Article
Psychology, Clinical
Andre Pittig, Juliane M. Boschet, Valentina M. Gluck, Kristina Schneider
Summary: The study found that patients with anxiety disorders are unable to inhibit avoidance behavior in the presence of competing positive outcomes, offering a new perspective on the mechanisms and treatment of anxiety disorders. Interestingly, some patients exhibited persistent avoidance behavior, while others showed little to no avoidance, with this elevated costly avoidance not being linked to higher conditioned fear levels.
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Kazutaka Ohi, Takeshi Otowa, Mihoko Shimada, Shunsuke Sugiyama, Yukimasa Muto, Shunsuke Tanahashi, Hisanobu Kaiya, Fumichika Nishimura, Tsukasa Sasaki, Hisashi Tanii, Toshiki Shioiri
Summary: The study investigated the shared transethnic genetic features between Japanese PD patients and European patients with psychiatric disorders and their intermediate phenotypes through polygenic risk score analyses. The findings suggest that PD shares genetic etiologies with other psychiatric disorders and related intermediate phenotypes across different ethnicities. In particular, Japanese PD patients showed higher polygenic risk scores for anxiety and depression compared to healthy controls.
EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Yongrae Cho, Younghee Choi, Sunyoung Kim
Summary: The study revealed that the dimensions of panic appraisal, particularly anticipated panic and panic coping efficacy, uniquely predicted agoraphobic symptoms among patients with panic disorder, beyond the influence of anxiety sensitivity.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Fernando M. C. V. Reis, Dean Mobbs, Newton S. Canteras, Avishek Adhikari
Summary: This article discusses the central role of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) in controlling various defensive responses and explores how PAG-centered circuits influence both innate and learned defensive actions in rodents and humans. It highlights the use of traditional methods like lesions, electrical stimulation, and pharmacology, as well as recent advancements in neural activity imaging and anatomical and genetic control methods to gain a better understanding of PAG function.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Eileen P. Stech, Aileen Z. Chen, Maria J. Sharrock, Ashlee B. Grierson, Emily L. Upton, Alison E. J. Mahoney, Jessica R. Grisham, Jill M. Newby
Summary: This study found that internet-delivered exposure therapy is as effective and acceptable as multi-component internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy in treating panic disorder, with similar clinical outcomes and treatment satisfaction. Both treatments significantly reduced participants' panic disorder symptom severity, with effects maintained at follow-up assessments.
JOURNAL OF ANXIETY DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Wicher A. Bokma, Paul Zhutovsky, Erik J. Giltay, Robert A. Schoevers, Brenda W. J. H. Penninx, Anton L. J. M. van Balkom, Neeltje M. Batelaan, Guido A. van Wingen
Summary: This study aimed to predict recovery from anxiety disorders within 2 years using a machine learning approach. The results showed moderate performance in predicting recovery from anxiety disorders, with anxiety features being the most indicative for improvement.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Pasquale Roberge, Patricia Marx, Jonathan Couture, Nathalie Carrier, Annie Benoit, Martin D. Provencher, Martin M. Antony, Peter J. Norton
Summary: The study aimed to validate the Panic Disorder Severity Scale - Self-Report (PDSS-SR) in a French-Canadian population and examine its psychometric properties. The French version of PDSS-SR demonstrated good psychometric properties and can be used to assess the severity of panic disorder and changes in severity over time in both research and clinical practice.
Article
Neurosciences
Tayllon dos Anjos-Garcia, Alexandre Kanashiro, Alline Cristina de Campos, Norberto Cysne Coimbra
Summary: This study investigated the effects of environmental enrichment on anxiety- and panic attack-like behaviors in mice. The findings showed that exposure to enriched environments resulted in enhanced anxiety-like behaviors and decreased panic attack-like behaviors in a predator-prey confrontation paradigm. These results suggest that enriched external environments can modify how animals process fear- and anxiety-related stimuli in dangerous situations.
NEUROPSYCHOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Priscila Vazquez-Leon, Abraham Miranda-Paez, Kenji Valencia-Flores, Hugo Sanchez-Castillo
Summary: Serotonin is a crucial neurotransmitter that regulates various physiological processes and psychiatric disorders. The periaqueductal gray matter is an important center for defensive behaviors, and electrical stimulation in this region can induce panic, fight-flight, and freezing responses. Serotonergic activity in the periaqueductal gray matter is influenced by other brain areas and the activation of specific receptors, promoting serotonin release. This review emphasizes the role of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/C receptors in anxiety, panic, fear, analgesia, and aggression, suggesting their potential for the treatment of mental disorders.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Mario Garcia-Alanis, Marisa Morales-Cardenas, Liz Nicole Toapanta-Yanchapaxi, Erwin Chiquete, Isaac Nunez, Santa Elizabeth Ceballos-Liceaga, Guillermo Carbajal-Sandoval, Carla Toledo-Salinas, David Alejandro Mendoza-Hernandez, Selma Cecilia Scheffler-Mendoza, Jose Antonio Ortega-Martell, Daniel Armando Carrillo-Garcia, Noe Hernandez-Valdivia, Alonso Gutierrez-Romero, Javier Andres Galnares-Olalde, Fernando Daniel Flores-Silva, Jose Luis Diaz-Ortega, Gustavo Reyes-Teran, Hugo Lopez-Gatell, Ricardo Cortes-Alcala, Jose Rogelio Perez-Padilla, Antonio Arauz, Miguel Garcia-Grimshaw, Sergio Ivan Valdes-Ferrer
Summary: Despite the high number of vaccines administered against SARS-CoV-2 worldwide, there is limited information on the psychological/psychiatric adverse events following immunization. This study utilized the Mexican national registry of adverse events to investigate the frequency of psychological/psychiatric symptoms among recipients of five different anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The results showed that these symptoms were extremely infrequent, and no severe psychiatric adverse events were reported.
Article
Neurosciences
Nadine Faesel, Malgorzata H. Kolodziejczyk, Michael Koch, Markus Fendt
Summary: Accumulating evidence suggests that the central orexin system plays a crucial role in regulating emotional processes in both humans and rodents, particularly in relation to social (fear) behavior. Orexin deficiency can lead to reduced sociability, decreased preference for social novelty, and facilitate the acquisition and expression of conditioned social fear while impairing extinction, with effects that are partly sex-dependent. These findings support the hypothesis of orexin as an integrator of motivation, affect, and emotion.
Article
Psychiatry
Stephanie M. Gorka, Kia J. Khorrami, Charles A. Manzler, K. Luan Phan
Summary: Research suggests that anticipatory anxiety is the underlying factor in several mental disorders. This study investigated the effects of a dual ORX receptor antagonist, suvorexant (SUV), on reducing anticipatory anxiety in humans. Results showed that a single dose of SUV effectively reduced objective indicators of anticipatory anxiety in humans.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Josephine Schultz, Anna Baumeister, Stella Schmotz, Steffen Moritz, Lena Jelinek
Summary: Internet-based psychotherapy, specifically the smartphone app Invirto, offers digitally guided treatment for panic disorders including virtual reality exposure therapy. This study aims to compare the efficacy, safety, and acceptance of Invirto with care-as-usual for panic disorder.
Article
Psychiatry
Oday M. Abushalbaq, Hussain Y. Khdour, Eid G. Abo Hamza, Ahmed A. Moustafa, Mohammad M. Herzallah
Summary: Anxiety spectrum disorders are associated with deficits in working memory, but patients with different anxiety disorders exhibit variations in working memory function. Patients with generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder show poor performance in the maintenance component of working memory, while this is not evident in patients with panic disorder.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sadia Malik, Irfan Ullah, Muhammad Irfan, Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu, Chung-Ying Lin, Amir H. Pakpour, Mark D. Griffiths, Ibad Ur Rehman, Rafia Minhas
Summary: The study revealed a significant positive relationship between fear of COVID-19 and workplace phobia among doctors in Pakistan. Efforts should be made to provide sufficient resources to alleviate doctors' fears and anxieties, in order to help them perform effectively in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Review
Psychology, Developmental
Melissa H. Black, Melissa Scott, Elliot Baker-Young, Craig Thompson, Sarah McGarry, Maya Hayden-Evans, Zelma Snyman, Frank Zimmermann, Viktor Kacic, Torbjorn Falkmer, Marcel Romanos, Sven Boelte, Sonya Girdler, Benjamin Milbourn
Summary: Suicide among post-secondary students is a significant public health concern. While there have been studies on suicide prevention programs, the effective elements of these interventions are still unknown. This study reviewed the literature and identified potential effective elements of suicide prevention programs for post-secondary students. Gatekeeper training programs were found to be the most common type of intervention. These programs have the potential to improve students' engagement with mental health services, knowledge, help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, and gatekeeper-related outcomes.
EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Emily J. Meachon, Georg W. Alpers
Summary: This study investigated coping mechanisms reported by adults with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or both conditions. The results showed that most participants reported adaptive strategies. Behavioral adaptations were most relevant to ADHD, while environmental modifications were common in DCD. Cognitive reframing and social support were similarly relevant to those with DCD and DCD+ADHD. The coping strategy categories were most uniform for the DCD+ADHD group.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Tianyu Zhao, Iana Markevych, Marcel Romanos, Joachim Heinrich
Summary: This study reviewed epidemiological studies on indoor plant exposure and mental health, finding beneficial associations and suggesting the need for further exploratory research.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Alina Koppold, Alexandros Kastrinogiannis, Manuel Kuhn, Tina B. Lonsdorf
Summary: Exposure to adverse experiences, especially childhood maltreatment, has been shown to be a significant risk factor for affective psychopathology. This pre-registered study explored the impact of childhood and recent adversity on emotional processing and found that individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment exhibited reduced discrimination between negative and neutral valence images, while those exposed to recent adversity showed increased discrimination. The results suggest the presence of distinct response profiles in affective modulation.
Article
Neurosciences
Kira Flinkenfluegel, Susanne Meinert, Katharina Thiel, Alexandra Winter, Janik Goltermann, Lea Strathausen, Katharina Brosch, Frederike Stein, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Ulrika Evermann, Adrian Wroblewski, Paula Usemann, Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Dominik Grotegerd, Tim Hahn, Elisabeth J. Leehr, Katharina Dohm, Jochen Bauer, Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Benjamin Straube, Nina Alexander, Andreas Jansen, Igor Nenadic, Axel Krug, Tilo Kircher, Udo Dannlowski
Summary: This study investigated the effects of negative stressful life events and social support on white matter integrity in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy control participants. The results showed that negative stressful life events were negatively correlated with white matter integrity, while social support was positively correlated with white matter integrity, and these associations did not differ between MDD patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, social support appeared to independently contribute to improved white matter integrity.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Frederike Stein, Simon Schmitt, Katharina Brosch, Tina Meller, Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Kai Ringwald, Gunnar Lemmer, Alexandra Philipsen, Susanne Meinert, Hannah Lemke, Lena Waltemate, Katharina Thiel, Michael Franz, Ulrich W. Preuss, Florian G. Metzger, Arne Nagels, Igor Nenadic, Udo Dannlowski, Tilo Kircher, Axel Krug
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dimensional psychopathological syndromes and neurocognitive functions, particularly across major psychiatric disorders. The results showed that negative syndrome, positive formal thought disorder, and paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome were associated with neurocognition in an illness state-dependent manner, while depression and increased appetite only showed weak associations.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Sean R. McWhinney, Christoph Abe, Martin Alda, Francesco Benedetti, Erlend Boen, Caterina del Mar Bonnin, Tiana Borgers, Katharina Brosch, Erick J. Canales-Rodriguez, Dara M. Cannon, Udo Dannlowski, Ana M. Diaz-Zuluaga, Lorielle M. F. Dietze, Torbjorn Elvsashagen, Lisa T. Eyler, Janice M. Fullerton, Jose M. Goikolea, Janik Goltermann, Dominik Grotegerd, Bartholomeus C. M. Haarman, Tim Hahn, Fleur M. Howells, Martin Ingvar, Neda Jahanshad, Tilo T. J. Kircher, Axel Krug, Rayus T. Kuplicki, Mikael Landen, Hannah Lemke, Benny Liberg, Carlos Lopez-Jaramillo, Ulrik F. Malt, Fiona M. Martyn, Elena Mazza, Colm McDonald, Genevieve McPhilemy, Sandra Meier, Susanne Meinert, Tina Meller, Elisa M. T. Melloni, Philip B. Mitchell, Leila Nabulsi, Igor Nenadic, Nils Opel, Roel A. Ophoff, Bronwyn J. Overs, Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Julian A. Pineda-Zapata, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Joaquim Radua, Jonathan Repple, Maike Richter, Kai G. Ringwald, Gloria Roberts, Alex Ross, Raymond Salvador, Jonathan Savitz, Simon Schmitt, Peter R. Schofield, Kang Sim, Dan J. Stein, Frederike Stein, Henk S. Temmingh, Katharina Thiel, Sophia I. Thomopoulos, Neeltje E. M. van Haren, Cristian Vargas, Eduard Vieta, Annabel Vreeker, Lena Waltemate, Lakshmi N. Yatham, Christopher R. K. Ching, Ole A. Andreassen, Paul M. Thompson, Tomas Hajek
Summary: This study found that body mass index (BMI) and bipolar disorder (BD) have an impact on brain structure, particularly in cortical thickness. Both BMI and BD negatively affect the same brain regions, and BMI has a greater effect on brain alterations in individuals with BD. It is important to assess the neuroanatomical changes in BD caused by BMI and the effects of psychiatric medications on the brain.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Psychology, Biological
Rima-Maria Rahal, Susann Fiedler, Adeyemi Adetula, Ronnie P. -A. Berntsson, Ulrich Dirnagl, Gordon B. Feld, Christian J. Fiebach, Samsad Afrin Himi, Aidan J. Horner, Tina B. Lonsdorf, Felix Schoenbrodt, Miguel Alejandro A. Silan, Michael Wenzler, Flavio Azevedo
Summary: High-quality research necessitates appropriate employment and working conditions for researchers. Nevertheless, numerous academic systems rely on short-term employment contracts, biased selection procedures, and misaligned incentives, all of which impede research quality and progress. We explore ways to redesign academic systems, with a focus on the importance of permanent employment.
NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
R. Sjouwerman, T. B. Lonsdorf
Summary: Context plays a crucial role in guiding behavior and associative learning processes. The return of fear (RoF) after successful extinction is context dependent, as seen in phenomena such as renewal and reinstatement. Reinstatement paradigms in humans have shown mixed findings, with both CS specific and unspecific RoF observed. This study systematically investigates the role of context in reinstatement-induced RoF in fear conditioning, highlighting the need for future research to focus on the operationalization of context.
BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH AND THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Education, Special
Emily J. J. Meachon, Hannah Melching, Georg W. W. Alpers
Summary: Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a common condition characterized by difficulties in motor skills. Recent research has found links between DCD symptoms and negative outcomes in mental and physical health. However, many clinicians are still not well-informed about DCD.
ADVANCES IN NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Edward Ody, Tilo Kircher, Benjamin Straube, Yifei He
Summary: This study investigated the pre-movement electroencephalography (EEG) activity of active and passive movements and found evidence that it may represent action-feedback prediction in which information about the subsequent sensory outcome is encoded. The results showed distinct neural markers for visual and auditory conditions, and multivariate pattern analysis revealed decoding accuracies for active and passive movements. The study highlights the importance of pre-movement EEG activity in predicting action feedback.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Christina V. Schmitter, Konstantin Kufer, Olaf Steinstraeter, Jens Sommer, Tilo Kircher, Benjamin Straube
Summary: Through the study of behavioral and neural correlates of temporal recalibration, it was found that the hippocampus plays an important role in encoding and retrieving temporal stimulus associations, the activation in the cerebellum may reflect the retention of multiple representations of temporal stimulus associations, and sensorimotor predictions modulate recalibration-related processes, explaining the perceptual advantage of sensorimotor versus intersensory temporal recalibration.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Yann Quide, Oliver J. Watkeys, Emiliana Tonini, Dominik Grotegerd, Udo Dannlowski, Igor Nenadic, Tilo Kircher, Axel Krug, Tim Hahn, Susanne Meinert, Janik Goltermann, Marius Gruber, Frederike Stein, Katharina Brosch, Adrian Wroblewski, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Paula Usemann, Benjamin Straube, Nina Alexander, Elisabeth J. Leehr, Jochen Bauer, Nils R. Winter, Lukas Fisch, Katharina Dohm, Wulf Roessler, Lukasz Smigielski, Pamela DeRosse, Ashley Moyett, Josselin Houenou, Marion Leboyer, James Gilleen, Sophia I. Thomopoulos, Paul M. Thompson, Andre Aleman, Gemma Modinos, Melissa J. Green
Summary: The present study investigated the relationship between schizotypy and childhood trauma exposure on brain morphological differences. The results showed that higher levels of schizotypy were associated with thicker or thinner cortical regions in individuals exposed to higher levels of childhood trauma. This suggests that the effects of schizotypy on brain regions critical for higher cognitive processes may be enhanced in those with a history of significant trauma.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Psychology, Biological
Julia Wendt, Manuel Kuhn, Alfons O. Hamm, Tina B. Lonsdorf
Summary: The startle response, a defensive reflex, is an important tool in cross-species emotion research. While extensive studies have been conducted on rodents, technical challenges have hindered research on brain-behavior interactions in humans. However, recent non-invasive assessments have overcome these challenges. This work provides key paradigms and methodological tools for assessing startle response in both rodents and humans, reviews the neural circuits underlying startle responses and their affective modulation, and suggests a refined model for these pathways in humans.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Tim Hahn, Nils R. Winter, Erfan Nozari, Jan Ernsting, Susanne Meinert, Elisabeth J. Leehr, Katharina Dohm, Jochen Bauer, Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Frederike Stein, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Katharina Brosch, Marco Mauritz, Marius Gruber, Jonathan Repple, Tobias Kaufmann, Axel Krug, Igor Nenadic, Tilo Kircher, Udo Dannlowski, Birgit Derntl
Summary: This study investigates the impact of parenthood on brain controllability and finds that parenthood can counteract the effects of aging on brain controllability, especially in mothers.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)