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Trautmann S, Kräplin A, Muehlhan M, Fuchs FO, Loesch B, Wittgens C. The ad-libitum taste test as measure of momentary alcohol use in the laboratory: an investigation of construct validity and confounding factors. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:913-923. [PMID: 38141076 PMCID: PMC11031463 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06518-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The ad-libitum taste test is a widely used covert measure of motivation to consume alcohol in the laboratory. However, studies on its construct validity and potential confounding factors are scarce. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the construct validity of the ad-libitum taste test by examining the association of ad-libitum alcohol consumption with typical alcohol use and craving, and investigating potential moderation by trait anxiety, depressiveness, current mood, and drinking motives. METHODS A sample of 264 young male individuals were offered two 0.33 l glasses of beer. Participants were instructed to rate the characteristics of each drink, while the percentage of beverages containing alcohol consumed was assessed. Associations of ad-libitum consumption with typical alcohol use and craving were assessed using non-parametric and piecewise regressions. Moreover, moderator analysis with trait anxiety, depressiveness, current mood, and drinking motives was carried out. RESULTS Ad-libitum alcohol consumption was associated with typical alcohol use and alcohol craving. However, these associations decreased at high consumption levels. Associations between ad-libitum consumption, typical alcohol use, and craving were stable across several conditions, except that the association between ad-libitum consumption and craving increased with higher social, conformity, and coping drinking motives. CONCLUSIONS The ad-libitum taste test appears to be a valid measure of the motivation to drink alcohol in laboratory studies in young male adults, although this validity might be compromised at high levels of ad-libitum consumption. Consideration of these factors can contribute to further refining the ad-libitum taste test as a valuable tool for assessing motivation to consume alcohol in laboratory studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Trautmann
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, ICPP, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Anja Kräplin
- Work Group Addictive Behaviors, Risk Analysis and Risk Management, Faculty of Psychology, Technische University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fée Ona Fuchs
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, ICPP, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Beate Loesch
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, ICPP, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Wittgens
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, ICPP, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
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Muehlhan M, Spindler C, Nowaczynski S, Buchner C, Fascher M, Trautmann S. Where alcohol use disorder meets interoception: A meta-analytic view on structural and functional neuroimaging data. J Neurochem 2024. [PMID: 38528368 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been associated with changes in the processing of internal body signals, known as interoception. Changes in brain structure, particularly in the insula, are thought to underlie impaired interoception. As studies specifically investigating this association are largely lacking, this analysis takes an approach that compares meta-analytic results on interoception with recently published meta-analytic results on gray matter reduction in AUD. A systematic literature search identified 25 eligible interoception studies. Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) was used to test for spatial convergence of study results. Overlap between interoception and AUD clusters was tested using conjunction analysis. Meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and resting-state functional connectivity were used to identify the functional network of interoception and to test where this network overlapped with AUD meta-analytic clusters. The results were characterized using behavioral domain analysis. The interoception ALE identified a cluster in the left middle insula. There was no overlap with clusters of reduced gray matter in AUD. MACM analysis of the interoception cluster revealed a large network located in the insulae, thalami, basal nuclei, cingulate and medial frontal cortices, and pre- and postcentral gyri. Resting state analysis confirmed this result, showing the strongest connections to nodes of the salience- and somatomotor network. Five of the eight clusters that showed a structural reduction in AUD were located within these networks. The behavioral profiles of these clusters were suggestive of higher-level processes such as salience control, somatomotor functions, and skin sensations. The results suggest an altered salience mapping of interoceptive signals in AUD, consistent with current models. Connections to the somatomotor network may be related to action control and integration of skin sensations. Mindfulness-based interventions, pleasurable touch, and (deep) transcranial magnetic stimulation may be targeted interventions that reduce interoceptive deficits in AUD and thus contribute to drug use reduction and relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- ICAN Institute of Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carolin Spindler
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Nowaczynski
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- ICAN Institute of Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Carl-Friedrich-Flemming-Clinic, Helios Medical Center Schwerin, Schwerin, Germany
| | - Claudius Buchner
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Fascher
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- ICAN Institute of Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Trautmann
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Fascher M, Nowaczynski S, Spindler C, Strobach T, Muehlhan M. Neural underpinnings of response inhibition in substance use disorders: weak meta-analytic evidence for a widely used construct. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1-17. [PMID: 37987836 PMCID: PMC10774166 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06498-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Substance use disorders (SUDs) rank among the most severely debilitating psychiatric conditions. Among others, decreased response inhibition capacities could make it more difficult for patients to abstain from drug use and maintain abstinence. However, meta-analyses on the neural basis of response inhibition in SUDs yielded conflicting results. OBJECTIVE In this study, we revisited the neuroimaging research field and summarized the existing fMRI literature on overt response inhibition (Go/NoGo and stop-signal paradigms) across different SUDs. METHODS We performed a systematic literature review and an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to investigate the actual convergence of functional deviations observed in SUD samples. Results were further supplied by consecutive robustness measures and a post-hoc random-effects meta-analysis of behavioural data. RESULTS We identified k = 21 eligible studies for our analysis. The ALE analysis indicated a significant cluster of convergence with its statistical peak in the right anterior insula. Consecutive analyses, however, indicated this result was not robust and susceptible towards publication bias. Additionally, a post-hoc random effects meta-analysis of the behavioural parameters of Go/NoGo and stop-signal paradigms reported by the included studies revealed no significant differences in task performance comparing SUD samples and controls. CONCLUSION We discuss that the role of task-based response inhibition may require some refinement as an overarching marker for SUD pathology. Finally, we give a few prospects for future research that should be further explored in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Fascher
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
- Medical School Hamburg, ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Sandra Nowaczynski
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- Medical School Hamburg, ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Carl‑Friedrich‑Flemming‑Clinic, Helios Medical Center Schwerin, Schwerin, Germany
| | - Carolin Spindler
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tilo Strobach
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- Medical School Hamburg, ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
- Medical School Hamburg, ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany
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Weber-Goericke F, Muehlhan M. High and low worriers do not differ in unstimulated resting-state brain connectivity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3052. [PMID: 36810628 PMCID: PMC9944913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28333-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic, excessive and uncontrollable worry presents an anxiety rising and distressing mental activity relevant in a range of psychological disorders. Task based studies investigating its underlying neural mechanisms reveal fairly heterogenous results. The current study aimed to investigate pathological worry related effects on the functional neural network architecture in the resting unstimulated brain. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) we compared functional connectivity (FC) patterns between 21 high worriers and 21 low worriers. We, on the one hand, conducted a seed-to-voxel analysis based on recent meta-analytic findings and, on the other hand, implemented a data-driven multi voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) approach to yield brain clusters showing connectivity differences between the two groups. Additionally, the seed regions and MVPA were used to investigate whether whole brain connectivity is associated with momentary state worry across groups. The data did not reveal differences in resting-state FC related to pathological worry, neither by the seed-to-voxel or MVPA approach testing for differences linked to trait worry nor by using the MVPA to test for state worry related aberrations. We discuss whether the null findings in our analyses are related to spontaneous fluctuations in momentary worry and the associated presence of multiple fluctuating brain states that could cause mutually cancelling effects. For future studies investigating the neural correlates of excessive worry, we propose a direct worry induction for better control of the situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Weber-Goericke
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Strasse 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany. .,ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
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Wittgens C, Muehlhan M, Kräplin A, Wolff M, Trautmann S. Underlying mechanisms in the relationship between stress and alcohol consumption in regular and risky drinkers (MESA): methods and design of a randomized laboratory study. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:233. [PMID: 36243742 PMCID: PMC9568994 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00942-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders (AUD) are among the leading preventable causes of premature morbidity and mortality and are considered a major public health concern. In order to reduce the individual and societal burden of excessive alcohol use, it is crucial to identify high-risk individuals at earlier stages and to provide effective interventions to prevent further progression. Stressful experiences are important risk factors for excessive alcohol consumption and AUDs. However, the underlying biological and psychological mechanisms are still poorly understood.
Methods The project “Underlying mechanisms in the relationship between stress and alcohol consumption in regular and risky drinkers (MESA)” is a randomized controlled study that started in December 2018 and is conducted in a laboratory setting, which aims to identify moderators and mediators of the relationship between acute stress and alcohol consumption among regular and risky drinkers. Regular and risky drinkers are randomly assigned to a stress induction or a control condition. Several processes that may mediate (emotional distress, endocrine and autonomic stress reactivity, impulsivity, inhibitory control, motivational sensitization) or moderate (trait impulsivity, childhood maltreatment, basal HPA-axis activity) the relation between stress and alcohol consumption are investigated. As primary dependent variable, the motivation to consume alcohol following psychosocial stress is measured. Discussion The results of this study could help to provide valuable targets for future research on tailored interventions to prevent stress-related alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Wittgens
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. .,ICPP Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anja Kräplin
- Work Group Addictive Behaviors, Risk Analysis and Risk Management, Faculty of Psychology, Technische University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Max Wolff
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Trautmann
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. .,ICPP Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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Miethe S, Muehlhan M, Trautmann S. The association between repetitive negative thinking and distress across mental disorders: Preliminary findings from an outpatient treatment-seeking sample. Psychiatry Res 2022; 311:114478. [PMID: 35287044 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Distress is a characteristic of various mental disorders. The transdiagnostic construct repetitive negative thinking (RNT) has been suggested to contribute to distress. However, there is little evidence that this association can actually be found across diagnostic categories. We analyzed this association for phobias, other anxiety disorders, stress disorders, depressive disorders and substance use disorders in 194 treatment-seeking individuals. RNT was associated with distress across all diagnostic categories with high effect sizes. Except for phobias, these associations were not attributable to general emotion regulation abilities. RNT might contribute to distress in several mental disorders which underlines its potential for transdiagnostic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Miethe
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Trautmann
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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Spindler C, Mallien L, Trautmann S, Alexander N, Muehlhan M. A coordinate-based meta-analysis of white matter alterations in patients with alcohol use disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:40. [PMID: 35087021 PMCID: PMC8795454 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01809-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Besides the commonly described gray matter (GM) deficits, there is growing evidence of significant white matter (WM) alterations in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). WM changes can be assessed using volumetric and diffusive magnetic resonance imaging methods, such as voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The aim of the present meta-analysis is to investigate the spatial convergence of the reported findings on WM alterations in AUD. METHODS Systematic literature search on PubMed and further databases revealed 18 studies eligible for inclusion, entailing a total of 462 AUD patients and 416 healthy controls (up to January 18, 2021). All studies that had used either VBM or DTI whole-brain analyzing methods and reported results as peak-coordinates in standard reference space were considered for inclusion. We excluded studies using approaches non-concordant with recent guidelines for neuroimaging meta-analyses and studies investigating patient groups with Korsakoff syndrome or other comorbid substance use disorders (except tobacco). RESULTS Anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) revealed four significant clusters of convergent macro- and microstructural WM alterations in AUD patients that were assigned to the genu and body of the corpus callosum, anterior and posterior cingulum, fornix, and the right posterior limb of the internal capsule. DISCUSSION The changes in WM could to some extent explain the deteriorations in motor, cognitive, affective, and perceptual functions seen in AUD. Future studies are needed to clarify how WM alterations vary over the course of the disorder and to what extent they are reversible with prolonged abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Spindler
- grid.461732.5Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.461732.5ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louisa Mallien
- grid.461732.5Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Trautmann
- grid.461732.5Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.461732.5ICPP Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nina Alexander
- grid.461732.5Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany ,grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany. .,ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
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Trautmann S, Wittgens C, Muehlhan M, Kanske P. The Role of Socio-Affective and Socio-Cognitive Mechanisms in the Processing of Witnessed Traumatic Events. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:830218. [PMID: 35360123 PMCID: PMC8963708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.830218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Trautmann
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Wittgens
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Muehlhan M, Höcker A, Miller R, Trautmann S, Wiedemann K, Lotzin A, Barnow S, Schäfer I. HPA axis stress reactivity and hair cortisol concentrations in recently detoxified alcoholics and healthy controls with and without childhood maltreatment. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12681. [PMID: 30307081 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a strong risk factor for alcohol dependence (AD) and is associated with a more severe course of the disease. Alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may play an important role in this relationship. The aim of the present study was to systematically investigate potential alterations in HPA functioning associated with AD diagnosis and CM. Four study groups were recruited: AD patients with (n = 29; 10♀) and without (n = 33; 8♀) CM and healthy controls with (n = 30; 20♀) and without (n = 38; 15♀) CM. Cumulative cortisol secretion was measured by hair cortisol concentration (HCC). To measure HPA axis response to the Trier social stress test (TSST), saliva and blood samples were analysed for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. In the AD groups, the period of hair growth covered acute alcohol consumption and withdrawal. The TSST was scheduled after completion of withdrawal. Irrespective of CM, higher HCCs and reduced ACTH and cortisol levels before and after TSST were observed in AD patients. The analyses did not reveal any differences between AD patients with and without CM. Healthy controls with CM had lower plasma cortisol levels compared with those without CM. The results suggest that AD is strongly related to HPA axis functioning, which may superimpose possible differences between AD patients with and without CM. Future studies should investigate whether biologically different subtypes of AD with and without CM can be identified in earlier stages or before the development of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human ScienceMedical School Hamburg Hamburg Germany
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of PsychologySchool of Science, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Anja Höcker
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf Hamburg Germany
| | - Robert Miller
- Institute of General Psychology, Biological Psychology and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of PsychologySchool of Science, Technische Universität Dresden Germany
| | - Sebastian Trautmann
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of PsychologySchool of Science, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf Hamburg Germany
| | - Annett Lotzin
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf Hamburg Germany
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction ResearchUniversity of Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf Hamburg Germany
| | - Sven Barnow
- Department of Clinical Psychology and PsychotherapyRuprecht‐Karls‐University Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Ingo Schäfer
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf Hamburg Germany
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction ResearchUniversity of Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf Hamburg Germany
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Alexander N, Illius S, Stalder T, Wankerl M, Muehlhan M, Kirschbaum C. Serotonin transporter gene methylation predicts long-term cortisol concentrations in hair. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 106:179-182. [PMID: 30999228 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic signatures, such as DNA methylation (DNAM), have been implicated in long-term dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and related health risks. Based on a wealth of neuroendocrine studies on genetic polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), this locus constitutes a key candidate to explore associations of DNAM patterns and HPA-axis functioning. The few studies addressing this link so far exclusively relied on spot measurements of HPA-axis activity, which may not adequately reflect cortisol output over prolonged periods of time. To address this gap, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), a valid measure of integrated long-term cortisol levels, were utilized to investigate endocrine correlates of SLC6A4 DNAM in 183 adults. Whole blood samples were drawn for DNAM analyses of 83 CpG sites within a 799-bp promoter-associated CpG island of SLC6A4 via bisulfite pyrosequencing. In addition, all participants were genotyped for the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR). First, results revealed a significant negative association of SLC6A4 DNAM and HCC. Second, there was no significant main effect of 5-HTTLPR genotype on HCC when analyses were conducted on the basis of both bi-allelic classification and the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 mini-haplotype. Third, the current data revealed a significant interaction of SLC6A4 DNAM and 5-HTTLPR genotype on HCC. Comparable to the pattern we had previously observed concerning cortisol stress reactivity, the S allele relates to increased HCC in individuals displaying low levels of SLC6A4 DNAM. By contrast, no such effect occurred under conditions of high SLC6A4 DNAM, indicating that epigenetic changes may compensate for genotype-dependent differences in long-term cortisol output. Together, respective findings support the idea of an epigenetic contribution to long-term HPA-axis activity and further highlight the usefulness of combining genetic and epigenetic information in future neuroendocrine studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Alexander
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Sabrina Illius
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Stalder
- Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Matthis Wankerl
- Chair of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Chair of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
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Weber-Goericke F, Muehlhan M. A quantitative meta-analysis of fMRI studies investigating emotional processing in excessive worriers: Application of activation likelihood estimation analysis. J Affect Disord 2019; 243:348-359. [PMID: 30266026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.09.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive worry is a highly impairing cognitive activity which features a range of psychological disorders. Investigations of its disturbed underlying neural mechanisms have presented largely heterogeneous results. This quantitative neuroimaging meta-analysis aims to identify consistent functional disturbances in emotional processing associated with excessive worry across previously published studies. METHODS We used the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) method to test for significant convergence across findings of 16 neuroimaging experiments reporting functional aberrations during emotional processing between individuals experiencing high versus normal levels of worry. RESULTS Results demonstrated convergent aberrations in high compared to normal worriers mainly in a left-hemispheric cluster comprising parts of the middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus and anterior insula. Behavioral characterization indicated the identified cluster to be associated with language processing and memory, while meta-analytic connectivity mapping yielded strong functional connections between the observed convergent regions and parts of the salience network as well as the default mode network. LIMITATIONS The ALE method cannot consider findings based on regions of interest analyses and studies without significant group differences. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that in response to emotional contexts worry prone individuals exhibit disturbed functioning in brain areas which are possibly associated with deviant inner speech processes experienced by these individuals. The observed clusters may further constitute key nodes within interacting neural networks that support internally and externally oriented cognition and control the dynamic interplay among these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Weber-Goericke
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden Germany.
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12
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Muehlhan M, Höcker A, Miller R, Trautmann S, Wiedemann K, Lotzin A, Barnow S, Schäfer I. HPA axis stress reactivity and hair cortisol concentrations in recently detoxified alcoholics and healthy controls with and without childhood maltreatment. Addict Biol 2018. [PMID: 30307081 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12681.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a strong risk factor for alcohol dependence (AD) and is associated with a more severe course of the disease. Alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may play an important role in this relationship. The aim of the present study was to systematically investigate potential alterations in HPA functioning associated with AD diagnosis and CM. Four study groups were recruited: AD patients with (n = 29; 10♀) and without (n = 33; 8♀) CM and healthy controls with (n = 30; 20♀) and without (n = 38; 15♀) CM. Cumulative cortisol secretion was measured by hair cortisol concentration (HCC). To measure HPA axis response to the Trier social stress test (TSST), saliva and blood samples were analysed for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. In the AD groups, the period of hair growth covered acute alcohol consumption and withdrawal. The TSST was scheduled after completion of withdrawal. Irrespective of CM, higher HCCs and reduced ACTH and cortisol levels before and after TSST were observed in AD patients. The analyses did not reveal any differences between AD patients with and without CM. Healthy controls with CM had lower plasma cortisol levels compared with those without CM. The results suggest that AD is strongly related to HPA axis functioning, which may superimpose possible differences between AD patients with and without CM. Future studies should investigate whether biologically different subtypes of AD with and without CM can be identified in earlier stages or before the development of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anja Höcker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Robert Miller
- Institute of General Psychology, Biological Psychology and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Sebastian Trautmann
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Annett Lotzin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, University of Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sven Barnow
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ingo Schäfer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, University of Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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13
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Trautmann S, Muehlhan M, Kirschbaum C, Wittchen HU, Höfler M, Stalder T, Steudte-Schmiedgen S. Biological stress indicators as risk markers for increased alcohol use following traumatic experiences. Addict Biol 2018; 23:281-290. [PMID: 28105726 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol misuse is a common sequela of traumatic event experiences causing considerable morbidity and mortality. Although biological stress indicators have been identified as useful risk markers for the development of trauma-related disorders, no such biological indicators exist for the risk of increased alcohol use after trauma exposure. This is the first study to prospectively investigate the predictive value of long-term cortisol levels and acute stress reactivity for the risk of increased alcohol use following traumatic events. Male soldiers were examined before and 12 months following deployment using a standardized diagnostic interview. We analyzed the moderating role of baseline hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs, n = 153) as well as baseline salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase stress reactivity in response to a laboratory stressor (n = 145) in the association between new-onset traumatic events (according to the DSM-IV A1 criterion) and subsequent daily alcohol use. No main effects of pre-traumatic HCC or salivary stress markers on subsequent change in alcohol use were observed. However, we found that with decreasing HCC, the number of new-onset traumatic events was more strongly associated with subsequent alcohol use independent from changes in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. No such relation was seen for the acute stress reactivity data. Taken together, this study provides first evidence suggesting that individual differences in long-term cortisol regulation are involved in the association between traumatic experiences and subsequent alcohol use. HCC may thus serve as a potential target in the early identification of individuals vulnerable for increased alcohol use following traumatic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Trautmann
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Institute of Biological Psychology; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Michael Höfler
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Tobias Stalder
- Institute of Biological Psychology; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
- Clinical Psychology; University of Siegen; Siegen Germany
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14
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Muehlhan M, Höcker A, Höfler M, Wiedemann K, Barnow S, Schäfer I. Stress-related salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity in alcohol dependent patients with and without a history of childhood maltreatment. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:1901-1909. [PMID: 28314952 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4595-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcohol-dependent (AD) patients with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) have shown a more severe clinical profile and a higher risk of relapse than those without CM. It was hypothesized that stress responsivity plays an important role in moderating the relationship between CM and AD. Surprisingly, systematic investigations about the stress responsivity in AD patients with CM are rare. OBJECTIVE This study compared physiological and subjective stress responses in AD patients with and without CM as well as in healthy controls with and without CM. METHODS A total of 130 participants performed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Physiological stress reactivity related to the noradrenergic system was assessed by salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity. Subjective ratings of anxiety, nervousness, distress, and mood were rated on visual analogue scales. RESULTS AD patients showed significantly lower stress-related sAA activity than healthy controls (p ≤ 0.024; z ≥ 1.97). A different pattern was found in the subjective ratings. In particular, anticipatory anxiety revealed a clear effect of CM (p ≤ 0.005; z ≥ 2.43) but no difference between AD patients and healthy controls (p > 0.05). After the TSST, distress ratings differed between AD patients with CM and AD patients without CM (p ≤ 0.009; z ≥ 2.61). CONCLUSION The discrepancy between physiological responsivity and subjective stress experiences may account for an increased inability to cope with stressful situations, which in turn might explain the enhanced risk of relapse in AD patients with a history of CM during early abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Anja Höcker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Michael Höfler
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Sven Barnow
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ingo Schäfer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, University of Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
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15
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Hilbert K, Lueken U, Muehlhan M, Beesdo-Baum K. Separating generalized anxiety disorder from major depression using clinical, hormonal, and structural MRI data: A multimodal machine learning study. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00633. [PMID: 28293473 PMCID: PMC5346520 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is difficult to recognize and hard to separate from major depression (MD) in clinical settings. Biomarkers might support diagnostic decisions. This study used machine learning on multimodal biobehavioral data from a sample of GAD, MD and healthy subjects to differentiate subjects with a disorder from healthy subjects (case-classification) and to differentiate GAD from MD (disorder-classification). METHODS Subjects with GAD (n = 19), MD without GAD (n = 14), and healthy comparison subjects (n = 24) were included. The sample was matched regarding age, sex, handedness and education and free of psychopharmacological medication. Binary support vector machines were used within a nested leave-one-out cross-validation framework. Clinical questionnaires, cortisol release, gray matter (GM), and white matter (WM) volumes were used as input data separately and in combination. RESULTS Questionnaire data were well-suited for case-classification but not disorder-classification (accuracies: 96.40%, p < .001; 56.58%, p > .22). The opposite pattern was found for imaging data (case-classification GM/WM: 58.71%, p = .09/43.18%, p > .66; disorder-classification GM/WM: 68.05%, p = .034/58.27%, p > .15) and for cortisol data (38.02%, p = .84; 74.60%, p = .009). All data combined achieved 90.10% accuracy (p < .001) for case-classification and 67.46% accuracy (p = .0268) for disorder-classification. CONCLUSIONS In line with previous evidence, classification of GAD was difficult using clinical questionnaire data alone. Particularly cortisol and GM volume data were able to provide incremental value for the classification of GAD. Findings suggest that neurobiological biomarkers are a useful target for further research to delineate their potential contribution to diagnostic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Hilbert
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany; Behavioral Epidemiology Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany; Department of Psychology Neuroimaging CenterTechnische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany; Department of Psychology Neuroimaging Center Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy University Hospital Wuerzburg Wuerzburg Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany; Department of Psychology Neuroimaging Center Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
| | - Katja Beesdo-Baum
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany; Behavioral Epidemiology Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany; Department of Psychology Neuroimaging CenterTechnische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
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16
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Schäfer I, Pawils S, Driessen M, Härter M, Hillemacher T, Klein M, Muehlhan M, Ravens-Sieberer U, Schäfer M, Scherbaum N, Schneider B, Thomasius R, Wiedemann K, Wegscheider K, Barnow S. Understanding the role of childhood abuse and neglect as a cause and consequence of substance abuse: the German CANSAS network. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2017; 8:1304114. [PMID: 28451071 PMCID: PMC5399994 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1304114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Substance use disorders (SUD) belong to the most frequent behavioural consequences of childhood abuse and neglect (CAN). If parents are concerned, SUD are also an important risk factor for CAN. The relationship between CAN and SUD remains poorly understood. There is a need of adequate treatments for SUD patients suffering from the consequences of CAN, as well as for approaches to prevent CAN by parents with SUD. Objective: To describe the aims and the structure of a German research network on relationships between CAN and SUD (CANSAS network). Method: Descriptive overview of the aims, and the different project clusters of the network. Results: The aims of the CANSAS network are: (1) to examine relationships between SUD and CAN; (2) to examine the effects of an evidence-based treatment for SUD patients with posttraumatic disorders; and (3) to provide SUD services with tools to diagnose CAN, and to assess the risk of maltreatment among parents with SUD. The aims of the network are addressed by six projects in three different project clusters (mediators and risk factors, evidence-based treatment, and improvement of services). Conclusions: It is expected that the CANSAS network will advance the understanding of relationships between early adversity and substance use disorders. It will bring forward the discussion about promising treatments for SUD patients with experiences of CAN. Finally it will provide services with measures to identify patients with CAN, and with tools to break the trans-generational cycle of adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Schäfer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Silke Pawils
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Martin Driessen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ev. Hospital Bielefeld, Bethel, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Martin Härter
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Hillemacher
- Department of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Klein
- Center of Excellence on Applied Addiction Research, Catholic University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Schäfer
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany
| | - Norbert Scherbaum
- LVR-Hospital Essen, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Barbara Schneider
- Department of Addiction Medicine, LVR-Clinic Cologne, CologneGermany
| | - Rainer Thomasius
- German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karl Wegscheider
- Department of Medical Biometry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Sven Barnow
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Steudte-Schmiedgen S, Wichmann S, Stalder T, Hilbert K, Muehlhan M, Lueken U, Beesdo-Baum K. Hair cortisol concentrations and cortisol stress reactivity in generalized anxiety disorder, major depression and their comorbidity. J Psychiatr Res 2017; 84:184-190. [PMID: 27744230 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Studies investigating cortisol secretion in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have reported heterogeneous findings. Further, current knowledge on the specificity of endocrine changes for GAD and/or comorbid major depression (MD) is limited. Hence, the current study investigated long-term integrated cortisol secretion, as indexed by hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), and experimentally-induced cortisol stress reactivity in relation to GAD, MD and their comorbidity. Carefully characterized groups of 17 GAD patients including 8 with comorbid MD (GAD-MD), 12 MD patients and 21 healthy controls were recruited. Alongside psychometric data, HCC (N = 43) and salivary cortisol stress reactivity in response to the Trier Social Stress Test (N = 45) were determined. Findings revealed that MD patients exhibited lower HCC compared to controls and GAD patients, with no differences between the latter two groups. Interestingly, when the GAD group was separated into two groups based on MD comorbidity, lower HCC in MD patients were found compared to controls and GAD-noMD patients, but did not show differences when compared to GAD-MD patients. No HCC differences were seen between GAD-MD or GAD-noMD patients and healthy controls. No TSST group differences emerged. Our findings suggest MD to be related to long-term attenuation in cortisol secretion. While no group differences emerged between patients with GAD, neither with nor without MD, and controls, the current results provide tentative evidence that MD determines long-term endocrine changes, with pure GAD showing a distinct pattern. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings in larger samples of pure and comorbid groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Steudte-Schmiedgen
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
| | - Susann Wichmann
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Tobias Stalder
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Department of Educational Science, Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Germany
| | - Kevin Hilbert
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychology, Behavioral Epidemiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katja Beesdo-Baum
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychology, Behavioral Epidemiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
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18
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Hilbert K, Pine DS, Muehlhan M, Lueken U, Steudte-Schmiedgen S, Beesdo-Baum K. Gray and white matter volume abnormalities in generalized anxiety disorder by categorical and dimensional characterization. Psychiatry Res 2015; 234:314-20. [PMID: 26490569 PMCID: PMC5103633 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Increasing efforts have been made to investigate the underlying pathophysiology of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), but only limited consistent information is available on gray (GM) and white matter (WM) volume changes in affected adults. Additionally, few studies employed dimensional approaches to GAD pathology. This study compares structural brain imaging data from n=19 GAD subjects and n=24 healthy comparison (HC) subjects, all medication-free and matched on age, sex and education. Separate categorical and dimensional models were employed using voxel-based morphometry for GM and WM. Significantly higher GM volumes were found in GAD subjects mainly in basal ganglia structures and less consistently in the superior temporal pole. For WM, GAD subjects showed significantly lower volumes in the dlPFC. Largely consistent findings in dimensional and categorical models point toward these structural alterations being reliable and of importance for GAD. While lower volume in the dlPFC could reflect impaired emotional processing and control over worry in GAD, basal ganglia alterations may be linked to disturbed gain and loss anticipation as implicated in previous functional GAD studies. As perturbations in anticipation processes are central to GAD, these areas may warrant greater attention in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Hilbert
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Behavioral Epidemiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Katja Beesdo-Baum
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Behavioral Epidemiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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19
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Muehlhan M, Kirschbaum C, Wittchen HU, Alexander N. Epigenetic variation in the serotonin transporter gene predicts resting state functional connectivity strength within the salience-network. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:4361-71. [PMID: 26303978 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic variation in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) has been associated with psychopathology and aberrant brain functioning in a plethora of clinical and imaging studies. In contrast, the neurobiological correlates of epigenetic signatures in SLC6A4, such as DNA methylation profiles, have only recently been explored in human brain imaging research. The present study is the first to apply a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging approach to identify changes in brain networks related to SLC6A4 promoter methylation (N=74 healthy individuals). The amygdalae were defined as seed regions given that resting state functional connectivity in this brain area is under serotonergic control and relates to a broad range of psychiatric phenotypes. We further used bisulfite pyrosequencing to analyze quantitative methylation at 83 CpG sites within a promoter-associated CpG island of SLC6A4 from blood-derived DNA samples. The major finding of this study indicates a positive relation of SLC6A4 promoter methylation and amygdaloid resting state functional coupling with key nodes of the salience network (SN) including the anterior insulae and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortices. Increased intra-network connectivity in the SN is thought to facilitate the detection and subsequent processing of potentially negative stimuli and reflects a core feature of psychopathology. As such, epigenetic changes within the SLC6A4 gene predict connectivity patterns in clinically and behaviorally relevant brain networks which may in turn convey increased disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Department of Psychology, Institute of General Psychology, Biopsychology and Methods of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nina Alexander
- Department of Psychology, Institute of General Psychology, Biopsychology and Methods of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
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20
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Weckesser LJ, Plessow F, Pilhatsch M, Muehlhan M, Kirschbaum C, Miller R. Do venepuncture procedures induce cortisol responses? A review, study, and synthesis for stress research. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 46:88-99. [PMID: 24882161 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Venepuncture procedures are frequently employed to continuously monitor humoral stress markers. As such procedures are conceived as "potent psychological and physiological stressors", there is a need to determine whether venepuncture procedures themselves elicit cortisol responses and if so, how to deal with them appropriately. In order to assess the rate of cortisol responses to venepuncture, we conducted a literature review, which suggested that venepuncture procedures induce cortisol responses with a probability of approximately 30%. By utilizing Bayesian analysis, this result was integrated with the cortisol data of 18 healthy men who were exposed to a venepuncture procedure twice (time lag: 1 week). The currently observed response rate of 47% differed substantially from the earlier findings, which we attribute to a self-selective sampling of participants. In addition, participants showing a response to the first venepuncture were highly likely to also show a response to the second one. In this regard, we discuss the presumed conditioning of cortisol responses to venepuncture procedures. To prevent the superposition of venepuncture-induced cortisol responses and responses induced by target stressors, we propose a time- and selection-based strategy: cortisol samples taken about 110min after venepuncture should be virtually adjusted for its superimposing effects. Furthermore, previous experiences of venepuncture were highly predictive for cortisol responsiveness. This association could be utilized in further studies to identify participants who will probably show a cortisol response to venepuncture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J Weckesser
- Institute of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Plessow
- Institute of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany; Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Maximilian Pilhatsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Institute of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Institute of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Robert Miller
- Institute of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
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Muehlhan M, Marxen M, Landsiedel J, Malberg H, Zaunseder S. The effect of body posture on cognitive performance: a question of sleep quality. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:171. [PMID: 24723874 PMCID: PMC3973903 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 03/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nearly all functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies are conducted in the supine body posture, which has been discussed as a potential confounder of such examinations. The literature suggests that cognitive functions, such as problem solving or perception, differ between supine and upright postures. However, the effect of posture on many cognitive functions is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of body posture (supine vs. sitting) on one of the most frequently used paradigms in the cognitive sciences: the N-back working memory paradigm. Twenty-two subjects were investigated in a randomized within-subject design. Subjects performed the N-back task on two consecutive days in either the supine or the upright posture. Subjective sleep quality and chronic stress were recorded as covariates. Furthermore, changes in mood dimensions and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed during the experiment. Results indicate that the quality of sleep strongly affects reaction times when subjects performed a working memory task in a supine posture. These effects, however, could not be observed in the sitting position. The findings can be explained by HRV parameters that indicated differences in autonomic regulation in the upright vs. the supine posture. The finding is of particular relevance for fMRI group comparisons when group differences in sleep quality cannot be ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
| | - Michael Marxen
- Department of Psychology, Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
- Section of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
| | - Julia Landsiedel
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
| | - Hagen Malberg
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
| | - Sebastian Zaunseder
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
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Lueken U, Muehlhan M, Evens R, Wittchen HU, Kirschbaum C. Within and between session changes in subjective and neuroendocrine stress parameters during magnetic resonance imaging: A controlled scanner training study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:1299-308. [PMID: 22309826 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2011] [Revised: 01/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner can act as a stressor, eliciting subjective and neuroendocrine stress responses. Approaches to familiarize subjects with the scanner could help minimizing unintended effects on neural activation patterns of interest. Controlled studies on the effects of a scanner training are however missing. Using a comparative design, we analyzed within- and between session changes in subjective and neuroendocrine stress parameters in 63 healthy, scanner-naïve adults who participated in a two-day training protocol in an MRI, mock, or lab environment. A habituation task was used to assess within-session changes in subjective and neuroendocrine (cortisol) stress parameters; between-session changes were indicated by differences between days. MRI and mock, but not lab training were successful in reducing subjective distress towards the scanner. In contrast, cortisol reactivity towards the training environment generally increased during day 2, and the percentage of cortisol responders particularly rose in the mock and MRI groups. Within-session habituation of subjective arousal and anxiety was observed during both days and irrespective of training condition. Present findings demonstrate that training in a scanner environment successfully reduces subjective distress, but may also induce sensitization of endocrine stress levels during repeated scanning. Subjective distress can further be stabilized by acclimating subjects to the environment prior to the MRI assessment, including a short habituation phase into the assessment protocol. If replicated, present findings should be considered by researchers employing repeated measurement designs where subjects are exposed to a scanner more than once.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Lueken
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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23
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Lueken U, Muehlhan M, Wittchen HU, Kellermann T, Reinhardt I, Konrad C, Lang T, Wittmann A, Ströhle A, Gerlach AL, Ewert A, Kircher T. (Don't) panic in the scanner! How panic patients with agoraphobia experience a functional magnetic resonance imaging session. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2011; 21:516-25. [PMID: 21269812 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2010.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2010] [Revised: 08/26/2010] [Accepted: 12/09/2010] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has gained increasing importance in investigating neural substrates of anxiety disorders, less is known about the stress eliciting properties of the scanner environment itself. The aim of the study was to investigate feasibility, self-reported distress and anxiety management strategies during an fMRI experiment in a comprehensive sample of patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia (PD/AG). Within the national research network PANIC-NET, n=89 patients and n=90 controls participated in a multicenter fMRI study. Subjects completed a retrospective questionnaire on self-reported distress, including a habituation profile and exploratory questions about helpful strategies. Drop-out rates and fMRI quality parameters were employed as markers of study feasibility. Different anxiety measures were used to identify patients particularly vulnerable to increased scanner anxiety and impaired data quality. Three (3.5%) patients terminated the session prematurely. While drop-out rates were comparable for patients and controls, data quality was moderately impaired in patients. Distress was significantly elevated in patients compared to controls; claustrophobic anxiety was furthermore associated with pronounced distress and lower fMRI data quality in patients. Patients reported helpful strategies, including motivational factors and cognitive coping strategies. The feasibility of large-scale fMRI studies on PD/AG patients could be proved. Study designs should nevertheless acknowledge that the MRI setting may enhance stress reactions. Future studies are needed to investigate the relationship between self-reported distress and fMRI data in patient groups that are subject to neuroimaging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Lueken
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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Lueken U, Kruschwitz JD, Muehlhan M, Siegert J, Hoyer J, Wittchen HU. How specific is specific phobia? Different neural response patterns in two subtypes of specific phobia. Neuroimage 2011; 56:363-72. [PMID: 21316468 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2010] [Revised: 02/01/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific phobia of the animal subtype has been employed as a model disorder exploring the neurocircuitry of anxiety disorders, but evidence is lacking whether the detected neural response pattern accounts for all animal subtypes, nor across other phobia subtypes. The present study aimed at directly comparing two subtypes of specific phobia: snake phobia (SP) representing the animal, and dental phobia (DP) representing the blood-injection-injury subtype. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), brain activation and skin conductance was measured during phobogenic video stimulation in 12 DP, 12 SP, and 17 healthy controls. For SP, the previously described activation of fear circuitry structures encompassing the insula, anterior cingulate cortex and thalamus could be replicated and was furthermore associated with autonomic arousal. In contrast, DP showed circumscribed activation of the prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex (PFC/OFC) when directly compared to SP, being dissociated from autonomic arousal. Results provide preliminary evidence for the idea that snake and dental phobia are characterized by distinct underlying neural systems during sustained emotional processing with evaluation processes in DP being controlled by orbitofrontal areas, whereas phobogenic reactions in SP are primarily guided by limbic and paralimbic structures. Findings support the current diagnostic classification conventions, separating distinct subtypes in DSM-IV-TR. They highlight that caution might be warranted though for generalizing findings derived from animal phobia to other phobic and anxiety disorders. If replicated, results could contribute to a better understanding of underlying neurobiological mechanisms of specific phobia and their respective classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Lueken
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universitaet Dresden, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
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Weerda R, Muehlhan M, Wolf OT, Thiel CM. Effects of acute psychosocial stress on working memory related brain activity in men. Hum Brain Mapp 2011; 31:1418-29. [PMID: 20127868 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute psychosocial stress in humans triggers the release of glucocorticoids (GCs) and influences performance in declarative and working memory (WM) tasks. These memory systems rely on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), where GC-binding receptors are present. Previous studies revealed contradictory results regarding effects of acute stress on WM-related brain activity. We combined functional magnetic resonance imaging with a standardized psychosocial stress protocol to investigate the effects of acute mental stress on brain activity during encoding, maintenance, and retrieval of WM. Participants (41 healthy young men) underwent either a stress or a control procedure before performing a WM task. Stress increased salivary cortisol levels and tended to increase WM accuracy. Neurally, stress-induced increases in cortical activity were evident in PFC and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) during WM maintenance. Furthermore, hippocampal activity was modulated by stress during encoding and retrieval with increases in the right anterior hippocampus during WM encoding and decreases in the left posterior hippocampus during retrieval. Our study demonstrates that stress increases activity in PFC and PPC specifically during maintenance of items in WM, whereas effects on hippocampal activity are restricted to encoding and retrieval. The finding that psychosocial stress can increase and decrease activity in two different hippocampal areas may be relevant for understanding the often-reported phase-dependent opposing behavioral effects of stress on long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riklef Weerda
- Cognitive Neurobiology, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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