Threat memory reminder under matrix metalloproteinase 9 inhibitor doxycycline globally reduces subsequent memory plasticity

Associative memory can be rendered malleable by a reminder. Blocking the ensuing re-consolidation process is suggested as a therapeutic target for unwanted aversive memories. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 is required for structural synapse remodelling involved in memory consolidation. Inhibiting MMP-9 with doxycycline is suggested to attenuate human threat conditioning. Here, we investigate whether MMP-9 inhibition also interferes with threat memory re-consolidation. N=78 male and female human participants learned the association between two visual conditioned stimuli (CS+) and a 50% chance of an unconditioned nociceptive stimulus (US), and between CS- and the absence of US. On day 7, one CS+ was reminded without reinforcement 3.5 hours after ingesting either 200 mg doxycycline, or placebo. On day 14, retention of CS memory was assessed under extinction, by fear-potentiated startle. Contrary to our expectations, we observed a greater CS+/CS- difference in participants who were reminded under doxycycline, compared to placebo. Participants who were reminded under placebo showed extinction learning during the retention test, which was not observed in the doxycycline group. There was no difference between the reminded and the non-reminded CS+ in either group. In contrast, during re-learning after the retention test, CS+/CS- difference was more pronounced in the placebo than the doxycycline group. To summarize, a single dose of doxycycline appeared to have no specific impact on re-consolidation, but to globally impair extinction learning, and threat re-learning, after drug clearance.MMP-9 inhibition appears to attenuate memory consolidation. It could also be a target for blocking reconsolidation. Here, we test this hypothesis in human threat conditioning. We find that doxycycline has no specific impact on a reminded cue, but confers a global reduction in extinction learning and threat learning beyond the clearance of the drug. This may point towards a more long-lasting impact of doxycycline treatment on memory plasticity

The Effect of a Slowly Rocking Bed on Sleep

Rocking movements appear to affect human sleep. Recent research suggested a facilitated transition from wake to sleep and a boosting of slow oscillations and sleep spindles due to lateral rocking movements during an afternoon nap. This study aimed at investigating the effect of vestibular stimulation on sleep onset, nocturnal sleep and its potential to increase sleep spindles and slow waves, which could influence memory performance. Polysomnography was recorded in 18 males (age: 20-28 years) during three nights: movement until sleep onset (C1), movement for 2 hours (C2), and one baseline (B) without motion. Sleep dependent changes in memory performance were assessed with a word-pair learning task. Although subjects preferred nights with vestibular stimulation, a facilitated sleep onset or a boost in slow oscillations was not observed. N2 sleep and the total number of sleep spindles increased during the 2 h with vestibular stimulation (C2) but not over the entire night. Memory performance increased over night but did not differ between conditions. The lack of an effect might be due to the already high sleep efficiency (96%) and sleep quality of our subjects during baseline. Nocturnal sleep in good sleepers might not benefit from the potential facilitating effects of vestibular stimulation

Bestandserhebung Anti-Stigma-Aktivitäten in Österreich 2019 - Teil 2

Hintergrund/Aufgabenstellung/Fragestellung: Das Stigma psychischer Erkrankungen stellt ein komplexes soziokulturelles Phänomen mit weitreichenden gesundheitspolitischen Konsequenzen dar. Im Zuge der Arbeiten am österreichischen Gesundheitsziel 9, "Psychosoziale Gesundheit bei allen Bevölkerungsgruppen fördern", wurde deshalb die Kompetenzgruppe Entstigmatisierung gebildet, ein Mental-Health-in-All-Policies-Expertengremium, das Empfehlungen für ein multistrategisches Vorgehen gegen Stigma in Österreich erarbeiten soll. Als ersten Schritt dazu führte es die vorliegende Bestandserhebung der bereits bestehenden Anti-Stigma-Aktivitäten in Österreich durch. Methode: Zur Erfassung der Anti-Stigma-Aktivitäten in Österreich wurde ein Erhebungsbogen entwickelt, der von Juni bis September 2019 mittels Schneeballverfahren über ausgewählte Verteiler versandt wurde. Dabei wurde das Themenfeld Entstigmatisierung weiter gefasst, sodass neben den in der Anti-Stigma-Arbeit üblichen Bewusstseinsbildungsaktivitäten auch Aktivitäten zum Schutz vor Diskriminierung und zur Inklusion von Menschen mit psychischen Erkrankungen berücksichtigt werden konnten. Die eingelangten Aktivitäten wurden nach Themenschwerpunkten, Interventionsebenen, Zielgruppen, Settings und Bereichen gruppiert und zusammenfassend beschrieben. Ergebnisse: Über 200 der gemeldeten Aktivitäten wurden als Anti-Stigma-Aktivitäten gezählt. Rund 60 Prozent der Aktivitäten wurden in erster Linie der Interventionsebene Bewusstseinsbildung zugeordnet. Davon waren bei nur einem Drittel der Aktivitäten die Begegnung mit Betroffenen und die Verbreitung von Erfahrungsberichten wichtige Bestandteile der Intervention. Der überwiegende Anteil der eingemeldeten Aktivitäten in Österreich wird von psychosozialen Versorgungs- und Gesundheitsanbietern initiiert. [...