Paweł Ostaszewski

Neural Correlates of Own Name and Own Face Detection in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition clinically characterized by social interaction and communication difficulties. To date, the majority of research efforts have focused on brain mechanisms underlying the deficits in interpersonal social cognition associated with ASD. Recent empirical and theoretical work has begun to reveal evidence for a reduced or even absent self-preference effect in patients with ASD. One may hypothesize that this is related to the impaired attentional processing of self-referential stimuli. The aim of our study was to test this hypothesis. We investigated the neural correlates of face and name detection in ASD. Four categories of face/name stimuli were used: own, close-other, famous, and unknown. Event-related potentials were recorded from 62 electrodes in 23 subjects with ASD and 23 matched control subjects. P100, N170, and P300 components were analyzed. The control group clearly showed a significant self-preference effect: higher P300 amplitude to the presentation of own face and own name than to the close-other, famous, and unknown categories, indicating preferential attentional engagement in processing of self-related information. In contrast, detection of both own and close-others face and name in the ASD group was associated with enhanced P300, suggesting similar attention allocation for self and close-other related information. These findings suggest that attention allocation in the ASD group is modulated by the personal significance factor, and that the self-preference effect is absent if self is compared to close-other. These effects are similar for physical and non-physical aspects of the autistic self. In addition, lateralization of face and name processing is attenuated in ASD, suggesting atypical brain organization.

Quality of life in women with lipoedema: a contextual behavioral approach

AbstractPurposenLipoedema is a chronic, progressive adipose disorder of unknown etiology, often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed as obesity. It manifests itself with accumulation of the fat in lower parts of the body and associated edema and, due to numerous physical and psychological consequences, affects the quality of life (QOL) of those who suffer. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychological factors that might have an impact on the QOL of women with lipoedema from the contextual behavioral viewpoint.nMethodsIn an Internet-based cross-sectional study, women suffering from lipoedema (Nxa0=xa0120) were asked to fill in questionnaires assessing: symptom severity, QOL (WHOQOL-BREF), satisfaction with life (SWLS), psychological flexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II), social connectedness (Social Connectedness Scale-Revised) and other psychological factors. The majority of participants were from the USA, the UK, and Australia.ResultsMultiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that a higher level of QOL was predicted by higher levels of psychological flexibility and social connectedness, while controlling for symptom severity. Higher level of SWL was predicted only by higher level of social connectedness.ConclusionsAcceptance and Commitment Therapy with psychological flexibility as the target of change and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy with social connectedness as the target of change might be useful in treating women with lipoedema; however, further research in this area is needed. The authors conclude that psychological and biomedical interventions for women with lipoedema and their QOL merit more attention from researchers and the medical community than is currently received.

Relations between Cloninger's dimensions of temperament and steepness of delay and effort discounting of monetary rewards.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between Cloningers personality dimensions of temperament (Harm Avoidance, Novelty Seeking, Reward Dependence, and Persistence) and the steepness of delay and effort discounting, which refers to a decrease in the subjective value of a reward as its delay, or effort required to obtain the reward, increases. Participants (N = 112; ages 19 to 29 years, M = 21.80, SD = 1.35) filled out two inventories: the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and the Discounting Questionnaire. The study revealed that the higher the Harm Avoidance and Reward Dependency, the steeper the effort discounting. On the other hand, the higher ones Persistence, the shallower ones effort discounting. Finally, a positive correlation was observed between delay and effort discounting. The results indicated that effort discounting was related to, but not equivalent to, delay discounting.

Name recognition in autism: EEG evidence of altered patterns of brain activity and connectivity

BackgroundImpaired orienting to social stimuli is one of the core early symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, in contrast to faces, name processing has rarely been studied in individuals with ASD. Here, we investigated brain activity and functional connectivity associated with recognition of names in the high-functioning ASD group and in the control group.MethodsEEG was recorded in 15 young males with ASD and 15 matched one-to-one control individuals. EEG data were analyzed with the event-related potential (ERP), event-related desynchronization and event-related synchronization (ERD/S), as well as coherence and direct transfer function (DTF) methods. Four categories of names were presented visually: one’s own, close-other’s, famous, and unknown.ResultsDifferences between the ASD and control groups were found for ERP, coherence, and DTF. In individuals with ASD, P300 (a positive ERP component) to own-name and to a close-other’s name were similar whereas in control participants, P300 to own-name was enhanced when compared to all other names. Analysis of coherence and DTF revealed disruption of fronto-posterior task-related connectivity in individuals with ASD within the beta range frequencies. Moreover, DTF indicated the directionality of those impaired connections—they were going from parieto-occipital to frontal regions. DTF also showed inter-group differences in short-range connectivity: weaker connections within the frontal region and stronger connections within the occipital region in the ASD group in comparison to the control group.ConclusionsOur findings suggest a lack of the self-preference effect and impaired functioning of the attentional network during recognition of visually presented names in individuals with ASD.

Temporal Discounting in “Gain Now-Lose Later” and “Lose Now-Gain Later” Conditions

Studies on temporal discounting typically involve choosing between two outcomes of the same sign, i.e., positive or negative. For example, participants often are given a choice between a smaller, sooner gain and a larger, but later gain, or (less commonly) the options may be a sooner, larger loss and a later, but smaller loss. In contrast, participants in this study (N= 129; 66 women and 63 men, volunteers from Warsaw, Poland, all employed, with college education, ranging in age from 23 to 50 years, M = 32.3 yr., SD = 7.4) had to make a yes-or-no decision as to whether they would accept a financial offer involving a combination of a gain and a loss. This offer could be either an immediate gain to be followed later by a larger loss or an immediate loss followed later by a larger gain. Despite the substantial differences between the options in the present study and those in typical discounting studies, the same hyper-boloid discounting function that describes choice between immediate and delayed gains also accurately described choice in the substantially different situations presented in the present study. In addition, steeper discounting was observed with a smaller delayed outcome than with a larger delayed outcome.

MK-801 and memantine act differently on short-term memory tested with different time-intervals in the Morris water maze test

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play a crucial role in spatial memory formation. In neuropharmacological studies their functioning strongly depends on testing conditions and the dosage of NMDAR antagonists. The aim of this study was to assess the immediate effects of NMDAR block by (+)MK-801 or memantine on short-term allothetic memory. Memory was tested in a working memory version of the Morris water maze test. In our version of the test, rats underwent one day of training with 8 trials, and then three experimental days when rats were injected intraperitoneally with low- 5 (MeL), high - 20 (MeH) mg/kg memantine, 0.1mg/kg MK-801 or 1ml/kg saline (SAL) 30min before testing, for three consecutive days. On each experimental day there was just one acquisition and one test trial, with an inter-trial interval of 5 or 15min. During training the hidden platform was relocated after each trial and during the experiment after each day. The follow-up effect was assessed on day 9. Intact rats improved their spatial memory across the one training day. With a 5min interval MeH rats had longer latency then all rats during retrieval. With a 15min interval the MeH rats presented worse working memory measured as retrieval minus acquisition trial for path than SAL and MeL and for latency than MeL rats. MK-801 rats had longer latency than SAL during retrieval. Thus, the high dose of memantine, contrary to low dose of MK-801 disrupts short-term memory independent on the time interval between acquisition and retrieval. This shows that short-term memory tested in a working memory version of water maze is sensitive to several parameters: i.e., NMDA receptor antagonist type, dosage and the time interval between learning and testing.

The Psychometric Properties of the Polish Version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II)

This research demonstrates the Polish adaptation of Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II). Results collected from two samples (N1=602, N2=70) show stable structure, strong reliability and convergent, discriminant and incremental validity. Cronbach’s alpha for the first sample was .938 [CI (.912; .958)] and for the second .910 [CI (.874; .939)] with test-retest reliability r = .733 [CI (.602; .825)]. These results suggest that it can be used as a psychological flexibility measure in Poland. Moreover, contrary to leading psychological tests used in Poland, the use of the AAQ-II is free of charge, further facilitating both its usage both in therapy practice and in research. The research also furthers the knowledge about the nature of psychological flexibility and effective coping. Obtained results support the discrepancy between the functional assessment of avoidance as measured by the AAQ-II and topographically-categorized examples of avoidance as measured by Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, with only the former having a relation to overall functioning. The research shows that avoidant behaviors bear no meaningful relation to the satisfaction with life or the presence of clinical issues, but they start to become an issue when they disconnect the person from pursuing valued directions in life.

Depression and appearance-related distress in functioning with lipedema

Abstract Lipedema is a chronic, progressive adipose tissue disorder that may impact the quality of life of women who suffer from it. The main aim of this study was to asses the role of perceived symptom severity, physical and psychological functioning with the disease in predicting quality of life in patients with lipedema. We conducted an online study with 329 participants who responded to five questionnaires measuring quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF), lipedema symptom severity, mobility (Lower Extremity Functional Scale), depression (Patients Health Questionnaire-9), and appearance-related distress (Derriford Appearance Scale 24). Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that appearance-related distress and depression explained significantly more variance in quality of life when added to the symptom severity and mobility. Lower quality of life was predicted by higher symptom severity, lower mobility, higher appearance-related distress and higher depression severity. Appearance-related distress and depression constitute important aspects of psychological functioning in women with lipedema. Considering their relationship with quality of life, their assessment should be included in lipedema treatment with appropriate interventions aimed at decreasing appearance-related distress, as well as preventing and addressing depression.