Trait Depression Research Articles

‘Personality and bipolar disorder: personality profiles of patients with remitted bipolar disorder and matched controls in a Danish sample’

Background The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients with bipolar disorder (BD) in remission differ in personality traits compared with a healthy control group. Methods A sample of patients with BD (n = 44) was compared with an individually matched control group (n = 44) using the Danish version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). Paired t-tests were used to analyze differences between the two groups and multiple regression models to evaluate predictors of NEO scores in the patient group. Results Patients with BD reported significantly higher scores on both Neuroticism and Openness to Experience and lower scores on Conscientiousness. No differences were found on Extraversion and Agreeableness. The effect size for Neuroticism and its facets had a range from 0.77 to 1.45 SD. Statistically significant group differences were seen on 15 of 30 lower-level traits within all five high-order dimensions. There were large effect sizes for Trust (0.77) and Self-discipline (0.85), while the other statistically significant group differences were smaller with effect sizes in the range from 0.43 to 0.74 SD. However, patients with BD showed a profile with high-order dimensions and lower-level traits within one standard deviation from the mean score except for the lower-level trait Depression. Conclusions Our findings suggest that patients with BD differ from healthy control persons with respect to higher levels of Neuroticism, Openness to Experience and lower scores on Agreeableness and on Conscientiousness, but prospective studies are needed to evaluate the implications of this finding.

Pathological social withdrawal in autism spectrum disorder: A case control study of hikikomori in Japan.

Hikikomori, a form of pathological social withdrawal, has been suggested to have comorbidity with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to clarify how characteristics of ASD are associated with hikikomori. Thirty-nine adult male patients with a diagnosis of ASD attending our outpatient clinic for neurodevelopmental disabilities were subjected to a structured interview regarding social withdrawal, various self-administered questionnaires, and blood tests. Through structured interviews, the subjects were divided into two groups: (Group 1) ASD with hikikomori condition and (Group 2) ASD without hikikomori condition. Sixteen subjects qualified as hikikomori and 23 subjects qualified as subjects without hikikomori. Age, sex, autism spectrum quotient (AQ), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and FIQ were matched. Compared to non-hikikomori controls, hikikomori cases were likely to have stronger sensory symptoms, lower uric acid (UA) (p = 0.038), and higher rates of atopic dermatitis (p = 0.01). Cases showed more severe depressive and social anxiety symptoms based on self-rated scales: Patient Heath Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) (p < 0.001) and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Japanese Version (LSAS-J) (p = 0.04). Tarumi's Modern-Type Depression Trait Scale (TACS-22), which measure traits of Modern-Type Depression (MTD), were significantly higher in cases (p = 0.003). The present study has suggested that ASD patients with hikikomori were more likely to have higher sensory abnormalities, comorbid atopic dermatitis, lower UA, stronger depressive, and anxiety tendency. Evaluating and approaching these aspects are important for appropriate interventions in ASD with hikikomori. Further investigations should be conducted to validate our pilot findings.

The influence of childhood maltreatment on trait depression in patients with major depressive disorder: A moderated mediation model of rumination and mindful attention awareness

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Individuals who were exposed to childhood maltreatment might be an especially vulnerable group and were more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for depression than those who were not. Trait depression refers to a personality trait predisposition to depression, expressed as the frequency of symptoms rather than a transient depressive mood state. Clarifying the relationship between childhood maltreatment and trait depression in patients with MDD has therefore become an important field of research. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), State-Trait Depression Scale (ST-DEP), and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) were used as research instruments. SPSS 23.0 statistical software was used for statistical analysis and examined the moderated mediation models. A total of 288 patients with MDD were included in this study. After standardization of the variables, the model revealed childhood maltreatment was positively associated with trait depression (β = 0.215, p < 0.001) and that rumination partially mediated the effect between childhood trauma and trait depression. Mindfulness moderated the association between rumination and trait depression in depressed patients (β = 0.171, p < 0.001). Simple slope tests showed that rumination significantly predicted trait depression in patients with high levels of mindfulness (bsimple = 0.460, p < 0.001, 95%CI = [0.339, 0.581]), while this predictive effect was not significant in patients with low levels (bsimple = 0.119, p = 0.097, 95%CI = [−0.022, 0.261]). After adding mediating variables, we found that the negative impact of childhood maltreatment on trait depression was both directly and indirectly through the patients' own ruminative levels. However, mindfulness performed a critical moderating role in the overall mediating model, aggravating the negative impact of childhood maltreatment on trait depression. There are several limitations in this study: the history of childhood maltreatment was reviewed and reported; the MAAS was a single-dimensional questionnaire that fails to measure the content of other mindfulness factors; cross-sectional data could not be used to infer the causal relationship between variables.

Psychopathological characterization of modern-type depression in subjects with Internet Gaming Disorder

IntroductionIn recent years, more evidence is emerging in favor of a new form of depression, aka “Modern-Type Depression” (MTD). It has also been theorized that MTD may have multiple relationships with other psychiatric disorders, including techno-addictions.ObjectivesOur study aims at clinically characterizing subjects with MTD in a sample of individuals affected with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD).Methods1,157 subjects were recruited from a sample of Italian young people (aged 18-35), and selected only if they declared to be video game players (48.6%, n=542). Video game players filled out the 22-item Tarumi’s Modern-Type Depression Trait Scale (TACS-22), Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF), Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ), Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Subjects were classified as IGD+/IGD- and MTD+/MTD-. Descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney’s U-test for independent data and Chi-square tests were carried out.Results60.5% (n=328) of the sample were male. 21.7% (n=118) were positive to MTD. MTD subjects reported significantly higher scores at IGDS9-SF (p&lt;0.001), POGQ (p&lt;0.001), MOGQ (p=0.003), MSBS (p&lt;0.001). Significant higher scores were found at the MOGQ subscales “reality avoidance” (p&lt;0.001), “coping” (p=0.001), and “fantasy” (p&lt;0.001) and at the SCL-90 subscales “interpersonal sensitivity” (p&lt;0.001), “phobic anxiety” (p&lt;0.001), and “psychoticism” (p&lt;0.001).ConclusionsMTD displayed a strong association with technopathies, particularly IGD. Therefore, further studies should evaluate whether MTD could represent a predictor to IGD onset and/or maintenance and adequately address this aspect from a preventive and treatment perspective.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

What Do EURO-D Scores Capture? Disentangling Trait and State Variances in Depression Symptoms Across the Adult Life Span in Nine European Nations.

The primary purposes of the present study were to determine (a) whether the EURO-D measures trait (i.e., time-invariant) versus state (i.e., time-variant) aspects of depression and (b) whether these aspects are stable across countries and ages. In five waves of the SHARE survey (a nationally representative Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe), we estimated trait-state-occasion models (TSO), including multiple-nation TSO, based on data from nine European nations over a 10-year period. Also, we used local structural equation modeling to test for the moderating effects of age on the TSO parameters. Our main findings were: (a) there were differences in the trait/state variances of depressive symptoms across nations. The amount of trait variance was above 60% for Belgium, Denmark, and France. It was between 50% and 60% for Austria, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, while it was below 50% for Italy and Spain. (b) The effects of trait and state were almost equally the source of variance for depression symptoms across ages, with a slight advantage for the effects of trait (56% of the variance). This trend showed substantial stability across the adult life course (from age 40 up to age 95).

Occupational exposure to work-related stress, a proposal of a pilot study to detect psychological distress in collar-workers.

Work-related psychosocial risks have been identified as significant occupational health and safety risks; the occupational physicians must assess and monitor the health status of workers in order to verify that work is not a source of harm to exposed operators. The aim of the study was to investigate the outcomes related to anxiety and depression traits in workers exposed to stress-related work. A questionnaire was administered to a large population of Italian public administration workers; the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale questionnaire was used to measure depression, the Self rating Anxiety Scale was used to measure anxiety, the UK Management Standards Indicator tool questionnaire was used to assess work adjustment. A descriptive analysis, a multivariate analysis, as well as logistic regression models were used to assess the health outcomes related to stress. A total of 292 workers participated in the study; 100% of participants had a Centre for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale score over the cut-off; 41.78% had a Self rating Anxiety Scale score over the cut-off; the results support a correlation between the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale results and the UK Management Standards Indicator tool results; and a correlation between Self-rating Anxiety Scale results and the UK Management Standards Indicator tool results. The Demand, Management, Support and Relationship results were associated with mental health outcomes, and it could be a useful tool in occupational medicine, to identify workers at risk for negative mental health outcomes, becoming an essential tool in workers' health assessment and for prevention of mental health disorders.

Does the severity of asthma affect exercise capacity and daily physical activity?

Objective Exercise capacity, daily physical activity, and psychological profile are crucial aspects in the management of asthmatic patients. Whether these features are expressed in a different way in mild-moderate (MMA) and severe asthma (SA) is unknown. Methods In this observational cross-sectional study, patients matching the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) definition for SA underwent incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), full lung function testing, and an evaluation of daily step count and physical activity. Questionnaires on quality of life, general fatigue, and presence of anxiety and depression traits (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - HADS) were administered. Patients were compared with a cohort of age- and gender-matched MMA patients. Results We enrolled 16 SA, 17 MMA patients, and 16 healthy subjects. Compared to MMA, SA subjects showed a median (interquartile range) reduced peak oxygen consumption during CPET (20.4 (17.2-23.3) vs. 25.6 (18.5-30.3) ml/min/kg; p = 0.019), a reduced resting lung function (FEV1% of predicted 77 (67-84) vs. 96 (84-100); p < 0.001) and a pronounced anxiety trait at HADS (9.5 (3-11.7) vs. 4.0 (2.0-7.5); p = 0.023). In addition, SA patients showed a significantly higher reduction in inspiratory capacity from rest to peak (310 (160-520) vs. 110 (-65-325) ml; p = 0.031). We found no significant differences in mean daily step count or quality of life. Conclusions Compared to MMA, SA patients present a reduced exercise capacity and a more pronounced anxiety trait, but not worse daily physical activity or quality of life. These aspects should be considered in the clinical management and research development of SA.

Depression, stress and regional cerebral blood flow

Decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) may be an important mechanism associated with depression. In this study we aimed to determine if the association of CBF and depression is dependent on current level of depression or the tendency to experience depression over time (trait depression), and if CBF is influenced by depression-related factors such as stressful life experiences and antidepressant medication use. CBF was measured in 254 participants from the Amish Connectome Project (age 18–76, 99 men and 154 women) using arterial spin labeling. All participants underwent assessment of symptoms of depression measured with the Beck Depression Inventory and Maryland Trait and State Depression scales. Individuals diagnosed with a unipolar depressive disorder had significantly lower average gray matter CBF compared to individuals with no history of depression or to individuals with a history of depression that was in remission at time of study. Trait depression was significantly associated with lower CBF, with the associations strongest in cingulate gyrus and frontal white matter. Use of antidepressant medication and more stressful life experiences were also associated with significantly lower CBF. Resting CBF in specific brain regions is associated with trait depression, experience of stressful life events, and current antidepressant use, and may provide a valuable biomarker for further studies.

Central Autonomic Network Alterations in Anorexia Nervosa Following Peripheral Adrenergic Stimulation

BackgroundAnorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by low body weight, disturbed eating, body image disturbance, anxiety, and interoceptive dysfunction. However, the neural processes underlying these dysfunctions in AN are unclear. This investigation combined an interoceptive pharmacological probe, the peripheral β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol, with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether individuals with AN relative to healthy comparison participants show dysregulated neural coupling in central autonomic network brain regions. MethodsResting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 23 weight-restored female participants with AN and 23 age- and body mass index–matched healthy comparison participants before and after receiving isoproterenol infusions. Whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) changes were examined using central autonomic network seeds in the amygdala, anterior insular cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex after performing physiological noise correction procedures. ResultsRelative to healthy comparison participants, adrenergic stimulation caused widespread FC reductions in the AN group between central autonomic network regions and motor, premotor, frontal, parietal, and visual brain regions. Across both groups, these FC changes were inversely associated with trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait), trait depression (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire), and negative body image perception (Body Shape Questionnaire) measures, but not with changes in resting heart rate. These results were not accounted for by baseline group FC differences. ConclusionsWeight-restored females with AN show a widespread state-dependent disruption of signaling between central autonomic, frontoparietal, and sensorimotor brain networks that facilitate interoceptive representation and visceromotor regulation. Additionally, trait associations between central autonomic network regions and these other brain networks suggest that dysfunctional processing of interoceptive signaling may contribute to affective and body image disturbance in AN.

Assessing the effect of interaction between gut microbiome and inflammatory bowel disease on the risks of depression

BackgroundGut microbiome and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are implicated in the development of depression, but the effect of their interactions on the risk of depression remains unclear. We aim to analyze the effect of interactions between gut microbiome and IBD on the risk of depression, and explore candidate genes involving the interactions. MethodsUsing the individual genotype and depression traits data from the UK Biobank, we calculated the polygenetic risk scores (PRS) of 114 gut microbiome, ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), and total IBD (CD + UC) respectively. The effects of interactions between gut microbiome and IBD on depression were assessed through a linear regression model. Moreover, for observed significant interactions between gut microbiome PRS and IBD PRS, PLINK software was used to test pair-wise single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) interaction of corresponding gut microbiome PRS and IBD PRS on depression. ResultsWe found 64 candidate interactions between gut microbiome and IBD on four phenotypes of depression, such as F_Lachnospiraceae (RNT) × (CD + UC) for patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score (P = 1.48 × 10−3), F_Veillonellaceae (HB) × UC for self-reported depression (P = 2.83 × 10−3) and P_Firmicutes (RNT) × CD for age at first episode of depression (P = 8.50 × 10−3). We observed interactions of gut-microbiome-associated SNPs × IBD-associated SNPs, such as G_Alloprevotella (HB)-associated rs147650986 (GPM6A) × IBD-associated rs114471990 (QRICH1) (P = 2.26 × 10−4). ConclusionOur results support the effects of interactions between gut microbiome and IBD on depression risk, and reported several novel candidate genes for depression.

A genetic association study reveals the relationship between the oral microbiome and anxiety and depression symptoms.

Growing evidence supports that alterations in the gut microbiota play an essential role in the etiology of anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders. However, the potential effect of oral microbiota on mental health has received little attention. Using the latest genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data of the oral microbiome, polygenic risk scores (PRSs) of 285 salivary microbiomes and 309 tongue dorsum microbiomes were conducted. Logistic and linear regression models were applied to evaluate the relationship between salivary-tongue dorsum microbiome interactions with anxiety and depression. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was utilized to compute the causal effects between the oral microbiome, anxiety, and depression. We observed significant salivary-tongue dorsum microbiome interactions related to anxiety and depression traits. Significantly, one common interaction was observed to be associated with both anxiety score and depression score, Centipeda periodontii SGB 224 × Granulicatella uSGB 3289 (P depressionscore = 1.41 × 10-8, P anxietyscore = 5.10 × 10-8). Furthermore, we detected causal effects between the oral microbiome and anxiety and depression. Importantly, we identified one salivary microbiome associated with both anxiety and depression in both the UKB database and the Finngen public database, Eggerthia (P IVW - majordepression - UKB = 2.99 × 10-6, P IVW - Self - reportedanxiety/panicattacks - UKB = 3.06 × 10-59, P IVW - depression - Finngen = 3.16 × 10 P IVW - anxiety - Finngen = 1.14 × 10-115). This study systematically explored the relationship between the oral microbiome and anxiety and depression, which could help improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and propose new diagnostic targets and early intervention strategies.

Evalution of the effect of Escitalopram vs. placebo on changing the temperament traits of neuroticism

Introduction: Neuroticism is a personality trait that is most related to the mental health challenges. Escitalopram is the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIS) that are usually used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of escitalopram on improving the temperament traits on the neurotic patients. Methods: In this randomized placebo controlled trial, 172 residents in three hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran were randomly assigned to receive esitalopram 20 mg/daily/ orally (No=86, 29.9 ± 6.4 years with a range of 20 to 48 years old) or placebo (N=86, 29.8+6.3 years, ranged 21-47 years old) for 4 weeks.. At the beginning of the treatment the neuroticism and deoression scores were measured using NEO-60 and HAM-D questionnaires, and the patients were re-evaluated every two weeks during the treatment. The changes of temperament traits of neuroticism and depression in the two groups were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Administration of escitalopram in the treatment group reduced the neuroticism score 5.84 % and 13.3% after 2 and 4 weeks, respectively, compared with placebo group (P&lt;0.01). The changes in neuroticism temperament traits were not significant in placebo group during 4 weeks (P&lt;0.05).

Humor and poignancy: Exploring narrative pathways to face death and bereavement

Themes of death and grief emerge in media entertainment in ways that are both poignant and humorous. In this experimental study, we extend research on eudaimonic narratives about death to consider those that are hedonic. Participants read a story about a woman giving a eulogy for her friend that was manipulated to be either poignant-focused or humor-focused, and answered questions about their responses to the story, feelings of connectedness with others, and death acceptance. The narrative conditions elicited similar levels of narrative engagement and appreciation, but the humor-focused narrative elicited more enjoyment than the poignant-focused narrative. Connectedness did not differ between conditions. However, the humor-focused narrative elicited more death acceptance when controlling for participants' personal loss acceptance and grief severity, and individual differences in the dark tetrad personality traits, trait depression, and religious upbringing. We tested these effects in an integrated path model and found that the model fit the data well and the narrative pathways explained variance in both death acceptance and connectedness. Our findings have implications for how death and grief are depicted in media entertainment: namely, that death is an inherently poignant topic and the addition of humorous elements in bereavement narratives may be especially effective in increasing death acceptance.

Hippocampal neurogenesis promotes effortful responding but does not regulate effort-based choice.

A fundamental trait of depression is low motivation. Hippocampal neurogenesis has been associated with motivational deficits but detailed evidence on how it regulates human-relevant behavioral traits is still missing. We used the hGFAP-TK rat model to deplete actively dividing neural stem cells in the rat hippocampus. Use of the effort-discounting operant task allowed us to identify specific and detailed deficits in motivation behavior. In this task, rats are given a choice between small and large food rewards, where 2-20 lever presses are required to obtain the large reward (four sugar pellets) versus one press to receive the smaller reward (two sugar pellets). We found that depleting adult neurogenesis did not affect effort-based choice or general motivation to complete the task. However, lack of adult neurogenesis reduced the pressing rate and thus increased time to complete the required presses to obtain a reward. In summary, the present study finds that adult hippocampal neurogenesis specifically reduces response vigor to obtain rewards and thus deepens our understanding in how neurogenesis shapes depression.

Involvement of a BH3-only apoptosis sensitizer gene Blm-s in hippocampus-mediated mood control.

Mood disorders are an important public health issue and recent advances in genomic studies have indicated that molecules involved in neurodevelopment are causally related to mood disorders. BLM-s (BCL-2-like molecule, small transcript isoform), a BH3-only proapoptotic BCL-2 family member, mediates apoptosis of postmitotic immature neurons during embryonic cortical development, but its role in the adult brain is unknown. To better understand the physiological role of Blm-s gene in vivo, we generated a Blm-s-knockout (Blm-s−/−) mouse. The Blm-s−/− mice breed normally and exhibit grossly normal development. However, global depletion of Blm-s is highly associated with depression- and anxiety-related behaviors in adult mutant mice with intact learning and memory capacity. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of adult Blm-s−/− mice reveals reduced connectivity mainly in the ventral dentate gyrus (vDG) of the hippocampus with no alteration in the dorsal DG connectivity and in total hippocampal volume. At the cellular level, BLM-s is expressed in DG granule cells (GCs), and Blm-s−/− mice show reduced dendritic complexity and decreased spine density in mature GCs. Electrophysiology study uncovers that mature vGCs in adult Blm-s−/− DG are intrinsically more excitable. Interestingly, certain genetic variants of the human Blm homologue gene (VPS50) are significantly associated with depression traits from publicly resourced UK Biobank data. Taken together, BLM-s is required for the hippocampal mood control function. Loss of BLM-s causes abnormality in the electrophysiology and morphology of GCs and a disrupted vDG neural network, which could underlie Blm-s-null-associated anxiety and depression.

Frequency and correlates of suicidal ideation and behaviors in treatment-seeking Post-9/11 Veterans

ObjectivePost-9/11 U.S. veterans and servicemembers are at increased risk for suicide, indicating an important need to identify and mitigate suicidal ideation and behaviors in this population. MethodUsing data modeling techniques, we examined correlates of suicidal ideation and behavior at intake in 261 Post-9/11 veterans and servicemembers seeking mental health treatment. ResultsOur sample endorsed high rates of suicidal ideation and behavior. Approximately 40% of our sample scored in a range on the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), indicating high clinical risk for suicide. Results from multivariate analyses indicate that greater state and/or trait depression severity, greater anger and anger expression, less impulse control, and lower rank were consistently associated with suicidal ideation and behavior across our models. Negative posttraumatic thoughts about the self, gender, and military branch of service were also significantly associated with suicidal ideation and behavior. ConclusionsSuicidal ideation and behaviors are common in veterans seeking mental health treatment. State and/or trait depression, anger and impulse control were predictors of increased risk for suicidal ideation and behavior across models. Consistencies and differences across models as well as limitations and practical implications for the findings are discussed.

Cerebellar and basal ganglia motor network predicts trait depression and hyperactivity.

In the human brain, the cerebellum (CB) and basal ganglia (BG) are implicated in cognition-, emotion-, and motor-related cortical processes and are highly interconnected, both to cortical regions via separate, trans-thalamic pathways and to each other via subcortical disynaptic pathways. We previously demonstrated a distinction between cognitive and motor CB-BG networks (CCBN, MCBN, respectively) as it relates to cortical network integration in healthy young adults, suggesting the subcortical networks separately support cortical networks. The CB and BG are also implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, Parkinson's, and compulsive behavior; thus, integration within subcortical CB-BG networks may be related to transdiagnostic symptomology. Here, we asked whether CCBN or MCBN integration predicted Achenbach Self-Report scores for anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, hyperactivity and inactivity, and cognitive performance in a community sample of young adults. We computed global efficiency for each CB-BG network and 7 canonical resting-state networks for all right-handed participants in the Human Connectome Project 1200 release with a complete set of preprocessed resting-state functional MRI data (N = 783). We used multivariate regression to control for substance abuse and age, and permutation testing with exchangeability blocks to control for family relationships. MCBN integration negatively predicted depression and hyperactivity, and positively predicted cortical network integration. CCBN integration predicted cortical network integration (except for the emotional network) and marginally predicted a positive relationship with hyperactivity, indicating a potential dichotomy between cognitive and motor CB-BG networks and hyperactivity. These results highlight the importance of CB-BG interactions as they relate to motivation and symptoms of depression.

Depressive traits are associated with a reduced effect of choice on intentional binding

A sense of agency (SoA) over wilful actions is thought to be dependent on the level of choice and the nature of the outcome. In a preregistered study, we manipulated choice and valence of outcome to assess the relationship between SoA across the depression and psychosis continuum. Participants (N = 151) completed a Libet Clock task, in which they had either a free or forced choice to press one of two buttons and received either a rewarding or punishing outcome. Participants also completed questionnaires on depressive and psychosis-like traits. Rewarding outcomes increased intentional binding. The evidence favoured no effect of choice on average, but this was influenced by inter-individual differences. Individuals reporting more depressive traits had less of a difference in intentional binding between free and forced choice conditions. We show that implicit SoA is sensitive to outcome valence and the effect of choice differs across the depression continuum.

Psoriasis-Related Stigma: Is There More to Uncover?

Abstract Background: Psoriasis is a common, inflammatory immune-mediated dermatosis, occurring in patients of all ages, sexes, and races, associating significant comorbidities. One such comorbidity is represented by psychological disorders, which negatively influence the clinical course of the disease. The purpose of our study is to offer a first glimpse into the stigmatization of Romanian psoriasis patients, as well as their potential anxious or depressive manifestations. Materials and methods: The present study is based on an adapted questionnaire previously used to estimate stigmatizing attitudes in the general population, mirrored to reflect the patients’ experience in social situations such as shaking hands, maintaining friendship, kissing, or intercourse. GAD7 and PHQ8 scales were used to screen for anxiety or depression traits in the same patients. Results: Our study group consisted of 12 psoriasis patients, with a mean age of 46.75 years. While few patients reported feeling discriminated against in social contexts, 16.66% presented with mild depressive symptoms recorded by PHQ8 and 24.99% presented mild anxiety manifestations according to their GAD7 scores. Conclusion: In spite of the small sample group, our study outlines a tendency for depressive and anxious manifestations in patients with psoriasis.

The effect of risk factors on cognition in adult cochlear implant candidates with severe to profound hearing loss.

Hearing loss has been identified as a major modifiable risk factors for dementia. Adult candidates for cochlear implantation (CI) represent a population at risk of hearing loss-associated cognitive decline. This study investigated the effect of demographics, habits, and medical and psychological risk factors on cognition within such a cohort. Data from 34 consecutive adults with post-lingual deafness scheduled for CI were analyzed. Pure tone audiometry (PTA4) and Speech Discrimination Score (SDS) were recorded. The Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for Hearing impaired individuals (RBANS-H) was used to measure cognition. Demographics (sex, age, years of education), habits (smoking, alcohol intake, physical inactivity), and medical factors (hypertension, diabetes, traumatic brain injury) were evaluated. Depression was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and social inhibition with the Type D questionnaire (DS14). All participants (mean age 62 ± 15 years) suffered from severe to profound hearing loss (PTA4:129 ± 60 dB; SDS:14 ± 24%). The mean RBANS-H total score was 83 ± 16. Participants reported a mean of years of formal education of 12 ± 5 years. The prevalence of habits and medical risk factors was: physical inactivity (29%), body mass index >30 (28%), traumatic brain injury (25%), hypertension (24%), heavy alcohol consumption (13%), smoking (13%), and diabetes (0%). Regarding psychological factors, the mean scores of social inhibition and depression were 10 ± 6 and 6 ± 5, respectively. The number of years of education was significantly correlated with the RBANS-H total score (p < 0.001), and with the domains “Immediate memory” (p = 0.003), “Visuospatial/constructional” (p < 0.001), and “Attention” (p < 0.001). The mean RBANS-H total score in participants who had university studies or higher level (12/34) was 97 ± 9, with the remaining participants reporting a mean score of 75 ± 15. Men performed better in the “Visuospatial/constructional” (p = 0.008). Physical inactivity was associated with lower scores in the “Delayed memory” (p = 0.031); hypertension correlated with lower RBANS-H total scores (p = 0.025) and “Attention” (p = 0.006). Depression and social inhibition were negatively correlated with RBANS-H total score and with the “Immediate memory,” “Visuospatial/constructional,” and “Attention” (all p < 0.05). In adults with late-onset deafness scheduled to CI, educational level has a significant effect. Additionally, sex, physical inactivity, hypertension, and psychological traits of social inhibition and depression may also influence cognitive status. Long-term studies with more participants would enable us better understand the effects different risk factors on cognitive status.