Your Daily digest for PsyPost – Psychology News Daily Digest (Unofficial)

[Article Digests for Psychology & Social Work]

PsyPost – Psychology News Daily Digest (Unofficial)

 

(https://www.psypost.org/antidepressants-affect-how-the-brain-processes-internal-sensations-study-finds/) Antidepressants affect how the brain processes internal sensations, study finds
Jul 23rd 2024, 10:00

A recent study published in the journal (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-02971-3) Translational Psychiatry has uncovered that a single dose of a common antidepressant, specifically a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, can change how the brain processes internal bodily sensations. This effect is particularly evident when individuals are anxious, revealing a nuanced interaction between serotonin, interoception (the sensing of internal bodily states), and anxiety.
The researchers aimed to understand how serotonin, a key neurotransmitter in the brain, influences interoception. While serotonin’s role in modulating sensory processing like vision and hearing is well-established, its effect on interoception, especially regarding ordinary internal sensations such as heartbeats and stomach activity, was less clear.
“Not a whole lot was known about how the brain regulates its use of sensory information coming from inside the body. Likewise, we didn’t know why serotonergic antidepressants change our mood, despite millions of people taking them every day,” said study author Dan Campbell-Meiklejohn ((https://bsky.app/profile/drdanielcm.bsky.social) @DrDanielCM), a senior lecturer at the University of Sussex.
“Independently, serotonin and interoception have been associated with the same mental health disorders, brain activations and behaviors. So, a test of whether serotonin influences interoception seemed like a good place to start to fill the gaps in these two stories.”
The study involved 31 healthy participants aged 18 to 35. They underwent a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over experiment. Each participant was tested twice: once after receiving a single dose of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram (20 mg) and once after receiving a placebo, with sessions spaced at least a week apart.
Participants performed a visceral interoceptive awareness (VIA) task, which involved focusing on sensations from their heart and stomach while their brain activity was monitored using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The task also included a control condition where participants focused on visual stimuli. This design allowed the researchers to isolate the brain’s response to interoceptive sensations and compare it to exteroceptive (external sensory) processing.
The results showed that a single dose of citalopram significantly reduced the neural response to interoceptive sensations. The researchers observed that the increased levels of serotonin reduced neural activity in the amygdala and posterior insular cortex. These regions are critical for processing sensory and emotional information.
The reduction in neural response suggests that serotonin has a tempering effect on the brain’s processing of internal bodily sensations. This finding is notable because it extends the known effects of serotonin from exteroceptive sensory processing, such as vision and hearing, to interoceptive processing.
An intriguing aspect of the study is the state-dependent nature of serotonin’s effects. The researchers found that the relationship between anxiety and interoception was altered by citalopram. Under placebo conditions, higher anxiety levels were associated with increased neural responses in the anterior insula and orbitofrontal cortex during heart-focused tasks.
However, this relationship was significantly flattened when participants were given citalopram. This suggests that serotonin not only modulates interoception but does so in a manner that is influenced by the individual’s anxiety levels.
The findings indicate that “serotonin changes the way our brain processes sensations from our body, including changes in the processing of heart sensation when we are feeling anxious,” Campbell-Meiklejohn told PsyPost.
The researchers also found that citalopram’s effect on the processing of stomach sensations was a strong predictor of changes in anxiety. Participants who experienced a more significant reduction in neural response to stomach sensations also showed variations in their anxiety levels.
“It was surprising that the effect of the SSRI on the processing of stomach sensation was the best predictor of SSRI effects on anxiety (which can go up or down depending in the person, in the short term),” Campbell-Meiklejohn said. “It’s a preliminary finding, but it goes to show ‘gut feelings’ are not just an expression.”
However, the study only examined the effects of a single dose of citalopram, whereas real-world treatment involves long-term use. This raises questions about the long-term effects of serotonin modulation on interoception. Future research could explore the chronic effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and include more diverse participant groups.
“The effects of a single dose in healthy volunteers are not always predictive of what will happen to a patient that is taking them for weeks,” Campbell-Meiklejohn said. “We can’t infer what this means for patients taking SSRI treatments without further research.”
Investigating how these findings apply to patients with anxiety disorders and testing other antidepressants could provide deeper insights into the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of serotonin modulation in treating mental health conditions.
“I want to know if effects of serotonin on interoception are the mechanism for therapeutic effects of SSRIs in anxiety and if they explain other effects of serotonin transmission on things like impulsivity and aggression,” Campbell-Meiklejohn explained.
The study, “(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-024-02971-3) General and anxiety-linked influences of acute serotonin reuptake inhibition on neural responses associated with attended visceral sensation,” was authored by James J. A. Livermore, Lina I. Skora, Kristian Adamatzky, Sarah N. Garfinkel, Hugo D. Critchley, and Daniel Campbell-Meiklejohn.

(https://www.psypost.org/flattery-can-harm-leaders-reputations-and-their-organization/) Flattery can harm leaders’ reputations and their organization
Jul 23rd 2024, 08:00

A series of seven studies published in the (https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000433) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology investigated how leaders who reward flattery are perceived as naive, potentially damaging their reputation and the perceived fairness of their organizations.
Flattery is an age-old tactic for impression management, frequently employed to elicit favors or positive responses from those in positions of power. Whether sincere or not, flattery can be used to manipulate others for personal gain. Prior research shows that flattery indeed works, leading to more favorable evaluations, positive treatment, and increased social and material rewards for the flatterer.
However, there is a significant gap in understanding how it impacts the target, particularly for leaders who are common recipients of such behavior. Across seven studies, researchers Benjamin A. Rogers and colleagues examined the potential costs of flattery.
Study 1 involved 181 academics who read a scenario where a PhD student flattered a senior faculty member at a conference and requested a favor. Participants were randomly assigned to read either that the faculty member granted or refused the favor and then rated the faculty member on perceived naiveté (e.g., naive, gullible, ignorant), competence (e.g., smart, competent, intelligent), warmth (e.g., caring, nice), and the overall fairness of academia.
Results indicated that faculty who granted the favor were seen as more naive and less competent than those who refused. Granting the favor increased perceptions of warmth but decreased perceptions of academia’s fairness.
Study 2 included 164 participants who prepared a presentation on negotiation tactics while competing for a bonus. During preparation, they observed their competitor flattering the lab experimenter and asking for tips. Participants were randomly assigned to conditions where the experimenter either granted or refused the favor. Measures included perceived naiveté, competence, warmth, organizational fairness, willingness to participate in future studies, and perceptions of the experimenter’s fairness.
Participants viewed the experimenter who granted the favor as more naive. Favor granting indirectly affected perceived competence through naiveté, increased warmth perceptions, but lowered willingness to participate in future studies and perceptions of the lab’s fairness.
Study 3 involved 124 MBA students who recalled instances where their current or recent supervisors received flattery and rewarded it with favors. Participants described these events and evaluated their leaders on naiveté, competence, warmth, commitment to the leader, and organizational fairness.
Leaders who frequently rewarded flattery were seen as more naive and less competent. Unlike previous studies, rewarding flattery did not significantly increase warmth perceptions for established leaders and was negatively associated with commitment to the leader and perceptions of organizational fairness.
In Study 4, 803 MTurk participants imagined a leader being approached for a favor in contexts of flattery, nepotism, meritocracy, or control. They were randomly assigned to read that the leader either granted or refused the favor. Measures included perceived naiveté, competence, warmth, organizational fairness, and commitment to the leader.
Flattery-based favors led to perceptions of naiveté, with leaders who granted favors in response to flattery rated as more naive compared to those responding to nepotism or meritocracy. This naiveté negatively impacted competence and organizational fairness. Favor granting in nepotism or meritocracy contexts did not significantly affect naiveté perceptions, highlighting flattery’s unique impact on leader perceptions.
Study 5 explored the impact of different types of flattery on leaders’ perceived naiveté and competence. Participants were exposed to scenarios where leaders received flattery on their appearance or professional achievements and either granted or refused favors.
Results showed that leaders who responded to flattery about their professional achievements were perceived as less naive than those who responded to flattery about their appearance. However, granting favors in response to any type of flattery generally led to higher perceptions of naiveté and lower perceptions of competence.
Study 6 examined the effects of granting favors in response to flattery, particularly when the favor harmed another individual or group. Participants read scenarios where leaders granted favors following flattery and then rated the leaders on naiveté, competence, warmth, organizational fairness, and commitment to the leader.
Leaders who granted favors that harmed others were perceived as more naive and less competent. This negative impact also extended to perceptions of organizational fairness and followers’ commitment to the leader, suggesting that the harm caused by the favor exacerbated the negative consequences of rewarding flattery.
Study 7 investigated the role of leaders’ apparent awareness of the motives behind flattery in influencing perceptions of naiveté and competence. Participants read scenarios where leaders explicitly acknowledged the flattery before granting or refusing favors.
Results indicated that leaders who acknowledged the flattery before granting favors were perceived as less naive than those who did not acknowledge it. However, even when leaders showed awareness, granting favors still led to some negative perceptions of competence. This suggests that while acknowledging flattery can mitigate some negative effects, granting favors in response to flattery still carries significant risks.
Across seven studies, the results consistently demonstrated that leaders who rewarded flattery were perceived as more naive and less competent, negatively affecting their reputation and the perceived fairness of their organizations. The negative impact of rewarding flattery was robust across various contexts, types of flattery, and even when leaders acknowledged the flattery.
A limitation noted by the authors is the reliance on self-reported data and hypothetical scenarios, which may not fully capture the complexity of real-world interactions.
The paper, “(https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000433) Too Naïve to Lead: When Leaders Fall for Flattery,” was authored by Benjamin A. Rogers, Ovul Sezer, and Nadav Klein.

(https://www.psypost.org/sticky-attention-in-autism-scientists-make-unexpected-discovery-when-analyzing-eye-tracking-data/) Sticky attention in autism: Scientists make unexpected discovery when analyzing eye-tracking data
Jul 23rd 2024, 06:00

A new study published in the journal (https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3174) Autism Research sheds light on the attentional patterns of young autistic children and their relationship with sensory experiences. The researchers found notable connections between “sticky attention” and certain sensory behaviors, such as heightened sensory responsiveness and intense interests. Additionally, the study uncovered a novel attentional pattern dubbed “springy attention,” where autistic children tended to return their gaze to familiar stimuli rather than focusing on new ones.
Prior research has highlighted various atypical attention forms in autism, such as difficulty disengaging from certain stimuli (known as “sticky attention”). Understanding these patterns is vital as they could influence sensory processing, which in turn affects daily activities, social interactions, and overall quality of life.
“Many autistic people have uncommon sensory experiences, and some of these can be quite overwhelming – it takes a lot of extra coping energy to go through the world if you are frequently having distressing and exhausting episodes of sensory overload,” said study author (https://www.autisticscholar.com/) Patrick Dwyer, a research fellow at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre at Trobe University.
“We also know that many young autistic people show different attention patterns to neurotypical people. Attention differences in autism could also affect learning. If somebody pays attention to different things, they will learn different information from their environment, and this could go on to have cascading effects on ongoing learning and development.”
“According to the monotropism theory, autistic people often experience hyper focus where they intensely focus on some things in their environments, while other things may be relatively ignored,” Dwyer explained. “This atypical focus could affect sensory processing and learning. This has only recently started to be directly investigated in many research studies.”
The study involved a sample of 95 children aged 2 to 4 years, including 65 autistic children and 30 nonautistic children. Participants were recruited through community channels and a participant registry, and their diagnoses were confirmed through clinical assessments. Nonautistic participants were screened using the Social Communication Questionnaire. The researchers used two primary methods to measure attention patterns: the gap-overlap task and the novelty preference task.
The gap-overlap task involved presenting a central stimulus followed by a peripheral target. In the “gap” condition, the central stimulus disappeared before the peripheral target appeared, so the child could shift attention to the new target without any need to disengage first. In the “overlap” condition, the central stimulus remained onscreen alongside the peripheral target, necessitating the child to disengage from the central stimulus before focusing on the peripheral target.
The novelty preference task, as its name implies, assessed the children’s preference for novel stimuli. Initially, two familiar images were displayed side by side. After a period, one of the familiar images was replaced with a novel image, and the researchers tracked how long the children looked at the novel versus the familiar image. This task aimed to measure the children’s tendency to explore new stimuli versus sticking with known ones.
“We used an eye tracker to examine where young autistic and non-autistic children were looking on a computer screen,” Dwyer explained. “With this technology, we measured two attention patterns, each of which seemed – in autistic participants, at least – to be related to other variables.”
The researchers found that autistic children did not exhibit significantly greater “sticky attention” compared to their nonautistic peers. Both groups showed similar times in shifting their focus from a central stimulus to a peripheral target.
However, within the autistic group, those who exhibited slower attention disengagement (more “sticky attention”) were found to have higher levels of sensory hyper-responsiveness, intense sensory interests, and enhanced perception of subtle stimuli. These findings suggest a link between difficulty in shifting attention and heightened sensory experiences in autistic children.
“In autism, this ‘sticky’ pattern was related to sensory hyper-reactivity and sensory seeking, which could mean that being slow to ‘unstick’ focus gives some autistic people a more intense sensory experience,” Dwyer told PsyPost. “If so, this more intense experience could be good or bad depending on whether the stimulus is pleasant or unpleasant.”
An unexpected pattern, termed “springy attention,” emerged during the study. This pattern was characterized by autistic children returning their gaze to previously familiar stimuli after briefly looking at new ones. The first hints of this pattern were seen in the novelty preference task, and the authors later found stronger evidence of it in the gap-overlap task when the central stimulus remained onscreen.
Autistic children were more likely to exhibit this behavior, and it was associated with lower cognitive abilities and greater sensory hypo-responsiveness.
“In autism, this pattern was related to more sensory hypo-responsiveness – being under-responsive to sensations – perhaps meaning that ‘springy attention’ makes one less likely to react to new stimuli,” Dwyer said. “It was also related to lower scores on a measure of cognitive ability, suggesting that autistic participants with ‘springier attention’ might have missed learning opportunities.”
“We actually hadn’t expected to observe the ‘springy attention’ pattern at all. The idea of measuring ‘springy attention’ only occurred to us when we looked at graphs showing changes in how much autistic and non-autistic people looked at one stimulus or another, from one tenth of a second to the next tenth of a second and so on.”
These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of attentional patterns in autistic children and their impact on sensory experiences and cognitive abilities. But the study — like all research — has some caveats. For instance, the study’s design was not initially designed to measure “springy attention,” and the varying characteristics of stimuli could have influenced the results.
“Any study finding needs replication, so we should still be somewhat cautious about these results until they are replicated,” Dwyer noted. “Furthermore, because we weren’t expecting to observe the ‘springy attention’ pattern, our task wasn’t optimized for measuring it. As a result, we can’t yet rule out the idea that the springy attention pattern was driven by some autistic children being more interested in some kinds of stimuli (like black and white shapes) than others (like colorful toys).”
“We also aren’t suggesting all sensory experiences in autism are driven by attention – indeed, there are some experiences, like higher levels of tinnitus, that seem unlikely to be caused by attention.”
The researchers aim to enhance the understanding of sensory differences and learning in autism. They hope to empower autistic individuals by providing insights into how attention affects sensory experiences and to leverage the strengths of autistic attention profiles to improve learning outcomes.
“In the long run, we hope to use these findings to enhance our understanding of sensory differences and learning in autism,” Dwyer said. “Sensory experiences in autism can be difficult to understand, both for autistic people and others around them, and we hope a better understanding of how some autistic sensory experiences work could give people on the spectrum more of a sense of control over their sensory experiences.”
“Likewise, we hope a better understanding of how attention relates to learning in autism can help us ensure young autistic children don’t miss key learning opportunities and help us take full advantage of strengths – like intense focus – in autistic attention profiles.”
The study, “(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aur.3174) Hyper-focus, sticky attention, and springy attention in young autistic children: Associations with sensory behaviors and cognitive ability,” was authored by Patrick Dwyer, Andre Sillas, Melanie Prieto, Emily Camp, Christine Wu Nordahl, and Susan M. Rivera.

(https://www.psypost.org/deep-aphantasia-what-its-like-to-have-no-visual-imagination-or-inner-voice/) Deep aphantasia: What it’s like to have no visual imagination or inner voice
Jul 22nd 2024, 20:00

Look at these pictures. Can you see a cube on the left and a face on the right?

Can you imagine seeing things in your mind? Can you hear an inner voice when you think or read?
One of the authors, Loren Bouyer, cannot do any of these things. To Loren the left-hand image looks like a jumble of two-dimensional shapes, and she can only see a mop on the right.
Loren cannot imagine audio or visual sensations, or hear an inner voice when she reads. She has a condition we describe as “deep aphantasia” in (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1374349/abstract) a new paper in Frontiers in Psychology.
‘A blind mind’
Both authors are (https://www.psy.uq.edu.au/~uqdarnol/Aphantasia.html) aphantasics – we are unable to have imagined visual experiences.
Aphantasia is often described as “having a blind mind”. But often we cannot have other imagined experiences either. So an aphantasic might have a blind and a deaf mind, or a blind and a tasteless mind.
We are often asked what it’s like to be aphantasic. Some analogies might help.
People have multilingual minds
Most people can experience an inner voice when they think. You might only speak one language, so your inner voice will “speak” that language.
However, you understand that other people can speak different languages. So, you can perhaps imagine what it would be like to hear your inner voice speak multiple different languages.
We can similarly imagine what your thoughts must be like. They may be diverse, experienced as inner visual or audio sensations, or as an imagined sense of touch or smell.
Our minds are different. Neither of us can have imagined visual experiences, but Derek can have imagined audio sensations and Loren can have imagined feelings of touch. We both experience thoughts as a different set of “inner languages”.
Some aphantasics report not having any imagined sensations. What might their experiences of thought be like? We believe we can explain.
While Loren can have imagined sensations of touch, she does not have to. She must choose to have them and it takes effort.
We presume your imagined visual experiences are similar. So what’s it like when Loren thinks, but chooses not to have imagined sensations of touch?
Our subconscious thoughts
Most people can choose to pre-hear their speech in their minds before they speak aloud, but they often don’t. People can engage in conversation without pre-hearing themselves.
For Loren, most of her thoughts are like this. She writes without having any pre-experience of the written content. Sometimes she will pause, realising she is not yet ready to add more, and recommence when she feels prepared.
Most of the operations of our brains are subconscious. For example, while we do not recommend it, we suspect many of you will have experienced driving while distracted, only to suddenly realise you are heading for your home or office instead of your intended destination. Loren feels most of her thoughts are like these subconscious operations of your mind.
What about planning? Loren can experience that as a combination of imagined textures, bodily movements and recognisable states of mind.
There is a feeling of completion when a plan has been formed. A planned speech is a sequence of imagined mouth movements, gestures and postures. Her artistic plans are experienced as textures. She never experiences an imagined audio or a visual listing of her intended actions.
There are vast differences between aphantasics
In contrast to Loren, Derek’s thoughts are entirely verbal. He was unaware, until recently, that other modes of thought were possible.
Some aphantasics report occasional involuntary imagined sensations, often of unpleasant past experiences. Neither of us have had an imagined visual experience, voluntary or involuntary, during our waking lives.
This highlights diversity. All we can do is describe our own particular experiences of aphantasia.
Frustrations and the humour of misunderstandings
Aphantasics can be frustrated at others’ attempts to explain our experiences. One suggestion has been that we might have imagined visual experiences, but be unable to describe them.
We understand the confusion, but this can seem condescending. We both know what it is like to have imagined sensations, so we believe we can recognise the absence of a particular type of imagined experience.
The confusion can go both ways. We were recently discussing an experiment. The study was too long, and had to be shortened. So we were considering which imagined visual scenario to cut.
Loren suggested we cut a scenario asking people to imagine seeing a black cat with their eyes closed. We thought it might be hard to see an imagined black cat against the blackness of closed eyes.
The only person in the room who could have imagined visual experiences started laughing. Apparently it’s easy for most people to imagine seeing black cats, even when their eyes are closed.
Deep aphantasia
Researchers believe aphantasia happens when activity at the front of the brain fails to excite activity in regions toward the back of the brain. This “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811914004662?via%3Dihub) feedback” would be necessary for people to have imagined experiences.
Loren seems to have a form of aphantasia that had not been described. Unsuccessful feedback in Loren’s brain seems to result in atypical experiences of actual visual inputs. So she cannot see the cube at the top of this article, or the face instead of a mop, or have a number of other typical experiences of visual inputs.
We coined the term “deep aphantasia” to describe people like Loren, who not only are unable to have imagined sensory experiences but also have atypical experiences of actual visual inputs.
Our goal in describing our experiences is to raise awareness that some aphantasics might have unusual experiences of actual visual inputs, like Loren. If we can identify these people, and study their brains, we may be able to understand why some people can conjure imagined sensory experiences at will, while others cannot.
We also hope that raising awareness of the different experiences people have when they think might encourage tolerance when people express different thoughts.
 
This article is republished from (https://theconversation.com) The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the (https://theconversation.com/a-blind-and-deaf-mind-what-its-like-to-have-no-visual-imagination-or-inner-voice-226134) original article.

(https://www.psypost.org/anxiety-is-associated-with-reduced-activity-in-brains-cognitive-control-network/) Anxiety is associated with reduced activity in brain’s cognitive control network
Jul 22nd 2024, 18:00

A recent study published in (https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14564) Psychophysiology sheds light on the relationship between anxiety and brain function, specifically focusing on how anxiety impacts the cognitive control network of the brain. The findings suggest that major anxiety disorders are associated with decreased activity in certain brain regions, which could serve as neural markers for anxiety symptoms.
Anxiety, characterized by irrational fear and feelings of helplessness, affects millions of people worldwide. While mild anxiety can be beneficial by making individuals more aware of their surroundings, severe anxiety can lead to debilitating conditions known as anxiety disorders. These disorders interfere with daily functioning and are often accompanied by other mental health issues, most commonly depression.
Understanding the neural mechanisms behind anxiety disorders is crucial for developing effective treatments. Previous research has shown that anxiety can be linked to changes in brain activity, particularly in the frontal cortex, but these findings have been inconsistent. Some studies have reported decreased neural activity, while others have found increased activity or changes in functional connectivity within the brain. This study aimed to clarify these discrepancies by focusing on individuals with anxiety but without depression, to isolate the effects of anxiety on brain function.
The researchers recruited 366 participants from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, between September 2020 and May 2023. Participants were screened using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to ensure they had normal levels of depression. They were then categorized into three groups based on their anxiety levels: healthy controls, individuals with mild anxiety, and individuals with major anxiety.
To measure brain activity, the study used a technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). This non-invasive method uses light to monitor changes in blood oxygen levels in the brain, providing an indirect measure of neural activity. Participants performed a verbal fluency task (VFT), which involves generating words based on given prompts and is known to activate the brain regions involved in cognitive control.
The study found significant differences in brain activity between the groups. Specifically, there was a negative correlation between anxiety severity and activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) and the left frontal eye fields (lFEF). In other words, individuals with higher anxiety levels showed lower activity in these regions during the VFT.
Participants with major anxiety showed significantly lower activation in the rDLPFC compared to healthy controls. The mean oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration, which indicates brain activity, was 0.047 in the major anxiety group compared to 0.896 in the control group. Similar results were found in the lFEF, with the major anxiety group showing a mean oxy-Hb concentration of -1.255 compared to 0.601 in the control group.
The findings suggest that decreased activity in these brain regions could be a neural marker for major anxiety disorders. The cognitive control network, including the rDLPFC and lFEF, is essential for regulating thoughts and emotions. Impaired function in this network could contribute to symptoms of anxiety, such as an inability to control unrealistic worries. These results align with previous studies that have linked anxiety to cognitive control impairments but provide more precise evidence by isolating anxiety from depression.
This study’s findings highlight the importance of targeting specific brain regions in treatments for anxiety disorders. By understanding the neural mechanisms underlying anxiety, researchers can develop more effective interventions. Future research should include more comprehensive measures of anxiety and depression, such as the Hamilton Depression Scale or the Beck Depression Inventory, to validate these findings.
An important limitation to note is the focus on the frontal and temporal cortices, as the fNIRS technique used in this study does not measure activity in deeper brain regions like the amygdala, which is also known to be involved in anxiety. Future studies should aim to include these areas to provide a more complete picture of the neural mechanisms underlying anxiety disorders.
The study, titled “(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/psyp.14564) Anxiety Symptoms Without Depression Are Associated With Cognitive Control Network (CNN) Dysfunction: An fNIRS Study,” was authored by Qinqin Zhao, Zheng Wang, Caihong Yang, Han Chen, Yan Zhang, Irum Zeb, Pu Wang, Huifen Wu, Qiang Xiao, Fang Xu, Yueran Bian, Nian Xiang, and Min Qiu.

(https://www.psypost.org/epigenetic-age-acceleration-moderates-the-link-between-loneliness-and-chronic-health-conditions/) Epigenetic age acceleration moderates the link between loneliness and chronic health conditions
Jul 22nd 2024, 16:00

A new study published in (https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000822) Psychology and Aging reports that loneliness may accelerate biological aging and exacerbate chronic health conditions in older adults.
Loneliness is a (https://www.psypost.org/massive-meta-analysis-finds-loneliness-has-increased-in-emerging-adults-in-the-last-43-years/) growing public health concern. Previous research has linked loneliness to a range of (https://www.psypost.org/loneliness-linked-to-cognitive-decline-in-older-adults-study-finds/) health issues, including cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic conditions, as well as overall increased mortality. However, these associations do not account for all the health risks related to loneliness.
The concept of epigenetic aging, where biological age differs from chronological age due to molecular changes in DNA, is a promising area for understanding these risks. In this study, researchers (https://psycnet.apa.org/search/results?latSearchType=a&term=Freilich%2C%20Colin%20D.) Colin D. Freilich and colleagues investigated whether loneliness is associated with accelerated epigenetic aging and whether this, in turn, impacts chronic health conditions.
The researchers utilized data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study, a comprehensive, longitudinal study that examines the role of psychological, social, and biological factors in aging. A total of 445 participants (between ages 26-86) who had completed longitudinal follow-ups were included in the analyses.
Loneliness was measured at the initial time point using three self-report items, with participants indicating how much of the time in the past 30 days they felt lonely, close to others, and like they belonged, on a 5-point scale. At two subsequent time points, participants reported any of 30 chronic health conditions they had experienced or been treated for in the past 12 months.
Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) was measured using several epigenetic clocks derived from DNA methylation profiles obtained from blood samples. The clocks included the Horvath, DunedinPACE, and GrimAge measures, which estimate biological age based on DNA methylation patterns. The DNA samples were collected, frozen, and subjected to genome-wide methylation profiling using Illumina Methylation EPIC microarrays.
The researchers found that greater loneliness was weakly associated with greater EAA across different measures after accounting for demographic and behavioral covariates. This indicates that individuals who reported higher levels of loneliness also exhibited greater biological aging as measured by the Horvath, DunedinPACE, and GrimAge epigenetic clocks.
Loneliness also predicted increases in the number of chronic health conditions over time. The effect of loneliness on chronic health conditions was more pronounced in individuals with higher DunedinPACE EAA values, suggesting a possible synergistic effect. While EAA was associated with both loneliness and health outcomes, it did not fully explain the relationship between them, highlighting the direct impact of loneliness on health.
A limitation outlined by the authors is the reliance on self-reported measures for loneliness and chronic health conditions, which can be subject to biases and inaccuracies.
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000822) Loneliness, Epigenetic Age Acceleration, and Chronic Health Conditions,” was authored by Colin D. Freilich, Kristian E. Markon, Steve W. Cole, and Robert F. Krueger.

(https://www.psypost.org/mental-health-linked-to-better-aging-cheese-and-lifestyle-matter/) Mental health linked to better aging: Cheese and lifestyle matter
Jul 22nd 2024, 14:00

A new study highlights the significant role mental wellbeing plays in determining healthy aging, regardless of socioeconomic status. By analyzing genetic data from over 2.3 million Europeans, researchers found that better mental wellbeing leads to healthier aging, characterized by greater resilience, improved self-rated health, and longevity. Interestingly, they also identified certain lifestyle choices, including being active, not smoking, and eating cheese and fruit, as beneficial to mental wellbeing and healthy aging.
The findings have been published in (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01905-9) Nature Human Behaviour.
Human life expectancy has increased significantly over recent decades, posing challenges for individuals and society, such as healthcare demands and financial burdens. While physical health and longevity have often been the focus of aging research, the role of mental wellbeing has received less attention. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between mental wellbeing and healthy aging, and whether this relationship is independent of socioeconomic status.
The study employed a technique known as Mendelian randomization to investigate the causal relationship between mental wellbeing and healthy aging. This method uses genetic data to determine whether an observed association between two traits is causal or merely correlational. By using genetic variants as proxies for exposures, Mendelian randomization helps mitigate biases commonly found in observational studies, such as confounding factors and reverse causality.
The researchers analyzed data from eight genetic datasets encompassing over 2.3 million individuals of European descent. These datasets included information on five key mental wellbeing traits: overall wellbeing, life satisfaction, positive affect, neuroticism, and depressive symptoms. In addition to mental wellbeing, the study considered three socioeconomic indicators: income, education, and occupation.
The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the researchers assessed the causal associations between mental wellbeing traits and various aging phenotypes, which included resilience, self-rated health, healthspan, parental lifespan, and longevity. They also examined whether these associations were independent of socioeconomic status.
In the second phase, they investigated potential mediating factors that could influence the relationship between mental wellbeing and healthy aging. These factors included lifestyle choices (e.g., diet, physical activity, smoking), behaviors (e.g., medication use, cognitive performance), physical functions (e.g., body mass index, cholesterol levels), and diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, diabetes).
The study found a strong causal relationship between better mental wellbeing and healthier aging outcomes. Specifically, individuals with higher levels of mental wellbeing exhibited significantly higher scores on the aging-related genetic influence phenotypes (aging-GIP), as well as greater resilience, improved self-rated health, longer healthspan, and extended parental lifespan.
For example, the study revealed that a genetically determined increase in overall wellbeing was associated with a substantial rise in aging-GIP (1.21 standard deviations), resilience (1.11 standard deviations), self-rated health (0.84 points), healthspan (1.35 odds ratio), and parental lifespan (3.35 years). However, no significant association was found between overall wellbeing and longevity (odds ratio of 1.56).
Importantly, the study demonstrated that the relationship between mental wellbeing and healthy aging persisted regardless of socioeconomic status. While higher income, education, and occupational attainment were each associated with better mental wellbeing, the positive impact of mental wellbeing on aging outcomes remained significant even after adjusting for these socioeconomic factors. This suggests that mental wellbeing exerts a robust and independent influence on healthy aging.
The researchers also identified several lifestyle factors that contribute to mental wellbeing and, consequently, to healthy aging. Among these, being physically active and avoiding smoking were linked to improved mental wellbeing and healthier aging outcomes. Other influential factors included cognitive performance, age at smoking initiation, and the use of certain medications, which also mediated the relationship between mental wellbeing and aging. Additionally, dietary habits such as consuming more cheese and fruit were found to be beneficial.
Interestingly, this is not the first study to find a link between cheese consumption and mental well-being. A study published in the journal Nutrients found a correlation between (https://www.psypost.org/cheese-consumption-might-be-linked-to-better-cognitive-health-study-finds/) regular cheese consumption and cognitive health in the elderly population. Analyzing data from 1,516 participants aged 65 and above, those researchers found that individuals who regularly ate cheese tended to have better cognitive function scores.
While the new study provides compelling evidence of the causal relationship between mental wellbeing and healthy aging, it has some limitations. For instance, the study focused on individuals of European descent, so the findings may not be generalizable to other populations. Future research should investigate whether these relationships hold true across different ethnic groups.
Nevertheless, the results suggest that strategies to enhance mental health could significantly improve aging outcomes.
“Our results underscore the imperative to prioritize mental well-being in health policies geared towards fostering healthy aging, and propose that interventions to remediate healthy aging disparities related to suboptimal mental well-being could target promoting healthy lifestyles such as restricting TV watching time and avoiding smoking; monitoring performances and physical functions such as enhancing cognitive function and regulating adiposity; and preventing common chronic diseases,” the researchers concluded.
The study, “(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01905-9) Mendelian randomization evidence for the causal effect of mental well-being on healthy aging,” was authored by Chao-Jie Ye, Dong Liu, Ming-Ling Chen, Li-Jie Kong, Chun Dou, Yi-Ying Wang, Min Xu, Yu Xu, Mian Li, Zhi-Yun Zhao, Rui-Zhi Zheng, Jie Zheng, Jie-Li Lu, Yu-Hong Chen, Guang Ning, Wei-Qing Wang, and Yu-Fang Bi.

(https://www.psypost.org/two-week-social-media-detox-yields-positive-psychological-outcomes-in-young-adults/) Two-week social media detox yields positive psychological outcomes in young adults
Jul 22nd 2024, 12:00

A recent study published in (https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13121004) Behavioral Sciences has found that a two-week social media digital detox can significantly reduce smartphone and social media addiction while improving physical, mental and social health among young adults.
Smartphones have become an essential part of modern life, offering a range of functions from communication to entertainment. However, excessive use of these devices has been linked to several negative health impacts, including mental health issues, poor sleep, and reduced physical activity. This has led to growing interest in digital detoxes (more colloquially known as ‘unplugging’ or ‘disconnecting’), where individuals take a break from their electronic devices or social media to improve their health and well-being.
Researchers Paige Coyne from Henry Ford Health and Sarah J. Woodruff from the University of Windsor therefore set out to explore the effects of a two-week social media digital detox on young adults. The study aimed to address the limitations of previous research by using device-based/objective measures, by incorporating follow-up measurements into the study design, and also by providing a more realistic restriction of technology instead of going “cold turkey”.
The study involved 31 young adults aged 18 to 30 who were recruited from a mid-sized university in Ontario, Canada. The participants were regular social media users, spending at least one hour per day on social media applications, and used iPhones with Screen Time tracking enabled.
Participants were asked to limit their social media use to 30 minutes per day for two weeks. Coyne and Woodruff noted, “This specific time limit was implemented in hopes that it would significantly reduce participants’ social media use on their smartphones but not be so restrictive that participants would be unable to complete the intervention successfully.”
Their smartphone and social media usage were tracked using the iPhone’s iOS 12 Screen Time feature. Participants completed surveys at three different timepoints: before the detox with unrestricted social media use, during the detox with restricted social media use, and after the detox when the restriction was removed.
These surveys assessed various health-related outcomes, including smartphone and social media addiction, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, eating behaviors, life satisfaction, stress, and perceived wellness.
The results were promising. On average, time spent on social media was reduced by 77.7%. Participants showed a significant reduction in both smartphone and social media addiction during the detox period.
The researchers highlighted, “comparisons of quantitative [data before and after the detox] indicate that both addiction and all the health-related outcomes studied showed positive or neutral improvement,” suggesting that the effects of the detox lasted for some time and there were no negative outcomes.
Additionally, there were notable improvements in several health-related outcomes. Sleep quality improved, with participants also reporting longer sleep duration during the detox. Life satisfaction also increased, and stress levels decreased. Interestingly however, there was no effect on levels of physical activity, sedentary behavior, or mindful eating.
The data from the interviews with the participants provided further insights. Many participants expressed feelings of relief and decreased pressure to maintain their social media presence. However, some participants did experience feelings of disconnection from friends and family.
The detox posed initial challenges but most participants eventually adapted, where “many … suggested that half an hour was a sort of manageable sweet spot, where they could still engage with social media but not get caught scrolling for hours.”
Nevertheless, despite the reduction in social media time, participants reported that their overall screen time remained high as many turned to other digital activities like gaming or entertainment apps, or increased their use of other devices such as laptops.
Coyne and Woodruff also reported that after the detox, “a great number of participants disclosed that they overindulged in social media for a short period of time” but that “many suggested that they were aware of the binging behavior they were engaging in, that it only lasted a few days, and that their overall awareness of their social media usage increased as a result of participating in a detox.”
The authors concluded on a positive note, “the participants shared many valuable suggestions for future detoxes, with particular emphasis being placed on making detoxes realistic, sustainable, and personalized to each user, where possible.”
It is worth noting that the study had some limitations. For example, the study design lacked a control group of participants who did not undergo the detox. Furthermore, there was an inability to control participants’ use of social media on other devices separate to their phone.
The study, “(https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/12/1004) Taking a Break: The Effects of Partaking in a Two-Week Social Media Digital Detox on Problematic Smartphone and Social Media Use, and Other Health-Related Outcomes among Young Adults”, was authored by Paige Coyne and Sarah J. Woodruff.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

This information is taken from free public RSS feeds published by each organization for the purpose of public distribution. Readers are linked back to the article content on each organization's website. This email is an unaffiliated unofficial redistribution of this freely provided content from the publishers. 

 

(#) unsubscribe from this feed
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.clinicians-exchange.org/pipermail/article-digests-clinicians-exchange.org/attachments/20240723/a9ffb420/attachment.htm>