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Abstract The ability to learn about adverse events has a special significance for survival. A body of work established the key role of the amygdala in acquisition, consolidation, and extinction of defense (fear) responses that protect the... more
Abstract The ability to learn about adverse events has a special significance for survival. A body of work established the key role of the amygdala in acquisition, consolidation, and extinction of defense (fear) responses that protect the organism in the presence of learned threats. More than a decade ago, our lab showed that exposure to a learned threat, leading to the retrieval or reactivation of the memory, leads to a reconsolidation (re-storage) of the memory in the amygdala. This finding reinvigorated interest in the role of memory retrieval in memory stability and change. In this chapter, we summarize research on the role of the amygdala in defense learning and memory and then discuss memory reconsolidation in the amygdala and its theoretical and clinical implications.
... 419 Ben Mamou , C. , Gamache , K. , & Nader , K. ( 2006 ). NMDA receptors are critical for unleash-ing consolidated auditory fear memories . ... Cell, 131, 160 – 173 . Jeon , D. , Kim , S. , Chetana , M. , Jo , D. , Ruley , HE ,... more
... 419 Ben Mamou , C. , Gamache , K. , & Nader , K. ( 2006 ). NMDA receptors are critical for unleash-ing consolidated auditory fear memories . ... Cell, 131, 160 – 173 . Jeon , D. , Kim , S. , Chetana , M. , Jo , D. , Ruley , HE , Lin , SY , Rabah , D. , Kinet , JP , & Shin , HS ( 2010 ). ...
Neuropeptides vasopressin and oxytocin regulate a variety of behaviors ranging from maternal and pair bonding to aggression and fear. Their role in modulating fear responses has been widely recognized, but not yet well understood. Animal... more
Neuropeptides vasopressin and oxytocin regulate a variety of behaviors ranging from maternal and pair bonding to aggression and fear. Their role in modulating fear responses has been widely recognized, but not yet well understood. Animal and human studies indicate the major role of the amygdala in controlling fear and anxiety. The amygdala is involved in detecting threat stimuli and linking them to defensive behaviors. This is accomplished by projections connecting the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) to the brain stem and to hypothalamic structures, which organize fear responses. A recent study by Huber et al demonstrates that vasopressin and oxytocin modulate the excitatory inputs into the CeA in opposite manners. Therefore this finding elucidates the mechanisms through which these neuropeptides may control the expression of fear.
When an extinction procedure is performed within the reconsolidation window, the original aversive memory can be replaced by one that is less traumatic. Recent studies revealed that carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation during retrieval... more
When an extinction procedure is performed within the reconsolidation window, the original aversive memory can be replaced by one that is less traumatic. Recent studies revealed that carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation during retrieval enhances memory lability. However, the effects of CO2 inhalation on the central nervous system can be extensive, and there is lack of evidence suggesting that the effects of CO2 are selective to a reactivated memory. We discovered that CO2 inhalation paired with memory retrieval potentiates the specific aversive memory trace, resulting in greater memory lability. The specific effects of CO2 depend on acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), the proton receptors that are involved in synaptic transmission and plasticity in the amygdala. In addition, CO2 inhalation alters memory lability via synaptic plasticity at selectively targeted synapses. Overall, our results suggest that inhaling CO2 during the retrieval event increases the lability of an aversive memory thr...
Disrupted processing of social cues and altered social behaviors are among the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and they emerge as early as the first year of life. These differences in sensory abilities may affect the... more
Disrupted processing of social cues and altered social behaviors are among the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and they emerge as early as the first year of life. These differences in sensory abilities may affect the ability of children with ASDs to securely attach to a caregiver and experience caregiver buffering of stress. Prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has been used to model some aspects of ASDs in rodents. Here, we asked whether prenatal VPA exposure altered infant rats' behavioral responsivity to maternal olfactory cues in an odor preference test and affected maternal buffering of infants' stress responsivity to shock. In the odor preference test, one-week old rats treated with VPA during pregnancy appeared to have impaired social recognition and/or may be less motivated to approach social odors in early infancy. These effects were particularly prominent in female pups. In two-week old rats, VPA-exposed pups and saline-exposed pups showed si...
Learning about potential threats is critical for survival. Learned fear responses are acquired either through direct experiences or indirectly through social transmission. Social fear learning (SFL), also known as vicarious fear learning,... more
Learning about potential threats is critical for survival. Learned fear responses are acquired either through direct experiences or indirectly through social transmission. Social fear learning (SFL), also known as vicarious fear learning, is a paradigm successfully used for studying the transmission of threat information between individuals. Animal and human studies have begun to elucidate the behavioral, neural and molecular mechanisms of SFL. Recent research suggests that social learning mechanisms underlie a wide range of adaptive and maladaptive phenomena, from supporting flexible avoidance in dynamic environments to intergenerational transmission of trauma and anxiety disorders. This review discusses recent advances in SFL studies and their implications for basic, social and clinical sciences.
Although clinical and basic studies show that parental trauma, fear, and anxiety may be transmitted to offspring, the neurobiology of this transmission is still not well understood. We recently demonstrated in an animal model that infant... more
Although clinical and basic studies show that parental trauma, fear, and anxiety may be transmitted to offspring, the neurobiology of this transmission is still not well understood. We recently demonstrated in an animal model that infant rats acquire threat responses to a distinct cue when a mother expresses fear to this cue in their presence. This ability to acquire maternal fear through social learning is present at birth and, as we previously reported, depends on the pup's amygdala. However, the remaining neural mechanisms underlying social fear learning (SFL) in infancy remain elusive. Here, by using [(14) C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiography, we show that the mother-to-infant transmission of fear in preweaning rats is associated with a significant increase of activity in the subregions of the lateral septum, nucleus accumbens, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, retrosplenial cortex, paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, mediodorsal and intralaminar thalamic nuclei, medial and the lateral preoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus, and the lateral periaqueductal gray. In contrast to studies of adult SFL demonstrating the role of the anterior cingulate cortex and possibly the insular cortex or research of infant classical fear conditioning showing the role of the posterior piriform cortex, no changes of activation in these areas were observed. Our results indicate that the pup's exposure to maternal fear activates a number of areas involved in processing threat, stress, or pain. This pattern of activation suggests a unique set of neural mechanisms underlying SFL in the developing brain. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A formulation of the brain-based theory of emotions poses challenges to neural sciences and even more so to our traditional views on emotions and affective processes. Such methodological challenges and tensions between sciences and... more
A formulation of the brain-based theory of emotions poses challenges to neural sciences and even more so to our traditional views on emotions and affective processes. Such methodological challenges and tensions between sciences and traditional views can best be understood from the historical perspective. However, while philosophical attempts to understand emotions have a long tradition and are deeply rooted in culture and society, the neuroscientific pursuit of emotions is a relatively recent endeavor. This essay will discuss selected historical and contemporary issues characterizing the neuroscientific search for emotions.
... 419 Ben Mamou , C. , Gamache , K. , & Nader , K. ( 2006 ). NMDA receptors are critical for unleash-ing consolidated auditory fear memories . ... Cell, 131, 160 – 173 . Jeon , D. , Kim , S. , Chetana , M. , Jo , D. , Ruley , HE ,... more
... 419 Ben Mamou , C. , Gamache , K. , & Nader , K. ( 2006 ). NMDA receptors are critical for unleash-ing consolidated auditory fear memories . ... Cell, 131, 160 – 173 . Jeon , D. , Kim , S. , Chetana , M. , Jo , D. , Ruley , HE , Lin , SY , Rabah , D. , Kinet , JP , & Shin , HS ( 2010 ). ...
The history of philosophical inquiry of time has been almost as long as the history of Western thought. Numerous concepts and ideas on the nature of time and time perception have been proposed over the centuries. Some of these ideas laid... more
The history of philosophical inquiry of time has been almost as long as the history of Western thought. Numerous concepts and ideas on the nature of time and time perception have been proposed over the centuries. Some of these ideas laid the groundwork for the psychological and neuroscientific studies of time processes. To this day, philosophical concepts inspire empirical research of time. In some cases, this interplay between philosophical ideas and neuroscientific studies of time processes occurs seamlessly. In other cases, however, attempts to directly apply philosophical concepts in the experimental research encounter impassable barriers. This commentary discusses two recent applications of philosophical frameworks of subjective time and time perception in the neuroscientific research.
Abstract The ability to learn about adverse events has a special significance for survival. A body of work established the key role of the amygdala in acquisition, consolidation, and extinction of defense (fear) responses that protect the... more
Abstract The ability to learn about adverse events has a special significance for survival. A body of work established the key role of the amygdala in acquisition, consolidation, and extinction of defense (fear) responses that protect the organism in the presence of learned threats. More than a decade ago, our lab showed that exposure to a learned threat, leading to the retrieval or reactivation of the memory, leads to a reconsolidation (re-storage) of the memory in the amygdala. This finding reinvigorated interest in the role of memory retrieval in memory stability and change. In this chapter, we summarize research on the role of the amygdala in defense learning and memory and then discuss memory reconsolidation in the amygdala and its theoretical and clinical implications.

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What is mathematics? Is it a property of the world we live in? Does is exist independently of the reality we directly experience? Is it merely a construct of our mind? Philosophers have been asking such questions since Pythagoras.... more
What is mathematics? Is it a property of the world we live in? Does is exist independently of the reality we directly experience? Is it merely a construct of our mind? Philosophers have been asking such questions since Pythagoras. Contemporary neurosciences force us to rethink these issues. The old philosophical debate revives in a new context.
The Emotional Brain Revisited tackles various issues at play in the current neuroscientific, psychological, and philosophical research on emotions. The book discusses such topics as the role of amygdala in the emergence of emotions, the... more
The Emotional Brain Revisited tackles various issues at play in the current neuroscientific, psychological, and philosophical research on emotions. The book discusses such topics as the role of amygdala in the emergence of emotions, the place of the affect within the psychological construction of the agent, insights from the research on emotions in animals, and the relation between emotions, rationality, morality, and law. Furthermore, various conceptual controversies underlying the empirical studies on emotions are considered.
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In 1992, the experts of the World Health Organization decided to introduce a new diagnostic category. Possession Trance became recognized as a psychiatric disorder. The introduction of this new category prompted the clarification of its... more
In 1992, the experts of the World Health Organization decided to introduce a new diagnostic category. Possession Trance became recognized as a psychiatric disorder. The introduction of this new category prompted the clarification of its diagnostic criteria. In an unprecedented way, the authors of the 10th edition of the International Classification of Disorders (ICD-10) made the diagnosis of possession trance dependent on the cultural context of its occurrence making the diagnostician-clinician responsible for determining the relations between the possession trance and its cultural environment.
Each living creature exists as a unit, as self. Understanding the self, then should be a major goal of scientific research. This volume takes stock of current understanding of the self and its relation to the brain, and considers future... more
Each living creature exists as a unit, as self. Understanding the self, then should be a major goal of scientific research. This volume takes stock of current understanding of the self and its relation to the brain, and considers future directions for scientific research in a multidisciplinary context.
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“Emotions” were traditionally viewed and conceptualized as a heterogeneous group of spontaneously arising subjective states associated with a variety of thoughts, behaviors, and bodily responses. The word “emotion” is derived from the... more
“Emotions” were traditionally viewed and conceptualized as a heterogeneous group of spontaneously arising subjective states associated with a variety of thoughts, behaviors, and bodily responses. The word “emotion” is derived from the Latin word exmovere meaning “to move,” “to stir,” “to set in motion” which was referred to as mental movement or agitation. Thus, traditional accounts of emotions represented in various branches of the humanities, such as literature, philosophy, and religion, have been grounded in subjective experience (LeDoux 1996; Damasio 2003). Emotions have been recognized as powerful factors influencing thinking and behavior.  As such, they were often regarded to play a crucial role in all the dimensions of human experience, including religious experience and practice (Azari and Birnbacher 2004). In contrast to thinking or reasoning, emotions were often
viewed as irrational.
Papez was one the greatest twentieth-century explorers of brain anatomy. In an effort to explain emotions in the brain, he proposed the existence of a complex set of circuits. Some of the connections proposed were purely speculative... more
Papez was one the greatest twentieth-century explorers
of brain anatomy. In an effort to explain emotions in
the brain, he proposed the existence of a complex set of
circuits. Some of the connections proposed were purely
speculative because the techniques available at the time
were not capable of revealing the detailed connectivity of
the brain. The Papez circuit, as it came to be called, was
one of the first examples of a network or systems-level
explanation of a complex mental function. His speculations
about brain wiring, when evaluated with modern
techniques, have turned out to be amazingly accurate.
Although his theory of the emotional functions of the circuit
turned out to not be correct, it was of great heuristic
value and led to much research. All subsequent
approaches to the emotional brain build upon the Papez
circuit theory.
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Independent Replication of DRD4 x Maternal State Interaction on Child Behavior Problems (CBCL), and Mediation by 7 mo Infant Temperament: Analyses in a Pilot Longitudinal Cohort of Mother-Infant Dyads Anthony P. King1, Erika Bocknek2,... more
Independent Replication of DRD4 x Maternal State Interaction on Child Behavior Problems (CBCL), and Mediation by 7 mo Infant Temperament: Analyses in a Pilot Longitudinal Cohort of Mother-Infant Dyads

Anthony P. King1, Erika Bocknek2, Lindsay Hamilton1, Katherine Rosenblum1, Julia Seng3, Jacek Debiec1, Maria Muzik1

1Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,2Education, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI,3Nursing School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society-of-Biological-Psychiatry, Volume: 77

Background: The DRD4 VNTR has been associated with child behavior problems in gene x maternal insensitivity interactions in European and American cohorts of preschoolers; with 7-repeat allele associated with greater problems. We attempted to replicate and expand these findings by examining trajectories from early mother-infant dyadic interactions (7 mos) in a longitudinal cohort.
Methods: We are collecting a longitudinal cohort of mother-infant dyads (268 families recruited to date) with psychological and/or behavioral assessments at 6wks, 4mo, 7mo, 12mo, 15mo, 18mo, and 36mo. A latent variable “Negative Infant Temperament” was constructed from maternal report (IBQ) and behavioral coding (Distress, Negative Affect in Still Face paradigm at 7 mo), Achenbach CBCL was assessed at 18 mo. Maternal and infant genotype on DRD4 was obtained using PCR. A 65 family sample with complete DRD4 genotype, Infant Temperament, and 18 mo CBCL was used.
Results: Infants carrying 7- or 2-repeat DRD4 allele who had mothers meeting criteria for postpartum depression had greater behavior problems (CBCL) at 18 mo, but not non-carriers (interaction F=4.4,p<.05; beta=.305,p=.013). DRD4xMaternal depression was also associated with Infant Negative Temperament (beta=.365,p<.005), which mediated the effect on 18 mo CBCL (Sobel=3.31, p<.001)
Conclusions: These initial analyses replicate DRD4 x maternal state interaction in an independent cohort. The interaction effect on CBCL was seen at 18 mos, and was mediated by infant (7 mo) measure of negative temperament. Data collection is ongoing in this longitudinal cohort.
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Pacjent, nie Żaden z leków stosowanych w psychiatrii nie leczy przyczyn zaburzeń. Żaden. Są to środki działające tylko na objawy, z lepszymi lub gorszymi efektami. Firma farmaceutyczna jest zainteresowana zademonstrowaniem, że jej... more
Pacjent, nie Żaden z leków stosowanych w psychiatrii nie leczy przyczyn zaburzeń. Żaden. Są to środki działające tylko na objawy, z lepszymi lub gorszymi efektami. Firma farmaceutyczna jest zainteresowana zademonstrowaniem, że jej preparat działa, a nie badaniem, jak go bezpiecznie odstawić i kiedy Z Jackiem Dębcem rozmawia Emilia Świętochowska Czy dzieci są dzisiaj bardziej kruche niż kiedyś? Myślę, że tak.
Pacjent, nie Żaden z leków stosowanych w psychiatrii nie leczy przyczyn zaburzeń. Żaden. Są to środki działające tylko na objawy, z lepszymi lub gorszymi efektami. Firma farmaceutyczna jest zainteresowana zademonstrowaniem, że jej... more
Pacjent, nie Żaden z leków stosowanych w psychiatrii nie leczy przyczyn zaburzeń. Żaden. Są to środki działające tylko na objawy, z lepszymi lub gorszymi efektami. Firma farmaceutyczna jest zainteresowana zademonstrowaniem, że jej preparat działa, a nie badaniem, jak go bezpiecznie odstawić i kiedy Z Jackiem Dębcem rozmawia Emilia Świętochowska Czy dzieci są dzisiaj bardziej kruche niż kiedyś? Myślę, że tak.
Fear can spread from person to person faster than the coronavirus-but there are ways to slow it down... more
Fear can spread from person to person faster than the coronavirus-but there are ways to slow it down https://theconversation.com/fear-can-spread-from-person-to-person-faster-than-the-coronavirus-but-there-are-ways-to-slow-it-down-133129?utm_… 1/4 As cases of COVID-19 proliferate, there's a pandemic of fear unfolding alongside the pandemic of the coronavirus. Media announce mass cancellations of public events "over coronavirus fears." TV stations show images of "coronavirus panic shopping." Magazines discuss attacks against Asians sparked by "racist coronavirus fears." Due to the global reach and instantaneous nature of modern media, fear contagion spreads faster than the dangerous yet invisible virus. Watching or hearing someone else who's scared causes you to be frightened, too, without necessarily even knowing what caused the other person's fear. As a psychiatrist and researcher studying the brain mechanisms of social regulation of emotions, I frequently see in clinical and experimental settings how powerful fear contagion can be. Responding with fear in face of danger Fear contagion is an evolutionarily old phenomenon that researchers observe in many animal species. It can serve a valuable survival function. It's hard not to be scared of an invisible and spreading threat. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber Fear can spread from person to person faster than the coronavirus-but there are ways to slow it down March 16, 2020 8.20am EDT
Americans are becoming more anxious about their safety, health, finances, politics and relationships, a new online poll from the American Psychiatric Association finds. Compared to the results of a similar poll a year earlier, 39 percent... more
Americans are becoming more anxious about their safety, health, finances, politics and relationships, a new online poll from the American Psychiatric Association finds. Compared to the results of a similar poll a year earlier, 39 percent of adults in the U.S. are more anxious today than they were a year ago. As a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, I believe studies and polls like these help to identify individual and group vulnerabilities. They may provide clues for providing better clinical practice, implementing more effective public policies, and designing research projects that yield a better understanding of the causes of anxiety and better treatments. Although anxiety is rising across all age groups and demographic categories, there are notable distinctions between certain groups. For example, millennials are more anxious (especially about finances) than Gen-Xers or baby boomers-though boomers' overall anxiety increased more than the other age groups. Women reported a greater increase in overall anxiety in all dimensions than men, and non-Caucasians' overall anxiety rose faster in the preceding year than did Caucasians. Sometimes, anxiety occurs without clearly defined worries or awareness, suggesting the poll may have only captured part of a rise in adult Americans' anxiety levels-and those adults' anxiety may be affecting children and teenagers too.
At birth, the brain is the most underdeveloped organ in our body. It takes up until our mid-20s for our brains to fully mature. Any serious and prolonged adversity, such as a sudden, unexpected and lasting separation from a caretaker,... more
At birth, the brain is the most underdeveloped organ in our body. It takes up until our mid-20s for our brains to fully mature. Any serious and prolonged adversity, such as a sudden, unexpected and lasting separation from a caretaker, changes the structure of the developing brain. It damages a child’s ability to process emotion and leaves scars that are profound and lifelong.
Memories of trauma are unique because of how brains and bodies respond to threat https://theconversation.com/memories-of-trauma-are-unique-because-of-how-brains-and-bodies-respond-to-threat-103725
Most of what you experience leaves no trace in your memory. Learning new information often requires a lot of effort and repetition – picture studying for a tough exam or mastering the tasks of a new job. It’s easy to forget what you’ve... more
Most of what you experience leaves no trace in your memory. Learning new information often requires a lot of effort and repetition – picture studying for a tough exam or mastering the tasks of a new job. It’s easy to forget what you’ve learned, and recalling details of the past can sometimes be challenging.

But some past experiences can keep haunting you for years. Life-threatening events – things like getting mugged or escaping from a fire – can be impossible to forget, even if you make every possible effort. Recent developments in the Supreme Court nomination hearings and the associated #WhyIDidntReport action on social media have rattled the public and raised questions about the nature, role and impact of these kinds of traumatic memories.
Psychiatrzy i psychologowie ulegają pokusom publicznego „diagnozowania". Lekkomyślne używanie terminologii psychiatrycznej prowadzi do większej stygmatyzacji osób już wyjątkowo dotkniętych cierpieniem.
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Dzieci już w bardzo młodym wieku są w stanie przyswoić sobie i zastosować w odpowiednim kontekście imperatyw kategoryczny Immanuela Kanta: "należy postępować zawsze wedle takich reguł, co do których chcielibyśmy, aby były one stosowane... more
Dzieci już w bardzo młodym wieku są w stanie przyswoić sobie i zastosować w odpowiednim kontekście imperatyw kategoryczny Immanuela Kanta: "należy postępować zawsze wedle takich reguł, co do których chcielibyśmy, aby były one stosowane przez każdego i zawsze".
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Co mają ze sobą wspólnego wybitny filozof i kosmolog i mały chłopczyk?
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