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(https://www.psypost.org/alcohol-related-imagery-disrupts-moral-processing-in-the-brains-of-people-with-alcoholism/) Alcohol-related imagery disrupts moral processing in the brains of people with alcoholism
Sep 13th 2024, 10:00

A recent study published in (https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2024.2377666) Social Neuroscience has provided new insights into how alcohol use disorder (also known as alcoholism) interferes with the brain’s ability to process moral cues. The researchers found that when individuals with alcohol use disorder were shown moral images paired with alcohol-related distractions, their brains showed less activity in regions associated with moral decision-making. This new understanding could help explain some of the behaviors seen in individuals struggling with alcoholism.
Moral cognition—our ability to make decisions about right and wrong—is a crucial aspect of social behavior. It allows us to function within society, balancing personal goals against the needs of others. But for individuals with alcohol use disorder, the ability to process moral situations may be impaired, which could contribute to problematic or antisocial behavior.
Previous research has shown that individuals with alcohol use disorder tend to have altered brain activity when faced with emotional or moral dilemmas, but it was unclear how alcohol specifically might interfere with moral processing. The researchers hypothesized that alcohol cues could create a kind of “attention bias” that distracts the brain from processing moral information properly. In other words, when alcohol is present as a distraction, individuals with alcohol use disorder might have more trouble focusing on the moral content of a situation.
The goal of the study was to examine this potential “attention bias” by using a combination of alcohol-related and neutral cues while measuring brain activity. The researchers wanted to see how alcohol use disorder might disrupt the brain’s ability to process moral situations and whether this interference could be linked to specific patterns of brain activity.
“My background is in working with individuals involved in the justice system, many of whom have substance use disorders,” said study author Samantha J. Fede, an assistant professor of psychological sciences and head of (https://scampi.auburn.edu/) the Social Cognition & Affective/Moral Processing Imaging Lab Research Lab at Auburn University.
“Substance use disorders are often quite harmfully and erroneously moralized in our society, so it’s a very delicate, nuanced question to ask what’s going on in the brain of an individual with a substance use disorder, like alcohol use disorder, that might contribute to socially harmful actions. It’s particularly important to demonstrate these processes are cognitive, and not specifically moral.”
To investigate this, the researchers recruited 60 participants—30 individuals with alcohol use disorder and 30 individuals without the disorder—from the Washington D.C. area. The two groups were matched for age and sex to make comparisons more reliable. The participants with alcohol use disorder were split between those who were in inpatient treatment and those who were not seeking treatment at the time of the study. All participants were screened for eligibility to ensure they had no other neurological conditions that could interfere with the results.
Participants were asked to perform a task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a brain scanning technique that measures activity in different regions of the brain. The task was designed to present two images at a time: one was a distractor (either alcohol-related or neutral), and the other was a cue with moral, emotional, or neutral content.
For example, a moral cue might depict a harmful social situation, like bullying, while a neutral cue might show a person watching television. Participants were asked to focus on identifying whether the scene was indoors or outdoors, but the researchers were primarily interested in how the participants’ brains reacted to the moral and emotional content.
The task was implicit, meaning that the participants were not told to focus on the moral or emotional content of the images. This design was chosen to avoid biasing their attention, allowing the researchers to see how their brains naturally responded to the cues and distractions.
The results showed that individuals with alcohol use disorder had reduced activity in certain regions of the brain when they were shown moral cues paired with alcohol-related distractions. Specifically, these individuals showed less engagement in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region associated with moral decision-making, and the left amygdala, which plays a role in processing emotional responses. This reduced activity was especially noticeable in younger individuals with alcohol use disorder.
This interference effect was seen only when moral cues were paired with alcohol-related distractions. When the distractions were neutral, the individuals with alcohol use disorder showed similar brain activity to the control group without the disorder. This suggests that the presence of alcohol cues specifically interferes with the brain’s ability to process moral information.
Across both groups, the researchers also noticed less activity in the middle and superior temporal gyri, regions involved in understanding social and emotional situations. This pattern indicates that alcohol-related distractions may generally reduce the brain’s ability to engage with social and moral content, even in people without alcohol use disorder, though the effect was much more pronounced in those with the disorder.
“Our results suggest that attention biases towards alcohol cues interfere with processing of sociomoral pictures,” Fede told PsyPost. “To use a metaphor, in individuals with alcohol use disorder, alcohol cues are so loud that they drown out any other inputs (like moral content). This is important, because psychologists already have interventions to improve attention biases that might be used to address this problem in the future.”
Interestingly, the effect of alcohol-related distractors on brain activity in response to moral cues was more pronounced in younger individuals with alcohol use disorder. Specifically, younger participants in this group showed reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and the left amygdala when viewing moral cues alongside alcohol distractions.
The researchers also found that female participants with alcohol use disorder had a stronger interference effect compared to males. Female participants showed reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex when moral cues were paired with alcohol-related distractions.
“We saw important interactions with age and sex, but it’s difficult to say exactly what those mean,” Fede explained. “Previous studies have shown that people with alcohol use disorder vary in terms of whether or not they have a strong alcohol attention bias. In any case, it’s an important reminder that our results aren’t going to apply to everyone with alcohol use disorder.”
In terms of future directions, the study opens up several interesting avenues for further investigation. One key question is whether treatments that target attention bias, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or attentional bias modification training, could help restore normal moral processing in individuals with alcohol use disorder or other substance use disorders. By reducing the strength of substance-related distractions, these therapies might allow individuals to focus more effectively on the social and moral consequences of their actions.
“My goal is to extend these findings to other substance use disorders and to give individuals with substance use disorders a tool to reduce the impact of their use on others,” Fede said.
The study, “(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17470919.2024.2377666) Alcohol attention bias modulates neural engagement during moral processing,” was authored by Samantha J. Fede, Mallory A. Kisner, Sarah F. Dean, Emma Buckler, Robin Chholak, and Reza Momenan.

(https://www.psypost.org/study-finds-grandfathers-workouts-enhance-grandsons-cognition-in-mice/) Study finds grandfathers’ workouts enhance grandsons’ cognition in mice
Sep 13th 2024, 08:00

New research published in (https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2061-23.2024) The Journal of Neuroscience demonstrates that the cognitive benefits of physical exercise can be transmitted transgenerationally from grandfathers to grandsons, suggesting that exercise-induced cognitive improvements may persist across multiple generations.
Exercise has been shown to enhance neuroplasticity and improve cognitive abilities in various species, including humans. Previous research has explored the intergenerational transmission of these benefits, particularly from parents to their offspring. However, the extent to which these effects can be transmitted beyond the first generation (transgenerational inheritance) remains underexplored.
Elisa Cintado and colleagues filled this gap by investigating whether cognitive enhancements resulting from exercise could be transmitted from the grandparental generation to the second-generation male mice.
The researchers utilized three generations of mice—F0 (grandfathers), F1 (fathers), and F2 (grandsons). The F0 generation consisted of male C57BL/6J mice that were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a sedentary control group. The exercise group underwent a moderate-intensity treadmill exercise regimen for six weeks, with sessions consisting of running at 1,200 cm/min for 40 minutes per day, five days a week.
In contrast, the sedentary group remained in their home cages without any physical activity. Upon completion of the exercise protocol, sperm from the F0 males was collected and used to generate the F1 generation via in vitro fertilization (IVF), ensuring the absence of maternal exercise effects.
The F1 generation consisted of sedentary males derived from either exercised (F1RUN) or sedentary (F1SED) F0 grandfathers. These F1 males were further bred using IVF techniques to produce the F2 generation, again without any exposure to exercise, thereby maintaining the sedentary condition across generations. A total of 23 F2 male mice were used in the study, comprising two groups: those descended from exercised grandfathers (F2RUN, n=8) and those from sedentary grandfathers (F2SED, n=15).
The cognitive performance of the F2 mice was assessed using a battery of behavioral tests designed to evaluate different aspects of memory and learning. These included the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) test to measure non-spatial memory, the Object Location (OL) test to assess spatial memory, and the Contextual Fear Conditioning (CFC) test to evaluate aversive memory and discrimination abilities.
Additionally, hippocampal tissue was collected from the F2 mice for histological examination and small RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed microRNAs, which might provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underpinning any observed cognitive differences.
The results showed that the F2RUN mice, whose grandfathers had exercised, demonstrated significantly better cognitive performance than the F2SED mice across multiple tests. In the NOR test, the F2RUN mice showed improved short-term memory recall compared to the F2SED mice. Similarly, in the OL test, the F2RUN mice outperformed the F2SED mice in detecting subtle changes in object location. These findings suggest that the cognitive benefits of exercise observed in the F0 generation were transmitted to the F2 generation, even in the absence of any exercise in the intervening generations.
Interestingly, while the cognitive improvements were apparent, there were no significant differences between the F2RUN and F2SED mice in measures of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, such as the number of neural stem cells or immature neurons. This contrasts with previous findings in the F1 generation, where increased neurogenesis was observed in the offspring of exercised mice.
However, microRNA analysis revealed 35 differentially expressed microRNAs in the hippocampus of F2RUN mice, with two specific microRNAs (miRNA-144 and miRNA-298) showing a robust negative correlation with cognitive performance. These results suggest that epigenetic mechanisms, potentially mediated by specific microRNAs, may play a role in the transgenerational transmission of exercise-induced cognitive benefits.
A notable limitation of this study is that it primarily focused on male mice and did not explore potential sex differences in the transgenerational transmission of exercise-induced cognitive benefits. Future research should include female offspring to determine whether similar effects are observed across sexes.
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2061-23.2024) Grandfathers-to-Grandsons Transgenerational Transmission of Exercise Positive Effects on Cognitive Performance”, was authored by Elisa Cintado, Patricia Tezanos, Manuela De las Casas, Pablo Muela, Kerry R. McGreevy, Ángela Fontán-Lozano, Eva Sacristán-Horcajada, Jaime Pignatelli, María L. de Ceballos, María Jesús del Hierro, Julia Fernández-Punzano, Lluís Montoliu, and José Luis Trejo.

(https://www.psypost.org/scientists-erase-bad-memories-to-improve-long-term-parkinsons-disease-treatment/) Scientists erase “bad memories” to improve long-term Parkinson’s disease treatment
Sep 13th 2024, 06:00

In a recent study published in (https://www.jneurosci.org/content/44/26/e0050242024) The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham uncovered a potential breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. By focusing on a common side effect of Parkinson’s treatments called dyskinesia, a condition characterized by uncontrollable movements, the team identified a protein as a critical factor in the brain’s “bad motor memory.” By blocking this protein, they were able to halt dyskinesia in animal models, offering hope for longer-lasting and more effective Parkinson’s treatments.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting motor functions. The loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain leads to symptoms like tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and movement. One of the most effective treatments for managing these symptoms is the drug levodopa, which helps replenish dopamine levels.
However, long-term use of levodopa can cause a serious side effect: dyskinesia, a condition where patients develop uncontrollable movements that worsen over time. For many patients, the emergence of dyskinesia limits the usefulness of levodopa, forcing them to reduce their dose or discontinue the treatment altogether, despite its benefits.
Instead of looking for entirely new treatments, the research team wanted to address the problem of dyskinesia by preventing it from occurring in the first place. They hypothesized that dyskinesia could be treated like a “bad motor memory” – a maladaptive response to levodopa that the brain essentially “remembers” and repeats. By understanding and targeting the mechanisms behind this bad memory, they believed it might be possible to erase or prevent the development of dyskinesia.
“Parkinson’s disease is caused by the death of the neurons that make dopamine and are vitally important for coordinated movements. Currently, the best treatment for Parkinson’s disease is to replace the loss of dopamine directly by providing a drug that is a precursor to dopamine, L-DOPA. While L-DOPA treatment is very helpful for improving Parkinson’s disease symptoms in the short-term, long-term L-DOPA treatment leads to the development of uncontrollable movements and postures, known as L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia,” explained study author Karen L. Eskow Jaunarajs, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“Unfortunately, even if L-DOPA treatment is stopped for extended periods of time, in so-called ‘drug holidays,’ these uncontrollable movements quickly come back once the patient restarts treatment. It almost seemed like the brain was forming a motor memory each time a patient received L-DOPA treatment, and this memory was then recalled upon every subsequent L-DOPA exposure. Due to these overlaps between motor and behavioral memory, we wondered if we approach dyskinesia like a bad memory, could we find ways to cause the brain to forget its previous treatment history and provide a way to prolong the usefulness of L-DOPA for Parkinson disease treatment?”
To investigate this theory, the researchers used a well-established mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. They induced the disease in the mice by injecting a chemical called 6-hydroxydopamine, which causes the degeneration of dopamine neurons in the brain, mimicking the loss of dopamine seen in Parkinson’s patients. The mice were then treated with levodopa over varying time periods to induce dyskinesia, mimicking what happens in humans after prolonged treatment with the drug.
The researchers closely monitored the development of dyskinesia in the mice by observing their movements and measuring the severity of abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) after each dose of levodopa. To better understand what was happening at the cellular level, they performed a type of genetic analysis known as single-nuclei RNA sequencing.
This technique allowed them to isolate and analyze the activity of individual cells in the brain’s striatum, a region heavily involved in motor control and affected in Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, they looked at the activity of dopamine-sensitive neurons, focusing on those expressing dopamine D1 and D2 receptors, which play different roles in movement regulation.
One of the key findings was the discovery that after repeated exposure to levodopa, a particular type of neuron—those expressing the D1 receptor—underwent significant changes. These neurons showed signs of increased sensitivity and were more likely to be involved in dyskinesia.
The researchers also identified a gene, Inhba, which became highly active in these D1 neurons after prolonged levodopa treatment. This gene produces the protein Activin A, which plays a role in brain plasticity, the process by which the brain forms and strengthens connections between neurons. The team hypothesized that Activin A was contributing to the formation of the brain’s “bad motor memory,” driving the dyskinesia.
“We used single cell RNA sequencing to identify all of the gene expression changes that were happening in over 100,000 individual cells during dyskinesia development,” Jaunarajs explained. “By establishing a comprehensive profile of the changes in gene expression across all of the different types of cells in the striatum, we found that many of the most significant differences were in a certain type of neuron, called D1-MSNs.”
“We found that some of these D1-MSNs were expressing genes indicating that they were being activated by L-DOPA and genes that were necessary for creating new connections with other cells. This was very similar to what happens when you learn something new and recall that memory. Furthermore, we noticed that initially lots of cells were activated by L-DOPA treatment; however, after repeated exposures, the number of these activated D1-MSNs actually went down. Although this seems a little backwards, this is a lot like what happens when you learn something new: initially many cells are required to initially form a memory, however, as you get better at recalling the memory, your brain gets more efficient and fewer cells are necessary to quickly retrieve it.”
The researchers tested their hypothesis by using a chemical inhibitor to block Activin A signaling in the brain. Mice treated with this inhibitor showed a significant reduction in dyskinesia, despite continued levodopa treatment. The inhibition of Activin A effectively “erased” the bad motor memory, allowing the mice to maintain the benefits of levodopa without developing severe dyskinesia.
“By blocking the function of Activin A, we were able to block the development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in our mouse model,” Jaunarajs said. “These data really highlighted a previous unappreciated pathway that could potentially be targeted to prolong L-DOPA’s usefulness for Parkinson disease patients.”
While the results of the study are promising, there are several limitations to consider. First, the research was conducted in mice, which, while a useful model for studying Parkinson’s disease, do not perfectly replicate the human condition. There are significant differences in brain structure and function between species, and what works in mice may not always translate to human patients.
Another limitation is that the study focused on a relatively short time frame of levodopa treatment. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic condition, and patients often take levodopa for many years. It remains to be seen whether blocking Activin A would continue to be effective over the long term, or whether other compensatory mechanisms might emerge, causing dyskinesia to return.
Future research will need to address these questions, both by testing the approach in humans and by examining the long-term effects of Activin A inhibition. Additionally, the researchers noted that their study uncovered hundreds of other genes and proteins that might play a role in the development of dyskinesia. These findings offer many potential avenues for future research, as other pathways might be targeted for therapeutic development.
“Our future goals are to help understand what is actually driving these differences in gene expression,” Jaunarajs said. “In addition to providing the instructions for how to make a protein, the genome also has a lot of regulation on when to make those proteins. We are hoping to identify the regulatory regions that become active following L-DOPA treatment, and how these regions contribute to the development of the memory to treatment.”
“By building on our RNA map, we want to create a corresponding atlas of the DNA regulatory regions active in individual cells across the striatum. We hope this will allow us to understand what molecules are turning these DNA regulatory regions on, with the hope that we can block these molecules and erase the motor memories that are formed following L-DOPA treatment.”
“We are very thankful to the Parkinson Association of Alabama, the American Parkinson Disease Association, and the Department of Defense for funding these projects and for valuing the work of early-career scientists,” Jaunarajs added.
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0050-24.2024) Differential Activation States of Direct Pathway Striatal Output Neurons during l-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia Development,” was authored by David A. Figge, Henrique de Oliveira Amaral, Jack Crim, Rita M. Cowell, David G. Standaert, and Karen L. Eskow Jaunarajs.

(https://www.psypost.org/tree-covered-neighborhoods-linked-to-lower-adhd-risk-in-children/) Tree-covered neighborhoods linked to lower ADHD risk in children
Sep 12th 2024, 18:00

A new study published in the (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102313) Journal of Environmental Psychology has found that exposure to greenspace may be indirectly associated with a lower likelihood of being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research offers new insights into the potential benefits of natural environments on children’s neurodevelopment and suggests that promoting greenspace in urban settings could help support mental health in children.
ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting 5–7% of children worldwide. The condition is characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Children diagnosed with ADHD often face additional challenges, such as difficulty in social, educational, and occupational settings, as well as an increased risk of developing other psychiatric disorders.
Given the variety of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to ADHD, researchers have explored protective influences, such as exposure to natural environments and physical activity. Previous studies have shown that greenspace can benefit mental health by reducing stress and enhancing cognitive functioning.
However, the exact mechanisms by which exposure to greenspace might influence ADHD diagnosis have remained unclear. The researchers aimed to explore these mechanisms, particularly focusing on how greenspace might lead to increased physical activity and social cohesion, which are known to support healthy neurodevelopment.
The study was part of a broader project called NeuroSmog, which aimed to assess the effects of environmental factors like air pollution on the neurodevelopment of children. The data were collected between October 2020 and September 2022 from 689 children aged 10–13 years living in southern Poland. These children were divided into two groups: those diagnosed with ADHD and those without the condition. The ADHD group consisted of children referred by psychologists, doctors, or parents, while the control group was randomly selected from local schools.
All children underwent a thorough psychological assessment, administered by experienced clinical psychologists, to diagnose or rule out ADHD based on the latest international guidelines. The assessment included various cognitive and behavioral measures, such as tests of memory, attention, and executive functioning. Parents were also asked to complete surveys about their children’s behavior, neighborhood environment, and levels of physical activity.
The researchers used land cover data from 2018 to measure the greenspace around the children’s homes, specifically focusing on tree cover and grass or shrub cover within 500 meters of their residences. They also collected information about whether the children had a garden at home. To understand how greenspace might impact ADHD, they analyzed several factors, including perceived greenspace, neighborhood safety, social cohesion, and physical activity.
The researchers did not find a direct link between the amount of greenspace and ADHD diagnosis. However, they identified an indirect pathway in which tree cover was associated with higher levels of physical activity, and this physical activity was linked to a lower likelihood of ADHD diagnosis. This suggests that tree-covered areas might encourage children to be more physically active, which in turn could have positive effects on their neurodevelopment.
In addition to tree cover, the presence of a garden at home was associated with a higher perception of greenspace, which contributed to stronger feelings of neighborhood social cohesion. Social cohesion refers to a sense of trust, support, and connectedness within a community, and previous research suggests it plays a role in promoting mental health. However, the study did not find a significant link between perceived social cohesion and ADHD diagnosis, meaning that while social cohesion might be an important factor for general well-being, it may not directly influence ADHD outcomes.
Interestingly, the study found that grass cover, unlike tree cover, did not show any significant association with physical activity or ADHD diagnosis. This aligns with earlier research suggesting that different types of greenspace might have varying effects on health. Tree cover, with its added features like shade and biodiversity, might offer more stimulating and attractive environments for children to play and engage in physical activities compared to grassy areas.
While the study presents important insights, it also has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. First, the study relied on parental reports for certain measures, such as physical activity and perceptions of greenspace, which may introduce some bias.
The researchers also pointed out that the types of greenspace matter. For instance, the study focused on natural tree cover and gardens but did not account for structured greenspaces like parks or playgrounds, which might offer different benefits for children’s mental health. In future research, it would be valuable to explore how various types of greenspaces, including urban parks, forests, or other recreational areas, contribute to ADHD outcomes.
Another key direction for future research involves understanding the long-term effects of greenspace exposure on neurodevelopment. The current study was cross-sectional, meaning it captured a snapshot of children’s lives at one point in time. To establish a clearer link between greenspace and ADHD, longitudinal studies are needed to follow children over time and observe how changes in their environment might impact their cognitive and behavioral development.
Nevertheless, the study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that exposure to greenspace, particularly tree-covered areas, can play a role in promoting physical activity and supporting neurodevelopment in children.
“Our findings suggest an association between exposure to greenspace, specifically, tree cover, and ADHD diagnosis, which is mediated by [physical activity],” the researchers wrote. “These findings suggest that access to natural environments enabling [physical activity] should be protected and promoted as it may support normal neurodevelopment… City planners should therefore prioritize access to greenspace in urban architecture to decrease mental health burden in urban child population.”
The study, “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494424000860) Lifelong greenspace exposure and ADHD in Polish children: Role of physical activity and perceived neighbourhood characteristics,” was authored by Dorota Buczyłowska, Nitika Singh, Clemens Baumbach, Jakub Bratkowski, Yarema Mysak, Maja Wierzba-Łukaszyk, Katarzyna Sitnik-Warchulska, Krzysztof Skotak, Małgorzata Lipowska, Bernadetta Izydorczyk, Marcin Szwed, Iana Markevych, and Angel M. Dzhambov.

(https://www.psypost.org/exposure-to-light-pollution-at-night-may-increase-alzheimers-risk-especially-in-younger-people/) Exposure to light pollution at night may increase Alzheimer’s risk, especially in younger people
Sep 12th 2024, 16:00

A new study published in (https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2024.1378498) Frontiers in Neuroscience suggests that exposure to artificial light at night may contribute to an increased prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly among younger individuals. The researchers found a significant correlation between higher levels of outdoor light pollution and higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease across various regions in the United States. This connection was observed even after accounting for known risk factors, raising concerns about the role of artificial light in neurodegenerative diseases.
Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects memory and cognitive function, is a growing concern worldwide. With rates of Alzheimer’s disease rising and light pollution now affecting 80% of the global population, the researchers sought to investigate whether there could be a link between these two modern phenomena.
Artificial light at night has become a hallmark of urban life, providing convenience and safety. Yet, growing evidence shows that light exposure during nighttime disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythms—the internal processes that regulate sleep and wake cycles. Circadian disruptions have been linked to health problems such as insomnia, obesity, depression, and even heart disease. Given that sleep disturbances are a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, the research team wanted to explore whether excessive nighttime light exposure could play a role in its development.
Earlier studies have hinted at the possibility of a link between artificial light and cognitive decline. For instance, research in China and Italy indicated that populations exposed to higher levels of outdoor light at night experienced higher rates of dementia. However, no research had comprehensively examined the relationship between nighttime light exposure and Alzheimer’s disease specifically, particularly in the United States.
The research team analyzed Alzheimer’s disease prevalence across the contiguous United States, focusing on data from 2012 to 2018. They combined data on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence from Medicare records with satellite-based measurements of nighttime light intensity. The study covered both state and county levels, allowing for a detailed analysis of light pollution’s impact on local populations.
The researchers gathered their Alzheimer’s disease data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which tracks the prevalence of chronic conditions among older adults in the U.S. They also accounted for important factors that could influence Alzheimer’s rates, such as age, gender, race, and underlying health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Nighttime light exposure data came from satellite images, which measured the intensity of outdoor artificial light in different regions. The researchers then compared Alzheimer’s disease prevalence in areas with the brightest nighttime light exposure to those with the darkest, looking for patterns and trends across the data.
To further ensure the accuracy of their findings, the team also performed a more localized analysis, focusing on counties within each state. This approach helped control for differences between urban and rural areas, where light pollution levels can vary dramatically.
The study’s results revealed a significant relationship between outdoor light pollution and Alzheimer’s disease prevalence. States and counties with higher levels of artificial light at night consistently had higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers observed this connection across multiple age groups, including people under 65, an age group typically less associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our research shows that there is an association in the U.S. between Alzheimer’s disease prevalence and exposure to light at night, particularly in those under the age of 65,” said lead investigator, Robin Voigt-Zuwala, an associate professor at Rush University Medical Center. “Nightly light pollution — a modifiable environmental factor — may influence risk for Alzheimer’s.”
When the researchers controlled for other risk factors—such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity—they still found that light pollution was significantly linked to Alzheimer’s disease prevalence. Interestingly, the connection was particularly strong in younger populations, suggesting that younger individuals may be more sensitive to the effects of nighttime light exposure.
“Certain genotypes, which influence early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, impact the response to biological stressors which could account for increased vulnerability to the effects of nighttime light exposure,” Voigt-Zuwala explained. “Additionally, younger people are more likely to live in urban areas and have lifestyles that may increase exposure to light at night.”
At the state level, the analysis showed that regions with the highest average nighttime light intensity had significantly higher Alzheimer’s disease rates compared to areas with the lowest levels of light pollution. This pattern was consistent when the data was broken down year by year, indicating a robust and reliable trend.
Furthermore, the researchers found that the association between nighttime light exposure and Alzheimer’s disease was stronger than some other known risk factors, such as chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and depression. However, other conditions, such as atrial fibrillation and diabetes, had a greater impact on Alzheimer’s prevalence than light pollution.
The researchers also noted that certain populations, such as Native Americans, appeared to be more affected by light pollution than others, although the reasons for this were not entirely clear. Additional studies are needed to explore these differences further.
While the findings of this study provide evidence for a link between light pollution and Alzheimer’s disease, there are several limitations that should be addressed in future research.
First, the study relied on outdoor nighttime light data and did not account for indoor light exposure, which can also have a significant impact on sleep and circadian rhythms. With the increasing use of electronic devices that emit blue light—known to disrupt sleep—the influence of indoor light exposure on neurodegenerative diseases warrants further investigation.
Second, the data used in the study were drawn from Medicare records, which track older adults and individuals with certain disabilities. The study did not include data from individuals not covered by Medicare, such as younger populations or those enrolled in private health insurance plans. This limitation means that the findings may not be fully representative of the entire U.S. population.
Additionally, the study focused on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence rather than incidence. Prevalence reflects the total number of cases at a given time, while incidence tracks new cases over a period. Understanding how light pollution affects the development of Alzheimer’s disease over time would require studies that track individuals longitudinally, from exposure to the onset of symptoms.
Lastly, while the study shows a correlation between light pollution and Alzheimer’s disease, it does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Other environmental factors associated with urban living—such as air pollution, noise, or socioeconomic conditions—could also contribute to the higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease observed in areas with more light pollution.
The findings from this study underscore the potential health risks of artificial light exposure at night, particularly for individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. As light pollution continues to increase, especially in urban areas, understanding its effects on brain health is becoming more urgent.
Although the exact mechanisms by which light pollution might contribute to Alzheimer’s disease remain unclear, the researchers suggest that sleep disruption and circadian rhythm disturbances are likely involved. Disrupted sleep has been linked to a range of health problems, including cognitive decline, and artificial light at night is known to interfere with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
“Awareness of the association should empower people – particularly those with risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease – to make easy lifestyle changes,” said Voigt-Zuwala. “Easy to implement changes include using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks. This is useful especially for those living in areas with high light pollution.”
The study, “(https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2024.1378498/full) Outdoor nighttime light exposure (light pollution) is associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” was authored by Robin M. Voigt, Bichun Ouyang, and Ali Keshavarzian.

(https://www.psypost.org/narcissisms-role-in-pandemic-behavior-might-be-more-complex-than-previously-thought/) Narcissism’s role in pandemic behavior might be more complex than previously thought
Sep 12th 2024, 14:00

A recent study published in (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67954-2) Scientific Reports has shed light on how different forms of narcissism influenced people’s thoughts and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers found that distinct types of narcissism led to both antisocial and prosocial responses.
Narcissism, a personality trait characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and a deep need for admiration, can manifest in various forms. These forms often include behaviors and thoughts that reflect either self-enhancement (boosting one’s ego by appearing admirable) or self-protection (defending one’s ego by putting others down).
Previous studies focused mainly on a single, broad concept of narcissism, especially in relation to antisocial behaviors, such as ignoring public health guidelines or hoarding supplies. However, the researchers believed that this view was too simplistic. They wanted to explore whether different types of narcissism—some more communal and prosocial—would lead to varying pandemic-related behaviors and beliefs.
“People assume that narcissists are selfish and disobedient, but we focus on a specific type of narcissists (communal) who claim that they are exceptionally kind, helpful, and moral,” said study author (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Magdalena-Zemojtel-Piotrowska) Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska, a professor and head of the (https://www.crossculturalpsychlab.com/) Cross-Cultural Psychology Centre at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University and president of the European Association of Psychological Assessment.
“Our team is testing a model (narcissistic sanctity and heroism) in which we try to explain how communal narcissists self-enhance and self-protect. The pandemic created a natural experiment-like opportunity to check how narcissists react to a global crisis. Given that the pandemic was an unusual social problem, we could check whether communal narcissists, who claim that they are helpful and moral, would react similarly (that is, in selfish and antagonistic ways) or differently (that is, showing exceptional prosociality and obedience in following national restrictions) compared to agentic narcissists.”
The researchers conducted their study by collecting data from over 15,000 participants from 61 countries between April and November 2020. Participants were recruited through email and social media platforms, and they filled out online surveys. These surveys assessed the participants’ levels of narcissism and their pandemic-related beliefs and behaviors.
To measure narcissism, the researchers used four distinct forms of grandiose narcissism: admiration, rivalry, sanctity, and heroism. Each form reflected different motivations and domains in which individuals sought to boost or protect their egos. Admiration and rivalry are associated with agentic domains—those related to power, competition, and achievement. Admiration reflects self-enhancement, where individuals strive to be seen as highly competent, while rivalry reflects self-protection, where individuals seek to put others down to maintain their own superiority.
Sanctity and heroism, on the other hand, are associated with communal domains involving cooperation, morality, and social responsibility. Sanctity represents self-enhancement through moral superiority, while heroism involves self-protection through crisis-related thoughts and actions, such as the belief that “only I can save us.”
The participants’ beliefs about COVID-19 were measured by assessing their endorsement of both conspiracy theories (e.g., that the virus was a bioweapon) and unfounded health beliefs (e.g., that eating garlic could cure COVID-19). The researchers also examined behaviors such as pandemic prevention (e.g., washing hands), hoarding supplies, and providing emotional support to others.
The researchers found that individuals high in rivalry and heroism narcissism were more likely to endorse conspiracy theories. These forms of narcissism are driven by self-protection, where individuals react to perceived threats by deflecting blame onto others or seeking to assert their superiority. On the other hand, admiration and sanctity narcissism, which are driven by self-enhancement, did not show a strong link to conspiracy beliefs.
When it came to unfounded health beliefs, the results were mixed. Heroism, admiration, and rivalry narcissism were associated with a greater likelihood of believing in false health claims about COVID-19. However, sanctity narcissism had the opposite effect—individuals high in sanctity were less likely to endorse these beliefs. This suggests that while some forms of narcissism may lead individuals to seek out extraordinary or false explanations, others, like sanctity narcissism, may promote more grounded and prosocial beliefs.
The study also looked at how narcissism influenced pandemic-related behaviors. Narcissistic rivalry was linked to lower adherence to prevention measures, such as handwashing and mask-wearing, reflecting a disregard for collective safety. Conversely, those high in sanctity narcissism were more likely to follow these guidelines, suggesting that their sense of moral superiority drove them to act in socially responsible ways.
When it came to hoarding behaviors, only heroism narcissism stood out. People high in this form of narcissism were more likely to stockpile goods during the pandemic. This reflects the self-protective nature of heroism narcissism, where individuals believe that they alone can manage crises and, therefore, take excessive actions to protect themselves.
Interestingly, all four forms of narcissism were linked to prosocial behavior in the form of providing emotional support to others. However, the motivations behind this behavior differed. Individuals high in sanctity, heroism, and admiration narcissism were more likely to help others, likely because doing so allowed them to boost their own sense of importance or competence. In contrast, those high in rivalry narcissism were less likely to provide emotional support, reflecting their antisocial orientation.
“We have found that narcissistic people react quite similarly across different cultural contexts—so human nature is quite universal, and we could find narcissistic behaviors everywhere,” Żemojtel-Piotrowska told PsyPost. “A quite optimistic finding is that narcissists could be prosocial and obedient if they believe that by doing so, they could get praise.”
“Our study was about differences between communal and agentic narcissists, and about different ways of self-enhancement: as effective and smart (agentic narcissists) or kind and moral (communal narcissists) and self-protection: by derogating others (agentic narcissists) or by ‘saving’ others (communal narcissists). Communal narcissists claimed more helping others and following national restrictions, but also, they believed in conspiracy theories and were ready to engage in hoarding, so despite being better at hiding their narcissistic nature, they still are narcissistic people.”
While this study offers important insights into the relationship between narcissism and pandemic responses, there are some limitations to consider. First, the study relied on self-reported data, which can be influenced by biases. For example, individuals high in communal narcissism, such as sanctity, may overstate their prosocial behaviors to appear more morally superior.
Additionally, the data were collected online, which may have excluded people without internet access or those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings.
“Especially during the pandemic, many teams ran cross-cultural studies, relying on convenience samples,” Żemojtel-Piotrowska said. “Participants of our study were burdened by many competitive projects, so it was a challenge to recruit people in the countries where typically we have no problems with finding participants (like in the United States).”
“Most of our participants were well-educated young people who were interested in responding and had access to the internet (not obvious in less affluent countries). So, self-selection bias of every sort is strongly pronounced here. Additionally, as with each such study, it is only about declarations, not true behaviors. Communal narcissists tend to show off on their prosociality and responsibility. So, we at least know that they claim that they are more prosocial, but still, we are not sure if they truly are.”
Nevertheless, the findings provide evidence that narcissism is a more complex trait than often assumed, with some forms leading to selfish behaviors and others promoting prosocial actions. Moving forward, understanding how different forms of narcissism influence behaviors in other global crises could provide a clearer picture of their broader societal impacts.
“We introduce a new model of communal narcissism, breaking it into self-enhancing (that is, sanctity) and self-protecting (that is, heroism) parts,” Żemojtel-Piotrowska added. “In our research, we want to indicate that communal narcissists react differently than agentic narcissists, as they are interested not only in showing that they are kind and moral, but also they defend themselves using different methods (they cannot be antagonistic, so instead they show their importance in the communal domain by ‘saving’ others). This project’s findings fit nicely with this story (as heroism was related to problematic beliefs and behaviors more than sanctity).”
“This paper is a one of the series from our project, (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379685552_Agentic_Collective_Narcissism_and_Communal_Collective_NarcissismDo_They_Predict_Covid-19_Pandemic-Related_Emotions_Beliefs_and_Behaviors) the next one will be on collective narcissism, where we again look at a difference between agentic and communal narcissism, this time on collective level. A sanctity-heroism project is also developing. We encourage people to read more on (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382340195_Falcons_or_Pigeons_Grandiose_Narcissism_Personal_Values_and_Attitudes_Towards_War_and_Peace) our preprint on attitudes to war and peace.”
The study, “(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-67954-2) Grandiose narcissism, unfounded beliefs, and behavioral reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic,” was authored by Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Artur Sawicki, Jarosław Piotrowski, Uri Lifshin, Mabelle Kretchner, John J. Skowronski, Constantine Sedikides, Peter K. Jonason, Mladen Adamovic, Oli Ahmed, Kokou A. Atitsogbe, Laith Al-Shawaf, Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah, Rahkman Ardi, Uzma Azam, Zana Hasan Babakr, Einar Baldvin Baldursson, Sergiu Bălțătescu, Konstantin Bochaver, Aidos Bolatov, Mario Bonato, Harshalini Y. Bundhoo, Trawin Chaleeraktrakoon, Phatthanakit Chobthamkit, Richard G. Cowden, Victor Counted, Gisela de Clunie, Sonya Dragova-Koleva, Carla Sofia Esteves, Valdiney V. Gouveia, Katherine Gundolf, Salima Hamouda, Carmen Haretche, Evelyn Hye Kyung Jeong, Dzintra Iliško, Najma Iqbal Malik, John Jamir Benzon Aruta, Fanli Jia, Veljko Jovanović, Tomislav Jukić, Doroteja Pavan Jukić, Shanmukh V. Kamble, Narine Khachatryan, Martina Klicperova-Baker, Christoph Kogler, Emil Knezović, Metodi Koralov, Monika Kovacs, Walaa Labib M. Eldesoki, Aitor Larzabal Fernandez, Kadi Liik, Sadia Malik, John Maltby, Karine Malysheva, Agim Mamuti, Jasmina Mangafic, Chanki Moon, Taciano L. Milfont, Stephan Muehlbacher, Reza Najafi, Emrah Özsoy, Joonha Park, Pablo Pérez de León, Iva Polackova Solcova, Jano Ramos-Diaz, Goran Ridic, Ognjen Riđić, Adil Samekin, Andrea Spoto, Andrej Starc, Delia Stefenel, Kiều Thị Thanh Trà, Habib Tiliouine, Robert Tomšik, Jorge Torres-Marín, Charles S. Umeh, Eduardo Wills-Herrera, Anna Wlodarczyk, Zahir Vally, Christin‐Melanie Vauclair, Illia Yahiiaiev, and Somayeh Zand.

(https://www.psypost.org/does-feeling-attractive-make-us-more-generous/) Does feeling attractive make us more generous?
Sep 12th 2024, 12:00

A study published in (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-024-09735-5) Marketing Letters found that self-perceived attractiveness can promote prosocial behavior through increased public self-consciousness and impression management, but only when these actions are visible to others.
While prior studies have explored how observers perceive the morality of attractive individuals, limited research has examined this phenomenon from the perspective of the individual. Specifically, little is known about how one’s self-perception of attractiveness influences behaviors like helping others. Hongyu Meng and Jun Ye explored this by focusing on the behavioral consequences of self-perceived attractiveness, motivated by the widespread use of beauty-enhancing products and tools.
The researchers noted that people’s desire for physical attractiveness is nearly universal, with billions spent annually on cosmetics and image-enhancing tools. While there is a debate about whether “looking good” and “doing good” are inherently opposed, the current study aims to provide empirical evidence on how feeling attractive may promote prosocial behavior.
In studies 1a and 1b, 220 and 200 participants were randomly assigned to either an attractiveness or control condition. In the attractiveness condition, they listed things that made them feel attractive, while the control group listed things they had done in the past week. Next, participants were asked to engage in prosocial tasks, such as donating to a nature reserve (study 1a) or participating in a charitable survey (study 1b).
In study 2, 230 participants took selfies using filters that either enhanced or reduced their attractiveness, with a control group using a regular camera app. Following this, participants’ willingness to donate money to charity was measured, and their levels of public self-consciousness and impression management motivation were also assessed.
Study 3 replicated the methods of study 1a but added a privacy condition. A total of 800 participants were told that their donations would either be anonymous or visible, allowing the researchers to test the influence of perceived privacy on prosocial behavior.
In Studies 1a, 2, and 3, prosocial behavior involved hypothetical donations, while Study 1b measured actual time donations through participation in a follow-up survey.
The results of studies 1a and 1b showed that participants in the attractiveness condition were significantly more likely to engage in prosocial behavior. In study 1a, those who felt attractive were more willing to donate to the nature reserve, while in study 1b, they were more likely to participate in the follow-up charitable survey.
In study 2, participants who took selfies with beauty-enhancing filters reported higher levels of public self-consciousness and impression management motivation, leading to greater willingness to donate. By contrast, those using unattractive filters or no filter were less likely to engage in prosocial behavior, suggesting that feeling attractive boosts prosocial tendencies through a heightened awareness of how one is perceived by others.
Study 3 demonstrated that when participants were told their prosocial behavior would be anonymous, the effect of self-perceived attractiveness disappeared, highlighting the importance of visibility in driving prosocial behavior.
One limitation is that these studies primarily relied on self-reported measures of prosocial behavior, which may not always align with real-world actions.
The research “(https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-024-09735-5) Looking good and doing good: the effect of self-perceived attractiveness on prosocial behavior”, was authored by Hongyu Meng and Jun Ye.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

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