Neuroscientific, psychological and clinical-philosophical approaches to voice-hearing : a critical systematic review

Tackling the complexity of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) or voice-hearing phenomena in schizophrenia requires an interdisciplinary approach for their better understanding, and ultimately for their treatment. One initial, but far reaching obstacle on the way to an appropriate understanding of voice-hearing is that there is no consensus on how such phenomena are best conceptualised. Given the various dimensions in which voice-hearing experiences can be described (e.g., audibility, personification, relationality) it is not obvious which of them constitute core features of voice-hearing. In the present thesis, it is proposed that the experience of a communication moment is a promising candidate for such a core feature. Moreover, studies from the areas of neuroscience, psychology, as well as clinical philosophy are systematically reviewed in order to examine how voice-hearing is conceptualised and studied in these disciplines. Methodological, as well as conceptual shortcomings of these approaches are critically discussed. Whereas neuroscientific accounts of voice-hearing have focused on self-monitoring accounts, clinical-philosophical accounts of voice-hearing in schizophrenia have focused on general alterations of experience as basis for the occurrence of voice-hearing. Psychological approaches to voice-hearing stress its relational nature. Such accounts have largely been developed separately and their compatibility is not obvious, also because of differing metaphysical assumptions of different disciplines. It is proposed that a phenomenological-ecological standpoint may be valuable for the contextualisation of results regarding voice-hearing from different disciplines, avoiding the pitfalls of reductionist conceptions of voice-hearing. Practical implications for an interdisciplinary research of AVHs are also derived.A complexidade dos fenómenos de ―alucinações auditivas verbais‖ (AAV) ou ―ouvir vozes‖ na esquizofrenia requer uma abordagem interdisciplinar para a sua melhor compreensão e, ultimamente, tratamento. Um obstáculo inicial, mas de grande relevância, no caminho para uma compreensão adequada de ―ouvir vozes‖ é não haver consenso sobre como tais fenómenos são melhor conceptualizados. Dadas as várias dimensões em que as experiências de ouvir vozes possam ser descritas (p.ex., audibilidade, personificação, relação), não é óbvio quais sejam as principais características de ―ouvir vozes‖. Na presente tese, é proposto que uma experiência de um momento comunicativo seja candidata promissora a para tal característica principal. Além disso, estudos das áreas de neurociência, psicologia, bem como da filosofia clínica são sistematicamente revistos para examinar como ―ouvir vozes‖ é conceptualizado e estudado nessas disciplinas. As deficiências metodológicas, bem como conceptuais destas abordagens são discutidas criticamente. Considerando que as abordagens neurocientíficas de ouvir vozes se concentraram em auto-monitorização, as abordagens clínico-filosóficas de ouvir vozes na esquizofrenia têm como foco as alterações gerais de experiência como base para a ocorrência de ouvir vozes. As abordagens psicológicas salientam que experiências de ouvir vozes são de natureza relacional. Tais abordagens foram amplamente desenvolvidas separadamente e a sua compatibilidade não é óbvia – devido também a diferentes hipóteses metafísicas de diferentes disciplinas. Propõe-se que um ponto de vista fenomenológico-ecológico possa ser valioso para a contextualização dos resultados em relação a ouvir vozes de diferentes disciplinas, evitando as armadilhas das concepções reducionistas de ―ouvir vozes‖. Implicações práticas para uma investigação interdisciplinar de AAVs também são deduzidas

Seven steps toward more transparency in statistical practice

Item does not contain fulltextWe argue that statistical practice in the social and behavioural sciences benefits from transparency, a fair acknowledgement of uncertainty and openness to alternative interpretations. Here, to promote such a practice, we recommend seven concrete statistical procedures: (1) visualizing data; (2) quantifying inferential uncertainty; (3) assessing data preprocessing choices; (4) reporting multiple models; (5) involving multiple analysts; (6) interpreting results modestly; and (7) sharing data and code. We discuss their benefits and limitations, and provide guidelines for adoption. Each of the seven procedures finds inspiration in Merton’s ethos of science as reflected in the norms of communalism, universalism, disinterestedness and organized scepticism. We believe that these ethical considerations - as well as their statistical consequences - establish common ground among data analysts, despite continuing disagreements about the foundations of statistical inference.8 p

Tears evoke the intention to offer social support: A systematic investigation of the interpersonal effects of emotional crying across 41 countries

Tearful crying is a ubiquitous and likely uniquely human phenomenon. Scholars have argued that emotional tears serve an attachment function: Tears are thought to act as a social glue by evoking social support intentions. Initial experimental studies supported this proposition across several methodologies, but these were conducted almost exclusively on participants from North America and Europe, resulting in limited generalizability. This project examined the tears-social support intentions effect and possible mediating and moderating variables in a fully pre-registered study across 7007 participants (24,886 ratings) and 41 countries spanning all populated continents. Participants were presented with four pictures out of 100 possible targets with or without digitally-added tears. We confirmed the main prediction that seeing a tearful individual elicits the intention to support, d = 0.49 [0.43, 0.55]. Our data suggest that this effect could be mediated by perceiving the crying target as warmer and more helpless, feeling more connected, as well as feeling more empathic concern for the crier, but not by an increase in personal distress of the observer. The effect was moderated by the situational valence, identifying the target as part of one's group, and trait empathic concern. A neutral situation, high trait empathic concern, and low identification increased the effect. We observed high heterogeneity across countries that was, via split-half validation, best explained by country-level GDP per capita and subjective well-being with stronger effects for higher-scoring countries. These findings suggest that tears can function as social glue, providing one possible explanation why emotional crying persists into adulthood.</p

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world

3-(1&lt;em&gt;H&lt;/em&gt;-Indol-3-yl)-4-(morpholin-4-yl)cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione

3-(1&lt;em&gt;H&lt;/em&gt;-Indol-3-yl)-4-(morpholin-4-yl)cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione was obtained in good yields (72–82%) by nucleophilic substitution of 3-chloro-4-(1&lt;em&gt;H&lt;/em&gt;-indol-3-yl)cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione with morpholine

Tears evoke the intention to offer social support: A systematic investigation of the interpersonal effects of emotional crying across 41 countries

From Elsevier via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-03-18, epub 2021-04-13, issue date 2021-07-31Article version: AMPublication status: PublishedFunder: National Science Centre, Poland; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004281; Grant(s): 2015/19/D/HS6/00641, 2019/35/B/HS6/00528Funder: Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange; Grant(s): PPN/BEK/2019/1/00092/DEC/1Funder: Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology; Grant(s): UID/PSI/03125/2020Funder: Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office; Grant(s): FK128614Funder: Hungarian Brain Research Programme; Grant(s): 2017-1.2.1-NKP-2017-00002Funder: Open University of Israel; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/100008509; Grant(s): 509993-2018Tearful crying is a ubiquitous and likely uniquely human phenomenon. Scholars have argued that emotional tears serve an attachment function: Tears are thought to act as a social glue by evoking social support intentions. Initial experimental studies supported this proposition across several methodologies, but these were conducted almost exclusively on participants from North America and Europe, resulting in limited generalizability. This project examined the tears-social support intentions effect and possible mediating and moderating variables in a fully pre-registered study across 7007 participants (24,886 ratings) and 41 countries spanning all populated continents. Participants were presented with four pictures out of 100 possible targets with or without digitally-added tears. We confirmed the main prediction that seeing a tearful individual elicits the intention to support, d = 0.49 [0.43, 0.55]. Our data suggest that this effect could be mediated by perceiving the crying target as warmer and more helpless, feeling more connected, as well as feeling more empathic concern for the crier, but not by an increase in personal distress of the observer. The effect was moderated by the situational valence, identifying the target as part of one's group, and trait empathic concern. A neutral situation, high trait empathic concern, and low identification increased the effect. We observed high heterogeneity across countries that was, via split-half validation, best explained by country-level GDP per capita and subjective well-being with stronger effects for higher-scoring countries. These findings suggest that tears can function as social glue, providing one possible explanation why emotional crying persists into adulthood

Tears evoke the intention to offer social support: A systematic investigation of the interpersonal effects of emotional crying across 41 countries

Tearful crying is a ubiquitous and likely uniquely human phenomenon. Scholars have argued that emotional tears serve an attachment function: Tears are thought to act as a social glue by evoking social support intentions. Initial experimental studies supported this proposition across several methodologies, but these were conducted almost exclusively on participants from North America and Europe, resulting in limited generalizability. This project examined the tears-social support intentions effect and possible mediating and moderating variables in a fully pre-registered study across 7007 participants (24,886 ratings) and 41 countries spanning all populated continents. Participants were presented with four pictures out of 100 possible targets with or without digitally-added tears. We confirmed the main prediction that seeing a tearful individual elicits the intention to support, d = 0.49 [0.43, 0.55]. Our data suggest that this effect could be mediated by perceiving the crying target as warmer and more helpless, feeling more connected, as well as feeling more empathic concern for the crier, but not by an increase in personal distress of the observer. The effect was moderated by the situational valence, identifying the target as part of one's group, and trait empathic concern. A neutral situation, high trait empathic concern, and low identification increased the effect. We observed high heterogeneity across countries that was, via split-half validation, best explained by country-level GDP per capita and subjective well-being with stronger effects for higher-scoring countries. These findings suggest that tears can function as social glue, providing one possible explanation why emotional crying persists into adulthood

Actively personalized vaccination trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma

Patients with glioblastoma currently do not sufficiently benefit from recent breakthroughs in cancer treatment that use checkpoint inhibitors1,2. For treatments using checkpoint inhibitors to be successful, a high mutational load and responses to neoepitopes are thought to be essential3. There is limited intratumoural infiltration of immune cells4 in glioblastoma and these tumours contain only 30–50 non-synonymous mutations5. Exploitation of the full repertoire of tumour antigens—that is, both unmutated antigens and neoepitopes—may offer more effective immunotherapies, especially for tumours with a low mutational load. Here, in the phase I trial GAPVAC-101 of the Glioma Actively Personalized Vaccine Consortium (GAPVAC), we integrated highly individualized vaccinations with both types of tumour antigens into standard care to optimally exploit the limited target space for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Fifteen patients with glioblastomas positive for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02:01 or HLA-A*24:02 were treated with a vaccine (APVAC1) derived from a premanufactured library of unmutated antigens followed by treatment with APVAC2, which preferentially targeted neoepitopes. Personalization was based on mutations and analyses of the transcriptomes and immunopeptidomes of the individual tumours. The GAPVAC approach was feasible and vaccines that had poly-ICLC (polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid-poly-l-lysine carboxymethylcellulose) and granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor as adjuvants displayed favourable safety and strong immunogenicity. Unmutated APVAC1 antigens elicited sustained responses of central memory CD8+ T cells. APVAC2 induced predominantly CD4+ T cell responses of T helper 1 type against predicted neoepitopes.</p