Elevated central serotonin levels inhibit emotional crying

Previous research has suggested a possible role of serotonin in emotional expressions, such as crying. We have found that a transient increase of central serotonin levels by means of oral administration of paroxetine reduces crying in response to emotional movies in healthy female volunteers. This is the first direct evidence of an important role of serotonin in this uniquely human emotional response

The association between reward sensitivity and activity engagement:The influence of delay discounting and anhedonia

Aim: Reward sensitivity affects individuals' motivation to engage in goal-directed behavior. Other concepts, critical for reward appraisal, that potentially influence activity participation encompass delay discounting and anhedonia. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that anhedonia and delay discounting influence the relationship between reward sensitivity and activity engagement. Methods: In total, 37 inpatient patients with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) and 37 matched healthy controls completed the behavioral activation system scale (BAS scale), the Pleasant Activities List (PAL), the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) and the Delay Discounting Task (DDT). Results: Patients differed from controls on SHAPS, DDT-k, PAL substance-related activities (SRA), but not BAS and PAL non-substance-related activities (non-SRA). Correlational analyses revealed a strong correlation between BAS and PAL non-SRA in both patients (r = 0.53) and controls (r = 0.47), but also with PAL-SRA in patients (r = 0.40), although not controls (r = 0.09). BAS was negatively correlated with SHAPS in both groups and with DDT in controls. SHAPS was negatively linked to PAL non-SRA in both groups. The BAS-PAL non-SRA relationship was influenced by discount rates in controls. Conclusion: A strong link exists between reward sensitivity and engagement in non-SRA in both groups. Delay discounting affects the reward sensitivity and non-SRA association in healthy controls, while anhedonia did not impact the association between reward sensitivity and engagement in (non-)SRA in both conditions

Leisure Sickness: A Biopsychosocial Perspective

Leisure and vacation are generally associated with feelings of relaxation and well-being. However, there is also evidence suggesting that some people feel particularly ill and develop symptoms especially during weekends and vacations. The focal points of this article are the exploration of the antecedents and consequences of this phenomenon, pointing out the need of systematic research on its prevalence, phenomenology, background, and the putative mechanisms involved. The paper concludes with a discussion of some possible effective interventions

Crying and Health: Popular and Scientific Conceptions

We summarize popular and pre-scientific conceptions of the relationship between crying, well-being and health, and we review the scientific literature on this topic. First, the focus is on whether crying brings relief and facilitates emotional recovery. Next, we discuss the evidence addressing whether crying or its chronic inhibition is associated with an increased risk of developing health problems. Finally, we address crying as a signal or symptom of disease. It is concluded that the question regarding whether crying brings relief has yielded seemingly contrasting findings, dependent on the design of the study. Concerning the second and third issues, there is a lack of sound studies. Little is known about the nature of the association between depression and crying. The evidence for a relationship between neurological disorders (in particular, stroke and multiple sclerosis) appears more convincing. There is also mainly anecdotal evidence of increased crying in a wide variety of health problems, which may reflect symptoms of disease, co-morbid depression, adjustment problems, or side effects of treatment. Some recent studies further suggest a positive effect of crying on health status in certain patient groups. More systematic and well-designed studies are needed to clarify the relationship between crying and health

Lucasfilm e oltre. Tecnologia per il racconto.

La tesi vuole dimostrare le finalita' creative della ricerca tecnologica della Lucasfilm e del suo ramo per gli effetti visivi Industrial Light and Magic. Nel primo capitolo si percorre l'inizio di carriera di George Lucas e i relativi rapporti con la tecnologia, fino a Star Wars; si prosegue con l'analisi di alcune tecniche usate a inizio anni ottanta, con traduzioni proprie da T. G. Smith, Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Special Effects, New York, Del Ray, 1986. Nel secondo capitolo si analizzano i primi inserimenti nel cinema della tecnologia elettronica e informatica, con traduzioni proprie da M. Rubin, Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution, Gainesville, Triad, 2005. Nel terzo capitolo si analizza lo sviluppo e l'uso delle nuove tecnologie digitali, in particolare l'alta definizione e l'animazione al computer, da parte della Lucasfilm per il cinema, la televisione e i videogiochi. L'apparato di appendici copre la filmografia Lucasfilm, i titoli non-Lucasfilm strettamente correlati agli argomenti trattati, i principali titoli per cui la ILM ha curato gli effetti speciali; una ludografia con i videogiochi usciti sotto il marchio Lucasfilm Games e LucasArts; una videografia con i documentari di riferimento (contenuti nei cofanetti dvd dei film); una bibliografia internazionale

Music and lyric characteristics of popular Dutch funeral songs

This study compared the characteristics of 150 songs (Dutch lyrics, N = 47, English lyrics, N = 103), popular at Dutch funerals, to an equal number of non-funeral songs. The variables explored included those linked with the music (valence, energy, danceability, acousticness, key, and tempo); and lyrics, namely: linguistics-related (first-person singular/plural, second-person pronouns; past, present, future tense; expressed emotion (positive, negative words, and the discrete emotional categories anger, anxiety, sadness); and category words (those relating to family, friends, death, religion). Funeral music was lower in valence, energy, and danceability and higher in acousticness than non-funeral music. Furthermore, English funeral music lyrics contained more second-person pronouns and were more future-focused than comparison songs. Funeral lyrics were not particularly negative, but English texts contained more words relating to sadness. In conclusion, funeral music differs in severable notable respects from general popular songs that may reflect the special purpose of this music

The health-related quality of life of obese persons seeking or not seeking surgical or non-surgical treatment:A meta-analysis

Background: A meta-analysis examined differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between seekers of surgical and non-surgical treatment, and non-treatment seekers, over and above differences that are explained by weight, age, and gender. Methods: Our literature search focused on the 'Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite' (IWQOL-Lite) and the 'Short Form-36' (SF-36) questionnaires. Included were studies published between 1980 and April 2006 providing (pre-treatment) descriptive statistics of adult overweight or (morbid) obese persons. Excluded were elderly and ill patient groups. Results: Fifty-four articles, with a total number of nearly 100.000 participants, met the inclusion criteria. Persons seeking surgical treatment demonstrated the most severely reduced HRQoL. IWQOL-Lite scores showed larger differences between populations than SF-36 scores. After adjustment for weight, the population differences on the IWQOL disappeared. In contrast, the differences on the SF-36 between the surgical treatment seeking population and the other populations were maintained after adjustment for weight. Conclusion: The IWQOL-Lite questionnaire predominantly reflects weight-related HRQoL, whereas the SF-36 mostly reflects generic HRQoL that is determined by both weight and other factors. Our meta-analysis provides reference values that are useful when explicating or evaluating obesity-specific (IWQOL-Lite) or generic (SF-36) HRQoL, weight, and demographic characteristics of obese persons seeking or not seeking surgical or non-surgical treatment