Heterogeneous trajectories of perceived stress and their associations with active leisure: a longitudinal study during the first year of COVID-19.

Introduction: There is a plethora of literature on the dynamics of mental health indicators throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, yet research is scarce on the potential heterogeneity in the development of perceived stress. Furthermore, there is a paucity of longitudinal research on whether active leisure engagement, which typically is beneficial in reducing stress, might have similar benefits during times of major disruption. Here we aimed to extend previous work by exploring the dynamics of change in stress and coping, and the associations with active leisure engagement over the first year of COVID-19.

Active vs passive novelty-related strategies: Sex differences in exploratory behaviour and monoaminergic systems.

Sex differences are apparent in numerous behavioural characteristics. In order to compare and characterise male and female variability of exploratory behaviour, 365 male and 401 female rats were assessed in a task where a bimodal response distribution had previously been established in males. Female rats had significantly higher exploratory activity, and presented normal distribution of the behaviour, very differently from the bimodal distribution of males.

Association of Impulsivity With Food, Nutrients, and Fitness in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study.

Background: Impulsivity is a psychiatric vulnerability factor strongly associated with substance abuse but also with unhealthy diet. Whether these associations extend to specific nutrients is largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the longitudinal association between diet, cardiorespiratory fitness, and 2 impulsivity dimensions in a representative sample of south Estonian adolescents and young adults.

Studies in the Mentality of Literates: 3. Conceptual Structure and Nonsense of Personality Testing.

In this study, third in a series of studies of the relationships between the dominant type of the Word Meaning Structure (WMS) and various psychic processes, response patterns on personality questionnaires with Likert-type response format of individuals with different levels of education (including adult illiterates) in Brazil (N = 102) and in Estonia (N = 520) were assessed with person oriented methods of data analysis. We found that responses to two personality questionnaires (International Personality Item Pool Questionnaire, IPIP-Q60 and Estonian Collectivism Scale, ESTCOL) are inconsistent and do not correspond to theories that underlie construction and interpretation of such assessment tools. Two novel ways to assess inconsistent response patterns were developed.

Association of orexin/hypocretin receptor gene (HCRTR1) with reward sensitivity, and interaction with gender.

Orexins/hypocretins maintain wakefulness, increase appetite and participate in the coordination of stress response. We have recently provided evidence on the role of orexins in aggression, showing the association of the HCRTR1 genotype. (rs2271933 G > A; leading to amino acid substitution Ile408Val) with aggressiveness or breach of law in four independent cohorts.

The role of reward sensitivity in obesity and its association with Transcription Factor AP-2B: A longitudinal birth cohort study.

Objective: One factor potentially contributing to obesity is reward sensitivity. We investigated the association between reward sensitivity and measures of obesity from 9-33 years of age, paying attention to the inner structure of reward sensitivity.

Methods: The sample included both birth cohorts (originally n = 1176) of the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study.

Reward sensitivity, affective neuroscience personality, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and -703G/T (rs4570625) genotype.

Objective: Reward sensitivity is an increasingly used construct in psychiatry, yet its possible inner structure and relationship with other affective variables are not well known.

Methods: A reward sensitivity measurement scale was constructed on the basis of large item pool collected from birth cohort representative samples (the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study; original n = 1238). Affective Neuroscience Personality Scale (ANPS) and the Adult Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Self-Report Scale (ASRS) were administered in young adulthood.

Adaptive and maladaptive impulsivity, platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and risk-admitting in different types of risky drivers.

Rationale: Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity reflects serotonergic functioning associated with impulsive behaviour, but the significance of these associations to real-life impulsive behaviour in healthy subjects is not clear.

Objectives: The present study explores impulsivity and platelet MAO activity among people with driving violations.

Materials And Methods: We compared facets of impulsivity and platelet MAO activity in 1,004 male drivers, out of whom 203 had been caught by the police driving drunk and 292 had been caught exceeding speed limits and committing other non-alcohol-related driving violations.

Possible interpretation of subjective complaints in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Objective: To analyse factors related to subjective non-cognitive and cognitive complaints in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Subjects: Twenty-seven patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage and 27 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls.

Methods: A battery of cognitive tests measuring visuo-spatial abilities, verbal abilities, and fine-motor skill, Brief Social Support Questionnaire, and Life Orientation Scale were individually presented to all participants.

Low platelet MAO activity associated with high dysfunctional impulsivity and antisocial behavior: evidence from drunk drivers.

Rationale: Low platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity is associated with problem drinking and other deviant behaviors. Since the majority of alcohol abusers are smokers, and tobacco smoke has a direct inhibitory effect on the enzyme, these associations may not be meaningful.

Objective: The authors compared platelet MAO activity and impulsivity in police-referred subjects caught driving while intoxicated and in control subjects, controlling for smoking.