A pilot study investigating affective forecasting biases with a novel virtual reality-based paradigm.

A body of research indicates that people are prone to overestimate the affective impact of future events. Here, we developed a novel experimental paradigm to study these affective forecasting biases under laboratory conditions using subjective (arousal and valence) and autonomic measures (skin conductance responses, SCRs, and heart rate). Thirty participants predicted their emotional responses to 15 unpleasant, 15 neutral, and 15 pleasant scenarios (affective forecasting phase) to which they were then exposed in virtual reality (emotional experience phase).

Attentional bias toward negative stimuli in PTSD: an eye-tracking study.

Background: Research on biased processing of aversive stimuli in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has produced inconsistent results between response time (RT) and eye-tracking studies. Recent RT-based results of dot-probe studies showed no attentional bias (AB) for threat while eye-tracking research suggested heightened sustained attention for this information. Here, we used both RT-based and eye-tracking measures to explore the dynamics of AB to negative stimuli in PTSD.

Four Questions Nurses Can Ask to Predict PTSD 1 Year After a Motor Vehicle Crash.

Background: The role of nurses in screening for posttraumatic stress disorder is crucial in trauma units.

Objectives: To create and evaluate an easy and brief tool for nurses to predict chronic posttraumatic stress disorder 1 year after a motor vehicle crash.

Methods: We performed a 1-year follow-up multicenter study from 2007 to 2015, including 274 patients injured in a motor vehicle crash who were hospitalized in an orthopedic trauma unit.

Intrusive experiences in posttraumatic stress disorder: Treatment response induces changes in the directed functional connectivity of the anterior insula.

Background: One of the core features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is re-experiencing trauma. The anterior insula (AI) has been proposed to play a crucial role in these intrusive experiences. However, the dynamic function of the AI in re-experiencing trauma and its putative modulation by effective therapy need to be specified.