Psychiatric and Self‐Injury Profiles of Adolescent Suicide Attempters versus Adolescents Engaged in Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury

To better delineate the unique correlates of self‐injurious behaviors (SIB), psychiatric profiles of mutually exclusive groups of adolescents who made a suicide attempt (SA) versus those engaged in nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) were examined. Contrary to hypotheses, the NSSI group endorsed earlier onsets of SIB and suicidal ideation (SI), as well as higher rates of depression and anxiety compared with their SA counterparts. Future work is warranted to understand the role of SI, including duration of SI and anxiety in the development of NSSI, and to identify risk and resiliency factors useful in predicting an adolescent's SIB status.     

Belief in altruistic human nature and prosocial behavior: a serial mediation analysis

According to the theory of internal working model, belief in altruistic human nature positively influences prosocial behavior. However, the precise influencing mechanism remains unclear. Based on the determinants of human behavior theory and self-efficacy theory, we hypothesized that belief in altruistic human nature indirectly influences prosocial behavior through causally linked multiple mediators of prosocial attitude and prosocial self-efficacy. The results of the current research supported our hypothesis and demonstrated that this serial mediation model could be generalized across individualistic and collectivistic cultures.     

Molecular Mechanisms Associated with the Benefits of Variable Practice in Motor Learning

Abstract

Variable practice promotes a higher level of motor learning than constant practice. The glutamate receptors, n-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and alfa-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic (AMPA), have been associated with the changes in motor cortex that occur throughout the process of motor learning. Considering that, it is possible that variable practice is more associated with the NMDA and AMPA receptors than constant practice. This study aimed ao investigating the association between the glutamate receptors, NMDA and AMPA, and constant and variable practice schedules. Seventy-eight male mice practiced the rotarod task in a constant or variable scheduling, in two consecutive days (acquisition phase). Learning tests were performed 24?h and 10?days after the end of the acquisition phase. Variable practice was more associated with the NMDA receptor and had a greater AMPA receptor expression than constant practice. The results suggest that the benefits of variable practice are result of both the greater dependency on the NMDA receptor and the greater AMPA receptor expression.     

Investigating the latent dimensions of posttraumatic stress disorder and the role of anxiety sensitivity in combat-exposed Filipino soldiers

ABSTRACT

Identifying the optimal factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has recently been reinvigorated in literature due to the substantial changes to its diagnostic criteria in the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Currently, six models of PTSD are supported in literature, but there is no consensus on the best-fitting factor structure. Additionally, the extant literature examining the relationship between PTSD symptom-grouping and AS in the latent level has been scarce. The present study’s objectives are two-fold: first, we aimed to identify the best-fitted model of PTSD by comparing the six empirically-supported models, and; second, we examined the relationship between the best-fitting model with anxiety sensitivity (AS). Utilizing a sample of 476 combat-exposed soldiers, the results suggest that both the anhedonia and hybrid models provide the best fit to the data, with the anhedonia model achieving slightly better fit indices. Further, the examination on the influence of AS to PTSD reveal that while there is a pattern of decreasing factor loadings and factor correlations when accounting for AS, the changes are not significant to alter the PTSD symptom-structure. Based on these results, our findings suggest further investigation on the possible mediating or moderating mechanisms by which AS may influence PTSD.