Sandra Tamm

Reliability and Construct Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised in a Swedish Non-Criminal Sample – A Multimethod Approach including Psychophysiological Correlates of Empathy for Pain

Cross-cultural investigation of psychopathy measures is important for clarifying the nomological network surrounding the psychopathy construct. The Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) is one of the most extensively researched self-report measures of psychopathic traits in adults. To date however, it has been examined primarily in North American criminal or student samples. To address this gap in the literature, we examined PPI-R’s reliability, construct validity and factor structure in non-criminal individuals (N = 227) in Sweden, using a multimethod approach including psychophysiological correlates of empathy for pain. PPI-R construct validity was investigated in subgroups of participants by exploring its degree of overlap with (i) the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV), (ii) self-rated empathy and behavioral and physiological responses in an experiment on empathy for pain, and (iii) additional self-report measures of alexithymia and trait anxiety. The PPI-R total score was significantly associated with PCL:SV total and factor scores. The PPI-R Coldheartedness scale demonstrated significant negative associations with all empathy subscales and with rated unpleasantness and skin conductance responses in the empathy experiment. The PPI-R higher order Self-Centered Impulsivity and Fearless Dominance dimensions were associated with trait anxiety in opposite directions (positively and negatively, respectively). Overall, the results demonstrated solid reliability (test-retest and internal consistency) and promising but somewhat mixed construct validity for the Swedish translation of the PPI-R.

Leukocyte telomere length and hippocampus volume: a meta-analysis.

Leukocyte telomere length has been shown to correlate to hippocampus volume, but effect estimates differ in magnitude and are not uniformly positive. This study aimed primarily to investigate the relationship between leukocyte telomere length and hippocampus gray matter volume by meta-analysis and secondarily to investigate possible effect moderators. Five studies were included with a total of 2107 participants, of which 1960 were contributed by one single influential study. A random-effects meta-analysis estimated the effect to r = 0.12 [95% CI -0.13, 0.37] in the presence of heterogeneity and a subjectively estimated moderate to high risk of bias. There was no evidence that apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype was an effect moderator, nor that the ratio of leukocyte telomerase activity to telomere length was a better predictor than leukocyte telomere length for hippocampus volume. This meta-analysis, while not proving a positive relationship, also is not able to disprove the earlier finding of a positive correlation in the one large study included in analyses. We propose that a relationship between leukocyte telomere length and hippocamus volume may be mediated by transmigrating monocytes which differentiate into microglia in the brain parenchyma.

Evidence of fatigue, disordered sleep and peripheral inflammation, but not increased brain TSPO expression, in seasonal allergy: A [ 11 C]PBR28 PET study

Allergy is associated with non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, sleep problems and impaired cognition. One explanation could be that the allergic inflammatory state includes activation of immune cells in the brain, but this hypothesis has not been tested in humans. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate seasonal changes in the glial cell marker translocator protein (TSPO), and to relate this to peripheral inflammation, fatigue and sleep, in allergy. We examined 18 patients with severe seasonal allergy, and 13 healthy subjects in and out-of pollen season using positron emission tomography (n = 15/13) and the TSPO radioligand [11C]PBR28. In addition, TNF-α, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-γ were measured in peripheral blood, and subjective ratings of fatigue and sleepiness as well as objective and subjective sleep were investigated. No difference in levels of TSPO was seen between patients and healthy subjects, nor in relation to pollen season. However, allergic subjects displayed both increased fatigue, sleepiness and increased percentage of deep sleep, as well as increased levels of IL-5 and TNF-α during pollen season, compared to healthy subjects. Allergic subjects also had shorter total sleep time, regardless of season. In conclusion, allergic subjects are indicated to respond to allergen exposure during pollen season with a clear pattern of behavioral disruption and peripheral inflammatory activation, but not with changes in brain TSPO levels. This underscores a need for development and use of more specific markers to understand brain consequences of peripheral inflammation that will be applicable in human subjects.

Effects of 25 mg oxazepam on emotional mimicry and empathy for pain: a randomized controlled experiment

Emotional mimicry and empathy are mechanisms underlying social interaction. Benzodiazepines have been proposed to inhibit empathy and promote antisocial behaviour. First, we aimed to investigate the effects of oxazepam on emotional mimicry and empathy for pain, and second, we aimed to investigate the association of personality traits to emotional mimicry and empathy. Participants (n=76) were randomized to 25 mg oxazepam or placebo. Emotional mimicry was examined using video clips with emotional expressions. Empathy was investigated by pain stimulating the participant and a confederate. We recorded self-rated experience, activity in major zygomatic and superciliary corrugator muscles, skin conductance, and heart rate. In the mimicry experiment, oxazepam inhibited corrugator activity. In the empathy experiment, oxazepam caused increased self-rated unpleasantness and skin conductance. However, oxazepam specifically inhibited neither emotional mimicry nor empathy for pain. Responses in both experiments were associated with self-rated empathic, psychopathic and alexithymic traits. The present results do not support a specific effect of 25 mg oxazepam on emotional mimicry or empathy.

Effects of late‐night short‐sleep on in‐home polysomnography: relation to adult age and sex

Bedtime is frequently delayed by many factors in life, and a homeostatic response to the delay may compensate partly for increased time awake and shortened sleep. Because sleep becomes shorter with age and women complain of disturbed sleep more often than men, age and sex differences in the homeostatic response to a delayed bedtime may modify the homeostatic response. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of late‐night short‐sleep (3 h with awakening at about 07:00 hours) on in‐home recorded sleep in men and women in two age groups (20–30 and 65–75 years). Results (N = 59) showed that late‐night short‐sleep was associated with an increase in percentage of N3 sleep and a decrease in percentage of rapid eye movement sleep, as well as decreases in several measures of sleep discontinuity and rapid eye movement density. Men showed a smaller decrease in percentage of rapid eye movement sleep than women in response to late‐night short‐sleep, as did older individuals of both sexes compared with younger. Older men showed a weaker percentage of N3 sleep in response to late‐night short‐sleep than younger men. In general, men showed a greater percentage of rapid eye movement sleep and a lower percentage of N3 sleep than women, and older individuals showed a lower percentage of N3 sleep than younger. In particular, older men showed very low levels of percentage of N3 sleep. We conclude that older males show less of a homeostatic response to late‐night short‐sleep. This may be an indication of impaired capacity for recovery in older men. Future studies should investigate if this pattern can be linked to gender‐associated differences in morbidity and mortality.

Effect of partial sleep deprivation on empathy for pain in an fMRI experiment

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of periodic legs movements of sleep (PLMS) in theadult general population. Methods: Data from 2162 subjects (51.2% women, mean SD age:58, 11 years, range: 40.5-84.4 years) participating in a population-based cohort study (HypnoLaus, Lausanne, Switzerland) wascollected. They completed a series of sleep related questionnaires and underwent polysomnographic recordings at home. PLMS index(PLMSI) was determined according to AASM 2007 criteria. APLMSI>15/h was considered to be of potential clinical significance. Conclusions: PLMS are highly prevalent in the general population. Age, male gender and RLS are independent predictors of a PLMSIhigher than 15/h. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical impact of PLMS.16 Social burden and management of sleep disorders P. Jennum Danish Center for Sleep Medicine, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Sleep disorders, such as insomnias, obstructive sleep apnoea, and central hypersomnias (narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia), short sleep or sleep loss, and restless leg syndrome, are common disorders or complaints with a significant healthcare burden with consequences for healthcare contacts, medication use, education, employment and the risk of traffic accidents. There is now compelling evidence that the health-related (direct) and social (indirect) costs are significant, and comparable to those of other major disease areas. Thus, in order to care properly for patients presenting with sleeprelated morbidity, and to reduce the consequential economic burden, accurate screening efforts and effective, cost-effective treatments need to be developed and employed. Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.Objective: There is limited knowledge about the prospective relation between work characteristics (stress, physical work environment, work hours) and disturbed sleep. The present study sought to provide such knowledge. Method: The study was based on self-rated questionnaire data from two waves of the SLOSH cohort, The Swedish Longitudinal Occu- pational Survey of Health, an approximately representative sample of the working population in Sweden. In total, 5741 persons (54% women, age 24–72, gainfully employed at both waves) were included in the analyses. Results: Work-related factors at T1 (e.g. work demands, control, social support, physical work environment, work hours and stress) were analyzed with logistic regression with sleep disturbances at T2 as the outcome. Work demands (OR 95% CI, 1.57; 1.28–1.93) and stress (1.51; 1.27–1.85) at T1 predicted sleep disturbances at T2. When the work related predictors from T1 and T2 were combined, persistent high work demands and stress levels related to disturbed sleep at T2, as did an increase in stress and decrease in social support. A reverse relation between disturbed sleep at T1 and stress and high work demands at T2 was also found, suggesting a bidirectional relationship. Neither shift work, long hours, heavy physical work, noise at work, nor poor lighting conditions predicted disturbed sleep. Conclusions: Psychosocial risk factors at work related to subse- quent self-reported disturbed sleep, but long hours, shift work and physical work environment variables did not. The results are important for understanding the role of work factors in sleep disturbances. Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.