Article
Psychology, Biological
Michael W. Lewis, Daniel E. Bradford, Eylul Akman, Kevin Frederiks, Scott L. Rauch, Isabelle M. Rosso
Summary: Unconditioned responding (UCR) to an aversive stimulus is associated with defensive responding during fear acquisition, but its relationships with extinction training, PTSD symptom severity, and fearful traits are unknown. This study found that UCR, particularly unconditioned startle, is positively associated with defensive responding and fearful traits, but not with PTSD symptom severity.
Article
Neurosciences
Michael W. Lewis, Christian A. Webb, Manuel Kuhn, Eylul Akman, Sydney A. Jobson, Isabelle M. Rosso
Summary: This study successfully predicted the factors that reliably predict fear extinction in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using penalized regression algorithms. These findings offer novel insights for the development of personalized exposure therapies.
Review
Psychology, Biological
Michael W. Lewis, Daniel E. Bradford, Edward F. Pace-Schott, Scott L. Rauch, Isabelle M. Rosso
Summary: Persistent fear is a major symptom of PTSD, and deficient fear extinction retention is considered to be a mechanism of the illness and a target of therapy. However, the evidence for deficient fear extinction in PTSD using laboratory paradigms is inconclusive, possibly due to methodological variations across studies. This study reviewed the literature to identify these methodological differences and conducted a Multiverse Analysis to measure their impact on statistical findings. The findings revealed inconsistent results for fear extinction retention in PTSD, but consistently elevated skin conductance response to a danger cue was found. The study discusses the methodological parameters contributing to inconsistent findings and their implications for future research.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yuanhui Li, Nan Li, Liqun Zhang, Yanru Liu, Tianjiao Zhang, Dai Li, Dexiang Bai, Xiang Liu, Lingjiang Li
Summary: This study develops a fear-potentiated startle paradigm and a machine learning approach to accurately predict PTSD symptoms in Chinese firefighters. The machine learning model can identify firefighters with a PCL-C score of 38 or above with sensitivity and specificity both above 0.85 when 5-fold cross validated on a 1107-person sample.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Christopher S. Stauffer, Tyler E. Morrison, Nathan K. Meinzer, David Leung, Jessica Buffington, Evan G. Sheh, Thomas C. Neylan, Aoife O'Donovan, Joshua D. Woolley
Summary: Co-occurring PTSD and AUD is common and treatment options are limited. Intranasal oxytocin administration may be effective in reducing symptoms, but dosage is important. This study found that oxytocin 20 IU had no effect on startle reactivity in co-occurring patients, while oxytocin 40 IU increased startle reactivity.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Jessica Maples-Keller, Laura E. Watkins, K. Maria Nylocks, Carly Yasinski, Callan Coghlan, Kathryn Black, Tanja Jovanovic, Sheila A. M. Rauch, Barbara O. Rothbaum, Seth Davin Norrholm
Summary: This study examined fear acquisition, extinction learning, and retention in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients before and after treatment, and found excessive fear in PTSD patients during acquisition and extinction. It also found that high responders to prolonged exposure therapy (PE) maintained fear extinction learning, while low responders showed a return of fear after treatment.
BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH AND THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Julia S. Yarrington, Meghan Vinograd, Alexander L. Williams, Kate B. Wolitzky-Taylor, Richard E. Zinbarg, Susan Mineka, Allison M. Waters, Michelle G. Craske
Summary: This study used SR and SCR to predict longitudinal changes in anxiety and depression symptoms. The results showed that SR and SCR were associated with an increase in these symptom factors over time.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Kieran McVeigh, Ian R. Kleckner, Karen S. Quigley, Ajay B. Satpute
Summary: Psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists have long debated whether there is a universal mapping of physiology to emotion or if these mappings vary by person or situation. This study explored the relationship between subjective experience and autonomic reactivity in instances of fear across three different situations. The results showed that the relationship between fear experience and autonomic reactivity is situation-dependent, with individual variance constrained by the situation.
Article
Psychiatry
Emma C. Lathan, Alfonsina Guelfo, Dominique L. La Barrie, Andrew Teer, Abigail Powers, Greg Siegle, Negar Fani
Summary: This study found that dissociative symptoms were differently associated with skin conductance response (SCR) in resting control and breath-focused mindfulness conditions among individuals with PTSD symptoms. Depersonalization symptoms were linked to lower SCR during resting control, but higher SCR during breath-focused mindfulness in individuals with low-to-moderate levels of PTSD symptoms. These findings have important implications for treatment engagement barriers and treatment selection in this population.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Judith C. Kreutzmann, Marie-France Marin, Markus Fendt, Mohammed R. Milad, Kerry Ressler, Tanja Jovanovic
Summary: The study found that individuals with lower responses to aversive stimuli also displayed lower fear responses to conditioned safety stimuli, while traumatized individuals showed responses to fear and safety stimuli influenced by their unconditioned response to aversive stimuli.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Patrick Vizeli, Isabelle Straumann, Urs Duthaler, Nimmy Varghese, Anne Eckert, Martin P. Paulus, Victoria Risbrough, Matthias E. Liechti
Summary: This study aims to explore the potential of MDMA as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its mechanism of action. The results show that MDMA treatment can enhance fear extinction learning and recall, but this effect may be limited to certain forms of learned fear responses. Additionally, MDMA does not influence fear reactions to conditioned cues.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Philip Newsome, Sonia G. Ruiz, Andrea L. Gold, Daniel S. Pine, Rany Abend
Summary: An alternative fear potentiated startle (FPS) scoring method was used to examine threat conditioning and extinction in individuals with anxiety disorders. The study found that individuals with anxiety disorders exhibited stronger retention of threat contingency during extinction. These findings support extinction theories of anxiety and suggest the importance of further research on aberrant extinction in pathological anxiety.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Sydney Timmer-Murillo, Claire Sheeran, Hailey Begg, Morgan Christoph, Terri A. deRoon-Cassini, Christine L. Larson
Summary: The study found that emotion dysregulation after trauma can be assessed by measuring skin conductance level (SCL), and that an increase in SCL is associated with greater emotion dysregulation. Additionally, a decrease in SCL during a neutral event is related to a decrease in emotion dysregulation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jaimie L. Gradus, Sandro Galea
Summary: The DSM-5 defines trauma as an event involving actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. However, the strict distinction between traumatic and less severe stressful events is not helpful for public health. Public health should focus on all individuals experiencing distressing stress and trauma reactions, rather than just those with the most severe experiences.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(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
Psychology, Clinical
N. G. Harnett, N. M. Dumornay, M. Delity, L. D. Sanchez, K. Mohiuddin, P. I. Musey, M. J. Seamon, S. A. McLean, R. C. Kessler, K. C. Koenen, F. L. Beaudoin, L. A. M. Lebois, S. J. H. van Rooij, N. A. Sampson, V Michopoulos, J. L. Maples-Keller, J. P. Haran, A. B. Storrow, C. Lewandowski, P. L. Hendry, S. Sheikh, C. W. Jones, B. E. Punches, M. C. Kurz, R. A. Swor, M. E. McGrath, L. A. Hudak, J. L. Pascual, S. L. House, X. An, J. S. Stevens, T. C. Neylan, T. Jovanovic, S. D. Linnstaedt, L. T. Germine, E. M. Datner, A. M. Chang, C. Pearson, D. A. Peak, R. C. Merchant, R. M. Domeier, N. K. Rathlev, B. J. O'Neil, P. Sergot, S. E. Bruce, M. W. Miller, R. H. Pietrzak, J. Joormann, D. M. Barch, D. A. Pizzagalli, J. F. Sheridan, J. W. Smoller, B. Luna, S. E. Harte, J. M. Elliott, K. J. Ressler
Summary: Racial and ethnic differences exist in the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among various groups in the USA. While there are no consistent racial/ethnic differences in posttraumatic stress in the early aftermath of trauma, it appears that differences in chronic PTSD rates may be related to differences in recovery over time. In this study, racial/ethnic groups did not differ in symptoms over time, but Black participants showed reduced posttraumatic depression and anxiety symptoms compared to Hispanic and White participants. These differences in depression and anxiety were no longer significant after accounting for greater prior trauma exposure and childhood emotional abuse in White participants.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Family Studies
Alexandra D. W. Sullivan, Zoe M. F. Brier, Alison C. Legrand, Katherine van Stolk-Cooke, Tanja Jovanovic, Seth D. Norrholm, Hugh Garavan, Rex Forehand, Matthew Price
Summary: This study examined the risk of psychological pathology in emerging adults with a history of childhood maltreatment and the influence of positive parenting on PTSD symptom severity and a transdiagnostic maladjustment biomarker. The findings suggest that positive parenting can moderate the increase in reactivity and provide better psychological outcomes for emerging adults with childhood maltreatment histories.
CHILD MALTREATMENT
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Scott W. Delaney, Yllza Xerxa, Ryan L. Muetzel, Tonya White, Sebastien Haneuse, Kerry J. Ressler, Henning Tiemeier, Laura D. Kubzansky
Summary: The study suggests that positive prenatal family environments may have lasting benefits on white matter neurodevelopment in preadolescence, which can reduce the risk of behavior problems.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Christopher W. Jones, Xinming An, Yinyao Ji, Mochuan Liu, Donglin Zeng, Stacey L. House, Francesca L. Beaudoin, Jennifer S. Stevens, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Tanja Jovanovic, Sarah D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. Germine, Kenneth A. Bollen, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey Jr, Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Brittany E. Punches, Michael S. Lyons, Michael C. Kurz, Robert A. Swor, Meghan E. McGrath, Lauren A. Hudak, Jose L. Pascual, Mark J. Seamon, Elizabeth M. Datner, Erica Harris, Anna M. Chang, Claire Pearson, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Niels K. Rathlev, Brian J. O'Neil, Paulina Sergot, Leon D. Sanchez, Steven E. Bruce, Mark W. Miller, Robert H. Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M. Barch, Diego A. Pizzagalli, John F. Sheridan, Jordan W. Smoller, Steven E. Harte, James M. Elliott, Karestan C. Koenen, Kerry J. Ressler, Ronald C. Kessler, Samuel A. McLean
Summary: The study aimed to develop and validate a simple bedside clinical decision support tool for identifying emergency department patients at high risk of substantial posttraumatic stress symptoms after a motor vehicle collision. The tool consisted of 8 questions and showed good discriminative ability and predictive accuracy in risk assessment.
ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anthony N. Reffi, Christopher L. Drake, David A. Kalmbach, Tanja Jovanovic, Seth D. Norrholm, Thomas Roth, Melynda D. Casement, Philip Cheng
Summary: This study examines how pre-pandemic sleep reactivity predicts stress reactions and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that higher pre-pandemic sleep reactivity is associated with more stress reactions and depression. Additionally, digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia mitigates the relationship between pre-pandemic sleep reactivity and stress reactions.
JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Erin Hisey, Alicia Purkey, Yudong Gao, Kazi Hossain, Scott H. Soderling, Kerry J. Ressler
Summary: This study reveals the crucial role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus in threat memory processing, particularly in modulating the gain of behavioral output during threat retrieval and encoding. The projection from the ventromedial PFC to the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) is found to be involved in this modulation. This finding provides potential targets for intervention in threat-related disorders.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nathaniel G. G. Harnett, Negar Fani, Sierra Carter, Leon D. D. Sanchez, Grace E. E. Rowland, William M. M. Davie, Camilo Guzman, Lauren A. M. Lebois, Timothy D. D. Ely, Sanne J. H. van Rooij, Antonia V. V. Seligowski, Sterling Winters, Lana R. R. Grasser, Paul I. I. Musey Jr, Mark J. J. Seamon, Stacey L. L. House, Francesca L. L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Donglin Zeng, Thomas C. C. Neylan, Gari D. D. Clifford, Sarah D. D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. T. Germine, Kenneth A. A. Bollen, Scott L. L. Rauch, John P. P. Haran, Alan B. B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Phyllis L. L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. W. Jones, Brittany E. E. Punches, Robert A. A. Swor, Lauren A. A. Hudak, Jose L. L. Pascual, Erica Harris, Anna M. M. Chang, Claire Pearson, David A. A. Peak, Roland C. C. Merchant, Robert M. M. Domeier, Niels K. K. Rathlev, Steven E. E. Bruce, Mark W. W. Miller, Robert H. H. Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M. M. Barch, Diego A. A. Pizzagalli, Steven E. E. Harte, James M. M. Elliott, Ronald C. C. Kessler, Karestan C. C. Koenen, Samuel A. A. McLean, Tanja Jovanovic, Jennifer S. S. Stevens, Kerry J. J. Ressler
Summary: Considerable racial/ethnic disparities persist in exposure to life stressors and socioeconomic resources that affect the amygdala. Limited work has investigated potential racial/ethnic variability in amygdala reactivity or connectivity related to outcomes such as PTSD.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
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
Yara Mekawi, Martha N. Ishiekwene, Asha N. Jimenez, Maryam Ware, Sierra E. Carter, Anais F. Stenson, Tanja Jovanovic, Bekh Bradley-Davino, Abigail Powers
Summary: This study found that experiences of racism among Black mothers are associated with both maternal and child depression. Maternal experiences of racism indirectly influence child depression through the effect of maternal depression. The study also found that the level of maternal trauma exposure moderates the indirect effect of racism on child depression.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samantha A. Wong, Lauren A. M. Lebois, Timothy D. Ely, Sanne J. H. van Rooij, Steven E. Bruce, Vishnu P. Murty, Tanja Jovanovic, Stacey L. House, Francesca L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Donglin Zeng, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Sarah D. Linnstaedt, Laura T. Germine, Kenneth A. Bollen, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey Jr, Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. Jones, Brittany E. Punches, Michael C. Kurz, Robert A. Swor, Lauren A. Hudak, Jose L. Pascual, Mark J. Seamon, Claire Pearson, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Niels K. Rathlev, Brian J. O'Neil, Paulina Sergot, Leon D. Sanchez, Mark W. Miller, Robert H. Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M. Barch, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Steven E. Harte, James M. Elliott, Ronald C. Kessler, Karestan C. Koenen, Samuel A. McLean, Kerry J. Ressler, Jennifer S. Stevens, Nathaniel G. Harnett
Summary: Childhood trauma has a significant impact on white matter microstructure and future posttraumatic dysfunction. The internal capsule (IC) microstructure plays a crucial role in connecting childhood trauma with PTSD symptoms, while other white matter tracts do not show such mediation. This study highlights the importance of IC as a stable neural pathway between childhood trauma and PTSD symptoms.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Erin E. Hisey, Emma L. Fritsch, Emily L. Newman, Kerry J. Ressler, Brian D. Kangas, William A. A. Carlezon Jr
Summary: Early-life stress has long-lasting impacts on the brain, increasing the risk of psychiatric illnesses. By modeling human early-life stress in mice, researchers have identified biomarkers that are relevant to mood and anxiety disorders, which can potentially improve treatment and prevention strategies.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Dominik R. Bach, Juliana Sporrer, Rany Abend, Tom Beckers, Joseph E. Dunsmoor, Miquel A. Fullana, Matthias Gamer, Dylan G. Gee, Alfons Hamm, Catherine A. Hartley, Ryan J. Herringa, Tanja Jovanovic, Raffael Kalisch, David C. Knight, Shmuel Lissek, Tina B. Lonsdorf, Christian J. Merz, Mohammed Milad, Jayne Morriss, Elizabeth A. Phelps, Daniel S. Pine, Andreas Olsson, Carien M. van Reekum, Daniela Schiller
Summary: This article introduces a laboratory model called fear conditioning, which is widely used to investigate learning, memory, and psychopathology. Quantification of learning in this model is diverse in humans, and establishing psychometric properties of different quantification methods can be challenging. To address this issue, the researchers propose a calibration procedure in which well-defined values are generated to serve as a validity criterion for ranking methods. They develop a specific calibration protocol for fear conditioning in humans and suggest 25 design variables for measurement calibration. The general calibration process outlined in this study can be used as a blueprint for refining measurements in other subfields of behavioral neuroscience.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Corinne Meinhausen, Gabriel J. Sanchez, Donald Edmondson, Ian M. Kronish, Joseph E. Schwartz, Rebecca Hinrichs, Tanja Jovanovic, Jennifer A. Sumner
Summary: This study explores a potential biomarker of PTSD risk, skin conductance (SC) measurement, in a medical trauma population. It found a significant positive association between SC reactivity to recalling the traumatic event and fear-related symptoms of PTSD at 1-month follow-up. These findings suggest that mobile SC reactivity measures may be useful for identifying individuals at risk for fear-related PTSD symptoms following a medical event and shed light on the potential mechanisms involved in their development.
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
(2023)
Correction
Psychology, Clinical
Sheila A. M. Rauch, Carly W. Yasinski, Loren M. Post, Tanja Jovanovic, Seth Norrholm, Andrew M. Sherrill, Vasiliki Michopoulos, Brittany Lannert, Monika Stojek, Laura Watkins, Mark Burton, Kelsey Sprang, Lauren McSweeney, Katie Ragsdale, Barbara O. Rothbaum
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
(2023)