Distinct neural networks associated with obsession and delusion: A connectome-wide association study

BACKGROUND: Obsession and delusion are theoretically distinct from each other in terms of reality testing. Despite such phenomenological distinction, no extant studies have examined the identification of common and distinct neural correlates of obsession and delusion by employing biologically grounded methods. Here, we investigated dimensional effects of obsession and delusion spanning across the traditional diagnostic boundaries reflected upon the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) using connectome-wide association studies (CWAS). METHODS: Our study sample comprised of 96 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, 75 patients with schizophrenia, and 65 healthy controls. A connectome-wide analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between obsession and delusion severity and RFSC using multivariate distance-based matrix regression. RESULTS: Obsession was associated with the supplementary motor area, precentral gyrus, and superior parietal lobule, while delusion was associated with the precuneus. Follow-up seed-based RSFC and modularity analyses revealed that obsession was related to aberrant inter-network connectivity strength. Additional inter-network analyses demonstrated the association between obsession severity and inter-network connectivity between the frontoparietal control network and the dorsal attention network. CONCLUSIONS: Our CWAS study based on the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) provides novel evidence for the circuit-level functional dysconnectivity associated with obsession and delusion severity across diagnostic boundaries. Further refinement and accumulation of biomarkers from studies embedded within the RDoC framework would provide useful information in treating individuals who have some obsession or delusion symptoms but cannot be identified by the category of clinical symptoms alone

In search of the networked nation. Transforming technology, society and nature in the Netherlands in the 20th century

In the Netherlands, the simultaneous construction of society and network technologies has a long history, yet it is only in the twentieth century that the Netherlands has become a veritable Network Society. Drawing on the vocabulary of the research field of 'large technical systems' and the empirical results of the Dutch national history of technology programme, this article argues that during this century technological, social and even natural landscapes were reshaped in processes of material network building. An investigation of selected cases (the development of the electricity supply, the food chain, the petrochemical industry, and nature conservation) shows a variety of development patterns, motives, interests, conflicts, and negotiations behind the seemingly universal human obsession regarding circulation and network building

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment associated with parent management training (PMT) for the acute symptoms in a patient with PANDAS syndrome: a case report

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this report was to present the results of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy associated with parent management training (PMT) in a child with paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcus (PANDAS), who had previously only been treated with pharmacological treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: The case concerns an 11-year-old boy who presented with simple and complex vocal tics, motor tics, obsessive-compulsive traits and irritability from the age of 6 years, in addition to a positive result for streptococcal infection. The course of symptoms followed a relapsing-remitting trend with acute phases that were contingent on the infectious episodes. CONCLUSIONS: Following eight sessions of EMDR, preceded by training sessions with the parents, the child showed a significant reduction in symptoms and disappearance of the exacerbation. These results indicate the possibility of improving the treatment outcomes of patients with PANDAS by a combined approach using both antibiotic and EMDR therapies

Uso y abuso de las redes sociales por parte de los adolescentes: un estudio en México

El uso abusivo y problemático de las diferentes tecnologías ha conducido al desarrollo de una línea de investigación centrada en el estudio de la adicción a estas y sus consecuencias. Por ello, algunos estudios se han enfocado en internet y su relación con problemas de tipo físico-biológico, social y familiar. Esta investigación se planteó examinar el nivel de adicción de los jóvenes mexicanos a las redes sociales online mediante la adaptación de la escala de Sahin (“Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form”). Además, se analizó la existencia de respuestas diferenciadas en términos de género en la muestra utilizada que consistió en 605 estudiantes de preparatoria (296 hombres y 309 mujeres). Los resultados muestran que los estudiantes no se autoperciben como adictos a las redes sociales online. Por otro lado, no hay diferencias significativas en sus respuestas en términos de género. Estos resultados deben ser considerados dentro de sus limitaciones relacionadas con las características de la muestra y el hecho de que se examinaron las autopercepciones de los estudiantes.The abusive and problematic use of a variety of technologies has led to the development of research focusing on the study of addiction to such technologies and the consequences this brings. Therefore, some studies have focused on the Internet and its relationship with physicalbiological, social and family problems. This research sought to examine the extent of addiction of young Mexicans to online social media networks by adapting the Sahin scale (“Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form”). In addition, we analyzed the existence of differentiated responses in terms of gender in the sample used, which consisted of 605 high school students (296 men and 309 women). The results indicate that students do not perceive themselves as addicted to online social media networks. In other aspects, there are no meaningful differences in registered responses due to the gender of the participant. These findings should be considered within their limitations related to the characteristics of the sample and the fact that the students’ selfperceptions were examined

The Influence of the Media on the Epidemic of Eating Disorders in the United States

There is an epidemic happening in the United States. It is highly visible, yet it is still largely ignored. It affects women ninety percent of the time but can also affect men, and has been seen recently in younger and younger people (Hesse-Biber et al., 2006). It is an epidemic of eating disorders, and anyone who has lived through the past few decades can see that it has gotten worse. This paper will discuss several ways in which our society has contributed to the increase in eating disorders, namely in the use of visual portrayals of extremely thin women, the proliferation of weight-loss advertising, and the effect of these on one’s immediate socio-cultural network in continuing the obsession with weight. I will focus on women in this paper, though that is not to discount the men who are afflicted with eating disorders. In fact, eating disorders are increasingly affecting men and it is a very serious issue. It is a topic that deserves much more research and comparison with women’s experiences. I will conclude this paper by discussing ways in which we might reverse this epidemic and what is already being done to prevent and eventually end eating disorders

A journey to soul-touching research in social sciences and humanities

We researchers in the humanities and social sciences, similar to the archaeologists but only less literally, are constantly digging through unknown dirt and even uncharted territories in hopes of finding “diamonds.