Subjective experiences associated with thermal biofeedback treatment of hypertension

Reports of subjective experiences of 73 hypertensive patients who were treated with thermal biofeedback for hand warming were obtained over 16 treatment sessions. Most of the differential responding in subjective report occurred in the first 5 sessions. Differences in reports of throbbing were associated with medication status during treatment (presence of sympatholytic antihypertensive agent). From 4 to 9% of patients report negative subjective experiences at any one session. When short-term clinical successes (either elimination of medication or reduction of BP) were compared with short-term failures, it was found that successes reported more warmth, more likelihood of falling asleep, and more dreamlike experiences. The latter were more likely to occur suddenly for the successes. Correlational analyses revealed consistent positive associations between reports of warmth and relaxation with highest temperature achieved in the session and consistent negative associations between experiencing physical sensations and degree of temperature change within the session.This research was supported in part by grants from NHLBI, HL-27622 and HL-31189.     

Psychological processes mediating the association between developmental trauma and specific psychotic symptoms in adults: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Experiencing psychological trauma during childhood and/or adolescence is associated with an increased risk of psychosis in adulthood. However, we lack a clear knowledge of how developmental trauma induces vulnerability to psychotic symptoms. Understanding the psychological processes involved in this association is crucial to the development of preventive interventions and improved treatments. We sought to systematically review the literature and combine findings using meta‐analytic techniques to establish the potential roles of psychological processes in the associations between developmental trauma and specific psychotic experiences (i.e., hallucinations, delusions and paranoia). Twenty‐two studies met our inclusion criteria. We found mediating roles of dissociation, emotional dysregulation and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (avoidance, numbing and hyperarousal) between developmental trauma and hallucinations. There was also evidence of a mediating role of negative schemata, i.e. mental constructs of meanings, between developmental trauma and delusions as well as paranoia. Many studies to date have been of poor quality, and the field is limited by mostly cross‐sectional research. Our findings suggest that there may be distinct psy­chological pathways from developmental trauma to psychotic phenomena in adulthood. Clinicians should carefully ask people with psychosis about their history of developmental trauma, and screen patients with such a history for dissociation, emotional dysregulation and PTSD symptoms. Well conducted research with prospective designs, including neurocognitive assessment, is required in order to fully understand the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying the association between developmental trauma and psychosis.     

Réflexions sur la place des médecins spécialistes en médecine nucléaire dans le dispositif d’annonce en cancérologie

Nuclear medicine physicians are very involved in French's oncology announcement procedure. However, their role needs to be analysed and evaluated. Before diagnosis’ announcement, information provided by nuclear medicine physicians are never neutral for patients. Information must not increase patient's anxiety or false patient's sense of reassurance. In this context, it seems necessary to engage in ethical reflexions about nuclear medicine physicians communication challenges.     

Clinical,socio‐demographic and psychological characteristics in individuals with persistent psychotic experiences with and without a “need for care”

Individuals reporting persistent psychotic experiences (PEs) in the general population, but without a “need for care”, are a unique group of particular importance in identifying risk and protective factors for psychosis. We compared people with persistent PEs and no “need for care” (non‐clinical, N=92) with patients diagnosed with a psychotic disorder (clinical, N=84) and controls without PEs (N=83), in terms of their phenomenological, socio‐demographic and psychological features. The 259 participants were recruited from one urban and one rural area in the UK, as part of the UNIQUE (Unusual Experiences Enquiry) study. Results showed that the non‐clinical group experienced hallucinations in all modalities as well as first‐rank symptoms, with an earlier age of onset than in the clinical group. Somatic/tactile hallucinations were more frequent than in the clinical group, while commenting and conversing voices were rare. Participants in the non‐clinical group were differentiated from their clinical counterparts by being less paranoid and deluded, apart from ideas of reference, and having fewer cognitive difficulties and negative symptoms. Unlike the clinical group, they were characterized neither by low psychosocial functioning nor by social adversity. However, childhood trauma featured in both groups. They were similar to the controls in psychological characteristics: they did not report current emotional problems, had intact self‐esteem, displayed healthy schemas about the self and others, showed high life satisfaction and well‐being, and high mindfulness. These findings support biopsychosocial models postulating that environmental and psychological factors interact with biological processes in the aetiology of psychosis. While some PEs may be more malign than others, lower levels of social and environmental adversity, combined with protective factors such as intact IQ, spirituality, and psychological and emotional well‐being, may reduce the likelihood of persistent PEs leading to pathological outcomes. Future research should focus on protective factors and determinants of well‐being in the context of PEs, rather than exclusively on risk factors and biomarkers of disease states.     

Age matters in the prevalence and clinical significance of ultra‐high‐risk for psychosis symptoms and criteria in the general population: Findings from the BEAR and BEARS‐kid studies

Early detection of psychosis is an important topic in psychiatry. Yet, there is limited information on the prevalence and clinical significance of high‐risk symptoms in children and adolescents as compared to adults. We examined ultra‐high‐risk (UHR) symptoms and criteria in a sample of individuals aged 8‐40 years from the general population of Canton Bern, Switzerland, enrolled from June 2011 to May 2014. The current presence of attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS) and brief intermittent psychotic symptoms (BLIPS) and the fulfillment of onset/worsening and frequency requirements for these symptoms in UHR criteria were assessed using the Structured Interview for Psychosis Risk Syndromes. Additionally, perceptive and non‐perceptive APS were differentiated. Psychosocial functioning and current non‐psychotic DSM‐IV axis I disorders were also surveyed. Well‐trained psychologists performed assessments. Altogether, 9.9% of subjects reported APS and none BLIPS, and 1.3% met all the UHR requirements for APS. APS were related to more current axis I disorders and impaired psychosocial functioning, indicating some clinical significance. A strong age effect was detected around age 16: compared to older individuals, 8‐15‐year olds reported more perceptive APS, that is, unusual perceptual experiences and attenuated hallucinations. Perceptive APS were generally less related to functional impairment, regardless of age. Conversely, non‐perceptive APS were related to low functioning, although this relationship was weaker in those below age 16. Future studies should address the differential effects of perceptive and non‐perceptive APS, and their interaction with age, also in terms of conversion to psychosis.     

食物单宁和皂苷对小白鼠食物选择的影响

通过饲喂自然种子及人工饲料块等单宁和皂苷含量不同的食物,研究了食物中单宁或皂苷水平对小白鼠(Mus musculus domesticus)食物选择的影响,以及取食经历在其食物选择中的作用。结果表明,(1)无论有无取食经历,小白鼠均优先取食次生物质含量低的锥栗(Castanea henryi)或花生(Arachis hypogaea),而很少取食单宁含量高的栓皮栎(Quercus variabilis)或皂苷含量高的油茶(Camelia oleifera);(2)小白鼠的取食经历能增强其对种子中单宁或皂苷水平的识别,从而减少其摄入;(3)小白鼠的食物摄入量随单宁或皂苷含量的增加而显著降低。本研究说明单宁或皂苷均可显著影响动物的食物选择,且取食经历能增强动物对食物的识别能力。     

Do Differences in Conspecific Body Size Induce Social Stress in Domestic Rainbow Trout?

Little is known about the cognitive and subjective experiences of fish that are confined with conspecifics of varying body sizes. Plasma cortisol and several behavioural variables were recorded when a ȁ8mediumȁ9 sized fish had its familiar social group (comprised of medium, like-sized individuals) replaced with a group of fish that were either medium sized, smaller or larger than itself. Interestingly, the medium sized test fish showed very few behavioural responses indicative of stress when exposed to a new social cohort. Fish did not use a particular part of their tank, or water column, nor did they show any significant change in locomotory behaviour. There was no difference in aggressive ȁ8chasingȁ9 behaviour in any of the treatments, however, medium sized fish were frequently chased by their tank-mates when exposed to the ȁ8largeȁ9 fish treatment, and were almost never chased by fish smaller than themselves. Similarly, plasma cortisol concentrations did not differ between fish that were exposed to different size treatment groups, although there was a high increase above baseline levels; this suggests that encounters with unfamiliar fish were stressful, regardless of size.     

'Because we see them naked' - nurses' experiences in caring for hospitalized patients with dementia: considering artificial nutrition or hydration (ANH)

The aim of this study was to explore and describe how Flemish nurses experience their involvement in the care of hospitalized patients with dementia, particularly in relation to artificial nutrition or hydration (ANH). We interviewed 21 hospital nurses who were carefully selected from nine hospitals in different regions of Flanders. 'Being touched by the vulnerability of the demented patient' was the central experience of the nurses, having great impact on them professionally as well as personally. This feeling can be described as encompassing the various stages of the care process: the nurses' initial meeting with the vulnerable patient; the intense decision-making process, during which the nurses experienced several intense emotions influenced by supporting or hindering contextual factors; and the final coping process, a time when nurses came to terms with this challenging experience. From our examination of this care process, it is obvious that nurses' involvement in ANH decision-making processes that concern patients with dementia is a difficult and ethically sensitive experience. On the one hand, the feeling of 'being touched' can imply strength, as it demonstrates that nurses are willing to provide good care. On the other hand, the feeling of 'being touched' can also imply weakness, as it makes nurses vulnerable to moral distress stemming from contextual influences. Therefore, nurses have to be supported as they carry out this ethically sensitive assignment. Practical implications are given.     

Age and rearing environment interact in the retention of early olfactory memories in honeybees

Due to the changing behavioral contexts at which social insects are exposed during the adult lifespan, they are ideal models to analyze the effect of particular sensory stimuli during young adulthood on later behavior. Specifically, our goal is to understand early influences on later foraging behavior. For that, olfactory memories were established by worker honeybees to different pre-foraging ages using either (1) classical conditioning in the proboscis extension response (PER) paradigm or (2) the offering of scented-sugar solution under different rearing conditions. By testing long-term memories (LTM) through a single PER test in workers of foraging ages (17-25 days), we found that retention of the early olfactory memories in honey bees is age-dependent and not time-dependent. Independently of the environmental conditions in which they were reared (laboratory cages or hives), bees were able to retain food-odor association from 5 days after emergence, but rarely before. In most experiments we observed a bi-modal pattern of response: bees exposed to scented-food at 5-8 and 13-16 days showed better retention than those exposed at 9-12 days. These differences disappeared for bees reared in hives. Retrieval of LTMs depending on the timing and the continuous inputs of appropriate sensory stimuli are discussed.     

Incubation temperature impacts nestling growth and survival in an open‐cup nesting passerine

For oviparous species such as birds, conditions experienced while in the egg can have long‐lasting effects on the individual. The impact of subtle changes in incubation temperature on nestling development, however, remains poorly understood, especially for open‐cup nesting species with altricial young. To investigate how incubation temperature affects nestling development and survival in such species, we artificially incubated American robin (Turdus migratorius) eggs at 36.1°C (“Low” treatment) and 37.8°C (“High” treatment). Chicks were fostered to same‐age nests upon hatching, and we measured mass, tarsus, and wing length of experimental nestlings and one randomly selected, naturally incubated (“Natural”), foster nest‐mate on days 7 and 10 posthatch. We found significant effects of incubation temperature on incubation duration, growth, and survival, in which experimentally incubated nestlings had shorter incubation periods (10.22, 11.50, and 11.95 days for High, Low, and Natural eggs, respectively), and nestlings from the Low treatment were smaller and had reduced survival compared to High and Natural nestlings. These results highlight the importance of incubation conditions during embryonic development for incubation duration, somatic development, and survival. Moreover, these findings indicate that differences in incubation temperature within the natural range of variation can have important carryover effects on growth and survival in species with altricial young.