Hoarding Behavior Research Articles

A Case of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Presented with Cognitive Decline and Hoarding Behavior.

A Case of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Presented with Cognitive Decline and Hoarding Behavior.

Adaptation and psychometric testing of the hoarding rating scale (HRS): a self-administered screening scale for epidemiological study in Chinese population

BackgroundHoarding disorder is a chronic and debilitating illness associated with restrictions on activities of daily living, compromised social and occupational functioning, and adverse health outcomes. However, researchers lack a brief and self-administered screening measurement to assess compulsive hoarding in the Chinese speaking population. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Hoarding Rating Scale-Interview (HRS-I) to as a tool for screening compulsive hoarding behavior in Chinese population.MethodsThis study comprised two phases. During Phase 1, the English-language HRS-I was translated into Chinese (CHRS) (comprehensible for most Chinese speaking population, e.g., Cantonese & Mandarin) and subjected to an equivalence check. In Phase 2, the CHRS was validated by examining internal consistency, stability, and construct validity. Different samples were used appropriately to verify the items and reflect the psychometric properties.ResultsIn Phase 1, the CHRS yielded satisfactory content (S-CVI = 0.93) and face validity ratings (comprehensibility = 100%, N = 20 participants of general public with age 18–72) and the English and Chinese versions were found to be equivalent (ICC = 0.887; N = 60 university staff and students). Phase 2 revealed satisfactory levels of internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.86; corrected item-total correlation = 0.60–0.74; N = 820 participants of general public), 2-week test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.78; N = 60 university students), and construct validity (one-factor CFA solution matched with the hypothesized model, χ2/d.f. = 2.26, RMSEA = 0.049, CFI = 0.99, IFI = 0.99, NFI = 0.99; n = 520 participants of general public).ConclusionsThis study provides sufficient evidence of the reliability and validity of the CHRS for compulsive hoarding behavior screening in the Chinese population through self-administered method.

Effects of food restriction on body mass, energy metabolism and thermogenesis in a tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri)

Abstract The metabolic switch hypothesis refers to an ability to adjust metabolic rate. It plays a key role in animals adapted to periods of food shortage, enabling them to “switch down” their resting metabolic rate and to survive and maintain their weight indefinitely on limited rations. The present study investigates the energy strategies of a small mammal in response to food shortages as a function of food restriction, metabolic rate and ambient temperature. We subjected tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri) to food restriction and measured body mass, survival rate, resting metabolic rate, non-shivering thermogenesis and cytochrome c oxidase activity of brown adipose tissue. Cold-exposed animals restricted to 80% of ad libitum food intake had significantly increased resting metabolic rate and non-shivering thermogenesis and decreased body mass and survival rates compared with those kept as control group on the same ood restriction level. Animals classified as having a high resting metabolic rate consumed 30.69% more food than those classified as having a low resting metabolic rate, but showed no differences in body mass or survival when restricted to 80% of ad libitum food intake. These results indicate that tree shrews, known for their relatively high metabolic rates, are sensitive to periods of food restriction, which supports the metabolic switch hypothesis. Our findings are also consistent with the prediction that small mammals with food hoarding behaviors, like tree shrews, may have a lower tolerance for food shortages than non-hoarding species.

Psychometric evaluation of the Vancouver Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (VOCI) and its adaptation based on the DSM-5 in Iranian patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

abstract The Vancouver Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (VOCI) was validated in Iranian non-clinical individuals, but not in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Accordingly, this study aims to further evaluate the six-factor first-order and one-factor second-order structures, validity, and reliability of the scale and also to adapt this scale to the DSM-5 recommendations regarding hoarding behavior in Iranian OCD patients. Three hundred and sixty patients completed the VOCI, the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS), the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale checklist (Y-BOCS), the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R); the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ-SF), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results showed that the six-factor first-order model of the VOCI had acceptable fit, while the five-factor first-order model had more appropriate fit by deleting the hoarding subscale's items. Also, one-factor second-order structure of the scale has been found to have an adequate fit. In addition, reliability and convergent and discriminant validity of the VOCI have been found to be good. The findings indicate that although the VOCI with the six-factor first-order and one-factor second-order structures is a valid scale in Iranian OCD patients, the VOCI adapted to the DSM-5 is more reliable to be used in Iranian community.

The ecological and behavioral significance of short-term food caching in polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

The paucity of observations of wild polar bears (Ursus maritimus) caching of food (including hoarding, i.e., burying and remaining with a kill for up to a few days) has led to the conclusion that such behavior does not occur or is negligible in this species. We document 19 observations of short-term hoarding by polar bears between 1973 and 2018 in Svalbard, Greenland, and Canada. Short-term hoarding appears to be influenced by size of the kill and its remaining energetic value after the first meal has been consumed. Fat and meat from smaller seals, such as pup or yearling ringed seals (Pusa hispida), are largely devoured immediately, leaving little to hoard. Carcasses of adult ringed seals, harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus), and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) may be covered with snow to reduce the chance of kleptoparasitism by another bear or other scavengers visually detecting a dark spot on the ice, while the hoarding bear lies nearby. Hoarding of other species, such as beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) (calves or parts) or other polar bears, appears opportunistic. We review differences in caching, including short-term hoarding behavior between polar bears and brown bears (U. arctos), and hypothesize about factors that may have influenced their evolution.

The role of materialism, hoarding behaviours and narcissism in shopping addiction in female students

The aim of present study was to investigate the role of materialism, hoarding behaviors and narcissism in shopping addiction among female students. This research was a descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population consisted of all female students of Islamic Azad University of Birjand, in the academic year 2017-2018. The sample consisted of 250 students were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling. They completed the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale, Materialistic Values Questionnaire, Hoarding Behaviors Questionnaire and narcissism subscale of measure of the Dark Triad. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that materialism, hoarding behaviors, and narcissism have significant relationship with shopping addiction in female students. Hoarding behaviors and materialism were able to predict the shopping addiction in female students, but narcissism were unable to predict the shopping addiction. According to the results of this study, hoarding behaviors and materialism play an important role in shopping addiction in female students. Thus, attention to these variables in prediction of shopping addiction by researchers, behavioral sciences specialists and therapists is necessary.

Hoarding and Opportunistic Behavior During Covid-19 Pandemics: A Conceptual Model of Non-Ethical Behavior

Self-interest, selfishness, and greed are some of the most negative personality traits. Greedy individuals often engage in unethical behaviors regardless of the existing legal regulations and moral imperatives. During the pandemic of COVID-19 individuals are engaging in behaviors that can be characterized as deceptive and unethical, such as hoarding of products and profiteering. The current study discusses a thesis that greed is a driver of unethical behavior and examines the hoarding of products and profiteering in the greed-unethical behavior context. The conclusions suggest that greed and opportunism are critical factors behind humans behaving self-interestedly and engaging in hoarding and profiteering behavior. The current study contributes to the understanding of human behavior, particularly unethical behavior, and provides insight into the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in terms of the individual actions of hoarding products and profiteering by selling scarce products with a considerable profit margin.

Mast seeding and its relationship to animal hoarding behaviour

Mast seeding and its relationship to animal hoarding behaviour

Data Analytics to Detect Panic Buying and Improve Products Distribution Amid Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a panic-buying behavior around the globe. As a result, many essential supplies were consistently out-of-stock at common point-of-sale locations. Unfortunately, such a hoarding behavior disproportionately puts vulnerable groups of people at risk as they cannot "compete" with the demand surge, hence creating a critical societal issue. Even though most retailers were aware of this problem, they were caught off guard and are still lacking the technical capabilities to address this issue. The primary objective of this research is to develop a data-driven framework that can systematically alleviate this issue by leveraging statistical models and machine learning techniques. We leverage both internal and external data sources and show that using external data enhances the predictability and interpretability of our model. Our proposed framework can help retailers detect demand anomalies as they occur, allowing them to react strategically. We collaborate with a large retailer and apply our models to three categories of products using a dataset with more than 15 million observations. We first show that our proposed anomaly detection model can successfully detect anomalies related to panic buying. We then present a prescriptive analytics simulation tool that can help retailers improve essential products distribution in uncertain times. Using data from the March 2020 panic-buying wave, we show that our prescriptive tool can help the retailer increase access to essential products by 56.74%.

Dual speculative hoarding: A wholesaler-retailer channel behavioral phenomenon behind potential natural hazard threats

This study aims to address the issue of disaster-induced speculative hoarding (DISH) behavior that might co-exist in the wholesalers and retailers, which clarify the antecedents and suggested solutions for supply chain disruption risks. Drawing on human psychology and social cognition theory, the study provides a conceptual framework that reflects the endogenous and exogenous antecedents on speculative hoarding behavior in response to disasters. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) in a sample of 373 firms (255 wholesalers, 118 retailers) from the agricultural-food industry through face-to-face interviews to complete the questionnaire. Our analytical results reveal that attitude to risk-driven hoarding (AH), disaster-induced affective response (DR), coercive social influence (CI), and non-coercive social influence (NI) are the four key factors that jointly affect the agricultural-food supply chain members decision concerning. The indirect effect of non-coercive social influence (NI) on speculative hoarding is more significant, relative to coercive social influence (CI). These findings have important implications for supply chain disruption risk management.

P.778 Frontotemporal dementia and hoarding behaviour: Understanding the orbitofrontal cortex implication and treatment

P.778 Frontotemporal dementia and hoarding behaviour: Understanding the orbitofrontal cortex implication and treatment

An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Investigating the Function of Hoarding

This study examined the function of hoarding behaviors and the relations between hoarding and a series of cognitive and affective processes in the moment using ecological momentary assessment. A matched-groups design was used to compare college students with higher hoarding symptoms (n = 31) and matched controls (n = 29). The two groups did not differ in what function they reported acquiring served, and positive automatic reinforcement was the most commonly reported function in both groups. Engaging in hoarding-relevant behaviors did not predict change in positive or negative affect when controlling for previous affect. Emotional reactivity and experiential avoidance in the moment were both elevated in the higher hoarding group compared to controls, while momentary mindfulness and negative affect differentiation were lower. Overall, these findings support the importance of emotion regulation processes in hoarding. They also suggest individuals may not be successfully regulating affect in the moment with hoarding behaviors, despite efforts to do so. It may be useful to evaluate processes such as striving for positive affect in hoarding disorder in the future.

Does caching strategy vary with microclimate in endangered Mt. Graham red squirrels?

Food hoarding is a common behavior used by a variety of animals to cope with periods of low food availability. At the retreating edge of species' distribution, the stressful environment and unfavourable climate conditions may impose severe costs on hoarding behavior. Since relict populations are hotspots for evolution and adaptation, and considering that food hoarding behavior has a strong evolutionary basis, we decided to evaluate the occurrence of behavioral variability in the amount of food cached by the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus fremonti grahamensis). We tested the variation in cache size in response to microclimate, soil relief, vegetation, food availability and squirrel sex. The number of pits excavated by squirrels to cache cones was used as a proxy of cache size and was affected by mountain slope aspect and density of trees. More pits were excavated in the northeast facing slopes. The density of trees negatively affects the cache volume on southwest slopes, but not on northeast slopes. The sex of the resident squirrel also affects the number of pits in the squirrel midden, with males excavating 47% more pits than females. Males and females also presented different responses to the mountain slope aspect, with females excavating more pits on northeastern slopes than on southwestern slopes, whereas male cache size did not vary with the slope aspect. Finally, the squirrel's caching behavior did not vary in response to midden microclimate variation, a result with possible implications for the survival of the Mt Graham red squirrels, given the predicted temperature increases in the region due to climate change.

An exploratory study on the lived experiences of hoarding in Singapore.

Research studies have revealed that people with hoarding typically collect and keep items due to their aesthetic appeal, utility and strong emotional attachment to the items resulting in clutter and limiting living spaces. This study aims to explore the experiences of individuals with hoarding disorder to understand and describe—the patterns and reasons for hoarding, experiences with decluttering and the impact of hoarding disorder on significant others and society in the context of a multi‐ethnic urban Asian country. A total of 12 participants with hoarding disorder were recruited and interviewed using a simple semi‐structured interview guide designed for the study. The resulting transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The mean age of the participants was 56.7 years (SD = 14.5). Nine super‐ordinate and discrete but interconnecting themes emerged from the qualitative interviews: types of hoarded items, sources of hoarded items, ways of storing/arranging hoarded items, help‐seeking/treatment contact, reasons for hoarding, experiences with decluttering, impact upon family, community and self, restricting hoarding behaviours and insight. Key themes identified in the study are consistent with the literature on studies on hoarding which have been done in other populations. Hoarding in the community has serious consequences for individuals with hoarding disorder and others living in the community, which is compounded by the lack of insight among these individuals. There is a pressing need to increase public awareness and recognition of hoarding behaviours to aid efforts in bringing timely and appropriate services to the affected individuals.

Hoarding and obsessive–compulsive behaviours in frontotemporal dementia: Clinical and neuroanatomic associations

BackgroundHoarding and obsessive-compulsive behaviours (OCB) are well documented symptoms in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). While contemporary models consider hoarding and obsessive-compulsive disorder distinct, the related behaviours have not been separately examined in patients with FTD, and the neuroanatomical correlates of hoarding in patients with FTD have not been previously examined (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Grisham and Baldwin, 2015; Mataix-Cols et al., 2010). MethodsPatients with FTD who were evaluated between 2004 and 2018 at our centre were included. Cortical thickness and subcortical volumetric analyses were completed on available T1 high resolution anatomic scans using FreeSurfer. ResultsEighty-seven patients met inclusion criteria, and 49 had scans available for quantitative MRI volumetric analysis. New hoarding behaviours were present in 29% of patients and were more common in the semantic variant subtype of FTD, while 49% of individuals had new or increased OCB. Hoarding behaviours were associated with decreased thickness in a factor comprised of left temporal, insular and anterior cingulate cortices. The presence of OCB was predicted by reduced cortical thickness and volumes in a factor comprised of the anterior cingulate and subcortical volumes in the bilateral amygdala and hippocampus. OCB were associated with greater right temporal cortical thickness in comparison to patients with hoarding. DiscussionThe association of the semantic variant with hoarding, together with the observed associations between left temporal atrophy and hoarding indicate that degeneration of the left temporal lobe has a role in the emergence of hoarding in FTD. As in current models of Hoarding disorder and Obsessive–Compulsive disorder, our results suggest that in patients with FTD, hoarding and OCB are clinically and anatomically partially dissociable phenomenon. The results may also help to further elucidate the cognitive processes and neural networks contributing to Hoarding disorder and Obsessive–Compulsive disorder in persons without dementia.

Functional Neuroimaging Test of an Emerging Neurobiological Model of Hoarding Disorder

BackgroundOver the past decade, functional neuroimaging studies have found abnormal brain function in several cortical systems when patients with compulsive hoarding behaviors make decisions about personal possessions. The purpose of this study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to test a neurobiological model of hoarding disorder (HD) that has begun to emerge from these small studies by confirming HD-related brain dysfunction in previously implicated brain regions in the largest sample of HD patients examined to date. MethodsWe compared 79 adults diagnosed with DSM-5 HD with 44 non-HD control participants using a functional magnetic resonance imaging task of decision making to acquire or discard material possessions and on a control task involving semantic processing. ResultsHD brain activation profiles prominently featured insular and anterior cingulate cortex overengagement during possession-related choices that were not seen in non-HD brain activation profiles and also correlated with hoarders’ clutter and difficulty discarding. Although HD patients overengaged the insula when deciding to discard, relative to when performing the non–decision making task contrast, the HD insula also was generally blunted. ConclusionsThis study links the defining behavioral symptoms of HD to localized brain dysfunction within cingulo-opercular brain systems and firmly establishes the context-dependent importance of this network dysfunction in HD. The relevance of dysfunction in these brain regions is highlighted by a failure to replicate HD-related abnormalities in other brain regions implicated in prior HD functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. This study also raises the novel possibility that HD may involve abnormality in the inferior frontal cortex engaged for executive control over semantic processing.

The relationship between experiential avoidance and autism spectrum traits with hoarding behaviors with mediating role of saving cognitions

The relationship between experiential avoidance and autism spectrum traits with hoarding behaviors with mediating role of saving cognitions

Relevance of hoarding behavior and the traits of developmental disorders among university students: a self-reported assessment study

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that hoarding behavior usually starts at a subclinical level in early adolescence and gradually worsens; however, a limited number of studies have examined the prevalence of hoarding behavior and its association with developmental disorders in young adults. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of hoarding behavior and to identify correlations between hoarding behavior and developmental disorder traits in university students.MethodsThe study participants included 801 university students (616 men, 185 women) who completed questionnaires (ASRS: Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale version 1.1, AQ16: Autism-Spectrum Quotient with 16 items, and CIR: Clutter Image Rating).ResultsAmong 801 participants, 27 (3.4%) exceeded the CIR cut-off score. Moreover, the participants with hoarding behavior had a significantly higher percentage of ADHD traits compared to participants without hoarding behavior (HB(+) vs HB(−), 40.7% vs 21.7%). In addition, 7.4% of HB(+) participants had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits, compared to 4.1% of HB(−) participants. A correlation analysis revealed that the CIR composite score had a stronger correlation with the ASRS inattentive score than with the hyperactivity/impulsivity score (CIR composite vs ASRS IA, r = 0.283; CIR composite vs ASRS H/I, r = 0.147).ConclusionsThe results showed a high prevalence of ADHD traits in the university students with hoarding behavior. Moreover, we found that the hoarding behavior was more strongly correlated with inattentive symptoms rather than with hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms. Our results support the concept of a common pathophysiology behind hoarding behavior and ADHD in young adults.

A narrative synthesis of possible causes and risk factors of hoarding behaviours.

Hoarding is a disorder characterized by excessive acquisition and persistent difficulty in discarding possessions. The behaviour has adverse emotional, physical, social, financial, and legal outcomes for the person with the disorder and family members, and might pose a significant public health problem. Hoarding has been included as a distinct disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth edition (DSM-5). The prevalence of hoarding disorder is approximately 2-6% globally. The current state of the evidence does not offer clear understanding of the causes of hoarding behaviours. A systematic review of the extant literature was carried out to determine the possible causal factors of hoarding behaviours. This review is conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines. The following electronic databases: Medline through Ovid, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched for relevant articles published between January 2000 and November 2018. Only articles published in English language were included. Two reviewers independently scrutinized the studies and included them in this review. Our search strategy returned a total of 396 references. Preliminary findings suggest that individuals with hoarding behaviours may have a genetic susceptibility; abnormal neural activity in the fronto-temporal, para-hippocampal gyrus and insular parts of the brain has also been identified. Traumatic life experiences have also been posited to predispose individuals to hoard. Although the understanding of hoarding disorder hasgrown in recent years, greater efforts are still needed to clarify the etiology and mechanisms of hoarding disorder as these may help in planning of more holistic interventions to treat the problem.

Genetic structure of Pinus parviflora on Mt. Fuji in relation to the hoarding behavior of the Japanese nutcracker

AbstractPinus parviflora (Japanese white pine) is distributed along a wide range of altitudes between 1100 and 2500 m above sea level (asl) on the northwestern slope of Mt. Fuji in Japan. The seeds of P. parviflora are presumed to be dispersed from the mountainous area to the timberline by the Japanese nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes var. japonica). We aimed to clarify the effect of the nutcracker on the genetic diversity and structures of P. parviflora populations on Mt. Fuji. Leaf samples were collected from eight populations at altitudes between 1100 and 2500 m asl. Using 11 microsatellite markers, we investigated the genetic diversity and structures of P. parviflora populations on Mt. Fuji. The average expected heterozygosity (HE), allelic richness (Ar), and inbreeding coefficients (FIS) of the P. parviflora populations on Mt. Fuji were 0.66, 1.66, and 0.14, respectively, suggesting a lower genetic diversity in comparison with those of P. parviflora populations in other regions of Japan. The genetic structure of the population at the lowest altitude of 1100 m was significantly different from that of the other populations. However, certain individuals in the populations at higher altitudes (2300–2500 m asl) were likely derived from populations at lower altitudes (1100–1500 m asl), probably because of the hoarding behavior of the nutcracker. Our results indicate that seeds carried from low altitudes by nutcrackers have become established at the timberline and have contributed to expanding the distribution and maintaining the genetic diversity of P. parviflora on Mt. Fuji.