Changing memories by interference: the effect of emotional dimensions in reconsolidation of episodic memories

Episodes with an emotional component preoccupy memory formation and this advantage facilitates their preservation and mitigates the impact of interfering episodes. The present study examined the relation of the emotional dimensions of original and interfering episodes to the memory outcome, using a reconsolidation paradigm. In a between-subjects design, 102 healthy young adults were presented with an emotional or neutral image and learned either an emotional or neutral story, respectively (day 1). On day 2, experimental groups were presented with an image of the opposite emotionality, reactivated the original story, and learned a story of the opposite emotionality. On day 3, experimental and control groups were tested for their memory on target and filler clues of the original story and rated both stories for arousal and valence. Overall, there was evidence of interference on the long-term retention of target clues only for the neutral story (i.e. when the interfering story was emotional), and of filler clues for both types of stories. Moreover, individual target clue retention rates correlated with the arousal ratings for both the original neutral story and the interfering emotional story, while they were not related to arousal ratings for the original emotional story or the interfering neutral one

Epidemiology of intra-abdominal infection and sepsis in critically ill patients: “AbSeS”, a multinational observational cohort study and ESICM Trials Group Project

Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of intra-abdominal infection in an international cohort of ICU patients according to a new system that classifies cases according to setting of infection acquisition (community-acquired, early onset hospital-acquired, and late-onset hospital-acquired), anatomical disruption (absent or present with localized or diffuse peritonitis), and severity of disease expression (infection, sepsis, and septic shock). Methods: We performed a multicenter (n = 309), observational, epidemiological study including adult ICU patients diagnosed with intra-abdominal infection. Risk factors for mortality were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: The cohort included 2621 patients. Setting of infection acquisition was community-acquired in 31.6%, early onset hospital-acquired in 25%, and late-onset hospital-acquired in 43.4% of patients. Overall prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was 26.3% and difficult-to-treat resistant Gram-negative bacteria 4.3%, with great variation according to geographic region. No difference in prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was observed according to setting of infection acquisition. Overall mortality was 29.1%. Independent risk factors for mortality included late-onset hospital-acquired infection, diffuse peritonitis, sepsis, septic shock, older age, malnutrition, liver failure, congestive heart failure, antimicrobial resistance (either methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacteria, or carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria) and source control failure evidenced by either the need for surgical revision or persistent inflammation. Conclusion: This multinational, heterogeneous cohort of ICU patients with intra-abdominal infection revealed that setting of infection acquisition, anatomical disruption, and severity of disease expression are disease-specific phenotypic characteristics associated with outcome, irrespective of the type of infection. Antimicrobial resistance is equally common in community-acquired as in hospital-acquired infection

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

Serotonergic genes and suicide: a systematic review.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Its aetiology is complex and diverse, however, epidemiological studies show that suicidal behavior is partly heritable. Neurobiological evidence implicates serotonergic dysfunction in suicidality, stimulating genetic research to focus on genes related to the serotonergic system. In this paper, we review evidence from studies examining the association between various serotonergic genes (Tryptophan Hydroxylase genes: TPH1; TPH2, Serotonin Transporter gene: 5-HTTLPR in SLC6A4, Serotonin Receptor genes: HTR1A, HTR2A, HTR1B, HTR2C and Monoamine Oxidase A gene: MAOA) and suicidal behavior. The data show associations between variation on the TPH1 gene and 5-HTTLPR gene and violent suicidal behavior in Caucasian populations, with the least inconsistencies. Results are mixed for the TPH2 gene and serotonin receptor genes, but for some genes, studies that include haplotypic analyses or that examine a larger coding region of the genes tend to provide more reliable results. Findings on endophenotypes of suicidality, such as aggression and impulsivity traits, show positive associations for the TPH1, HTR2A, and MAOA genes, but need further replication, since negative associations are also occasionally reported. Since genes can only partially explain suicidal risk, several studies during the past decade have tried to incorporate environmental factors in the susceptibility model. Studies to date show that variation on the 5-HTTLPR, MAOA and HTR2A gene can interact with stressful life events to increase risk for suicidal behavior. Limitations of case-control studies are discussed and future considerations are put forward with regard to endophenotypic measurements and gene-environment interactions

Anxiety and Extraversion in Lupus-Related Atherosclerosis

Objectives: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are characterized by increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk as well as heightened rates of psychological distress. Since a link between psychological issues and CV morbidity has been previously suggested, the influence of psychological burden on subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE patients was investigated. Methods: 71 SLE patients were assessed for the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis—defined either as carotid and/or femoral plaque formation or arterial wall thickening [Intima Media Thickness (IMT) levels > 0.90 mm by Doppler ultrasound]; personality traits, anxiety and depression, sleeping habits and fatigue levels were also evaluated by specific questionnaires including Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Zung Depression Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F). Disease related clinical and laboratory features and traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis were documented. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed. Results: SLE patients with arterial wall thickening displayed higher STAI anxiety scores (either as a current state or as a personality trait) compared to those without (49.8 ± 5.6 vs. 46.9 ± 5.4, p-value: 0.03 and 49.2 ± 4.4 vs. 45.7 ± 6.8, p-value: 0.009, respectively). In a multivariate model, trait anxiety and extraversion personality scores were found to be independently associated with arterial wall thickening and plaque formation, respectively [OR95%(CI):1.2(1.0–1.5) and 0.7(0.6–1.0), respectively], following adjustment for potential confounders. No other associations were detected. Conclusions: Anxiety and extraversion personality traits have been independently associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in lupus patients, implying psychoneuroimmunological interactions as contributors in SLE related atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2018 Giannelou, Tseronis, Antypa and Mavragani