Altered neural response to rejection-related words in children exposed to maltreatment

BACKGROUND: Children exposed to maltreatment show neural sensitivity to facial cues signalling threat. However, little is known about how maltreatment influences the processing of social threat cues more broadly, and whether atypical processing of social threat cues relates to psychiatric risk. METHODS: Forty-one 10- to 14-year-old children underwent a social rejection-themed emotional Stroop task during functional magnetic resonance imaging: 21 children with a documented history of maltreatment (11 F) and 19 comparison children with no maltreatment history (11 F). Groups were matched on age, pubertal status, gender, IQ, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and reading ability. Classic colour Stroop stimuli were also administered in the same paradigm to investigate potential differences in general cognitive control. RESULTS: Compared with their peers, children who had experienced maltreatment showed reduced activation in the Rejection versus Neutral condition, across circuitry previously implicated in abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including the left anterior insula, extending into left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex/orbitofrontal cortex; left amygdala; left inferior parietal cortex (STS); and bilateral visual association cortex, encompassing the cuneus and lingual gyrus. No group differences in neural or behavioural responses were found for the classic colour Stroop conditions. Significant negative associations between activity in bilateral cuneus and STS during the rejection-themed Stroop and higher self-reported PTSD symptomatology, including dissociation, were observed in children exposed to maltreatment. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate a pattern of altered neural response to social rejection cues in maltreated children. Compared to their peers, these children displayed relative hypoactivation to rejection cues in regions previously associated with PTSD, potentially reflecting an avoidant coping response. It is suggested that such atypical processing of social threat may index latent vulnerability to future psychopathology in general and PTSD in particular

Unstable Prefrontal Response to Emotional Conflict and Activation of Lower Limbic Structures and Brainstem in Remitted Panic Disorder

Background: The neural mechanisms of panic disorder (PD) are only incompletely understood. Higher sensitivity of patients to unspecific fear cues and similarities to conditioned fear suggest involvement of lower limbic and brainstem structures. We investigated if emotion perception is altered in remitted PD as a trait feature. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study neural and behavioural responses of 18 remitted PD patients and 18 healthy subjects to the emotional conflict paradigm that is based on the presentation of emotionally congruent and incongruent face/word pairs. We observed that patients showed stronger behavioural interference and lower adaptation to interference conflict. Overall performance in patients was slower but not less accurate. In the context of preceding congruence, stronger dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) activation during conflict detection was found in patients. In the context of preceding incongruence, controls expanded dACC activity and succeeded in reducing behavioural interference. In contrast, patients demonstrated a dropout of dACC and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) recruitment but activation of the lower limbic areas (including right amygdala) and brainstem. Conclusions/Significance: This study provides evidence that stimulus order in the presentation of emotional stimuli has a markedly larger influence on the brain’s response in remitted PD than in controls, leading to abnormal responses of th

Recurrent paratonsillitis of odontogenic origin

The recurrent paratonsillitis caused by medium dental caries is an extremely rare condition. Patients with this pathology are admitted to otorhinolaryngological departments and in most cases they do not actively present odontogenic complaints. Currently, the algorithm for the mandatory examination of patients with paratonsillitis does not include an examination by a dentist. This article presents a clinical case of recurrent paratonsillitis in a 22-year-old man. His admission due to this condition was the third during the year. The disease proceeded without signs of affection of the palatine tonsils. In this regard, the patient was examined according to clinical recommendations using additional research methods to verify the source of infection. To exclude the formation of peritonsillar abscess, the non-invasive diagnostic methods were used - transoral ultrasound of peritonsillar tissues. This examination revealed an abnormal arrangement of the external carotid artery branches. This circumstance determined the choice of treatment tactics, excluding the use of relaxing incisions in the peritonsillar area. A laboratory study of saliva determined the activity of -amylase, pH value was measured to exclude an inflammation of the salivary glands. An additional examination revealed the odontogenic etiology of paratonsillitis

Investigating the impact of overnight fasting on intrinsic functional connectivity: a double-blind fMRI study

Contains fulltext : 194413.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Factors influencing the sexual drive of Russian women of reproductive age in the digital age

Aim. To assess the impact of age, number of sexual partners, having children, family income, and time spent with a smartphone or computer on the sexual drive of women of reproductive age in the era of information technology. Materials and methods. A study of the sexual drive of 79 women aged 18–35 in family (partner) relationships was conducted. The well-established international Female Sexual Function Index was used. Respondents also answered questions about some aspects of personality and social status. The results were evaluated using the methods of mathematical statistics: descriptive statistics, correlation, determination, and logit-regression analyses. Results. The intensity of sexual drive correlates with a woman's age, the number of sexual partners, and the family income. There was no correlation between the level of a woman's sexual drive and having children and the time women and their partners spend with computers and smartphones

Neuroanatomical and Neuropsychological Markers of Amnestic MCI: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study in Individuals Unaware of Cognitive Decline

Structural brain changes underlying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have been well-researched, but most previous studies required subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) as a diagnostic criterion, diagnosed MCI based on a single screening test or lacked analyses in relation to neuropsychological impairment. This longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study aimed to overcome these limitations: The relationship between regional gray matter (GM) atrophy and behavioral performance was investigated over the course of 3 years in individuals unaware of cognitive decline, identified as amnestic MCI based on an extensive neuropsychological test battery. Region of interest analyses revealed GM atrophy in the left amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampus in MCI individuals compared to normally aging participants, which was specifically related to verbal memory impairment and evident already at the first measurement point. These findings demonstrate that GM atrophy is detectable in individuals with amnestic MCI despite unawareness of beginning cognitive decline. Thus, individuals with GM atrophy in regions associated with verbal memory impairment do not necessarily need to experience SCC before meeting neuropsychological criteria for MCI. These results have important implications for future research and diagnostic procedures of MCI

Brain Circuitries Involved in Semantic Interference by Demands of Emotional and Non-Emotional Distractors

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that the processes leading to the resolution of emotional and non-emotional interference conflicts are unrelated, involving separate networks. It is also known that conflict resolution itself suggests a considerable overlap of the networks. Our study is an attempt to examine how these findings may be related. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study neural responses of 24 healthy subjects to emotional and non-emotional conflict paradigms involving the presentation of congruent and incongruent word-face pairs based on semantic incompatibility between targets and distractors. In the emotional task, the behavioral interference conflict was greater (compared to the non-emotional task) and was paralleled by involvement of the extrastriate visual and posterodorsal medial frontal cortices. In both tasks, we also observed a common network including the dorsal anterior cingulate, the supplemental motor area, the anterior insula and the inferior prefrontal cortex, indicating that these brain structures are markers of experienced conflict. However, the emotional task involved conflict-triggered networks to a considerably higher degree. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that responses to emotional and non-emotional distractors involve the same systems, which are capable of flexible adjustments based on conflict demands. The function of systems related to conflict resolution is likely to be adjusted on the basis of an evaluation process that primarily involves the extrastriate visual cortex, with target playing a significant role

Ukrainos stojimas į ES: teisiniai pagrindai, iššūkiai ir perspektyvos.

The master's thesis provides an analysis of the legal, institutional, geopolitical, and economic aspects of Ukraine's integration into the European Union. The thesis analyzes the regulatory framework of the European integration process, challenges, and prospects, based on international agreements, EU and Ukrainian legislation, as well as the experience of other candidate countries. The research highlights the impact of geopolitical factors, in particular, Russian aggression, on Ukraine's European integration. This aggression has increased the urgency of reforms while creating significant obstacles such as economic instability and institutional weakness. Despite progress in areas such as decentralization and the fight against corruption, problems remain regarding the independence of the judiciary, governance, and implementation of EU norms. This thesis, based on a comparative analysis, identifies best practices and lessons from other candidate countries to propose effective solutions for Ukraine. These include strengthening administrative capacity, ensuring transparent governance, and promoting the creation of a legal and policy framework consistent with the EU. The paper considers such prospects for Ukraine as strengthening cooperation with the EU in security and economic matters, as well as the possibility of using financial support from the EU, in particular, the instruments of the "Green Deal." The Polish experience is used as an example to examine the possibility of applying transitional periods and special conditions for Ukraine, as well as the establishment of specialized bodies on European integration issues. Finally, the study highlights the transformative potential of EU integration for Ukraine, proposing a roadmap for achieving stability, democracy, and prosperity