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Under certain conditions, coercive interventions in psychotic patients can help to regain insight and alleviate symptoms, but can also traumatize subjects. This study explored attitudes towards psychiatric coercive interventions in healthy individuals and persons suffering from schizophrenia, schizoaffective or bipolar disorder. The impact of personal history of coercive treatment on preferences concerning clinical management of patients unable to consent was investigated. Six case vignettes depicting scenarios of ethical dilemmas and demanding decisions in favour of or against coercive interventions were presented to 60 healthy volunteers and 90 patients. Structured interviews focusing on experienced coercion were performed in conjunction with the Coercion Experience Scale and the Admission Experience Survey. Symptom severity, psychosocial functioning and insight into illness were assessed as influencing variables. Student's t tests compared patients' and controls' judgments, followed by regression analyses to define the predictive value of symptoms and measures of coercion on judgments regarding the total patient sample and patients with experience of fixation. Patients and non-psychiatric controls showed no significant difference in their attitudes towards involuntary admission and forced medication. Conversely, patients more than controls significantly disapproved of mechanical restraint. Subjective experience of coercive interventions played an important role for the justification of treatment against an individual's "natural will". Factors influencing judgments on coercion were overall functioning and personal experience of treatment effectiveness and fairness. Qualitative and quantitative aspects of perceived coercion, in addition to insight into illness, predicted judgments of previously fixated patients. Results underline the importance of the quality of practical implementation and care, if coercive interventions cannot be avoided.

Purpose: This study investigated how genome sequencing results affect health behaviors, affect, and communication., Methods: We report on 29 participants who received a sequence result in the ClinSeq study, a cohort of well-educated, postreproductive volunteers. A mixed-methods design was used to explore respondents' use, communication, and perceived utility of results., Results: Most participants (72%) shared their result with at least one health-care provider, and 31% reported subsequent changes in the health care they received. Participants scored high on the Positive Experiences subscale and low on the Distress subscale of a modified version of the Multidimensional Impact of Cancer Risk Assessment. The majority (93%) shared their result with at least one family member. Participants described deriving personal utility from their results., Conclusion: This article is the first to describe research participants' reactions to actionable sequencing results. Our findings suggest clinical and personal benefit from receiving sequencing results, both of which may contribute to improved health for the recipients. Given the participants' largely positive or neutral affective responses and disclosure of their results to physicians and relatives, health-care providers should redirect concern from the potential for distress and attend to motivating patients to follow their medical recommendations.Genet Med 18 6, 577-583.

As the population ages and chronic diseases abound, overburdened healthcare systems will increasingly require individuals to manage their own health. Online health management tools, quickly increasing in popularity, have the potential to diminish or even replace in-person contact with health professionals, but overall efficacy and usage trends are unknown. The current study explored perceptions and usage patterns among users of online health management tools, and identified barriers and barrier-breakers among non-users. An online survey was completed by 169 computer users (aged 50+). Analyses revealed that a sizable minority (37%) of participants use online health management tools and most users (89%) are satisfied with these tools, but a limited range of tools are being used and usage occurs in relatively limited domains. Improved awareness and education for online health management tools could enhance people's abilities to remain at home as they age, reducing the financial burden on formal assistance programs., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Background: Several factors are believed to influence the development and experience of pain. Human clinical pain models are central tools, in the investigation of basic physiologic pain responses, and can be applied in patients as well as in healthy volunteers. Each clinical pain model investigates different aspects of the human pain response. Brief thermal sensitization induces a mild burn injury, resulting in development of primary hyperalgesia at the site of stimulation, and secondary hyperalgesia surrounding the site of stimulation. Central sensitization is believed to play an important role in the development of secondary hyperalgesia; however, a possible association of secondary hyperalgesia following brief thermal sensitization and other heat pain models remains unknown. Our aim with this study is to investigate how close the heat pain detection threshold is associated with the size of the area of secondary hyperalgesia induced by the clinical heat pain model: Brief thermal sensitization., Methods and Design: We aim to include 120 healthy participants. The participants will be tested on two separate study days with the following procedures: i) Brief thermal sensitization, ii) heat pain detection threshold and iii) pain during thermal stimulation. Additionally, the participants will be tested with the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaires. We conducted statistical simulations based on data from our previous study, to estimate an empirical power of 99.9 % with α of 0.05. We define that an R(2) < 0.25 and predictive intervals larger than +/-150 cm(2) are indications of a weak association., Discussion: The area of secondary hyperalgesia may serve as a quantitative measure of the central sensitization induced by cutaneous heat stimulation, and thus may be a biomarker of an individual's pain sensitivity. The number of studies investigating secondary hyperalgesia is growing; however basic knowledge of the physiologic aspects of secondary hyperalgesia in humans is still incomplete. We therefore find it interesting to investigate if HPDT, a known quantitative sensory test, is associated with areas of secondary hyperalgesia following brief thermal sensitization, Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02527395 ). Danish Research Ethics Committee (Identifier: H-8-2014-012). Danish Data Protection Agency (Identifier: 30-1436).

This study investigated whether healthy older adults with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores above 23 exhibit cognitive impairment on neuropsychological tests. Participants completed the MMSE and a neuropsychological battery including tests of 10 domains. Results were compared to published normative data. On neuropsychological testing, participants performed well on measures of naming and recall but showed mild to moderate impairment in working memory and processing speed and marked impairment in inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functioning. Almost everyone (91%) scored at least 1 standard deviation (SD) below the mean in at least 1 domain. The median number of domains in which individuals scored below 1 SD was 3.0 of 10.0, whereas over 21% scored below 1 SD in 5 domains or more. With the strictest of definitions for impairment, 20% of this population scored below 2.0 SDs below the norm in at least 2 domains, a necessary condition for a diagnosis of dementia. The finding that cognitive impairment, particularly in attention and executive functioning, is found in healthy older persons who perform well on the MMSE has clinical and research implications in terms of emphasizing normal variability in performance and early identification of possible impairment., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine whether healthy individuals with higher levels of neuroticism, a robust independent predictor of psychopathology, exhibit altered facial emotion recognition performance., Methods: Facial emotion recognition accuracy was investigated in 104 healthy adults using the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (DFAR). Participants' degree of neuroticism was estimated using neuroticism scales extracted from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory., Results: A significant negative correlation between the degree of neuroticism and the percentage of correct answers on DFAR was found only for happy facial expression (significant after applying Bonferroni correction)., Conclusions: Altered sensitivity to the emotional context represents a useful and easy way to obtain cognitive phenotype that correlates strongly with inter-individual variations in neuroticism linked to stress vulnerability and subsequent psychopathology. Present findings could have implication in early intervention strategies and staging models in psychiatry., (© 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

The mixed serotonin (5-HT) 1A/2A/2B/2C/6/7 receptor agonist psilocybin dose-dependently induces an altered state of consciousness (ASC) that is characterized by changes in sensory perception, mood, thought, and the sense of self. The psychological effects of psilocybin are primarily mediated by 5-HT2A receptor activation. However, accumulating evidence suggests that 5-HT1A or an interaction between 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors may contribute to the overall effects of psilocybin. Therefore, we used a double-blind, counterbalanced, within-subject design to investigate the modulatory effects of the partial 5-HT1A agonist buspirone (20mg p.o.) and the non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2A/1A agonist ergotamine (3mg p.o.) on psilocybin-induced (170 µg/kg p.o.) psychological effects in two groups (n=19, n=17) of healthy human subjects. Psychological effects were assessed using the Altered State of Consciousness (5D-ASC) rating scale. Buspirone significantly reduced the 5D-ASC main scale score for Visionary Restructuralization (VR) (p<0.001), which was mostly driven by a reduction of the VR item cluster scores for elementary and complex visual hallucinations. Further, buspirone also reduced the main scale score for Oceanic Boundlessness (OB) including derealisation and depersonalisation phenomena at a trend level (p=0.062), whereas ergotamine did not show any effects on the psilocybin-induced 5D-ASC main scale scores. The present finding demonstrates that buspirone exerts inhibitory effects on psilocybin-induced effects, presumably via 5-HT1A receptor activation, an interaction between 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, or both. The data suggest that the modulation of 5-HT1A receptor activity may be a useful target in the treatment of visual hallucinations in different psychiatric and neurological diseases., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.)

Obsessions and compulsions (OCs) are frequent in healthy subjects; however neural backgrounds of the subclinical OCs were largely unknown. Results from recent studies suggested involvement of the putamen in the OC traits. To investigate this issue, 49 healthy subjects were assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). Anatomical delineation on MRI yielded the global volume and local shape of the putamen. Other striatal structures (the caudate nucleus and globus pallidus) were also examined for exploratory purpose. The relationship between volume/shape of each structures and MOCI measure was analyzed, with sex, age, state anxiety, trait anxiety, and full-scale Intelligence Quotient regressed out. The volume analysis revealed a positive relationship between the MOCI total score and the bilateral putamen volumes. The shape analysis demonstrated associations between the higher MOCI total score and hypertrophy of the anterior putamen in both hemispheres. The present study firstly revealed that the volume changes of the putamen correlated with the manifestation of subclinical OC traits. The dysfunctional cortico-anterior striatum networks seemed to be one of the neuronal subsystems underlying the subclinical OC traits., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Spontaneous EEG signal can be parsed into sub-second periods of stable functional states (microstates) that assumingly correspond to brief large scale synchronization events. In schizophrenia, a specific class of microstate (class "D") has been found to be shorter than in healthy controls and to be correlated with positive symptoms. To explore potential new treatment options in schizophrenia, we tested in healthy controls if neurofeedback training to self-regulate microstate D presence is feasible and what learning patterns are observed. Twenty subjects underwent EEG-neurofeedback training to up-regulate microstate D presence. The protocol included 20 training sessions, consisting of baseline trials (resting state), regulation trials with auditory feedback contingent on microstate D presence, and a transfer trial. Response to neurofeedback was assessed with mixed effects modelling. All participants increased the percentage of time spent producing microstate D in at least one of the three conditions (p < 0.05). Significant between-subjects across-sessions results showed an increase of 0.42 % of time spent producing microstate D in baseline (reflecting a sustained change in the resting state), 1.93 % of increase during regulation and 1.83 % during transfer. Within-session analysis (performed in baseline and regulation trials only) showed a significant 1.65 % increase in baseline and 0.53 % increase in regulation. These values are in a range that is expected to have an impact upon psychotic experiences. Additionally, we found a negative correlation between alpha power and microstate D contribution during neurofeedback training. Given that microstate D has been related to attentional processes, this result provides further evidence that the training was to some degree specific for the attentional network. We conclude that microstate-neurofeedback training proved feasible in healthy subjects. The implementation of the same protocol in schizophrenia patients may promote skills useful to reduce positive symptoms by means of EEG-neurofeedback.

Background: The recall of positive autobiographical memories (mood repair) is an effective strategy for improving sad mood. In depressed individuals mood repair has shown to be most effective, if the memory was processed in a concrete (imaginable), as opposed to an abstract (verbal) processing mode. However, it is not yet clear whether this also applies to healthy subjects. Moreover we do not know whether intensity and content of an imagery stimulus influences its effectiveness. We report on two experimental studies in healthy participants., Methods: Negative emotion induction was followed by mood repair via recall of positive autobiographical memories. In study I, abstract processing was compared to two concrete processing strategies (high concrete/low concrete). In study II, the content of the memories was systematically varied (social/achievement)., Results: In study I, a concrete processing resulted in better mood repair, however no differences were found between high and low concrete processing. In study II, both types of memories had comparable effects on mood repair but promoted different emotions., Limitations: Only a young, healthy, predominantly female population was investigated., Conclusions: Adopting a concrete processing mode when recalling positive memories leads to better mood repair in healthy participants. Moreover, the content of the memory determines the corresponding emotions., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Cognitive models suggest that attentional biases are integral in the maintenance of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Such biases have been established experimentally in anxiety disorders; however, the evidence is unclear in Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD). In the present study, an eye-tracking methodology was employed to explore attentional biases in relation to OCS., Methods: A convenience sample of 85 community volunteers was assessed on OCS using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-self report. Participants completed an eye-tracking paradigm where they were exposed to OCD, Aversive and Neutral visual stimuli. Indices of attentional bias were derived from the eye-tracking data., Results: Simple linear regressions were performed with OCS severity as the predictor and eye-tracking measures of the different attentional biases for each of the three stimuli types were the criterion variables. Findings revealed that OCS severity moderately predicted greater frequency and duration of fixations on OCD stimuli, which reflect the maintenance attentional bias. No significant results were found in support of other biases., Limitations: Interpretations based on a non-clinical sample limit the generalisability of the conclusions, although use of such samples in OCD research has been found to be comparable to clinical populations. Future research would include both clinical and sub-clinical participants., Conclusions: Results provide some support for the theory of maintained attention in OCD attentional biases, as opposed to vigilance theory. Individuals with greater OCS do not orient to OCD stimuli any faster than individuals with lower OCS, but once a threat is identified, these individuals allocate more attention to OCS-relevant stimuli.., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) strongly predict variations in real-world cognitive functioning. However, little is known about how WMC is influenced by the ubiquitously present affective information in our everyday environments. Here, we present a series of 3 experiments investigating a novel WMC paradigm performed in affective (vs. neutral) contexts. The paradigm requires simultaneous performance of a visuospatial search and a verbal storage task. These tasks are performed in the presence of either neutral or negative emotional distractor images. Experiments 1 and 2 confirmed our prediction that WMC would be reduced in the context of emotional compared with neutral distractors in student and community samples. Experiment 3 extended these findings to a clinical sample. WMC in motor vehicle accident survivors with a history of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was selectively reduced in the presence of trauma-related emotional distraction compared with survivors without a history of PTSD. Implications of these findings for affective cognitive science are discussed., ((c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).)

Controlled human malaria infections are clinical trials in which healthy volunteers are deliberately infected with malaria under controlled conditions. Controlled human malaria infections are complex clinical trials: many different groups and institutions are involved, and several complex technologies are required to function together. This functioning together of technologies, people, and institutions is under special pressure because of potential risks to the volunteers. In this article, the authors use controlled human malaria infections as a strategic research site to study the use of control, the role of trust, and the interactions between trust and control in the construction of scientific knowledge. The authors argue that tandems of trust and control play a central role in the successful execution of clinical trials and the construction of scientific knowledge. More specifically, two aspects of tandems of trust and control will be highlighted: tandems are sites where trust and control coproduce each other, and tandems link the personal, the technical, and the institutional domains. Understanding tandems of trust and control results in setting some agendas for both clinical trial research and science and technology studies.

Few studies have examined base rates of suboptimal effort among healthy, undergraduate students recruited for neuropsychological research. An and colleagues (2012, Conducting research with non-clinical healthy undergraduates: Does effort play a role in neuropsychological test performance? Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 27, 849-857) reported high rates of performance invalidity (30.8%-55.6%), calling into question the validity of findings generated from samples of college students. In contrast, subsequent studies have reported much lower base rates ranging from 2.6% to 12%. The present study replicated and extended previous work by examining the performance of 108 healthy undergraduates on the Dot Counting Test, Victoria Symptom Validity Test, Word Memory Test, and a brief battery of neuropsychological measures. During initial testing, 8.3% of the sample scored below cutoffs on at least one Performance Validity Test, while 3.7% were classified as invalid at Time 2 (M interval = 34.4 days). The present findings add to a growing number of studies that suggest performance invalidity base rates in samples of non-clinical, healthy college students are much lower than An and colleagues initial findings. Although suboptimal effort is much less problematic than suggested by An and colleagues, recent reports as high as 12% indicate including measures of effort may be of value when using college students as participants. Methodological issues and recommendations for future research are presented., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Inability to engage with positive stimuli is a widespread problem associated with negative mood states across many conditions, from low self-esteem to anhedonic depression. Though attention retraining procedures have shown promise as interventions in some clinical populations, novel procedures may be necessary to reliably attenuate chronic negative mood in refractory clinical populations (e.g., clinical depression) through, for example, more active, adaptive learning processes. In addition, a focus on individual difference variables predicting intervention outcome may improve the ability to provide such targeted interventions efficiently. To provide preliminary proof-of-principle, we tested a novel paradigm using operant conditioning to train eye gaze patterns toward happy faces. Thirty-two healthy undergraduates were randomized to receive operant conditioning of eye gaze toward happy faces (train-happy) or neutral faces (train-neutral). At the group level, the train-happy condition attenuated sad mood increases following a stressful task, in comparison to train-neutral. In individual differences analysis, greater physiological reactivity (pupil dilation) in response to happy faces (during an emotional face-search task at baseline) predicted decreased mood reactivity after stress. These Preliminary results suggest that operant conditioning of eye gaze toward happy faces buffers against stress-induced effects on mood, particularly in individuals who show sufficient baseline neural engagement with happy faces. Eye gaze patterns to emotional face arrays may have a causal relationship with mood reactivity. Personalized medicine research in depression may benefit from novel cognitive training paradigms that shape eye gaze patterns through feedback. Baseline neural function (pupil dilation) may be a key mechanism, aiding in iterative refinement of this approach., ((c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).)

This study compared the factor structure of the translated Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-III), which is the latest available version in Norway, with the original U.S. version. A sample of 122 healthy, elderly Norwegians (mean age: 74; standard deviation = 8.8) completed the WMS-III. The factor structure of the translated WMS-III was tested, using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, with comparison of model fit based on five a priori hypothesized models. Several model fit indices pointed to a three-factor model (working memory, visual memory, and auditory memory) providing the best fit to the data. Our study supports updated findings of the original WMS-III in nonclinical samples and suggests that the translated version is structurally equal to the original. The study supports the cross-cultural validity of the WMS-III. However, based on the present data, one might expect scores on the Family Pictures subtest to fall below scores on other WMS-III subtests in elderly Norwegians., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Failures to focus attention will affect any task engagement (e.g., at work, in the classroom, when driving). At the clinical end, distractibility is a diagnostic criterion of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we examined whether the inability to maintain attentional focus varies in the overall population in the form of an attention-distractibility trait. To test this idea, we administered an ADHD diagnostic tool to a sample of healthy participants and assessed the relationship between ADHD symptoms and task distraction. ADHD symptom summary scores were significantly positively associated with distractor interference in letter-search and name-classification tasks (as measured by reaction time), as long as the distractors were irrelevant (cartoon images) rather than relevant (i.e., compatible or incompatible with target names). Higher perceptual load during a task eliminated distraction irrespective of ADHD score. These findings suggest the existence of an attention-distractibility trait that confers vulnerability to irrelevant distraction, which can be remedied by increasing the level of perceptual load during the task., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

The Auditory Consonant Trigrams (ACT) test was developed to evaluate immediate memory in the absence of rehearsal. There are few psychometric studies of the measure and a lack of normative data using samples from the United States or Veterans. ACT data were examined for 184 participants who passed the Word Memory Test, denied a history of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and consented for research purposes only. Reliability and construct validity were examined and normative data developed using a healthy subsample. Cronbach's α for the ACT total score was 0.79. Regression analyses suggested that years of education, estimated premorbid IQ, psychomotor speed, working memory, and impulsivity had the strongest relationships with performance on the ACT. Performance was unrelated to posttraumatic stress disorder and remote mild TBI, but the presence of major depressive disorder was associated with lower total scores. These results demonstrate the ACT has adequate psychometric properties., (Published by Oxford University Press 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

One key aspect of motivation is the ability of agents to overcome excessive weighting of intrinsic subjective costs. This contribution aims to analyze the subjective cost of effort and assess its neural correlates in sedentary volunteers. We recruited a sample of 57 subjects who underwent a decision-making task using a prospective, moderate, and sustained physical effort as devaluating factor. Effort discounting followed a hyperbolic function, and individual discounting constants correlated with an indicator of sedentary lifestyle (global physical activity questionnaire; R=-0.302, P=0.033). A subsample of 24 sedentary volunteers received a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan while performing a similar effort-discounting task. BOLD signal of a cluster located in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex correlated with the subjective value of the pair of options under consideration (Z>2.3, P<0.05; cluster corrected for multiple comparisons for the whole brain). Furthermore, effort-related discounting of reward correlated with the signal of a cluster in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (Z>2.3, P<0.05; small volume cluster corrected for a region of interest including the ventral prefrontal cortex and striatum). This study offers empirical data about the intrinsic subjective cost of effort and its neural correlates in sedentary individuals., (© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Modified Six Elements Test (MSET) is used to examine executive deficits-more specifically, planning deficits. This study investigates the reliability of an adapted version of the MSET and proposes a novel scoring method. Two parallel versions of the adapted MSET were administered in 60 healthy participants in a counterbalanced order. Test-retest and parallel-form reliability were examined using intraclass correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman analyses, standard errors of measurement, and smallest real differences, representing clinically relevant changes over time. Moreover, the ecological validity of the adapted MSET was evaluated using the Executive Function Index, a self-rating questionnaire measuring everyday executive performance. No systematic differences between the test occasions were present, and the adapted MSET including the proposed scoring method was capable of detecting real clinical changes. Intraclass correlations for the test-retest and parallel-form reliability were modest, and the variability between the test scores was high. The nonsignificant correlations with the Executive Function Index did not confirm the previously established ecological validity of the MSET. We show that both parallel versions of the test are clinically equivalent and can be used to measure executive function over the course of time without task-specific learning effects.

Objective: Obesity prevalence among children is high and knowledge on cognitive factors that contribute to children's reactivity to the "obesogenic" food environment could help to design effective treatment and prevention campaigns. Empirical studies in adults suggest that attention bias for food could be a risk factor for overeating. Accordingly, the current study tested if children with obesity have an elevated attention bias for food when compared to healthy-weight children. Another aim was to explore whether attention biases for food predicted weight-change after 3 and 6 months in obese children., Method: Obese children (n = 34) were recruited from an intervention program and tested prior to the start of this intervention. Healthy-weight children (n = 36) were recruited from local schools. First, attention biases for food were compared between children with obesity (n = 30) and matched healthy-weight children (n = 30). Second, regression analyses were conducted to test if food-related attention biases predicted weight changes after 3 and 6 months in children with obesity following a weight loss lifestyle intervention., Results: Results showed that obese children did not differ from healthy-weight children in their attention bias to food. Yet automatically directing attention toward food (i.e., initial orientation bias) was related to a reduced weight loss (R² = .14, p = .032) after 6 months in children with obesity., Discussion: High palatable food is a salient stimulus for all children, irrespective of their weight status. However, automatically directing attention to food cues might facilitate further weight gain in children with obesity., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Background: Differential item functioning (DIF) occurs when members from different groups respond differently to particular items in a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire after controlling for underlying HRQoL construct. This study aimed to assess DIF in the SF-36 questionnaire and its effect on comparing HRQoL scores across patients on HD and healthy people., Methods: One hundred fifty patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) and 642 healthy individuals filled out the Persian version of the SF-36 questionnaire. Multiple-group multiple-indicator multiple-causes (MG-MIMIC) model was used to assess DIF across patients on HD and healthy population., Results: Sixteen out of 36 (44.4 %) items were flagged with DIF. Six out of 16 items (37.5 %) were flagged with uniform DIF, nine items (56.2 %) with non-uniform DIF, and one item (6.2 %) with both uniform DIF and non-uniform DIF. DIF items were associated with all subscales with the exception of the limitation due to physical problems and bodily pain subscales. The significant lower HRQoL scores of patients on HD in comparison with healthy people in the physical functioning and vitality subscales did not change after removing the items with uniform DIF., Conclusions: Our findings revealed that patients on HD and healthy people perceived the meaning of the items in SF-36 questionnaire differently. Although the impact of DIF is minimal, the cross-group comparison across patients on HD and healthy people should be performed with caution.

Objectives: Whole Body Vibration (WBV) is a passive exercise method known to have beneficial effects on various physical measures. Studies on adults furthermore demonstrated beneficial effects of WBV treatment on cognition (e.g. inhibition). The present study replicated these findings in healthy children and examined acute effects of WBV treatment on inhibition., Methods: Fifty-five healthy children (aged 8-13) participated in this within-subject design study. WBV treatment was applied by having the children sit on a chair mounted to a vibrating platform. After each condition (vibration vs. non-vibration), inhibition was measured by using the Stroop Color-Word Interference Test. Repeated measures analyses were applied in order to explore the effects of WBV treatment on inhibition, and correlations were computed between the treatment effect and participant characteristics in order to explore individual differences in treatment sensitivity., Results: Three-minute WBV treatments had significant beneficial effects on inhibition in this sample of healthy children. Especially the repeated application (three times) of WBV treatment appeared beneficial for cognition. Stronger WBV treatment effects were correlated with higher intelligence and younger age, but not with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that especially repeated WBV treatment improves inhibition in healthy children. As this cognitive function is often impaired in children with developmental disorders (e.g. ADHD), future studies should further explore the effects, working mechanism and potential applicability of WBV treatment for this target group.

Background: There is strong evidence indicating an interaction between sleep and pain. However, the size of this effect, as well as the clinical relevance, is unclear. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the effect of sleep deprivation on pain perception., Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane, Psyndex, Psycinfo, and Scopus. By conducting a random-effect model, the pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) of sleep deprivation on pain perception was calculated. Studies that investigated any kind of sleep deprivation in conjunction with a pain measurement were included. In cases of several pain measurements within a study, the average effect size of all measures was calculated., Results: Five eligible studies (N = 190) for the between-group analysis and ten studies (N = 266) for the within-group analysis were identified. Sleep deprivation showed a medium effect in the between-group analysis (SMD = 0.62; CI95: 0.12, 1.12; z = 2.43; p = 0.015) and a large effect in the within-group analysis (SMD = 1.49; CI95: 0.82, 2.17; z = 4.35; p <0.0001). The test for heterogeneity was not significant in the between-group analysis (Q = 5.29; df = 4; p = 0.2584), but it was significant in the within-group analysis (Q = 53.49; df = 9; p <0.0001)., Conclusion: This meta-analysis confirms a medium effect (SMD = 0.62) of sleep deprivation on pain perception. As this meta-analysis is based on experimental studies in healthy subjects, the clinical relevance should be clarified., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test an experimental model of the effects of sleep continuity disturbance on sleep architecture and positive mood in order to better understand the mechanisms linking insomnia and depression., Design: Participants were randomized to receive 3 consecutive nights of sleep continuity disruption via forced nocturnal awakenings (FA, n = 21), or one of two control conditions: restricted sleep opportunity (RSO, n = 17) or uninterrupted sleep (US, n = 24)., Setting: The study was set in an inpatient clinical research suite., Participants: Healthy, good-sleeping men and women were included., Measurement and Results: Polysomnography was used to measure sleep architecture, and mood was assessed via self-report each day. Compared to restricted sleep opportunity controls, forced awakenings subjects had significantly less slow wave sleep (P < 0.05) after the first night of sleep deprivation, and significantly lower positive mood (P < 0.05) after the second night of sleep deprivation. The differential change in slow wave sleep statistically mediated the observed group differences in positive mood (P = 0.002)., Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first human experimental study to demonstrate that, despite comparable reductions in total sleep time, partial sleep loss from sleep continuity disruption is more detrimental to positive mood than partial sleep loss from delaying bedtime, even when controlling for concomitant increases in negative mood. With these findings, we provide temporal evidence in support of a putative biologic mechanism (slow wave sleep deficit) that could help explain the strong comorbidity between insomnia and depression., (© 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.)

Objectives: To explore the association of self-rated health (SRH) with host resistance to illness after exposure to a common cold virus and identify mechanisms linking SRH to future health status., Methods: We analyzed archival data from 360 healthy adults (mean [standard deviation] age = 33.07 [10.69] years, 45.6% women). Each person completed validated questionnaires that assessed SRH (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor), socioemotional factors, and health practices and was subsequently exposed to a common cold virus and monitored for 5 days for clinical illness (infection and objective signs of illness)., Results: Poorer SRH was associated in a graded fashion with greater susceptibility to developing clinical illness (good/fair versus excellent: odds ratio = 3.21, 95% confidence interval = 1.47-6.99; very good versus excellent: odds ratio = 2.60, 95% confidence interval = 1.27-5.32), independent of age, sex, race, prechallenge immunity (specific antibody), body mass, season, education, and income. Greater illness risk was not attributable to infection, but to increased likelihood of developing objective signs of illness once infected. Poorer SRH also correlated with poorer health practices, increased stress, lower positive emotions, and other socioemotional factors. However, none of these (alone or together) accounted for the association between SRH and host resistance. Additional data (separate study) indicated that history of having colds was unrelated to susceptibility and hence also did not account for the SRH link with immunocompetence., Conclusions: Poorer SRH is associated with poorer immunocompetence, possibly reflecting sensitivity to sensations associated with premorbid immune dysfunction. In turn, poorer immune function may be a major contributing mechanism linking SRH to future health.

Background: Schizophrenia is a complex, polygenic disorder for which over 100 genetic variants have been identified that correlate with diagnosis. However, the biological mechanisms underpinning the different symptom clusters remain undefined. The rs1344706 single nucleotide polymorphism within ZNF804A was among the first genetic variants found to be associated with schizophrenia. Previously, neuroimaging and cognitive studies have revealed several associations between rs1344706 and brain structure and function. The aim of this study is to use a recall-by-genotype (RBG) design to investigate the biological basis for the association of ZNF804A variants with schizophrenia. A RBG study, implemented in a population cohort, will be used to evaluate the impact of genetic variation at rs1344706 on sleep neurophysiology and procedural memory consolidation in healthy participants., Methods/design: Participants will be recruited from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) on the basis of genotype at rs1344706 (n = 24). Each participant will be asked to take part in two nights of in-depth sleep monitoring (polysomnography) allowing collection of neurophysiological sleep data in a manner not amenable to large-scale study. Sleep questionnaires will be used to assess general sleep quality and subjective sleep experience after each in-house recording. A motor sequencing task (MST) will be performed before and after the second night of polysomnography. In order to gather additional data about habitual sleep behaviour participants will be asked to wear a wrist worn activity monitor (actiwatch) and complete a sleep diary for two weeks., Discussion: This study will explore the biological function of ZNF804A genotype (rs1344706) in healthy volunteers by examining detailed features of sleep architecture and physiology in relation to motor learning. Using a RBG approach will enable us to collect precise and detailed phenotypic data whilst achieving an informative biological gradient. It would not be feasible to collect such data in the large sample sizes that would be required under a random sampling scheme. By dissecting the role of individual variants associated with schizophrenia in this way, we can begin to unravel the complex genetic mechanisms of psychiatric disorders and pave the way for future development of novel therapeutic approaches.

Background: After no research in humans for >40 years, there is renewed interest in using lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in clinical psychiatric research and practice. There are no modern studies on the subjective and autonomic effects of LSD, and its endocrine effects are unknown. In animals, LSD disrupts prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response, and patients with schizophrenia exhibit similar impairments in PPI. However, no data are available on the effects of LSD on PPI in humans., Methods: In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study, LSD (200 μg) and placebo were administered to 16 healthy subjects (8 women, 8 men). Outcome measures included psychometric scales; investigator ratings; PPI of the acoustic startle response; and autonomic, endocrine, and adverse effects., Results: Administration of LSD to healthy subjects produced pronounced alterations in waking consciousness that lasted 12 hours. The predominant effects induced by LSD included visual hallucinations, audiovisual synesthesia, and positively experienced derealization and depersonalization phenomena. Subjective well-being, happiness, closeness to others, openness, and trust were increased by LSD. Compared with placebo, LSD decreased PPI. LSD significantly increased blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, pupil size, plasma cortisol, prolactin, oxytocin, and epinephrine. Adverse effects produced by LSD completely subsided within 72 hours. No severe acute adverse effects were observed., Conclusions: In addition to marked hallucinogenic effects, LSD exerts methylenedioxymethamphetamine-like empathogenic mood effects that may be useful in psychotherapy. LSD altered sensorimotor gating in a human model of psychosis, supporting the use of LSD in translational psychiatric research. In a controlled clinical setting, LSD can be used safely, but it produces significant sympathomimetic stimulation., (Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The amygdala is a key structure in serotonergic emotion-processing circuits. In healthy volunteers, acute administration of the serotonin 1A/2A/2C receptor agonist psilocybin reduces neural responses to negative stimuli and induces mood changes toward positive states. However, it is little-known whether psilocybin reduces amygdala reactivity to negative stimuli and whether any change in amygdala reactivity is related to mood change., Methods: This study assessed the effects of acute administration of the hallucinogen psilocybin (.16 mg/kg) versus placebo on amygdala reactivity to negative stimuli in 25 healthy volunteers using blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Mood changes were assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and the state portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. A double-blind, randomized, cross-over design was used with volunteers counterbalanced to receive psilocybin and placebo in two separate sessions at least 14 days apart., Results: Amygdala reactivity to negative and neutral stimuli was lower after psilocybin administration than after placebo administration. The psilocybin-induced attenuation of right amygdala reactivity in response to negative stimuli was related to the psilocybin-induced increase in positive mood state., Conclusions: These results demonstrate that acute treatment with psilocybin decreased amygdala reactivity during emotion processing and that this was associated with an increase of positive mood in healthy volunteers. These findings may be relevant to the normalization of amygdala hyperactivity and negative mood states in patients with major depression., (Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Research is being carried out to develop and test new potentially more effective tuberculosis vaccines. Among the vaccines being developed are those that target adolescents. This study explored the stakeholders' perceptions about adolescent participation in a hypothetical tuberculosis vaccine trial in Ugandan adolescents., Methods: Focus group discussions with adolescents, parents of infants and adolescents, and key informant interviews with community leaders and traditional healers were conducted., Results: The majority of the respondents expressed potential willingness to allow their children participate in a tuberculosis vaccine trial. Main motivations for potential participation would be being able to learn about health-related issues. Hesitations included the notion that trial participation would distract the youths from their studies, fear of possible side effects of an investigational product, and potential for being sexually exploited by researchers. In addition, bad experiences from participation in previous research and doubts about the importance of research were mentioned. Suggested ways to motivate participation included: improved clarity on study purpose, risks, benefits and better scheduling of study procedures to minimize disruption to participants' academic schedules., Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that the community is open to potential participation of adolescents in a tuberculosis vaccine trial. However, there is a need to communicate more effectively with the community about the purpose of the trial and its effects, including safety data, in a low-literacy, readily understood format. This raises a challenge to researchers, who cannot know all the potential effects of a trial product before it is tested.

Objective: This systematic review evaluated the measurement properties of current self-report physical activity questionnaires (SRPAQs) completed within healthy adult populations., Design: Two reviewers independently searched seven electronic databases and hand searched for articles investigating measurement properties of a SRPAQ evaluating physical activity over the previous 6 months. Articles published from 1 May 2001 to 4 December 2014 were systematically screened and eligible studies were not limited to English language sources. Articles investigating specific race, gender or socioeconomic populations were excluded., Results: 10 studies investigating 10 SRPAQs were included. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) and ranged from 'poor' to 'good'. The Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaires and Physical Activity Assessment Tool demonstrated good/excellent test-retest reliability (intra-class coefficient (ICC)=0.76, p<0.0001; r=0.627-0.91; r=0.618, p<0.001, respectively), but variable criterion validity (r=0.67, p<0.0001; r=-0.02-0.43; r=0.392, p<0.01, respectively). The single-item measure showed significant criterion validity against an accelerometer (for moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) k=0.23, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.41; and physical activity ≥10 min bouts 0.39 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.64). Construct validity of the six-point scale and Human Activity Profile varied significantly with age, marital status and presence of comorbidities (p<0.05, <0.01, <0.000 and p<0.05, <0.05, <0.000, respectively). The 1 week Godlin-Shephard recall demonstrated 'moderate' validity with the gold standard measure of accelerometry (r=0.43)., Conclusions: Inconclusive evidence exists. Further investigation of criterion validity of the short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire is required, as it demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability., Prospero Number: CRD42012002484., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

We investigated whether stress may influence fatigue, or vice versa, as well as factors mediating this relationship. Fifty healthy participants (31 females, 23.6±3.2 years) completed up to 5 momentary assessments of stress and fatigue during 5 days of preparation for their final examinations (exam condition) and 5 days of a regular semester week (control condition). Sleep quality was measured by self-report at awakening. A sub-group of participants (n=25) also collected saliva samples. Fatigue was associated with concurrent stress, stress reported at the previous measurement point, and previous-day stress. However, momentary stress was also predicted by concurrent fatigue, fatigue at the previous time point, and previous-day fatigue. Sleep quality mediated the association between stress and next-day fatigue. Cortisol and alpha-amylase did not mediate the stress-fatigue relationship. In conclusion, there is a reciprocal stress-fatigue relationship. Both prevention and intervention programs should comprehensively cover how stress and fatigue might influence one another., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating and prevalent disorder associated with lower quality of life and substantial economic burden. Recently, there has been strong interest in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as a biological predictor of later depression. Theoretical work suggests that higher resting RSA indexes physiological flexibility and better emotion regulation whereas lower RSA may mark vulnerability for psychopathology. However, empirical findings have varied. This study examined whether lower resting RSA predicted later depressive symptoms in a sample of healthy young adults across one year (n=185). Results indicate that year one (Y1) resting RSA predicted Y2 depressive symptoms. This finding remained significant when accounting for the stability of RSA and depressive symptoms across both time points and when including trait anxiety, body mass index, and medication use in statistical models. Findings provide further support for RSA as a promising biological marker for understanding and predicting depressive symptoms., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In previous studies, rTMS has been successfully employed to interfere with the right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) inducing neglect-like behavior in healthy subjects. Several studies have shown that the use of tools can modulate the boundaries between near and far space: indeed when far space is reached by the stick, far space can be remapped as near., Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether once that rTMS on the rPPC has selectively induced neglect-like bias in the near space (but not in the far space), neglect can appears also in the far space when the subjects used a tool to perform the task., Methods: Fifteen right-handed healthy subjects executed a line length judgment task in two different spatial positions (60 cm: near space and 120 cm: far space), with or without rPPC on-line rTMS. In the far space condition, subjects performed the perceptual task while holding or not a tool., Results: During rTMS, visuospatial performance significantly shifted toward right when the task was performed in the near space and in the far space when the tool was used. No significant effect was found when rTMS was delivered in the far space condition without tool use., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the application of rTMS on rPPC, specifically affect the representation of near space because it caused neglect both when the subjects acted in the near space and when they acted in a far space that was remapped as near by the use of a tool., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: While olfaction is a sense closely associated with the limbic system and emotions, the relation between emotional status and olfactory functioning has not been well documented. This study aimed to examine the possible effect of anxiety on olfaction in healthy subjects., Methods: We investigated the effect of state and trait anxiety on the detection and recognition thresholds for five different odors in 124 healthy subjects (62 men and 62 women, mean age = 27.2 years) using a T&T olfactometer., Results: While the influences of age, socioeconomic status, IQ, and smoking history on olfaction were not significant, women had a lower recognition threshold for the odor of sweet fruit and a higher detection threshold for that of rotten food as compared with men. Both state and trait anxiety ratings were significantly associated with reduced olfactory ability, especially for identification of rose odor., Conclusions: These findings suggest that emotional status affects olfactory functioning in healthy subjects. Our findings may also partly explain the mild olfactory impairment reported in clinical conditions, such as anxiety disorders., (© 2015 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2015 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.)

Patients are by far the most important partners within the complete ensemble involved in clinical studies. Their participation involves a number of additional inconveniencies. Not infrequently, the consent discussion is followed by complementary diagnostic procedures. Besides the objective pressure of expectation there are also subjective fears, which increase in weight the longer the study progresses. During the post-observational period, participants are periodically requested to undertake further control examinations at varying time intervals. By means of their consent, study patients volunteer as supporters in favor of the anonymous successors in the study suffering from the same disease. Obviously, the sacrifices which the enrolled patients make for medical research can be placed on a par with organ donations.

Because healthy physical and mental functioning depends on the ability to regulate emotions, it is important to identify moderators of such regulations. Whether mental fatigue, subsequent to the depletion of cognitive resources, impairs explicit emotion regulation to negative stimuli is currently unknown. This study explored this possibility. In a within-subject design over 2 separate sessions, healthy individuals performed easy (control session) or difficult (depletion session) cognitive tasks. Subsequently, they were presented with neutral and negative pictures, with instructions to either maintain or regulate (i.e., reduce) the emotions evoked by the pictures. Emotional reactivity was probed with the startle reflex. The negative pictures evoked a similar aversive state in the control and depletion sessions as measured by startle potentiation. However, subjects were able to down-regulate their aversive state only in the control session, not in the depletion session. These results indicate that mental fatigue following performance of cognitive tasks impairs emotion regulation without affecting emotional reactivity. These findings suggest that mental fatigue needs to be incorporated into models of emotion regulation., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Prolonged physical inactivity or bed rest (BR) due to illness or other factors can result in significant declines in physical health and even cognitive functions. Based on random selection, 7 healthy older adult men received computerized spatial navigation training, while 8 served as active controls during 14-day BR. Greater post-BR declines were seen in normal and complex (dual-task) walking for the control as compared to intervention group, suggesting that computerized spatial navigation training can successfully moderate detrimental BR effects. Findings underline the generalization of cognitive-based intervention to the motor domain and potentially support their use to supplement BR interventions (e.g., exercise and nutrition)., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.)

Localized provoked vulvodynia (LPVD) affects approximately 16% of the female population, but biological mechanisms underlying symptoms remain unknown. Like in other often comorbid chronic pain disorders, altered sensory processing and modulation of pain, including central sensitization, dysregulation of endogenous pain modulatory systems, and attentional enhancement of pain perception, have been implicated. The aim of this study was to test whether regions of interest showing differences in LPVD compared to healthy control subjects (HCs) in structural and evoked-pain neuroimaging studies, also show alterations during rest when compared with HCs and a chronic pain control group (irritable bowel syndrome [IBS]). Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed during resting state in 87 age-matched premenopausal females (29 LPVD, 29 HCs, and 29 IBS). Group-independent component analysis and general linear models were applied to investigate group differences in the intrinsic connectivity of regions comprising sensorimotor, salience, and default mode resting-state networks. Subjects with LPVD showed substantial alterations in the intrinsic connectivity of these networks compared with HCs and IBS. The intrinsic connectivity of many of the regions showing group differences during rest were moderately associated with clinical symptom reports in LPVD. Findings were robust to controlling for affect and medication usage. The current findings indicate that subjects with LPVD have alterations in the intrinsic connectivity of regions comprising the sensorimotor, salience, and default mode networks. Although shared brain mechanisms between different chronic pain disorders have been postulated, the current findings suggest that some alterations in functional connectivity may show disease specificity.

Few studies have investigated the effect of an acute psychosocial stress paradigm on impaired attention and working memory in humans. Further, the duration of any stress-related cognitive impairment remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an acute psychosocial stress paradigm, the Trier Social Stress, on cognitive function in healthy volunteers. Twenty-three healthy male and female subjects were exposed to an acute psychosocial stress task. Physiological measures (salivary cortisol, heart rate and blood pressure) and subjective stress ratings were measured at baseline, in anticipation of stress, immediately post-stress and after a period of rest. A neuropsychological test battery including spatial working memory and verbal memory was administered at each time point. Acute psychosocial stress produced significant increases in cardiovascular and subjective measures in the anticipatory and post-stress period, which recovered to baseline after rest. Salivary cortisol steadily declined over the testing period. Acute psychosocial stress impaired delayed verbal recall, attention and spatial working memory. Attention remained impaired, and delayed verbal recall continued to decline after rest. Acute psychosocial stress is associated with an impairment of a broad range of cognitive functions in humans and with prolonged abnormalities in attention and memory., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Objectives: To establish the views of research volunteers on the consent process; to explore their views on the consent process in different research scenarios; to inform debate on emerging models of consent for participation in research., Design, Setting and Participants: 2,308 adult volunteers from the TwinsUK Registry (www.twinsuk.ac.uk) completed an online survey about their views on the consent process for use of their DNA and medical information in research. Their views on the re-consenting process in different scenarios were assessed., Results: The majority of volunteers preferred to be informed of the identity of the main researcher of a study in which they are participating, which is contrary to current practice. Over 80% were willing to complete the consent process online instead of face to face. On the whole, respondents did not view their DNA differently from their medical information with regard to the consent process. Research participants were more willing to give broad consent to cover future research if their DNA was to be used by the original researcher than by another researcher, even if the disease under investigation varied, in contrast to the traditional 'gold standard' whereby specific consent is required for all new research projects., Discussion: In some scenarios, research participants reported that they would be comfortable with not signing a new consent form for future research uses of their data and DNA, and are comfortable with secure, online consent processes rather than traditional face-to-face consent processes. Our findings indicate that the perceived relationship between research participants and researchers plays an important role in shaping preferences regarding the consent process and suggest that this relationship is not captured by traditional consent processes. We argue that the development of new formats of consent should be informed by empirical research on volunteers' perceptions and preferences regarding the consent process.

Objectives: Neuroticism is an important personality trait that is often associated with mental disorders. It has been reported that lower levels of neuroticism are associated with better cognitive function later in life; however, the concurrent association is unclear., Methods: A total of 184 healthy participants, 84 males and 100 females, completed the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised version and the 24-item neuroticism subscale of the Maudsley personality inventory., Results: The neuroticism score was found to be positively associated with verbal memory, general memory, and delayed recall, particularly among healthy females, independent of the effect of age., Conclusion: The mechanisms of this association remain to be elucidated. Clinicians should pay additional attention to this phenomenon.

Background: The differentiation between high and low cortisol responders to stress is of interest in determining the risk factors which may, along with genetic vulnerability, influence alcohol intake., Methods: Thirty-two healthy volunteers, family history positive to alcoholism (FHP, n = 16) and family history negative (FHN, n = 16) attended two laboratory sessions during which alcohol or placebo was offered., Results: There were no differences in consumption of alcohol or placebo between FHP and FHN subjects. STUDY 2:, Methods: Fifty-eight healthy social drinkers, FHP (n = 27) and FHN (n = 31) attended two laboratory sessions. They were administered either alcohol or placebo in both sessions they attended. All subjects underwent either a stress task (the Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) or a stress-free period, at two separate occasions, before being offered beverage. After the salivary cortisol analysis, subjects in each group were divided into high (HCR) or low (LCR) cortisol responders., Results: After stress, subjects who were FHP-HCR consumed more alcohol than FHN-HCR. There were no differences in the placebo intake between FHP and FHN subjects regardless of their cortisol response., Conclusions: This result indicates that stress promotes alcohol consumption only in subjects with a family history of Type 1 alcoholism who show an increase in cortisol response to stress. This behaviour is similar to that previously observed in alcohol dependent individuals after stress and thus could represent an endophenotype posing a risk for future development of alcohol use disorders., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To describe a population of cognitively functioning seniors aged 80 years and older who are livingin dependently in the community., Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study based on the enrolment cohort of a randomized controlled trial., Setting: St John's, Nfld., Participants: A total of 236 cognitively functioning seniors aged 80 years and older living independently in the community., Main Outcome Measures: Demographic characteristics including age, sex, marital status, and education; health status and quality of life measured by the Short Form-36 and the CASP-19 (control, autonomy, self-realization,and pleasure); use of formal and informal community services;satisfaction with family physician care as measured by the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18; and use of health care resources (family physician visits, emergency department visits,hospitalizations, and laboratory and diagnostic imaging tests)., Results: Overall, 66.5% of those in the group were women and the average age was 85.5 years. A quarter had postsecondary diplomas or degrees; 54.7% were widowed (69.4% of women and 25.3% of men). The cohort scored well in terms of health status and quality of life, with a range of scores on the Short Form–36 from 57.5 to 93.5 out of 100, and a score of 44 out of 57 on the CASP-19; they were satisfied with the care received from family physicians, with scores between 3.8 and 4.3 out of 5 on the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18; and use of health services was low-70% had no emergency department visits in the previous year and 80% had not used any laboratory or diagnostic services., Conclusion: Seniors aged 80 years and older living in dependently are involved in the social fabric of society. They are generally well educated, slightly more than half are widowed,and two-thirds are female. They score well on scales that measure well-being and quality of life, and they use few health services. They are the healthy aged., Trial Registration Number: NCT00452465 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the hemodynamic changes induced by the cognitive process of facial expression by using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy in healthy subjects with varying degrees of autism tendency., Methods: Subjects were 38 volunteers, 20 men and 18 women. Autism tendency was measured by the Autism Spectrum Quotient. The hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex were measured by 24-channel near-infrared spectroscopy system, while subjects were asked to judge their own emotional response to standardized pictures of eight kinds of facial expressions on a computer screen., Results: There were significant negative correlations between Autism Spectrum Quotient scores and accuracy of fearful expression recognition as well as increases in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in response to four kinds of emotional faces (fear, contempt, sadness and disgust)., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the greater tendency to autism that subjects have, the more difficulty they have in recognizing a fearful expression and the less hemodynamic change in the prefrontal cortex they show in response to negative facial expressions., (© 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.)

The purpose of this study was to critically look at the validity of the "placebo procedures" used in acupuncture studies. Twenty healthy volunteers were recruited and blinded either to genuine acupuncture or to "placebo procedures", and they were checked to ascertain whether they could differentiate genuine punctures from placebo punctures. Each volunteer received paired procedures on three separate occasions. Each paired procedure included one genuine puncture and a placebo procedure. Three placebo procedures, that is, sham points, superficial puncture, and puncturing through a special device, were used. Two standard acupuncture points were used: Hegu (LI-4) in the hand and Zusanli (ST-36) in the leg. Among the 18 participants who completed all three tests, 16 correctly recognized genuine punctures. Sham sites in the hand and the leg were detected by 15 and nine of the participants, respectively. Superficial punctures in the hand and the leg were recognized by 10 and nine of the participants, respectively. A special device, a foam cylinder that hid the distal needle, worked best because 15 and 16 of the participants were deceived when the device was used at an acupoint in the hand and the leg, respectively. No significant differences were noted between those who had had past experience with acupuncture and those who had not. Sham sites and superficial punctures appeared not to have a placebo function because 50-83% of the participants were able to immediately recognize their false nature. Using a hidden device worked much better., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.)