Randomized Trial on the Effects of a Group EMDR Intervention on Narrative Complexity and Specificity of Autobiographical Memories: A Path Analytic and Supervised Machine-Learning Study

Narratives of autobiographical memories may be impaired by adverse childhood experiences, generating narrative fragmentation and increased levels of perceived distress. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) proved to be an effective treatment to overcome traumatic experiences and to promote coherent autobiographical narratives. However, the specific mechanisms by which EMDR promotes narrative coherence remains largely unknown. We conducted a randomized controlled pilot trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05319002) in a non-clinical sample of 27 children recruited in a primary school. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent a three-week group EMDR intervention. Subjective unit of distress (SUD), validity of cognition (VoC), classification of autobiographical memories, narrative complexity and specificity were assessed before and after the group EMDR intervention. The group EMDR intervention was able to improve SUD and VoC scales, narrative complexity and specificity, and promoted the classification of autobiographical memories as relational. The path analysis showed that SUD was able to predict VoC and narrative specificity, which, in turn, was able to predict both narrative complexity and the classification of autobiographical memories as relational. Machine-learning analysis showed that random tree classifier outperformed all other models by achieving a 93.33% accuracy. Clinical implications are discussed

A critical period for experience-dependent development of the feelings of safety during early infancy: A polyvagal perspective on anger and psychometric tools to assess perceived safety

Due to its distinct and widely recognizable pattern of face expression, anger has always been included in the repertoire of basic emotions (Ekman, 1999). Relying on polyvagal theory, Beauchaine et al. (2007) summarized the results of three studies (Beauchaine, 2001; Mead et al., 2004; Crowell et al., 2006) evaluating autonomic nervous system functioning in children manifesting aggression and conduct problems, aged 4–18. Children with aggressive oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder exhibited both sympathetic hypo-arousal at baseline and sympathetic insensitivity to reward at a very early age, marking a general disinhibitory tendency. In addition to this disinhibition, PNS deficiencies were found and contributed to increased emotional lability. Using transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), Steenbergen et al. (2021), investigating subjects with age ranging from 18 to 28, found that active tVNS, compared to sham stimulation, enhanced the recognition of anger but reduced the ability to recognize sadness. According to developmental research, an actual expression of anger does not emerge until the last months of the first year of life (Sroufe, 1996). According to this, research on 5-, 12-, and 15-month-old infants has shown that an adult-like, late, non-linear pattern of cortical response to masked faces at various levels of visibility emerged as early as 5 months of age, starting around 900 ms, possibly due to the development of the right fusiform gyrus (Guy et al., 2016) and its increased sensitivity to fearful faces from 5 to 12 months (Xie et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2021). Subsequently, this late component shifted to a more sustained and faster response in older infants (~750 ms), to reach around 300 ms in adults (Kouider et al., 2013). Consequently, in infants aged 5–12 months exposed to facial expressions of happiness, fear, and anger with normal levels of visibility, the N290 event-related potential (ERP) component was found to be larger in amplitude in response to angry and happy faces than to angry ones, revealing greater cortical activation in the right fusiform face area, while the P400 and the negative-central (Nc) ERP components were found to be larger in amplitude in response to angry faces than to happy and fearful ones, revealing greater activation of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus associated with the allocation of infants' attention. Interestingly, these effects emerged at 5 months, became well established at 7 months, and then disappeared at 12 months (Xie et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2021). As extensively shown for sensory development (Berardi et al., 2003; Hübener and Bonhoeffer, 2014; Ribot et al., 2021), this evidence may suggest a sensitive period for emotional development (Woodard and Pollak, 2020) related, in particular, to the learning of safety (Porges, 2015, 2022)

Randomized trial on the effects of an EMDR intervention on traumatic and obsessive symptoms during the COVID-19 quarantine: a psychometric study

IntroductionIt has been suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic was a potentially traumatic occurrence that may have induced generalized anxiety and discomfort, particularly in susceptible populations like individuals with mental illnesses. The therapeutic approach known as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has been shown to be successful in helping patients process traumatic events and restore wellbeing. Nevertheless, little is known about the precise processes through which EMDR fosters symptom recovery. MethodsIn order to disentangle these issues, we conducted a randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT06110702) with 107 participants who were selected from university hospitals as a sample of investigation. Random assignments were applied to the participants in order to assign them to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group, but not the control group, underwent an 8-week EMDR intervention. Body perception, disgust, and emotions of guilt and shame, as well as mental contamination and posttraumatic and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, were investigated before and after the EMDR intervention.ResultsThe EMDR intervention was able to improve all of the variables investigated. Path analysis showed that body perception was able to predict both disgust and emotions of guilt and shame. Disgust was able to predict both mental contamination and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while guilt and shame were able to predict post-traumatic symptoms. ConclusionsEMDR is an effective therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic and obsessive symptoms that acts through the promotion of improvement of the emotions of guilt/shame and disgust, respectively. Implications for clinical practice are examined.Clinical trial registrationhttps://www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT06110702

Detection of bone defects using CBCT exam in an Italian population

Background. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo incidence and the location of fenestrations in a young Italian population by using CBCT. Materials and Methods. Fifty patients who had previously performed CBCT for planning third molar extraction or orthodontic therapy were selected for the study. No previous dental treatment had been performed on these patients. Overall, 1,395 teeth were evaluated. Root fenestrations were identified according to the definition of Davies and the American Association of Endodontists. Data was collected and statistically analyzed. Results. Fenestrations were observed in 159 teeth out of 1,395 (11% of teeth). In the lower jaw, we found 68 fenestrations (5%) and 91 in the maxilla (6,5%). Incisors were the teeth with the highest incidence of fenestrations. Conclusion.The relative common finding (11%)of fenestration supports the need for CBCT exams before any surgical/implant treatment to avoid complications related to the initial presence of fenestrations. CBCT was found to be an effective and convenient tool for diagnosing fenestration

Beneficial bacteria affect Danio rerio development by the modulation of maternal factors involved in autophagic, apoptotic and dorsalizing processes.

Background/Aims: Probiotic strains have been recognized to exert important roles in many biological systems, including immune response, growth, development and reproduction. However, to date, no studies have focused either on the relation among probiotics and maternal factors or on probiotics' ability to qualitatively and/or quantitatively modulate maternal transcripts. Methods: In this study, the effects of Lactobacillusrhamnosus administered to parental fish on the control of maternal factors involved in autophagic, apoptotic and dorsalizing processes during zebrafish embryo development were assessed through q-PCRs, WMISH and TUNEL assay. Results: The results we obtained show that probiotic induced significant changes in both maternal and zygotic mRNA levels involved in embryo development. The maternal autophagy-regulating genes herein investigated -ambra1a, ambra1b, beclin, lc3-, as well as those involved in the apoptotic process -caspase3, bcl2, bax- were modulated in disfavor and favor of the treated group, respectively. Also, the key transcripts ruling the dorsalizing process -goosecoid and chordin- were subject to a significant regulation of their gene expression. Conclusion: The results we acquired demonstrated that parentally administered Lactobacillusrhamnosus is able to modulate important physiological processes involved in zebrafish embryo development

The size criteria in minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy

BACKGROUND: Thyroid size is a very important criteria of MIVAT exclusion because the working space provided by the technique is limited. The aim of this work has been to verify the suitability of MIVAT and its applicability in clinical practice, not only in patients with a thyroid volume up to 25 ml but also in patients with a thyroid volume included from 25 to 50 ml. METHODS: From January 2003 to February 2006, 33 patients have been selected for MIVAT. A completely gasless procedure was carried out through a central 20 to 35 mm skin incision performed "high" between the cricoid and jugular notch. RESULTS: The patients were separated in 2 groups. The first group (less than 25 ml) included 23 patients, the second group (from 25 to 50 ml) included 10 patients. The skin incision performed was from 20 to 25 mm (mean 23.61 mm ± 1.83) long in the first group and from 25 to 35 mm (mean 27.8 mm ± 2.20) long in the second one; this difference is significant (t test p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study suggest that the MIVAT using for thyroids bigger than 25 ml and up to 50 ml in volume is feasible and safe. This way allows more patients, excluded before, to take the advantages of minimally invasive approach

Diel metabolic patterns in a migratory oceanic copepod

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Tarrant, A. M., McNamara-Bordewick, N., Blanco-Bercial, L., Miccoli, A., & Maas, A. E. Diel metabolic patterns in a migratory oceanic copepod. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 545, (2021): 151643, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2021.151643.Diel vertical migration of zooplankton profoundly impacts the transport of nutrients and carbon through the water column. Despite the acknowledged importance of this active flux to ocean biogeochemistry, these contributions remain poorly constrained, in part because daily variations in metabolic rates are not considered or are modeled as simple functions of temperature. To address this uncertainty, we sampled the subtropical copepod Pleuromamma xiphias at 4- to 7-h intervals throughout the daily migration and measured rates of oxygen consumption, ammonium excretion, fecal pellet production and metabolic enzyme activity. No significant patterns were detected in rates of oxygen consumption or ammonium excretion for freshly caught animals over the diel cycle. Fecal pellet production was highest during mid-night, consistent with several hours of feeding near the surface. Surface feeding resulted in fecal pellet production at depth in the morning, providing direct evidence that active flux of particulate organic carbon occurs in this region. Electron transport system activity was highest during the afternoon, contrary to our prediction of reduced daytime metabolism. Activity of both glutamate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase increased during early night, reflecting higher capacity for excretion and aerobic respiration, respectively. Overall, these results show that activities of metabolic enzymes vary during diel vertical migration. The surprising observation of elevated afternoon enzyme activity coupled with daytime fecal pellet and ammonium production suggests that additional characterization of the daytime activity of migratory zooplankton is warranted.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [Grants OCE-1829318 to AEMand LBB, and OCE-1829378 to AMT]. Support for NM-B was provided by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Summer Student Fellows Program

The minimally invasive open video-assisted approach in surgical thyroid diseases

BACKGROUND: The targets of minimally invasive surgery (MIVA) could be summarised by: achievement of the same results as those obtained with traditional surgery, less trauma, better post-operative course, early discharge from hospital and improved cosmetic results. The minimally invasive techniques in thyroid surgery can be described as either endoscopic "pure" approach (completely closed approach with or without CO(2 )insufflation), or "open approach" with central neck mini-incision or "open video-assisted approach". Traditionally, open thyroidectomy requires a 6 to 8 cm, or bigger, transverse wound on the lower neck. The minimally invasive approach wound is much shorter (1.5 cm for small nodules, up to 2–3 cm for the largest ones, in respect of the exclusion criteria) upon the suprasternal notch. Patients also experience much less pain after MIVA surgery than after conventional thyroidectomy. This is due to less dissection and destruction of tissues. Pathologies treated are mainly nodular goiter; the only kind of thyroid cancer which may be approached with endoscopic surgery is a small differentiated carcinoma without lymph node involvement. The patients were considered eligible for MIVA hemithyroidectomy and thyroidectomy on the basis of some criteria, such as gland volume and the kind of disease. In our experience we have chosen the minimally invasive open video-assisted approach of Miccoli et al. (2002). The aim of this work was to verify the suitability of the technique and the applicability in clinical practice. METHODS: A completely gasless procedure was carried out through a 15–30 mm central incision about 20 mm above the sternal notch. Dissection was mainly performed under endoscopic vision using conventional endoscopic instruments. The video aided group included 11 patients. All patients were women with a average age of 54. RESULTS: We performed thyroidectomy in 8 cases and hemithyroidectomy in 3 cases. The operative average time has been 170 minutes. CONCLUSION: Nowadays this minimally invasive surgery, in selected patients, clearly demonstrates excellent results regarding patient cure rate and comfort, with shorter hospital stay, reduced postoperative pain and most attractive cosmetic results

Spatially explicit effective reproduction numbers from incidence and mobility data

Current methods for near real-time estimation of effective reproduction numbers from surveillance data overlook mobility fluxes of infectors and susceptible individuals within a spatially connected network (the metapopulation). Exchanges of infections among different communities may thus be misrepresented unless explicitly measured and accounted for in the renewal equations. Here, we first derive the equations that include spatially explicit effective reproduction numbers, ℛk(t), in an arbitrary community k. These equations embed a suitable connection matrix blending mobility among connected communities and mobility-related containment measures. Then, we propose a tool to estimate, in a Bayesian framework involving particle filtering, the values of ℛk(t) maximizing a suitable likelihood function reproducing observed patterns of infections in space and time. We validate our tools against synthetic data and apply them to real COVID-19 epidemiological records in a severely affected and carefully monitored Italian region. Differences arising between connected and disconnected reproduction numbers (the latter being calculated with existing methods, to which our formulation reduces by setting mobility to zero) suggest that current standards may be improved in their estimation of disease transmission over time

Neurobiological outcomes of cognitive behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review

Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent distressing thoughts and repetitive behaviors, or mental rituals performed to reduce anxiety. Recent neurobiological techniques have been particularly convincing in suggesting that cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortico (CSTC) circuits, including orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and striatum regions (caudate nucleus and putamen), are responsible for mediation of OCD symptoms. However, it is still unclear how these regions are affected by OCD treatments in adult patients. To address this yet open question, we conducted a systematic review of all studies examining neurobiological changes before and after first-line psychological OCD treatment, i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Methods: Studies were included if they were conducted in adults with OCD and they assessed the neurobiological effects of CBT before and after treatment. Two databases were searched: PsycINFO and PubMed for the time frame up to May 2022. Results: We obtained 26 pre-post CBT treatment studies performed using different neurobiological techniques, namely functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Positron emission tomography (PET), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), 5-HT concentration, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), Electroencephalography (EEG). Neurobiological data show the following after CBT intervention: (i) reduced activations in OFC across fMRI, EEG, and rCBF; (ii) decreased activity in striatum regions across fMRI, rCBF, PET, and MRI; (iii) increased activations in cerebellum (CER) across fMRI and MRI; (iv) enhanced neurochemical concentrations in MRS studies in OFC, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and striatum regions. Most of these neurobiological changes are also accompanied by an improvement in symptom severity as assessed by a reduction in the Y-BOCS scores. Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral therapy seems to be able to restructure, modify, and transform the neurobiological component of OCD, in addition to the clinical symptoms. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to frame the OCD spectrum in a dimensional way