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BACKGROUND: Low intensity transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), including alternating or direct current stimulation (tACS or tDCS), applies weak electrical stimulation to modulate the activity of brain circuits. Integration of tES with concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows for the mapping of neural activity during neuromodulation, supporting causal studies of both brain function and tES effects. Methodological aspects of tES-fMRI studies underpin the results, and reporting them in appropriate detail is required for reproducibility and interpretability. Despite the growing number of published reports, there are no consensus-based checklists for disclosing methodological details of concurrent tES-fMRI studies. OBJECTIVE: To develop a consensus-based checklist of reporting standards for concurrent tES-fMRI studies to support methodological rigor, transparency, and reproducibility (ContES Checklist). METHODS: A two-phase Delphi consensus process was conducted by a steering committee (SC) of 13 members and 49 expert panelists (EP) through the International Network of the tES-fMRI (INTF) Consortium. The process began with a circulation of a preliminary checklist of essential items and additional recommendations, developed by the SC based on a systematic review of 57 concurrent tES-fMRI studies. Contributors were then invited to suggest revisions or additions to the initial checklist. After the revision phase, contributors rated the importance of the 17 essential items and 42 additional recommendations in the final checklist. The state of methodological transparency within the 57 reviewed concurrent tES-fMRI studies was then assessed using the checklist. RESULTS: Experts refined the checklist through the revision and rating phases, leading to a checklist with three categories of essential items and additional recommendations: (1) technological factors, (2) safety and noise tests, and (3) methodological factors. The level of reporting of checklist items varied among the 57 concurrent tES-fMRI papers, ranging from 24% to 76%. On average, 53% of checklist items were reported in a given article. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the ContES checklist is expected to enhance the methodological reporting quality of future concurrent tES-fMRI studies, and increase methodological transparency and reproducibility.

Temperament and personality traits are important factors underlying the vulnerability for both the initiation and continuation of addictive behaviors. We investigated the influence of reactive and regulative temperament and their interaction in relation to clinical symptomatology and personality disorders (PDs) in a sample of 841 inpatients (68.1% males) with a substance use disorder (SUD). To assess reactive temperament we used the Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation Scales (BISBAS) and to assess regulative temperament we used the Effortful Control Scale. Clinical symptomatology and personality traits were measured by means of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Assessment of ADP-IV Personality Disorders (ADP-IV). Hierarchical regression analyses showed that both, clinical symptomatology and PDs were related to low levels of effortful control (EC). None of the two-way interactions (BIS × EC, BAS × EC) however were significantly related to psychopathology. Current findings highlight the role of effortful control (EC) in the expression of psychopathology in an adult sample of inpatients with SUD. Therapeutic interventions aiming at strengthening EC can possibly result in better treatment outcomes for both the addiction and the comorbid psychopathology. ispartof: JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE vol:11 issue:3 ispartof: location:Switzerland status: published

Adults diagnosed with autism experience difficulties with understanding the mental states of others, or themselves (mentalizing) and with adequately sequencing personal stories (narrative coherence). Given that the posterior cerebellum is implicated in both skills, as well as in the etiology of autism, we developed a narrative sequencing and mentalizing training for autistic adults. Participants with an official autism diagnosis were randomly assigned to a Training group (n = 17) or a waiting-list Control group (n = 15). The Training group took part in six weekly sessions in groups of three participants lasting each about 60 min. During training, participants had to (re)tell stories from the perspective of the original storyteller and answer questions that required mentalizing. We found significant improvements in mentalizing about others’ beliefs and in narrative coherence for the Training group compared to the Control group immediately after the training compared to before the training. Almost all participants from the Training group expressed beneficial effects of the training on their mood and half of the participants reported positive effects on their self-confidence in social situations. All participants recommended the current training to others. Results are discussed in light of cerebellar theories on sequencing of social actions during mentalizing. Further improvements to the program are suggested. Our results highlight the potential clinical utility of adopting a neuroscience-informed approach to developing novel therapeutic interventions for autistic populations.

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) interventions are promising for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Notwithstanding, the NIBS mechanisms of action over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a hub that modulates affective and cognitive processes, have not been completely mapped. We aimed to investigate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes over the DLPFC and the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) of different NIBS protocols using Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). A factorial, within-subjects, double-blinded study was performed. Twenty-three healthy subjects randomly underwent four sessions of NIBS applied once a week: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), combined tDCS + iTBS and placebo. The radiotracer 99m-Technetium-ethylene-cysteine-dimer was injected intravenously during the NIBS session, and SPECT neuroimages were acquired after the session. Results revealed that the combination of tDCS + iTBS increased right sgACC rCBF. Cathodal and anodal tDCS increased and decreased DLPFC rCBF, respectively, while iTBS showed no significant changes compared to the placebo. Our findings suggest that the combined protocol might optimize the activity in the right sgACC and encourage future trials with neuropsychiatric populations. Moreover, mechanistic studies to investigate the effects of tDCS and iTBS over the DLPFC are required.

To study social sequence learning, earlier functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigated the neural correlates of a novel Belief Serial Reaction Time task in which participants learned sequences of beliefs held by protagonists. The results demonstrated the involvement of the mentalizing network in the posterior cerebellum and cerebral areas (e.g. temporoparietal junction, precuneus and temporal pole) during implicit and explicit social sequence learning. However, little is known about the neural functional interaction between these areas during this task. Dynamic causal modeling analyses for both implicit and explicit belief sequence learning revealed that the posterior cerebellar Crus I & II were effectively connected to cerebral mentalizing areas, especially the bilateral temporoparietal junction, via closed loops (i.e. bidirectional functional connections that initiate and terminate at the same cerebellar and cerebral areas). There were more closed loops during implicit than explicit learning, which may indicate that the posterior cerebellum may be more involved in implicitly learning sequential social information. Our analysis supports the general view that the posterior cerebellum receives incoming signals from critical mentalizing areas in the cerebrum to identify sequences of social actions and then sends signals back to the same cortical mentalizing areas to better prepare for others’ social actions and one’s responses to it.

Cancer is a life-threatening disease that poses several challenges, including for cancer survivors. One of the ways to support them is through the use of (cancer) coaching. Several studies have claimed to use such techniques, but we currently lack a clear framework on what is coaching in the cancer field. The present scoping review therefore proposes to synthesize the field of cancer coaching by highlighting the framework and definition used, the techniques implemented, as well as the current evidence of its efficacy.

Introduction We examined the psychometric properties of the CD-RISC, including factor structure. Secondly, we examined if resilience factors moderate the association between negative affect and hazardous alcohol use. Method The sample population consisted of 1,368 community-dwelling older adults. We used standardized questionnaires to collect self-reported data on alcohol use behaviour, depression and anxiety and resilience by using respectively the Alcohol Use Identification Test (AUDIT), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Results Of the total sample (N 1.368), 80.1% reported using alcohol. The total sample and the drinking sample reported, respectively, a mean of 65.75 (SD 15.40) and 65.79 (SD 15.90) on the CD-RISC. Concerning the CD-RISC, exploratory factor analysis presents four factors of which three with a good reliability. Moderation analyses reflects that older adults with higher levels of resilient characteristics didn’t report an association between negative affect and hazardous drinking. Alternatively, low resilient older adults did report an positive and significant association between negative affect and hazardous drinking. Conclusion The CD-RISC appeared to be a reliable instrument, containing three factors. In our sample, high resilience moderated the association between negative affect and hazardous drinking and may serve as a buffer against hazardous drinking.

There is a growing interest in applying double-dose repetitive transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) as a therapeutic tool for stress-related psychiatric disorders. Such stimulation protocols may shorten the treatment duration and may result in faster symptom improvement. Currently, theta-burst stimulation (TBS) protocols have gained attention because of their significantly reduced treatment duration, compared to conventional rTMS. However, the effect of one or twice daily rTMS sessions remains unclear in relation to stress. Using a two-period cross-over design, we examined the impact of double-dosed intermittent (TBS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on stress responses (salivary cortisol) in thirty-eight healthy participants after being stressed by a validated psychosocial stress task: the Trier Social Stress Test. After the first active iTBS session, as contrasted to sham, no differential effects on salivary output were observed. However, after the second active session, there was a significantly smaller decrease of salivary cortisol concentrations in the active iTBS condition compared to sham. Our results suggest that double-dosed iTBS after being stressed might differently affect stress recovery compared to a single session of iTBS.

This review focuses on autistic adults and serves 4 purposes: (1) providing an overview of their difficulties regarding mentalizing (understanding others' mental states) and narrative coherence (structured storytelling), (2) highlighting the relations between both skills by examining behavioral observations and shared neural substrates, (3) providing an integrated perspective regarding novel diagnostic tools and support services, and (4) raising awareness of adult autism. We suggest that mentalizing and narrative coherence are related at the behavioral level and neural level. In addition to the traditional mentalizing network, the cerebellum probably serves as an important hub in shared cerebral networks implicated in mentalizing and narrative coherence. Future autism research and support services should tackle new questions within a framework of social cerebellar (dys)functioning.

Introduction Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as monotherapy has been increasingly used to enhance the activity of brain networks. However, it is unclear whether a combination of distinct NIBS approaches could enhance prefrontal cortical (PFC) activity. Objective We propose to investigate the combined and standalone effects of two NIBS modalities on the PFC through a working memory task, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and salivary cortisol. We hypothesize that the combined protocol will provoke greater changes in the collected measures compared to the remining protocols. Methods A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, full-factorial design will be conducted. The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) will be investigated over four different sessions (sham tDCS + sham iTBS, anodal tDCS + sham iTBS, anodal tDCS + active iTBS and sham tDCS + active iTBS) in 30 healthy adult volunteers. A 99mTc-ethylene cysteine dimer (99mTC-ECD) will be administered during the NIBS session and neuroimaging will be acquired within one hour. Salivary cortisol will be collected before and after each session and an n-back working memory task will be applied after the end of each NIBS session. The outcomes will be cerebral perfusion alterations (99mTC-ECD SPECT), accuracy and reaction time in the n-back task, and changes in salivary cortisol level. Conclusion The results from this trial can guide future therapeutic protocols for NIBS treatments stimulating the PFC by demonstrating that the combination of NIBS techniques is feasible, tolerable, and can lead to greater enhancement of PFC activity.

The current study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of people with OCD and the degree of family accommodation (FA) by live-in family members across phases of the lockdown measures imposed by the Belgian government. Forty-nine OCD patients and 26 live-in family members participated in the study. We assessed OCD symptom severity and FA of the live-in family members, as well as depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress levels and COVID-19 related psychological distress of patients and family members at four different timepoints: one month after the start of the lockdown (T1), during the gradual relaxation (T2), between the two waves (T3) and during the second wave (T4). Results showed that although COVID-19 related stress increased and decreased in accordance with the waxing and waning pattern of the pandemic, OCD symptoms showed an initial slight increase followed by a decrease at T3 and again at T4. Changes in family members’ accommodation of symptoms followed the same course as the OCD symptoms. Furthermore, OCD symptoms correlated with depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress levels and COVID-19 related distress at all timepoints. It is important to involve family members in the treatment of OCD even during a pandemic. Clinicians should also pay attention to symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress during OCD treatment. Further research is necessary to entangle the causal relationship between OCD symptoms, FA and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.

Research on the relationship between psychopathy and leadership effectiveness has adopted very different perspectives on psychopathy. To advance this field of research, the current paper introduces an overarching framework of “successful psychopathy” ( Lilienfeld, Watts, & Smith, 2015 ) to the leadership domain, comprising three conceptual models (the differential-severity model, the moderated-expression model, and the differential-configuration model) and their “hybrid” forms, which are combinations of two or three models. We test the three alternative conceptual models and four hybrid models in two independent samples of leader-subordinate dyads (N1 = 178 and N2 = 668) whereby leaders’ self-reported psychopathy is related to a range of subordinate-rated effectiveness criteria, including three performance dimensions and charismatic leadership. A recurrent pattern of findings across both studies provides evidence for differential effects for the various psychopathy subdimensions, whereas little support was found for the models assuming curvilinear and/or moderated effects. Implications for research on leader psychopathy are discussed.

Objectives:Although older adults often experience negative life events or loss experiences, they rarely experience large decreases in their quality of life or well-being. Emotionally satisfying relationships in older adults may serve as a protective factor that reduces the impact of negative events in decreasing well-being. The availability of these close social contacts is essential, and their potential for alleviating feelings of loneliness after negative events could have an important role in promoting well-being. The aim of this study was to test the hypothetical moderation and mediation effects of social and emotional loneliness on the occurrence of negative old-age life events and well-being in later life.Design:This was a cross-sectional survey conducted as part of the Detection, Support and Care for older people – Prevention and Empowerment research project (2015–2018).Setting:Participants were community-dwelling older adults in Flanders (Belgium).Participants:The sample composed of 770 participants aged 60 years and over.Measurements:Participant demographics, social and emotional loneliness, and subjective well-being were measured. Moderation and mediation analyses were performed using the regression-based approach as conducted by Hayes and Rockwood (2017).Results:Results indicated that a low degree of (social) loneliness is a protective, moderating factor and (emotional) loneliness is a mediating factor on the effects of negative life events on well-being in later life.Conclusions:Findings highlight the importance of emotionally and socially satisfying social contacts in order to maintain positive subjective well-being in later life when negative life events may occur.

This study examines the dynamic interaction between perceptions of psychological contract breach (PCB), negative emotions, and stress over time. Additionally, we determine if individuals could be differentiated based on coping profiles, and further assessed whether emotional and stress reactions to PCB over time varied as a function of these profiles. Using a longitudinal design, a sample of 1077 employees working in various industries completed a monthly questionnaire for six consecutive months reporting their perceptions of PCB, negative emotions, stress reactions, and ensuing coping mechanisms. Results from the latent growth analysis revealed that individuals confronted with increasing levels of PCB over time reported growing stress due to their escalating negative emotions. Moreover, the latent profile analysis of coping performed in two randomly selected subgroups revealed that there were three coping profiles within our sample (i.e., low copers, average-problem-focused copers, high-problem-and-emotion-focused copers). We also found evidence for differential trajectories of negative emotional and stress reactions to PCB over time depending on the different coping profiles. As such, individuals endorsing high levels on all three types of coping but relatively higher levels on emotion-focused and problem-focused coping compared to avoidance coping were associated with the most favorable psychological functioning over time (i.e., no escalation in emotional and stress reactions to PCB over time). In contrast, individuals endorsing low levels on all three types of coping reported less favorable psychological functioning in the long term. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of our findings and offer recommendations for future research.

A first empirical study into group schema therapy in older adults with mood disorders and personality disorder (PD) features has shown that brief group schema therapy has potential to decrease psychological distress and to change early maladaptive schemas (EMS). Effect sizes however were smaller than those found in similar studies in younger adults. Therefore, we set out to adapt the treatment protocol for older adults in order to enhance its feasibility and outcome in this age group. We examined this adapted protocol in 29 older adults (mean age 66 years) with PDs from four Dutch mental health institutes. The primary outcome was symptomatic distress, measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory. Secondary outcomes were measured by the Young Schema Questionnaire, the Schema Mode Inventory, and the short version of the Severity Indices of Personality Problems. Contrary to our expectations, the adapted treatment protocol yielded only a small effect size in our primary outcome, and no significant improvementin EMS, modes and personality functioning. Patients pointed out that they were more aware of their dysfunctional patterns, but maybe they had not been able yet to work on behavioural change due to this schema therapy treatment being too brief. We recommend more intensive treatment for older patients with PDs, as they might benefit from more schema therapy sessions, similar to the treatment dosage in younger PD patients. They might also benefit from a combination of group therapy and individual treatment sessions. Key learning aims (1) How to adapt group schema therapy for older adults. (2) How to explore feasibility and outcome. (3) Treat older personality disorder patients as intensively as younger adults.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) instruments are frequently used to assess personality and psychopathology. Recent publications of personality disorder (PD) spectra scales for dimensionalized PD syndromes with MMPI instruments may advance PD assessment. To this end, we examined MMPI-Second Edition (2) and MMPI-2-Restructured Form (-RF) PD Spectra scales within the lens of a contemporary dimensional model of PDs, the alternative model for personality disorders (AMPD). The core dimension of PD, Criterion A of the AMPD or level of personality functioning (LPF), was characterized quantitatively within the PD Spectra scales. By sequentially factor analyzing the scales of the Severity Indices of Personality Problems (SIPP-118) to a common general factor of PD, an index of LPF external to the MMPI item pool was established. This LPF dimension was strongly represented across most PD Spectra scales. LPF variances within the PD Spectra scales were deconstructed using measures of general demoralization (RCdemoralization) and maladaptive personality traits indexed by the Personality Psychopathology-5 (PSY-5). Nuanced LPF and PD Spectra scale relationships were discerned. Dimensionalized Antisocial PD, Borderline PD, Dependent PD, and Paranoid PD showed meaningful association with LPF after demoralization, and maladaptive trait variances were removed. The examination of the MMPI-3 item pool reveals that the existing PD Spectra scale item sets are largely carried forward in the new edition of the MMPI. This suggests PD Spectra scale correlates, including LPF relationships, may be discernable in the newest edition of the MMPI, pending future study.

We report the impact of a Gentle Touch Stimulation (GTS) program. Forty-three mothers provided daily 10-min GTS with C-tactile (CT) afferent optimal stroking touch, for 4 weeks to their 3–12 weeks old infants. CT-afferents are cutaneous unmyelinated, low-threshold mechanosensitive nerves hypothesized to underly the regulatory impact of affective touch. We compared physiological and behavioral responses during a no-touch-baseline (BL), static-touch-baseline (BL-T), intervention/control (GTS/CTRL), Still Face (SF) and Reunion (RU) condition for GTS-infants versus a control-group (CTRL) at the start (T1) and end of (T2) of the program. We collected mother-infant ECG, respiration, cortisol, video-recordings, and diary-reports. At T1, physiological arousal significantly increased during SF in both groups, that is, decreased respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and R-R interval (RRI). At T2, GTS-infants showed significantly increased RSA, RRI, decreased respiration during GTS, buffering SF-arousal and allowing complete recovery during RU; CTRL-infants showed higher SF-arousal and small recovery, under initial BL-levels. Maternal cardio-respiratory showed a metabolic investment during RU. Cortisol and behavioral analyses showed higher arousal in CTRL-infants than GTS-infants at T2. We suggest that the combination of phasic short-term and tonic long-term responses to CT-optimal stroking touch, delivered in a structured daily manner, contribute to the building of infant stress regulation and resilience.

BackgroundRecent research has emphasized the importance of within-person transactions between situational perceptions and borderline symptomatology. The current study extends current evidence by evaluating a broad range of situational perceptions and their transactions with borderline symptomatology across both private and professional contexts. Additionally, it explores whether early experiences of parental harsh punishment and emotional support during childhood, two well-established etiological factors in developmental theories of borderline symptomatology, influence the effect of daily situation perception in adulthood on borderline symptom presentation.MethodsN = 131 young adults (Mage = 20.97, s.d.age = 1.64) completed end-of-day diaries of their borderline symptoms and perceptions of the home and school or work environment for 14 days. During their mid-childhood, reports of maternal strategies of harsh punishment and emotional support were collected.ResultsFindings revealed that on the same day, borderline symptoms were associated with more negative and stressful, and less positive perceptions of both the private and professional context. Additionally, borderline symptoms predicted more negative and stressful perceptions of school/work on subsequent days. Finally, while early harsh punishment predicted overall increases in daily borderline symptoms 10 years later, emotionally supportive parenting in childhood predicted decreases in borderline symptom expression in less positive and more stressful contexts.ConclusionsThe current study points to the importance of managing BPD symptoms to reduce subsequent negative perceptions of the environment, and also indicates the relevance of exploring adult person-situation processes based on early parenting experiences.

Previous neuroimaging studies have highlighted the role of the prefrontal-subcortical circuits in personality trait of novelty seeking (NS), thought to be mediated by the dopaminergic system. However, it remains largely unknown whether cortico-basal-cerebellar connections, heavily influenced by dopamine, are implicated in this temperament dimension as well. The present study aimed to further investigate the relationship between the NS trait and the cortico-basal-cerebellar pathways by using structural covariance network analysis. Ninety-five healthy female volunteers were included in this work, and NS was assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Our results showed that NS scores were associated with structural connections between the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and basal ganglia, substantiating the implication of the cortico-basal-cerebellar circuits in the NS construct. In addition, structural connections between visual and sensorimotor regions were also associated with NS scores, indicating that sensory and motor information processing may contribute to NS-related behaviors. Overall, the current findings may deepen our understanding of brain structural circuits related to this temperament dimension.

This study tests the hypothesis that the posterior cerebellum is involved in social cognition by identifying and automatizing sequences of social actions. We applied a belief serial reaction time task (Belief SRT task), which requires mentalizing about two protagonists' beliefs about how many flowers they receive. The protagonists' beliefs could either be true or false depending on their orientation (true belief: oriented towards and directly observing the flowers; or false belief: oriented away and knowing only prior information about flowers). A Control SRT task was created by replacing protagonists and their beliefs with shapes and colors. Participants were explicitly told that there was a standard sequence related to the two protagonists' belief orientations (Belief SRT task) or the shapes' colors (Control SRT task). Both tasks included a Training phase where the standard sequence was repeated and a Test phase where this standard sequence was interrupted by random sequences. As hypothesized, compared with the Control SRT task, the Belief SRT task recruited the posterior cerebellar Crus II and the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) more. Faster response times were correlated with less Crus II activation and with more TPJ activation, suggesting that the Crus II supported automatizing the belief sequence while the TPJ supported inferring the protagonists' beliefs. Also as hypothesized, compared with an implicit version of the Belief SRT task (i.e., participants did not know about the existence of sequences; Ma, Pu, et al., 2021b), the cerebellar Crus I &II was engaged less during initial training and automatic application of the sequence, and the cortical TPJ was activated more in processing random sequences.

Objectives:Understanding of prefrailty’s relationship with limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) moderated by psychological resilience is needed, as resilience might support ADLs’ maintenance and thus protect against frailty. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the influence of psychological resilience (using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale; CD-RISC) on the relation between ADLs and frailty status of older individuals (i.e. prefrail versus robust).Design:Cross-sectional design.Setting:UZ Brussels, Belgium.Participants:Robust (Fried 0/4;n = 214; Age = 82.3 ± 2.1yrs) and prefrail (Fried 1-2/4; n = 191; Age = 83.8 ±3.2yrs) community-dwelling older individuals were included.Measurements:Frailty scores were obtained from weight loss, exhaustion, gait speed, and grip strength. A total Disability Index (DI) expressed dependency for basic (b-), instrumental (i-), and advanced (a-)ADLs. Mediation was investigated by estimating direct and indirect effects of all levels of ADLs and CD-RISC total score on prefrailty/robustness using a stepwise multiple regression approach.Results:Prefrailty/robustness significantly correlated with a-ADL-DI (point-biserial correlation (rpb) = 0.098; pConclusions:Less limitation in a-ADLs is a directly correlated factor of prefrailty and might represent a higher likelihood of robustness.

Recent studies have documented the involvement of the posterior cerebellar Crus (I & II) in social mentalizing, when sequences play a critical role. We investigated for the first time implicit learning of belief sequences. We created a novel task in which true and false beliefs of other persons were alternated in an adapted serial reaction time (SRT) paradigm (Belief SRT task). Participants observed two protagonists whose beliefs concerning reality were manipulated, depending on their orientation toward the scene (true belief: directly observing the situation) or away from it (false belief: knowing only the prior situation). Unbeknownst to the participants, a fixed sequence related to the two protagonists' belief orientations was repeated throughout the task (Training phase); and to test the acquisition of this fixed sequence, it was occasionally interrupted by random sequences (Test phase). As a nonsocial control, the two protagonists and their orientations were replaced by two different shapes of different colors respectively (Control SRT task). As predicted, the posterior cerebellar Crus I & II were activated during the Belief SRT task and not in the Control SRT task. The Belief SRT task revealed that Crus I was activated during the initial learning of the fixed sequence (Training phase) and when this learned sequence was interrupted by random sequences (Test phase). Moreover, Crus II was activated during occasional reappearance of the learned sequence in the context of sequence violations (Test phase). Our results demonstrate the contribution of the posterior cerebellar Crus during implicit learning and predicting new belief sequences.

Background: Remitted depressed (RMD) individuals form a risk group for developing future depressive episodes. Improving cognitive control may reduce the risk to develop novel depressive symptoms, as beneficial effects of such training were demonstrated in RMD individuals. Method: The current study attempted to replicate and extend these results. In this randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03278756), 68 RMD individuals were allocated to a cognitive control training or an active control condition, each comprised of 10 homework sessions dispersed over two weeks. Primary outcome measures were depressive symptomatology and rumination. Assessment took place before and after training and at 3 and 6 month follow-up. Results: This study showed training-related cognitive transfer and mixed effects on indicators of subjective cognitive functioning, depressive- and anxiety symptoms, as well as broader residual complaints. In addition, we failed to observe previously reported beneficial effects of CCT on indicators of emotion regulation and resilience. Conclusions: Given the partial replication of previously reported effects of cognitive control training in RMD, further research is needed.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has been proposed as a potential new tool in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Prior studies have demonstrated that taVNS enhances cognitive control and is able to modulate brain activity in key regions involved in cognitive emotion regulation, such as the anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex, which is known to be impaired in depressed patients. Preclinical studies are lacking but may provide important insights into the working mechanisms of taVNS on cognitive emotion regulatory processes. In this between-subject study, 83 healthy subjects underwent a single-session of active taVNS or sham stimulation, after which cognitive reappraisal was examined using a computer-based cognitive emotion regulation task. Our results indicate that participants receiving active taVNS, compared to sham, were better at using cognitive reappraisal and rated their response to emotion-eliciting pictures as less intense. Yet, even though we found significant differences in behavioral measures of cognitive emotion regulation, no differences between groups were found in terms of physiological responses to the emotional stimuli. Overall, these findings suggest a positive effect of taVNS on the cognitive reappraisal of emotions, but future studies assessing objective measures of neural activity during cognitive emotion regulation following taVNS are warranted.

Previous research in vestibular cognition has clearly demonstrated a link between the vestibular system and several cognitive and emotional functions. However, the most coherent results supporting this link come from rodent models and healthy human participants artificial stimulation models. Human research with vestibular-damaged patients shows much more variability in the observed results, mostly because of the heterogeneity of vestibular loss (VL), and the interindividual differences in the natural vestibular compensation process. The link between the physiological consequences of VL (such as postural difficulties), and specific cognitive or emotional dysfunction is not clear yet. We suggest that a neuropsychological model, based on Kahneman’s Capacity Model of Attention, could contribute to the understanding of the vestibular compensation process, and partially explain the variability of results observed in vestibular-damaged patients. Several findings in the literature support the idea of a limited quantity of cognitive resources that can be allocated to cognitive tasks during the compensation stages. This basic mechanism of attentional limitations may lead to different compensation profiles in patients, with or without cognitive dysfunction, depending on the compensation stage. We suggest several objective and subjective measures to evaluate this cognitive-vestibular compensation hypothesis.

The use of unconstrained lower limb exoskeletons has become a promising approach to assist individuals with gait impairments. The Honda Walking Assist (HWA) is a hip-assistive exoskeleton functioning as a gait trainer and has been shown to improve several gait related outcomes after training. Studies investigating its immediate effects on spatiotemporal gait parameters other than walking speed in stroke survivors are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate immediate differences in spatiotemporal gait parameters of stroke survivors between normal overground walking, walking with an unpowered, non-assisting HWA and walking with an optimally assisting HWA. Five ischemic stroke survivors (mean time since stroke 115 ​± ​213.6 days) walked 3 times 5 ​m in each condition. Differences in 14 spatiotemporal gait parameters between all 3 conditions were registered and reported in a descriptive manner. With optimal assistance, 4 patients walked faster (0.057–0.095 ​m/s) with longer strides of the paretic (0.055–0.069 ​m) and non-paretic (0.053–0.077 ​m) leg compared to normal walking. Compared to unpowered walking, all patients walked faster (0.020–0.063 ​m/s) in the optimal assist condition, with longer strides of the paretic (0.036–0.072 ​m) and non-paretic leg (0.045–0.082 ​m). During unpowered walking, gait velocity remained unchanged in 2 patients, increased (0.012–0.051 ​m/s) in 2 patients and decreased (−0.022 ​m/s) in 1 patient compared to normal walking. Changes in paretic stride lengths ranged from −0.066 to 0.029 ​m. The optimal individualized motor assistance provided by the HWA induces small, positive changes in gait parameters. This indicates that this light-weight hip-assistive exoskeleton can be of value in rehabilitation setting, where multiple training sessions with the device are possible.

Background: In healthy people and people with nonspecific chronic spinal pain (nCSP) and/or insomnia, participation in physical activity on a regular basis has several physical and psychologi-cal health benefits. However, people with chronic conditions often tend to reduce physical activ-ity participation which can lead to deconditioning over time. Currently, there are no known predictors for an (in)active lifestyle (before and after physical therapy treatment) in people with chronic spinal pain and comorbid insomnia.Objective: To examine predictors of pre-treatment moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and to examine determinants for a change in MVPA in response to 14-weeks of active physical therapy treatment in people with nonspecific chronic spinal pain (nCSP) and comorbid insomnia.Methods: Baseline data and post-treatment data were analyzed for 66 participants. A linear multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine which factors predict MVPA at baseline. Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to identify determinants for change in MVPA in response to an active physical therapy treatment.Results: Physical fatigue (b =-0.9; 95%CI:-1.59,-0.15), less limitations in functioning as a result of emotional problems (b = 0.1; 95%CI: 0.03, 0.10), mental fatigue (b =-1.0; 95%CI:-1.67,-0.43), lower general sleep quality (b= 0.7; 95%CI: 0.22, 1.17), and body mass index (b =-0.5; 95%CI:-0.93,-0.16) were significant predictors of baseline MVPA. The regression model explained 33.3% of the total variance in baseline MVPA. The change of MVPA in response to the treatment ranged from a decrease of 17.5 to an increase of 16.6 hours per week. No determi-nants for change in MVPA after treatment could be identified. Conclusion: People with nCSP and comorbid insomnia are more likely to engage in MVPA if they report, at baseline, lower sleep quality, fewer limitations in functioning resulting from emo-tional problems, lower body mass index, as well as less physical and mental fatigue.(c) 2022 Associacao Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pos-Graduacao em Fisioterapia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

A great deal of empirical research on the consequences of a psychological contract breach (PCB) has overlooked the role of time in understanding individuals’ reactions to a PCB. Moreover, psychological contract research primarily focuses on how employees react to perceptions of a PCB, while questions regarding how the organization’s responsiveness (i.e., social account) might impact these reactions remain unanswered. We aimed to enhance the understanding of stress reactions and recovery that are triggered by PCB perceptions and stimulate empirical research that treats psychological contracts as a dynamic phenomenon. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, we investigated how social account delivery timing—and its subjective experience—influences individuals’ stress resolution processes in the aftermath of a PCB. To this end, we used an experimental design and assessed participants’ physiological (i.e., heart rate) and psychological (i.e., self-report) stress reactions after inducing a breach. Our results underscore that a PCB is experienced as a stressful event. In addition, we find that social account timing influences heart rate recovery following a PCB. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings and offer recommendations for practitioners.

This methodology paper describes the design of a holistic and multidisciplinary human performance program within the Belgian Special Forces Group, the Tier 1 Special Operations unit of the Belgian Defense. Performance management approaches in the military draw heavily on sports science. The key component of the program design described here is its integrative nature, which team sports training might benefit from. The basic rationale behind the program was to bridge several gaps: the gap between physical and mental training; the gap between the curative or preventive medical approach and the performance enhancement approach; and the gap between individual and team training. To achieve this goal, the methodology of Intervention Mapping was applied, and a multidisciplinary team of training and care professionals was constituted with operational stakeholders. This was the first step in the program design. The second step took a year, and consisted of formal and informal consultations, participant observations and task analyses. These two first stages and their conclusions are described in the Method section. The Results section covers the next two stages (three and four) of the process, which aimed at defining the content of the program; and to test a pilot project implementation. The third stage encompassed the choice of the most relevant assessment and intervention tools for the target population, within each area of expertise. This is described extensively, to allow for replication. The fourth and last stage was to “test drive” the real-life integration and implementation of the whole program at the scale of a single team (8 individuals). For obvious confidentiality reasons, the content data will not be reported extensively here. Implications for wider-scale implementation and tie-back to sports team training are presented.

Implicit motor sequence learning (IMSL) is affected in Parkinson's disease (PD). Research in healthy young participants shows the potential for transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) to enhance IMSL. In PD, only null effects have been reported to date. We determined concurrent, short-term, and long-term effects of anodal tDCS over M1 on IMSL, as measured by the serial reaction time (SRT) task, in persons with PD with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Concurrent (anodal/sham tDCS intervention during the SRT task), short-term (5 min post-intervention), and long-term (1 week post-intervention) effects on IMSL were evaluated in persons with idiopathic PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage II-III) with MCI. Results of 11 persons with PD (8 men and 3 women; mean age = 77.1 years; mean disease duration = 7.7 years) showed significant IMSL in the anodal (p = .016), but not in the sham tDCS condition (p = .937). Post-hoc analyses showed that IMSL reached statistical significance at 1 week post-intervention (p < .001). Anodal tDCS over M1 exerted beneficial effects on IMSL in persons with PD with MCI, in particular one week post-intervention. Our study is the first to report a positive effect of tDCS on IMSL in PD. Further research should include a larger, more cognitively diverse sample and additional follow-up periods.

Introduction: Low grip work and high feelings of self-perceived fatigue could be an early characteristic of decline in reserve capacity, which comes to full expression as physical frailty in a later stage. When grip work and self-perceived fatigue can be identified as characteristics differentiating between robustness and pre-frailty it might allow to identify pre-frailty earlier. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether the combination of grip work and self-perceived fatigue is related to pre-frailty in well-functioning older adults aged 80 and over. Methods: Four-hundred and five community-dwelling older adults aged 80 and over (214 robust and 191 pre-frail) were assessed for muscle endurance (grip Work corrected for body weight (GW_bw)), self-perceived fatigue (MFI-20) and frailty state (Fried Frailty Index, FFI). A Capacity to Perceived Vitality ratio (CPV) was calculated by dividing GW_bw by the MFI-20 scores. ANCOVA analysis (corrected for age and gender) was used to compare robust and pre-frail older adults, and binary logistic regressions were applied to analyze the relationship between CPV and pre-frailty status. Results: Pre-frail older adults who scored negative on the exhaustion item of the FFI still showed significantly lower GW (p < 0.001), CPV ratios (p < 0.001) and higher self-perceived fatigue (p < 0.05) compared to the robust ones. The likelihood for pre-frailty related significantly to higher age, being men and lower CPV ratios. In women, every unit increase in CPV ratio decreased the likelihood for pre-frailty by 78% (OR 0.22; 95% CI: 0.11–0.44), for men this effect was less strong (34%, OR 0.66; 95% CI: 0.47–0.93). Conclusions: Pre-frail community-dwelling persons aged 80 years and over without clinical signs of exhaustion on the FFI still experience significantly higher fatigue levels (lower Grip Work, higher self-perceived fatigue and lower CPV levels) compared to robust ones. CPV ratio could therefore be a good tool to identify subclinical fatigue in the context of physical (pre-)frailty.

Background: There is active interest in biomarker discovery for transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS). However, greater understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms is needed to identify candidate markers. Accumulating evidence suggests that taVNS influences activity in solitary and parabrachial nuclei, the primary brainstem relays for the transmission of visceral sensory afferents to the insula. The insula mediates interoception, which concerns the representation and regulation of homeostatic bodily states. Consequently, interoceptive pathways may be relevant to taVNS mechanisms of action. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that taVNS would modulate an EEG-derived marker of interoceptive processing known as the heart-evoked potential (HEP). We also hypothesized that taVNS-induced HEP effects would be localizable to the insula. Methods: Using a within-subject, sham-controlled design, we recorded EEG and ECG concurrent to taVNS in 43 healthy adults. Using ECG and EEG data, we extracted HEPs. Estimation of the cortical sources of the taVNS-dependent HEP responses observed at the scalp were computed using the Boundary Element Method and weighted Minimum Norm Estimation. Statistics were calculated using cluster-based permutation methods. Results: taVNS altered HEP amplitudes at frontocentral and centroparietal electrode sites at various la- tencies. The taVNS-dependent HEP effect was localized to the insula, operculum, somatosensory cortex, and orbital and ventromedial prefrontal regions. Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis that taVNS can access the insula as well as functionally and anatomically connected brain regions. HEPs may serve as an objective, non-invasive outcome parameter for the cortical effects of taVNS. © 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

The posterior cerebellum is responsible for the understanding and learning of sequences of actions by others, which are a prerequisite for social understanding. This study investigates this cerebellar function while navigating towards a goal in a social context. Participants undertook a novel social navigation task requiring them to memorize and subsequently reproduce a protagonist's trajectory through a grid towards a desirable goal. As a non-social control condition, a ball underwent the same trajectory by passively rolling through the grid toward the same endpoint. To establish that memorizing and reproducing a trajectory is a critical cerebellar function, two non-sequencing control conditions were created, which involved the observation only of the trajectory by the protagonist or ball. Our results showed that the posterior cerebellar Crus II was involved in memorizing both social and non-social trajectories, along with the parahippocampal gyrus and other cortical areas involved in social cognition. As hypothesized, cerebellar Crus I was more active when memorizing social as opposed to non-social trajectories. Moreover, cerebellar Crus I and II, and lobule VI, were activated when reproducing both social and non-social trajectories. These findings highlight the involvement of the posterior cerebellar Crus in supporting human goal-directed social navigation.

Social-evaluative threat (SET) – a situation in which one could be negatively evaluated by others – elicits profound (psycho)physiological reactivity which, if chronically present and not adaptively regulated, has deleterious effects on mental and physical health. Decreased self-awareness and increased other-awareness are understood to be an adaptive response to SET. Attentional deployment – the process of selectively attending to certain aspects of emotional stimuli to modulate emotional reactivity – is supported by fronto-parietal and fronto-limbic networks, with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex being a central hub. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of active (versus sham) prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on self and other-attentional deployment during the exposure to a SET context. Seventy-four female participants received active or sham tDCS and were subsequently exposed to a rigged social feedback paradigm. In this paradigm a series of social evaluations were presented together with a photograph of the supposed evaluator and a self- photograph of the participant, while gaze behavior (time to first fixation, total fixation time) and skin conductance responses (SCRs; a marker of emotional reactivity) were measured. For half of the evaluations, participants could anticipate the valence (negative or positive) of the evaluation a priori. Analyses showed that participants receiving active tDCS were (a) slower to fixate on their self-photograph, (b) spent less time fixating on their self-photograph, and (c) spent more time fixating on the evaluator photograph. During unanticipated evaluations, active tDCS was associated with less time spent fixating on the evaluation. Furthermore, among those receiving active tDCS, SCRs were attenuated as a function of slower times to fixate on the self-photograph. Taken together, these results suggest that in a context of SET, prefrontal tDCS decreases self-attention while increasing other-attention, and that attenuated self-referential attention specifically may be a neurocognitive mechanism through which tDCS reduces emotional reactivity. Moreover, the results suggest that tDCS reduces vigilance toward stimuli that possibly convey threatening information, corroborating past research in this area.

Chronic spinal pain, including both neck and low back pain, is a common disabling disorder in which sleep problems are frequently reported as a comorbidity. The complex processes of both sleep and chronic pain seem to have overlapping mechanisms, which may explain their often established bidirectional relationship. This systematic review aims to investigate the assumed association between sleep and chronic spinal pain by providing an overview of the literature from the last decade. Eligible studies were obtained by searching four databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycARTICLES). Articles were found relevant if they included a human adult population and investigated the possible association between sleep parameters and chronic spinal pain. Only studies published after January 2009 were included, as this review aimed to provide an update of a previous literature overview on this topic. The quality of the studies was assessed by risk of bias and level of evidence. A total of twenty-seven studies (6 cohort, 5 case-control, and 16 cross-sectional studies) were included in this systematic review. The methodological quality of these studies was low to moderate. The majority of studies reported weak to moderate evidence for an association between sleep parameters and chronic spinal pain, with more severe pain accompanied by more disturbed sleep. Addressing frequently reported sleep problems in chronic spinal pain patients therefore appears to be a necessary complement to pain management to achieve optimal treatment outcomes., SCOPUS: re.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Objective: Various studies investigated implicit sequence learning in Parkinson's disease (PD) by means of the traditional motor Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task and found a general pattern of impaired sequence learning. However, as perceptual and motor sequences of the SRT-task were correlated in previous studies, implicit sequential knowledge acquisition that is tested independently from motor sequences remains to be determined in PD. In this study, we investigated implicit sequence learning independently from motor sequence learning in individuals with PD. To this end, we used a perceptual SRT-task that did not rely upon sequential motor knowledge. Method: We measured response times (RTs) of 19 participants with PD (Hoehn & Yahr II or III; mean age 65) and 18 age-matched healthy controls (HC; mean age 61.5) in a perceptual SRT-task. General learning effects and sequence-specific learning effects were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs. Results: A significant decreasing linear trend (p < .001) in RTs was revealed in both the PD and HC groups as the SRT-task progressed, indicating general learning effects. Notably, a significant, strong main effect of sequence-specific learning occurred (p < .001), irrespective of group (p = .436). Sequence-specific learning did not differ significantly between the PD (M = 156.5 ms; SD = 50.7) and HC group (M = 173.0 ms; SD = 104.2). Bayesian analyses confirmed this as evidence of absence of an effect (B₁₀ = 3.543). Conclusions: Our results suggest that, at least in Hoehn & Yahr stages II and III, implicit sequential knowledge acquisition may be preserved in individuals with PD, when tested independently from motor sequence learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is increasingly recognized as a multisystem disorder accompanied by cognitive changes. To date, no effective therapy is available for ALS patients, partly due to disease heterogeneity and an imperfect understanding of the underlying pathophysiological processes. Reliable models that can predict cognitive and motor deficits are needed to improve symptomatic treatment and slow down disease progression. This study aimed to identify individualized functional connectivity-based predictors of cognitive and motor function in ALS by using multiple kernel learning (MKL) regression. Resting-state fMRI scanning was performed on 34 riluzole-naive ALS patients. Motor severity and global cognition were separately measured with the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Our results showed that functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) as well as between the DMN and the sensorimotor network (SMN), fronto-parietal network (FPN), and salience network (SN) were predictive for MoCA scores. Additionally, the observed connectivity patterns were also predictive for the individual ALSFRS-R scores. Our findings demonstrate that cognitive and motor impairments may share common connectivity fingerprints in ALS patients. Furthermore, the identified brain connectivity signatures may serve as novel targets for effective disease-modifying therapies. Author Summary Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is recognized as a multisystem disorder, and currently no effective therapy is available for this devastating disease. Reliable models that can predict disease progression may facilitate the development of more efficient symptomatic treatment. This study used multiple kernel learning algorithm to identify a potential functional connectivity-based marker for cognitive and motor functioning in ALS. The results show that cognitive decline and motor progression could be predicted by seed-based functional connectivity from the medial prefrontal cortex/posterior cingulate cortex to the sensorimotor network, fronto-parietal network, and salience network. The identified brain connectivity signatures may serve as novel targets for effective disease-modifying therapies.

OBJECTIVES: Treatment of repetitive negative thinking (RNT) focuses rather on individual than group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) treatment. Additionally, little is known on how clients experienced these interventions. This study investigates clients' experiences on participating in a CBT group intervention targeting RNT (RNT-G). DESIGN: Of the 80 participants, 11 were randomly selected for an in-depth, semi-structured interview after treatment. Interviews focused on what participants experienced as important on group aspects, offered interventions, homework tasks, and possible changes. METHODS: All participants were adults, diagnosed with major depressive disorder and/or generalized anxiety disorder and being currently in mental health care treatment. After transcribing the interviews, analyses were performed according to the guidelines of thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four major themes were identified. First, the group format itself was experienced as an important factor of change. The experiences about the different offered interventions during the group formed a second theme. A third theme related to changes in family or professional life and dealing with RNT as a result of the intervention. Finally, group participation, social interactions, and mental health care treatment were experienced as mutually influencing during the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study shed some light on which treatment interventions were perceived as beneficial during the RNT-G and should therefore be emphasized in treatment. Further, they indicate that the treatment in a group format was experienced as helpful by the participants. Finally, a positive mutual influence between the group intervention and the ongoing individual treatment was experienced.

Based on a two-week daily diary study of 31 leader–follower dyads, this article demonstrates that within-person variation in the leader’s level of state core self-evaluations is associated with within-person variation in the follower’s level of state core self-evaluations. Moreover, we provide tentative evidence that this crossover effect might be mediated by transformational leadership behavior. Our study contributes to personality and leadership research by exploring within-leader, within-follower, and within-dyad personality processes. By showing that the personality states of leader and follower fluctuate in sync, we shed light on a new way in which leaders and followers connect.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the present study, we investigated differences in obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in patients with an eating disorder (ED) with or without recent/lifetime impulsive non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). We included 429 female inpatients with an ED, of whom 31.9% engaged in recent impulsive NSSI and 56.4% in lifetime impulsive NSSI. MATERIALS: They filled out the Eating Disorder Evaluation Scale, the Self-Injury Questionnaire-Treatment Related and the Padua Inventory-Revised (OC symptoms). METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with anorexia nervosa, binge-eating/purging type (AN-BP) and bulimia nervosa (BN) engaged more frequently in recent/lifetime impulsive NSSI compared to patients with anorexia nervosa, restrictive-type (AN-R). Two MANCOVAs with OC symptoms as dependent variables, and ED subtypes and recent/lifetime impulsive NSSI as independent variables controlling for age and body mass index showed the main effects of ED subtypes and recent/lifetime impulsive NSSI. Patients with AN-BP reported significantly more impulses (i.e., being afraid of losing control over motor behaviours) compared to patients with AN-R and BN. ED patients with impulsive recent/lifetime NSSI scored significantly higher on all OC scales compared to patients without NSSI. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In sum, the presence of recent/lifetime impulsive NSSI in patients with an ED seems to be related to more severe OC symptoms. Hence, this comorbidity needs to be addressed in psychotherapy, such as in transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural therapy for EDs. ispartof: EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW vol:29 issue:4 pages:663-669 ispartof: location:England status: published

BACKGROUND: The major causes of death of combat casualties in austere environments are related to hemorrhage and occur early after injury. The implementation of a walking blood bank may overcome the logistical issues raised using blood component therapy. Nonetheless, it is important to ensure that this buddy transfusion is not going to compromise the mission success by altering the donor's performance. The results available so far cannot rule out this issue with certainty. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the immediate effect of a 450-ml blood donation on the performances of elite soldiers in laboratory and field environments. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This double-blind, randomized controlled study included two experiments. For both experiments, subjects were randomly assigned either to a control group (n1 = n2 = 7) or to a 450-ml-blood-bag donation group (n1 = 7 and n2 = 8). All participants underwent before and after a potential blood donation a multifactorial assessment including adapted physical tasks, hematological variables, vigilance parameters, and subjective assessments. RESULTS: No significant results were evidenced in this study. There was no impact of blood donation on the participants' performances in both the hospital and the combat-like environments. CONCLUSION: From a donor's point of view, a 450-ml blood donation has no impact on the required abilities of our elite soldiers to fulfill a demanding tactical mission. Thus, the results of this study support the fact that buddy transfusions could be part of the operational clinical armamentarium in austere environments for elite soldiers when no blood components are available.

In the present paper, the relationship between neuroticism and supervisory ratings of performance is examined using a dynamic approach to personality. This approach integrates both within- and between-person differences by looking at individual differences in baseline neuroticism, neuroticism variability and neuroticism attractor strength. Our findings showed that baseline neuroticism related to lower supervisory ratings of performance, and that a high level of baseline neuroticism is particularly detrimental for people who fail to return to their baseline swiftly. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that adopting a more integrative, dynamic approach to personality has the potential to contribute to a better understanding of the personality–performance relationship. Practitioner points: How employees’ performance is perceived by their supervisors not only depends on between-person differences in employees’ average level of neuroticism, but also on the extent to which their state neuroticism levels vary Assessing personality dynamics has the potential to contribute to a better understanding of the candidate’s personality Managers should take into account that the impact of baseline personality on performance depends on how deviations from the baseline are regulated.

Evidence is accumulating for the possibility to distinguish more than two distinct chronotypes, i.e., people would be neither morning nor intermediate nor evening types. We tried to establish four-type division into distinct chronotypes without implying any chronotypological questionnaire. A community-based online survey (n = 1305) included a visuo-verbal judgment task for evaluating how sleepy a survey participant thinks he/she would be at different randomly presented times. We predicted that principal component (PC) analysis of 24-h sleepiness curves would yield more than one PC. Consequently, only two types based on PC score would be sleepy in the evening but not in the morning (morning type) and in the morning but not in the evening (evening type), while two other types would be sleepy both in the morning and in the evening and neither in the morning nor in the evening. Results of PC analysis yielded four PCs with the predicted loading patterns. Four distinct patterns of sleepiness curves were identified by dividing participants in accord with scores PC > 1, −1 < PC < 1, and PC < −1. Only 396 participants were of intermediate chronotype (−1 < PC1–PC4 < 1) with a similar to the sample-averaged sleepiness curve, while, like morning and evening types, two further types (named “afternoon” and “napper”) were not uncommon.