Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shihao Huang, Yu Zhou, Feilong Wu, Cuijie Shi, He Yan, Liangpei Chen, Chang Yang, Yixiao Luo
Summary: This study found that berberine combined with extinction training can effectively promote the extinction of fear memories and prevent their reinstatement and spontaneous recovery. This finding provides a new potential avenue for the treatment of fear-related disorders.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Khadijah Shanazz, Rachael Dixon-Melvin, Rebecca Nalloor, Riya Thumar, Almira I. Vazdarjanova
Summary: According to animal experiments, there are differences in the expression of fear memories between female and male rats. Female rats tend to express fear memories through active motor responses, which is referred to as "Anxioescapic" behavior strategy. There is no significant difference in fear learning between female and male rats.
Article
Psychiatry
Rachel Ahrenholtz, Jaryd Hiser, Marisa C. Ross, Anthony Privratsky, Anneliis Sartin-Tarm, G. Andrew James, Josh M. Cisler
Summary: The study identified three distinct neurocircuitry biotypes among women with PTSD, each associated with different neurocognitive features and clinical symptoms. This highlights the importance of considering different biotypes in PTSD research.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Youjia Yu, Yan Li, Dan Han, Chuhao Gong, Liwei Wang, Beiping Li, Rui Yao, Yangzi Zhu
Summary: In this study, the effects of intraoperative and postoperative low-dose intravenous pumping dexmedetomidine on PTSD among patients with trauma undergoing emergency surgery were evaluated. A total of 310 trauma patients participated in the analysis. The results showed that the incidence of PTSD was significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group compared to the control group, and the CAPS-5 score was also lower. Therefore, dexmedetomidine can effectively reduce the risk of PTSD in trauma patients.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jeehye Seo, Katelyn Oliver, Carolina Daffre, Kylie N. Moore, Samuel Gazecki, Natasha B. Lasko, Mohammed R. Milad, Edward F. Pace-Schott
Summary: Sleep disturbances may increase the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Different patterns of neural activations during fear extinction may be observed in individuals with PTSD compared to trauma-exposed controls.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleni P. Papagianni, William G. Warren, Helen J. Cassaday, Carl W. Stevenson
Summary: Recent studies have shown that cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic component of cannabis, has potential as a treatment for anxiety-related disorders. It can prevent spontaneous fear recovery after extinction and improve extinction resistance caused by immediate extinction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Einat Elharrar, Yahav Dikshtein, Sapir Meninger-Mordechay, Yehuda Lichtenstein, Gal Yadid
Summary: Recent research shows that inhibiting PARP-1 activity can interfere with fear conditioning and reduce freezing behavior. By controlling the pharmacokinetic timing, it is possible to specifically disrupt cue-associated fear memories without interfering with other natural memories.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Maya T. Schenker, Sevil Ince, Luke J. Ney, Chia-Ming K. Hsu, Daniel V. Zuj, Amy S. Jordan, Christian L. Nicholas, Kim L. Felmingham
Summary: Sleep plays a crucial role in fear conditioning, extinction learning, and extinction recall. However, subjective sleep measures were not found to be associated with fear conditioning or extinction processes in individuals with PTSD. Exploratory analyses revealed that shorter sleep onset latency and greater sleep efficiency were associated with improved extinction recall in women with higher PTSD symptom severity.
BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH AND THERAPY
(2022)
Review
Psychiatry
Robert J. Sottile, Thomas Vida
Summary: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder, and the current drug treatments are limited. However, MDMA may play a role in strengthening therapeutic alliance and trauma processing through the increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) availability and pro-social effects.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
C. M. B. Kwee, F. E. van der Flier, P. Duits, A. J. L. M. van Balkom, D. C. Cath, J. M. P. Baas
Summary: This study investigated the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on fear memory expression and fear re-extinction. The results showed that CBD reduced the expectation of threat during fear retention, but had no effect on fear re-extinction. However, in patients using antidepressant medication, CBD may interfere with the re-extinction of subjective fear.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Rongzhen Yan, Tianyu Wang, Xiaoyan Ma, Xinyang Zhang, Rui Zheng, Qiang Zhou
Summary: The probabilistic association between cause and effect plays a crucial role in memory formation, especially in psychiatric diseases. Research shows that 50% association between conditioned and unconditioned stimuli can reduce fear responses and neural spiking activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. The formation of probabilistic memory involves enhanced inhibition from PV-neurons, increased synaptic inputs, and activation of the ventral hippocampus to detect mismatch during conditioning. Stress can impair the formation of probabilistic memory by affecting PV-neuronal plasticity, while prior stress to memory retrieval can revert enhanced PV-neuron activity.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
David Hessl, Lauren Libero, Andrea Schneider, Connor Kerns, Breanna Winder-Patel, Brianna Heath, Joshua Lee, Cory Coleman, Natasha Sharma, Marjorie Solomon, Christine Wu Nordahl, David G. Amaral
Summary: The study found that the connection between fear conditioning and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) depends on the size of the amygdala.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Maya T. Schenker, Luke J. Ney, Lisa N. Miller, Kim L. Felmingham, Christian L. Nicholas, Amy S. Jordan
Summary: Sleep plays a crucial role in the long-lasting consolidation and processing of emotional memories, particularly REM sleep. There are correlations between sleep stages and psychophysiological reactivity, with gender modulating these associations.
SLEEP MEDICINE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Ann-Kathrin Zenses, Frank Baeyens, Tom Beckers, Yannick Boddez
Summary: The study found that mere thinking of an aversive outcome could be successfully conditioned, and strategies to reduce such thoughts include counterconditioning. Presenting new positive outcomes also proved effective in reducing thoughts about the initial outcome. Including thinking of the aversive outcome as an additional dependent variable may enhance understanding of anxiety-related disorders and inform their treatment.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Luke J. Ney, Allison Matthews, Chia-Ming Ken Hsu, Daniel Zuj, Emma Nicholson, Trevor Steward, David Nichols, Bronwyn Graham, Ben Harrison, Raimondo Bruno, Kim Felmingham
Summary: The study found that the endocannabinoid receptor 1 and arachidonoyl ethanolamide play important roles in human fear extinction learning. The effect of FAAH gene polymorphism on fear extinction is moderated by plasma AEA level. These findings suggest that FAAH inhibitors may be effective for targeting anxiety in PTSD, but further research in clinical populations is needed.
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Nicole L. Zabik, Allesandra S. Iadipaolo, Hilary A. Marusak, Craig Peters, Kyle Burghardt, Christine A. Rabinak
Summary: The study found that genetic variation in FAAH C385A may predict individual differences in successful fear learning by affecting fear extinction neural circuitry.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Breanna A. Borg, Christine A. Rabinak, Hilary A. Marusak
Summary: Urban residents are disproportionately affected by violence exposure and have higher rates of mental health problems compared to non-urban residents. Urban youth have more exposure to violence, particularly firearm violence, and experience higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. Targeted community-wide initiatives are needed to prevent violence and improve mental health outcomes in at-risk urban communities.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Hilary A. Marusak
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2022)
Editorial Material
Psychology, Developmental
Hilary A. Marusak
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Yuko Hakamata, Shinya Mizukami, Shuhei Izawa, Hisayoshi Okamura, Kengo Mihara, Hilary Marusak, Yoshiya Moriguchi, Hiroaki Hori, Takashi Hanakawa, Yusuke Inoue, Hirokuni Tagaya
Summary: Research suggests that anxiety and depression are related to memory biases, with anxiety facilitating an initial focus on negative information and implicit memory bias being influenced by anxiety. The neural connectivity and hormone interaction may serve as important targets in the treatment of comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Hilary A. Marusak, Breanna Borg, Austin Morales, Jamila Carrington Smith, Kelly Blankenship, Junior Lloyd Allen, Elimelech Goldberg, Martin H. Bluth
Summary: This exploratory study found that the martial arts-based Heroes Circle curriculum had a positive impact on stress, emotional, and behavioral problems in elementary school children, with students experiencing increased mindfulness and decreased stress after participating in the program. Most children continued to use the techniques and reported benefits 5 months later, including reduced internalizing symptoms and COVID-19-related fears. These positive effects were not observed in the control school.
MIND BRAIN AND EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Mohammed M. Faraj, Julia Evanski, Clara G. Zundel, Craig Peters, Susanne Brummelte, Leslie Lundahl, Hilary A. Marusak
Summary: Cannabis use among pregnant people has increased, and prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with deficits in cognition, motor skills, and social abilities among offspring. This study found that prenatal cannabis exposure may affect the interactions in the SN-VAN, leading to an increased risk of child psychopathology.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nicole L. Zabik, Craig Peters, Allesandra Iadipaolo, Hilary A. Marusak, Christine A. Rabinak
Summary: This study explores the neural mechanisms underlying fear renewal and designs a novel immersive Pavlovian fear acquisition, extinction, recall, and renewal paradigm. It elicited greater corticolimbic activation in healthy adults and suggests that combining immersive Pavlovian fear conditioning with innately fearful stimuli may improve clinical interventions for fear-based disorders.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Laura D. Seligman, Andrew L. Geers, Lauren Kramer, Kelly S. Clemens, Keenan A. Pituch, Ben Colagiuri, Hilary A. Marusak, Christine A. Rabinak, Natalie Turner, Michael Nedley
Summary: This study aims to investigate the mechanisms of the pre-exposure effect on conditioned dental fear and examine the role of pain sensitivity. Healthy volunteers will undergo a conditioning task in a virtual reality environment to explore the effects of pre-exposure and pain sensitivity on fear acquisition, recall, and retention. This research is important for developing effective strategies to prevent dental phobia.
Article
Developmental Biology
Lana Ruvolo Grasser, Bassem Saad, Celine Bazzi, Hiba Abu Suhaiban, Dalia F. Mammo, Ragda Izar, Noor Abou Rass, Sterling J. Winters, Raya Nashef, Ayat Abed Ali, Arash Javanbakht, Tanja Jovanovic
Summary: Fear-potentiated startle (FPS) can be used as a biomarker to measure fear and safety learning behaviors affected by trauma, particularly in youth with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In a study on Syrian youth exposed to war trauma, it was found that FPS during fear extinction was associated with symptoms of PTSD. The results suggest the potential use of trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy based on extinction learning principles for youth with PTSD.
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Aneesh Hehr, Edward D. Huntley, Hilary A. Marusak
Summary: Sleep plays a crucial role in neurocognitive development, and insufficient or poor quality sleep can negatively impact cognitive and emotional functions. This study examines the associations between sleep and resting-state functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) in youth.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Julia M. Evanski, Allesandra Iadipaolo, Samantha L. Ely, Clara G. Zundel, Leah C. Gowatch, Amanpreet Bhogal, Zazai Owens, Cindy Cohen, Elimelech Goldberg, Martin H. Bluth, Jeffrey Taub, Felicity W. K. Harper, Christine A. Rabinak, Hilary A. Marusak
Summary: This study investigated the changes in posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among pediatric cancer patients and survivors after a martial-arts-based meditative intervention. It also examined the correlation between baseline hippocampal volumes and PTSS severity, as well as PTSS changes over time. The results indicated that patients with smaller hippocampal volume had more severe re-experiencing PTSS at baseline and showed greater reductions in PTSS after the intervention. Therefore, hippocampal volume may serve as a biomarker for PTSS severity and intervention response. These findings contribute to a better understanding and treatment of the mental well-being of pediatric cancer patients and survivors.
ARCHIVES OF CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Holly Feen-Calligan, Lana Ruvolo Grasser, Jessica Smigels, Natalie McCabe, Breanna Kremer, Alaa Al-Zuwayyin, Ismail Yusuf, Noor Alesawy, Jenna Al-Nouri, Arash Javanbakht
Summary: Art therapy reduces trauma-related psychopathology in refugee youth. Virtual art therapy has been adapted to address the unique needs of traumatized refugee populations, providing them with socioemotional support and enhancing resilience. This article discusses the development, implementation, and clinical recommendations of virtual art therapy for refugee youth and their families, highlighting its effectiveness in fostering positive emotions, sense of self and community, stress coping skills, and accessibility in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing global refugee numbers.
Article
Neurosciences
Julia M. Evanski, Clara G. Zundel, Samantha L. Baglot, Shreya Desai, Leah C. Gowatch, Samantha L. Ely, Nareen Sadik, Leslie H. Lundahl, Matthew N. Hill, Hilary A. Marusak
Summary: This study found that prenatal cannabis exposure has small but reliable effects on white matter integrity in children, particularly in the fornix which plays a crucial role in emotion and memory-related processes.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Youling Bai, Jianguo Qu, Dan Li, Huazhan Yin
Summary: This study used resting-state functional connectivity analysis to investigate the neural pathways between internet addiction tendency and sleep quality, and found a positive correlation between internet addiction tendency and the strength of functional connectivity within the default-mode network. Furthermore, internet addiction tendency mediated the relationship between these functional couplings and sleep quality.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Jie Zhang, Xiyan Li, Shiwei Liu, Can Xu, Zhijie Zhang
Summary: In this study, electroencephalogram data was analyzed to compare the resting network activation between heavy media multitaskers (HMM) and light media multitaskers (LMM). The results showed that HMM had weaker activation in the attention network, but enhanced activation in the salience network. They also had an enhanced visual network and may feel less comfortable during resting-state periods. This suggests that chronic media multitasking leads to a bottom-up or stimulus-driven allocation of attention for HMM, while LMM use a top-down approach.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2024)