Risk of sexual revictimization: A theoretical model

Survivors of child sexual abuse suffer serious short- and long-term psychological consequences. Sexual revictimization as an adult is one of the consequences that has been reported. At present, there is no theoretical model identifying the risk factors that result in child sexual abuse survivors being at greater risk of experiencing an adult sexual assault. The proposed model is designed to integrate existing research, stimulate further empirical work, and eventually aid in the development of a program to prevent revictimization. The variables hypothesized to play a mediating role in the pathway to revictimization include: severe psychological symptoms as a consequence of the child sexual abuse, poor coping styles, an insecure attachment style, hyperfemininity, delinquent behavior, drug use, and high risk sexual behavior.     

不同心理刺激诱发的交感和副交感神经活动的比较

让24名女大学生被试完成划消测验、镜画测验、心算和准备演讲四种应激任务,目的在于探讨在不同心理刺激下交感和副交感神经系统的活动是否存在差异。记录HRV（Heart Rate Variability,心率变异性）的频域成分TP（Total Power,总功率）、HF（High Frequency,高频）、LF（Low Frequency,低频）、LF/HF（低频高频比）、平均R-R间期和血压等指标在基线和不同应激任务期间的变化。通过单因素重复测量方差分析和多重比较发现,准备演讲期间的TP、LF值显著地高于基线和其它三项任务, HF的值显著地高于划消测验和心算;镜画测验、划消测验和心算期间的LF值与基线比较显著下降,TP、LF和HF三项指标在这三项任务之间无显著差异;不同任务期间在LF/HF上无显著主效应。平均R-R间期基线水平与所有任务间的比较及各任务之间有显著差异。收缩压基线水平与划消、镜画任务间的比较有显著差异。结果表明,准备演讲期间的交感神经和副交感神经张力显著地大于其它任务,不同任务表现出的不同的自主神经张力变化说明交感神经与副交感神经活动不是一方活动增强、另一方活动减弱的单纯的活动方式,这一结果为Berntson提出的自主神经活动可能存在九种活动搭配模式的理论提供了实验证据     

Fractal dynamics of heart beat interval fluctuations in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtype 2 deficient mice

Non-linear fractal analysis of cardiac interbeat time series was performed in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtype 2 (CRFR2) deficient mice. Heart rate dynamics in mice constitutes a self-similar, scale-invariant, random fractal process with persistent intrinsic long-range correlations and inverse power-law properties. We hypothesized that the sustained tachycardic response elicited by intraperitoneal (ip) injection of human/rat CRF (h/rCRF) is mediated by CRFR2. In wildtype control animals, heart rate was increased to about maximum levels (~ 750 bpm) while in CRFR2-deficient animals baseline values were retained (~ 580 bpm). The tachycardic response elicited by ip-application is mediated by CRFR2 and is interpreted to result from sympathetic stimulation. However, the functional integrity of CRFR2 would not present a prerequisite to maintaining the responsiveness and resiliency of cardiac control to external environmental perturbations experimentally induced by extrinsic ip-application of h/rCRF or under physiological conditions that may be associated with an increased peripheral release of CRF. Under stressful physiological conditions achieved by novelty exposure, CRFR2 is not involved in the cardiodynamic regulation to external short-term stress. While the hypothesis of involvement of CRFR2 in cardiac regulation upon pharmacological stimulation cannot be rejected, the present findings suggest that the mechanism of action is by sympathetic stimulation, but would not unambiguously allow to draw any conclusions as to the physiological role of CRFR2 in the control of cardiac dynamics.     

The Association of Child Abuse and Eating Disorder Symptomatology

Abstract

Using self-report questionnaires, symptoms of eating disorders were examined in relation to child sexual (CSA), physical (CPA), and emotional abuse (CEA), and adult rape among 301 college women. CPA and adult rape were associated with fear of fatness and bulimic behavior. CEA, family cohesion and expressiveness, and adult rape were related to difficulties recognizing emotional states and satiety. Individuals who reported multiple forms of child abuse or who were revictimized exhibited the highest levels of symptoms. Revictimized women were more likely to report clinical levels of symptoms compared with individuals reporting adult rape without child abuse or child abuse without adult rape. Findings support the assumption that negative experiences in addition to CSA, such as adult rape and other forms of child abuse, influence eating pathology, and suggest a cumulative impact of abuse.     

Adverse childhood experiences and autonomic regulation in response to acute stress: the role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

Background and objectives: After a previous report demonstrated blunted heart rate (HR) reactivity in association with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) [Voellmin, A., Winzeler, K., Hug, E., Wilhelm, F. H., Schaefer, V., Gaab, J.,?…?Bader, K. (2015). Blunted endocrine and cardiovascular reactivity in young healthy women reporting a history of childhood adversity. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 51, 58–67. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.09.008], the present analysis aimed at clarifying the role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system in this relationship.

Design and Methods: One hundred eighteen healthy young women provided data on ACEs and underwent psychosocial stress testing. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA, quantified by high-frequency HR variability) were assessed as measures of sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiovascular activity, respectively. A mediation model was calculated to test the indirect effects of ACEs on HR via SBP and RSA.

Results: The effect of ACEs on HR reactivity was mediated by SBP reactivity but not by RSA reactivity. ACEs were associated with reduced SBP at rest.

Conclusions: ACEs were associated with down-regulation in a measure of sympathetic but no alteration in a measure of parasympathetic cardiovascular stress reactivity in adulthood. Future research will need to clarify whether this indicates risk or resilience.     

冠状动脉病变范围与心率变异性的相关性研究

本研究通过对69例CHD患者（完成冠状动脉造影）进行Gensini评分、分组,同时设正常对照组56例。全部进行24h动态心电图监测,并做时域指标和频域指标的HRV分析。结果显示CHD组HRV各项指标均低于对照组（P〈0．05）,不同冠状动脉病变范围和程度其时域指标及频域指标降低程度不同,各组对照具有显著性差异（P〈0．...     

Repressive coping style and autonomic reactions to two experimental stressors in healthy men and women

Autonomic and affective responses to two different stress tasks were measured in 45 males and 74 females, categorized as repressive, true low-anxious, true high-anxious, and defensive high-anxious. Electrodermal activity (EDA) was used as a measure of sympathetic activity and the high frequency (HF) spectral component of heart rate variability as a measure of parasympathetic activity. Contrary to our predictions, reactivity of repressors did not differ from the reactivity of true low-anxious participants. The results draw attention to previous inconsistent findings within the literature on repressive coping style and autonomic nervous system dysregulation. It is suggested that future research could benefit from the use of more consistent operationalizations of the repressive coping construct and from comparing alternative measures of repressive coping within the same study.     

情绪自主神经特异性研究及进展

研究者们已发现情绪之间存在某些可靠的自主神经差异,至少对某些情绪来说,其自主神经反应是特异的。但是已经获得的实验结果还远远不够用于确定最后的特异性情绪自主神经反应模式。而且,自主神经活动的潜在成分和模式并没有得到穷尽。情绪生理特异性研究应该扩展到多个外周系统以及中枢神经系统。     

The effects of arousal reappraisal on stress responses,performance and attention

Background and Objectives: This study examined the effects of arousal reappraisal on cardiovascular responses, demand and resource evaluations, self-confidence, performance and attention under pressurized conditions. A recent study by Moore et al. [2015. Reappraising threat: How to optimize performance under pressure. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 37(3), 339–343. doi:10.1123/jsep.2014-0186] suggested that arousal reappraisal is beneficial to the promotion of challenge states and leads to improvements in single-trial performance. This study aimed to further the work of Moore and colleagues (2015) by examining the effects of arousal reappraisal on cardiovascular responses, demand and resource evaluations, self-confidence, performance and attention in a multi-trial pressurized performance situation.

Design and Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to either an arousal reappraisal intervention or control condition, and completed a pressurized dart throwing task. The intervention encouraged participants to view their physiological arousal as facilitative rather than debilitative to performance. Measures of cardiovascular reactivity, demand and resource evaluations, self-confidence, task performance and attention were recorded.

Results: The reappraisal group displayed more favorable cardiovascular reactivity and reported higher resource evaluations and higher self-confidence than the control group but no task performance or attention effects were detected.

Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the strength of arousal reappraisal in promoting adaptive stress responses, perceptions of resources and self-confidence.     

神经及内分泌系统对社会支持缓冲应激的调节机制

应激是生活中不可避免的事件,过度应激也是许多疾病发生的诱因。应激会引起一系列生理反应,包括激活自主神经系统及神经内分泌系统,表现为自主神经系统(ANS)和下丘脑–垂体–肾上腺(HPA)活动的增加。社会支持通过改变或抑制应激相关脑区的活动,缓冲了应激引起的ANS和HPA轴活动,使机体快速恢复到应激前水平,避免应激引起的内稳定失衡对机体的伤害。     

自主选择对大学生情绪调节的作用:来自自主神经反应的证据

为了探究自主选择对积极和消极情绪主观体验及自主神经反应的影响;本研究采用情境选择范式;随机招募41名天津某大学在校生;在自主和强制两种选择下先后观看积极图片和消极图片。结果发现;在积极情境中;自主选择的积极情绪体验显著高于强制选择;高频心率变异性边缘大于强制选择;低频与高频心率变异性比值显著小于强制选择;在消极情境中;自主选择的消极情绪体验边缘低于强制选择;高频心率变异性边缘大于强制选择;低频与高频心率变异性比值显著小于强制选择。研究表明;自主选择增加了被试的积极情绪体验;降低被试的消极情绪体验;同时降低了被试的生理唤醒水平;从而维持最佳情绪状态。     

依恋的神经生理机制

在动物社会依恋的神经生物学研究基础上,研究者对人类依恋的神经生理机制进行了初步探讨,一致的结论是无论婴儿还是成人,不安全依恋个体的心率、皮质醇水平高于安全依恋的个体。而在依恋系统激活时婴儿和成人的脑电活动和大脑的功能定位研究却发现了不一致：较之安全依恋婴儿,不安全依恋婴儿的左侧前额大脑区域显示了较少的活动;成人依恋类型的脑机制研究并无定论。所有这些研究多为相关研究,今后有待于在神经生物水平上对依恋的基本理论问题如内部工作模式的意识和无意识性、母婴依恋与成人依恋的关系（特别是一般依恋表征和特殊依恋表征）以及母婴依恋对婴幼儿大脑发育的影响等问题展开深入研究