An Examination of the Longitudinal Relationship Between Cognitive Function and Physical Activity Among Older Breast Cancer Survivors in the Thinking and Living With Cancer Study.

BACKGROUND: Older cancer survivors are at risk for cognitive decline. Physical activity can improve cognition, and better cognitive function may facilitate greater physical activity. PURPOSE: We examined the potential bidirectional relationship between cognitive function and physical activity in older breast cancer survivors and controls. METHODS: The sample included women with newly diagnosed, nonmetastatic breast cancer (n = 395) and women without cancer (n = 374) ages 60-98. Participants were recruited as part of a larger multisite study, assessed prior to systemic therapy, and followed yearly for 36 months. Attention, processing speed, and executive function was measured using six neuropsychological tests, self-reported cognitive function using the Perceived Cognitive Impairments subscale of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function , and physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. Separate random intercepts cross-lagged panel models were used to examine the between- and within-person effects for survivors and controls, controlling for age, education, and study site. RESULTS: Survivors reported significantly less physical activity than controls at baseline (1,284.92 vs. 2,085.98 MET min/week, p < .05). When survivors reported higher activity, they simultaneously had better objective cognition at 12 months (ß = 0.24, p = .04) and reported better perceived cognition at 12 and 24 months (ß = 0.25, p = .03), but this relationship was not seen in controls. Cognition did not predict subsequent physical activity or vice versa in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Cognition and physical activity are cross-sectionally associated in survivors, but the expected prospective relationships were not found.

Physical activity may improve cognitive function for older cancer survivors; however, cognitive function may also affect the ability to organize oneself to be physically active. We examined this potential bidirectional relationship in a sample of 395 women with newly diagnosed, nonmetastatic breast cancer, and 374 noncancer controls. These women completed cognitive tests and surveys yearly for 36 months. Surveys included their subjective cognitive function and physical activity. We examined the relationships between cognitive function (both objective and subjective) and physical activity over time (baseline, 12, 24, and 36 months). We found that when cancer survivors reported higher physical activity, they had better objective cognitive function at 12 months, and they reported better subjective cognitive function at 12 and 24 months. However, physical activity did not predict cognitive function at later time points, and cognitive function did not predict physical activity at later time points. In controls, better subjective cognitive function was related to higher physical activity overall, but there were not relationships over time or at specific time points. This was an observational study; therefore, future research should consider the potential impact of cognitive function when older cancer survivors are attempting to increase their physical activity.

Cognitive and Affective Empathy as Indirect Paths Between Heterogeneous Depression Symptoms on Default Mode and Salience Network Connectivity in Adolescents.

Depression amongst adolescents is a prevalent disorder consisting of heterogeneous emotional and functional symptoms-often involving impairments in social domains such as empathy. Cognitive and affective components of empathy as well as their associated neural networks (default mode network for cognitive empathy and salience network for affective empathy) are affected by depression. Depression commonly onsets during adolescence, a critical period for brain development underlying empathy. However, the available research in this area conceptualizes depression as a homogenous construct, and thereby miss to represent the full spectrum of symptoms. The present study aims to extend previous literature by testing whether cognitive and affective empathy indirectly account for associations between brain network connectivity and heterogeneous depression symptoms in adolescents. Heterogeneous functional and emotional symptoms of depression were measured using the child depression inventory. Our results indicate that cognitive empathy mediates the association between default mode network functional connectivity and emotional symptoms of depression. More specifically, that adolescents with a stronger positive association between the default mode network and cognitive empathy show lower emotional depression symptoms. This finding highlights the importance of cognitive empathy in the relationship between brain function and depression symptoms, which may be an important consideration for existing models of depression in adolescents.

Psychological outcomes and culturally relevant moderators associated with events of discrimination among Asian American adults.

OBJECTIVES: Incidents of discrimination against Asian Americans have increased in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aims of this study are to (a) examine the overall psychological impact of incidents of discrimination on Asian Americans adults, (b) identify whether East Asians experience worse psychological outcomes following experiences of discrimination compared to other Asian Americans, and (c) identify culturally relevant factors that moderate the relationship between incidents of discrimination and psychological outcomes. METHOD: Two hundred eighty-nine participants who identified racially as Asian American (Mage = 33.1 years, ±10.5 SD, 57.1% male, and 54.3% East Asian) completed an online survey including measures of demographics, psychological outcomes, culturally relevant factors (e.g., acculturative stress, collective self-esteem), and racial discrimination. RESULTS: We found that, overall, experiencing increased frequency of discrimination related to more depressive symptoms and alcohol use (ps < .05). When comparing Asian subgroups (East Asian vs. other Asian), there were no significantly different relationships between discrimination frequency and attribution to race on psychological outcomes (ps > .098). Collective self-esteem (p = .041) weakened, while acculturative stress strengthened (p < .001) the relationship between discrimination frequency and alcohol use; collective self-esteem weakened the relationship between attribution to race and social anxiety (p = .021); and internalized racism weakened the relationship between discrimination frequency and depression (p = .038). CONCLUSIONS: We identified moderators of the relationship between experiences of discrimination and psychological outcomes in Asian Americans. Because the moderators held for all Asian groups under study, they are strong candidates for points of intervention to mitigate the harmful effects of discrimination for Asian Americans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

An Experimental Test of the Relationship between Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Use and Alcohol Consumption.

BACKGROUND: Increasing research shows that the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) is associated with a higher rate and quantity of alcohol consumption. METHODS: The present study used a 2-session, within-subjects design to experimentally examine the relationship between ENDS use and laboratory ad libitum alcohol consumption. A total of N = 31 (mean age = 28.71, SD = 11.17; 45.2% women; 54.8% White/Caucasian) healthy adults from the community who use ENDS and endorsed liking beer completed the study, which included a beer consumption taste-test task that assessed the volume of beer consumed by the participants across 2 counterbalanced sessions: 1 in which concurrent ENDS use was allowed and 1 in which it was not. All analyses controlled for age, race, and gender. RESULTS: The effect of ENDS condition on the volume of beer consumed was not statistically significant, F(1, 30) = 0.03, p = 0.86). Results of linear mixed modeling showed that ENDS puffs were significantly related to alcohol sips (estimate = 0.23, SE = 0.07, p = 0.002) across the ad libitum session. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, ENDS use did not increase alcohol consumption; however, the data suggest that ENDS puffs might act as a prime for beer sips or that these 2 behaviors are linked through habit. Future studies should more fully measure and compare global and event-level data on ENDS and alcohol use as they might show disparate patterns of relationships.

Translating preclinical models of alcohol seeking and consumption into the human laboratory using intravenous alcohol self-administration paradigms.

Preclinical models of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have advanced theoretical, mechanistic, and pharmacological study of the human condition. "Liking" and "wanting" behaviors reflect core processes underlying several models of AUD. However, the development and application of translational models of these preclinical approaches are at an incipient stage. The goal of this study was to examine how intravenous free-access and progressive-ratio, operant-response human alcohol self-administration paradigms can be used as translational human model parallels of preclinical "liking" and "wanting." Participants were 40 adults (mean age = 23.7, SD = 2.0; 45% female) of European descent who reported 12.6 drinking days (SD = 5.2) out of the previous 30 (average = 4.1 drinks per drinking day [SD = 1.7]). Individuals diverged in their alcohol self-administration behavior, such that free-access and progressive-ratio paradigm outcomes were not significantly correlated (p = 0.44). Free-access alcohol seeking was related to enjoying alcohol (p < 0.001), but not craving (p = 0.48), whereas progressive-ratio seeking at similar levels of alcohol exposure was related to craving (p = 0.02), but not enjoying (p = 0.30). Family history of alcoholism, venturesomeness traits, and disinhibition traits were unrelated (ps > 0.70) to preferred level of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) in the free-access session, a measure of liking alcohol. Family history of alcoholism, disinhibition traits, and recent drinking history were significantly related (ps < 0.05) to alcohol seeking in the progressive-ratio paradigm, a measure of wanting alcohol. We conclude that intravenous alcohol self-administration paradigms show promise in modeling behaviors that characterize and parallel alcohol "liking" and "wanting" in preclinical models. These paradigms provide a translational link between preclinical methods and clinical trials.

Associations of somatic depressive symptoms with food attentional bias and eating behaviors.

Recent evidence suggests that atypical major depressive disorder (MDD) - whose key features include the reversed somatic symptoms of hyperphagia (increased appetite) and hypersomnia (increased sleep) - is a stronger predictor of future obesity than other MDD subtypes. The mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear. The present study sought to elucidate whether the individual symptoms of hyperphagia, hypersomnia, poor appetite, and disturbed sleep have differential relationships with food attentional bias, emotional eating, external eating, and restrained eating. This cross-sectional laboratory study involved 103 young adults without obesity (mean age = 20 years, 79% female, 26% non-White, mean BMI = 23.4 kg/m2). We measured total depressive symptom severity and individual symptoms of hyperphagia, poor appetite, and disturbed sleep using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-20 (SCL-20) and added an item to assess hypersomnia; food attentional bias using a Food Stroop task; and self-reported eating behaviors using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Hyperphagia was positively associated with emotional eating but negatively associated with food attentional bias. Hypersomnia was negatively associated with emotional eating. Poor appetite was negatively associated with emotional eating. Disturbed sleep was positively associated with food attentional bias and emotional eating. An aggregate of the remaining 15 depressive symptoms (SCL-15) was positively associated with emotional and restrained eating. Our findings highlight the importance of examining the direction of somatic depressive symptoms, and they set the stage for future research to identify subgroups of people with depression at greatest risk for obesity (e.g., those with hyperphagia and/or disturbed sleep) and the mechanisms responsible for this elevated risk (e.g., emotional eating).

Substance Use and Childhood Sexual Abuse among Girls Who Are Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation.

Background: Girls who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC) have high rates of substance use and childhood sexual abuse. We compared girls who are victims of CSEC and matched controls on childhood sexual abuse and substance use, and examined if substance use is associated with increased CSEC odds. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from assessments completed by 80 girls who were referred by the Department of Child Services (Mage=15.38, SD=1.3, 51.9%White). Results: CSEC girls reported higher substance use (t=-2.76, p=.007), and were more likely report childhood sexual abuse (χ2=6.85, p=.009). The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and substance use outcomes did not differ across the groups (b's 0.12-1.38, p's .22-.85). Substance use disorder diagnosis was associated with greater odds of being in the CSEC group (ORs 2.95-6.72, p's<.05). Conclusions: Substance use and childhood sexual abuse are important risk indicators for exploitation, but should not be used to reduce criminality of CSEC perpetrators.

Early Impact of the U.S. COVID-19 Pandemic on Drinking Motives and Alcohol Use.

Background: The goal of this study was to empirically examine the degree to which alcohol use and drinking motives changed during the first month of the pandemic and to examine individual differences associated with such changes. Methods: A U.S. nationwide survey of 500 adults was conducted; data from 201 individuals (Mage=38.98, SD=12.04, 52.2% female, 76.1% White) who endorsed current alcohol use were included in this study. Results: Paired-samples t-tests indicated that there was a significant decrease in drinking quantity [t(199)=3.74, p<.001], but no change in drinking frequency [t(198)=0.19, p=.849] overall during the first month of the U.S. pandemic. There were significant decreases in enhancement [t(201)=4.55, p<.001], social [t(201)=9.39, p<.001] and conformity [t(201)=3.58, p<.001] motives, but a significant increase in coping motives [t(201)=-3.71, p<.001]. Regression analyses showed that increases in enhancement [ß=0.46, p<.001] and coping [ß=0.27, p=.004] motives were significantly related to increases in drinking frequency, and increases in coping motives [ß=0.32, p=.002] were related to increases in drinking quantity. Riskier drinking prior to the pandemic was significantly related to greater increase in drinking quantity in the first month of the U.S. pandemic [ß=0.31, p<.001]. Conclusion: Results of this study provide initial support that changes in drinking motives were important predictors for changes in alcohol use during the first month of the U.S. pandemic. Contrary to anecdotal reports, drinking decreased overall during the first month of the U.S. pandemic; however, those with existing risky patterns of drinking prior to the start of the U.S. pandemic were at greatest risk for drinking escalation during this time.

To Infuse or Ingest in Human Laboratory Alcohol Research.

Human alcohol laboratory studies use two routes of alcohol administration: ingestion and infusion. The goal of this paper was to compare and contrast these alcohol administration methods. The work summarized in this report was the basis of a 2019 Research Society on Alcoholism Roundtable, "To Ingest or Infuse: A Comparison of Oral and Intravenous Alcohol Administration Methods for Human Alcohol Laboratory Designs." We review the methodological approaches of each and highlight strengths and weaknesses pertaining to different research questions. We summarize methodological considerations to aid researchers in choosing the most appropriate method for their inquiry, considering exposure variability, alcohol expectancy effects, safety, bandwidth, technical skills, documentation of alcohol exposure, experimental variety, ecological validity, and cost. Ingestion of alcohol remains a common and often a preferable, methodological practice in alcohol research. Nonetheless, the main problem with ingestion is that even the most careful calculation of dose and control of dosing procedures yields substantial and uncontrollable variability in the participants' brain exposures to alcohol. Infusion methodologies provide precise exposure control but are technically complex and may be limited in ecological validity. We suggest that alcohol ingestion research may not be the same thing as alcohol exposure research; investigators should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages that the choice between ingestion and infusion of alcohol invokes.

Measurement invariance of the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depression screener in U.S. adults across sex, race/ethnicity, and education level: NHANES 2005-2016.

BACKGROUND: Despite its popularity, little is known about the measurement invariance of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) across U.S. sociodemographic groups. Use of a screener shown not to possess measurement invariance could result in under/over-detection of depression, potentially exacerbating sociodemographic disparities in depression. Therefore, we assessed the factor structure and measurement invariance of the PHQ-9 across major U.S. sociodemographic groups. METHODS: U.S. population representative data came from the 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohorts. We conducted a measurement invariance analysis of 31,366 respondents across sociodemographic factors of sex, race/ethnicity, and education level. RESULTS: Considering results of single-group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), depression theory, and research utility, we justify a two-factor structure for the PHQ-9 consisting of a cognitive/affective factor and a somatic factor (RMSEA = 0.034, TLI = 0.985, CFI = 0.989). On the basis of multiple-group CFAs testing configural, scalar, and strict factorial invariance, we determined that invariance held for sex, race/ethnicity, and education level groups, as all models demonstrated close model fit (RMSEA = 0.025-0.025, TLI = 0.985-0.992, CFI = 0.986-0.991). Finally, for all steps ΔCFI was <-0.004, and ΔRMSEA was <0.01. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that the PHQ-9 is acceptable to use in major U.S. sociodemographic groups and allows for meaningful comparisons in total, cognitive/affective, and somatic depressive symptoms across these groups, extending its use to the community. This knowledge is timely as medicine moves towards alternative payment models emphasizing high-quality and cost-efficient care, which will likely incentivize behavioral and population health efforts. We also provide a consistent, evidence-based approach for calculating PHQ-9 subscale scores.

Conduct Disorder Symptoms and Illicit Drug Use in Juvenile Justice Involved Youth: The Reciprocal Relationship Between Positive Illicit Drug-Use Attitudes and Illicit Drug Use.

Conduct disorder (CD) symptoms cooccur at high rates with illicit drug use in juvenile justice involved youth, which results in poorer outcomes; however, research has not identified where best to intervene in this relationship, limiting the identification of modifiable risk factors to reduce negative effects of CD symptoms. Two mediation models were examined to investigate the potential for CD symptoms to influence a reciprocal relationship between illicit drug use and positive drug attitudes, controlling for age, gender, and race. Data were examined for 245 juvenile justice involved youth (mean age = 15.46, SD = 1.30, range 12-18, 64.9% Black, 80.4% male) who completed court-ordered psychological assessments. Findings indicate: (1) Positive attitudes toward illicit drug use significantly mediated the relationship between CD symptoms and illicit drug use (ß = 0.16, CI 0.09-0.27; test for indirect effect z = 4.17, p < .001) and (2) illicit drug use significantly mediated the relationship between CD symptoms and positive attitudes toward illicit drug use (ß = 0.20, CI 0.12-0.32; test for indirect effect z = 4.87, p < .001). Overall, the present study suggests that CD symptoms impart risk for illicit drug use both indirectly, through more positive attitudes toward illicit drug use, and directly, which further strengthens positive attitudes toward illicit drug use.

Beliefs About the Direct Comparison of E-Cigarettes and Cigarettes.

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggests that positive beliefs about electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) use can lead to later e-cig use. Considering that many advertisements claim that e-cigs are superior to cigarettes, individuals' likelihood to view e-cigs more favorably than cigarettes can also influence subsequent e-cig use; however, no studies have directly assessed such a comparison. OBJECTIVES: The present study created and validated the Comparing E-Cigarettes and Cigarettes questionnaire (CEAC), which asks individuals to directly compare e-cigs and cigarettes on a number of dimensions, in two independent samples. METHODS: In sample 1 (451 undergraduates; mean age = 20.35, SD = 5.44, 72.4% female, 73.4% Caucasian) we explored the factor structure of the CEAC and in sample 2 (699 community adults collected via Amazon's Mechanical Turk; mean age = 34.04, SD = 10.9, 47.7% female, 83.3% Caucasian) we replicated the factor structure. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-factor structure: General Benefits (α = 0.80), General Effects (α = 0.86), and Health Benefits (α = 0.88), which was replicated via confirmatory factor analysis, χ2 = 4.36; RMSEA = 0.07, 90% CI = 0.06-0.08; TLI = 0.99; CFI = 0.99, and was relatively invariant across product use and gender. Individuals reported viewing e-cigs as safer and more beneficial than cigarettes and these beliefs were higher in e-cig users. CONCLUSIONS: Future work should establish how these comparative beliefs are influenced by e-cig use and/or influence subsequent transition to and increases in e-cig use. Although e-cigs are likely less harmful than cigarettes, and thus these comparative beliefs represent that state of nature, e-cigs are not completely without risk.

Gender-Specific Effects of Mood on Alcohol-Seeking Behaviors: Preliminary Findings Using Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration.

BACKGROUND: Although negative mood has long been implicated in differences in alcohol seeking by men and women, little research has used precise, well-controlled laboratory experiments to examine how negative mood affects alcohol-seeking behaviors. METHODS: A total of 34 (19 women) community-dwelling, alcohol-using adults aged 21 to 32 (mean age = 24.86, SD = 3.40, 74.3% Caucasian; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT] = 10.1, SD = 3.4) completed 2 counterbalanced intravenous alcohol self-administration sessions: one under negative mood and one under neutral mood. Fourteen individuals (9 women; mean age = 25.00, SD = 2.77) participated in an alcohol "liking" experiment (i.e., free access [FA] drinking) and 20 individuals (10 women; mean age = 24.77, SD = 3.73) participated in an alcohol "wanting" experiment, in which gaining access to alcohol required progressively effortful work. There was no significant difference between men and women on the AUDIT, t(32) = -0.38, p = 0.71. RESULTS: Priming with negative mood induction caused a significant decrease in self-reported mood (mean change = -1.85, t(32) = -6.81, p < 0.001), as intended. In FA, negative mood was associated with a significantly increased peak breath alcohol concentration (BrAC; F = 9.41, p = 0.01), with a trend toward a greater effect in men than in women (F = 2.67, p = 0.13). Negative mood also had a significant effect on peak BrAC achieved in the progressive work paradigm (F = 5.28, p = 0.04), with a significantly stronger effect in men (F = 5.35, p = 0.03) than women; men also trended toward more consistent work for alcohol across both neutral and negative sessions. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings demonstrate a gender-specific response on how mood affects alcohol seeking and suggest gender-specific interventions to prevent mood-based alcohol consumption.

Negative Urgency Mediates the Relationship between Amygdala and Orbitofrontal Cortex Activation to Negative Emotional Stimuli and General Risk-Taking.

The tendency toward impulsive behavior under emotional duress (negative and positive urgency) predicts a wide range of maladaptive risk-taking and behavioral disorders. However, it remains unclear how urgency relates to limbic system activity as induced from emotional provocation. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the relationship between brain responses to visual emotional stimuli and urgency traits. Twenty-seven social drinkers (mean age = 25.2, 14 males) viewed negative (Neg), neutral (Neu), and positive (Pos) images during 6 fMRI scans. Brain activation was extracted from a priori limbic regions previously identified in studies of emotional provocation. The right posterior orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and left amygdala were activated in the [Neg>Neu] contrast, whereas the left posterior OFC was activated in the [Pos>Neu] contrast. Negative urgency was related to the right lateral OFC (r = 0.43, P = 0.03) and the left amygdala (r = 0.39, P = 0.04) [Neg>Neu] activation. Negative urgency also mediated the relationship between [Neg>Neu] activation and general risk-taking (regression weights = 3.42 for right OFC and 2.75 for the left amygdala). Emotional cue-induced activation in right lateral OFC and left amygdala might relate to emotion-based risk-taking through negative urgency.

Transitioning From Cigarettes to Electronic Cigarettes Increases Alcohol Consumption.

OBJECTIVE: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are a nicotine delivery device that have recently been linked to alcohol use. Many individuals that smoke cigarettes transition to e-cigs as an alternative to cigarette use, despite potential negative health effects of e-cigs. No research to date has examined how former smokers that have transitioned to e-cigs differ from former smokers that do not use e-cigs, particularly in relation to alcohol use. Further, no research has examined how former smokers that use e-cigs regularly or socially may differ in alcohol consumption. METHOD: Using an online community dwelling sample (Former smokers N = 198, mean age = 34.70, SD = 11.45, 56.1% female, 78.3% Caucasian, 37.9% e-cig users), the present study assessed smoking status and alcohol use, with the latter assessed using a timeline followback calendar and the alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT). RESULTS: In all former smokers, total drinks (b = 4.01, p = 0.02) and average drinks per drinking day (b = 0.61, p =.01) were both related to e-cig use status, with e-cig users reporting higher alcohol consumption. Among e-cig using former smokers, social users, but not regular users, showed positive relationships with AUDIT scores, b = 1.90, p =.02, total drinks, b = 9.12, p <.001, average drinks, b = 0.98, p =.006, and hazardous drinking status, OR = 3.21, p =.01. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that: (1) former smokers who use e-cigs may have a potential for higher alcohol use; and (2) those who use e-cigs socially may be at heightened risk for hazardous patterns of alcohol consumption. This should be taken into consideration by healthcare providers.

Risks, Risk Factors, and Outcomes Associated with Phone and Internet Sexting Among University Students in the United States.

Sexting, defined as the exchange of sexually suggestive pictures or messages via mobile phone or social networking sites (SNS), has received media attention for its prevalence and associated negative outcomes; however, research has not yet fully established risk factors for and resulting outcomes from sexting behaviors. The current study was the first empirical test of a causal path model in males and females, in which impulsivity-related traits and expectancies influence sexual behaviors through phone and SNS sexting. We also examined prevalence and perceived likelihood of common negative outcomes associated with sexting. Multiple regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) statistics were conducted on two independent undergraduate samples (n = 611 and 255). The best fitting SEM model (RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.94, and χ(2) = 176.06, df = 75, p < .001) demonstrated a significant indirect effect of sensation seeking on phone sexting behaviors through sex-related sexting expectancies and a significant indirect effect of sensation seeking on sexual hookup behaviors through phone sexting behaviors (b = 0.06, p = .03), but only for females. Reverse mediations and mediation with SNS were not significant. Negative outcomes were rare: sexts being spread to others was the most common negative sexting experience (n = 21, 12 %). This study suggests the viability of personality and expectancies affecting sexual hookup behaviors through engagement in sexting behaviors. It also suggests that although direct negative outcomes associated with sexting are thought to be common, they were rare in the current sample.

Negative urgency and ventromedial prefrontal cortex responses to alcohol cues: FMRI evidence of emotion-based impulsivity.

BACKGROUND: Recent research has highlighted the role of emotion-based impulsivity (negative and positive urgency personality traits) for alcohol use and abuse, but has yet to examine how these personality traits interact with the brain's motivational systems. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we tested whether urgency traits and mood induction affected medial prefrontal responses to alcohol odors (AcO). METHODS: Twenty-seven social drinkers (mean age = 25.2, 14 males) had 6 fMRI scans while viewing negative, neutral, or positive mood images (3 mood conditions) during intermittent exposure to AcO and appetitive control (AppCo) aromas. RESULTS: Voxel-wise analyses (p < 0.001) confirmed [AcO > AppCo] activation throughout medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) regions. Extracted from a priori mPFC and vmPFC regions and analyzed in Odor (AcO, AppCo) × Mood factorial models, AcO activation was greater than AppCo in left vmPFC (p < 0.001), left mPFC (p = 0.002), and right vmPFC (p = 0.01) regions. Mood did not interact significantly with activation, but the covariate of trait negative urgency accounted for significant variance in left vmPFC (p = 0.01) and right vmPFC (p = 0.01) [AcO > AppCo] activation. Negative urgency also mediated the relationship between vmPFC activation and both (i) subjective craving and (ii) problematic drinking. CONCLUSIONS: The trait of negative urgency is associated with neural responses to alcohol cues in the vmPFC, a region involved in reward value and emotion-guided decision-making. This suggests that negative urgency might alter subjective craving and brain regions involved in coding reward value.

Urgency Theory in the context of broader emotion theories: a conceptual review.

Negative and positive urgency are two closely related personality traits that reflect the tendency for an individual to engage in maladaptive risk-taking in response to extreme negative and positive emotions, respectively. However, other prominent emotion theories describe how emotions contribute to adaptive, rather than maladaptive, decision-making. This conceptual review considers how Urgency Theory can be integrated with these broader existing emotion theories. We proceed as follows: a) briefly define what is meant by emotions in science and summarize basic human neuroscience underlying emotions; b) briefly describe select theories and research linking emotions to adaptive decision-making, including brain correlates of this effect; c) review Urgency Theory, including contrasting evidence that emotions lead to maladaptive outcomes and brain correlates of this effect; d) discuss how urgency can be integrated into theories that view emotions as both adaptive and maladaptive for decision-making; and e) propose future directions to advance research in this field. We identified four, not mutually exclusive, viable options to integrate Urgency Theory into existing theories: urgency as model-free emotion regulation, urgency as being driven by incidental emotions, urgency as a reflexive response to emotions, or urgency as an individual difference factor. We conclude that although all four options are viable, individual difference and model-free emotion regulation have the most empirical support to date. Importantly, the other two options are less well-researched. Direct tests comparing these integrations is necessary to determine the most accurate way to integrate urgency with existing emotion theories. We believe that this research can identify mechanisms underlying urgency and help inform future intervention and prevention development to reduce negative effects of urgency across numerous maladaptive behaviors and clinical disorders.

Depressive disorder subtypes, depressive symptom clusters, and risk of obesity and diabetes: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Overlapping but divided literatures suggest certain depression facets may pose greater obesity and diabetes risk than others. Our objectives were to integrate the major depressive disorder (MDD) subtype and depressive symptom cluster literatures and to clarify which facets are associated with the greatest cardiometabolic disease risk. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of published studies examining associations of ≥2 MDD subtypes or symptom clusters with obesity or diabetes risk outcomes. We report which facets the literature is "in favor" of (i.e., having the strongest or most consistent results). RESULTS: Forty-five articles were included. Of the MDD subtype-obesity risk studies, 14 were in favor of atypical MDD, and 8 showed similar or null associations across subtypes. Of the symptom cluster-obesity risk studies, 5 were in favor of the somatic cluster, 1 was in favor of other clusters, and 5 were similar or null. Of the MDD subtype-diabetes risk studies, 7 were in favor of atypical MDD, 3 were in favor of other subtypes, and 5 were similar or null. Of the symptom cluster-diabetes risk studies, 7 were in favor of the somatic cluster, and 5 were similar or null. LIMITATIONS: Limitations in study design, sample selection, variable measurement, and analytic approach in these literatures apply to this review. CONCLUSIONS: Atypical MDD and the somatic cluster are most consistently associated with obesity and diabetes risk. Future research is needed to establish directionality and causality. Identifying the depression facets conferring the greatest risk could improve cardiometabolic disease risk stratification and prevention programs.

Multidimensionality in impulsivity and alcohol use: a meta-analysis using the UPPS model of impulsivity.

BACKGROUND: Although there is considerable support for the relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use, the use of multidimensional conceptualizations of impulsivity and alcohol use has lead to varying relationship sizes across studies. The aims of the current meta-analysis are to (i) examine variability in the magnitude of the bivariate relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use across studies and (ii) describe the pattern of effects between specific impulsivity traits and alcohol use variables, using the UPPS model of impulsivity. METHODS: Ninety-six studies were meta-analyzed using a random effects model to examine the relationship between general impulsivity and alcohol use, as well as the relationships among separate impulsivity traits based in the UPPS model of impulsivity and specific alcohol use outcomes. RESULTS: Results indicate that, in general, impulsivity and alcohol use are related (r = 0.28); however, this effect size varied significantly across studies (from -0.05 to 1.02). Drinking quantity was most strongly predicted by lack of perseverance (r = 0.32), whereas all traits equally predicted drinking frequency. Drinking problems were most highly related to negative (r = 0.35) and positive (r = 0.34) urgency, and alcohol dependence was most highly related to negative urgency (r = 0.38) and lack of planning (r = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Effect sizes between impulsivity and alcohol use vary significantly by UPPS trait used in each study; thus, findings suggest and further reinforce the view in the literature that specific impulsivity-related constructs differentially relate to specific alcohol use outcomes.