Verbal suggestions about treatment effectiveness do not modulate the effectiveness of a laboratory model of EMDR therapy:Results of two preregistered studies

Background: As for many psychotherapies, there is ongoing discussion about the role of specific versus unspecific mechanisms in the effectiveness of Eye-Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. However, research directly examining the potential role of non-specific mechanisms in EMDR is scarce. Objectives: Here, we address the role of one non-specific factor that is often put forward, namely treatment effectiveness expectations, in a laboratory model of EMDR therapy. Method: In a lab-based study (N = 96) and an online study (N = 173), we gave participants verbal instructions to manipulate their treatment expectations. Instructions emphasized EMDR’s effectiveness or infectiveness. Then, participants were asked to recollect an unpleasant autobiographical memory with or without making eye-movements. Results: In line with previous studies, we found significant reductions of reported vividness and emotionality of negative autobiographical memories. However, this effect was not modulated by manipulated treatment efficacy expectations. It must be noted that manipulation checks indicated that it was difficult to influence treatment effectiveness expectations using verbal suggestions. Conclusions: These findings corroborate the results of two earlier reports, suggesting that the role of treatment expectations in EMDR therapy may be limited

Окрема думка судді в кримінальному процесі

З’ясовується змістове наповнення правових засад, на підставі яких суддя може викласти окрему думку. Досліджується поняття «окремої думки судді» в різних країнах та правових системах. Висвітлюється механізм реалізації окремої думки судді в порівнянні з правом зарубіжних держав та вносить пропозиції щодо запозичення та ведення аналогічних механізмів реалізації окремої думки судді в Україні.Раскрывается содержание правовых принципов, на основании которых судья может изложить особое мнение. Исследуется понятие «особого мнения судьи » в разных странах и правовых системах. Освещается механизм реализации особого мнения судьи в сравнении с правом зарубежных государств и вносит предложение относительно заимствования и ведения аналогичных механизмов реализации особого мнения судьи в Украине.This article investigated the legal principles on which the judge may express the separate opinion; the existence of the notion of «the separate opinion of judge» in different countries and legal systems is conducted. The author analyzed the mechanism of realization of the separate opinion of judge in comparison with the law of foreign countries and made proposals for borrowing and introduction of the similar mechanisms for realization the dissenting the separate opinion of judge in Ukraine

Speed Matters: Relationship between Speed of Eye Movements and Modification of Aversive Autobiographical Memories

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an efficacious treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. In EMDR, patients recall a distressing memory and simultaneously make eye movements (EM). Both tasks are considered to require limited working memory (WM) resources. Because this leaves fewer resources available for memory retrieval, the memory should become less vivid and less emotional during future recall. In EMDR analogue studies, a standardized procedure has been used, in which participants receive the same dual task manipulation of 1 EM cycle per second (1 Hz). From a WM perspective, the WM taxation of the dual task might be titrated to the WM taxation of the memory image. We hypothesized that highly vivid images are more affected by high WM taxation and less vivid images are more affected by low WM taxation. In study 1, 34 participants performed a reaction time task, and rated image vividness, and difficulty of retrieving an image, during five speeds of EM and no EM. Both a high WM taxing frequency (fast EM; 1.2 Hz) and a low WM taxing frequency (slow EM; 0.8 Hz) were selected. In study 2, 72 participants recalled three highly vivid aversive autobiographical memory images (n = 36) or three less vivid images (n = 36) under each of three conditions: recall + fast EM, recall + slow EM, or recall only. Multi-level modeling revealed a consistent pattern for all outcome measures: recall + fast EM led to less emotional, less vivid and more difficult to retrieve images than recall + slow EM and recall only, and the effects of recall + slow EM felt consistently in between the effects of recall + fast EM and recall only, but only differed significantly from recall + fast EM. Crucially, image vividness did not interact with condition on the decrease of emotionality over time, which was inconsistent with the prediction. Implications for understanding the mechanisms of action in memory modification and directions for future research are discussed

Molecular Cytogenetic Profiling Reveals Similarities and Differences Between Localized Nodal and Systemic Follicular Lymphomas

Recently, we have developed novel highly promising gene expression (GE) classifiers discriminating localized nodal (LFL) from systemic follicular lymphoma (SFL) with prognostic impact. However, few data are available in LFL especially concerning hotspot genetic alterations that are associated with the pathogenesis and prognosis of SFL. A total of 144 LFL and 527 SFL, enrolled in prospective clinical trials of the German Low Grade Lymphoma Study Group, were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect deletions in chromosomes 1p, 6q, and 17p as well as BCL2 translocations to determine their impact on clinical outcome of LFL patients. The frequency of chromosomal deletions in 1p and 17p was comparable between LFL and SFL, while 6q deletions and BCL2 translocations more frequently occurred in SFL. A higher proportion of 1p deletions was seen in BCL2-translocation–positive LFL, compared with BCL2-translocation–negative LFL. Deletions in chromosomes 1p, 6q, and 17p predicted clinical outcome of patients with SFL in the entire cohort, while only deletions in chromosome 1p retained its negative prognostic impact in R-CHOP–treated SFL. In contrast, no deletions in one of the investigated genetic loci predicted clinical outcome in LFL. Likewise, the presence or absence of BCL2 translocations had no prognostic impact in LFL. Despite representing a genetic portfolio closely resembling SFL, LFL showed some differences in deletion frequencies. BCL2 translocation and 6q deletion frequency differs between LFL and SFL and might contribute to distinct genetic profiles in LFL and SFL

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival

Desensitizing addiction: using eye movements to reduce the intensity of substance-related mental imagery and craving

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. During this treatment, patients recall a traumatic memory while making horizontal eye movements (EM). Studies have shown that EM not only desensitize negative memories, but also positive memories and imagined events. Substance use behavior and craving are maintained by maladaptive memory associations and visual imagery. Preliminary findings have indicated that these mental images can be desensitized by EMDR techniques. We conducted two proof-of-principle studies to investigate whether EM can reduce the sensory richness of substance-related mental representations and accompanying craving levels. We investigated the effects of EM on 1) vividness of food-related mental imagery and food craving in dieting and non-dieting students, and 2) vividness of recent smoking-related memories and cigarette craving in daily smokers. In both experiments, participants recalled the images while making EM or keeping eyes stationary. Image vividness and emotionality, image-specific craving and general craving were measured before and after the intervention. As a behavioral outcome measure, participants in study 1 were offered a snack choice at the end of the experiment.Results of both experiments showed that image vividness and craving increased in the control condition, but remained stable or decreased after the EM intervention. EM additionally reduced image emotionality (exp 2), and affected behavior (exp 1): participants in the EM condition were more inclined to choose healthy over unhealthy snack options. In conclusion, the data suggest that EM can be used to reduce intensity of substance related imagery and craving. Although long-term effects are yet to be demonstrated, the current studies suggest that EM might be a useful technique in addiction treatment

Verbal suggestions about treatment effectiveness do not modulate the effectiveness of a laboratory model of EMDR therapy: Results of two preregistered studies

Background: As for many psychotherapies, there is ongoing discussion about the role of specific versus unspecific mechanisms in the effectiveness of Eye-Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. However, research directly examining the potential role of non-specific mechanisms in EMDR is scarce. Objectives: Here, we address the role of one non-specific factor that is often put forward, namely treatment effectiveness expectations, in a laboratory model of EMDR therapy. Method: In a lab-based study (N = 96) and an online study (N = 173), we gave participants verbal instructions to manipulate their treatment expectations. Instructions emphasized EMDR’s effectiveness or infectiveness. Then, participants were asked to recollect an unpleasant autobiographical memory with or without making eye-movements. Results: In line with previous studies, we found significant reductions of reported vividness and emotionality of negative autobiographical memories. However, this effect was not modulated by manipulated treatment efficacy expectations. It must be noted that manipulation checks indicated that it was difficult to influence treatment effectiveness expectations using verbal suggestions. Conclusions: These findings corroborate the results of two earlier reports, suggesting that the role of treatment expectations in EMDR therapy may be limited

Verbal suggestions fail to modulate expectations about the effectiveness of a laboratory model of EMDR therapy: Results of two preregistered studies

Background and objectives For many psychotherapies, like Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, there is an ongoing discussion about the role of specific versus non-specific mechanisms in their effectiveness However, experimental research directly examining the potential role of non-specific mechanisms is scarce. Here, we address the role of a non-specific factor that is often put forward for EMDR, namely treatment effectiveness expectations, within a laboratory model of EMDR therapy. Methods In a lab-based (N = 96) and an online experiment (N = 173), we gave participants verbal instructions to manipulate their treatment expectations. Instructions emphasized EMDR's effectiveness or ineffectiveness. Then, participants were asked to recollect an unpleasant autobiographical memory with or without making eye-movements. Results In line with previous studies, we found significant reductions of reported vividness and emotionality of negative autobiographical memories in the eye-movements condition. These reductions did not differ between the verbal suggestions conditions in both experiments, suggesting a limited effect of treatment effectiveness suggestions. Limitations Treatment effectiveness expectations were not successfully manipulated by the suggestions manipulation. This suggests that treatment expectations may be more difficult to influence than anticipated, thus limiting the interpretation of our findings. Conclusions These findings tentatively corroborate the results of two earlier reports, suggesting that the effects of verbal suggestions about treatment effectiveness in a laboratory model of EMDR therapy may be limited

Stress Enhances the Memory-Degrading Effects of Eye Movements on Emotionally Neutral Memories

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. It uses a dual-task approach: Patients retrieve traumatic memories while making lateral eye movements. Laboratory studies have consistently shown that this dual-task component decreases the vividness of emotional memories, whereas neutral memories appear insensitive to the intervention. Hence, emotional arousal might play a crucial role in the (re)consolidation of the degraded memory. This study investigated whether boosting arousal levels would induce degradation of neutral memories by dual tasking. A total of 67 participants, 32 with performance anxiety, selected two vivid, neutral autobiographical memories, which were subjected to dual tasking or recall only. Half of the participants first underwent the Trier Social Stress Task to increase arousal. Only participants with performance anxiety in the arousal condition showed reduced vividness after the dual tasking relative to recall only. Thus, adding arousal to neutral memories makes them susceptible to the degrading effects of dual tasking

Verbal suggestions fail to modulate expectations about the effectiveness of a laboratory model of EMDR therapy:Results of two preregistered studies

Background and objectives: For many psychotherapies, like Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, there is an ongoing discussion about the role of specific versus non-specific mechanisms in their effectiveness However, experimental research directly examining the potential role of non-specific mechanisms is scarce. Here, we address the role of a non-specific factor that is often put forward for EMDR, namely treatment effectiveness expectations, within a laboratory model of EMDR therapy. Methods: In a lab-based (N = 96) and an online experiment (N = 173), we gave participants verbal instructions to manipulate their treatment expectations. Instructions emphasized EMDR's effectiveness or ineffectiveness. Then, participants were asked to recollect an unpleasant autobiographical memory with or without making eye-movements. Results: In line with previous studies, we found significant reductions of reported vividness and emotionality of negative autobiographical memories in the eye-movements condition. These reductions did not differ between the verbal suggestions conditions in both experiments, suggesting a limited effect of treatment effectiveness suggestions. Limitations: Treatment effectiveness expectations were not successfully manipulated by the suggestions manipulation. This suggests that treatment expectations may be more difficult to influence than anticipated, thus limiting the interpretation of our findings. Conclusions: These findings tentatively corroborate the results of two earlier reports, suggesting that the effects of verbal suggestions about treatment effectiveness in a laboratory model of EMDR therapy may be limited.</p