ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional sensory gating in anxiety disorders, indexed by the failure to inhibit the P50 event-related potential (ERP) to repeated stimuli, has been linked to deficits in the major inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). AIMS/METHODS: This study, conducted in 30 healthy volunteers, examined the acute effects of GABAA (lorazepam: 1 mg) and GABAB receptor (baclofen: 10 mg) agonists on P50 measures of auditory sensory gating within a paired-stimulus (S1-S2) paradigm and assessed changes in gating in relation to self-ratings of anxiety. RESULTS: Compared to placebo, lorazepam reduced ERP indices of sensory gating by attenuating response to S1. Although not directly impacting P50 inhibition, baclofen-induced changes in gating (relative to placebo) were negatively correlated with trait but not state anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings support the involvement of GABA in sensory gating and tentatively suggest a role for GABAB receptor signaling in anxiety-associated gating dysregulation.
Subject(s)
Anxiety , Baclofen , GABA-B Receptor Agonists , Lorazepam , Receptors, GABA-B , Sensory Gating , Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Baclofen/pharmacology , Lorazepam/pharmacology , GABA-B Receptor Agonists/pharmacology , Anxiety/metabolism , Young Adult , Sensory Gating/drug effects , Receptors, GABA-B/metabolism , Receptors, GABA-B/drug effects , GABA-A Receptor Agonists/pharmacology , Healthy Volunteers , Double-Blind Method , Evoked Potentials, Auditory/drug effects , Evoked Potentials, Auditory/physiology , Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism , Receptors, GABA-A/drug effects , AdolescentABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed large segments of the global population to the experience of restricted freedoms. In Canada, COVID-19-related measures led to a decrease of mobility within the country, prohibiting access to public and private spaces for prolonged periods of time. This study addresses the effects of the pandemic and related restrictions on views of imprisonment, drawing on a sample of individuals who took part in a tour of the HI Ottawa Jail Hostel (N = 102) in pre- and peri-COVID-19 contexts. The results provide some support for the hypothesis that the uncertainty and existential threat brought about by the pandemic may have contributed to more stringent support for imprisonment and increased punitiveness. However, the results are limited by the small sample size and sample composition. Future directions for research on the impact of the pandemic on public views of imprisonment are discussed.
La pandémie de COVID-19 a eu pour effet d'exposer une grande partie de la population mondiale à vivre avec des restrictions de libertés individuelles. Au Canada, les mesures liées à la COVID-19 ont entraîné une diminution de la mobilité à l'intérieur du pays, limitant donc l'accès aux espaces publics et privés durant des périodes prolongées. Cette étude porte sur les effets de la pandémie et des restrictions connexes sur les perceptions de l'emprisonnement. L'étude s'appuie sur un échantillon de personnes qui ont participé à une visite guidée du HI Ottawa Jail Hostel (N = 102) dans des contextes pré-COVID-19 et durant la pandémie de COVID-19. Les résultats soutiennent, dans une certaine mesure, l'hypothèse que l'incertitude et la menace existentielle provoquées par la pandémie pourraient avoir contribué à une perspective plus sévère face à l'emprisonnement et à une punitivité accrue. Cependant, ces résultats sont limités par la petite taille et la composition de l'échantillon de l'étude. De futurs chantiers de recherche sur l'impact de la pandémie sur l'opinion publique face à l'emprisonnement sont discutés.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Prisoners , Canada/epidemiology , Humans , Pandemics , PrisonsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Adolescent depression may increase risk for poor mental health outcomes in adulthood. The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature on the association between adolescent depression and adult anxiety and depressive disorders as well as suicidality. METHODS: EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PSYCinfo databases were searched and longitudinal cohort studies in which depression was measured in adolescence (age 10-19) and outcomes of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, or suicidality were measured in adulthood (age 21+), were selected. Meta-analysis using inverse variance and random effects modeling, along with sensitivity analyses, were used to synthesize article estimates. RESULTS: Twenty articles were identified, representing 15 unique cohorts. Seventeen of 18 articles showed adolescent depression increased risk for adult depression; eleven pooled cohorts estimated that adolescents with depression had 2.78 (1.97, 3.93) times increased odds of depression in adulthood. Seven of eight articles that investigated the association between adolescent depression and any adult anxiety found a significant association. Three of five articles showed a significant association between adolescent depression and adult suicidality. CONCLUSION: This review shows that adolescent depression increases the risk for subsequent depression later in life. Articles consistently found that adolescent depression increases the risk for anxiety disorders in adulthood, but evidence was mixed on whether or not a significant association existed between adolescent depression and suicidality in adulthood. Early intervention in adolescent depression may reduce long-term burden of disease.