Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry最新文献

{"title":"HPA system in anxiety disorder patients treated with cognitive behavioural therapy: A review","authors":"Jennifer Lange ,&nbsp;Angelika Erhardt-Lehmann","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anxiety disorders (AD) have a complex etiology involving genetic, psychophysiological and environmental factors. Recent biomarker research in AD shows alterations in anatomical, biochemical and physiological pathways as well as in endocrinological processes. Perceived stress is one of the factors often reported in relation to the onset and the course of AD. Hence, the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the endogenous system regulating the stress response homeostasis, may serve as biomarker in disease etiology and response to treatment. Vice versa, successful treatment could have an advantageous effect on the function of the HPA system. In the present review, we summarize findings on the HPA system in relation to AD and first results on its modifiability in response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the most efficacious psychotherapeutic treatments for AD. We specifically focus on findings of experimental studies that explored cortisol levels before, during and after exposure-based CBT. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and in references of retrieved studies until April 2024. The inclusion criteria were studies enclosing keywords related to the HPA axis, an anxiety disorder and CBT techniques. The results of the summarized studies suggest that cortisol levels have the potential to indicate the AD disease status and serve as possible biomarker in outcome prediction. Global dysfunction of the HPA system seems to point to higher symptom burden and less advantageous response to CBT. Furthermore, low cortisol levels elicited in relation to exposure interventions are repeatedly associated with risk for non-response. Additionally, some evidence suggests that successful CBT containing exposure sessions as well as cognitive techniques induces normalization of the HPA system by reducing acute response to fear related stimuli in parallel to normalizing basal cortisol levels. To conclude, cortisol seems to be a promising candidate to depict several aspects of AD-related disease status and CBT effects, however, additional prospective studies are needed to evaluate the mode of applications of this marker in the clinical routine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100116"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143181167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ECT & CRP, quo vadis? - A retrospective study of low-grade inflammation in patients with depression undergoing electroconvulsive therapy","authors":"Moritz Spangemacher ,&nbsp;Sebastian Karl ,&nbsp;Suna Su Aksay ,&nbsp;Eva Kathrin Lamadé ,&nbsp;Jana Plemper ,&nbsp;Alexander Sartorius ,&nbsp;Bruno Pedraz-Petrozzi","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for severe depression. Depression has been associated with low-grade inflammation (LGI), as indicated by elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels compared to healthy individuals. While the effect of ECT on inflammation markers remains unclear, some evidence suggests that higher baseline CRP levels may predict remission in ECT. Additionally, LGI could influence the seizure threshold and thus the required stimulation dose.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>This retrospective study examined the potential link between LGI and treatment outcomes as well as stimulation doses across multiple ECT sessions, controlling for age and interparticipant variability. The hypothesis of this study was that LGI was associated with ECT remission as well as with ECT dosing in people with depression. Two groups were defined, depending on CRP levels, those with LGI (CRP 3–10 mg/L) and those without (CRP &lt; 3 mg/L). Generalized linear models were used to analyze maximum ECT doses, while linear mixed models were applied to assess changes in ECT doses over time.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After 10 ECT sessions, we found no significant difference in remission rates between patients with (n = 52) and without LGI (n = 143). However, patients with baseline LGI had higher maximum ECT doses. A linear mixed model revealed that the number of sessions and baseline LGI significantly influenced ECT doses, with patients with baseline LGI needing higher doses, particularly at the seventh session. Age also was associated with both maximum doses and dose adjustments throughout the ECT series, but the influence of LGI on ECT dose was independent of age, since no age differences were observed between groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Baseline inflammation was not associated with remission rates, but it had a significant association with ECT dosing. Therefore, while CRP may not be a reliable biomarker for predicting ECT response in depression, baseline inflammation could indicate the need for a higher stimulation dose.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100115"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143181169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subjective experience, psychosocial functioning and different psychomotor clusters in catatonia: How are they connected?","authors":"Geva A. Brandt ,&nbsp;Stefan Fritze ,&nbsp;Dilsa Cemre Akkoc Altinok ,&nbsp;Sebastian Volkmer ,&nbsp;Jacqueline Kukovic ,&nbsp;Jonas Daub ,&nbsp;Katharina M. Kubera ,&nbsp;Georg Northoff ,&nbsp;Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg ,&nbsp;Dusan Hirjak","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Catatonia involves decreased, increased, and abnormal psychomotor activity, but most previous studies mainly focused on motor signs, neglecting the patients' subjective experiences. This study aimed to characterize psychomotor activity levels as introduced in the ICD-11 and their relation to subjectivity and overall psychosocial functioning in catatonia.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We examined 54 patients with catatonia and 90 patients with schizophrenia spectrum- or mood disorders according to ICD-11 using an extensive battery of psychomotor-related clinical rating scales and Northoff Scale for subjective experience in catatonia (NSSC). For catatonia patients partial correlation coefficients between ICD-11 psychomotor clusters and their surrogate parameters were calculated. Group differences were analyzed using MANCOVA and post-hoc ANOVA. Finally, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to examine the classification value of the respective rating scales and different surrogate parameters of ICD-11-related psychomotor activity.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In catatonia patients decreased psychomotor activity was associated with psychomotor retardation (p&lt;.05)), while increased activity was positively correlated with impulsivity and negatively correlated with psychomotor retardation (both p-values&lt;.01). Abnormal psychomotor activity was positively associated with stereotypies as well as mannerisms, affectation and posturing. Significant group differences were observed in subjective experience, social performance, trait anxiety, psychomotor slowing, processing speed, and cognitive functioning. LDA revealed that the respective psychomotor-related rating scales are capable of distinguishing between diagnostic groups, albeit with varying degrees of classification accuracy (61.8 %-87.5 %).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>We identified a relationship between varying levels of psychomotor activity, subjective experiences, and psychosocial functioning in catatonia as defined by the ICD-11. Future large-scale studies are needed to validate these findings and refine assessment tools, such as the NSSC, by integrating subjective experiences with objective rating scales. This approach could pave the way for more tailored treatment options that consider the unique subjective experiences of catatonia patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100113"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143181168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Uncovering nesfatin-1 and irisin hormones in schizophrenia and psychosis patients: A comparative investigation","authors":"Erhan Dinçer ,&nbsp;Sermin Algul ,&nbsp;Oguz Ozcelik","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aims to elucidate the potential roles of the hormones nesfatin-1 and irisin in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and psychosis.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study involved 80 participants, divided into three groups: schizophrenia (n=30), psychosis (n=20), and controls (n=30). Blood samples were collected from these participants, and the levels of irisin and nesfatin-1 were measured using the ELISA method.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The findings revealed that nesfatin-1 levels in schizophrenia patients were significantly higher compared to those in psychosis patients and controls. Additionally, nesfatin-1 levels in psychosis patients were significantly higher than in controls. In contrast, irisin levels were significantly lower in schizophrenia patients compared to both psychosis patients and controls.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>These results suggest that nesfatin-1 and irisin may have important implications for understanding and treating schizophrenia and psychosis. Further research is needed to explore the roles of these hormones in the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142651802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impaired cognitive flexibility in schizophrenia: A systematic review of behavioral and neurobiological findings","authors":"Philipp Aumer ,&nbsp;Geva A. Brandt ,&nbsp;Dusan Hirjak ,&nbsp;Florian Bähner","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and hypothesis</h3><div>Impaired cognitive flexibility in schizophrenia (SZ) is well documented and correlation with worse functional outcome indicates clinical relevance. Paradigms that assess cognitive flexibility include the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery’s (CANTAB) Intra-Extra Dimensional Set Shift (IED). This systematic review provides an overview of the current state of research on cognitive flexibility in schizophrenia and points out relevant areas of non-consensus.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Two electronic databases (Embase and PubMed) were searched for records published from 1993 to 2024 on adult SZ patients that were assessed for cognitive flexibility/set-shifting ability using WCST and/or IED.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>38 studies were included in the review, most of which reported significantly worse performance of SZ patients in WCST and/or IED compared to healthy controls (HC). Most publications focused on the specific profile of cognitive inflexibility. Other aspects included progression of cognitive inflexibility over the course of the illness, neurobiological correlates, IQ as a possible confounder and whether cognitive inflexibility is a heritable trait.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Included studies show that cognitive inflexibility rather reflects a stable trait than a state, indicating a lasting prefrontal impairment in SZ. Further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify how these deficits evolve during progression of the disorder. Neither antipsychotic medication nor intelligence seem to explain impaired cognitive flexibility. However, a disease-specific cognitive phenotype has not yet been established and additional research on neuro-computational mechanisms is thus needed to identify possible targets for interventional studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142651801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elemental examination in blood and urine samples of Jordanian children with autism spectrum disorder","authors":"Ayat Hussein B. Rashaid ,&nbsp;Tasneem Shanayneh ,&nbsp;Mazin Alqhazo ,&nbsp;Mahmoud Bashtawi","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the psychiatric disorders with unknown etiology, which possibly affects children in the first three years of their life. This case-control study was performed to explore the differences in concentrations of 9 elements: sodium (Na), aluminum (Al), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), vanadium (V), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), thorium (Th), and uranium (U) in whole blood and urine specimens of children with ASD, neurotypical children, and their mothers. The study investigates the associations between the elements, sex, and severity of ASD. Methods and Materials: The study rincluded 21 children with ASD and 19 age-sex-matched neurotypical children. Elemental analysis was carried out by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The behaviors of ASD were assessed using the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). The results indicated a significant increase of Al (198 ± 87, <em>p</em>= 0.05) and significant decrease of Ca (50 ± 3, <em>p</em>= 0.007) and Mn (10 ± 1, <em>p</em>= 0.004) in blood sample of ASD compared to the neurotypical group. In the urine sample, a significant decrease level appeared in Ca (41 ± 10, <em>p</em>=0.05) of ASD compared to neurotypical. The maternal samples showed no significant difference between ASD and neurotypical. The main finding of this study could help the specialist to diagnose and relieve symptoms of ASD. Thus, the heavy and trace elements analysis is a biomarker for ASD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100110"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cardiovascular risk factors as potential biomarkers of length of hospital stay and rehospitalization in mood disorders – a retrospective study","authors":"Eva Kathrin Lamadé ,&nbsp;Bruno Pedraz-Petrozzi ,&nbsp;Bernhard Schaupp ,&nbsp;Nicole Özer ,&nbsp;Bertram Krumm ,&nbsp;Michaela Coenen ,&nbsp;Sibylle Häfner ,&nbsp;Maria Gilles ,&nbsp;Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg ,&nbsp;Michael Deuschle","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Cardiovascular diseases are often comorbid with mood disorders, increasing the burden on patients. Few studies explore the role of cardiovascular disease on psychiatric inpatient stays. This retrospective study investigated the association of cardiovascular risk factors during an index stay on psychiatric length of stays and rehospitalization in the subsequent 10 years in patients with mood disorders.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Patients with a first inpatient stay in two German psychiatric hospitals, diagnosed with F31 (bipolar affective disorder), F32 (depressive episode) or F33 (recurrent depressive disorder) were investigated (n=930). The association of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus at the index stay with total length of stays, average length of stay and rehospitalization in the next 10 years was investigated in bivariate, and multivariate regression analyses, adjusting for sex, age, BMI, smoking, taking antidepressants and antipsychotics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Patients averaged 99.27 (± 134.94) inpatient days within 10 years, patients with hypertension 138.09 (± 162.85) days. Controlling for confounders, hypertension associated with longer total length of stays (β=0.105, p=0.044), hypertension (β=0.146, p=0.004), hypercholesterolemia (β=0.104, p=0.034) and diabetes (β=0.103, p=0.015) linked to more rehospitalizations and not having hypercholesterolemia (β=0.101, p=0.041) related to longer average stays. Sex mediated the relationship between hypercholesterolemia and both rehospitalization (F=11.60, p&lt;0.001) and total length of stays (F=7.21, p=0.007), with males with hypercholesterolemia showing more rehospitalization and longer total length of stays than females.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Cardiovascular risk factors were associated with duration and frequency of psychiatric inpatient stays in patients with mood disorders. Cardiovascular risk factors as potential predictive biomarkers for the course of disease of mood disorders should be monitored and managed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100109"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142534675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomarkers of thrombotic tendency in schizophrenia and related psychoses: Implications for the potential usefulness of anticoagulants in schizophrenia","authors":"Kara B. Miecznikowski ,&nbsp;Henry A. Nasrallah","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Many published studies report that antipsychotic therapy is associated with thrombotic tendency. However, fewer studies have examined whether thrombotic tendency exists in unmedicated schizophrenia (SZ) or other psychoses. In addition, some studies have reported a full remission of psychotic symptoms with warfarin, a well-known anticoagulant, raising the possibility that psychosis may be associated with thrombotic tendency. Here, we summarize the available literature on biomarkers of thrombotic tendency in unmedicated patients with SZ and other psychoses.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>A PubMed search using the keywords “psychosis” OR “schizophrenia” AND (“coagulation” OR “tissue plasminogen activator” OR “thromboembolism”) for studies published between 2012 and 2023 yielded 290 results. Inclusion criteria were 1) controlled studies, 2) studies including patients with psychosis, 3) English language. Exclusion criteria included 1) review articles, 2) case reports, 3) focus on antipsychotics as a factor in thrombotic tendency.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Seven studies met criteria and were included for qualitative synthesis in this review. Five studies included patients with SZ and related psychoses, while two studies also included patients with major depression and bipolar disorders. Numerous plasma proteins involved in regulating coagulation were identified as being low in patients with SZ, including fibrinolytic enzymes such as tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), plasmin, protein S, and plasminogen, although one study found that tPA was reduced in chronic SZ but elevated in first-episode SZ (FES) patients.</p></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><p>Those reports suggestive of thrombotic tendency in schizophrenia and related psychoses warrant further investigation, especially in drug-naïve first episode samples as compared to chronic patients, where antipsychotic treatment may contribute to thrombotic tendency. If confirmed, therapeutic strategies with anticoagulants like tPA may represent a novel approach to managing schizophrenia.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100108"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666144624000261/pdfft?md5=8b0a87c2adc9a759d133aa1c1c38dc44&pid=1-s2.0-S2666144624000261-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142097933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomarker discovery using machine learning in the psychosis spectrum","authors":"Walid Yassin ,&nbsp;Kendra M. Loedige ,&nbsp;Cassandra M.J. Wannan ,&nbsp;Kristina M. Holton ,&nbsp;Jonathan Chevinsky ,&nbsp;John Torous ,&nbsp;Mei-Hua Hall ,&nbsp;Rochelle Ruby Ye ,&nbsp;Poornima Kumar ,&nbsp;Sidhant Chopra ,&nbsp;Kshitij Kumar ,&nbsp;Jibran Y. Khokhar ,&nbsp;Eric Margolis ,&nbsp;Alessandro S. De Nadai","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The past decade witnessed substantial discoveries related to the psychosis spectrum. Many of these discoveries resulted from pursuits of objective and quantifiable biomarkers in tandem with the application of analytical tools such as machine learning. These approaches provided exciting new insights that significantly helped improve precision in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. This article provides an overview of how machine learning has been employed in recent biomarker discovery research in the psychosis spectrum, which includes schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, bipolar disorder with psychosis, first episode psychosis, and clinical high risk for psychosis. It highlights both human and animal model studies and explores a varying range of the most impactful biomarkers including cognition, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and digital markers. We specifically highlight new applications and opportunities for machine learning to impact noninvasive symptom monitoring, prediction of future diagnosis and treatment outcomes, integration of new methods with traditional clinical research and practice, and personalized medicine approaches.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100107"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266614462400025X/pdfft?md5=7101ef10363447bdeb9452c0a8f96944&pid=1-s2.0-S266614462400025X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142087406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Affective processing in aphantasia and potential overlaps with alexithymia: Mental imagery facilitates the recognition of emotions in oneself and others","authors":"Merlin Monzel,&nbsp;Jana Karneboge,&nbsp;Martin Reuter","doi":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100106","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100106","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We investigated affective processing in aphantasia (= absent or reduced vividness of mental imagery), considering a possible overlap with alexithymia (= deficits in identifying and describing emotions), as reduced vividness of mental imagery is also reported in alexithymia. Study 1 assessed physiological reactions and self-reported sympathy in <em>n</em> = 30 individuals with aphantasia and <em>n</em> = 75 controls when confronted to visual and verbal material showing people in distress. Results demonstrated that individuals with aphantasia show reduced emotional responses, especially to verbal stimuli. This is of particular importance given the higher prevalence of alexithymic symptoms in aphantasic participants, notably in externally-oriented thinking and difficulties in describing feelings. An additional mediation analysis confirmed that vividness of visual imagery mediated the association between alexithymia and self-reported sympathy. Study 2 extended our exploration to the recognition of emotions in others using the same sample. Despite accurate recognition of emotions, individuals with aphantasia exhibited significantly slower response times, suggesting less efficient strategies that do not involve mental imagery. Our findings highlight the crucial role of mental imagery in the interplay of cognitive functions and affective processes, demonstrating how conditions such as aphantasia and alexithymia can affect sympathy and, more generally, emotions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52767,"journal":{"name":"Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666144624000248/pdfft?md5=9568f93325b678dcb91b22c5c491bea0&pid=1-s2.0-S2666144624000248-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142097934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}