Empathy is crucial for our emotional experience and social interactions, and its abnormalities manifest in various psychiatric disorders. Observational fear is a useful behavioral paradigm for assessing affective empathy in rodents. However, specific genes that regulate observational fear remain unknown. Here we showed that 129S1/SvImJ mice carrying a unique missense variant in neurexin 3 (Nrxn3) exhibited a profound and selective enhancement in observational fear. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, the arginine-to-tryptophan (R498W) change in Nrxn3 was confirmed to be the causative variant. Selective deletion of Nrxn3 in somatostatin-expressing (SST+) interneurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) markedly increased observational fear and impaired inhibitory synaptic transmission from SST+ neurons. Concordantly, optogenetic manipulation revealed that SST+ neurons in the ACC bidirectionally controlled the degree of socially transmitted fear. Together, these results provide insights into the genetic basis of behavioral variability and the neurophysiological mechanism controlling empathy in mammalian brains.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.03.041 | DOI Listing |
J Am Acad Orthop Surg
December 2024
From the Spinal Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (Soroka, Weisman, and Masharawi), the Department of Physical Therapy, Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY (Lubetzky and Moffat), the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada (Murphy), the Israel Spine Center, Assuta Hospital, Tel-Aviv, Israel (Ashkenazi and Floman), the Spine Unit, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel (Shabat), and the Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (Shabat).
Objective: To evaluate whether functional, clinical, and self-reported tests reflect lumbar spinal stenosis patients' decisions to undergo or defer surgery.
Methods: Among 108 participants, 77 chose surgery (SG), and 31 opted to wait and see (WaSG) whether they got better spontaneously. Both groups were assessed at baseline (t0) and 3 months (t1), with additional self-reported measures at 6 (t2) and 12 months (t3).
JMIR Form Res
December 2024
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1277 Jiefang road, Jianghan, Wuhan, CN.
Background: Fear of pain (FOP) and fear avoidance belief (FAB), play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of chronic pain. However, the dynamics of these factors in post-surgical pain appear to differ, with FOP often learned from others rather than directly caused by painful experiences. Psychological resilience refers to an individual's capacity to adapt effectively to adversity, challenges, and threats, and may play a significant role in overcoming FOP and avoidance behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealthcare (Basel)
November 2024
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Villa Sofia-V. Cervello Hospital, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
The observational study investigates how personality factors influence depression, prenatal attachment, and fear of COVID-19 in women with high-risk pregnancies. Women experiencing a high-risk pregnancy between the 20th and 24th weeks of gestation (N = 84) were selected. The Personality Inventory (PI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), and Fear of COVID (FCV-19S) were used for data collection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Perinatol
December 2024
Neuroscienxze, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
Objective: To evaluate prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in a cohort of Italian pregnant women, and to evaluate potential benefits of oral supplementation Methods: Observational cohort of women with singleton gestations who were referred to our institution for first trimester prenatal visit. Screening for hypovitaminosis D was performed at the time of first trimester routine scan between 11 and 13 weeks of gestations. Women were offered measurement of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pain
December 2024
School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia; Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Neuroscience Research Australia, NSW, Australia. Electronic address:
Multi-site pain is common in people aged 60 years and over and is associated with a high risk of falls. To prevent and treat pain-related disabilities, it is crucial to identify the mechanisms underlying these associations. There is some evidence that pain leads to changes in walking, such as slower gait speed and shorter walking distance, which impair mobility and may increase the risk of falls.
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