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Grodin EN, Kirsch D, Belnap M, Ray LA. Sex differences in neural response to an acute stressor in individuals with an alcohol use disorder. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:843-854. [PMID: 38652235 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and stress influence overlapping neural circuits in the brain. The literature is mixed regarding the presence of sex differences in the neural response to acute stressors, and this issue has not been examined in individuals with AUD. We validated a stress functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm in individuals with AUD and tested for sex differences. METHODS Twenty-five treatment-seeking individuals with AUD (15M/10F) were recruited to participate in the neuroimaging study linked to a clinical trial of ibudilast (NCT03594435). To assess social-evaluative stress, participants completed the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Whole brain and amygdala region-of-interest analyses were conducted. Subjective ratings of anxiety and distress were collected. Repeated measures ANCOVAs were performed to evaluate the effect of stress on anxiety and distress and to evaluate sex differences. RESULTS There were trend-level effects of stress on anxiety ratings and amygdala activation (p's = 0.06). There was a significant effect of stress in the bilateral thalamus, ventral tegmental area, and paracingulate (Z's > 4.09, p's < 0.03). There was a trend-level effect of sex on subjective ratings of stress (p's = 0.07). Females had higher amygdala activation in response to stress (p = 0.02). Females also had greater activation than males in the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and right inferior frontal gyrus during acute stress (Z's > 3.56, p's < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS This study provides an initial validation of the MIST in a sample of individuals with AUD. It also provides preliminary evidence of sex differences in the response to social-evaluative stress, which is important, given the relevance of stress and negative emotionality as motivators for alcohol use in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica N Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dylan Kirsch
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Malia Belnap
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lara A Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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2
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Weller S, Derntl B, Plewnia C. Sex matters for the enhancement of cognitive training with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:78. [PMID: 37919761 PMCID: PMC10623760 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00561-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can influence brain network activity and associated cognitive and behavioural functions. In addition to the extensive variety in stimulation parameters, numerous biological factors drive these effects, however these are yet poorly understood. Here, we investigate one of the major biological factors by focusing on sex-dependent effects of tDCS on a challenging cognitive control task (adaptive paced auditory serial addition task [PASAT]) in healthy humans. METHODS This sex-specific re-analysis was performed on data of 163 subjects who underwent a 2-week cognitive control training (6 sessions in total). Subjects received either verum (anodal/cathodal) or sham tDCS. Electrodes were placed over the left or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the respective contralateral deltoid muscle. Cognitive control was measured as performance in the PASAT and was analysed in respect to stimulation conditions (sham, anodal, cathodal) and sex. RESULTS Regardless of stimulation condition, performance gains between the sexes were higher in females compared to males (p = 0.0038). Female's performance during anodal tDCS exceeded male's (p = 0.0070), yet no effects were found for cathodal or sham tDCS. Moreover, in females we found a superior effect for anodal tDCS over sham stimulation (fanodal: p = 0.0354; fcathodal: p = 0.6181), but no such effect in males (manodal: p = 0.6882; mcathodal: p = 0.4822). CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the relevance of biological sex for the effects of tDCS on cognitive training. Thus, an increased attention to biological sex is advisable in future brain stimulation research to highlight and in consequence better understand potentially underlying sex-specific mechanisms. Considering biological sex will further advance customisation and individualisation of tDCS interventions. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04108663.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Weller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neurophysiology and Interventional Neuropsychiatry, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innovative Neuroimaging, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christian Plewnia
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neurophysiology and Interventional Neuropsychiatry, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Tübingen, Germany.
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Kogler L, Müller VI, Moser E, Windischberger C, Gur RC, Habel U, Eickhoff SB, Derntl B. Testosterone and the Amygdala's Functional Connectivity in Women and Men. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6501. [PMID: 37892639 PMCID: PMC10607739 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12206501] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala contains androgen receptors and is involved in various affective and social functions. An interaction between testosterone and the amygdala's functioning is likely. We investigated the amygdala's resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) network in association with testosterone in 94 healthy young adult women and men (final data available for analysis from 42 women and 39 men). Across the whole sample, testosterone was positively associated with the rsFC between the right amygdala and the right middle occipital gyrus, and it further predicted lower agreeableness scores. Significant sex differences appeared for testosterone and the functional connectivity between the right amygdala and the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG), showing higher testosterone levels with lower connectivity in women. Sex further predicted the openness and agreeableness scores. Our results show that testosterone modulates the rsFC between brain areas involved in affective processing and executive functions. The data indicate that the cognitive control of the amygdala via the frontal cortex is dependent on the testosterone levels in a sex-specific manner. Testosterone seems to express sex-specific patterns (1) in networks processing affect and cognition, and (2) in the frontal down-regulation of the amygdala. The sex-specific coupling between the amygdala and the frontal cortex in interaction with the hormone levels may drive sex-specific differences in a variety of behavioral phenomena that are further associated with psychiatric illnesses that show sex-specific prevalence rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kogler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Calwerstrasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) Partner Site, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Veronika I. Müller
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: Brain and Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (V.I.M.); (S.B.E.)
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ewald Moser
- High-Field MR Center, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (E.M.); (C.W.)
| | - Christian Windischberger
- High-Field MR Center, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (E.M.); (C.W.)
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory and Neurodevelopment and Psychosis Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany;
- JARA BRAIN Institute I, Translational Brain Medicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Simon B. Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: Brain and Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (V.I.M.); (S.B.E.)
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Calwerstrasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) Partner Site, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School and Network, University of Tübingen, Walter-Simon-Straße 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for the Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction (IMPRS-MMFD), Otfried-Müller-Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Kühnel A, Hagenberg J, Knauer-Arloth J, Ködel M, Czisch M, Sämann PG, Binder EB, Kroemer NB. Stress-induced brain responses are associated with BMI in women. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1031. [PMID: 37821711 PMCID: PMC10567923 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05396-8] [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: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Overweight and obesity are associated with altered stress reactivity and increased inflammation. However, it is not known whether stress-induced changes in brain function scale with BMI and if such associations are driven by peripheral cytokines. Here, we investigate multimodal stress responses in a large transdiagnostic sample using predictive modeling based on spatio-temporal profiles of stress-induced changes in activation and functional connectivity. BMI is associated with increased brain responses as well as greater negative affect after stress and individual response profiles are associated with BMI in females (pperm < 0.001), but not males. Although stress-induced changes reflecting BMI are associated with baseline cortisol, there is no robust association with peripheral cytokines. To conclude, alterations in body weight and energy metabolism might scale acute brain responses to stress more strongly in females compared to males, echoing observational studies. Our findings highlight sex-dependent associations of stress with differences in endocrine markers, largely independent of peripheral inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Kühnel
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany.
| | - Jonas Hagenberg
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Janine Knauer-Arloth
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maik Ködel
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Nils B Kroemer
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Wu C, Chau PH, Choi EPH. Quality of Life and Mental Health of Chinese Sexual and Gender Minority Women and Cisgender Heterosexual Women: Cross-sectional Survey and Mediation Analysis. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2023; 9:e42203. [PMID: 36811941 PMCID: PMC9996424 DOI: 10.2196/42203] [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: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health-related research on sexual minority populations in China is lacking, and research on sexual and gender minority women (SGMW, including transgender women and persons of other gender identities assigned female at birth of all sexual orientations, and cisgender women with nonheterosexual orientations) is even less. Currently, there are limited surveys related to mental health in Chinese SGMW, but there are no studies on their quality of life (QOL), no studies comparing the QOL of SGMW with that of cisgender heterosexual women (CHW), and no studies on the relationship between sexual identity and the QOL as well as associated mental health variables. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the QOL and mental health in a diverse sample of Chinese women and make comparisons between SGMW and CHW and then investigate the relationship between sexual identity and the QOL through the role of mental health. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from July to September 2021. All participants completed a structured questionnaire containing the World Health Organization Quality of Life-abbreviated short version (WHOQOL-BREF), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). RESULTS In total, 509 women aged 18-56 years were recruited, including 250 (49.1%) CHW and 259 (50.9%) SGMW. Independent t tests showed that the SGMW reported significantly lower levels of QOL, higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, and lower self-esteem than the CHW. Pearson correlations showed that every domain and the overall QOL were positively associated with mental health variables, with moderate-to-strong correlations (r range 0.42-0.75, P<.001). Multiple linear regressions found that participants belonging to the SGMW group, current smokers, and women with no steady partner were associated with a worse overall QOL. The mediation analysis found that depression, anxiety, and self-esteem significantly completely mediated the relationship between sexual identity and physical, social, and environment domains of the QOL, while the relationship between sexual identity and the overall QOL and psychological QOL was partially mediated by depression and self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS The SGMW had poorer levels of QOL and a worse mental health status than the CHW. The study findings affirm the importance of assessing mental health and highlight the need to design targeted health improvement programs for the SGMW population, who may be at higher risk of a poor QOL and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanchan Wu
- School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
| | - Pui Hing Chau
- School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
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6
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Bürger Z, Müller VI, Hoffstaedter F, Habel U, Gur RC, Windischberger C, Moser E, Derntl B, Kogler L. Stressor-Specific Sex Differences in Amygdala-Frontal Cortex Networks. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12030865. [PMID: 36769521 PMCID: PMC9918214 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12030865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Females and males differ in stress reactivity, coping, and the prevalence rates of stress-related disorders. According to a neurocognitive framework of stress coping, the functional connectivity between the amygdala and frontal regions (including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC), and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)) plays a key role in how people deal with stress. In the current study, we investigated the effects of sex and stressor type in a within-subject counterbalanced design on the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the amygdala and these frontal regions in 77 healthy participants (40 females). Both stressor types led to changes in subjective ratings, with decreasing positive affect and increasing negative affect and anger. Females showed higher amygdala-vACC and amygdala-mPFC rsFC for social exclusion than for achievement stress, and compared to males. Whereas a higher amygdala-vACC rsFC indicates the activation of emotion processing and coping, a higher amygdala-mPFC rsFC indicates feelings of reward and social gain, highlighting the positive effects of social affiliation. Thus, for females, feeling socially affiliated might be more fundamental than for males. Our data indicate interactions of sex and stressor in amygdala-frontal coupling, which translationally contributes to a better understanding of the sex differences in prevalence rates and stress coping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoé Bürger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Correspondence: (Z.B.); (L.K.); Tel.: +49-(0)-707129-85736 (Z.B.)
| | - Veronika I. Müller
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-7, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-7, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- JARA BRAIN Institute I, Translational Brain Medicine, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christian Windischberger
- High-Field MR Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Centre for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ewald Moser
- High-Field MR Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Centre for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lydia Kogler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Centre for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Correspondence: (Z.B.); (L.K.); Tel.: +49-(0)-707129-85736 (Z.B.)
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7
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Kuhn L, Noack H, Wagels L, Prothmann A, Schulik A, Aydin E, Nieratschker V, Derntl B, Habel U. Sex-dependent multimodal response profiles to psychosocial stress. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:583-596. [PMID: 35238348 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac086] [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: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex differences in stress reactions are often reported in the literature. However, the sex-dependent interplay of different facets of stress is still not fully understood. Particularly in neuroimaging research, studies on large samples combining different indicators of stress remain scarce. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, a sample of 140 healthy participants (67 females using oral contraceptives) underwent a standardized stress induction protocol, the ScanSTRESS. During the experiment, salivary cortisol and subjective ratings were obtained at multiple time points and heart rate was recorded. RESULTS Sex differences emerged in different facets of the stress response:Women reacted with enhanced subjective feelings of stress and increases in heart rate, while men showed more pronounced neural activation in stress-related brain regions such as the inferior frontal gyrus and insula. Subjective feelings of stress and (para) hippocampal activity were negatively related in women,whereas a slightly positive association was observed in men. DISCUSSION These results provide further insight in the sex-specific stress response patterns. Moreover, they emphasize the role of the hippocampus in the regulation of the stress response. This paves the way for the identification of sex-dependent vulnerability factors that can, in the future, be implemented in the prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandra Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Hannes Noack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Wagels
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straβe, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Anna Prothmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Anna Schulik
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ece Aydin
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical (Bio-)Analysis, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, (Haus B), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Nieratschker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraβe 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.,Lead Research Network, University of Tübingen, Europastraβe 6, 72072 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straβe, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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8
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Serafin L, Strząska-Kliś Z, Kolbe G, Brzozowska P, Szwed I, Ostrowska A, Czarkowska-Pączek B. The relationship between perceived competence and self-esteem among novice nurses - a cross-sectional study. Ann Med 2022; 54:484-494. [PMID: 35132927 PMCID: PMC8843132 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2032820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novice nurses' responsibilities are greater than what their actual level of competence can cope with. This can cause increased levels of stress, which many studies have shown is a factor resulting in reduced self-esteem, which affects not only the well-being of nurses but also the quality of care provided. AIMS To investigate the relationship between the self-assessment of nursing competencies and self-esteem among novice nurses and the moderation role of the sociodemographic variables and intention to leave the nursing profession on this relationship. MATERIAL AND METHODS A correlational cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire. The study was conducted between July and October 2019 among 122 novice nurses. The study tool consisted of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Nurse Professional Competence Scale-Short Version, and metrics. Calculations were performed using SPSS Statistics, version 25. To approach research questions hierarchical multiple regression was performed. RESULTS The self-esteem level of novice nurses have been identified as low. Novice nurses who declared their willingness to leave their profession had a higher level of self-esteem than nurses who did not declare this willingness. The highest-rated competencies were in the fields of nursing care and value-based nursing care, while the lowest were in the areas of development, leadership, and the organisation of nursing care. Correlations between postgraduate education and competencies in the majority subscales were revealed. The results showed a negative correlation between self-esteem and all subscales of the competence scale. Seniority and postgraduate education were important moderators in the relationship between some competence subscales and self-esteem. CONCLUSION Novice nurses present a low level of self-esteem. Nurses with a higher competence level showed lower self-esteem. Developing competencies at the beginning of one's nursing practice, which is crucial for patients' outcomes, should be accompanied by the strengthening of novice nurses' self-esteem.KEY MESSAGESNovice nurses with a higher level of self-esteem more often declared their willingness to leave their profession.The results showed a negative correlation between self-esteem and all subscales of the competence scale.Seniority and postgraduate education are important moderators in the relationship between some competence subscales and self-esteem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Serafin
- Department of Clinical Nursing, Health Science Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Strząska-Kliś
- Department of Clinical Nursing, Health Science Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Doctoral School Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Department of Geriatric Nurse, Health Science Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw
| | - Gilbert Kolbe
- Department of Clinical Nursing, Health Science Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paulina Brzozowska
- Department of Clinical Nursing, Health Science Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Szwed
- Department of Clinical Nursing, Health Science Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Ostrowska
- Department of Clinical Nursing, Health Science Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bożena Czarkowska-Pączek
- Department of Clinical Nursing, Health Science Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Brummelman E, Nikolić M, Nevicka B, Bögels SM. Early physiological indicators of narcissism and self-esteem in children. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14082. [PMID: 35503928 PMCID: PMC9542209 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14082] [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: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A common belief is that narcissism is a manifestation of high self‐esteem. Here, we argue that self‐esteem and narcissism are fundamentally distinct and have unique early physiological indicators. We hypothesized that children predisposed to narcissism would show elevated, whereas children predisposed to high self‐esteem would show lowered, physiological arousal in social‐evaluative contexts. We tested this in a prospective study including 113 children, who were first assessed at age 4.5, a critical age when children begin evaluating themselves through others' eyes. At age 4.5, children sang a song in front of an audience while being videotaped. Children's physiological arousal (skin conductance, heart rate, and heart rate variability) was assessed while children anticipated, performed, and recovered from the singing task. At age 7.5, children's narcissism and self‐esteem levels were assessed. Consistent with our predictions, children predisposed to higher narcissism levels showed elevated skin conductance levels during anticipation. Their skin conductance levels further rose during performance (but less so than for other children) and failed to return to baseline during recovery. By contrast, children predisposed to higher self‐esteem levels showed lowered skin conductance levels throughout the procedure. The effects emerged for skin conductance but not heart rate or heart rate variability, suggesting that arousal was sympathetically driven. Effects were larger and more robust for self‐esteem than for narcissism. Together, these findings uncover distinct physiological indicators of narcissism and self‐esteem: Narcissism is predicted by indicators reflecting early social‐evaluative concerns, whereas self‐esteem is predicted by indicators reflecting an early sense of comfort in social‐evaluative contexts. Some experts fear that self‐esteem can develop into narcissism. Challenging this view, we show that self‐esteem and narcissism (at age 7.5) have distinct early physiological indicators (at age 4.5). In our prospective study, narcissism was predicted by elevated, whereas self‐esteem was predicted by lowered, physiological arousal in a social‐evaluative context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddie Brummelman
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Milica Nikolić
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara Nevicka
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Susan M Bögels
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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10
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Dong D, Belleau EL, Ironside M, Zhong X, Sun X, Xiong G, Cheng C, Li C, Wang X, Yao S, Pizzagalli DA. Distinct stress-related medial prefrontal cortex activation in women with depression with and without childhood maltreatment. Depress Anxiety 2022; 39:296-306. [PMID: 35072959 PMCID: PMC9063172 DOI: 10.1002/da.23243] [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: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence has highlighted the moderating effect of childhood maltreatment (CM) in shaping neurobiological abnormalities in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, whether neural mechanisms underlying stress sensitivity in MDD are affected by the history of CM is unclear. METHODS Two hundred and thirteen medication-free female participants were recruited for a functional magnetic resonance imaging study assessing the effects of psychosocial stress on neural responses. The Montreal Imaging Stress Task was administrated to 44 female MDD patients with CM (MDD/CM), 32 female MDD patients without CM (MDD/noCM), 43 female healthy controls (HCs) with CM (HC/CM), and 94 female HCs without CM (HC/noCM). A CM (CM, noCM) × diagnosis (MDD, HC) whole-brain voxel-wise analysis was run to assess putative group differences in neural stress responses. RESULTS A significant CM × Diagnosis interaction emerged in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Bonferroni-corrected simple effects analysis clarified that (1) the MDD/CM group had less mPFC deactivation than the HC/CM group, (2) the MDD/noCM group exhibited greater mPFC deactivation than the HC/noCM group, and (3) the MDD/CM group exhibited less mPFC deactivation relative to the MDD/noCM group. In addition, the mPFC-seed psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed that individuals in the CM groups had significantly greater stress-related mPFC-left superior frontal gyrus and mPFC-right posterior cerebellum connectivity relative to the noCM groups. CONCLUSIONS Findings highlight distinct neural abnormalities in MDD depending on prior CM history, particularly potentiated stress-related mPFC recruitment among MDD individuals reporting CM. Moreover, CM history was generally associated with the disruption in functional connectivity centered on the mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Emily L. Belleau
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Ironside
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Xue Zhong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Ge Xiong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Chang Cheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Chuting Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China,Co-corresponding author: Diego A. Pizzagalli, Ph.D. Shuqiao Yao, M.D., Ph.D., McLean Hospital Medical Psychological Institute of Central, 115 Mill St South University, Belmont, MA 02478 139 Middle Renmin Road, Office phone: +1-617-855-4230 Changsha, Hunan 410011, Office phone: 86 731 85292126,
| | - Diego A. Pizzagalli
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Co-corresponding author: Diego A. Pizzagalli, Ph.D. Shuqiao Yao, M.D., Ph.D., McLean Hospital Medical Psychological Institute of Central, 115 Mill St South University, Belmont, MA 02478 139 Middle Renmin Road, Office phone: +1-617-855-4230 Changsha, Hunan 410011, Office phone: 86 731 85292126,
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11
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The interplay between self-esteem, expectancy, cognitive control, rumination, and the experience of stress: A network analysis. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-02840-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Sex-specific neural responses to acute psychosocial stress in depression. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:2. [PMID: 35013110 PMCID: PMC8748634 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01768-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is characterized by increased stress sensitivity. Emerging findings in healthy adults suggest that stress responses within limbic/striatal-prefrontal regions are moderated by sex and unfold over time. Thus, we hypothesized that stress response abnormalities in MDD might be affected by sex and stress exposure time. The Montreal Imaging Stress Task was administered to 124 unmedicated patients with first-episode MDD (76 females) and 243 healthy controls (HC; 137 females) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Based on prior studies, amygdala, hippocampus, medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) were selected as a priori regions of interest. In a complementary approach, we probed the effects of stress on the frontoparietal network (FPN) and a network including the amygdala, NAc and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Across groups, males exhibited higher dlPFC activity and right FPN amplitude than females. Relative to female HCs, the female MDD group had less deactivation in limbic/striatal regions (amygdala, NAc, hippocampus, Amygdala-NAc-ACC network). Furthermore, unlike female HCs, the female MDD group failed to show a significant increase of deactivation over stress exposure time in the amygdala, mOFC and NAc. Our findings confirm the importance of considering sex differences when investigating neural stress responses. Case-control differences in neural stress responses observed in females (but not males) provide insights into sex differences in the etiology and pathophysiology of depression. The failure to deactivate limbic/NAc regions in depressed females point to dysfunction of adaptive stress responses over stress exposure time.
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Tuovinen N, Yalcin-Siedentopf N, Welte AS, Siedentopf CM, Steiger R, Gizewski ER, Hofer A. Neurometabolite correlates with personality and stress in healthy emerging adults: A focus on sex differences. Neuroimage 2021; 247:118847. [PMID: 34954024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Personality traits have been linked with both brain structure and function. However, the exact relationship between personality traits and other behavioural measures with neurometabolites, measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, is not clear. Here we investigated the association between behavioural measures (i.e., personality traits, resilience, perceived stress, self-esteem, hopelessness, psychological distress) and metabolite ratios (i.e., of choline-containing compounds [Cho], creatine and phosphocreatine [Cr], and N-acetyl-aspartate [NAA]) in the posterior cingulate cortex (pCC) and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and surrounding white matter (WM) regions in healthy emerging adults (N = 57, 26 women, mean age=23.40 years, SD=2.50). The pCC and the dACC were selected for their known involvement as important brain network hubs and their association to five factor personality dimensions and other psychological measures. Spectral analysis as well as statistics for demographic, clinical, and imaging data were performed. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to test the relationship between metabolite ratios and behavioural scores in the entire sample as well as in female and male participants separately. The entire sample showed significant (p<0.05) negative correlates of stress with the NAA/Cr ratio in the pCC, and of extraversion with WM metabolite ratios. In regards of sex differences, a significantly higher NAA/Cho ratio in the pCC (p<0.05), the dACC (p<0.01), and in the left and right posterior WM matter (p<0.05), and a lower Cho/Cr ratio in the dACC (p<0.01) was detected in women. Moreover, the two sexes differed in regards of metabolite correlates of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, stress, hopelessness, and self-esteem, and in multiple regression model predictions. Our results point to a role of the ACC in conscientiousness through its involvement in higher-order cognitive control as part of the salience network and internally directed thoughts as part of the default mode network (DMN). Furthermore, the two sexes differ in terms of metabolite correlates of openness and conscientiousness in the pCC, suggesting mental process involvement through the DMN, and of agreeableness in the dACC, possibly through involvement in social cognitive processes, particularly in women. Additionally, our results suggest that the ACC is linked to the so-called Alpha-factor of personality. Our findings on stress correlates contribute to the existing literature of the involvement of the ACC as part of the limbic system. In addition, our results suggest a possible role of the pCC in stress-regulatory processes through a possible co-involvement of stress, hopelessness, and self-esteem in the pCC in men, where higher self-esteem may help to cope with stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noora Tuovinen
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Division of Psychiatry I, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Nursen Yalcin-Siedentopf
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Division of Psychiatry I, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Anna-Sophia Welte
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Division of Psychiatry I, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Christian M Siedentopf
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Neuroradiology, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Ruth Steiger
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Neuroradiology, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria; Medical University of Innsbruck, Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Elke R Gizewski
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Neuroradiology, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria; Medical University of Innsbruck, Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Alex Hofer
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Division of Psychiatry I, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
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14
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Postma MR, van Amelsvoort T, Myin-Germeys I, Gayer-Anderson C, Kempton MJ, Valmaggia L, McGuire P, Murray RM, Garety P, Wykes T, Morgan C, Reininghaus U. Across the continuum: Associations between (fluctuations in) momentary self-esteem and psychotic experiences. Schizophr Res 2021; 238:188-198. [PMID: 34785480 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Low self-esteem has been suggested as a putative mechanism in the development and maintenance of psychosis. Uncertainty still exists about how unstable self-esteem relates to psychotic experiences. The present study examines the potential (temporal) associations between momentary self-esteem, fluctuations in self-esteem, and psychotic experiences in daily life. METHODS Experience sampling data were collected from 46 individuals presenting with an at-risk mental state (ARMS), 51 individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP), and 53 controls, to investigate associations between (fluctuations in) self-esteem and psychotic experiences within and across FEP, ARMS, and controls, using linear mixed models. RESULTS In all three groups we found that lower momentary self-esteem was associated with a greater intensity of psychotic experiences (adj. βFEP = -0.15, 95% CI -0.20 to -0.10, p = 0.000; adj. βARMS = -0.20, 95% CI -0.26 to -0.15, p = 0.000; adj. βcontrols = -0.12, 95% CI -0.17 to -0.07, p = 0.000). Variability in momentary self-esteem was associated with a greater intensity of psychotic experiences only in ARMS (adj. βARMS = 0.08, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.11, p = 0.000) and controls (adj. βcontrols = 0.04, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.08, p = 0.023). For instability this association held only in controls (adj. βcontrols = 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.05, p = 0.020). Furthermore, findings may suggest a reciprocal temporal association between self-esteem and psychotic experiences. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that self-esteem may be an important mechanism targetable by ecological momentary interventions to reduce the intensity of psychotic experiences and potentially prevent illness progression at an early stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Rose Postma
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Department of Public Mental Health, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Therese van Amelsvoort
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Inez Myin-Germeys
- Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Gayer-Anderson
- ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health, King's College London, UK; Social Epidemiology Research Group, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew J Kempton
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lucia Valmaggia
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Robin M Murray
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Philippa Garety
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Til Wykes
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Craig Morgan
- ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health, King's College London, UK; Social Epidemiology Research Group, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ulrich Reininghaus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Department of Public Mental Health, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany; ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health, King's College London, UK; Social Epidemiology Research Group, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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15
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De Calheiros Velozo J, Vaessen T, Pruessner J, Van Diest I, Claes S, Myin-Germeys I. The repeated Montreal Imaging Stress Test (rMIST): Testing habituation, sensitization, and anticipation effects to repeated stress induction. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 128:105217. [PMID: 33882371 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A psychosocial task that can induce comparable levels of stress repeatedly is fundamental to effectively study changes in stress reactivity over time or as a result of an intervention. However, existing tasks have struggled to provide consistent stress responses across repeated trials. AIM The goal was to assess the efficacy of two different designs of the repeated Montreal Imaging Stress Test (rMIST) in reproducing the same pattern of reactivity over two separate sessions. METHODS In two different studies, stress was induced using the rMIST on two separate sessions, one week apart. Each study used a different task design. In the first study (53 participants [45 women]; mean age=24.16 [SD=3.29]), the rMIST consisted of a single-longer stress exposure, while the second study (30 participants [27 women]; mean age=21.81 [SD=2.09]) consisted of several shorter stress exposures per session. Self-reported (i.e perceived stress [PS] and negative affect [NA]), physiological (i.e heart rate [HR], root mean square of successive differences [RMSSD]) and hormonal (i.e. salivary cortisol) measures of stress were used. RESULTS Stress reactivity was comparable across the two repeated stress sessions in both studies. However, baseline HR in the second session increased relative to the first session in the first study, and there was no cortisol response. Additionally, there was a decrease in HR and HRV reactivity within the session on the second study, suggesting a habituation effect not between but within the session itself. CONCLUSION The rMIST overcomes some of the challenges associated with repeated stress induction. However, an anticipation effect and a lack of cortisol response indicate that further adjustments to the task are necessary. Finally, task design is important for repeated stress reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana De Calheiros Velozo
- Department of Neurosciences, Research group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Thomas Vaessen
- Department of Neurosciences, Research group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, Research group Psychiatry, Mind Body Research, KU Leuven, UZ Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jens Pruessner
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging & Douglas Institute, McGill University, 6825 Boulevard LaSalle, Verdun, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Ilse Van Diest
- Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Health Psychology Research group, KU Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephan Claes
- Department of Neurosciences, Research group Psychiatry, Mind Body Research, KU Leuven, UZ Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Inez Myin-Germeys
- Department of Neurosciences, Research group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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16
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Henze GI, Konzok J, Kreuzpointner L, Bärtl C, Giglberger M, Peter H, Streit F, Kudielka BM, Kirsch P, Wüst S. Sex-Specific Interaction Between Cortisol and Striato-Limbic Responses to Psychosocial Stress. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:972-984. [PMID: 33961049 PMCID: PMC8421693 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although women and men differ in psychological and endocrine stress responses as well as in the prevalence rates of stress-related disorders, knowledge on sex differences regarding stress regulation in the brain is scarce. Therefore, we performed an in-depth analysis of data from 67 healthy participants (31 women, taking oral contraceptives), who were exposed to the ScanSTRESS paradigm in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Changes in cortisol, affect, heart rate and neural activation in response to psychosocial stress were examined in women and men as well as potential sex-specific interactions between stress response domains. Stress exposure led to significant cortisol increases, with men exhibiting higher levels than women. Depending on sex, cortisol elevations were differently associated with stress-related responses in striato-limbic structures: higher increases were associated with activations in men but with deactivations in women. Regarding affect or heart rate responses, no sex differences emerged. Although women and men differ in their overall stress reactivity, our findings do not support the idea of distinct neural networks as the base of this difference. Instead, we found differential stress reactions for women and men in identical structures. We propose considering quantitative predictors such as sex-specific cortisol increases when exploring neural response differences of women and men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julian Konzok
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Bärtl
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Marina Giglberger
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Peter
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Peter Kirsch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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17
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Cosma GA, Chiracu A, Stepan AR, Cosma MA, Nanu MC, Voinea F, Bibi KW, Păunescu C, Haddad M. COVID-19 Pandemic and Quality of Life among Romanian Athletes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18084065. [PMID: 33921546 PMCID: PMC8069478 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18084065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze athletes' quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 249 athletes between 15 and 35 of age, M = 21.22, SD = 5.12. The sample was composed of eight Olympic Games medalists, three European medalists, 67 international medalists, and 63 national medalists. The instruments used were: (1) COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, (2) Athlete Quality of Life Scale, (3) Impact of Pandemic on Athletes Questionnaire, and (4) International Personality Item Pool (IPIP Anxiety, Depression, and Vulnerability Scales). The results indicate significant differences in COVID-19 anxiety depending on the sport practiced, F (9239) = 3.81, p < 0.01, showing that there were significant differences between sports. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic mediates the relationship between trait anxiety and the athletes' quality of life. The percentage of mediation was 33.9%, and the indirect effect was -0.11, CI 95% (-0.18, -0.03), Z = -2.82, p < 0.01. Trait anxiety has an increasing effect on the intensity of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 0.23, CI 95% (.10, 0.35), Z = 3.56, p < 0.01, and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has a decreasing effect on quality of life, -0.47, CI 95% (-0.67, -0.27), Z = -4.62, p < 0.01. Gender and age did not moderate the relationship between the negative impact of COVID-19 and athletes' quality of life. The results of the study highlighted the impact that social isolation and quarantine have on athletes' affective well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germina-Alina Cosma
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Craiova, 200585 Craiova, Romania; (G.-A.C.); (A.R.S.); (M.A.C.); (M.C.N.)
| | - Alina Chiracu
- Faculty of Psychology and Science Education, University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Amalia Raluca Stepan
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Craiova, 200585 Craiova, Romania; (G.-A.C.); (A.R.S.); (M.A.C.); (M.C.N.)
| | - Marian Alexandru Cosma
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Craiova, 200585 Craiova, Romania; (G.-A.C.); (A.R.S.); (M.A.C.); (M.C.N.)
| | - Marian Costin Nanu
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Craiova, 200585 Craiova, Romania; (G.-A.C.); (A.R.S.); (M.A.C.); (M.C.N.)
| | - Florin Voinea
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University Ovidius of Constanța, 900470 Constanța, Romania;
| | - Khalid Walid Bibi
- Physical Education Department, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar;
| | - Cătălin Păunescu
- Physical Education Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Monoem Haddad
- Physical Education Department, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +974-3045-3309
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Fiorilli G, Grazioli E, Buonsenso A, Di Martino G, Despina T, Calcagno G, di Cagno A. A national COVID-19 quarantine survey and its impact on the Italian sports community: Implications and recommendations. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248345. [PMID: 33720968 PMCID: PMC7959356 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) created an international public health emergency, challenging the psychological resilience of the general population. Regarding this matter, a web-based survey was performed. Data were collected from the following 1,668 self-selected volunteers: 800 athletes (28.30 ± 10.93 years old); 558 coaches (36.91 ± 11.93 years old); and 310 sports managers (42.07 ± 13.38 years old). To assess the level of psychological stress, an Impact of the Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) questionnaire was used. The results indicated that 34.4% of the participants who were interviewed were affected by subjective distress while 26.4% rated their psychological impact from the sports activity interruption as severe. Separated one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests showed significant differences in the IES-R total score (TS), indicating that the level of stress in terms of gender revealed that women were more stressed than men (p = 0.000), for "sports roles" in which the manager and coaches were more stressed than the athletes (p < 0.05), and "type of sport" in which fitness and individual athletes were more stressed than team athletes (p < 0.01). The middle-level athletes showed significantly more hyperarousal levels than high-level athletes (p = 0.012). The results of this survey may raise awareness of this problem and help athletic associations to have appropriate guidelines in order to better sustain their memberships and organize an optimal resumption of their sports activities. Along these lines, social interactions, which are typical of team sports, are crucial to warrant resilience and psychological health. The athletes by managing independently the new rules and measures, thanks to a clear communication, could improve their adaptive stress reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Fiorilli
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Elisa Grazioli
- Department of Motor, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Buonsenso
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Giulia Di Martino
- Department of Motor, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Rome, Italy
| | - Tsopani Despina
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Giuseppe Calcagno
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Alessandra di Cagno
- Department of Motor, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Rome, Italy
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Mouatsou C, Koutra K. Emotion regulation in relation with resilience in emerging adults: The mediating role of self-esteem. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01427-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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20
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Berretz G, Packheiser J, Kumsta R, Wolf OT, Ocklenburg S. The brain under stress-A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of changes in BOLD signal associated with acute stress exposure. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 124:89-99. [PMID: 33497786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress is an omnipresent phenomenon whose neural correlates in humans are still poorly understood. Several paradigms have been developed to induce acute stress in fMRI settings, but it is unclear whether there is a global brain activation pattern related to psychosocial stress. To integrate the different neuronal activation patterns, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation analysis on 31 studies totaling 1279 participants. Studies used the ScanSTRESS, Montreal Imaging Stress Test, aversive viewing paradigm (AVP), Social-Evaluative Threat or Cyberball. The analysis revealed bilateral activation clusters comprising the claustrum, insula and inferior frontal gyrus. This indicates that exposure to psychosocial stress leads to activations in brain areas involved in affective processing and the endocrine stress response. Furthermore, in a systematic review, Cyberball and AVP presented themselves as outliers due to increased activation in motor areas and lack of induction of stress related activity changes, respectively. As different paradigms emphasize different dimensions of psychosocial stress such as social evaluation or performance pressure, future research is needed to identify differences between the paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesa Berretz
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Julian Packheiser
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Robert Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Institute of Health and Development, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Yan S, Xu R, Stratton TD, Kavcic V, Luo D, Hou F, Bi F, Jiao R, Song K, Jiang Y. Sex differences and psychological stress: responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in China. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:79. [PMID: 33413224 DOI: 10.1101/2020.04.29.20084061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND About 83,000 COVID-19 patients were confirmed in China up to May 2020. Amid the well-documented threats to physical health, the effects of this public health crisis - and the varied efforts to contain its spread - have altered individuals' "normal" daily functioning. These impacts on social, psychological, and emotional well-being remain relatively unexplored - in particular, the ways in which Chinese men and women experience and respond to potential behavioral stressors. Our study investigated sex differences in psychological stress, emotional reactions, and behavioral responses to COVID-19 and related threats among Chinese residents. METHODS In late February (2020), an anonymous online questionnaire was disseminated via WeChat, a popular social media platform in China. The cross-sectional study utilized a non-probabilistic "snowball" or convenience sampling of residents from various provinces and regions of China. Basic demographic characteristics (e.g., age and gender) - along with residential living arrangements and conditions - were measured along with psychological stress and emotional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS Three thousand eighty-eight questionnaires were returned: 1749 females (56.6%) and 1339 males (43.4%). The mean stress level,as measured by a visual analog scale, was 3.4 (SD = 2.4) - but differed significantly by sex. Besides sex, factors positively associated with stress included: age (< 45 years), employment (unsteady income, unemployed), risk of infection (exposureto COVID-19, completed medical observation), difficulties encountered (diseases, work/study, financial, mental), and related behaviors (higher desire for COVID-19 knowledge, more time concerning on the COVID-19 outbreak). "Protective" factors included frequent contact with colleagues, calmness of mood comparing with the pre-pandemic, and psychological resilience. Males and females also differed significantly in adapting to current living/working, conditions, responding to run a fever, and needing psychological support services. CONCLUSIONS The self-reported stress of Chinese residents related to the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly related to sex, age, employment, resilience and coping styles. Future responses to such public health threats may wish to provide sex- and/or age-appropriate supports for psychological health and emotional well-being to those at greatest risk of experiencing stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyan Yan
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Rui Xu
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Terry D Stratton
- Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Voyko Kavcic
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Dan Luo
- School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Fengsu Hou
- Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Guangzhou, 518020, China
| | - Fengying Bi
- School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Rong Jiao
- The First Clinical College, Hainan Meidical University, Haikou, 570100, China
| | - Kangxing Song
- The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.
| | - Yang Jiang
- Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
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22
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Yan S, Xu R, Stratton TD, Kavcic V, Luo D, Hou F, Bi F, Jiao R, Song K, Jiang Y. Sex differences and psychological stress: responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in China. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:79. [PMID: 33413224 PMCID: PMC7789895 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-10085-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND About 83,000 COVID-19 patients were confirmed in China up to May 2020. Amid the well-documented threats to physical health, the effects of this public health crisis - and the varied efforts to contain its spread - have altered individuals' "normal" daily functioning. These impacts on social, psychological, and emotional well-being remain relatively unexplored - in particular, the ways in which Chinese men and women experience and respond to potential behavioral stressors. Our study investigated sex differences in psychological stress, emotional reactions, and behavioral responses to COVID-19 and related threats among Chinese residents. METHODS In late February (2020), an anonymous online questionnaire was disseminated via WeChat, a popular social media platform in China. The cross-sectional study utilized a non-probabilistic "snowball" or convenience sampling of residents from various provinces and regions of China. Basic demographic characteristics (e.g., age and gender) - along with residential living arrangements and conditions - were measured along with psychological stress and emotional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS Three thousand eighty-eight questionnaires were returned: 1749 females (56.6%) and 1339 males (43.4%). The mean stress level,as measured by a visual analog scale, was 3.4 (SD = 2.4) - but differed significantly by sex. Besides sex, factors positively associated with stress included: age (< 45 years), employment (unsteady income, unemployed), risk of infection (exposureto COVID-19, completed medical observation), difficulties encountered (diseases, work/study, financial, mental), and related behaviors (higher desire for COVID-19 knowledge, more time concerning on the COVID-19 outbreak). "Protective" factors included frequent contact with colleagues, calmness of mood comparing with the pre-pandemic, and psychological resilience. Males and females also differed significantly in adapting to current living/working, conditions, responding to run a fever, and needing psychological support services. CONCLUSIONS The self-reported stress of Chinese residents related to the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly related to sex, age, employment, resilience and coping styles. Future responses to such public health threats may wish to provide sex- and/or age-appropriate supports for psychological health and emotional well-being to those at greatest risk of experiencing stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyan Yan
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Rui Xu
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Terry D Stratton
- Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Voyko Kavcic
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Dan Luo
- School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Fengsu Hou
- Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Guangzhou, 518020, China
| | - Fengying Bi
- School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Rong Jiao
- The First Clinical College, Hainan Meidical University, Haikou, 570100, China
| | - Kangxing Song
- The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.
| | - Yang Jiang
- Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
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23
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Kong L, Gao Z, Xu N, Shao S, Ma H, He Q, Zhang D, Xu H, Qu H. The relation between self-stigma and loneliness in visually impaired college students: Self-acceptance as mediator. Disabil Health J 2020; 14:101054. [PMID: 33358607 DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.101054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loneliness, a negative emotion that is common in college students, may cause psychological disorders and behavioral issues. Particularly vulnerable are visually impaired college students, who are at an increased risk of loneliness. OBJECTIVES This study was aimed at explaining the current situation of loneliness among visually impaired college students as well as its influencing factors and exploring the intermediary role of self-acceptance between self-stigma and loneliness. METHOD Seventy-eight college students with visual impairment completed a series of self-report questionnaires, including the Self-Stigma of Disabled Scale (SSDS), the Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ), and the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Mediation analyses were conducted using PROCESS in SPSS. RESULTS Participants' mean loneliness score was 44.97 ± 9.35. Two survey factors were significantly associated with loneliness: visual impairment status and relationship with parents (p < 0.05). When controlling for extent of visual damage and relationship with parents, self-stigma showed a significant predictive effect on loneliness (B = 0.37, t = 4.1023, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS In China, visually impaired students suffer from a high level of loneliness, and self-acceptance plays a central role in connecting their self-stigma and loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Kong
- Department of Psychology, Medical Humanities Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Zheng Gao
- Department of Psychology, Medical Humanities Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Na Xu
- Department of Psychology, Medical Humanities Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Shuhong Shao
- Department of Psychology, Medical Humanities Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Huiying Ma
- School of Special Education, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Qingxia He
- School of Special Education, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Dehai Zhang
- Human Resources Department, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Honghong Xu
- Medical Psychology Department, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
| | - Haiying Qu
- Department of Psychology, Medical Humanities Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
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24
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Nasso S, Vanderhasselt MA, De Raedt R. Testing the neurocognitive framework for regulation expectation: The relationship between actual/ideal self-esteem and proactive/reactive autonomic stress regulation. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2020; 69:101598. [PMID: 32819538 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2020.101598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES According to the Neurocognitive Framework for Regulation Expectation (NFRE), actual and ideal self-esteem are related to how individuals anticipate and respond to a stressful event. Based on this framework, we investigated whether in individuals with low ideal self-esteem (moderator), a positive relationship between actual self-esteem and reactive autonomic regulation would be mediated by the amount of anticipatory autonomic regulation. METHODS Forty-five healthy females prepared a speech (i.e., anticipation) and performed it in front of a camera (i.e., stressor). Actual and ideal self-esteem were measured with the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure. Anticipatory and reactive autonomic stress regulation were indexed by heart rate variability, and affective responses were assessed via self-report. RESULTS Results were in line with predictions based on the NFRE: when ideal self-esteem was low, higher actual self-esteem was associated with higher reactive autonomic regulation, and this association was mediated by higher anticipatory autonomic regulation. LIMITATIONS Because only female undergraduates were recruited, replication within a more heterogeneous sample is necessary to further generalize these findings. CONCLUSIONS These results support the hypothesis, based on the NFRE, that actual and ideal self-esteem interact in predicting the relationship between anticipatory and reactive stress regulation, and are a step forward in the understanding of the mechanisms underlying successful stress regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Nasso
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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25
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di Cagno A, Buonsenso A, Baralla F, Grazioli E, Di Martino G, Lecce E, Calcagno G, Fiorilli G. Psychological Impact of the Quarantine-Induced Stress during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak among Italian Athletes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17238867. [PMID: 33260584 PMCID: PMC7730741 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak caused home confinement, as well as training and sport competitions withdrawals. The prolonged inactivity impact, and lack of in-person interactions among teammates-coaches, could negatively affect athletes. Total of 1508 self-selected Italian athletes, 338 children (aged 10.52 ± 1.31), 499 adolescents (aged 14.17 ± 1.13), and 671 adults (aged 27.59 ± 10.73), completed the Impact of Event Scale (IES-8, IES-15, and IES-R, respectively). Differences by gender, type of sport (individual vs. team), and competitive level (elite vs. amateur) were examined. One-way ANOVAs showed, in adults, significant differences between genders for perceived stress impact total score (TS; p = 0.017) and avoidance behavior, with higher scores in women (p = 0.045). Between individual and team sport, significant differences were found in TS (p = 0.038) and hyperarousal (p = 0.030), with higher results in individual. Adult elite athletes showed significantly higher scores in hyperarousal (p = 0.020) than amateurs. Significant differences were found between gender in adolescents for avoidance (p = 0.011), and between competitive levels in children, for intrusion (p = 0.020). These evidences may raise awareness on distress effects of COVID-19 lockdown among athletes and suggested applying specific well-being protocols during the activity resumption, considering gender, type of sport, and competitive level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra di Cagno
- Department of Motor, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Lauro de Bosis Square, 15, 00197 Rome, Italy; (A.d.C.); (E.G.); (G.D.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Andrea Buonsenso
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, v. De Sanctis 1, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.B.); (F.B.); (G.F.)
| | - Francesca Baralla
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, v. De Sanctis 1, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.B.); (F.B.); (G.F.)
| | - Elisa Grazioli
- Department of Motor, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Lauro de Bosis Square, 15, 00197 Rome, Italy; (A.d.C.); (E.G.); (G.D.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Giulia Di Martino
- Department of Motor, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Lauro de Bosis Square, 15, 00197 Rome, Italy; (A.d.C.); (E.G.); (G.D.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Edoardo Lecce
- Department of Motor, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Lauro de Bosis Square, 15, 00197 Rome, Italy; (A.d.C.); (E.G.); (G.D.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Giuseppe Calcagno
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, v. De Sanctis 1, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.B.); (F.B.); (G.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-347-348-1347
| | - Giovanni Fiorilli
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, v. De Sanctis 1, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.B.); (F.B.); (G.F.)
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Associations between brain activity and endogenous and exogenous cortisol - A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 120:104775. [PMID: 32592873 PMCID: PMC7502528 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
To arrive at a coherent understanding of the relation between glucocorticoids and the human brain, we systematically reviewed the literature for studies examining the associations between endogenous or exogenous cortisol and human brain function. Higher levels of endogenous cortisol during psychological stress were related to increased activity in the middle temporal gyrus and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), decreased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and altered function (i.e., mixed findings, increased or decreased) in the amygdala, hippocampus and inferior frontal gyrus. Moreover, endogenous cortisol response to psychological stress was related to increased activity in the inferior temporal gyrus and altered function in the amygdala during emotional tasks that followed psychological stress. Exogenous cortisol administration was related to increased activity in the postcentral gyrus, superior frontal gyrus and ACC, and altered function in the amygdala and hippocampus during conditioning, emotional and reward-processing tasks after cortisol administration. These findings were in line with those from animal studies on amygdala activity during and after stress.
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27
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Amiri Bavandpour M, Livas C, Jonkman REG. Management of medical emergencies in orthodontic practice. Prog Orthod 2020; 21:25. [PMID: 32776156 PMCID: PMC7415467 DOI: 10.1186/s40510-020-00327-3] [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: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aims of this study were to survey the occurrence of acute medical situations in Dutch orthodontic practice and to examine the self-perceived competence of orthodontists in managing acute medical emergencies. Methods A self-designed questionnaire was distributed among all 149 Dutch orthodontists attending the spring meeting of the Dutch Society for Orthodontists. The questionnaire was divided into three parts, addressing background information of the orthodontist, precautions against and experiences in acute medical situations, and self-perceived competence of nine common medical emergencies. The statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and a multiple logistic regression analysis. Results The response rate was 74.5% (105 out of 149). The male to female ratio in this population was 55:50. Mean age of all participants was 46.9 years (SD 10.4 years) with on average 16.7 years of working experience (SD 10.6 years). The most common medical emergency reported by Dutch orthodontists was vasovagal collapse (n = 219), followed by acute allergic reaction (n = 163) and hyperventilation (n = 83). On average, 75% (n = 79) of the orthodontists felt competent to handle any acute medical situation with an average occurrence of 0.36 acute medical emergencies per orthodontist per year. Male participants were more likely to send patients towards the emergency department (p = 0.049). Moreover, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between self-perceived competence handling hypoglycemia and years of clinical experience. The longer orthodontists were clinically active, the less competent they felt when encountered with a hypoglycemia (p = 0.031). Conclusions Medical emergencies may be rare but challenging occurrences in the orthodontic practice. It is strongly recommended for all orthodontists and supporting staff to be trained regularly in the management of medical emergencies and to possess up-to-date evidence-based knowledge. Familiarity with and availability of appropriate drugs and equipment are deemed essential to the management of acute medical emergencies that may arise in the orthodontic practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Amiri Bavandpour
- Department of Orthodontics, Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - C Livas
- Department of Orthodontics, Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R E G Jonkman
- Department of Orthodontics, Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Ostberg JP, Graziotin D, Wagner S, Derntl B. A methodology for psycho-biological assessment of stress in software engineering. PeerJ Comput Sci 2020; 6:e286. [PMID: 33816937 PMCID: PMC7924460 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Stress pervades our everyday life to the point of being considered the scourge of the modern industrial world. The effects of stress on knowledge workers causes, in short term, performance fluctuations, decline of concentration, bad sensorimotor coordination, and an increased error rate, while long term exposure to stress leads to issues such as dissatisfaction, resignation, depression and general psychosomatic ailment and disease. Software developers are known to be stressed workers. Stress has been suggested to have detrimental effects on team morale and motivation, communication and cooperation-dependent work, software quality, maintainability, and requirements management. There is a need to effectively assess, monitor, and reduce stress for software developers. While there is substantial psycho-social and medical research on stress and its measurement, we notice that the transfer of these methods and practices to software engineering has not been fully made. For this reason, we engage in an interdisciplinary endeavor between researchers in software engineering and medical and social sciences towards a better understanding of stress effects while developing software. This article offers two main contributions. First, we provide an overview of supported theories of stress and the many ways to assess stress in individuals. Second, we propose a robust methodology to detect and measure stress in controlled experiments that is tailored to software engineering research. We also evaluate the methodology by implementing it on an experiment, which we first pilot and then replicate in its enhanced form, and report on the results with lessons learned. With this work, we hope to stimulate research on stress in software engineering and inspire future research that is backed up by supported theories and employs psychometrically validated measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Peter Ostberg
- Institute of Software Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Daniel Graziotin
- Institute of Software Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Stefan Wagner
- Institute of Software Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Kogler L, Müller VI, Werminghausen E, Eickhoff SB, Derntl B. Do I feel or do I know? Neuroimaging meta-analyses on the multiple facets of empathy. Cortex 2020; 129:341-355. [PMID: 32562973 PMCID: PMC7390692 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is a multidimensional construct including affective and cognitive components while maintaining the distinction between one-self and others. Our meta-analyses focused on shared and distinct networks underlying cognitive (taking somebody else's perspective in emotional/painful situations) and affective (self-referentially feeling somebody else's emotions/pain) empathy for various states including painful and emotional situations. Furthermore, a comparison with direct pain experience was carried out. For cognitive empathy, consistent activation in the anterior dorsal medial frontal gyrus (dmPFG) and the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) occurred. For affective empathy, convergent activation of the posterior dmPFG and the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was found. Consistent activation of the anterior insula (AI), the anterior dmPFG and the SMG was observed for empathy for pain, while convergent recruitment of the temporo-parietal junction, precuneus, posterior dmPFG, and the IFG was revealed in the meta-analysis across empathy for emotion experiments. The AI and the dmPFG/mid-cingulate cortex (MCC) showed overlapping as well as distinct neural activation for pain processing and empathy for pain. Taken together, we were able to show difference in the meta-analytic networks across cognitive and affective empathy as well as for pain and empathy processing. Based on the current results, distinct functions along the midline structures of the brain during empathy processing are apparent. Our data are lending further support for a multidimensional concept of empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kogler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Veronika I Müller
- Institute of Neuroscience und Medicine, INM-7, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Elena Werminghausen
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience und Medicine, INM-7, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Sun X, Li C, Zhong X, Dong D, Ming Q, Gao Y, Xiong G, Cheng C, Zhao H, Wang X, Yao S. Influence of psychosocial stress on activation in human brain regions: moderation by the 5-HTTLPR genetic locus. Physiol Behav 2020; 220:112876. [PMID: 32194071 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Variants of the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) of the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 have been related with the onset of depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. Homozygotes for the short 5-HTTLPR variant, referred to as the SS genotype, have greater cortisol responses to experimentally induced psychosocial stress. In the current study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare regional brain activations across 5-HTTLPR genotypes in subjects performing the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Subjects with an SS genotype had significant greater increases in cortisol concentrations after the task than subjects with at least one long 5-HTTLPR allele. Additionally, relative to L carriers, the SS group had greater activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex(dmPFC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Chuting Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Xue Zhong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sochoow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yidian Gao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Ge Xiong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Chang Cheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Haofei Zhao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders.
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Henze GI, Konzok J, Kreuzpointner L, Bärtl C, Peter H, Giglberger M, Streit F, Kudielka BM, Kirsch P, Wüst S. Increasing Deactivation of Limbic Structures Over Psychosocial Stress Exposure Time. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 5:697-704. [PMID: 32507729 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the interplay between central nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to stress in humans is assumed to be essential to contribute to the central question of stress research, namely how stress can increase disease risk. Therefore, the present study used a neuroimaging stress paradigm to investigate the interplay of 3 stress response domains. Furthermore, we asked if the brain's stress response changes over exposure time. METHODS In a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, changes in brain activation, cortisol levels, affect, and heart rate in response to an improved ScanSTRESS protocol were assessed in 67 young, healthy participants (31 females). RESULTS Stress exposure led to significant increases in cortisol levels, heart rate, and negative affect ratings as well as to activations and deactivations in (pre)limbic regions. When cortisol increase was used as a covariate, stronger responses in the hippocampus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and cingulate gyrus were observed. Responses within the same regions predicted negative affect ratings. Remarkably, an increasing deactivation over the two ScanSTRESS runs was found, again, in the same structures. A reanalysis of an independent sample confirmed this finding. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, reactions in a cluster of (pre)limbic structures was consistently found to be associated with changes in cortisol and negative affect. The same neural structures showed increasing deactivations over stress exposure time. We speculate that investigating possible associations between exposure-time effects in neural stress responses and stress-related interindividual differences (e.g., chronic stress) might be a promising new avenue in stress research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julian Konzok
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Bärtl
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Peter
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Marina Giglberger
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Peter Kirsch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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Effects of stress on functional connectivity during verbal processing. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 14:2708-2723. [PMID: 31833016 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00221-5] [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: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Effects of stress on functional connectivity (FC) in specific language processing regions of the brain during verbal fluency tasks were explored. Roles of gender and serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR), associated with stress susceptibility, were also examined to understand their effect. Forty-five healthy volunteers (Mean age: 19.6 ± 1.6 years; 28 females) participated. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was carried out while participants performed letter and category fluency tasks. These tasks were interposed with the Montreal Imaging Stress Test to induce stress or a no-stress control task. Buccal swabs collected were used to genotype for the presence of polymorphisms on the SLC6A4 gene known to contribute to atypical stress responses. Significant variations in strength of FC were noted between several ROIs, including left inferior frontal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus. Overall, males showed regional increases in FC strength over long and short distances during task under stress. Additionally, variability in effects of stress on task performance was associated with effects of stress on FC. Results suggest that long distance FC may be strengthened to compensate for additional cognitive load of the stressor but that specific short distance functional connections may be strengthened in a gender specific manner. Additionally, FC may serve as a marker for effects of stress on performance. This is the first study exploring stress effects on language tasks with imaging markers. Future studies will need to explore stress susceptible populations and establish the role of FC as a marker, with implications for targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Hillerer KM, Slattery DA, Pletzer B. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in stress-related disorders: Effects of neuroactive steroids on the hippocampus. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100796. [PMID: 31580837 PMCID: PMC7115954 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their vulnerability to a variety of stress-related illnesses, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not well understood. This is likely due to a comparative dearth of neurobiological studies that assess male and female rodents at the same time, while human neuroimaging studies often don't model sex as a variable of interest. These sex differences are often attributed to the actions of sex hormones, i.e. estrogens, progestogens and androgens. In this review, we summarize the results on sex hormone actions in the hippocampus and seek to bridge the gap between animal models and findings in humans. However, while effects of sex hormones on the hippocampus are largely consistent in animals and humans, methodological differences challenge the comparability of animal and human studies on stress effects. We summarise our current understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie sex-related differences in behavior and discuss implications for stress-related illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Salzburger Landeskrankenhaus (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Clinical Research Center Salzburg (CRCS), Salzburg, Austria.
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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Tops S, Habel U, Abel T, Derntl B, Radke S. The Verbal Interaction Social Threat Task: A New Paradigm Investigating the Effects of Social Rejection in Men and Women. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:830. [PMID: 31440131 PMCID: PMC6692967 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, digital communication and social media have taken an indispensable role in human society. Social interactions are no longer bound to real-life encounters, but more often happen from behind a screen. Mimicking an online communication platform, we developed a new, fMRI compatible, social threat paradigm to investigate sex differences in reactions to social rejection. During the Verbal Interaction Social Threat Task (VISTTA), participants initiate 30 short conversations by selecting one of four predefined opening sentences. Two computerized interlocutors respond to the opening sentence mostly with negative comments and rejections toward the participant, which should induce social-evaluative threat. Physiological and subjective responses were measured, before, during, and after the VISTTA in 61 (29 male and 32 female) first year students who received either mostly negative (n = 31; threat group) or neutral comments (n = 30; control group). Two-level behavioral validation included social threat-induced mood changes in participants, and interlocutor evaluation. The latter consisted of multiple variables such as "willingness to cooperate" after every conversation, an overall fairness evaluation of interlocutors, and evaluations per reaction indicating how positive or negative it was received. We acquired additional physiological measures including cortisol assays via saliva samples, heart rate, and blood pressure. Confirming our hypotheses, peer rejection and exclusion during the VISTTA led to less willingness to cooperate and lower fairness evaluation of interlocutors. It also induced feelings of anger and surprise and lower happiness in the social-threat group. Women showed overall higher emotion ratings compared to men. Contrary to our a priori hypothesis, the VISTTA did not induce cortisol and heart rate increases. However, the stable cortisol response in women in the threat group does not follow the circadian decline and might reflect an endocrinological response. The decline in cortisol response in men in both the threat and control group could indicate faster habituation to the VISTTA. Taken together, these findings indicate effects of social-evaluative threat on a behavioral level, and more moderate effects on the emotional and physiological level. Sex differences in affective and cortisol responses may indicate that women are more susceptible for the social-evaluative threat than men. With a realistic implementation of verbal, interactive, and social components, the VISTTA is designed as an fMRI paradigm that can be applied to elucidate the neural representation of social-evaluative threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Tops
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance – BRAIN Institute I: Brain Structure–Function Relationships: Decoding the Human Brain at Systemic Levels, Research Center Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sina Radke
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance – BRAIN Institute I: Brain Structure–Function Relationships: Decoding the Human Brain at Systemic Levels, Research Center Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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35
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Imaging stress: an overview of stress induction methods in the MR scanner. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2019; 126:1187-1202. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-018-01965-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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36
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Dynes ME, Tompsett CJ, Domoff SE. Development and Validation of the Therapist Barriers to Engaging Parents (TBEP) Measure. Community Ment Health J 2018; 54:967-977. [PMID: 30109581 DOI: 10.1007/s10597-018-0317-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Parent engagement is a well-documented challenge when delivering child and adolescent mental health treatments. Therapists' internal experiences, and how they respond to parents, may create a barrier to the parent engagement process. The current study developed the 13-item Therapist Barriers to Engaging Parents measure (TBEP) to assess providers' internal and external experiences that operate as barriers to parent engagement. The TBEP was completed by 148 child and family therapists across the United States. The TBEP demonstrated strong internal reliability (Cronbach α = .86), and was negatively correlated with counselor efficacy, and significantly positively correlated with burnout, indicating convergent validity. Incremental validity of the subscales of the TBEP was also demonstrated. The TBEP appears to be a psychometrically sound measure of the internal barriers mental health providers experience when trying to engage parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E Dynes
- Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA.
| | - Carolyn J Tompsett
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43402, USA
| | - Sarah E Domoff
- Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA
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Sung YW, Kawachi Y, Choi US, Kang D, Abe C, Otomo Y, Ogawa S. A Set of Functional Brain Networks for the Comprehensive Evaluation of Human Characteristics. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:149. [PMID: 29593488 PMCID: PMC5861187 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many human characteristics must be evaluated to comprehensively understand an individual, and measurements of the corresponding cognition/behavior are required. Brain imaging by functional MRI (fMRI) has been widely used to examine brain function related to human cognition/behavior. However, few aspects of cognition/behavior of individuals or experimental groups can be examined through task-based fMRI. Recently, resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) signals have been shown to represent functional infrastructure in the brain that is highly involved in processing information related to cognition/behavior. Using rs-fMRI may allow diverse information about the brain through a single MRI scan to be obtained, as rs-fMRI does not require stimulus tasks. In this study, we attempted to identify a set of functional networks representing cognition/behavior that are related to a wide variety of human characteristics and to evaluate these characteristics using rs-fMRI data. If possible, these findings would support the potential of rs-fMRI to provide diverse information about the brain. We used resting-state fMRI and a set of 130 psychometric parameters that cover most human characteristics, including those related to intelligence and emotional quotients and social ability/skill. We identified 163 brain regions by VBM analysis using regression analysis with 130 psychometric parameters. Next, using a 163 × 163 correlation matrix, we identified functional networks related to 111 of the 130 psychometric parameters. Finally, we made an 8-class support vector machine classifiers corresponding to these 111 functional networks. Our results demonstrate that rs-fMRI signals contain intrinsic information about brain function related to cognition/behaviors and that this set of 111 networks/classifiers can be used to comprehensively evaluate human characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yul-Wan Sung
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yousuke Kawachi
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Uk-Su Choi
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Daehun Kang
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Chihiro Abe
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuki Otomo
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Seiji Ogawa
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Japan
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