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<td><span style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">PsyPost – Psychology News</span></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/conventional-values-correlate-with-particular-dark-side-personality-traits/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Conventional values correlate with particular “dark-side” personality traits</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 5th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>New research published in the <em>Journal of Human Values</em> provides evidence that individuals who strongly endorse the values of tradition and security are more likely to show modest associations with certain personality traits that psychologists consider “dark-side” tendencies. These include traits linked to narcissism, obsessiveness, dependency, and avoidance, as well as lower levels of traits like psychopathy and novelty-seeking.</p>
<p>Non-clinical “dark” personality traits refer to socially aversive characteristics that resemble clinical personality disorders but are found at subclinical levels in the general population. These traits do not typically rise to the threshold of psychiatric diagnosis, but they can still impact interpersonal functioning, decision-making, and group dynamics. </p>
<p>Psychologists have often grouped these traits into categories such as narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and more broadly into patterns that reflect dysfunctional ways of relating to others—such as being overly suspicious, emotionally volatile, risk-seeking, or obsessively rule-bound. Although many of these traits have negative connotations, researchers also acknowledge that they can have adaptive features in certain environments, particularly in professional or competitive settings.</p>
<p>The concept of “dark-side” traits gained traction with the development of tools like the Hogan Development Survey, which assesses 11 subclinical traits derived from the diagnostic criteria for personality disorders. The survey was designed not to diagnose mental illness but to identify potential behavioral risks, especially in the workplace, that may emerge under stress or when individuals are not actively managing their impressions. </p>
<p>The rationale for the new study stems from a long-standing interest in the psychological foundations of ideological beliefs, particularly those associated with political and social conservatism. Past research has linked conservatism to attitudes like authoritarianism, dogmatism, and ethnocentrism, but relatively little is known about how personality traits, especially dark-side traits, align with the underlying values that support conservative worldviews. </p>
<p>The new study sought to examine how two values closely tied to conventionalism (tradition and security) might be associated with specific dark-side traits. The goal was to better understand the personality profiles of people who strongly endorse these values, and to explore whether certain traits make individuals more likely to prefer environments characterized by structure and predictability.</p>
<p>“I have long been interested in this topic which is at the interface of personality and social psychology,” explained study author <a href="https://adrianfurnham.com/" target="_blank">Adrian Furnham</a>, a professor of psychology at BI Norwegian Business School.</p>
<p>The study was based on data from 2,279 adults, most of whom were middle managers in the United Kingdom. The participants had been assessed over a ten-year period as part of professional development programs, and they agreed to let their anonymized data be used for research purposes. Nearly 90 percent of the sample held managerial positions, with an average age of approximately 39 years. The gender distribution included 1,474 men and 805 women.</p>
<p>To assess values, Furnham used the Motives, Values and Preferences Inventory. This tool includes a specific focus on “tradition” and “security” values. People who score highly on the tradition scale tend to prefer conventional moral codes, family values, and rituals rooted in history or religion. Those scoring high on the security scale prioritize predictability, safety, financial stability, and a structured lifestyle.</p>
<p>To measure dark-side personality traits, Furnham employed the Hogan Development Survey, a widely used tool that evaluates 11 subclinical traits associated with dysfunctional interpersonal behavior. These include “diligent” (associated with obsessive tendencies), “dutiful” (associated with dependency), “bold” (associated with narcissism), “mischievous” (associated with psychopathy), “cautious” (associated with avoidance), and others such as “sceptical,” “excitable,” “reserved,” and “imaginative.”</p>
<p>The results revealed that the two values of tradition and security were moderately correlated with each other. Yet, the pattern of personality trait associations was largely similar for both.</p>
<p>For the value of security, the strongest positive predictors were “diligent,” “dutiful,” “sceptical,” “cautious,” and “bold.” These traits tend to reflect people who are orderly, compliant, vigilant, and self-assured. In contrast, people high in “mischievous,” “imaginative,” and “excitable” traits were less likely to endorse security values. This suggests that rule-breaking, novelty-seeking, and emotional volatility may be at odds with a desire for predictability and control.</p>
<p>The value of tradition showed a similar pattern, though with weaker associations overall. It was positively associated with the same traits—diligent, dutiful, cautious, sceptical, and bold—and negatively associated with mischievousness and excitability. The regression models explained about 33 percent of the variance in security scores but only 9 percent of the variance in tradition scores.</p>
<p>“Those who are hard-working, compliant, and cautious endorsed these values, but they could also be seen as potentially obsessive, conflict-avoidant, and risk-averse,” Furnham told PsyPpst.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most surprising finding was the positive relationship between the “bold” trait—associated with narcissism—and both tradition and security. This suggests that individuals with high self-regard, confidence, and a sense of entitlement may still gravitate toward traditional or security-driven values, even if these values are often associated with humility or conformity. One interpretation is that narcissistic individuals may view structured environments as platforms to assert dominance or receive admiration.</p>
<p>“Sub-clinical narcissists want to be liked, admired, respected, attended to, praised, complimented, and indulged,” Furnham said. “Their most important and obvious characteristic is a sense of entitlement, excessive self-esteem and an expectation of success that often leads to real success. They are so colorful and engaging, they often attract followers. At present, there appear to be a number of very bold, conservative political leaders who express no doubt in the validity of their ideology.”</p>
<p>The trait of mischievousness—associated with subclinical psychopathy—showed a strong negative relationship with both values. These individuals tend to seek stimulation, reject authority, and enjoy bending rules. Their aversion to tradition and security fits with a personality style that thrives in unpredictability and resists social constraints.</p>
<p>As with all research, there are limitations. Most notably, the participants’ actual political beliefs were not assessed. This leaves open the question of how tradition and security values translate into political behavior or party affiliation.</p>
<p>Additionally, the sample was composed almost entirely of working professionals in the United Kingdom, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other demographic groups or cultural contexts. The study also does not explore how these associations might differ for people who endorse liberal or progressive values.</p>
<p>Furnham suggests that future research should explore the personality traits associated with liberal values using similar frameworks. He also expresses interest in the concept of “tolerance of ambiguity”—a psychological construct describing how comfortable people are with uncertainty, complexity, or contradiction. This may provide a broader understanding of why some individuals seek order and stability, while others embrace novelty and change.</p>
<p>“The concept of ambiguity tolerance, variously called uncertainty avoidance, ambiguity avoidance, or intolerance of uncertainty, can be traced back nearly 70 years,” Furnham said. “The basic concept is that people may be understood on a dimension that refers to their discomfort with, and hence attempts to avoid, ambiguity or uncertainty in many aspects of their lives. Those who are intolerant of ambiguity are described as having a tendency to resort to black-and-white solutions and are often characterized by rapid and overconfident judgement, often at the neglect of reality.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/09716858251358451" target="_blank">The Dark Side of Conventionalism: Dark-side Personality Traits and the Values of Security and Tradition</a>,” was published online July 30, 2025.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/choral-singing-decreases-the-risk-of-developing-depression-and-anxiety-in-older-adults/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Choral singing decreases the risk of developing depression and anxiety in older adults</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 5th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>An experimental study conducted in Singapore found that older adults who participated in weekly one-hour choral singing sessions over a two-year period experienced a reduced risk of developing depression and anxiety. However, this reduction was comparable in magnitude to the reduction observed in a matched group of peers who participated in a structured health education program of equal length and frequency. The study was published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.061"><em>Journal of Psychiatric Research</em></a>.</p>
<p>Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental health conditions, marked by persistent sadness or worry that interfere with daily functioning. Depression involves low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness, while anxiety is characterized by excessive fear, restlessness, and physical tension.</p>
<p>Among older adults, these conditions are frequently underdiagnosed because their symptoms can be mistaken for normal aging or attributed to physical illness. Many elderly individuals with depression report memory problems, slowed thinking, or social withdrawal, rather than overt sadness. Anxiety may manifest as constant worry about health, finances, or personal safety, sometimes leading to avoidance behaviors.</p>
<p>Common risk factors for depression and anxiety in later life include chronic health conditions, bereavement, social isolation, and reduced independence. These mental health conditions are also linked to cognitive decline and dementia, both as contributing factors and as consequences, complicating diagnosis and treatment. They are known to significantly reduce quality of life and are associated with higher rates of disability and mortality.</p>
<p>Lead author Ted K.S. Ng and colleagues aimed to investigate whether choral singing could reduce the risk of developing depression and anxiety in older adults at risk for cognitive decline. They also sought to compare its effectiveness to that of a health education program (HEP), which served as an active control. The researchers hypothesized that participants in the choral singing group would show a lower incidence of depression and anxiety compared to those in the HEP group.</p>
<p>A total of 200 community-dwelling adults aged 60 and above were recruited from neighborhoods in Singapore. Participants were required to be cognitively healthy at baseline, meaning they did not meet criteria for dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Individuals with terminal illness, stroke, or significant hearing impairments were excluded. Seven participants with preexisting depression or anxiety diagnoses were also excluded from the final analysis.</p>
<p>Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group attended weekly choral singing sessions, while the other participated in the health education program, both lasting two years.</p>
<p>The choral singing intervention was designed for individuals with no prior musical training. “Initially, participants were taught the mechanics of choral singing, vocal concepts and how to critique singing quality. Later, participants were educated on appropriate, healthy vocal production while utilizing effective breathing techniques and aural skills. Subsequently, participants learnt to sing in harmony,” the authors explained.</p>
<p>The health education sessions were also held weekly and included talks on topics relevant to aging, such as lifestyle, diet, mental health, dementia awareness, and fall prevention. Group activities that did not involve singing were included to encourage social interaction and engagement, mirroring the format of the choral singing group.</p>
<p>To assess outcomes, participants completed validated screening tools at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months: the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the 20-item Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI). These measures were used to identify positive screens for clinically significant depression and anxiety.</p>
<p>The results showed that both groups experienced a significant reduction in the odds of screening positive for depression and anxiety over time. While the pattern of improvement differed—with the health education group showing earlier benefits at 12 months and the choral singing group showing more gradual improvements by 24 months—the overall reductions were statistically comparable by the end of the study.</p>
<p>“In contrary to previous studies using passive controls reporting positive outcomes, compared to HEP [health education program] as an active comparator, CS [choral singing] is as effective as HEP in delaying progression to clinically significant depressive and anxiety disorders in at-risk community-dwelling older adults,” study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study contributes to the scientific understanding of choral singing for anxiety and depression risks in older adults. However, it should be noted that this was an open-label study, meaning that participants were fully aware which treatment they were undergoing and what the researchers’ expectations likely were. This could have produced the Hawthorne effect affecting the results. The Hawthorne effect is the phenomenon in which people change or improve their behavior simply because they know they are being observed.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.061">Effects of choral singing on depression and anxiety in older adults: A randomized controlled trial</a>”, was authored by Ted K.S. Ng , Zhi Hao Lim, Michael Todd, Fei Sun, Kendra Ray, Xiang Qi, Jiuyu Guo, Kaisy Xinhong Ye, Andrea B. Maier, Rathi Mahendran, Goh Lee Gan, Maurine Tsakok, Ee Heok Kua, and Lei Feng.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/a-trace-mineral-may-help-guard-the-brain-against-alzheimers-new-study-suggests/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">A trace mineral may help guard the brain against Alzheimer’s, new study suggests</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 4th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>Alzheimer’s disease steals memories and devastates lives. Yet despite an abundance of research, the earliest brain changes that trigger this disease still remain unclear, making it challenging to find effective treatments.</p>
<p>But could lithium – a metal most of us know better for its use in batteries or as a treatment for mood disorders – play a role in cognitive health? <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02471-4">New research</a> shows that this mineral may play a key role in protecting against Alzheimer’s disease.</p>
<p>Alzheimer’s is linked to the buildup of two harmful proteins: amyloid-beta and tau. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd3505">Amyloid-beta</a> clumps outside brain cells (neurons), forming sticky plaques that block communication. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28386764/#:~:text=Tau%20is%20well%20established%20as%20a%20microtubule-associated%20protein%20in%20neurons.&text=Recent%20advances%20in%20our%20understanding%20of%20the,synaptic%20plasticity%2C%20and%20regulation%20of%20genomic%20stability.">Tau</a> twists into tangles inside cells, disrupting their structure and function. Together, they damage the delicate network of neurons that supports memory and thinking.</p>
<p>But for nearly a decade now, scientists from Harvard University have also been uncovering lithium’s unexpected importance in the brain.</p>
<p>Lithium is naturally present in small amounts in the brain. This lithium comes from our diet, where it’s transported through the bloodstream to the brain’s cells. But researchers have found that as people move from <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1533317518791401">mild cognitive impairment</a> – a stage often seen as a warning sign for Alzheimer’s – to full Alzheimer’s disease, their <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09335-x#Sec11">lithium levels drop</a>. This loss of lithium appears to set off the cascade of changes that lead to memory loss and confusion.</p>
<p>This <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09335-x#Sec11">recent study</a> now helps to explain why a loss of lithium is linked with Alzheimer’s disease. The study showed that lithium acts as a natural defender – helping to keep amyloid and tau in check. When lithium levels fall, the brain becomes more vulnerable to these toxic proteins.</p>
<p>Researchers uncovered this connection by conducting postmortem examinations of brain tissue taken from people who had been in different stages of cognitive health. Those with mild cognitive impairment had noticeably less lithium in their brains compared to those who had been in good cognitive health. Levels were even lower in Alzheimer’s patients.</p>
<p>Interestingly, they found that the lithium doesn’t just disappear. Much of it becomes trapped within amyloid plaques, which lock it away from the brain cells where it’s needed most. This means even if total lithium levels don’t drop drastically, brain cells may still be starved of its protective effects.</p>
<p>So to explore what happens when lithium is missing completely, the scientists then studied mice – both healthy mice and mice that had been genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms. They cut the mice’s dietary lithium by 50% and observed the results.</p>
<p>The effects were striking. Mice with reduced lithium showed faster amyloid and tau buildup, more brain inflammation and lost connections between neurons – all crucial for learning and memory. The genetically engineered mice also performed worse in memory tests.</p>
<p>At the core of this process is an enzyme called <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2860202/">GSK3β</a>. Lithium normally keeps this enzyme under control. But when lithium is low, GSK3β becomes overactive, encouraging tau to behave abnormally and form tangles that damage neurons. This enzyme acts like a switch, tipping brain cells toward disease if unchecked.</p>
<p>The good news is the study didn’t stop at identifying the problem. Researchers treated mice with <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8413749/">lithium orotate</a>, a form of the mineral that’s less likely to get trapped by amyloid plaques. This treatment prevented the harmful buildup of amyloid-beta and tau, reduce inflammation, preserved neuron connections and improved memory.</p>
<h2>Lithium’s importance</h2>
<p>This research recasts lithium as more than a forgotten trace mineral. It appears to be a vital guardian of brain health, protecting neurons and maintaining cognitive function throughout life. Disrupting lithium balance might be one of the earliest steps toward Alzheimer’s – even before symptoms show.</p>
<p>Lithium’s protective role isn’t entirely new. It’s been used in psychiatry for decades, particularly to manage <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9484534/">bipolar disorder</a> where it stabilises mood. But medicinal doses are much higher than the tiny amounts naturally present in the brain. This study is the first to reveal that even these small, natural levels have a crucial protective function.</p>
<p>Beyond Alzheimer’s, lithium supports brain growth, shields nerve cells, and calms inflammation, all important for <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10227915/">healthy ageing</a>. Keeping lithium levels stable could have wider benefits in preventing dementia and supporting brain resilience.</p>
<p>One reason lithium hasn’t featured prominently in Alzheimer’s research before is its simplicity. It doesn’t target one molecule but acts like a conductor, balancing multiple brain processes. This makes it harder to study but no less important.</p>
<p>The discovery that lithium deficiency worsens Alzheimer’s damage opens new possibilities. Unlike current treatments focusing on removing amyloid plaques or tau tangles, lithium replacement could boost the brain’s defences.</p>
<p>Lithium orotate is especially promising because it doesn’t get trapped by amyloid and delivers lithium where neurons most need it. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6643006/">Lithium salts</a> have long been used safely in medicine, so this approach could be easy and accessible for older adults.</p>
<p>Still, it’s unclear why lithium levels fall in some people. Is it due to diet, genetics or another cause? Could differences in the natural levels of lithium in <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11364728/">drinking water</a> worldwide influence Alzheimer’s risk? These puzzles invite future research.</p>
<p>It’s also important to note that much of this work was done in mice. While animal models offer valuable insights, human brains are more complex. Clinical trials will be needed to see if lithium orotate can safely prevent or slow Alzheimer’s in people.</p>
<p>We also don’t yet know how supplements or diet might affect brain lithium levels over time, or if this would be practical as treatment.</p>
<p>Still, the idea that a simple mineral could delay or prevent one of the world’s most devastating diseases is both exciting and hopeful.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/262880/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1"><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
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<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/alzheimers-disease-lithium-may-help-slow-cognitive-decline-new-research-in-mice-262880">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/army-basic-training-appears-to-reshape-how-the-brain-processes-reward/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Army basic training appears to reshape how the brain processes reward</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 4th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.05.007" target="_blank">Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging</a></em> suggests that stress experienced during basic combat training may dampen the brain’s ability to respond to rewarding outcomes. Researchers found that Army National Guard recruits showed a measurable decline in neural signals linked to reward processing after completing a physically and emotionally demanding 10-week training program. The findings suggest that real-world stressors can influence how the brain processes both positive and negative feedback, with potential implications for resilience and mental health.</p>
<p>The ability to respond to rewards is considered an important aspect of healthy emotional functioning. Previous research has shown that greater neural responsiveness to rewards is associated with positive outcomes such as well-being, motivation, and resilience to stress. On the other hand, reduced responsiveness has been linked to symptoms of anhedonia, which refers to the loss of interest or pleasure in typically enjoyable activities. Anhedonia is a symptom seen across many psychiatric disorders, including depression.</p>
<p>Laboratory studies have demonstrated that acute or chronic stress can reduce the brain’s responsiveness to rewards, possibly by disrupting dopamine signaling. However, much of this prior research has either relied on artificial stress manipulations in lab settings or retrospective self-reports of stress that may be biased. </p>
<p>Few studies have assessed how real-world, naturally occurring stressors affect neural reward processing over time. The authors of the current study sought to fill this gap by using a longitudinal design to examine how stress during a real-world challenge — basic combat training — might influence brain function.</p>
<p>The researchers drew on data from the ARMOR study, a large, ongoing project that investigates resilience and stress responses in military service members. >From the broader sample, a subset of 123 Army National Guard recruits participated in a neuroimaging substudy. These participants were assessed before and after completing a 10-week basic combat training program. The training is designed to prepare civilians for military service and is widely recognized as a stressful experience due to its intense physical, psychological, and social demands.</p>
<p>Participants completed a computerized gambling task while their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography, a method that tracks electrical signals from the scalp. The task involved choosing between two options to either win or lose points, with the outcome determined at random. This setup allowed the researchers to measure how the brain responded to positive (gain) or negative (loss) feedback. A particular brain signal, known as the reward positivity (or RewP), was used as a marker of reward processing. The RewP typically occurs between 175 and 325 milliseconds after feedback is received.</p>
<p>In addition to recording brain activity, the researchers also assessed each participant’s experience of stress during training using the Basic Training Stressors Scale. This self-report measure captures both the frequency and perceived impact of various stressors related to performance, interpersonal dynamics, and living conditions. The stress survey was completed about two weeks after the end of basic training, prior to the follow-up brain scan.</p>
<p>The researchers also examined brain activity in specific frequency bands—delta and theta oscillations—associated with reward and loss processing, respectively. These time-frequency analyses provide an additional window into the dynamics of neural responses and may tap into different mechanisms than the traditional event-related potentials like the RewP.</p>
<p>The main finding was that neural responses to both rewards and losses were significantly reduced after the recruits completed basic training. This decrease was observed in the RewP time window and was not explained by the length of time between study visits. Interestingly, the difference between reward and loss responses did not change significantly, indicating that the decline occurred across both types of feedback rather than being specific to one.</p>
<p>The researchers then looked at whether self-reported stress during basic training was related to these changes in brain activity. They found that higher levels of perceived stress were associated with a smaller neural response to rewards, although this relationship weakened when additional variables were included in the model. This suggests that the subjective impact of stress, more than just the number of stressors, might influence how the brain adapts to stressful situations.</p>
<p>While the time-domain measures of brain activity showed a clear decline, analyses of delta and theta oscillations did not show consistent changes following training. This distinction may reflect differences in the neural processes captured by each approach. Time-domain signals like the RewP are typically phase-locked to feedback and reflect a more synchronized response, while time-frequency measures capture a broader and more variable range of neural activity. The researchers suggest that stress might reduce the consistency of brain responses rather than their amplitude, which could explain the discrepancy.</p>
<p>Participants who had stronger delta-band power before training were more likely to report lower levels of stress afterward. This finding hints at the possibility that some individuals may have a form of neural resilience, where their brains are better equipped to maintain reward sensitivity in the face of stress. These individuals may perceive stressful experiences as less overwhelming or disruptive, possibly buffering them from negative psychological outcomes.</p>
<p>While the study provides new evidence linking real-world stress to reduced reward responsiveness, the authors acknowledge some limitations. Most notably, there was no control group of recruits who completed the same assessments but did not undergo basic training. Without such a comparison, it is not possible to definitively conclude that the observed changes were caused by the stress of training rather than other factors, such as natural brain development or repeated exposure to the task.</p>
<p>Additionally, while participants reported on their stress shortly after completing training, the follow-up brain assessments occurred several months later. This introduces uncertainty about the timing of changes in reward processing relative to stress exposure. The study also cannot determine whether the observed neural changes have any lasting behavioral or psychological effects. Participants were generally high-functioning and did not show elevated levels of depression or anxiety, so the long-term impact of reduced reward responsiveness remains unclear.</p>
<p>The study raises important questions about whether these changes are temporary or long-lasting, and whether they might predict vulnerability to future mental health problems. It also suggests that individuals who enter stressful situations with higher reward sensitivity may be more resilient, but further research is needed to explore this possibility.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2451902225001661" target="_blank">Neural Response to Reward and Loss Following Basic Combat Training</a>,” was authored by Clara Freeman, Eric Rawls, Collin D. Teich, Scott R. Sponheim, Melissa A. Polusny, and Craig Marquardt.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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