The association between early regulatory problems and adult peer relationship quality is mediated by the brain's allostatic-interoceptive system.

BACKGROUND: Early regulatory problems (RPs), i.e., problems with crying, sleeping, and/or feeding during the first years, increase the risk for avoidant personality traits in adulthood, associated with social withdrawal and anxiety. Even more, RPs are linked with functional alterations in the adult default mode and salience networks, comprising the brain's allostatic-interoceptive system (AIS) and playing a role in social interactions. We investigated whether RPs assessed in infancy are associated with difficulties in adult peer relationships mediated by functional alterations of the AIS. METHODS: As part of a large case-controlled prospective study, 42 adults with previous RPs and 70 matched controls (mean age = 28.48, SD = 2.65, 51% male) underwent fMRI during rest. The analysis focused on the intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of key nodes of the AIS. Peer relationship quality was assessed via a semi-structured Life Course Interview and the YASR scale. In these same individuals, RPs were assessed at ages 5, 20 and 56 months. RESULTS: RPs in infancy were associated with lower-quality peer relationships and enhanced functional connectivity of the AIS nodes in adulthood, with a stronger effect for multiple and persistent RPs compared with transient-multiple or single-persistent RPs. Importantly, iFC changes of the dorsal mid insula, a primary interoceptive cortex with frontal and temporal regions, mediated the relationship between early RPs and adult peer relationship quality. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate long-lasting social and neural changes associated with early RPs. Our findings further implicate the AIS in both interoceptive and social processes, while indicating the need for early screening of early RPs.

Social reappraisal of emotions is linked with the social presence effect in the default mode network.

Introduction: Social reappraisal, during which one person deliberately tries to regulate another's emotions, is a powerful cognitive form of social emotion regulation, crucial for both daily life and psychotherapy. The neural underpinnings of social reappraisal include activity in the default mode network (DMN), but it is unclear how social processes influence the DMN and thereby social reappraisal functioning. We tested whether the mere presence of a supportive social regulator had an effect on the DMN during rest, and whether this effect in the DMN was linked with social reappraisal-related neural activations and effectiveness during negative emotions. Methods: A two-part fMRI experiment was performed, with a psychotherapist as the social regulator, involving two resting state (social, non-social) and two task-related (social reappraisal, social no-reappraisal) conditions. Results: The psychotherapist's presence enhanced intrinsic functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) within the anterior medial DMN, with the effect positively related to participants' trust in psychotherapists. Secondly, the social presence-induced change in the dACC was related with (a) the social reappraisal-related activation in the bilateral dorsomedial/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the right temporoparietal junction and (b) social reappraisal success, with the latter relationship moderated by trust in psychotherapists. Conclusion: Results demonstrate that a psychotherapist's supportive presence can change anterior medial DMN's intrinsic connectivity even in the absence of stimuli and that this DMN change during rest is linked with social reappraisal functioning during negative emotions. Data suggest that trust-dependent social presence effects on DMN states are relevant for social reappraisal-an idea important for daily-life and psychotherapy-related emotion regulation.

Changes in food cue reactivity through affective and nonaffective touch: An event-related potential study.

Affective touch (gentle/slow brushing of the skin) can facilitate the allocation of processing resources to simultaneously present stimuli from different modalities. The present event-related potential (ERP) study investigated whether affective touch can enhance attention to visual cues of healthy food. Female participants (n = 117) were randomly assigned to three different groups that either received affective touch, nonaffective touch (fast brushing of the skin), or no touch during the presentation of pictures of healthy food (fruits and vegetables) and non-food. Electrocortical markers of motivated attention (frontal/parietal P300, late positive potential: LPP) and reported appetite for the depicted food items were compared between the three groups. Nonaffective touch was associated with reduced amplitudes of the frontal P300/LPP (300-1000 ms) for food pictures indexing reduced motivated attention. Affective touch did not influence food cue reactivity (P300/LPP, appetite). Effects of affective touch may be restricted to specific stimuli, e.g. those with social relevance.

Temporal dynamics of mental imagery, craving and consumption of craved foods: an experience sampling study.

Objective: According to the elaborated intrusion theory of desire, an initial thought about a wanted substance is elaborated with mental imagery, which increases craving and the probability of consuming the substance. We used an app-assisted experience sampling approach to test this theory in the context of food craving and eating.Design: Overall, 221 females (mean age = 21 years; mean body mass index = 22) reported craving, mental imagery, and food consumption six times per day (2 h intervals) for seven consecutive days. Additionally, two traits (general food craving and imagery ability) were assessed.Main outcome measures: craving intensity, food consumption.Results: The probability of eating a craved food increased if the vividness of the mental food image and craving intensity increased two hours before - independent of trait food craving and trait imagery ability. We also found evidence of controlled eating behavior, with participants consuming the food they craved in only 38% of the cases.Conclusion: Mental imagery vividness and craving intensity predict consumption of craved food. The association between craving and eating might be stronger in individuals who struggle with controlling their eating behavior. Therefore, future studies should examine these relationships in overweight/obese samples or patients with eating disorders.

Olfactory imagery as a retrieval method for autobiographical memories.

INTRODUCTION: The retrieval of autobiographical memories is influenced by several factors, such as sensory modality and the emotional salience of memory cues. This study aimed at investigating the interaction between sensory modalities (olfaction, vision) and emotional dimensions (valence, arousal) of imagery cues, on the frequency, quality, and age distribution of the autobiographical memories (AMs) elicited. METHOD: A total of 296 females (aged between 18 and 35 years) received one out of eight brief instructions for olfactory or visual imagery. The participants were asked to create a mental image with either high arousal/positive valence, high arousal/negative valence, low arousal/positive valence, or low arousal/negative valence (e.g., 'imagine an unpleasant and arousing odor/scene'); no specific stimulus was mentioned in the instruction. RESULTS: The approach used elicited imagery with autobiographical content in the majority of participants (78%). In terms of frequency, odor imagery, compared to visual imagery, turned out to be more effective at retrieving either unpleasant memories associated with experiences in adulthood, or pleasant childhood memories. In terms of quality, the imagery was rated as less vivid in the olfactory compared to the visual condition (irrespective of valence and arousal of the imagery instruction). Visual imagery was associated with the experience of more diverse emotions (happiness, sadness, anxiety, anger) than odor imagery, which was related primarily with disgust and happiness. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that nonspecific imagery induction is a useful approach in accessing AM. IMPLICATION: This approach presents promising clinical applications, such as in working with autobiographical memory narratives in psychotherapy.

Affective touch during the processing of angry facial expressions: an event-related potential study.

It has been shown that affective touch can have stress-buffering effects. The current event-related potential (ERP) study investigated whether affective touch can reduce emotional distress and associated late positivity while viewing angry facial expressions. A total of 122 females (mean age = 23 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups to either receive slow/soft brushing of their forearm (affective touch), fast brushing (nonaffective touch), or no touch while viewing images depicting angry and neutral facial expressions. The participants rated their affective state (valence, arousal) before and after the experiment. They also rated the perceived intensity of the angry facial expressions and the pleasantness of touch during the experiment. Components of the Late Positive Potential (LPP) in response to the images that are associated with stimulus significance, attention allocation, and emotion regulation (early LPP: 400-1000 ms; late LPP: 1000-3000 ms) were extracted for a frontal and a centroparietal cluster. Affective touch was associated with reduced amplitudes of the late LPP in the frontal cluster but did not affect centroparietal LPPs (early, late). Affective touch was rated as more pleasant than nonaffective touch but did not change reported valence, arousal, and perceived anger intensity. In conclusion, affective touch modulated a neural indicator of stimulus significance but did not influence self-report measures. More naturalistic touch settings might enhance the effects.

Social reward from giving food to others affects food craving and brain potentials: An imagery-based event-related potential study.

The interactions between social and eating behaviors can be quite pronounced and are mediated by overlapping neural circuits. The present event-related potential study tested whether the imagery of a specific prosocial behavior (giving chocolates to grateful children) can influence food cue reactivity. A total of 92 females (mean age = 23.5 years) were randomly assigned to one of three guided imagery conditions. The participants listened to an audio recording and were instructed to imagine one of three possible scenes; giving 30 M&Ms to children, eating 30 M&Ms, or sorting 30 marbles. Directly after the imagery task, the participants were presented with images of M&Ms and marbles while their electroencephalogram was recorded. We examined the Late Positive Potential (LPP) across a fronto-central and a parieto-occipital cluster, M&M craving, and subsequent consumption of (real) M&Ms. The mental imagery of offering M&Ms to children was associated with lower M&M craving and higher fronto-central LPP amplitudes (300-600 ms after picture onset) compared to the other imagery conditions. The consumption of M&Ms did not differ between the groups. The LPP is sensitive to the implementation of craving regulation strategies. Furthermore, heightened LPPs are reliably observed in response to motivationally significant stimuli, conflict, and social context. Future studies are needed to specify the specific psychological processes that are associated with the observed LPP effect. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that mental imagery of receiving a social reward from giving food to others can change components of food cue reactivity in healthy females.

Changing the visualization of food to reduce food cue reactivity: An event-related potential study.

Visual food cues automatically capture our attention. Moreover, food cue exposure is associated with an increased desire to eat (craving) and food consumption. We attempted to reduce the attentional bias to images depicting a specific food (M&Ms), craving, and consumption through mental imagery in a sample of 98 females (mean age = 23.82 years). The participants either listened to a guided imagery script that described the crushing of M&Ms to reduce the appetitive value of the chocolates, or they envisioned the sorting of M&Ms, or marbles (as control conditions). Afterward, participants were presented with images of M&Ms (not crushed) and marbles while their electroencephalogram, craving ratings, and M&M consumption were measured. The visualization of crushing M&Ms was associated with increased early (P200) and late positivity (P300, early LPP) to M&M pictures, which indicate automatic (P200/P300) and deliberate attention (LPP). M&M sorting increased craving but did not influence M&M consumption. Our findings show that imaginary M&M crushing cannot reduce attention to M&M images and even has the opposite of the intended effect.

A randomized controlled trial to improve psychological detachment from work and well-being among employees: a study protocol comparing online CBT-based and mindfulness interventions.

BACKGROUND: The changing landscape of the work environment, which often encompasses expectations of employees being continuously available, makes it difficult to disengage from work and recover. This can have a negative impact on employees' well-being, resulting in burnout, depression and anxiety, among other difficulties. The current study will test the effectiveness of two different online interventions (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy; CBT and mindfulness-based stress reduction; MBSR) on employees' psychological detachment, burnout and other variables related to general (e.g., life satisfaction) and work-specific (e.g., work engagement) well-being. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is designed as a randomized control trial with two intervention groups (i.e., CBT, MBSR) and a waitlist control group. Participants will be full-time employees from a wide range of organizations from Slovenia, who report moderate difficulties with psychological detachment from work and burnout and are not receiving any other form of treatment. The online interventions will encompass 12 sessions over 6 weeks (2 sessions per week); each session will include 1) an active audio-guided session and 2) home assignments, accompanied by handouts and worksheets. The study outcomes (i.e., psychological detachment, burnout, general and work-specific well-being), potential mechanisms (i.e., work-related maladaptive thinking patterns, mindfulness) and moderators (e.g., supervisor support for recovery) will be assessed immediately before and after the interventions (pre and post measurement) and 3 months after intervention completion (follow-up). Additionally, participants will fill out questionnaires for the assessment of the central mechanisms and study outcomes each week. DISCUSSION: We expect that the CBT-based intervention will lead to greater improvements in psychological detachment from work and burnout compared to the MBSR and the waitlist control group. Additionally, we expect that the CBT-based intervention will also lead to greater enhancement of both general and work-related well-being. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN98347361 [May 19, 2020].

The effects of imaginary eating on visual food cue reactivity: An event-related potential study.

Previous research has demonstrated that imagining consumption of a specific type of food helps individuals to consume less of that food. The present event-related potential study aimed at investigating the underlying neural correlates of this appetite-reducing strategy. A total of 86 women (mean age = 23.65 years) were randomly assigned to one of three imagination conditions. In each condition, they listened to a guided imagery script that either described the eating of 30 colorful button-shaped chocolates (M&Ms), the sorting of 30 M&Ms by color, or the sorting of 30 marbles by color. Subsequently to the imagery task, the participants were presented with images of M&Ms and marbles while their electroencephalogram and craving ratings were recorded. The results showed that imaginary eating did not reduce the appetitive value of M&M pictures. The M&M sorting group reported enhanced craving and showed increased late positivity toward M&M pictures (300-600 ms after picture onset) compared to the two other groups. The present findings indicate that the imagined handling of food increases food cue reactivity and that imaginary eating is not a reliable method to reduce appetite.

Interaction between disgust proneness and perception of treatment efficacy predicts response to a disgust placebo.

Placebo responsiveness is highly variable across individuals and has been shown to be difficult to predict solely based on personality traits. The present study examined the interaction between a specific trait and state variable (disgust proneness and perceived effectiveness of a disgust placebo) on placebo responsiveness. We presented 145 participants with an inert pill, which was introduced as an effective anti-nausea drug. Disgust responses were elicited by a validated picture set, which was viewed once with and once without the disgust placebo. The results showed that the placebo was effective in reducing experienced disgust. When predicting placebo responsiveness, the results showed a significant interaction between perceived treatment effectiveness and disgust proneness. Specifically, effectiveness ratings were a significant predictor of placebo response only for individuals high in disgust proneness. The results suggest that the joint consideration of specific state and trait factors can be used to optimize placebo responsiveness.

The Role of Attitudes to, and the Frequency of, Domestic Violence Encounters in the Healthcare Professionals' Handling of Domestic Violence Cases.

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence is recognized as a public health problem with a high prevalence in the general population. Healthcare professionals play an important role in the recognition and treatment of domestic violence. Hence, conducting research on factors that facilitate or inhibit appropriate actions by healthcare professionals is of the upmost importance. The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between healthcare professionals' attitudes toward the acceptability of domestic violence and their responses when dealing with victims of domestic violence. METHODS: The sample consisted of 322 healthcare professionals (physicians, dentists, nursing staff and other healthcare workers; 85.2% female), who completed a questionnaire, assessing their attitudes towards domestic violence, experience, behaviour and perceived barriers in recognizing and treating domestic violence in the health care sector. The study was cross-sectional and used availability sampling. RESULTS: The results showed no significant differences in domestic violence acceptability attitudes when comparing groups of healthcare professionals who reported low or high frequency of domestic violence cases encounters. Furthermore, we found that domestic violence acceptability attitudes were negatively associated with action taking when the frequency of encounters with domestic violence cases was high and medium. However, the attitudes were not associated with action taking when the frequency of encounters with domestic violence cases was low. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the important role of attitudes in action taking of healthcare professionals when it comes to domestic violence. This indicates the need for educational interventions that specifically target healthcare professionals' attitudes towards domestic violence.

Affective Evaluation of One's Own and Others' Body Odor: The Role of Disgust Proneness.

Disgust is part of a behavioral immune system that helps to detect pathogens. One important input to this system is the sense of smell. We conducted an experiment on body odor perception with 72 participants (35 men, 37 women; mean age = 24 years), who had been divided according to high versus low disgust proneness. All participants were exposed to six samples of axillary sweat from other individuals and to their own sweat. They were asked to identify their own body odor and to rate their affective experience. The participants were not able to identify their own sweat; however, differentiation of self versus others was based on experienced disgust; the sweat of others was perceived as more disgusting. Moreover, disgust-prone participants showed differential affective responses to the two sweat sources and evaluated others' sweat as more negative and arousing. The current study points to the important role of state/trait disgust in the implicit processing of body odor.

Testing the Situationism Scale in Europe: Scale validation, self-regulation and regional differences.

The term situationism refers to an individual's belief about the importance of a behaviour's context. This study tested whether the degree of situationism expressed by individuals in various regions of Europe was consistent with self-regulation and cross-cultural theories. The English version of a Situationism Scale (measuring beliefs about the relation between the environment and one's own behaviour) was translated into five additional languages: Dutch, German, Hungarian, Italian and Slovenian. Young adults (N = 1106, MAge = 22.9 years, 79% female) across Europe responded to one of the six language versions of the scale as part of a larger survey. Results indicated that: new language versions were psychometrically valid; there was a positive relation between situationism and the use of situation-control strategies; and situationism was higher for individuals from regions that are Eastern European and relatively more interdependent, compared with individuals from regions that are Western European and relatively less interdependent. As the first evaluation of the Situationism Scale outside America, this study supports the Scale's validity and suggests not only may some effects of situationism be universal, but between- and within-culture differences in situationism exist. Overall, when making judgments and decisions about the self, cultural background and individual differences in situationism may come into play.