Symptom provocation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Validation of the Braga Obsessive Compulsive image set (BOCIS).

Symptom provocation paradigms are paramount to understand a heterogeneous disorder as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The main aim of our work was to develop and validate an open-access set of OCD-related images comprising three main subtypes: washing, checking, and symmetry. Twenty-six OCD patients and 25 controls provided valence and arousal ratings for a set of OCD-related, aversive, and neutral images. Linear mixed model analyses were used to estimate the main effects of group, image category, and group-image category interaction in image ratings. All main effects were found to be significant for both arousal and valence ratings, except for the group in arousal ratings. Path analysis confirmed our hypothesis that the OCI-R subscales influenced the subjective ratings of the corresponding image categories, particularly among patients. Independent samples t-tests were performed for each OCD picture to compose the set. Arousal demonstrated a greater capacity to distinguish controls and patients, thus sustaining our choice of using these ratings for the final Braga Obsessive-Compulsive Image Set (BOCIS). Our study demonstrated that the stimuli of the BOCIS reliably portray OCD-like triggers for washing, checking and symmetry subtypes. Its open-access availability will facilitate significant progress in both clinical and research settings.

The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R): Translation and Validation of the European Portuguese Version.

INTRODUCTION: The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised has been developed to evaluate the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in both clinical and non-clinical individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This questionnaire was applied to 90 people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 246 without a known mental illness. In addition to this clinical evaluation instrument, participants completed other clinical assessment scales that helped characterize the two study groups. RESULTS: Given the objective of this study, to evaluate the structure by six factors, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed [patient group: χ2(120, n = 90) = 205.779, p < 0.01; CFI = 0.916; GFI = 0.814; RMSEA = 0.0890. CONTROL GROUP: χ2(120, n = 246) = 224.762, p < 0.01; CFI = 0.938; GFI = 0.904; RMSEA = 0.060]. To assess the internal consistency of the scale, Cronbach's alpha was determined (patient group: α = 0.913; control group: α = 0.888). Convergent validity was tested by determining the Spearman correlation between the scores obtained in the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised and Y-BOCS in the patient group (r = 0.651; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised has proved to be a consistent, valid, and reliable instrument with good psychometric properties to determine the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the Portuguese population.

Introdução: A escala Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised foi desenvolvida para avaliar a gravidade dos sintomas obsessivo-compulsivos em contexto clínico e não clínico. O objectivo deste estudo foi avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da sua versão portuguesa. Material e Métodos: O questionário em estudo foi aplicado a 90 pessoas com perturbação obsessivo-compulsiva e 246 pessoas sem doença psiquiátrica conhecida. Além deste instrumento de avaliação clínica, os participantes preencheram outras escalas de avaliação clínica que ajudaram a caracterizar os dois grupos de estudo. Resultados: Dado o objetivo deste estudo, para avaliar a estrutura por seis fatores foi realizada uma análise fatorial confirmatória [grupo de doentes: χ2(120, n = 90) = 205,779, p < 0.01; CFI = 0,916; GFI = 0,814; RMSEA = 0,0890. Grupo controlo: χ2(120, n = 246) = 224,762, p < 0,01; CFI = 0,938; GFI = 0,904; RMSEA = 0,060]. Para avaliar a consistência interna da escala foi determinado o alpha de Cronbach (grupo de doentes: α = 0,913. grupo controlo: α = 0,888). A validade convergente foi testada através da determinação da correlação de Spearman entre as pontuações obtidas no Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised e Y-BOCS no grupo de doentes (r = 0,651; p < 0,01). Conclusão: O Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised revelou-se um instrumento consistente, válido e fiável com boas propriedades psicométricas para determinar a gravidade dos sintomas obsessivo-compulsivos na população portuguesa.

An fMRI study of cognitive regulation of reward processing in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

BACKGROUND: Cognitive regulation can affect the process of decision making. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients seem to have an impairment in cognitive regulation of reward processing concerning food stimuli. This study aims to explore the impact of GAD in cognitive regulation of food-related rewards. METHODS: GAD patients (n=11) and healthy controls (n=15) performed a cognitive regulation craving task with food images while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquisition. Between-group differences in functional connectivity were measured using dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) seeds during cognitive regulation. RESULTS: During cognitive regulation, there was a significant interaction for functional connectivity between the right dlPFC and bilateral vmPFC with the thalamus. GAD patients had lower functional connectivity for cognitive regulation conditions (distance and indulge) than for the non-regulated condition in these clusters, while control participants presented the opposite pattern. GAD group presented fixed food valuation scores after cognitive regulation. CONCLUSIONS: GAD participants showed inflexibility while valuating food images, that could be produced by cognitive regulation deficits underpinned by functional connectivity alterations between prefrontal regions and the thalamus. These results show cognitive inflexibility and difficulty in the modulation of cognitive responses during decision making in GAD patients.

Protective Elements of Mental Health Status during the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Portuguese Population.

The outbreak of COVID-19 might produce dramatic psychological effects on individuals' lives. In this study, we aimed to explore the elements that may reduce the negative effects on mental health of the quarantine period imposed by most governments during this worldwide crisis. We conducted an online survey to evaluate demographic, lifestyle and mental health variables in a sample of 1280 Portuguese individuals (79.8% females) with an average age of 37 years. We observed that factors related to living conditions, maintaining work either online or in the workplace, frequency of exercise and absence of previous psychological or physic disorders are protective features of psychological well-being (anxiety, depression, stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms). Finally, the individuals previously receiving psychotherapeutic support exhibited better psychological indicators if they did not interrupt the process as a consequence of the outbreak. Our results indicate that the practice of physical exercise, reduced consumption of COVID-19 information and the implementation of remote mental healthcare measures might prevent larger impacts on mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Patients With Psychiatric Disorders Among Medical Students and Professionals.

INTRODUCTION: Stigma attached to mental health encompasses discrimination and exclusion of psychiatric patients and hinders their opportunities to have more productive and fulfilling lives. Moreover, stigma also exists among health professionals, and therefore, it hampers the provision of treatment and care and the promotion of mental well-being. This manuscript intends to assess and compare the levels of stigmatization toward patients with mental illness between medical students and doctors from different specialties. METHODS: The Portuguese version of Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27) was used to assess the attitudes of medical students (n = 203), non-psychiatry doctors (n = 121), and psychiatry specialists (n = 29) from the University of Minho and three hospitals in the region of Braga, Portugal (Hospital de Braga, Hospital Senhora da Oliveira, and Hospital de Fafe). RESULTS: Psychiatrists were the group that displayed lower levels of stigmatizing attitudes in all the items of the AQ-27, followed by the students. The regression analyses revealed that professional group and presence of a relative with mental illness were the factors that have a significant impact on the levels of stigmatization. CONCLUSIONS: Mental illness stigma is widely spread in community and reaches not only general population but also health professionals. Psychiatrists presented lower levels of stigma compared with non-psychiatry physicians and medical students. We found that stigma is related with age and the presence of relatives with psychiatric disorders. These findings highlight the critical relevance of raising awareness on this topic and, therefore, break stereotypes to reduce the negative consequences of stigma.

Validation of Wireless Sensors for Psychophysiological Studies.

James One (MindProber Labs) is a wireless psychophysiological device comprising two sensors: one measuring electrodermal activity (EDA), the other photoplethysmography (PPG). This paper reports the validation of James One's EDA sensor by comparing its signal against a research grade polygraph. Twenty participants were instructed to perform breathing exercises to elicit the modulation of EDA and heart rate, while the physiological signal was captured simultaneously on James One and a Biopac MP36. The resulting EDA and PPG records collected from both systems were comprehensively compared. Results suggest that James One captures EDA signal with a quality comparable to a research grade equipment, this constituting a reliable means of capturing data while minimizing setup time and intrusiveness.

MORPhA Scale: Behavioral and electroencephalographic validation of a rodent anesthesia scale.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory practice commonly implies rodent anesthesia. Such is instrumental not only for animal welfare, but also for standardized assessment of new anesthetics. NEW METHOD: We developed and validated a grading system for a temporal follow-up of anesthesia. The Minho Objective Rodent Phenotypical Anesthesia (MORPhA) scale was tested in mice (C57BL/6 J) and rats (Wistar-Han) anesthetized with ketamine/dexmedetomidine (ket/dex). The scale comprises 12 behavioral readouts organized in 5 stages - (i) normal/(ii) hindered voluntary movement, elicited response to (iii) non-noxious/(iv) noxious stimuli and (v) absence of response - evaluated at regular time-points. Progression across stages was monitored by electroencephalography (EEG) in rats during anesthesia induction and reversal (atipamezole) and during induction with a second anesthetic drug (pentobarbital). RESULTS: Higher anesthetic doses decreased the time to reach higher levels of anesthesia during progression, while increasing the time to regain waking behavior during reversal in both mice and rats. A regular decrease in high frequencies (low and high gamma) power was observed as the MORPhA score increased during anesthesia induction, while the opposite pattern was observed during emergence from anesthesia through reversion of dex effect. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: Degree of anesthesia in laboratory rodents is normally evaluated by testing loss of reflexes. While these are useful endpoint assessments, they are of limited application to study induction/reversal kinetics or factors affecting individual susceptibility. MORPhA allows graded standardized assessment of this progression in a biologically-relevant fashion. CONCLUSIONS: The devised anesthetic scale is of simple application and provides a semi-quantifiable readout of anesthesia induction/reversal.

Cognitive performance in healthy older adults relates to spontaneous switching between states of functional connectivity during rest.

Growing evidence has shown that brain activity at rest slowly wanders through a repertoire of different states, where whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) temporarily settles into distinct FC patterns. Nevertheless, the functional role of resting-state activity remains unclear. Here, we investigate how the switching behavior of resting-state FC relates with cognitive performance in healthy older adults. We analyse resting-state fMRI data from 98 healthy adults previously categorized as being among the best or among the worst performers in a cohort study of >1000 subjects aged 50+ who underwent neuropsychological assessment. We use a novel approach focusing on the dominant FC pattern captured by the leading eigenvector of dynamic FC matrices. Recurrent FC patterns - or states - are detected and characterized in terms of lifetime, probability of occurrence and switching profiles. We find that poorer cognitive performance is associated with weaker FC temporal similarity together with altered switching between FC states. These results provide new evidence linking the switching dynamics of FC during rest with cognitive performance in later life, reinforcing the functional role of resting-state activity for effective cognitive processing.