Sensory sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty and sex differences predicting anxiety in emerging adults

As multiple vulnerability factors have been defined for anxiety disorders, it is important to investigate the interactions among these factors to understand why and how some individuals develop anxiety. Sensory Sensitivity (SS) and Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) are independent vulnerability factors of anxiety, but their unique relationship in predicting anxiety has rarely been studied in non-clinical populations. The objective of this investigation was to examine the combined effects of SS and IU on self-reported anxiety in a sample of university students. In addition, with the frequently reported sex bias in anxiety literature, we expected that the combined effects of vulnerability factors would be different for females and males. A convenience sample of 313 university students, ages 17–26 years was recruited. The participants completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12), the Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results of moderated mediation analyses demonstrated a strong partial mediation between SS and anxiety through IU, providing evidence that IU, a cognitive bias against the unknown, was one mechanism that explained how SS was related to anxiety. Further, the effect of IU on anxiety was approximately twice as strong in females. Our results highlight the importance of studying the unique relationships among multiple vulnerability factors to better understand anxiety susceptibility in emerging adults.Supported by the Council for Research in the Social Sciences (CRISS) of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Brock University and Brock University's Library Open Access Publishing Fund

Sex differences in the association between cortical network dynamics and perceptual decision-making abilities in ADHD

In attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), atypical dynamics of large-scale cortical networks at rest (default-mode interference, as recorded through electroencephalogram/functional magnetic resonance imaging) are associated with lower perceptual decision making abilities. Theoretically, cortical network dynamics (which are thought to arise through altered dopaminergic signaling) impair the neural mechanisms underlying perceptual decision making abilities, and this impairment gives rise to many of the executive function deficits observed in ADHD. Here, we test whether the relationship between cortical network dynamics and perceptual decision making abilities differs as function of sex

Resting-state EEG dynamics help explain differences in response control in ADHD: Insight into electrophysiological mechanisms and sex differences.

Reductions in response control (greater reaction time variability and commission error rate) are consistently observed in those diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Previous research suggests these reductions arise from a dysregulation of large-scale cortical networks. Here, we extended our understanding of this cortical-network/response-control pathway important to the neurobiology of ADHD. First, we assessed how dynamic changes in three resting-state EEG network properties thought to be relevant to ADHD (phase-synchronization, modularity, oscillatory power) related with response control during a simple perceptual decision-making task in 112 children/adolescents (aged 8-16) with and without ADHD. Second, we tested whether these associations differed in males and females who were matched in age, ADHD-status and ADHD- subtype. We found that changes in oscillatory power (as opposed to phase-synchrony and modularity) are most related with response control, and that this relationship is stronger in ADHD compared to controls. Specifically, a tendency to dwell in an electrophysiological state characterized by high alpha/beta power (8-12/13-30Hz) and low delta/theta power (1-3/4-7Hz) supported response control, particularly in those with ADHD. Time in this state might reflect an increased initiation of alpha-suppression mechanisms, recruited by those with ADHD to suppress processing unfavourable to response control. We also found marginally significant evidence that this relationship is stronger in males compared to females, suggesting a distinct etiology for response control in the female presentation of ADHD

Response control differed between ADHD and controls.

Boxplots showing differences in reaction-time variability and task performance in ADHD and controls.</p

Correlations between dwell-times and attention problems/age.

Scatterplots showing bivariate correlations between dwell-times and attention problems/age.</p

Cortex-wide dynamics identified by HMM-power model.

(A) Portion of participants in each state at a given time-point throughout the resting state paradigm. (B) μ coefficients from the HMM-power model, showing the specific electrophysiological profile of each state.</p

Sex differences in the correlation between HMM-power dwell-times and RT-variability.

Scatterplots showing bivariate correlations between dwell-times and RT-variability, for both males and females.</p

Two-way ANOVA results.

Reductions in response control (greater reaction time variability and commission error rate) are consistently observed in those diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Previous research suggests these reductions arise from a dysregulation of large-scale cortical networks. Here, we extended our understanding of this cortical-network/response-control pathway important to the neurobiology of ADHD. First, we assessed how dynamic changes in three resting-state EEG network properties thought to be relevant to ADHD (phase-synchronization, modularity, oscillatory power) related with response control during a simple perceptual decision-making task in 112 children/adolescents (aged 8–16) with and without ADHD. Second, we tested whether these associations differed in males and females who were matched in age, ADHD-status and ADHD- subtype. We found that changes in oscillatory power (as opposed to phase-synchrony and modularity) are most related with response control, and that this relationship is stronger in ADHD compared to controls. Specifically, a tendency to dwell in an electrophysiological state characterized by high alpha/beta power (8-12/13-30Hz) and low delta/theta power (1-3/4-7Hz) supported response control, particularly in those with ADHD. Time in this state might reflect an increased initiation of alpha-suppression mechanisms, recruited by those with ADHD to suppress processing unfavourable to response control. We also found marginally significant evidence that this relationship is stronger in males compared to females, suggesting a distinct etiology for response control in the female presentation of ADHD.</div

Hidden Markov <i>μ</i> parameters.

Reductions in response control (greater reaction time variability and commission error rate) are consistently observed in those diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Previous research suggests these reductions arise from a dysregulation of large-scale cortical networks. Here, we extended our understanding of this cortical-network/response-control pathway important to the neurobiology of ADHD. First, we assessed how dynamic changes in three resting-state EEG network properties thought to be relevant to ADHD (phase-synchronization, modularity, oscillatory power) related with response control during a simple perceptual decision-making task in 112 children/adolescents (aged 8–16) with and without ADHD. Second, we tested whether these associations differed in males and females who were matched in age, ADHD-status and ADHD- subtype. We found that changes in oscillatory power (as opposed to phase-synchrony and modularity) are most related with response control, and that this relationship is stronger in ADHD compared to controls. Specifically, a tendency to dwell in an electrophysiological state characterized by high alpha/beta power (8-12/13-30Hz) and low delta/theta power (1-3/4-7Hz) supported response control, particularly in those with ADHD. Time in this state might reflect an increased initiation of alpha-suppression mechanisms, recruited by those with ADHD to suppress processing unfavourable to response control. We also found marginally significant evidence that this relationship is stronger in males compared to females, suggesting a distinct etiology for response control in the female presentation of ADHD.</div

Group differences in the correlation between HMM-power dwell-times and RT-variability.

Scatterplots showing bivariate correlations between dwell-times and RT-variability, for both controls and ADHD.</p