The predictive value of pain event-related potentials for the clinical experience of pain

Event-related potentials (ERPs) have been found to be related to subjective experience of experimental pain. But how are they related to the subjective experience of clinical pain? The current study investigated the predictive value of the pain ERP for the subjective experience of clinical pain. Event-related potentials in response to experimental pain were measured in 75 chronic low back pain sufferers. In addition, a two-week registration to note the amount of pain they experienced in daily life was done. The results demonstrate that the N2-component at Cz and C4 of the pain ERP (contralateral to the side of the stimulation) were significant predictors of clinical pain, and even stronger predictors than the accompanying subjective ratings of experimental pain. Thus, it seems promising to use event-related potentials as a more objective measure to make predictions about a person's likely pain experience in daily life

The Genetic Influence on the Cortical Processing of Experimental Pain and the Moderating Effect of Pain Status

Background: Research suggests that the COMT Val158Met, BDNF Val66Met and OPRM1 A118G polymorphisms moderate the experience of pain. In order to obtain experimental confirmation and extension of findings, cortical processing of experimentally-induced pain was used. - \ud Method: A sample of 78 individuals with chronic low back pain complaints and 37 healthy controls underwent EEG registration. Event-Related Potentials were measured in response to electrical nociceptive stimuli and moderation by COMT Val158Met, BDNF Val66Met and OPRM1 A118G polymorphisms was assessed. - \ud Results: Genetic variation did not have a direct effect on cortical processing of experimental pain. However, genetic effects (COMT Val158Met and BDNF Val66Met) on experimental pain were moderated by the presence of chronic pain. In the presence of chronic pain, the COMT Met allele and the BDNF Met allele augmented cortical pain processing, whilst reducing pain processing in pain-free controls. No significant effects were found concerning the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism. - \ud Conclusions: The current study suggests that chronic experience of pain enhances genetic sensitivity to experimentally induced mildly painful stimuli, possibly through a process of epigenetic modification

Adolescents’ Problematic Social Media Use: Agreement and Discrepancies Between Self- Versus Mother- and Father-Reports

Almost all research on adolescents’ problematic social media use (PSMU) utilizes self-reports of symptoms. Recently, parent-report scales have been validated. Yet, in order to use parent-reports, it is imperative to understand the level of agreement between self- and parent-reported adolescents’ PSMU. This study examined agreement and discrepancies between adolescent-, mother-, and father-reported adolescents’ PSMU (assessed with the Social Media Disorder scale) on classification, the overall number of symptoms, and individual symptom level. Data from 234 Dutch adolescents aged 10–19 years and their parents (160 mothers and 91 fathers) from the Digital Family project were used. Configural invariance was established across all dyads and scalar invariance across mothers and fathers. Across adolescents and mothers/fathers, partial scalar invariance was found (one of the nine-item thresholds appeared noninvariant). Overall, we found poor agreement, but the level of agreement seems biased by the low prevalence of PSMU. Positive agreement was lower for symptoms that are harder to observe. Parental over- and underreporting compared to adolescent self-reports on the number of PSMU symptoms occurred to the same extent. Moreover, parental over- and/or underreporting were related to the number of adolescent- and parent-reported adolescents’ PSMU symptoms, adolescents’ gender, and maternal worrying about children’s social media/gaming addiction. Researchers should be aware that self- and parent-reports are not (always) interchangeable

Predicting Adolescents’ Problematic Social Media Use From Profiles of Internet-Specific Parenting Practices and General Parenting Dimensions

Although both Internet-specific and general parenting have been linked to adolescents’ problematic social media use, until now they have been investigated as separate predictors of this behavior. As specific parenting practices occur in the broader general parenting context, this study examined how different Internet-specific parenting practices (Internet-specific rule setting, reactive restrictions towards Internet use, and co-use) and general parenting dimensions (responsiveness and autonomy-granting) co-occur, and act together in predicting adolescents’ problematic social media use. Four-wave data of 400 adolescents (T1: M age = 13.51 years, SD = 2.15, 54% girls) were used. Latent profile analysis identified three parenting profiles: Limiting and less supportive (13.5%), Tolerant and supportive (25.5%), and Limiting and supportive (60.8%). Membership to Tolerant and supportive predicted lower scores on prospective problematic social media use than membership to the other profiles. Besides, membership to Limiting and supportive predicted lower scores on problematic social media use than membership to Limiting and less supportive. No robust moderation effects of adolescents’ age and gender were found. These findings suggest that a supportive general parenting context rather than Internet use restrictions should be the focus when considering the prevention of adolescents’ problematic social media use

From greenwashing to screenwashing?: How the tech industry plays around with children's future

In this viewpoint, we introduce the term 'screenwashing', which describes the phenomenon whereby social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, pretend to be more socially responsible than they actually are. That is, social media platforms pretend to be thoughtful about children's health and the prevention of problematic social media use, but this often turns out to be nothing more than "a lick of paint". We describe how features like the one-hour notification on TikTok and Instagram are considered screenwashing and why we believe so. Screenwashing, an unethical practice, has the potential to mislead parents and young users. Consequently, we advocate for increased government intervention to protect our youth from the potential hazards associated with problematic social media use

A Qualitative Study on Children's Digital Media Use and Parents' Self-interest

This qualitative study provides insight into the role of parents' self-interest in digital media use of children in different age groups. We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with fathers/mothers of children aged 3-16 years who were recruited via targeted sampling. A deductive and inductive content analysis was applied. Results show that parents' self-interest in letting children use digital media includes being able to do other tasks without being bothered, having some me-time, managing children's behavior, avoiding discussions, having moments to use digital media themselves and spending quality-time together. In addition, we found that the manner in which parents let children use digital media out of self-interest seems to depend on age. With younger children, parents initiate digital media use or set times at which children are allowed to use digital media. With older children, parents use a passive manner by omitting restrictive responses to their children's media use. Current findings can be used to inform interventions aimed at reducing children's screen time

Combined immunodeficiency and Epstein-Barr virus-induced B cell malignancy in humans with inherited CD70 deficiency

In this study, we describe four patients from two unrelated families of different ethnicities with a primary immunodeficiency, predominantly manifesting as susceptibility to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–related diseases. Three patients presented with EBV-associated Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hypogammaglobulinemia; one also had severe varicella infection. The fourth had viral encephalitis during infancy. Homozygous frameshift or in-frame deletions in CD70 in these patients abolished either CD70 surface expression or binding to its cognate receptor CD27. Blood lymphocyte numbers were normal, but the proportions of memory B cells and EBV-specific effector memory CD8+ T cells were reduced. Furthermore, although T cell proliferation was normal, in vitro–generated EBV-specific cytotoxic T cell activity was reduced because of CD70 deficiency. This reflected impaired activation by, rather than effects during killing of, EBV-transformed B cells. Notably, expression of 2B4 and NKG2D, receptors implicated in controlling EBV infection, on memory CD8+ T cells from CD70-deficient individuals was reduced, consistent with their impaired killing of EBV-infected cells. Thus, autosomal recessive CD70 deficiency is a novel cause of combined immunodeficiency and EBV-associated diseases, reminiscent of inherited CD27 deficiency. Overall, human CD70–CD27 interactions therefore play a nonredundant role in T and B cell–mediated immunity, especially for protection against EBV and humoral immunity

Do social media foster or curtail adolescents' empathy? A longitudinal study

Recently, concerns have been raised that adolescents' prolific social media use may cause them to become less empathic. However, direct empirical evidence is missing and research suggests that social media use can also be beneficial for adolescents' psychosocial development. The present study aims to investigate whether and how social media use influences empathy. We surveyed 942 Dutch adolescents (10-14 years) twice, with a one-year interval. The results showed that social media use is related to an increase in cognitive and affective empathy over time. Specifically, adolescents' social media use improved both their ability to understand (cognitive empathy) and share the feelings of their peers (affective empathy)

Do social media foster or curtail adolescents' empathy? A longitudinal study

Recently, concerns have been raised that adolescents' prolific social media use may cause them to become less empathic. However, direct empirical evidence is missing and research suggests that social media use can also be beneficial for adolescents' psychosocial development. The present study aims to investigate whether and how social media use influences empathy. We surveyed 942 Dutch adolescents (10-14 years) twice, with a one-year interval. The results showed that social media use is related to an increase in cognitive and affective empathy over time. Specifically, adolescents' social media use improved both their ability to understand (cognitive empathy) and share the feelings of their peers (affective empathy)

Does Habituation Differ in Chronic Low Back Pain Subjects Compared to Pain-Free Controls? A Cross-Sectional Pain Rating ERP Study Reanalyzed with the ERFIA Multilevel Method

The objective of the present study was to investigate cortical differences between chronic low back pain (CLBP) subjects and pain-free controls with respect to habituation and processing of stimulus intensity. The use of a novel event-related fixed-interval areas (ERFIA) multilevel technique enables the analysis of event-related electroencephalogram (EEG) of the whole post stimulus range at a single trial level. This technique makes it possible to disentangle the cortical processes of habituation and stimulus intensity. In a cross-sectional study, 78 individuals with CLBP and 85 pain-free controls underwent a rating paradigm of 150 nonpainful and painful somatosensory electrical stimuli. For each trial, the entire epoch was partitioned into 20-ms ERFIAs, which acted as dependent variables in a multilevel analysis. The variability of each consecutive ERFIA period was modeled with a set of predictor variables, including 3 forms of habituation and stimulus intensity. Seventy-six pain-free controls and 65 CLBP subjects were eligible for analysis. CLBP subjects showed a significantly decreased linear habituation at 340 to 460 ms in the midline electrodes and C3 (Ps < .05) and had a significantly more pronounced dishabituation for the regions of 400 to 460 ms and 800 to 820 ms for all electrodes, except for T3 and T4 (Ps < .05). No significant group differences for stimulus intensity processing were observed. In this study, group differences with respect to linear habituation and dishabituation were demonstrated. By means of the ERFIA multilevel technique, habituation effects were found in a broad post stimulus range and were not solely limited to peaks. This study suggests that habituation may be a key mechanism involved in the transition process to chronic pain. Future studies with a longitudinal design are required to solve this issue