary OXT has been suggested as a potential biomarker for psychopathology during childhood. However, several questions still remain about the extent to which, and under what conditions, concentrations of OXT in saliva can be reliably measured and are related to behavioural problems in preschool age children. METHODS Seven samples of saliva from 30 preschool children (17 girls) were collected in five different days at their homes. Three of the samples were collected by the children's parents at baseline daily routine conditions, and four of the samples were collected by researchers during two home-visits: before and after two 15-minute dyadic play sessions (one with mothers and one fathers) between each individual parent and the child. Oxytocin concentrations were quantified by Radioimmunoassay with prior extraction. Children's behavioural problems were assessed by the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) questionnaire, completed by the child's' preschool teacher. RESULTS Salivary OXT measured in baseline samples could not predict any of the behavioural problems measured by the C-TRF. However, when measured after playing with parents salivary OXT showed a stronger pattern of negative correlations, specially with the depression and opposition scales of the C-TRF. Furthermore, salivary OXT was unlikely to be reliably measured using single sampling, but acceptable reliabilities were achieved when averaging several samples. Finally, the single measures of salivary OXT evoked after an episode of play with parents showed better reliabilities than collected at baseline. CONCLUSION Measurements of OXT evoked after positive affect interactions with parents seem to capture aspects of the OXT system in young children that might be relevant for understanding the role of this system in children's social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Torres
- ISPA - Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Psicologicas Sociais e da Vida, William James Research Center, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, no34, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Daniel Martins
- King's College London, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom; NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Lígia Monteiro
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-IUL, Av.a das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - António J Santos
- ISPA - Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Psicologicas Sociais e da Vida, William James Research Center, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, no34, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Brian E Vaughn
- Auburn University, Department of Human Development and Family Science Auburn, AL 36849, United States
| | - Manuela Veríssimo
- ISPA - Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Psicologicas Sociais e da Vida, William James Research Center, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, no34, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal
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Mundorf A, Bölükbas I, Freund N. Maternal separation: Does it hold the potential to model consequences of postpartum depression? Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22219. [PMID: 35050513 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The postpartum period is a sensitive time where women are especially vulnerable to develop postpartum depression (PPD), with 10%-15% of women affected. This review investigates whether the maternal separation (MS) paradigm in rodents holds the potential to help to understand mothers suffering from PPD. MS is a well-established stress model to investigate effects on infants, whereas effects on the dam are often overlooked. The database PubMed was searched for studies investigating effects of daily MS within the first weeks after parturition on dams in rats and mice and compared to findings in PPD mothers. MS was categorized as brief MS (5-45 min) with or without handling of pups and long MS (3-4 h and longer). MS alters maternal care, depressive-like behavior, anxiety, and aggression; leads to alterations in neuronal gene expression; and affects hormone and neurotransmitter levels similar to observations in PPD patients. Even though there are disparities between human and rodent mothers, with some results differing in directionality, as well as the reason for separation (self-induced in PPD, externally induced in MS), the overall effects found on neurobiological, hormonal, and behavioral levels mostly coincide. Thus, the MS paradigm can add relevant knowledge to existing PPD animal models, further advancing the study of PPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annakarina Mundorf
- Division of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Institute for Systems Medicine and Department of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ibrahim Bölükbas
- Division of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nadja Freund
- Division of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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25
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Luders E, Gaser C, Gingnell M, Engman J, Sundström Poromaa I, Kurth F. Postpartum Gray Matter Changes in the Auditory Cortex. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10235616. [PMID: 34884318 PMCID: PMC8658382 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10235616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
After giving birth, a mother’s brain undergoes functional adaptations fostering the ability to properly respond to the needs of her newborn. Tuning into and understanding her baby’s crying is among the top skills required and executed in the early stages of motherhood. However, surprisingly little is known about potential changes in the anatomy of the maternal auditory cortex. Therefore, in this longitudinal study, we compared the brains of 14 healthy women between immediate postpartum (within 1–2 days of childbirth) and late postpartum (at 4–6 weeks after childbirth), focusing on areas of the primary, secondary, and higher auditory cortex. We observed significant volume increases within all auditory regions and subregions examined, which might reflect rapid adaptations of the mother’s brain in relation to reliably interpreting her newborn’s cries. There was also a trend for a larger postpartum increase within right-hemispheric regions compared to left-hemispheric regions that might be specifically linked to the ability to discern the pitch, sound, and volume of a baby’s crying. Follow-up research is warranted to replicate these findings and evaluate their current interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand;
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.G.); (I.S.P.)
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Christian Gaser
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany;
| | - Malin Gingnell
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.G.); (I.S.P.)
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Jonas Engman
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Inger Sundström Poromaa
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.G.); (I.S.P.)
| | - Florian Kurth
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand;
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Gerra ML, Gerra MC, Tadonio L, Pellegrini P, Marchesi C, Mattfeld E, Gerra G, Ossola P. Early parent-child interactions and substance use disorder: An attachment perspective on a biopsychosocial entanglement. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:560-580. [PMID: 34606823 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.052] [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: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This review aims to elucidate environmental and genetic factors, as well as their epigenetic and neuroendocrine moderators, that may underlie the association between early childhood experiences and Substance Use Disorders (SUD), through the lens of parental attachment. Here we review those attachment-related studies that examined the monoaminergic systems, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal stress response system, the oxytoninergic system, and the endogenous opioid system from a genetic, epigenetic, and neuroendocrine perspective. Overall, the selected studies point to a moderating effect of insecure attachment between genetic vulnerability and SUD, reasonably through epigenetic modifications. Preliminary evidence suggests that vulnerability to SUDs is related with hypo-methylation (e.g. hyper-expression) of high-risk polymorphisms on the monoaminergic and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system and hyper-methylation (e.g. hypo-expressions) of protective polymorphisms on the opioid and oxytocin system. These epigenetic modifications may induce a cascade of neuroendocrine changes contributing to the subclinical and behavioural manifestations that precede the clinical onset of SUD. Protective and supportive parenting could hence represent a key therapeutic target to prevent addiction and moderate insecure attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Carla Gerra
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), SMI®, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | | | | | - Carlo Marchesi
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Elizabeth Mattfeld
- Drug Prevention and Health Branch, Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Gilberto Gerra
- Department of Mental Health, AUSL of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Paolo Ossola
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), SMI®, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
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27
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Neuroendocrine Mechanisms of Social Bonds and Separation Stress in Rodents, Dogs, and Other Species. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:3-22. [PMID: 34518995 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian species form unique bonds between mothers and infants. Maternal care, including suckling, is necessary for infant survival, and the mother and, sometimes, the father require a lot of effort in nurturing infants. An infant's probability of survival depends on the extent of the investment of care by the mother. In parallel, mothers must identify their offspring and invest only in those who possess their genes to achieve evolutionary benefits. Therefore, they need to recognize their offspring and show a strong preference for them. For this reason, bond formation between mothers and infants is important. The mother monitors her offspring's physical condition and stays close to them. The offspring also form strong bonds with their mothers. Therefore, a separation between the mother and infant causes severe stress for both parties. Although it was initially thought that such bonds between mother and infant are limited to the same species, we have also observed a similar phenomenon in the human-dog relationship. In this article, we discuss the neuroendocrine mechanisms that underlie bond formation and separation based on findings of neurobiological research in mice and the relationship between humans and dogs.
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Levey EJ. Analyzing from Home: The Virtual Space as a Flexible Container. Psychodyn Psychiatry 2021; 49:425-440. [PMID: 34478328 DOI: 10.1521/pdps.2021.49.3.425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This manuscript explores the experience of teleanalysis for analyst and patient during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lenses of embodied intersubjective relating, the neurobiology of social engagement, and technologically mediated human interaction. At the beginning of the pandemic, many analytic dyads were embarking on remote work for the first time. More than a year later, we are facing the question of whether we will ever return to in-person work. In order to unpack this question, it is useful to consider how in-person analysis and in-person interaction more generally differ from remote interaction. Multiple nonverbal modalities are responsible for affective coregulation in intersubjective relating, including voice, body, and shared physical space. While conscious awareness tends to concentrate on auditory and visual inputs, other sensory inputs also impact affective experience. The impact of physical distance upon psychoanalytic treatment is compared with that of the couch. The shift in the balance of power introduced by teleanalysis is considered. Analyzing and being analyzed from home bend the frame of psychoanalysis, complicating notions about distance and intimacy and opening new spaces in which meaning can be cocreated. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for psychoanalysis to engage more deeply with the questions raised by teleanalysis in order to enhance our understanding of its impact on treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Levey
- Staff Psychiatrist at the Chester M. Pierce M.D. Division of Global Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Institute for Juvenile Research at the University of Illinois College of Medicine
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29
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Shamay-Tsoory SG, Eisenberger NI. Getting in touch: A neural model of comforting touch. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:263-273. [PMID: 34474048 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Comforting touch involves contact distress-alleviating behaviors of an observer towards the suffering of a target. A growing number of studies have investigated the effects of touch on pain attenuation, focusing on the (toucher), the target (comforted) or both. Here we synthesize findings of brain mechanisms underlying comforting touch in the target and toucher to propose an integrative brain model for understanding how touch attenuates distress. Building on evidence from the pain and distress literatures, our model applies interchangeably to pain and distress regulation. We describe comforting touch as a feedback-loop that begins with distress experienced by the target, triggering an empathic response in the toucher which in turn reduces distress in the target. This cycle is mediated by interactions between the neural circuits associated with touch perception, shared distress, emotion regulation and reward as well as brain-to-brain coupling in the observation-execution system. We conclude that formulating a model of comforting touch offers a mechanistic framework for understanding the effects of touch as well as other social interactions involving social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- S G Shamay-Tsoory
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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30
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von Mohr M, Kirsch LP, Fotopoulou A. Social touch deprivation during COVID-19: effects on psychological wellbeing and craving interpersonal touch. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210287. [PMID: 34527270 PMCID: PMC8424338 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Social touch has positive effects on social affiliation and stress alleviation. However, its ubiquitous presence in human life does not allow the study of social touch deprivation 'in the wild'. Nevertheless, COVID-19-related restrictions such as social distancing allowed the systematic study of the degree to which social distancing affects tactile experiences and mental health. In this study, 1746 participants completed an online survey to examine intimate, friendly and professional touch experiences during COVID-19-related restrictions, their impact on mental health and the extent to which touch deprivation results in craving touch. We found that intimate touch deprivation during COVID-19-related restrictions is associated with higher anxiety and greater loneliness even though this type of touch is still the most experienced during the pandemic. Moreover, intimate touch is reported as the type of touch most craved during this period, thus being more prominent as the days practising social distancing increase. However, our results also show that the degree to which individuals crave touch during this period depends on individual differences in attachment style: the more anxiously attached, the more touch is craved; with the reverse pattern for avoidantly attached. These findings point to the important role of interpersonal and particularly intimate touch in times of distress and uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana von Mohr
- Lab of Action and Body, Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Iberoamericana, México, Mexico
| | - Louise P. Kirsch
- Institute for Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, INCC UMR 8002, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Aikaterini Fotopoulou
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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31
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Examining Links Between Infant Parasympathetic Regulation during the Still-Face Paradigm and Later Callous-Unemotional Traits. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2021; 50:489-503. [PMID: 34424454 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-021-00860-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Although research suggests that callous-unemotional (CU) traits are underpinned by deficits in social affiliation and reduced sensitivity to threat, there has been little investigation of the biophysiological regulatory mechanisms underlying these processes in infancy. The current study uses data from the Durham Child Health and Development Study (DCHD; n = 206) to examine whether and how the combination of infants' behavioral reactivity and levels of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an indicator of parasympathetic nervous system functioning, during the still-face episode of the still-face paradigm at 6 months differentiates risk for CU traits and oppositional defiant behaviors (ODD) at age 3 years, as well as whether these relations vary by children's attachment security. Results indicate that reduced negative affect during the still-face episode at 6 months predicts higher CU traits (B = -0.28, β = -0.27, p = 0.003) and ODD (B = -0.35, β = -0.24, p = 0.007) at 3 years. Results also show that comparatively lower RSA, i.e. engaged parasympathetic system, predicts higher CU traits (B = -0.10, β = -0.34, p = 0.013), but not ODD. Tests of moderation suggest the combination of blunted negative affect but comparatively lower RSA levels during a social stressor constitutes risk for later CU traits for children who are also insecurely attached (simple slope = -0.70, t = 2.88, p = 0.006 at -1 SD). Findings contribute to our understanding of the complex and interactive risk processes which precede the development of CU traits.
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Bortolini T, Melo B, Basilio R, Fischer R, Zahn R, de Oliveira-Souza R, Knutson B, Moll J. Striatal and septo-hypothalamic responses to anticipation and outcome of affiliative rewards. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118474. [PMID: 34407439 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are intrinsically motivated to bond with others. The ability to experience affiliative emotions (such as affection/tenderness, sexual attraction, and admiration/awe) may incentivize and promote these affiliative bonds. Here, we interrogate the role of the critical reward circuitry, especially the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) and the septo-hypothalamic region, in the anticipation of and response to affiliative rewards using a novel incentive delay task. During Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI), participants (n = 23 healthy humans; 14 female) anticipated and watched videos involving affiliative (tenderness, erotic desire, and awe) and nonaffiliative (i.e., food) rewards, as well as neutral scenes. On the one hand, anticipation of both affiliative and nonaffiliative rewards increased activity in the NAcc, anterior insula, and supplementary motor cortex, but activity in the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) increased in response to reward outcomes. On the other hand, affiliative rewards more specifically increased activity in the septo-hypothalamic area. Moreover, NAcc activity during anticipation correlated with positive arousal for all rewards, whereas septo-hypothalamic activity during the outcome correlated with positive arousal and motivation for subsequent re-exposure only for affiliative rewards. Together, these findings implicate a general appetitive response in the NAcc to different types of rewards but suggests a more specific response in the septo-hypothalamic region in response to affiliative rewards outcomes. This work also presents a new task for distinguishing between neural responses to affiliative and non-affiliative rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Bortolini
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil.
| | - Bruno Melo
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Basilio
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil
| | - Ronald Fischer
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil; School of Psychology, PO Box 600, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
| | - Roland Zahn
- Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil; The Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22270-000, Brazil
| | - Brian Knutson
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil; Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Scients Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA
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Cameron CM, Nieto S, Bosler L, Wong M, Bishop I, Mooney L, Cahill CM. Mechanisms Underlying the Anti-Suicidal Treatment Potential of Buprenorphine. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2021; 1. [PMID: 35265942 PMCID: PMC8903193 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2021.10009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Death by suicide is a global epidemic with over 800 K suicidal deaths worlwide in 2012. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among Americans and more than 44 K people died by suicide in 2019 in the United States. Patients with chronic pain, including, but not limited to, those with substance use disorders, are particularly vulnerable. Chronic pain patients have twice the risk of death by suicide compared to those without pain, and 50% of chronic pain patients report that they have considered suicide at some point due to their pain. The kappa opioid system is implicated in negative mood states including dysphoria, depression, and anxiety, and recent evidence shows that chronic pain increases the function of this system in limbic brain regions important for affect and motivation. Additionally, dynorphin, the endogenous ligand that activates the kappa opioid receptor is increased in the caudate putamen of human suicide victims. A potential treatment for reducing suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts is buprenorphine. Buprenorphine, a partial mu opioid agonist with kappa opioid antagonist properties, reduced suicidal ideation in chronic pain patients with and without an opioid use disorder. This review will highlight the clinical and preclinical evidence to support the use of buprenorphine in mitigating pain-induced negative affective states and suicidal thoughts, where these effects are at least partially mediated via its kappa antagonist properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M. Cameron
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Steven Nieto
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lucienne Bosler
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Megan Wong
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Isabel Bishop
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Larissa Mooney
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Catherine M. Cahill
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Correspondence: Catherine M. Cahill,
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Garcia-Cairasco N, Podolsky-Gondim G, Tejada J. Searching for a paradigm shift in the research on the epilepsies and associated neuropsychiatric comorbidities. From ancient historical knowledge to the challenge of contemporary systems complexity and emergent functions. Epilepsy Behav 2021; 121:107930. [PMID: 33836959 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.107930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we will discuss in four scenarios our challenges to offer possible solutions for the puzzle associated with the epilepsies and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. We need to recognize that (1) since quite old times, human wisdom was linked to the plural (distinct global places/cultures) perception of the Universe we are in, with deep respect for earth and nature. Plural ancestral knowledge was added with the scientific methods; however, their joint efforts are the ideal scenario; (2) human behavior is not different than animal behavior, in essence the product of Darwinian natural selection; knowledge of animal and human behavior are complementary; (3) the expression of human behavior follows the same rules that complex systems with emergent properties, therefore, we can measure events in human, clinical, neurobiological situations with complexity systems' tools; (4) we can use the semiology of epilepsies and comorbidities, their neural substrates, and potential treatments (including experimental/computational modeling, neurosurgical interventions), as a source and collection of integrated big data to predict with them (e.g.: machine/deep learning) diagnosis/prognosis, individualized solutions (precision medicine), basic underlying mechanisms and molecular targets. Once the group of symptoms/signals (with a myriad of changing definitions and interpretations over time) and their specific sequences are determined, in epileptology research and clinical settings, the use of modern and contemporary techniques such as neuroanatomical maps, surface electroencephalogram and stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) and imaging (MRI, BOLD, DTI, SPECT/PET), neuropsychological testing, among others, are auxiliary in the determination of the best electroclinical hypothesis, and help design a specific treatment, usually as the first attempt, with available pharmacological resources. On top of ancient knowledge, currently known and potentially new antiepileptic drugs, alternative treatments and mechanisms are usually produced as a consequence of the hard, multidisciplinary, and integrated studies of clinicians, surgeons, and basic scientists, all over the world. The existence of pharmacoresistant patients, calls for search of other solutions, being along the decades the surgeries the most common interventions, such as resective procedures (i.e., selective or standard lobectomy, lesionectomy), callosotomy, hemispherectomy and hemispherotomy, added by vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), neuromodulation, and more recently focal minimal or noninvasive ablation. What is critical when we consider the pharmacoresistance aspect with the potential solution through surgery, is still the pursuit of localization-dependent regions (e.g.: epileptogenic zone (EZ)), in order to decide, no matter how sophisticated are the brain mapping tools (EEG and MRI), the size and location of the tissue to be removed. Mimicking the semiology and studying potential neural mechanisms and molecular targets - by means of experimental and computational modeling - are fundamental steps of the whole process. Concluding, with the conjunction of ancient knowledge, coupled to critical and creative contemporary, scientific (not dogmatic) clinical/surgical, and experimental/computational contributions, a better world and of improved quality of life can be offered to the people with epilepsy and neuropsychiatric comorbidities, who are still waiting (as well as the scientists) for a paradigm shift in epileptology, both in the Basic Science, Computational, Clinical, and Neurosurgical Arenas. This article is part of the Special Issue "NEWroscience 2018".
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Affiliation(s)
- Norberto Garcia-Cairasco
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia e Neuroetologia Experimental, Departmento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto. Brazil; Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Guilherme Podolsky-Gondim
- Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Julian Tejada
- Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Brazil.
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Kislinger L, Kotrschal K. Hunters and Gatherers of Pictures: Why Photography Has Become a Human Universal. Front Psychol 2021; 12:654474. [PMID: 34168589 PMCID: PMC8217823 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Photography is ubiquitous worldwide. We analyzed why people take, share, and use personal photographs, independent of their specific cultural background. These behaviors are still poorly understood. Experimental research on them is scarce. Smartphone technology and social media have pushed the success of photography, but cannot explain it, as not all smartphone features are widely used just because they are available. We analyzed properties of human nature that have made taking and using photographs functional behaviors. We did this based on the four levels, which Nikolaas Tinbergen suggested for analyzing why animals behave in a particular way. Including findings from multiple disciplines, we developed a novel conceptual framework-the "Mental Utilization Hypothesis of Photography." It suggests that people adopt photography because it matches with core human mental mechanisms mainly from the social domain, and people use photography as a cognitive, primarily social coping strategy. Our framework comprises a range of testable predictions, provides a new theoretical basis for future empirical investigations into photography, and has practical implications. We conclude that photography has become a human universal, which is based on context-sensitive mental predispositions and differentiates itself in the social and societal environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kurt Kotrschal
- Department of Behavioral Biology and Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Domestication Lab at the Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Wolf Science Center, University of Veterinary Medicine, Ernstbrunn, Austria
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36
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Sullivan RM, Opendak M. Neurobiology of Infant Fear and Anxiety: Impacts of Delayed Amygdala Development and Attachment Figure Quality. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:641-650. [PMID: 33109337 PMCID: PMC7914291 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness and are more likely to emerge during childhood compared with most other psychiatric disorders. While research on children is the gold standard for understanding the behavioral expression of anxiety and its neural circuitry, the ethical and technical limitations in exploring neural underpinnings limit our understanding of the child's developing brain. Instead, we must rely on animal models to build strong methodological bridges for bidirectional translation to child development research. Using the caregiver-infant context, we review the rodent literature on early-life fear development to characterize developmental transitions in amygdala function underlying age-specific behavioral transitions. We then describe how this system can be perturbed by early-life adversity, including reduced efficacy of the caregiver as a safe haven. We suggest that greater integration of clinically informed animal research enhances bidirectional translation to permit new approaches to therapeutics for children with early onset anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, New York, NY USA,Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, New York, NY USA,Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY USA
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Wallin CM, Bowen SE, Brummelte S. Opioid use during pregnancy can impair maternal behavior and the Maternal Brain Network: A literature review. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 86:106976. [PMID: 33812002 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a global epidemic also affecting women of reproductive age. A standard form of pharmacological treatment for OUD is Opioid Maintenance Therapy (OMT) and buprenorphine has emerged as the preferred treatment for pregnant women with OUD relative to methadone. However, the consequences of BUP exposure on the developing Maternal Brain Network and mother-infant dyad are not well understood. The maternal-infant bond is dependent on the Maternal Brain Network, which is responsible for the dynamic transition from a "nulliparous brain" to a "maternal brain". The Maternal Brain Network consists of regions implicated in maternal care (e.g., medial preoptic area, nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, ventral tegmentum area) and maternal defense (e.g., periaqueductal gray). The endogenous opioid system modulates many of the neurochemical changes in these areas during the transition to motherhood. Thus, it is not surprising that exogenous opioid exposure during pregnancy can be disruptive to the Maternal Brain Network. Though less drastic than misused opioids, OMTs may not be without risk of disrupting the neural and molecular structures of the Maternal Brain Network. This review describes the Maternal Brain Network as a framework for understanding how pharmacological differences in exogenous opioid exposure can disrupt the onset and maintenance of the maternal brain and summarizes opioid and OMT (in particular buprenorphine) use in the context of pregnancy and maternal behavior. This review also highlights future directions for evaluating exogenous opioid effects on the Maternal Brain Network in the hopes of raising awareness for the impact of the opioid crisis not only on exposed infants, but also on mothers and subsequent mother-infant bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chela M Wallin
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| | - Scott E Bowen
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
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Manduca A, Carbone E, Schiavi S, Cacchione C, Buzzelli V, Campolongo P, Trezza V. The neurochemistry of social reward during development: What have we learned from rodent models? J Neurochem 2021; 157:1408-1435. [PMID: 33569830 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social rewards are fundamental to survival and overall health. Several studies suggest that adequate social stimuli during early life are critical for developing appropriate socioemotional and cognitive skills, whereas adverse social experiences negatively affect the proper development of brain and behavior, by increasing the susceptibility to develop neuropsychiatric conditions. Therefore, a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social interactions, and their rewarding components in particular, is an important challenge of current neuroscience research. In this context, preclinical research has a crucial role: Animal models allow to investigate the neurobiological aspects of social reward in order to shed light on possible neurochemical alterations causing aberrant social reward processing in neuropsychiatric diseases, and they allow to test the validity and safety of innovative therapeutic strategies. Here, we discuss preclinical research that has investigated the rewarding properties of two forms of social interaction that occur in different phases of the lifespan of mammals, that is, mother-infant interaction and social interactions with peers, by focusing on the main neurotransmitter systems mediating their rewarding components. Together, the research performed so far helped to elucidate the mechanisms of social reward and its psychobiological components throughout development, thus increasing our understanding of the neurobiological substrates sustaining social functioning in health conditions and social dysfunction in major psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Manduca
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy.,Neuroendocrinology, Metabolism and Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Emilia Carbone
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Schiavi
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Cacchione
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Buzzelli
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
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Chierchia G, Przyrembel M, Lesemann FP, Bosworth S, Snower D, Singer T. Navigating Motivation: A Semantic and Subjective Atlas of 7 Motives. Front Psychol 2021; 11:568064. [PMID: 33584405 PMCID: PMC7874174 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Research from psychology, neurobiology and behavioral economics indicates that a binary view of motivation, based on approach and avoidance, may be too reductive. Instead, a literature review suggests that at least seven distinct motives are likely to affect human decisions: "consumption/resource seeking," "care," "affiliation," "achievement," "status-power," "threat approach" (or anger), and "threat avoidance" (or fear). To explore the conceptual distinctness and relatedness of these motives, we conducted a semantic categorization task. Here, participants were to assign provided words to one of the motives. By applying principal component analysis to the categorization assignments we represent the semantic inter-relations of these motives on a two-dimensional space, a "semantic atlas." This atlas suggests that, while care and affiliation are conceptually close, affiliation is closer to threat avoidance (or fear); opposite to these motives we find achievement, consumption and power, with the latter lying closer to threat approach (or anger). In a second study, we asked participants to rate how well the motive-specific words obtained in the first study described their currently experienced feelings. We find that semantically close motives are also more likely to be experienced together, that is, we replicate most of the semantic relations in the "subjective atlas." We discuss our findings in comparison to other multi-dimensional models of motivation, which show clear similarities. In addition to these motivational atlases, we provide a database of motive-specific words, together with the valence and arousal scores. These can be used for future research on the influence of motives on decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Chierchia
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marisa Przyrembel
- Akkon University of Applied Sciences for Human Sciences, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Dennis Snower
- Department of Economics, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany
- Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
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An Argument for Reconsidering the Role of Social Support in Treating Anxiety Disorders. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND BRAIN SCIENCE 2021; 6. [PMID: 34307897 PMCID: PMC8298022 DOI: 10.20900/jpbs.20210010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Reminders of loved ones have long been avoided during extinction-based treatments because of their assumed status as safety signals, which, by inhibiting fear in the moment, impair the long-term outcomes of fear extinction. Yet, recent work has demonstrated that in contrast to standard safety signals, social support reminders actually enhance fear extinction and lead to lasting reduction of fear, suggesting that they may have beneficial effects during exposure therapy that have before-now been overlooked. Here, we argue for a revision of the assumption that social support is detrimental to fear extinction processes and propose that future work should focus on the potential of social support reminders to improve treatment outcomes in those with anxiety disorders.
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41
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Sullivan RM, Opendak M. Defining Immediate Effects of Sensitive Periods on Infant Neurobehavioral Function. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2020; 36:106-114. [PMID: 33043102 PMCID: PMC7543993 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
During a sensitive period associated with attachment, the infant brain has unique circuitry that enables the specialized adaptive behaviors required for survival in infancy. This infant brain is not an immature version of the adult brain. Within the attachment relationship, the infant remains close (proximity seeking) to the caregiver for nurturing and survival needs, but the caregiver also provides the immature infant with the physiological regulation interaction needed before self-regulation matures. Here we provide examples from the human and animal literature that illustrate some of these regulatory functions during sensitive periods, recent advances demonstrating the supporting transient neural mechanisms, and how these systems go awry in the absence of species-expected caregiving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY USA
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY USA
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Turtonen O, Saarinen A, Nummenmaa L, Tuominen L, Tikka M, Armio RL, Hautamäki A, Laurikainen H, Raitakari O, Keltikangas-Järvinen L, Hietala J. Adult Attachment System Links With Brain Mu Opioid Receptor Availability In Vivo. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:360-369. [PMID: 33431346 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Secure attachment is important in maintaining an individual's health and well-being. Attachment disturbances increase the risk for developing psychiatric disorders such as affective disorders. Yet, the neurobiological correlates of human attachment are poorly understood at the neurotransmitter level. We investigated whether adult attachment style is linked to functioning of the opioid and serotonergic systems in the human brain. METHODS We used positron emission tomography with radioligands [11C]carfentanil and [11C]MADAM to quantify mu opioid receptor (n = 39) and serotonin transporter (n = 37) availability in volunteers with no current psychiatric disorders. Attachment style was determined according to the Dynamic-Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation with the structured Adult Attachment Interview. RESULTS Secure attachment was associated with higher mu opioid receptor availability in the hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and prefrontal cortex when compared with insecure (i.e., avoidant or ambivalent groups combined) attachment. In contrast, attachment style was not associated with serotonin transporter availability. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide preliminary in vivo evidence that the opioid system may be involved in the neurocircuits associated with individual differences in adult attachment behavior. The results suggest that variation in mu opioid receptor availability may be linked with the individuals' social relationships and psychosocial well-being and thus contributes to risk for psychiatric morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otto Turtonen
- Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Aino Saarinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Research Unit of Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Lauri Tuominen
- Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Tikka
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Reetta-Liina Armio
- Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Airi Hautamäki
- Swedish School of Social Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heikki Laurikainen
- Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Olli Raitakari
- Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Jarmo Hietala
- Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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Wenker ML, Bokkers EAM, Lecorps B, von Keyserlingk MAG, van Reenen CG, Verwer CM, Weary DM. Effect of cow-calf contact on cow motivation to reunite with their calf. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14233. [PMID: 32859980 PMCID: PMC7455555 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70927-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Early cow-calf separation prevents much of cows’ natural maternal behaviour. Early separation is thought to prevent the development of a cow-calf bond. To assess this bond, we measured motivation of dairy cows to reunite with their calf. To vary the degree of bonding, some cows were allowed continued contact with their calf and others were separated from their calf soon after birth, following standard practice on most farms. Among cows allowed continued contact, some were able to suckle their calf and others were prevented from suckling (by covering the cow’s udder with an udder net). Cows were habituated to the weighted-gate apparatus before calving by daily training with the (un-weighted) gate. After calving, cow willingness to use the gate was assessed by determining if she would push open the gate to access to her own calf. Testing occurred once daily, with weight on the gate gradually increased. After passing through the gate, the dam’s calf-directed behaviour was recorded. Suckled cows pushed a greater maximum weight (45.8 ± 7.8 kg) than separated cows (21.6 ± 6.7 kg) and non-suckled cows (24.3 ± 4.5 kg), with no differences between separated and non-suckled cows. Once reunited, latency to make nose contact and duration of licking did not differ between treatments. We conclude that motivation for calf contact is greater for cows that are suckled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margret L Wenker
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z6, Canada.,Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eddie A M Bokkers
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Benjamin Lecorps
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Marina A G von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Cornelis G van Reenen
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cynthia M Verwer
- Louis Bolk Institute, Kosterijland 3-5, 3981 AJ, Bunnik, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, 2357 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z6, Canada.
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Methodological terminology and definitions for research and discussion of cow-calf contact systems. J DAIRY RES 2020; 87:108-114. [PMID: 33213583 DOI: 10.1017/s0022029920000564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Due to increasing public concern regarding separation of the dairy cow and calf within the first days after birth, alternative systems, where cows and calves stay in contact for an extended period, are receiving increasing interest from a broad array of researchers and other stakeholders. With more research in the area, there is a risk of inconsistencies emerging in the use of terminology. To create a better consensus in further discussions, the aim of this Research Reflection is to provide definitions and propose a common terminology for cow-calf contact in dairy production. We also suggest definitions for various systems allowing cow-calf contact and describe the distinct phases of cow-calf contact systems.
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Whittaker AL, Hickman DL. The Impact of Social and Behavioral Factors on Reproducibility in Terrestrial Vertebrate Models. ILAR J 2020; 60:252-269. [PMID: 32720675 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of animal models remains critical in preclinical and translational research. The reliability of the animal models and aspects of their validity is likely key to effective translation of findings to medicine. However, despite considerable uniformity in animal models brought about by control of genetics, there remain a number of social as well as innate and acquired behavioral characteristics of laboratory animals that may impact on research outcomes. These include the effects of strain and genetics, age and development, sex, personality and affective states, and social factors largely brought about by housing and husbandry. In addition, aspects of the testing environment may also influence research findings. A number of considerations resulting from the animals' innate and acquired behavioral characteristics as well as their social structures are described. Suggestions for minimizing the impact of these factors on research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, South Australia, Australia
| | - Debra L Hickman
- Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana
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Nimbalkar S, Shukla VV, Chauhan V, Phatak A, Patel D, Chapla A, Nimbalkar A. Blinded randomized crossover trial: Skin-to-skin care vs. sucrose for preterm neonatal pain. J Perinatol 2020; 40:896-901. [PMID: 32152488 DOI: 10.1038/s41372-020-0638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare skin-to-skin care (SSC) and oral sucrose for preterm neonatal pain control. METHODS Preterm neonates (28-36 weeks gestation) requiring heel-stick were eligible. In group-A, SSC was given 15-min before first heel-stick, and sucrose was given 2-min before second heel-stick. In group-B, the sequence was reversed. Blinded premature infant pain profile (PIPP) score assessment was done at 0, 1, and 5-min of heel-stick by two assessors. RESULTS A hundred neonates were enrolled. The inter-rater agreement for the PIPP score was good. The behavior state component was significantly lower in the sucrose group at all assessment points. The mean (SD) difference between 1-min and 0 min was similar [SSC 3.58(3.16) vs. sucrose 4.09(3.82), p = 0.24] between groups. The PIPP score attained baseline values at 5-min in both groups. CONCLUSION Albeit sucrose indicated instantaneous action, SSC and sucrose have comparable clinical efficacy for preterm neonatal pain control. Multisensory stimulation with SSC may result in a higher behavioral state component of the PIPP score.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vivek V Shukla
- Pramukhswami Medical College, Anand, Gujarat, India. .,University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | | | - Ajay Phatak
- Pramukhswami Medical College, Anand, Gujarat, India
| | - Dipen Patel
- Pramukhswami Medical College, Anand, Gujarat, India
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Francesetti G, Alcaro A, Settanni M. Panic disorder: attack of fear or acute attack of solitude? Convergences between affective neuroscience and phenomenological-Gestalt perspective. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 23:421. [PMID: 32913822 PMCID: PMC7451360 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2020.421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
There is consensus among scientists in considering Panic Attack (PA) as an exaggerated fear response triggered by intense activation of the amygdala and related Fear brain network. Current guidelines for treatment (e.g. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, NICE, 2011), that are based on this view, do not achieve satisfactory results: one-third of all treated patients report persistent PAs and other Panic Disorder (PD) symptoms, and several meta-analyses report the high likelihood of relapse. Here we review findings from Affective Neuroscience and clinical insights from a phenomenological-Gestalt perspective, putting into question the link between PD and activation of the Fear brain network. We propose an alternative hypothesis about PD etiology: PD is mainly connected to the Panic system, that is activated in situations of separation from affective support and overexposure to the environment. In our view, PA can be understood as an acute attack of solitude which is not adequately recognized by the patient due to the intervention of a dissociative component that makes it impossible to integrate all neuro-physiological responses activated by the Panic/Separation brain system within a coherent emotional feeling. This perspective can explain many evidences that otherwise remain isolated elements without a comprehensive frame: i.e., the association with agoraphobia, the onset of PD during adolescence and young adult life, the need to be accompanied, the connection with air hunger and other respiratory anomalies, the efficacy of antidepressants and the lack of activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axe. We discuss future steps to test this hypothesis and the consequences for psychotherapeutic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianni Francesetti
- International Institute for Gestalt Therapy and Psychopathology - IPsiG.,Department of Psychology, University of Turin
| | - Antonio Alcaro
- Santa Lucia Foundation, European Centre for Brain Research, Italy
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Abstract
People often experience two types of pain: social pain and physical pain. The former is related to psychological distance from other people or social groups, whereas the latter is associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Social pain caused by interpersonal interactions causes negative feelings in individuals and has negative consequences to the same degree as physical pain. Various studies have shown an interaction between social pain and physical pain, not only in behavioral performance but also in activities within shared neural regions. Accordingly, the present paper reviews: (1) the interaction between social pain and physical pain in individuals’ behavioral performances; and (2) the overlap in neural circuitry as regards the processing of social pain and physical pain. Understanding the relationship between social pain and physical pain might provide new insights into the nature of these two types of pain, and thus may further contribute to the treatment of illnesses associated with both types of painful experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yazhuo Kong
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Oxytocin & well-being as promoters of affect regulation and homeostasis: a neuroscientific review. PSICO 2020. [DOI: 10.15448/1980-8623.2020.2.30291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurohormone oxytocin release affects mood and behavior in humans, regulating emotional and physiologic aspects. Neuroscience associates well-being to oxytocin to characterize a general positive-valenced emotional state. However, the terms well-being and oxytocin are absent, or present in a limited way, in most indexes of psychological terminology and health science descriptors. This study aimed at studying how this association occurs in literature, based on a systematic review on oxytocin and well-being in the last five years. Main results: the neuroscientific context seemed to be the most adequate to the study between oxytocin and well-being; association between psychological and neuroendocrine aspects was unusual; medical templates predominated over psychological references; oxytocin release and feelings of well-being were associated to stimuli of the affective-sensorial type, to psychiatric interventions, to familiarity; results varied according to age, gender, context and personality.
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