A common brain network among state, trait, and pathological anxiety from whole-brain functional connectivity

Anxiety is one of the most common mental states of humans. Although it drives us to avoid frightening situations and to achieve our goals, it may also impose significant suffering and burden if it becomes extreme. Because we experience anxiety in a variety of forms, previous studies investigated neural substrates of anxiety in a variety of ways. These studies revealed that individuals with high state, trait, or pathological anxiety showed altered neural substrates. However, no studies have directly investigated whether the different dimensions of anxiety share a common neural substrate, despite its theoretical and practical importance. Here, we investigated a brain network of anxiety shared by different dimensions of anxiety in a unified analytical framework using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We analyzed different datasets in a single scale, which was defined by an anxiety-related brain network derived from whole brain. We first conducted the anxiety provocation task with healthy participants who tended to feel anxiety related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in their daily life. We found a common state anxiety brain network across participants (1585 trials obtained from 10 participants). Then, using the resting-state fMRI in combination with the participants' behavioral trait anxiety scale scores (879 participants from the Human Connectome Project), we demonstrated that trait anxiety shared the same brain network as state anxiety. Furthermore, the brain network between common to state and trait anxiety could detect patients with OCD, which is characterized by pathological anxiety-driven behaviors (174 participants from multi-site datasets). Our findings provide direct evidence that different dimensions of anxiety have a substantial biological inter-relationship. Our results also provide a biologically defined dimension of anxiety, which may promote further investigation of various human characteristics, including psychiatric disorders, from the perspective of anxiety

IRIS: Learning the Underlying Information of Scientific Research Interests Using Heterogeneous Network Representation

Understanding scientific research fields and finding potential relations between seemingly distinct fields can help researchers rapidly grasp their most interested topics with expertises. In this study, we construct a heterogeneous network which contains authors, keywords, papers and institutions, and built an “Integrated Research Interest Space (IRIS)” which can represent both author and keyword nodes. Similar keywords in the sense of research interest and research manner can obvious aggregate together. Authors that are interested in different keywords distributed in different IRIS areas, with strongly associated with research objectives and methodologies of the keywords. The average similarities between authors and their real used keywords is significantly higher than that of randomly chosen author-keyword pairs. Based on these observations, we propose a simple algorithm which attempts to recommend potential interested keywords for researchers, and got meaningful results. Our study may also give useful hints for understanding research interests and discovering potential cross disciplines

Meditação para estresse e ansiedade em universitários: um ensaio clínico randomizado

Resumo: Introdução: O estresse é um estado no qual ocorrem ameaças à homeostase do organismo, com respostas adaptativas fisiológicas e comportamentais. A ansiedade é uma sensação desagradável advinda da percepção de uma ameaça potencial futura. Quando prolongados, ambos levam a repercussões metabólicas, cardiovasculares, imunológicas e neuropsiquiátricas. Os estudantes universitários são mais susceptíveis a sintomas de estresse e ansiedade do que a população em geral. A técnica de mindfulness permite que os seus praticantes se tornem mais conscientes de suas emoções, passando a responder de forma habilidosa ao estresse e à ansiedade Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a eficácia de um programa de mindfulness na redução de sintomas de estresse e ansiedade em estudantes de Medicina e Odontologia. Método: Trata-se de um ensaio clínico, randomizado, simples-cego. Acadêmicos regularmente matriculados do primeiro ao oitavo período desses cursos de uma instituição de ensino superior responderam ao Inventário de Sintomas de Stress para Adultos de Lipp (ISSL) (n = 418) e ao Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado (IDATE) (n = 369). Os participantes que apresentaram sintomas de estresse e/ou ansiedade e aceitaram participar da intervenção (n = 59) foram randomizados em grupos mindfulness (programa modificado de duas semanas) e de controle. Ao final da intervenção, o ISSL e o IDATE foram reaplicados. Resultado: As prevalências globais de estresse e ansiedade foram de 67% (n = 280) e 76,4% (n = 282), respectivamente. Ao final da segunda semana, a redução dos sintomas de estresse e ansiedade foi de 30,8% e 22,2%, respectivamente. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos mindfulness e de controle (p > 0,05). Conclusão: Percebe-se uma alta prevalência de sintomas de estresse e ansiedade na população estudada. Um programa de mindfulness em formato reduzido não foi capaz de diminuir significativamente os sintomas de estresse e ansiedade em comparação ao grupo de controle, em acadêmicos de Medicina e Odontologia dessa instituição

Network alterations underlying anxiety symptoms in early multiple sclerosis

Background: Anxiety, often seen as comorbidity in multiple sclerosis (MS), is a frequent neuropsychiatric symptom and essentially afects the overall disease burden. Here, we aimed to decipher anxiety-related networks functionally connected to atrophied areas in patients sufering from MS. Methods: Using 3-T MRI, anxiety-related atrophy maps were generated by correlating longitudinal cortical thinning with the severity of anxiety symptoms in MS patients. To determine brain regions functionally connected to these maps, we applied a technique termed “atrophy network mapping”. Thereby, the anxiety-related atrophy maps were projected onto a large normative connectome (n=1000) performing seed‐based functional connectivity. Finally, an instructed threat paradigm was conducted with regard to neural excitability and efective connectivity, using transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with high-density electroencephalography. Results: Thinning of the left dorsal prefrontal cortex was the only region that was associated with higher anxiety levels. Atrophy network mapping identifed functional involvement of bilateral prefrontal cortex as well as amygdala and hippocampus. Structural equation modeling confrmed that the volumes of these brain regions were signifcant determinants that infuence anxiety symptoms in MS. We additionally identifed reduced information fow between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala at rest, and pathologically increased excitability in the prefrontal cortex in MS patients as compared to controls. Conclusion: Anxiety-related prefrontal cortical atrophy in MS leads to a specifc network alteration involving structures that resemble known neurobiological anxiety circuits. These fndings elucidate the emergence of anxiety as part of the disease pathology and might ultimately enable targeted treatment approaches modulating brain networks in MS. Keywords: Multiple sclerosis, Anxiety, Atrophy, Functional connectivity, Excitabilit

Chronic noise stress affects neocortical and hippocampal-amygdala functional connectivity in mice

This thesis examines the effects of chronic noise stress on neocortical and hippocampal-amygdala networks and their behavioural correlates. Psychological symptoms of stress, including anxiety and depression, are thought to be caused by alterations in functional connectivity within the brain. A functional pathway has been established between the basolateral amygdala, which mediates emotional responses to stressors, the ventral hippocampus which provides context to emotional memories and experiences, and medial prefrontal cortex, which alters attention and perception of stressors. This network is adaptive in the presence of an acute stressor, allowing an organism to optimally prepare and deal with the source of stress, but may become dysfunctional when exposed to chronic stress. The hypotheses that chronic noise stress correlates to neocortical hyperconnectivity and decreased synchrony between the amygdala and hippocampus, correlates to altered behaviour, and correlates to altered brain morphology were tested in head-fixed mice using optical imaging and behavioural recordings

Stress, angst og depresjon i et nevroendokrint perspektiv

Formål: Oppsummere kunnskap om patofysiologien av stress, angst og depresjon og de rådende teorier om bakenforliggende mekanismer, samt beskrive disses implikasjoner for utviklingen av nye terapeutiske metoder. Metode: Bibliografisk litteratursøk ved bruk av relevante søkeord. Resultater: Stress utløser en rekke responser som er viktige for individets overlevelse. Under gitte betingelser vil stress-responsene utvikles til de patologiske tilstandene angst og depresjon. Stress, angst og depresjon er nært beslektede og deler i stor grad samme fundament; en initial rask aktivering av kroppens beredskap via det sympatiske nervesystemet; en langsommere mobilisering av kroppens energireserver via aktivering av hypothalamus-hypofysen-binyre (HPA)-regulert glukokortikoidfrigjøring. Mekanismene for lidelsenes patofysiologi er vidtfavnende og inkluderer forandringer i morfologi (strukturelle endring) og biokjemi (vedvarende høye glukokortikoid-nivåer, øket glutamatfrigjøring) i sentrale hjerneregioner (hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex), som resultat av genetikk, epigenetikk og endringer i genuttrykk (plastisitet). Konklusjon: Forskningen har kartlagt en rekke mekanismer som bidrar til stress, angst og depresjon. Årsaksforholdene er sammensatte og komplekse, bl.a. fordi responsene påvirker en rekke andre kroppslige funksjoner, med utbredt komorbiditet som resultat. Det foregår iherdig forskningsinnsats som, sammen med utviklingen av ny forskningsmetodikk, gir håp om å kunne implementere ny kunnskap i form av nye og bedre behandlingsalternativer

Nível de ansiedade e fatores psicossociais em profissionais da saúde intensivistas

Orientadora: Profª. Drª. Fernanda Moura D’Almeida MirandaCoorientador: Prof. Dr. Adriano Marçal PimentaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem. Defesa : Curitiba, 16/02/2023Inclui referências: p. 83-98Resumo: Essa pesquisa aborda o contexto sociopolítico durante a pandemia, os impactos na saúde mental dos profissionais da saúde, os conceitos de ansiedade geral e da ansiedade traço e estado, a ansiedade em profissionais da saúde em meio à pandemia da COVID-19, os riscos psicossociais na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva e a saúde mental relacionada ao trabalho sob a ótica de Cristophe Dejours. Teve como objetivo geral analisar os fatores associados aos níveis de ansiedade traço e estado dos profissionais da saúde atuantes em unidades de terapia intensiva de um hospital de ensino do sul do Brasil. Trata-se de uma pesquisa transversal e analítica, com abordagem quantitativa. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida em um complexo hospitalar universitário da capital paranaense. Os participantes incluídos no estudo foram 100 profissionais de saúde: médicos, residentes médicos e multiprofissionais, fisioterapeutas, enfermeiros, técnicos e auxiliares de enfermagem. A coleta de dados foi realizada de abril a julho de 2022. Para tanto, houve aplicação de três instrumentos: o questionário estruturado e autoaplicável adaptado que caracterizou o perfil sociodemográfico e laboral, o instrumento Inventário de Ansiedade Traço- Estado e, por último, foi aplicada a versão Catarinense do Copenhagen Psychossocial Questionnaire II que avaliou os riscos psicossociais no trabalho dos profissionais da saúde atuantes em unidade de terapia intensiva. A análise das características sociodemográficas e laborais dos participantes foram descritas por meio das medidas de tendência central e dispersão, frequência absoluta (n) e relativa (%), sendo as diferenças estatísticas avaliadas com a aplicação dos testes de t-Student ou ANOVA. Também foi aplicado o teste de Spearman, realizada análise multivariada hierarquizada e verificado princípio da homocedasticidade das variâncias nos modelos de regressão linear, por meio do teste de Breusch- Pagan/Cook-Weisberg e análise dos resíduos. Foi identificado, a partir dos resultados, principalmente, que a maioria dos profissionais (66%) apresentou nível médio à alto de ansiedade traço, e resultado similar foi identificado para ansiedade estado em que 62% apresentavam nível médio a alto do nível de ansiedade. Quanto aos riscos risco psicossociais, os profissionais estavam expostos, em sua maioria, a riscos classificados como intermediários para saúde, vivenciando situações de potencial risco, sendo que quanto maior o risco psicossocial maior foi o nível de ansiedade traço e estado. Identificou-se que ser do sexo masculino reduz a média da ansiedade traço e estado, assim como a carga horária semanal acima de 40 horas aumenta a média da ansiedade traço. Quanto melhor as condições dos fatores psicossociais no trabalho menor ansiedade. Destacou-se que o domínio organização do trabalho e conteúdo se associou significativamente a ambos os tipos de ansiedades. Concluiu-se que existem riscos psicossociais no ambiente laboral e estão associados ao aumento do nível de ansiedade traço e estado, portanto é relevante o desenvolvimento de intervenções em saúde do trabalhador para proteção da saúde mental dos profissionais da saúde e para melhorar a qualidade de vida deles.Abstract: This research addresses the sociopolitical context during the pandemic, the impacts on the mental health of health professionals, the concepts of general anxiety and trait and state anxiety, anxiety in health professionals in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, psychosocial risks in the Intensive Care Unit and work-related mental health from the perspective of Cristophe Dejours. Its general objective was to analyze the factors associated with the levels of trait and state anxiety of health professionals working in intensive care units of a teaching hospital in southern Brazil. This is a cross-sectional and analytical research, with a quantitative approach. The research was developed in a university hospital complex in the capital of Paraná. The participants included in the study were 100 health professionals: physicians, medical and multidisciplinary residents, physiotherapists, nurses, technicians and nursing assistants. Data collection was carried out from April to July 2022. For this purpose, three instruments were applied: the adapted structured and self-administered questionnaire that characterized the sociodemographic and work profile, the State- Trait Anxiety Inventory instrument and, finally, it was The Santa Catarina version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II was applied, which assessed the psychosocial risks in the work of health professionals working in an intensive care unit. The analysis of the sociodemographic and work characteristics of the participants was described using measures of central tendency and dispersion, absolute (n) and relative (%) frequency, and statistical differences were evaluated using Student's t-test or ANOVA. The Spearman test was also applied, a hierarchical multivariate analysis was performed and the principle of homoscedasticity of variances in the linear regression models was verified, using the Breusch- Pagan/Cook-Weisberg test and analysis of residuals. It was identified, mainly from the results, that most professionals (66%) had a medium to high level of trait anxiety, and a similar result was identified for state anxiety, in which 62% had a medium to high level of anxiety. As for psychosocial risks, most professionals were exposed to risks classified as intermediate to health, experiencing situations of potential risk, and the greater the psychosocial risk, the greater the level of trait and state anxiety. It was identified that being male reduces the average of trait and state anxiety, as well as the weekly workload above 40 hours increases the average of trait anxiety. The better the conditions of psychosocial factors at work, the less anxiety. It was highlighted that the work organization and content domain was significantly associated with both types of anxieties. It was concluded that there are psychosocial risks in the work environment and are associated with an increase in the level of trait and state anxiety, therefore it is relevant to develop interventions in workers' health to protect the mental health of health professionals and to improve their quality of life from them

Virtual Reality Exposure to Prepare Children for Surgery: Effects on Anxiety and Pain

We have developed a psychological intervention to prepare children for surgery under general anesthesia. This intervention consists of Virtual Reality Exposure. The effectiveness of this intervention to reduce anxiety and pain has been investigated in a randomized controlled trial

The influence of state anxiety on spatial imagery: the role of working memory

Wydział Psychologii i KognitywistykiZgodnie z Teorią Kontroli Uwagowej lęk zakłóca procesy kontroli uwagowej oraz równowagę pomiędzy dwoma systemami: odgórnymi procesami uwagowymi związanymi z zachowaniem ukierunkowanym na cel oraz oddolnymi związanymi z reagowaniem na występujące w otoczeniu bodźce. Głównym celem badania była weryfikacja wpływu lęku sytuacyjnego na wyobraźnię przestrzenną w odniesieniu do transfom1acj i egocentrycznych 1 transfonnacj i allocentr ycznych. Jednocześnie , założono, iż relacja ta jest moderowana przez pojemność pam1ęc1 roboczej odzwierciedlającą indywidualne różnice w kontroli uwagowej. Lęk wzbudzano w warunkach laboratoryjnych w zadaniu realizowanym w paradygmacie przygotowania wystąp ien ia, który odnosi się do antycypacyjnej natury lęku . Manipulacja kontrolowana była poprzez nieinwazyjny pomiar aktywności sercowo - naczyniowej na podstawie parametrów EKG oraz ICG za pomocą urządzenia do pomiaru psychofizjologicznego VU - AMS. Pomimo, iż dane psychofizjologiczne ukazały aktywację wagalno - sympatyczną, dane behawioralne nie wykazały wpływu lęku sytuacyjnego na wyobraźnię przestrzenną. Nie odnotowano różnic w wykonaniu zadań pomiędzy grupą kontrolną a grupą eksperymentalną. Również hierarchiczna analiza regresji nie wykazała moderującej roli pamięci roboczej w ujmowanej relacji. Wyniki ukazują,iż wzbudzony lęk mógł subtelnie oddziaływać na układ nerwowy,jednakże nie miało to wpływu na wykonanie zadań. Przypuszczalnie wzbudzony „umiarkowany" lęk umożliwia aktywację strategii regulacyjnych, które pozwalają poradzić sobie z postrzeganym zagrożeniem. Wyobraźnia przestrzenna może nie być podatna na oddziaływanie umiarkowanego lęku, jeżeli stanowi ona domenę sfery zdolności człowieka i jest sytuacyjnie stabilna, gdyż osoby dysponujące tą zdolnością korzystają z dobrze ugruntowanych strategii wykonania zadańAccording to Attentional Control Theory anxiety disrupts attentional control and the balance between two attentional systems: top - down processes which are goal - directed and stimulus - driven bottom - up processes. The main aim of study was to detennine the influence of state anxiety on spatial imagery functioning m reference to egocentric and allocentric spatial transformations. Parallelly it was assumed that this relation is moderated by working memory capacity which reflects individual differences in attentional control abilities. State anxiety was induced in laboratory conditions in speech - preparation paradigrn reflecting the anticipatory nature of anxiety. The manipulation was controlled in unobstrusive psychophysiological measurement of cardiovascular activity using parameters of ECG and thorax impedance with VU - AMS device. Although psychophysiological data allowed to observe slight increase in vagal - sympathetic activation, the behavioral data <lid not confirm the influence of state anxiety on spatial imagery. No differences in task performance between control and experimental group were found. Furthermore, the hierarchical linear regression did not confinn the moderating role of working memory capacity in that relation. The results suggest that the induced anxiety may have subtle effects on sympathetic activity but no influence on spatial tasks perfonnance. Perhaps expetienced mild anxiety helps to develop regulatory strategies to deal with perceived threat. On the other hand, spatial imagery can be resistant to mild anxiety because is related to dispositional abilities and it is constant through different situations because the subjects were using well - established strategies to perfonn tasks