Behavioral Inhibition Research Articles

Functional connectivity in ADHD children doing Go/No-Go tasks: An fMRI systematic review and meta-analysis.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders diagnosed in childhood. Two common features of ADHD are impaired behavioural inhibition and sustained attention. The Go/No-Go experimental paradigm with concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning has previously revealed important neurobiological correlates of ADHD such as the supplementary motor area and the prefrontal cortex. The coordinate-based meta-analysis combined with quantitative techniques, such as activation likelihood estimate (ALE) generation, provides an unbiased and objective method of summarising these data to understand the brain network architecture and connectivity in ADHD children. Go/No-Go task-based fMRI studies involving children and adolescent subjects were selected. Coordinates indicating foci of activation were collected to generate ALEs using threshold values (voxel-level: p < 0.001; cluster-level: p < 0.05). ALEs were matched to one of seven canonical brain networks based on the cortical parcellation scheme derived from the Human Connectome Project. Fourteen studies involving 457 children met the eligibility criteria. No significant convergence of Go/No-Go related brain activation was found for ADHD groups. Three significant ALE clusters were detected for brain activation relating to controls or ADHD < controls. Significant clusters were related to specific areas of the default mode network (DMN). Network-based analysis revealed less extensive DMN, dorsal attention network, and limbic network activation in ADHD children compared to controls. The presence of significant ALE clusters may be due to reduced homogeneity in the selected sample demographic and experimental paradigm. Further investigations regarding hemispheric asymmetry in ADHD subjects would be beneficial.

The Effectiveness of Modified Pilates Program with and without Kinesiotaping on Postnatal Urinary Stress Incontinence: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction: Urinary Stress Incontinence is very common condition seen in postnatal woman. Without pelvic floor strengthening this condition will lead to social inhibition. The rate of urinary stress incontinence is more in normal vaginal delivery compared to C-Section. Few authors have demonstrated the effectiveness of Kegal exercise and Pilates on such woman with urinary stress incontinence. There is dirth in the literature related to effect of Kinesiotaping in reduction of urinary stress incontinence.&#x0D; Research Objective: The objective of the research was to find out the effect of Kinesiotape along with the Modified Pilates program on subjects with postnatal urinary incontinence.&#x0D; Methodology: This is an experimental study with randomised clinical trial design and the study setting was Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike, and the included 50 postnatal women who underwent vaginal delivery. The sample was divided into two groups: Group A (25) were subjected to Modified Pilates Program with Kinesiotaping and Group B (25) were subjected to Modified Pilates Program alone. The intervention was conducted for 6 weeks. The outcome measures like: PERFECT Scheme, Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis and Urogenital Distress Inventory were assessed both pre and post therapy at 6th week.&#x0D; Results: Pre therapy both groups showed no statistical significance. Post therapy; Group A showed significant result with respect to all three outcome measures PERFECT (&lt;0.0001), QUID (&lt;0.001) and UDI (&lt;0.001) and Group B showed significance only with respect to PERFECT Scheme (&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: The study concluded that Modified Pilates will no doubt strengthen the pelvic floor muscle; but Kinesiotape addition to it will improve the strength by maintaining it and thus increasing the quality of life of the patient. Thus, using kinesiotape during the pelvic floor rehabilitation of Postnatal women with stress incontinence will provide benefit to the patient.&#x0D; Summary: The current article concludes that Modified Pilates will strengthen the pelvic floor because of the abdominal cylinder involved along with Kinesiotape will add on to reduction in urinary incontinence because of the stimulation of sacral plexus.

Exploring the Association Between EEG Microstates During Resting-State and Error-Related Activity in Young Children

The error-related negativity (ERN) is a negative deflection in the electroencephalography (EEG) waveform at frontal-central scalp sites that occurs after error commission. The relationship between the ERN and broader patterns of brain activity measured across the entire scalp that support error processing during early childhood is unclear. We examined the relationship between the ERN and EEG microstates – whole-brain patterns of dynamically evolving scalp potential topographies that reflect periods of synchronized neural activity – during both a go/no-go task and resting-state in 90, 4-8-year-old children. The mean amplitude of the ERN was quantified during the -64 to 108 millisecond (ms) period of time relative to error commission, which was determined by data-driven microstate segmentation of error-related activity. We found that greater magnitude of the ERN associated with greater global explained variance (GEV; i.e., the percentage of total variance in the data explained by a given microstate) of an error-related microstate observed during the same -64 to 108 ms period (i.e., error-related microstate 3), and to greater anxiety risk as measured by parent-reported behavioral inhibition. During resting-state, six data-driven microstates were identified. Both greater magnitude of the ERN and greater GEV values of error-related microstate 3 associated with greater GEV values of resting-state microstate 4, which showed a frontal-central scalp topography. Source localization results revealed overlap between the underlying neural generators of error-related microstate 3 and resting-state microstate 4 and canonical brain networks (e.g., ventral attention) known to support the higher-order cognitive processes involved in error processing. Taken together, our results clarify how individual differences in error-related and intrinsic brain activity are related and enhance our understanding of developing brain network function and organization supporting error processing during early childhood.

Methodological procedure based on quantitizing/liquefying: a case study to assess work climate in an emergency department.

In the assessment of health organizations, results-based indicators are mainly used, with no consideration of internal work dynamics. This type of assessment forfeits much of the rich, useful information needed to make decisions on improving the organization. In order to address this, a rigorous procedure based on mixed methods is laid out here on gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data associated with the implementation process. A 55-year-old doctor was selected at random from among the staff who volunteered to be interviewed at the emergency department at a public hospital located in southern Spain for an interview. Qualitative data obtained from the in-depth interview (indirect observation) were progressively systematized (liquefied and quantitized) based on a theoretical framework until a code matrix was obtained, without losing or distorting any information. Afterwards, data quality was controlled using Cohen's kappa (κ) coefficient. A quantitative polar coordinate analysis was then carried out using the free software HOISAN (v. 1.6.3.3) to obtain robust results, vectorizing the relationships between codes and specifying whenever such relationships were statistically significant (and if they resulted in behavior activation or inhibition). Finally, a supplementary quantitative and qualitative assessment was carried out. The proposed method was applied to the needs assessment of teams in order to evaluate that work climate in the hospital's emergency department Health Services of a hospital. Data quality control yielded an adequate result (κ = 0.82). Significant activation and inhibition of behaviors occurred, both prospectively and retrospectively. For instance, We seek to understand the needs of our clients and We readily adapt to new circumstances showed a significant activation (vector length = 3.43, p < 0.01) both prospectively (Zsum = 0.48) and retrospectively (Zsum = 3.4).An adequate method to obtain detailed information about group dynamics in a work environment is presented, based on an in-depth interview. Practical applications for implementations to improve the functioning of organizations are presented.

Restoration of a paraventricular thalamo-accumbal behavioral suppression circuit prevents reinstatement of heroin seeking

Lack of behavioral suppression typifies substance use disorders, yet the neural circuit underpinnings of drug-induced behavioral disinhibition remain unclear. Here, we employ deep-brain two-photon calcium imaging in heroin self-administering mice, longitudinally tracking adaptations within a paraventricular thalamus to nucleus accumbens behavioral inhibition circuit from the onset of heroin use to reinstatement. We find that select thalamo-accumbal neuronal ensembles become profoundly hypoactive across the development of heroin seeking and use. Electrophysiological experiments further reveal persistent adaptations at thalamo-accumbal parvalbumin interneuronal synapses, whereas functional rescue of these synapses prevents multiple triggers from initiating reinstatement of heroin seeking. Finally, we find an enrichment of μ-opioid receptors in output- and cell-type-specific paraventricular thalamic neurons, which provide a mechanism for heroin-induced synaptic plasticity and behavioral disinhibition. These findings reveal key circuit adaptations that underlie behavioral disinhibition in opioid dependence and further suggest that recovery of this system would reduce relapse susceptibility.

Alpha-Band Lateralization and Microsaccades Elicited by Exogenous Cues Do Not Track Attentional Orienting.

We explore the world by constantly shifting our focus of attention toward salient stimuli and then disengaging from them in search of new ones. The alpha rhythm (8-13 Hz) has been suggested as a pivotal neural substrate of these attentional shifts, due to its local synchronization and desynchronization that suppress irrelevant cortical areas and facilitate relevant areas, a phenomenon called alpha lateralization. Whether alpha lateralization tracks the focus of attention from orienting toward a salient stimulus to disengaging from it is still an open question. We addressed it by leveraging the phenomenon of inhibition of return (IOR), consisting of an initial facilitation in response times (RTs) for stimuli appearing at an exogenously cued location, followed by a suppression of that location. Our behavioral data from human participants showed a typical IOR effect with both early facilitation and subsequent inhibition. In contrast, alpha lateralized in the cued direction after the behavioral facilitation effect and never re-lateralized compatibly with the behavioral inhibition. Furthermore, we analyzed the interaction between alpha lateralization and microsaccades: while alpha was lateralized toward the cued location, microsaccades were mostly oriented away from it. Crucially, the two phenomena showed a significant positive correlation. These results indicate that alpha lateralization reflects primarily the processing of salient stimuli, challenging the view that alpha lateralization is directly involved in exogenous attentional orienting per se. We discuss the relevance of the present findings for an oculomotor account of alpha lateralization as a modulator of cortical excitability in preparation of a saccade.

INVESTIGATING PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AS A PREDICTOR OF FEAR OF FALLING AND FALL RISK IN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Psychological factors related to appetitive and avoidant motivation, perceptions of aging, and regulatory focus (promotion focus on gains versus a prevention focus on non-losses) are likely to play an important role in predicting one’s fear of falling (FOF) and resulting impact on physical activity engagement. This pilot study aimed to investigate the gap in current research related to these psychological factors as predictors of older adults’ Fear of Falling and Fall Risk Appraisal (FRA). The study assessed positive and negative perceptions about aging in regards to control and consequences of aging (Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire [B-APQ]), motivation (Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation system [BIS/BAS]), regulatory focus in goal achievement (Regulatory Focus Questionnaire [RFQ]), FOF (Fall-Efficacy Scale-International [FES-I]), and static balance levels (BTracks Balance system [BBS]). Participants (n=48) were categorized into four FRA groups: rational (low FOF/normal balance), irrational (high FOF/normal balance), incongruent (low FOF/poor balance), and congruent (high FOF/poor balance). A Spearman Rho correlation found that FOF was positively correlated with two of the BAPQ sub-domains of Control-Positive (ρ = 0.46, p&amp;lt;.001) and Consequences and Control Negative (ρ = 0.43, p =.002),. A Kruskal-Wallis test found the relationship between BAPQ Control Positive and the Irrational and Rational FRA group baselines to be significant. The results suggest that among other psychological factors, perceptions about aging may be predictive of FOF and FRA in aging. These results highlight the importance of clinicians addressing not only the physiological factors of fall risk, but also the psychological factors underlying fall risk in older adults.

Sucralose, an eco-friendly novel promoter of carbon dioxide hydrate formation: Kinetic investigation

Gas hydrates represent a cutting-edge technology for the separation and storage of greenhouse gases, capturing the interest of numerous researchers. Nevertheless, the challenges of low storage capacity and slow hydrate formation can be surmounted through the application of kinetic promoters. This study investigates the kinetic parameters of CO2 hydrate formation with the influence of sucralose, an eco-friendly additive, at various concentrations. Lab-scale experiments were conducted in a reactor, with initial conditions of 3 MPa pressure and 274.15 K temperature. Among the tested concentrations, the addition of 0.75 wt% sucralose exhibited the highest gas consumption and storage capacity. Compared to pure water at t = 300 min, the inclusion of 0.75 wt% sucralose resulted in a 37 % increase in gas consumption and a corresponding enhancement in storage capacity. Likewise, at t = 20 min, the water-to-hydrate conversion and storage capacity (SC) increased by approximately 35 % compared to pure water. However, as the sucralose concentration in the aqueous solution surpassed 0.75 wt%, the promoting effect on gas consumption declined, showing a diminishing return. Notably, a slight inhibitory behavior was observed during the experiment with a 10 wt% sucralose concentration. Furthermore, the experiments were replicated for certain sucralose concentrations in the aqueous solution under the same initial pressure but at an elevated temperature of 276.15 K. The results demonstrated a reduction in the promoting effect of sucralose, suggesting that raising the cell temperature during the hydrate formation process negatively impacted the kinetic parameters.

Transcranial focused ultrasound to human rIFG improves response inhibition through modulation of the P300 onset latency.

Response inhibition in humans is important to avoid undesirable behavioral action consequences. Neuroimaging and lesion studies point to a locus of inhibitory control in the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). Electrophysiology studies have implicated a downstream event-related potential from rIFG, the fronto-central P300, as a putative neural marker of the success and timing of inhibition over behavioral responses. However, it remains to be established whether rIFG effectively drives inhibition and which aspect of P300 activity uniquely indexes inhibitory control-ERP timing or amplitude. Here, we dissect the connection between rIFG and P300 for inhibition by using transcranial-focused ultrasound (tFUS) to target rIFG of human subjects while they performed a Stop-Signal task. By applying tFUS simultaneously with different task events, we found behavioral inhibition was improved, but only when applied to rIFG simultaneously with a 'stop' signal. Improved inhibition through tFUS to rIFG was indexed by faster stopping times that aligned with significantly shorter N200/P300 onset latencies. In contrast, P300 amplitude was modulated during tFUS across all groups without a paired change in behavior. Using tFUS, we provide evidence for a causal connection between anatomy, behavior, and electrophysiology underlying response inhibition.

Examining anxious temperament in anorexia nervosa: Behavioural inhibition and intolerance of uncertainty and their contribution to trait anxiety in adolescents with anorexia nervosa

BackgroundAnorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious and complex psychiatric disorder yet treatment results are suboptimal. Insight into the etiology of this illness is much needed. Research highlights the implication of anxiety-related traits in the development and maintenance of AN. This study investigates firstly, behavioural inhibition and intolerance for uncertainty (IU) in adolescents with and without AN, and secondly relations between these traits. MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, 165 adolescent girls (AN = 94, HC = 71) completed questionnaires measuring behavioural inhibition, IU and trait anxiety. ANOVAs tested differences between AN and HC groups, and mediation models with IU as a mediator between behavioural inhibition and trait anxiety were run. ResultsAN adolescents reported significantly higher levels of behavioural inhibition, IU and trait anxiety compared to their peers. In both AN and HC, a direct and a total effect of behavioural inhibition on trait anxiety was found. However, only in the AN group IU partially mediated the relation between behavioural inhibition and trait anxiety. LimitationsData is cross-sectional and longitudinal studies are required. A mean illness duration of nearly 2 years may mean early effects of malnourishment and habituation and future studies should include patients with shorter illness duration. ConclusionsResults highlight that behavioural inhibition and IU may contribute to anxiety in AN whilst their peers may have developed better executive and social-emotional skills to manage uncertainty. Adolescents with AN may benefit from interventions targeting behavioural inhibition and IU.

Comparison of two reaction-time-based and one foraging-based behavioral approach-avoidance tasks in relation to interindividual differences and their reliability

Approaching rewards and avoiding punishments is a fundamental aspect of behavior, yet individuals differ in the extent of these behavioral tendencies. One popular method to assess differences in approach-avoidance tendencies and even modify them, is using behavioral tasks in which spontaneous responses to differently valenced stimuli are assessed (e.g., the visual joystick and the manikin task). Understanding whether these reaction-time-based tasks map onto the same underlying constructs, how they predict interindividual differences in theoretically related constructs and how reliable they are, seems vital to make informed judgements about current findings and future studies. In this preregistered study, 168 participants (81 self-identified men, 87 women) completed emotional face versions of these tasks as well as an alternative, foraging-based paradigm, the approach-avoidance-conflict task, and answered self-report questionnaires regarding anxiety, aggression, depressive symptoms, behavioral inhibition and activation. Importantly, approach-avoidance outcome measures of the two reaction-time-based tasks were unrelated with each other, showed little relation to self-reported interindividual differences and had subpar internal consistencies. In contrast, the approach-avoidance-conflict task was related to behavioral inhibition and aggression, and had good internal consistencies. Our study highlights the need for more research into optimizing behavioral approach-avoidance measures when using task-based approach-avoidance measures to assess interindividual differences.

Carbozone Compound Corrosion Inhibition Efficiency in Relation to Quantum Chemical Parameters: A QSAR Study for Predictive Models

This article discusses the use of carbozones compounds as corrosion inhibitors and the correlation between their quantum chemical parameters and molecular dynamic parameters with their corrosion inhibition efficiency. The results show that the use of a composite index of quantum parameters can accurately describe the corrosion inhibitory performance of carbozone molecules. A predictive QSAR model can be developed using the study's statistical methodologies to predict corrosion inhibitory behavior of organic compounds and generate new corrosion inhibitors. The inclusion of adsorption energy in the nonlinear equation assist decrease the number of descriptors utilized in the model. Overall, Researchers should focus more on these criteria in future research since they have the potential to enhance results.

Impact of Parenting Practices and Family Functioning on Psychological Adjustment of Adolescents with ADHD: Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas

Aim: The main objective of this study was to measure the impact of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) in parenting practices, family functioning and psychological adjustment of adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study also explored gender differences on study variables and differences based on age group. &#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional research design, including a sample of 100 adolescents (Male=50, Female=50) was selected from different special education institutions, schools and colleges of government and private sector in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The age of the sample ranged from 12 to 20 years (M=14.73, SD=1.82). The data was collected using Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, Family Assessment Device, Young's Schema Questionnaire, and Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using Pearson Product Moment, t-test, One-Way ANOVA, and Hayes process macro for mediation analysis.&#x0D; Results: A simple mediation analysis confirmed the significant partial mediation. The indirect effect of healthy family functioning was found to be significant. The direct and indirect effect of positive dimensions of parenting practices was significant. The negative dimensions of parenting practices were also found to have significant direct and indirect effect on psychological adjustment. EMSs significantly partially mediated the relationship between parenting practices, family functioning and psychological adjustment.&#x0D; Conclusion: According to the results, it was concluded that parenting practices and family functioning significantly influence the psychological adjustment of adolescents with ADHD. In addition, the EMSs play a significant role in the psychological adjustment of adolescents with ADHD. Gender differences were found on subscale of inconsistent discipline in parenting practices and subscale of emotional instability in psychological adjustment. Similarly, on EMSs these differences were found on six subscales including emotional deprivation, emotional inhibition, defectiveness/shame, social inhibition, vulnerability to harm, and self-sacrifice of EMSs.&#x0D; Recommendations: The results suggest broader treatment strategies, considering the parents and family of adolescents with ADHD. The finding can also be incorporated with interactive session for children, parents and family members to develop understanding of the nature of problem, related complexities within families and sorting strategies for adolescents with ADHD. Furthermore, in educational set up these finding may help in training workshops for the teachers to improve the understanding of the needs of adolescents with ADHD.

Cell Membrane-Anchored DNA Nanoinhibitor for Inhibition of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Signaling Pathways via Steric Hindrance and Lysosome-Induced Protein Degradation.

Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) plays a crucial role in cancer progression, and it has been identified as a key drug target for cancer targeted therapy. Although traditional RTK-targeting drugs are effective, there are some limitations that potentially hinder the further development of RTK-targeting drugs. Therefore, it is urgently needed to develop novel, simple, and general RTK-targeting inhibitors with a new mechanism of action for cancer targeted therapy. Here, a cell membrane-anchored RTK-targeting DNA nanoinhibitor is developed to inhibit RTK function. By using a DNA tetrahedron as a framework, RTK-specific aptamers as the recognition elements, and cholesterol as anchoring molecules, this DNA nanoinhibitor could rapidly anchor on the cell membrane and specifically bind to RTK. Compared with traditional RTK-targeting inhibitors, this DNA nanoinhibitor does not need to bind at a limited domain on RTK, which increases the possibilities of developing RTK inhibitors. With the cellular-mesenchymal to epithelial transition factor (c-Met) as a target RTK, the DNA nanoinhibitor can not only induce steric hindrance effects to inhibit c-Met activation but also reduce the c-Met level via lysosome-mediated protein degradation and thus inhibition of c-Met signaling pathways and related cell behaviors. Moreover, the DNA nanoinhibitor is feasible for other RTKs by just replacing aptamers. This work may provide a novel, simple, and general RTK-targeting nanoinhibitor and possess great value in RTK-targeted cancer therapy.

Stop affordance task: a measure of the motor interference effect.

The term affordance refers to the property or quality of an object that indicates the ways in which it could potentially be used. Affordances elicit automatic motor representations that sometimes differ from the current action representation, resulting in behavioural interference effects. This affordance-induces interference could result in automatic and involuntary behavioural inhibition, probably according to the same mechanism that controls the voluntary motor inhibition. Nevertheless, few studies have considered how voluntary response inhibition is modulated by affordance. In this study, we assess the effect of affordance on voluntary action inhibition using a stop-signal task with an affordance object as a Stop Signal. An image of a mug, with the handle orientated in the same or in the opposite direction of the hand recruited to respond at the target, was used as Stop Signal. Our results showed a reduction of the time necessary to withhold the response when the handle of the mug was pointed toward the hand pre-activated to respond. This effect indicates an increased inhibition due to the mismatch between the motor representation elicited by the affordance and the motor representation pre-activated by the target. This suggests a specific interference effect, reflected in an enhanced ability to inhibit an ongoing action.

Perceptions of Portuguese Preschool Teachers and Psychologists about the Acceptability of a New Evidence-Based Universal Intervention Program with Targeted Elements for Inhibited-Withdrawn Behaviors

ABSTRACTHigh and stable behavioral inhibition (BI) during early childhood place children at increased risk of experiencing anxiety, depression, peer exclusion, victimization, and academic difficulties. The bioecological developmental framework and existing limitations in the scope of the few available interventions targeted at behavioral inhibition during early childhood support the need to develop new teacher-led socioemotional learning programs to be implemented with the peer group in the classroom. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of Portuguese psychologists and preschool teachers about the acceptability of the aims, structure, contents, activities, and materials of a new universal intervention targeting inhibited behaviors and about the barriers/facilitators to its implementation. Participants were 15 preschool teachers and 14 psychologists, who were distributed into 6 focus groups. Each focus group was moderated by a trained psychologist, using a semi-structured interview guide. The thematic analysis revealed that the aims, contents, activities, and materials of the new intervention program were considered highly acceptable by preschool teachers and psychologists. Only minor modifications in the intervention structure (i.e. implementing less time-consuming psychoeducational workshops and reducing the time interval until the follow-up session) and adaptations in the mode of delivery (i.e. hybrid format, or introduction of add-on motivational modules for preschool teachers and families) were recommended to counteract barriers related to time constraints and workplace conditions before its dissemination and pilot study. These promising findings support the perceived need and acceptability of a new teacher-led universal intervention program with targeted elements for behavioral inhibition during early childhood.

Research Progress on Effects of Ginsenoside Rg2 and Rh1 on Nervous System and Related Mechanisms.

Neurological-related disorders are diseases that affect the body's neurons or peripheral nerve tissue, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The development of neurological disorders can cause serious harm to the quality of life and functioning of the patient. The use of traditional therapeutic agents such as dopamine-promoting drugs, anticholinergic drugs, cholinesterase inhibitors, and NMDA receptor antagonists is often accompanied by a series of side effects such as drug resistance, cardiac arrhythmia, liver function abnormalities, and blurred vision. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find a therapeutic drug with a high safety profile and few side effects. Herbal medicines are rich in active ingredients that are natural macromolecules. Ginsenoside is the main active ingredient of ginseng, which has a variety of pharmacological effects and is considered to have potential value in the treatment of human diseases. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that ginsenosides Rg2 and Rh1 have strong pharmacological activities in the nervous system, with protective effects on nerve cells, improved resistance to neuronal injury, modulation of neural activity, resistance to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, improvement of brain damage after eclampsia hemorrhage, improvement of memory and cognitive deficits, treatment of AD and vascular dementia, alleviation of anxiety, pain, and inhibition of ionic-like behavior. In this article, we searched the pharmacological research literature of Rg2 and Rh1 in the field of neurological diseases, summarized the latest research progress of the two ginsenosides, and reviewed the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Rg2 and Rh1, which provided a new way of thinking for the research of the active ingredients in ginseng anti-neurological diseases and the development of new drugs.

Executive functions in a population of guide dog candidates

Dogs in various working roles undergo careful selection and rigorous training, but organisations still face high failure rates due to behavioural issues. Identifying potential indicators of working success in dogs early on can save valuable resources and improve success rates. Previous research has indicated that cognitive abilities, particularly executive functions (EFs) like inhibition and working memory, might be important factors for working dog success, but more work is needed to understand the relationship between EF skills and working success in dogs. The present study included 147 dogs from a dog guide breeding and training organisation. Two samples of dogs were assessed. One group of young puppies underwent laboratory-based cognitive tests to measure inhibition (n=50) and working memory (n=36). Puppy raisers for a second, partially overlapping, group of adolescent dogs (n=98) completed the Dog Executive Function Scale (DEFS), which measures six components of EF: Behavioural Flexibility, Motor Regulation, Delay Inhibition, Working Memory, Instruction Following, and Attention Towards Owner. The dogs' training outcomes were categorised as either success or released. Most measures were not associated with working success and reasons for this are discussed. However, motor inhibition in puppies and attention towards the puppy raiser in adolescent dogs were associated with working success, with motor inhibition being particularly informative. While puppies who made up to two errors on an A-not-B task were approximately equally likely to be successful or released, of fourteen puppies who made three or more errors on this task, only one was successful. This highly significant finding suggests that assessing EF skills in young dogs can help predict their potential for success as working dogs, potentially providing a means of optimising resources and interventions and ultimately improving selection and training processes.

Construct validity of the German version of the Emotion Reactivity Scale

BackgroundEmotional reactivity is an important construct to consider when studying mental disorders. This study was conducted to translate and assess the factor structure, construct validity and internal consistency of a German version of the Emotion Reactivity Scale (ERS), which is an originally English questionnaire assessing three components of emotional reactivity: sensitivity, intensity and persistence of emotions.MethodsThe German ERS and a range of questionnaires used to assess convergent and discriminant validity were completed by 334 German speaking Swiss participants.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis showed strong support for a bi-factor model, with evaluation indices pointing to a unidimensional construct rather than to domain specific factors. The questionnaire showed good reliability and the factor structure was similar across gender. The ERS showed convergent validity with general psychopathology, behavioral inhibition, negative affect, orienting sensitivity, depressive symptoms and symptoms of disordered eating, and discriminant validity with behavioral activation and alcohol consumption.ConclusionsFindings support the construct validity of the German ERS and suggest that it assesses a unidimensional construct with high internal consistency. Accounting for the unidimensional nature of the scale and aiming for efficient assessment tools, future research could, based on these findings, develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a short version of the ERS.

Pregnant women's autonomic responses to an infant cry predict young infants' behavioral avoidance during the still-face paradigm.

Research suggests that women's autonomic nervous system responses to infant cries capture processes that affect their parenting behaviors. The aim of this study was to build on prior work by testing whether pregnant women's autonomic responses to an unfamiliar infant crying also predict their infants' emerging regulation abilities. Participants included 97 women in their third trimester of pregnancy, located in the United States. Most participants identified as White/non-Hispanic (48%) or Hispanic (30%), their mean age was approximately 30 years, and the modal family income was $40,000-$79,999. Pregnant women's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance levels (SCL)-which are thought to capture emotional engagement and behavioral inhibition, respectively-were measured while the women watched a relaxing video and a video of an unfamiliar infant crying. Approximately 7 months later, women and their infants completed the still-face paradigm (SFP). Infants' avoidance and resistance behaviors during the SFP reunions were rated. Pregnant women's RSA and SCL responses to the infant cry video uniquely predicted infants' avoidance (but not resistance) during the SFP. Infants displayed higher levels of avoidance when their mothers exhibited lower levels of RSA reactivity or when their mothers exhibited higher levels of SCL activity in response to the infant cry video. Maternal sensitivity during mother-infant free-play interactions did not mediate the associations between pregnant women's autonomic responses to the cry video and infants' avoidant behavior during the SFP. Discussion focuses on potential mechanisms underlying associations between pregnant women's autonomic responses to infant distress and infants' socioemotional development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).