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Rehabilitation Psychology Nov 2021The avoidance-endurance model (AEM) proposes multiple pathways from acute to chronic pain, with distinct cognitive and behavioral components in each pathway. The AEM may...
OBJECTIVE
The avoidance-endurance model (AEM) proposes multiple pathways from acute to chronic pain, with distinct cognitive and behavioral components in each pathway. The AEM may also be applicable to persistent symptoms after concussion. In this study, we tested the AEM as an explanatory framework for concussion outcomes, by using mediation analyses through the proposed psychological mechanisms. Based on the AEM, we hypothesized that postconcussion symptoms would significantly predict avoidance behavior through catastrophizing, and endurance behavior through thought suppression and self-distraction.
PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS
We recruited 84 adults seeking treatment at 2 outpatient concussion clinics ( = 41.8 years old, 63% female) who completed measures of postconcussion symptoms, catastrophizing, thought suppression, "self-distraction" (Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire "Act with Awareness" Scale reverse-scored), avoidance behavior, and endurance behavior at an average of 17.8 weeks postconcussion. We conducted 3 mediation analyses to assess each of the AEM pathways.
RESULTS
We found a significant indirect effect of postconcussion symptoms on avoidance behavior through catastrophizing (ab = .113 (.036), 95% CI [.053, .195]). The indirect effects of postconcussion symptoms on endurance behavior through thought suppression (ab = .011 (.012), 90% CI [.002, .035]) and "self-distraction" (ab = .003 (.009), 90% CI [.008, .022]) were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS
Results supported the catastrophizing-avoidance pathway in concussion, but not the thought-suppression-endurance or self-distraction-endurance pathways. Therefore, catastrophic thinking about concussion symptoms may be an appropriate treatment target for individuals who exhibit fear-avoidance behavior. Further research is needed to establish whether thought suppression and self-distraction are relevant for interventions aimed at reducing excessive endurance behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Adult; Avoidance Learning; Brain Concussion; Catastrophization; Fear; Female; Humans; Male; Post-Concussion Syndrome
PubMed: 34410757
DOI: 10.1037/rep0000390 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2022Active avoidance behavior, in which an animal performs an action to avoid a stressor, is crucial for survival and may provide insight into avoidance behaviors seen in...
Active avoidance behavior, in which an animal performs an action to avoid a stressor, is crucial for survival and may provide insight into avoidance behaviors seen in anxiety disorders. Active avoidance requires the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which is thought to regulate avoidance via downstream projections to the striatum and amygdala. However, the endogenous activity of dmPFC projections during active avoidance learning has never been recorded. Here we utilized fiber photometry to record from the dmPFC and its axonal projections to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) during active avoidance learning in both male and female mice. We examined neural activity during conditioned stimulus (CS) presentations and during clinically relevant behaviors such as active avoidance or cued freezing. Both prefrontal projections showed learning-related increases in activity during CS onset throughout active avoidance training. The dmPFC as a whole showed increased and decreased patterns of activity during avoidance and cued freezing, respectively. Finally, dmPFC-DMS and dmPFC-BLA projections show divergent encoding of active avoidance behavior, with the dmPFC-DMS projection showing increased activity and the dmPFC-BLA projection showing decreased activity during active avoidance. Our results demonstrate task-relevant encoding of active avoidance in projection-specific dmPFC subpopulations that play distinct but complementary roles in active avoidance learning.
Topics: Amygdala; Animals; Avoidance Learning; Basolateral Nuclear Complex; Conditioning, Operant; Female; Male; Mice; Prefrontal Cortex
PubMed: 35750718
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14930-3 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2020Taste processing is an adaptive mechanism involving complex physiological, motivational and cognitive processes. Animal models have provided relevant data about the... (Review)
Review
Taste processing is an adaptive mechanism involving complex physiological, motivational and cognitive processes. Animal models have provided relevant data about the neuroanatomical and neurobiological components of taste processing. From these models, two important domains of taste responses are described in this review. The first part focuses on the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological bases of olfactory and taste processing. The second part describes the biological and behavioral characteristics of taste learning, with an emphasis on conditioned taste aversion as a key process for the survival and health of many species, including humans.
Topics: Amygdala; Animals; Avoidance Learning; Brain Mapping; Conditioning, Psychological; Humans; Models, Neurological; Olfactory Perception; Taste Perception
PubMed: 32650432
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143112 -
Cell Reports Oct 2023Animals rapidly acquire surrounding information to perform the appropriate behavior. Although social learning is more efficient and accessible than self-learning for...
Animals rapidly acquire surrounding information to perform the appropriate behavior. Although social learning is more efficient and accessible than self-learning for animals, the detailed regulatory mechanism of social learning remains unknown, mainly because of the complicated information transfer between animals, especially for aversive conditioning information transmission. The current study revealed that, during social learning, the neural circuit in observer flies used to process acquired aversive conditioning information from demonstrator flies differs from the circuit used for self-learned classic aversive conditioning. This aversive information transfer is species dependent. Solitary flies cannot learn this information through social learning, suggesting that this ability is not an innate behavior. Neurons used to process and execute avoidance behavior to escape from electrically shocked flies are all in the same brain region, indicating that the fly brain has a common center for integrating external stimuli with internal states to generate flight behavior.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Conditioning, Psychological; Avoidance Learning; Neurons
PubMed: 37782557
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113207 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2022Pain anticipation has been identified as a predictor of pain and avoidance with respect to endodontic therapy. Self-efficacy is also key to the development and...
BACKGROUND
Pain anticipation has been identified as a predictor of pain and avoidance with respect to endodontic therapy. Self-efficacy is also key to the development and maintenance of health behaviors and achieve patient adherence to treatment. However, the role of self-efficacy has not been studied yet in endodontic treatment.
METHODS
This study was conducted on 101 patients who needed root canal therapy. They had to fill a questionnaire before treatment registered pain anticipation and self-efficacy; during and after treatment were registered pain intensity and avoidance.
RESULTS
Pain anticipation explained pain during (Beta = 0.51, = 5.82, ≤ 0.001, [0.34, 0.69]) and after treatment (Beta = 0.38, = 4.35, ≤ 0.001, [0.21, 0.55]). Self-efficacy did not have an influence in pain values. Pain anticipation explained avoidance during (Beta = 0.51, = 3.60, ≤ 0.001, [0.23, 0.80]) and after treatment (Beta = 0.62, = 4.29, ≤ 0.001, [0.33, 0.91]). Self-efficacy had a significant role in avoidance during treatment (Beta = 0.12, = 2.19, ≤ 0.03, [0.01, 0.23]) with a strong moderation relationship between pain anticipation and avoidance when self-efficacy was medium (Beta = 0.44, = 3.24, = 0.002, [0.17, 0.72]) or high (Beta = 0.84, = 3.5, ≤ 0.001, [0.37, 1.33]). Self-efficacy was not significant respect to avoidance after treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Self-efficacy is an important variable in endodontic therapy due to their moderating effect between pain anticipation and avoidance behavior during the procedure. It is necessary to improve the results of root canal therapy and reduce patient's avoidance in order to take into account this variable.
Topics: Avoidance Learning; Humans; Pain; Pain Measurement; Root Canal Therapy; Self Efficacy
PubMed: 35162422
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031399 -
Behaviour Research and Therapy Mar 2020Fear motivates different types of defensive behaviors. These behaviors are, however, not mere byproducts of fear. In this review, we highlight a bi-directional... (Review)
Review
Fear motivates different types of defensive behaviors. These behaviors are, however, not mere byproducts of fear. In this review, we highlight a bi-directional relationship between conditioned fear and instrumental defensive behavior in humans. We discuss mechanisms involved in the link from fear to goal-directed avoidance (e.g., relief, generalization), that may become habitual. These defensive behaviors may in turn reduce, preserve, or amplify fear responding (e.g., protection-from-extinction, behavior-as-information). Multiple factors moderate the bi-directional relationship. Evidence for amplifying and dampening effects of inter-individual differences (e.g., trait anxiety, distress tolerance), intra-individual states (e.g., stress), and external factors (e.g., incentives for competing behavior) on goal-directed and/or habitual defensive behavior is reviewed. However, the exact mechanisms by which these factors moderate the bi-directional relationship are still largely unknown (e.g., modulating avoidance directly vs. indirectly via conditioned fear). Finally, we discuss major implications: First, understanding factors moderating the bi-directional relationship provides insights into risk and resilience factors for anxious psychopathology. Second, specific experimental models and clinical interventions can be mapped onto distinct defensive behaviors (e.g., goal-directed vs. habitual avoidance). More precise matching will help to develop nuanced models and interventions to reduce pathological behaviors and individualize treatments.
Topics: Anxiety; Avoidance Learning; Conditioning, Psychological; Extinction, Psychological; Fear; Generalization, Psychological; Humans
PubMed: 31981801
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103550 -
Scientific Reports Jan 2022Scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin) is a simple coumarin from botanical drugs of Artemisia species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Génépi liquor. However, its...
Scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin) is a simple coumarin from botanical drugs of Artemisia species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Génépi liquor. However, its bioavailability to the brain and potential central effects remain unexplored. We profiled the neuropharmacological effects of scoparone upon acute and subchronic intraperitoneal administration (2.5-25 mg/kg) in Swiss mice and determined its brain concentrations and its effects on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and related lipids using LC-ESI-MS/MS. Scoparone showed no effect in the forced swimming test (FST) but, administered acutely, led to a bell-shaped anxiogenic-like behavior in the elevated plus-maze test and bell-shaped procognitive effects in the passive avoidance test when given subchronically and acutely. Scoparone rapidly but moderately accumulated in the brain (Cmax < 15 min) with an apparent first-order elimination (95% eliminated at 1 h). Acute scoparone administration (5 mg/kg) significantly increased brain arachidonic acid, prostaglandins, and N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) in the FST. Conversely, subchronic scoparone treatment (2.5 mg/kg) decreased NAEs and increased 2-arachidonoylglycerol. Scoparone differentially impacted ECS lipid remodeling in the brain independent of serine hydrolase modulation. Overall, the unexpectedly potent central effects of scoparone observed in mice could have toxicopharmacological implications for humans.
Topics: Animals; Arachidonic Acid; Arachidonic Acids; Avoidance Learning; Behavior, Animal; Biological Availability; Brain; Cognition; Coumarins; Endocannabinoids; Ethanolamines; Glycerides; Infusions, Parenteral; Lipid Metabolism; Male; Maze Learning; Mice; Prostaglandins
PubMed: 35039558
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04741-3 -
Neuron Nov 2019Long-range synchronization of neural oscillations correlates with distinct behaviors, yet its causal role remains unproven. In mice, tests of avoidance behavior evoke...
Long-range synchronization of neural oscillations correlates with distinct behaviors, yet its causal role remains unproven. In mice, tests of avoidance behavior evoke increases in theta-frequency (∼8 Hz) oscillatory synchrony between the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To test the causal role of this synchrony, we dynamically modulated vHPC-mPFC terminal activity using optogenetic stimulation. Oscillatory stimulation at 8 Hz maximally increased avoidance behavior compared to 2, 4, and 20 Hz. Moreover, avoidance behavior was selectively increased when 8-Hz stimulation was delivered in an oscillatory, but not pulsatile, manner. Furthermore, 8-Hz oscillatory stimulation enhanced vHPC-mPFC neurotransmission and entrained neural activity in the vHPC-mPFC network, resulting in increased synchrony between vHPC theta activity and mPFC spiking. These data suggest a privileged role for vHPC-mPFC theta-frequency communication in generating avoidance behavior and provide direct evidence that synchronized oscillations play a role in facilitating neural transmission and behavior.
Topics: Animals; Avoidance Learning; Electrophysiological Phenomena; Hippocampus; Maze Learning; Mice; Optogenetics; Prefrontal Cortex; Synaptic Transmission; Theta Rhythm
PubMed: 31521441
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.006 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Dec 2019Traditional active avoidance tasks have advanced the field of aversive learning and memory for decades and are useful for studying simple avoidance responses in... (Review)
Review
Traditional active avoidance tasks have advanced the field of aversive learning and memory for decades and are useful for studying simple avoidance responses in isolation; however, these tasks have limited clinical relevance because they do not model several key features of clinical avoidance. In contrast, platform-mediated avoidance (PMA) more closely resembles clinical avoidance because the response i) is associated with an unambiguous safe location, ii) is not associated with an artificial termination of the warning signal, and iii) is associated with a decision-based appetitive cost. Recent findings on the neuronal circuits of PMA have confirmed that amygdala-striatal circuits are essential for avoidance. In PMA, however, the prelimbic cortex facilitates the avoidance response early during the warning signal, perhaps through disinhibition of the striatum. Future studies on avoidance should account for additional factors such as sex differences and social interactions that will advance our understanding of maladaptive avoidance contributing to neuropsychiatric disorders.
Topics: Amygdala; Animals; Avoidance Learning; Corpus Striatum; Extinction, Psychological; Fear
PubMed: 31509767
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.010 -
Cell Reports Apr 2024Pathogenic infection elicits behaviors that promote recovery and survival of the host. After exposure to the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14, the...
Pathogenic infection elicits behaviors that promote recovery and survival of the host. After exposure to the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans modifies its sensory preferences to avoid the pathogen. Here, we identify antagonistic neuromodulators that shape this acquired avoidance behavior. Using an unbiased cell-directed neuropeptide screen, we show that AVK neurons upregulate and release RF/RYamide FLP-1 neuropeptides during infection to drive pathogen avoidance. Manipulations that increase or decrease AVK activity accelerate or delay pathogen avoidance, respectively, implicating AVK in the dynamics of avoidance behavior. FLP-1 neuropeptides drive pathogen avoidance through the G protein-coupled receptor DMSR-7, as well as other receptors. DMSR-7 in turn acts in multiple neurons, including tyraminergic/octopaminergic neurons that receive convergent avoidance signals from the cytokine DAF-7/transforming growth factor β. Neuromodulators shape pathogen avoidance through multiple mechanisms and targets, in agreement with the distributed neuromodulatory connectome of C. elegans.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Neuropeptides; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Biogenic Monoamines; Neurons; Avoidance Learning; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 38573858
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114042