International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology最新文献

It was with the promise of rendering an experimental approach to consciousness that psychology started its trajectory as an independent science more than 150 years ago. Here, we will posit that the neurosciences were instrumental in leading psychology to resume the study of consciousness by projecting an empirical agenda for the future. First, we will start by showing how scientists were able to venture into the consciousness of supposedly unconscious patients, opening the door for the identification of important neural correlates of distinct consciousness states. Then, we will describe how different technological advances and elegant experimental paradigms helped in establishing important neuronal correlates of global consciousness (i.e., being conscious at all), perceptual consciousness (i.e., being conscious of something), and self-consciousness (i.e., being conscious of itself). Finally, we will illustrate how the study of complex consciousness experiences may contribute to the clarification of the mechanisms associated with global consciousness, the relationship between perceptual and self-consciousness, and the interface among distinct self-consciousness domains. In closing, we will elaborate on the road ahead of us for re-establishing psychology as a science of consciousness.

Background

It is not rare that intensive care unit (ICU) patients report unusual subjective experiences, ranging from a feeling of harmony with the environment to complex phenomena such as near-death experience (NDE). This 1-year follow-up study investigates the characteristics and potential global impact of the NDE memories recalled by ICU survivors.

Method

We prospectively enrolled 126 adult survivors of a prolonged (>7days) ICU stay (all etiologies), including 19 (15 %) who reported a NDE as identified by the Greyson NDE scale. The NDE group underwent a semi-structured interview one month later evaluating their memory characteristics and the associated life-threatening situation. One year after inclusion, all patients (regardless of whether they recalled an NDE) were contacted for a follow-up Greyson NDE scale assessment and questions about their ICU experience and opinions on death since discharge.

Results

The Greyson NDE scale revealed that the most frequently reported features were altered time perception, heightened senses and life review, and the Greyson total scores did not evolve over time. NDE memories persisted, with a consequent number of phenomenological characteristics (e.g., visual details, emotions). One year post-ICU, two patients (18 %) of the NDE group and 12 (24 %) of the non-NDE group were less afraid of death.

Conclusions

Results emphasize the clinical importance of interviewing all ICU patients to explore any memory after an ICU stay.

Objectives

This study investigates peripersonal space (PPS) modulation in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) versus healthy controls (HCs) and explores associations between PPS, eating-related, and general psychopathology.

Method

Forty-six patients and 42 HCs completed a computer-based task observing videos of an approaching actor (male or female) displaying different facial expressions along with a non-social condition. Then, participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing eating-related and general psychopathology.

Results

Mixed-models revealed that both groups adjusted PPS based on task conditions, with a gender effect favoring closer proximity to female actor. HCs reduced PPS amplitude progressively during the task, while patients did not show this effect. In patients, wider PPS correlated with lower self-esteem and facial expression identification accuracy, while in HCs, PPS was associated to body dissatisfaction and anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion

These findings enhance understanding of bodily self-consciousness, suggesting PPS consideration in therapeutic interactions with patients with AN and as a potential target in treatments addressing social impairment.

Background

Although significant progress has been made in the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, even today this population still faces stigma and discrimination that impacts their mental health. In the case of men who have sex with men, it has been demonstrated that the use of drugs in a sexual context (chemsex) is one of the coping mechanisms and means of escape to deal with these situations.

Method

We assessed 284 native Spanish speakers’ participants, 45,4 % were not engaged in sexualised drug use (n = 129) while 54,6 % were chemsex users (n = 155) using 18,7 % of them the injected via. The participants completed six questionnaires about life and sexual satisfaction, depression, anxiety, internalised homophobia and personality. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were performed to assess the associations between sexual behaviour-related and psychological variables. Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to analysed the impact on mental health of the administration via.

Results

Aged, unprotected sexual relationships, positive serostatus, homonegativity and conscientiousness predicted the chemsex engagement. Furthermore, we found differences regarding the administration via.

Conclusions

We conclude that mental health significantly correlates with the practice of chemsex, highlighting the importance of integrating mental health considerations into the prevention of risky sexual behaviors.

Background/Objective. Enlarged lateral ventricle (LV) volume and decreased volume in the corpus callosum (CC) are hallmarks of schizophrenia (SZ). We previously showed an inverse correlation between LV and CC volumes in SZ, with global functioning decreasing with increased LV volume. This study investigates the relationship between LV volume, CC abnormalities, and the microRNA MIR137 and its regulated genes in SZ, because of MIR137’s essential role in neurodevelopment. Methods. Participants were 1224 SZ probands and 1466 unaffected controls from the GENUS Consortium. Brain MRI scans, genotype, and clinical data were harmonized across cohorts and employed in the analyses. Results. Increased LV volumes and decreased CC central, mid-anterior, and mid-posterior volumes were observed in SZ probands. The MIR137-regulated ephrin pathway was significantly associated with CC:LV ratio, explaining a significant proportion (3.42 %) of CC:LV variance, and more than for LV and CC separately. Other pathways explained variance in either CC or LV, but not both. CC:LV ratio was also positively correlated with Global Assessment of Functioning, supporting previous subsample findings. SNP-based heritability estimates were higher for CC central:LV ratio (0.79) compared to CC or LV separately. Discussion. Our results indicate that the CC:LV ratio is highly heritable, influenced in part by variation in the MIR137-regulated ephrin pathway. Findings suggest that the CC:LV ratio may be a risk indicator in SZ that correlates with global functioning.

Background

Individuals with subclinical depression are prone to major depression and experience emotional responses and attentional biases to negative stimuli.

Method

In a randomized controlled study (N = 42) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined the neurocognitive mechanisms behind mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) combining loving-kindness meditation (LKM) on a group with subclinical depression compared with the relaxation group across emotional face n-back (EFNBACK) tasks and resting state. We also collected behavioral and self-reported data to confirm neurocognitive results.

Results

During EFNBACK, the MBCT+LKM group showed greater activation in the left lingual gyrus and right inferior lateral occipital cortex. During rest, the MBCT+LKM group demonstrated increased connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex and right inferior lateral occipital cortex, right anterior insula and left precentral gyrus. From amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) data, activity in brain regions associated with cognitive control decreased and activity in brain regions associated with sensorimotor increased.

Conclusion

These results suggest that MBCT+LKM alleviate depression for subclinical individuals through improving executive function when they face negative stimuli.

Background

Physical exercise may alleviate premature ejaculation symptoms, a prevalent male sexual dysfunction linked to a series of negative outcomes for men and their partners.

Objective

We investigated the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and slow breathing interventions on premature ejaculation symptoms and their relation to autonomic activity and attention regulation.

Method

Chinese adult men (N = 76, M = 21.89, SD = 3.32) with premature ejaculation completed one of the two-week interventions in their homes or as participants in a normal breathing control group; they reported their age, height, weight, physical activity level, premature ejaculation symptoms, and attention regulation. In the HIIT group, 26 participants engaged in a 7-minute HIIT each day. In the slow breathing group, 25 participants performed 7-minute slow breathing exercises per day while the 25 participants in the normal breathing group similarly performed normal breathing exercises. All participants measured their heart rate once before and five times (with one-minute intervals) after the intervention. When participants had penile-vaginal sex with their partners, they measured their heart rate once after ejaculation.

Results

Time × Intervention interaction was significant with lower levels of premature ejaculation symptoms on Days 12, 13, and 14 in the HIIT group (M ± SD = 16.19 ± 3.45, 15.96 ± 3.43, and 15.15 ± 3.62) compared to the normal breathing group (M ± SD = 17.68 ± 3.06, 17.68 ± 3.15, and 17.44 ± 3.25). Higher levels of attention regulation were associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms. We also found that a larger increase in heart rate from resting to after sex was associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms.

Conclusion

Compared to the control group, the efficacy of two weeks of HIIT exercise in mitigating PE symptoms suggests its potential as a novel treatment for PE.

Background

Inhibitory control represents a core executive function that critically facilitates adaptive behavior and survival in an ever-changing environment. Non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has been hypothesized to improve behavioral inhibition performance, however the neurocomputational mechanism of taVNS-induced neuroenhancement remains elusive.

Method

In the current study, we investigated the efficacy of taVNS in a sham-controlled between-subject functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) experiment with an emotional face Go/No-Go paradigm in ninety healthy young adults.

Results

After a data quality check, eighty-two subjects were included in the final data analysis. Behaviorally, the taVNS improved No-Go response accuracy, together with computational modeling using Hierarchical Bayesian estimation of the Drift Diffusion Model (HDDM) indicating that it specifically reduced the information accumulation rate for Go responses, and this was negatively associated with increased accuracy of No-Go responses. On the neural level, taVNS enhanced engagement of the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) during inhibition of angry expression faces and modulated functional couplings (FCs) within the prefrontal inhibitory control network. Mediation models revealed that taVNS-induced facilitation of inhibitory control was critically mediated by a decreased information accumulation for Go responses and concomitantly enhanced neurofunctional coupling between the inferior and orbital frontal cortex.

Discussion

Our findings demonstrate a potential for taVNS to improve emotional inhibitory control via reducing pre-potent responses and enhancing FCs within prefrontal inhibitory control networks, suggesting a promising therapeutic role in treating specific disorders characterized by inhibitory control deficits.

Background

Qualitative evidence points to the importance of both mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise in chronic pain, yet this bidirectional relationship has not been established quantitatively.

Methods

89 adults with chronic pain (75 female, Age: M = 34.7, SD=13.2), and 89 demographically-matched individuals without chronic pain (73 female, Age: M = 32.0, SD=13.3) self-reported demographic and health information, mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise, and leisure-time exercise activity.

Results

Adults with chronic pain had significantly higher scores on mental health-related barriers to exercise, and lower leisure-time exercise participation than adults without chronic pain. The groups did not differ on mental health-related benefits of exercise scores. Benefits scores positively predicted exercise, yet there was a significant negative interaction between pain and benefit scores, indicating a weaker positive relationship between benefits and exercise for adults with chronic pain than for those without chronic pain. Barrier scores significantly negatively predicted exercise engagement, but did not interact significantly with chronic pain.

Conclusion

Mental health-related barriers and benefits to exercise are important considerations when prescribing exercise for adults with chronic pain. Adults with chronic pain may require individualised support to address mental health-related barriers to leisure-time exercise.

Background/objectives

To compare sexual functioning, genital pain, and satisfaction among women diagnosed with various Chronic pain (CP) conditions. Additionally, it seeks to explore the role of sexual factors in predicting levels of central sensitization (indicative of CP-related mental and physical distress), physical, and mental quality of life (QoL) for each condition individually.

Methods

From April 2023 to January 2024, 1006 women categorized into five groups (Chronic Headache - CH; Fibromyalgia - FM, Vulvodynia - VU, Comorbidity group - CO, and Healthy Controls - HC) completed an online protocol.

Results

All groups reported sexual impairment: VU group exhibited the highest genital pain prevalence (97.93 %), followed by CO (74.29 %) and FM (55.91 %). ANCOVAs indicated lower sexual functioning scores for FM, VU, and CO compared to HC and CH. VU and CO reported lower satisfaction scores than other groups. Genital pain emerged as the primary predictor of central sensitization across all groups except controls. Regarding mental QoL, sexual satisfaction was significant for CH and CO, while genital pain and sexual satisfaction were significant for VU.

Conclusion

This study emphasizes the importance of integrating genito-pelvic pain assessment and addressing related sexual difficulties in CP diagnostics and care to enhance overall well-being and QoL.