Startle potentiation to unpredictable threat predicts adolescent development of generalized anxiety disorder.

Background: An elevated startle reflex in anticipation of unpredictable threat has been associated with concurrent anxiety disorders. However, only one study to date has examined whether startle potentiation in anticipation of unpredictable threat predicts the development of anxiety disorders.

Method: In a community sample of 309 adolescents, we examined whether the startle reflex in anticipation of predictable or unpredictable threat at age 15 predicted onset of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) at age 18.

Pathological personality domains and punishment-enhanced error-related negativity.

The error-related negativity (ERN) is an event-related potential that is observed after the commission of an error and is hypothesized to index threat sensitivity. The ERN is associated with multiple psychiatric disorders, but it is unclear if similar results are due to higher-order dimensions of psychopathology. When errors are punished, the ERN is further enhanced, which might better isolate threat sensitivity.

A miniature multi-anvil apparatus using diamond as anvils-MDAC: Multi-axis diamond anvil cell.

The diamond anvil cell (DAC) has been widely used in high-pressure research. Despite significant progress over the past five decades, the opposed anvil geometry in the DAC inevitably leads to a disk-shaped sample configuration at high pressure. This intrinsic limitation is largely responsible for the large pressure and temperature gradients in the DAC, which often compromise precise experiments and their characterizations.

Neural response to monetary and social rewards in adolescent girls and their parents.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have indicated that the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system is heavily involved in all stages of reward processing. However, the majority of research has been conducted using monetary rewards and it is unclear to what extent other types of rewards, such as social rewards, evoke similar or different neural activation. There have also been few investigations into potential differences or similarities between reward processing in parents and offspring.

Family study of the startle reflex and event-related potentials in anticipation of predictable and unpredictable threat in adolescents and their parents.

A heightened sensitivity to unpredictable threat has been identified as a potential transdiagnostic mechanism of psychopathology. The majority of supporting research has been conducted in adults, and it is unclear whether psychophysiological indicators of sensitivity to unpredictable threat are comparable in youth during developmental periods associated with increased risk for psychopathology. In addition, no studies have examined whether sensitivity to unpredictable threat is correlated between parents and their offspring.