The sense of relational entitlement and discrepancies between ideal and actual partner and relationship standards

Provedeno je istraživanje inspirirano modelom idealnih standarda, koji se bavi sadržajem i funkcijama standarda u bliskim vezama. Prema modelu, ljudi imaju stalno dostupne idealne standarde, koji se odnose na tri osnovne dimenzije partnera (toplinapovjerenje, vitalnost-atraktivnost i status-resurs) i dvije dimenzije veze (intimnost-odanost i strast), s kojima uspoređuju aktualnog partnera i vezu, a stupanj podudarnosti ili diskrepancije služi objašnjenju, evaluaciji i regulaciji veze, partnera i sebe kao partnera. Budući da se nalazi o idealnim standardima i (ne)podudarnosti između idealnih i aktualnih značajki u literaturi često interpretiraju u terminima očekivanja, prava i zasluga u vezi, cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati percepciju prava i zasluga u vezi, koja, kao percepcija onoga što osoba smatra da zaslužuje u vezi, odražava stupanj u kojem pojedinac od romantičnog partnera očekuje zadovoljenje vlastitih relacijskih potreba, želja i fantazija. Prethodna istraživanja i tumačenja sugeriraju distinkciju između dvije šire kategorije prava: adekvatnog, (asertivnog) i neadekvatnih (pretjeranih i ograničenih) percipiranih prava u vezi. Provedeno je korelacijsko istraživanje na prigodnom uzorku od 228 ispitanika koji su popunili mjere percepcije idealnih i aktualnih značajki partnera i veze te percepcije prava u vezi. Osim latentnih struktura ovih mjera, analizirane su razlike u rezultatima s obzirom na spol ispitanika i aktualni status veze. Analiza korelacija između rezultata na mjerama percepcije prava u vezi i značajki partnera i veze ukazala je na povezanost aktualnih/ idealnih standarda s određenim formama prava u vezi. Podudarnost vlastitih aktualnih i idealnih značajki je povezana s većim očekivanjima i manjom inhibicijom vlastitih prava u vezi. Podudarnosti aktualnih i idealnih značajki partnera i veze su negativno povezane s usmjerenošću na negativno. Asertivna prava su generalno pozitivno povezana s (idealnom) toplinom, dok je osjetljivost u negativnoj korelaciji s aktualnim procjenama partnera i veze.The conducted research was inspired by the Ideal Standards Model, which deals with the content and functions of standards in close relationships. According to the model, people hold chronically accessible ideal standards, which refer to three basic partner dimensions (Warmth-Trustworthiness, Vitality-Attractiveness and Status-Resources) and two relationship dimensions (Intimacy-Loyalty and Passion), with which they compare their actual partner and relationship. The degree of consistency/ discrepancy serves to explain, evaluate and regulate the relationship, partner and themselves as a partner. Since the findings about ideal standards and (non)consistencies between ideal and actual features in literature are often interpreted in terms of expectations, rights and deservingness in relationships, this research aimed to examine the sense of relational entitlement, which, as the subjective perception of what one deserves in a relationship, reflects the extent to which an individual expects his or her relational wishes, needs and fantasies to be fulfilled by a partner. Previous research and theorizing suggested distinction between two broader categories of entitlement: adequate, (assertive) and inadequate (excessive and restricted) sense of relational entitlement. Correlational study was conducted on a convenience sample of 228 participants, who completed measures of ideal and actual partner and relationship features and sense of relational entitlement. Apart from the latent structures of these measures, the differences on results regarding gender and current relationship status were analyzed. Analysis of correlations between results on measures of sense of relational entitlement and partner and relationship features suggested that actual/ ideal standards are related to some forms of relational entitlement. Consistency between actual and ideal self features is related to higher Expectations and less Restricted entitlement. Consistencies between actual and ideal features of the partner and relationship are negatively related to Vigilance on negative aspects. Assertive rights are generally positively related to (ideal) Warmth-Trustworthiness, while Sensitivity is in a negative relationship with actual partner and relationship perceptions

Tryptophan metabolites in depression: Modulation by gut microbiota

Clinical depression is a multifactorial disorder and one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. The alterations in tryptophan metabolism such as changes in the levels of serotonin, kynurenine, and kynurenine acid have been implicated in the etiology of depression for more than 50 years. In recent years, accumulated evidence has revealed that gut microbial communities, besides being essential players in various aspects of host physiology and brain functioning are also implicated in the etiology of depression, particularly through modulation of tryptophan metabolism. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the evidence of the role of gut bacteria in disturbed tryptophan metabolism in depression. We summed up the effects of microbiota on serotonin, kynurenine, and indole pathway of tryptophan conversion relevant for understanding the pathogenesis of depressive behavior. Moreover, we reviewed data regarding the therapeutic effects of probiotics, particularly through the regulation of tryptophan metabolites. Taken together, these findings can open new possibilities for further improvement of treatments for depression based on the microbiota-mediated modulation of the tryptophan pathway

Antidepresant fluoxetine normalizes brain JNKs signaling impaired by chronic stress in female but not in male wistar rats

c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are important stress-responsive kinases that act as mediators in synaptic remodeling and neuronal degeneration in response to stress and, thus receiving considerable attention as potential therapeutic targets. In the present study, we investigated how exposure to chronic stress (chronic psychosocial isolation, CPSI) and subsequent therapy with antidepressant fluoxetine (FLU) affects the nuclear JNKs signalling and its phosphorylation status in the hippocampus (HIPPO) of the female and male Wistar rats. Our results showed that CPSI disrupted nuclear JNKs signaling in a gender specific way, while concomitant FLU treatment normalized JNKs only in HIPPO of females.Physical chemistry 2012 : 11th international conference on fundamental and applied aspects of physical chemistry; Belgrade (Serbia); 24-28 September 201

Chronic stress and concomitant fluoxetine treatment exert gender-specific effects on behavior and hippocampal Cd5 signaling in wistar rats

Depression is one of the most pervasive and debilitating stress-related psychiatric diseases worldwide. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is of particular importance for normal adult brain functioning and has recently been associated with anxiety and depressive disorders. In the present study, we investigated how alterations in depressive-like behavior are accompanied by the changes in hippocampal Cdk5/p35/p25 signaling in female and male Wistar rats exposed to chronic psychosocial isolation (CPSI) and concomitant antidepressant fluoxetine (FLU) treatment. Our results showed that CPSI induced different behavioral responses in female and male rats which were accompanied by dissimilarities in Cdk5/p35/p25 signaling. The effect of concomitant FLU treatment was also gender-specific regarding behavioral responses and Cdk5 levels, but gender-independent regarding p35 levels, which was accompanied with normalization of female and male rat behavior.Physical chemistry 2012 : 11th international conference on fundamental and applied aspects of physical chemistry; Belgrade (Serbia); 24-28 September 201

Association of female gonadal hormones and immunity in depression

In this study, we examined the influence of immunity on depressive-like behavior in females in the context of gonadal hormones. We used neuroinflammatory model of depression elicited by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration on naïve and ovariectomozed (OVX) females and examined the effects of estradiol (E2) and/or progesterone (P4) replacement therapy on Wistar rat behavior. LPS induced depressive–like behavior in both naïve and OVX females. Our behavioral data indicated that E2 and P4 applied alone had opposite effects compared to the E2/P4 combination. The supplementation of both hormones attenuates detrimental effects of LPSinduced inflammation, particularly through stimulation of noradrenergic transmission. Overall immune challenge with LPS is able to induce depressive-like behavior either of naïve or ovariectomized females, particularly depending on ovarian hormones background

Maternal Deprivation of Rat Pups Reduces Body Weight and Alters Behavior in Adulthood in a Gender-Specific Manner

The early postnatal environment is critical for its capacity to influence adult behavior, and is associated with traits of altered physiological and neurobiological function and long-term predisposition to depression. Here we describe the delayed effects of maternal deprivation (MD) in male and female Wistar pups on their physical development and behavior in adulthood in tasks designed to explore depressive-like (forced swimming test, FST), and anxiety-like behaviors (elevated plus maze, EPM). We observed that MD led to reduced body weight in adulthood, anxiety-like traits in the EPM test and increased activity in the phases of the FST. Particularly, a consistent sexual dimorphism was observed in the responses to MD. A lower increase in body weight during maturation of MD rats was more pronounced in males than in females. MD anxiogenic effects were more pronounced in females, while in FST only MD males showed a marked increase in swimming activity followed by decreased immobility

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE REDUCTION OF PAIN DURING ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND NERVE CONDUCTION STUDIES

Background: Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) are an unpleasant and sometimes painful examinations. Pain can reduce patient’s compliance and have a negative effect on the examination results. Different studies rep ort that music affects pain perception by acting as a distractor, by inducing positive emotional valence or through the concept of convergence of different sensory modalities. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of music and different environment al and sociodemographic factors on pain perception during EMG and NCS. Subjects and methods: Sixty patients with suspected neuromuscular disease were randomized into music and control group. Specific questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, examination waiting time, examination extent and biometeorological forecast. The numerical rating scale was used for the evaluation of pain. The examiner evaluated patient’ s compliance after the examination. Results: NCS was less painful for patients in the music group (p=0.03), as well as for more cooperative patients (p=0.011). For patients who previously underwent EMG/NCS, present NCS was more painful (p=0.001), regardless of the music intervention (p=0.019). EMG was more painful for older patients (p=0.041). Patients with lower level of education reported lower pain during NCS (p=0.026). Gender, financial satisfaction, biometeorological forecast, diabetes, depression or malignant disease, use and dosing of analgesics or antidepressants, symptoms, examination waiting time and the examination extent had no effect on pain perception. Conclusions: Music significantly decreased the perception of pain associated with NCS, but not the EMG portion of the examination. During EMG pain level was not significantly reduced, but the median of pain was still lower. Generally, the pain l evel during NCS, unlike the one during EMG, was affected by patients\u27 compliance, level of education and painful predetermination. W e propose using music during EMG/NCS because it can make the examination more comfortable for the patient and thus contribute to better quality of this examination

Osetljivost tri testa za određivanje antitela na receptor za tireostimulišući hormon kod pacijenata sa orbitopatijom udruženom sa štitnom žlezdom

Background: Thyrotropin receptor autoantibodies (TSH-R-Ab) are indispensable biomarkers in the laboratory assessment of thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO). Clinical sensitivity of three different assays for TSH-R-Ab determination was evaluated in patients with TAO. Methods: 87 consecutive TAO patients were enrolled and their serum samples analyzed in parallel with three assays. An ECLIA competitive binding and a chemiluminescent bridge immunoassay were used to measure total and bind-ing TSH-R-Ab concentration, while their functional activity was determined using a stimulatory TSH-R-Ab (TSAb) cell-based bioassay. Results: Compared to the two binding assays (ECLIA p<0.001, bridge p=0.003), the TSAb bioassay was more sensitive pertaining to the positive detection of TSH-R-Ab in TAO patients. No difference (p=0.057) was noted between the ECLIA and bridge assays regarding sensitivity rate. All patients with active and/or moderate-to-severe TAO tested positive in the TSAb bioassay (100% and 100%, respectively), while the positivity rates for bridge and ECLIA binding assays were 89.7% and 82.1% for active TAO, and 90.2% and 86.3% for severe TAO, respectively. Negative predictive values of the bioassay, bridge, and ECLIA assays were 100%, 75%, and 71%, respectively for active TAO, and 100%, 86%, and 71%, respectively for moderate-to-severe TAO. The superiority of the bioassay was most prominent in euthyroid (ET) TAO. Positivity rates of the TSAb bioassay, bridge and ECLIA binding assays were 89.6%, 75%, and 64.6%, respectively for inactive TAO; 86.1%, 69.4%, and 52.8%, respectively for mild TAO; 87.5%, 62.5%, and 12.5%, respectively for euthyroid TAO. The bridge assay correlated better with the ECLIA binding assay (r=0.893, p<0.001), compared to the bioassay (r=0.669, p<0.001). Conclusions: In patients with TAO of various activity and severity, the TSAb bioassay demonstrates a superior clinical performance compared to both ECLIA and bridge binding assays.Uvod: Autoantitela na receptore za tireostimulišući hormon (TSH-R-Ab) su nezamenljivi biomarkeri u laboratorijskoj proceni orbitopatije udru'ene sa štitnom žlezdom (TAO). U radu je procenjena klinička osetljivost tri različita testa za određivanje TSH-R-Ab kod pacijenata sa TAO. Metode: U studiju je ključeno 87 uzastopnih pacijenata sa TAO i njihovi uzorci seruma su analizirani paralelno sa tri testa. Za merenje ukupne i vezujuće koncentracije TSH-RAb korišćeni su ECLIA imunohemijski test kompetitivnog vezivanja i hemiluminiscentni imunohemijski "sendvič" test, dok je njihova funkcionalna aktivnost određena pomoću ćelijskog biološkog testa (bioeseja) za određivanje stimulatornih TSH-R-Ab (TSAb). Rezultati: U poređenju sa dva imunohemijska testa vezivanja (ECLIA P<0,001, "sendvič test" P=0,003), TSAb bioesej se pokazao najosetljivijim u pogledu pozitivne detekcije TSH-RAb kod TAO pacijenata. Nikakva razlika nije detektovana (P=0,057) između ECLIA i "sendvič" testa u pogledu stope osetljivosti. TSAb bioesej je bio pozitivan kod svih pacijenata sa aktivnom i/ili umerenom do teškom TAO (redom 100% i 100%), dok su stope pozitivnosti za sendvič i ECLIA imunohemijski test bile 89,7% i 82,1% za aktivnu TAO, i 90,2% i 86,3% za tešku TAO, redom. Negativne prediktivne vrednosti bioeseja, "sendvič" i ECLIA testova bile su redom 100%, 75% i 71%, za aktivnu TAO, odnosno 100%, 86% i 71%, redom za umerenu do tešku TAO. Superiornost biološke analize bila je najistaknutija kod eutiroidnog oblika (ET) TAO. Stope pozitivnosti TSAb bioeseja, "sendvič" i ECLIA testova vezivanja bile su redom 89,6%, 75% i 64,6%, za neaktivnu TAO; 86,1%, 69,4% i 52,8% za blagu TAO; 87,5%, 62,5% i 12,5% za eutiroidni TAO. "Sendvič" imunohemijski test je bio u boljoj korelaciji sa ECLIA testom kompetitivnog vezivanja (r=0,893, P<0,001), u poređenju sa bioesejom (r=0,669, P<0,001). Zaključak: Kod pacijenata sa TAO različite aktivnosti i težine TSAb bioesej pokazuje superiorne kliničke performanse u poređenju sa obe vrste imunohemijskih testova vezivanja (ECLIA i "sendvič test")

Fluoxetine normalized nuclear phospho erk1/2 signaling in stressed females

A growing body of evidence indicates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) participates in various stress-induced responses which isconsider to beinvolved in pathophysiology of depression. Surprisingly, the effect of antidepressants on ERKs is almost unexplored, particularly from the perspective of sexes.In the present study, we investigated the potential role of cytoplasm-nuclear distribution of phospho-ERK1/2 in the hippocampus of chronically stressed female and male Wistar rats and if those potential changes could be attenuated with chronic fluoxetine treatment. In females, stress induced cytosolic retention of phospho-ERKs, while in malesitpromoted the nuclear translocation of phospho-ERK 1/2. The effect of concomitant fluoxetine treatment was more pronounced in stressed females, with main focus on normalization of its nuclear phospho-ERK 1/2 levels

Effects of Female Gonadal Hormones and Lps on Depressive-Like Behavior in Rats

Considerable evidence shows an association of depression with the immune system and emphasizes the importance of gender in the etiology of the disease and the response to inflammatory stimuli. We examined the influence of immune-challenged systems on depressive-like behavior in female rats in the context of gonadal hormones. We used a neuroinflammatory model of depression elicited by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration on naive and ovariectomized (OVX) female rats, and examined the effects of estradiol (E2) and/or progesterone (P4) replacement therapy on animal behavior, as assessed by the forced swimming test (FST). We found that LPS and OVX increase immobility in the FST, while LPS also decreased body weight in naive female rats. Further, even though P4 application alone showed beneficial effects on the behavioral profile (it reduced immobility and increased climbing), supplementation of both hormones (E2 and P4) together to OVX rats failed to do so. When OVX rats were exposed to LPS-induced immune challenge, neither hormone individually nor their combination had any effect on immobility, however, their joint supplementation increased climbing behavior. In conclusion, our study confirmed that both LPS and OVX induced depressive-like behavior in female rats. Furthermore, our results potentiate P4 supplementation in relieving the depressive-like symptomatology in OVX rats, most likely through fine-tuning of different neurotransmitter systems. In the context of an activated immune system, the application of E2 and/or P4 does not provide any advantageous effects on depressive-like behavior