Therapeutic impacts of recalling and processing positive autobiographical memories on posttrauma health: An open-label study.

The processing of positive memories technique (PPMT) entails detailed narration and processing of specific positive autobiographical memories (AM) and has shown promise in improving posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We examined whether participants receiving PPMT reported decreases in PTSD and depressive symptom severity, negative affect levels/reactivity, posttrauma cognitions, and positive emotion dysregulation, as well as increases in positive affect levels/reactivity and the number of retrieved positive AMs across four PPMT sessions. Individuals (N = 70) recruited from the community completed surveys at baseline (pre-PPMT), each PPMT session, and after completing all four PPMT sessions.

Heterogeneity in racist events and posttraumatic mental health among Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) first responders.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) first responders in Canada report experiencing racism and an increased risk of trauma-related mental health symptoms. Using a BIPOC first responder sample in Canada, the present study examined subgroups of BIPOC first responders based on the frequency of different types of racist events, and their relations with mental health symptoms (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptom clusters of intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood [NACM], and alterations in arousal and reactivity [AAR]; depression severity; anxiety severity). The sample included 196 BIPOC first responders who reported more than one traumatic experience (= 35.

Pre-and post-migration factors associated with sleep health among Latin American immigrants in the United States: A systematic review.

Immigrants face unique challenges and stressors before leaving their country of origin and upon arrival to their host country, all of which may impair their sleep health. We synthesized the literature on pre-and-post migration factors predicting sleep outcomes among foreign-born Latin American immigrants to the United States. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched three electronic databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science.

Levetiracetam prevents Aβ production through SV2a-dependent modulation of App processing in Alzheimer's disease models.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides are produced by proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which can occur during synaptic vesicle (SV) cycling at presynapses. Precisely how amyloidogenic APP processing may impair presynaptic proteostasis and how to therapeutically target this process remains poorly understood. Using knock-in mouse models of early Aβ pathology, we found proteins with hampered degradation accumulate at presynaptic sites.

Subregional activity in the dentate gyrus is amplified during elevated cognitive demands.

Neural activity in the dentate gyrus (DG) is required for the detection and discrimination of novelty, context and patterns, amongst other cognitive processes. Prior work has demonstrated that there are differences in the activation of granule neurons in the supra and infrapyramidal blades of the DG during a range of hippocampal dependent tasks. Here we used an automated touch screen pattern separation task combined to temporally controlled tagging of active neurons to determine how performance in a cognitively demanding task affected patterns of neural activity in the DG.

Morally Injurious Events and Depression: Examining the Role of Rumination Among Combat-Deployed Military Veterans in the Community.

While depression remains a common psychological disorder among combat military veterans, there is a need to investigate factors that relate to the development and maintenance of this disorder. Potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs), perceived transgressions against one's moral code, is associated with depression. This relationship may be influenced by level of engagement in brooding rumination.

Relations between trauma-based subgroups and posttrauma health outcomes: A latent class analysis.

Objective: In trauma research, it is common for researchers to characterize participants as either "trauma exposed" or "not trauma exposed" regardless of nuanced differences of the potentially traumatic event (PTE). To our knowledge, no study has simultaneously examined differences across both PTEs and exposure types.

Method: Using latent class analysis, we investigated latent homogeneous subgroups of individuals following experiences of 16 PTEs via three exposure types (i.

Direct Imaging of Charge/Dopant Distribution in PANI/PSS Thin Films Using Advanced Frequency Modulation Electrostatic Force Microscopy.

This paper presents a detailed study that maps the surface charges and dopant distribution on the electropolymerized thin film of polyaniline-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PANI/PSS). The focus is on two distinct states of PANI/PSS: the fully doped emeraldine salt (ES/PSS) and the dedoped emeraldine base (EB/PSS). This investigation utilizes advanced frequency modulation electrostatic force microscopy (FM-EFM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Emotion dysregulation and posttraumatic stress symptom severity: The influence of cortisol reactivity following idiographic emotion inductions.

Objective: Emotion dysregulation plays a central role in the etiology and maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Individual differences in physiological responses to emotionally evocative events may influence the strength of this association. The objective of this study was to test whether cortisol reactivity following idiographic emotion induction tasks moderated the relation between emotion dysregulation and PTSS severity.

Response styles to positive affect during a positive psychology intervention for veterans with PTSD and moral injury: Preliminary results from a moral elevation intervention pilot trial.

Objective: Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or moral injury are at risk of maladaptive response styles to positive emotions, such as emotional numbing. A potential pathway to target problematic responses to positive affect is a positive psychology intervention that elicits moral elevation-feeling inspired after witnessing someone perform a virtuous act. This study aims to examine responses to positive affect in a pilot trial of a web-based moral elevation intervention titled, Method: Veterans who reported moral injury distress and probable PTSD were randomized into an intervention or control condition ( = 48).

Ca-dependent phosphodiesterase 1 regulates the plasticity of striatal spiny projection neuron glutamatergic synapses.

Long-term synaptic plasticity at glutamatergic synapses on striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) is central to learning goal-directed behaviors and habits. Our studies reveal that SPNs manifest a heterosynaptic, nitric oxide (NO)-dependent form of long-term postsynaptic depression of glutamatergic SPN synapses (NO-LTD) that is preferentially engaged at quiescent synapses. Plasticity is gated by Ca entry through Ca1.

The NKCC1 Inhibitor Bumetanide Restores Cortical Feedforward Inhibition and Lessens Sensory Hypersensitivity in Early Postnatal Fragile X Mice.

Background: Exaggerated responses to sensory stimuli, a hallmark of fragile X syndrome, contribute to anxiety and learning challenges. Sensory hypersensitivity is recapitulated in the Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse model of fragile X syndrome. Recent studies in Fmr1 KO mice have demonstrated differences in the activity of cortical interneurons and a delayed switch in the polarity of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) signaling during development.

Measuring emotion dysregulation in daily life: an experience sampling study.

Literature underscores the importance of emotion dysregulation in clinical research. However, one critical limitation of the existing investigations in this area involves the lack of psychometrically valid measures for assessing emotion dysregulation in individuals' daily lives. This study examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of momentary versions of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (mDERS) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Positive (mDERS-P).

CGG repeats in the human FMR1 gene regulate mRNA localization and cellular stress in developing neurons.

The human genome has many short tandem repeats, yet the normal functions of these repeats are unclear. The 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene contains polymorphic CGG repeats, the length of which has differing effects on FMR1 expression and human health, including the neurodevelopmental disorder fragile X syndrome. We deleted the CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene (0CGG) in human stem cells and examined the effects on differentiated neurons.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and positive autobiographical memory characteristics in everyday life.

Individuals with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) report difficulties engaging with positive autobiographical memories. Extending this line of research, we examined daily-level concurrent and lagged associations between PTSS severity and positive memory characteristics (vividness, coherence, accessibility, time perspective, sensory details, visual perspective, emotional intensity, sharing, distancing, and valence). The sample included 88 trauma survivors (M = 39.

The Cyborg Method: A Method to Identify Fraudulent Responses from Crowdsourced Data.

Crowdsourcing is an essential data collection method for psychological research. Concerns about the validity and quality of crowdsourced data persist, however. A recent documented increase in the number of invalid responses within crowdsourced data has highlighted the need for quality control measures.

Do childhood experiences influence associations between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and positive autobiographical memories among military veteran students? An exploratory study.

Background: Evidence links posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and features of positive autobiographical memories (accessibility, vividness, coherence, sharing, emotional intensity, distancing). There is a knowledge gap on how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) may influence these relationships.

Objectives: The current study explored whether the number ACEs or BCEs moderated associations between PTSD symptom severity and features of positive autobiographical memories.

Ca -dependent phosphodiesterase 1 regulates the plasticity of striatal spiny projection neuron glutamatergic synapses.

Long-term synaptic plasticity at glutamatergic synapses on striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) is central to learning goal-directed behaviors and habits. Although considerable attention has been paid to the mechanisms underlying synaptic strengthening and new learning, little scrutiny has been given to those involved in the attenuation of synaptic strength that attends suppression of a previously learned association. Our studies revealed a novel, non-Hebbian, long-term, postsynaptic depression of glutamatergic SPN synapses induced by interneuronal nitric oxide (NO) signaling (NO-LTD) that was preferentially engaged at quiescent synapses.

Women-Focused Cardiac Rehabilitation Delivery Around the World and Program Enablers to Support Broader Implementation.

Background: Women are less likely than men to use cardiac rehabilitation (CR); thus, women-focused (W-F) CR was developed. Implementation of W-F CR globally was investigated, as well as barriers and enablers to its delivery.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a survey was administered to CR programs via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) from May to July, 2023.

Daily-level associations between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and reactions to retrieving positive autobiographical memories.

Trauma survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report difficulties accessing and describing positive memories. To understand these patterns, we examined daily-level relations of PTSD symptoms with affective, cognitive (dwelling/rumination; pushing memory out of one's mind; suppression; avoidance; distraction; thinking about something else; remembering negative or positive memories/events; negative or positive thoughts; accepting or disapproving memory; reinterpreting memory), and behavioral (using alcohol/drugs; smoking cigarettes; cravings for or seeking out cigarettes/alcohol/drugs; craving, seeking out, or consuming large amounts of food; dissociation; engaging in risky behaviors; sharing memories; interference with ongoing task; arousal) reactions to retrieving positive memories. Eighty-eight trauma survivors (M= 39.

Beyond the mean: examining associations between intraindividual variability in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and posttrauma reckless behaviors.

Background/objectives: Posttrauma reckless behaviors have been linked to the onset and exacerbation of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, PTSD symptoms fluctuate across time, triggered by environmental stimuli in daily life, referred to as (intraindividual) variability in PTSD symptoms.

Design: We utilized experience sampling methods to investigate associations between engagement in posttrauma reckless behaviors and variability in PTSD symptoms and the moderating role of emotion dysregulation in this association.

Study protocol and rationale for a pilot randomized clinical trial comparing processing of positive memories technique with supportive counseling for PTSD.

Background: Research indicates that positive memories have a role in posttraumatic stress disorder's (PTSD) symptomatology and treatment. Following treatment development guidelines, a novel PTSD intervention - Processing of Positive Memories Technique (PPMT) - was developed and subsequently examined for its effects and feasibility in pilot studies. Extending this research, the proposed pilot randomized clinical trial with PPMT and Supportive Counseling (SC) arms will examine PPMT's effects on PTSD severity and biomarkers of stress systems' dysregulation (awakening salivary alpha amylase [sAA] and cortisol concentrations); examine mechanistic targets (affect) underlying PPMT's effects; and refine PPMT.

Notch receptor-ligand binding facilitates extracellular vesicle-mediated neuron-to-neuron communication.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) facilitate intercellular communication by transferring cargo between cells in a variety of tissues. However, how EVs achieve cell-type-specific intercellular communication is still largely unknown. We found that Notch1 and Notch2 proteins are expressed on the surface of neuronal EVs that have been generated in response to neuronal excitatory synaptic activity.

The Middle-Out Approach to reconceptualizing, assessing, and analyzing traumatic stress reactions.

Alternative models of traumatic stress and broader psychopathology have been proposed to address issues of heterogeneity, comorbidity, clinical utility, and equitable representation. However, systematic and practical methods and guidelines to organize and apply these models remain scarce. The Middle-Out Approach is a novel, integrative, contextually informed framework for organizing and applying existing empirical methods to evaluate current and alternative traumatic stress reactions.