Research Publications and Outputs

Emotionality in domestic violence evidence-in- chief: towards unbiased and rational legal fact- finding

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Emotionality in domestic violence evidence-in- chief: towards unbiased and rational legal fact- finding Gattinara, Caterina; Roberts, Andrew; van Golde, Celine Domestic Violence Evidence-in-Chief represents a significant shift in evidentiary practice in Domestic and Family Violence cases. These pre-recorded statements, typically captured shortly after an incident, offer an immediate and seemingly authentic account of events. However, concerns have been raised about the potential introduction of extra-legal influences through elements visible or audible in the recordings. One such element is emotionality, as complainants’ emotional displays in the footage may impact fact- finders’ credibility assessments and legal decision-making. Research on the Emotional Victim Effect suggests that visibly distressed victims of sexual assault tend to be perceived as more credible than emotionally neutral ones. However, there is limited understanding of whether this effect also applies to Domestic Violence Evidence-in-Chief. Moreover, it has been established through experimental research in other contexts that jurors’ own emotional states influence how they evaluate evidence and make judgements. This article highlights the risk of emotional bias in pre-recorded evidence and calls for further empirical investigation. The aim is to inform the development of evidence- based practices to promote rational fact-finding in Domestic and Family Violence prosecutions.

Domain-Specific Cognitive Impairments Following Oxaliplatin and 5-Fluorouracil Treatment in Rats: A Preclinical Study

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Domain-Specific Cognitive Impairments Following Oxaliplatin and 5-Fluorouracil Treatment in Rats: A Preclinical Study Johnston, Ian Neville; Chen, Weiye The FOLFOX chemotherapy regimen, combining oxaliplatin (OXA), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and leucovorin (folinic acid), is a global standard of care for colon cancer. However, both clinical and preclinical evidence of the cognitive side effects associated with this treatment remains largely mixed. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the direct effects of combined OXA and 5-FU treatment on executive function in female Sprague Dawley rats, comparing different dosing protocols. In Experiment 1, rats received three weekly doses of OXA (6 mg/kg, i.p.) and were tested on a delayed non-matching-to-sample (DNMTS) task and the novel object recognition (NOR) tasks. OXA did not impair working memory but significantly impaired short-term recognition memory. Experiments 2 and 3 examined the effects of combined OXA and 5-FU treatment using different dosing regimens. Rats treated with two weekly doses of OXA (6 mg/kg, i.p.) and 5-FU (50 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited significant deficits in set-shifting and spatial working memory but no impairments in reversal learning or recognition memory. Alternative regimens, including a single high-dose group (OXA 8 mg/kg + 5-FU 75 mg/kg) and a low-dose repeated group (OXA 6 mg/kg + 5-FU 50 mg/kg, spaced two weeks apart), produced minimal impairments, although the single-high dose group showed increased perseverative errors during set-shifting. These findings demonstrate that OXA and FOLFOX produce selective, domain-specific cognitive impairments in rats, with set-shifting and working memory particularly vulnerable to combined OXA and 5-FU treatment. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions to mitigate executive dysfunction in colorectal cancer survivors. Raw data for this project.

Cannabidiol dose-dependently reduces alcohol intake in mice via a non-5-HT1A receptor mechanism: Exploration of other potential receptor targets

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Cannabidiol dose-dependently reduces alcohol intake in mice via a non-5-HT1A receptor mechanism: Exploration of other potential receptor targets Badolato, Connie; Lynch, Erin; Arnold, Jonathon; McGregor, Iain; Bowen, Michael Background and Purpose: Binge drinking is a risky pattern of alcohol intake and a major predictor of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Current AUD medications have limited efficacy and poor patient compliance, calling for more effective therapeutics. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating component of cannabis, has emerged as a potential novel therapeutic based on preclinical evidence. However, potential receptor mechanisms involved in CBD’s alcohol-related effects have not been comprehensively investigated. Experimental Approach: Using the murine drinking-in-the-dark model of binge drinking, the present research aimed to confirm a reduction of alcohol consumption with CBD (7.5, 15, 30, 60, 120 mg∙kg-1) in male and female mice. Behavioural pharmacological approaches were used to explore involvement of CBD interactions with previously identified target mechanisms, the serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT1AR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARɣ), and two novel targets, the chemokine receptor type-4 (CXCR4) and neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR). Key Results: Acute CBD dose-dependently suppressed binge-like drinking and associated blood ethanol concentration. The effect was not driven by locomotor impairments and was maintained across sub-chronic treatment. Blockade of 5-HT1AR and PPARɣ had no impact on CBD’s reduction of alcohol consumption. Co-administration of subthreshold doses of CBD and a NPSR antagonist implicated NPSR blockade as a potential mechanism contributing to CBD’s effect on alcohol intake, whereas co-administration of CBD and a CXCR4 antagonist suggested CXCR4 was not involved; however the potent and selective CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 dose-dependently reduced ethanol consumption. Conclusion and Implications: CBD presents a promising candidate to reduce voluntary alcohol consumption. Mechanisms driving CBD’s alcohol-related effects remain unclear and may involve polypharmacology, including actions at the NPSR identified in the present study. Establishing how CBD suppresses alcohol intake may facilitate the development of more targeted AUD therapeutics.

An improved method of capture and immobilisation for medium to large-size macropods

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

An improved method of capture and immobilisation for medium to large-size macropods Bedoya-Pérez, Miguel A.; Lawes, Michael J.; Ottley, Brett; Barke, Stuart; Tarszisz, Esther; McMahon, Clive R. Macropods are very susceptible to stress during capture. Capture methods for macropods fall into two categories: trapping and darting. Trapping by nets or a triggered trap mechanism is commonly used for small macropods. Darting is most often used for large macropods that are more prone to stress and capture myopathy when caught in traps. Aim. To describe a modified ‘nylon drop-net’ technique for safely capturing medium to large macropods; and post-capture treatments that reduce stress and the potential for myopathy. Methods. We used a drop-net to capture 40 agile wallabies (Notamacropus agilis) (24 females and 16 males), ranging in weight from 6 to 24 kg. For immobilisation, a single dose of intramuscular Diazepam (1 mg/kg) and Richtasol, a multivitamin, was administered to reduce the risk of capture myopathy. The longer-term effects of capture on animal condition were monitored in 34 radio-collared individuals for 2 months. Key results. No deaths occurred during or as a result of capture or in the 8 weeks following capture. Conclusions. Our modified drop-net and handling/treatment regime provides a cost-effective method for capturing medium and small-sized macropod species with very low risk of mortality or morbidity. Implications. Our methods improve the welfare and safety of captured medium-sized macropods.

How do task demands and aging affect lexical prediction during reading of natural texts?

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

How do task demands and aging affect lexical prediction during reading of natural texts? Andrews, Sally; Veldre, Aaron; Wong, Roslyn; Yu, Lili; Reichle, Erik D. Facilitated identification of predictable words during online reading has been attributed to the generation of predictions about upcoming words. But highly predictable words are relatively infrequent in natural texts, raising questions about the utility and ubiquity of anticipatory prediction strategies. This study investigated the contribution of task demands and aging to predictability effects for short natural texts from the Provo corpus. The eye movements of 49 undergraduate students (mean age 21.2) and 46 healthy older adults (mean age 70.8) were recorded while they read these passages in two conditions: (i) ‘reading for meaning’ to answer occasional comprehension questions; (ii) ‘proofreading’ to detect ‘transposed letter’ lexical errors (e.g., clam instead of calm) in intermixed filler passages. The results suggested that the young adults, but not the older adults, engaged anticipatory prediction strategies to detect semantic errors in the proofreading condition, but neither age group showed any evidence of costs of prediction failures. Rather, both groups showed facilitated reading times for unexpected words that appeared in a high constraint within-sentence position. These findings suggest that predictability effects for natural texts reflect partial, probabilistic expectancies rather than anticipatory prediction of specific words.

Understanding the visual constraints on lexical processing: New empirical and simulation results

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Understanding the visual constraints on lexical processing: New empirical and simulation results Veldre, Aaron; Reichle, Erik D.; Yu, Lili; Andrews, Sally Word identification is slower and less accurate outside central vision, but the precise relationship between retinal eccentricity and lexical processing is not well specified by models of either word identification or reading. In a seminal eye-movement study, Rayner and Morrison (1981) found that participants made remarkably accurate naming and lexical-decision responses to words displayed more than three degrees from the center of vision—even under conditions requiring fixed gaze. However, the validity of these findings is challenged by a range of methodological limitations. We report a series of gaze-contingent lexical-decision and naming experiments that replicate and extend Rayner and Morrison’s study to provide a more accurate estimate of how visual constraints delimit lexical processing. Simulations were conducted using the E-Z Reader model (Reichle et al., 2012) to assess the implications for understanding eye-movement control during reading. Augmenting the model’s assumptions about the impact of both eccentricity and visual crowding on the rate of lexical processing provided good fits to the observed data without impairing the model’s ability to simulate benchmark eye-movement effects. The findings are discussed with a view towards the development of a complete model of reading.

A Neural Implementation of MINERVA 2

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

A Neural Implementation of MINERVA 2 Reichle, Erik D.; Veldre, Aaron; Yu, Lili; Andrews, Sally The MINERVA 2 (Hintzman, 1984) model of human memory has been used to simulate a variety of cognitive phenomena. These simulations, however, describe cognitive phenomena at Marr’s (1982) representation/algorithm level, with little effort to link the core assumptions of the model to an underlying neural implementation (however, see Kelly et al., 2017). This article describes a possible neural implementation of MINERVA 2—one that is simple and arguably biologically plausible. This implementation suggests a novel method for generating response latencies and provides a concrete example to support Marr’s claim that the representations and algorithms that mediate human performance in a variety of different cognitive tasks (e.g., decision making; Dougherty, Gettys, & Ogden, 1999) can be investigated and simulated without reference to their underlying neural implementation.

A History of the Teaching of Social Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney over the Fifty Year period 1959 to 2008

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT

A History of the Teaching of Social Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney over the Fifty Year period 1959 to 2008 Crabbe, Brian David A documentation of the structure and content of the Social Psychology courses, and the staff who taught them, in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney over the fifty year period 1959 to 2008. Changes to course structure in response to University, Faculty, Australian Psychological Society, School and other requirements are identified, as well as changes in the actual content of the courses through content analyses of topics covered in syllabi, textbooks and examinations.

Safety of higher doses of melatonin in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Safety of higher doses of melatonin in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis Menczel, Schrire, Z.; Phillips, C.L.; Chapman, J.L.; Duffy, S.L.; Wong, G.; D'Rozario, A.L.; Comas, M.; Raisin, I.; Saini, B.; Gordon, C.J.; McKinnon, A.C.; Naismith, S.L.; Marshall, N.S.; Grunstein, R.R.; Hoyos, C.M. Melatonin is commonly used for sleep and jetlag at low doses. However, there is less documentation on the safety of higher doses, which are being increasingly used for a wide variety of conditions, including more recently COVID-19 prevention and treatment. The aim of this review was to investigate the safety of higher doses of melatonin in adults. Medline, Scopus, Embase and PsycINFO databases from inception until December 2019 with convenience searches until October 2020. Randomised controlled trials investigating high-dose melatonin (≥10 mg) in human adults over 30 years of age were included. Two investigators independently abstracted articles using PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed by a committee of three investigators. 79 studies were identified with a total of 3861 participants. Studies included a large range of medical conditions. The meta-analysis was pooled data using a random effects model. The outcomes examined were the number of adverse events (AEs), serious adverse events (SAEs) and withdrawals due to AEs. A total of 29 studies (37%) made no mention of the presence or absence of AEs. Overall, only four studies met the pre-specified low risk of bias criteria for meta-analysis. In that small subset, melatonin did not cause a detectable increase in SAEs (Rate Ratio = 0.88 [0.52, 1.50], p =.64) or withdrawals due to AEs (0.93 [0.24, 3.56], p =.92), but did appear to increase the risk of AEs such as drowsiness, headache and dizziness (1.40 [1.15, 1.69], p <.001). Overall, there has been limited AE reporting from high-dose melatonin studies. Based on this limited evidence, melatonin appears to have a good safety profile. Better safety reporting in future long-term trials is needed to confirm this as our confidence limits were very wide due to the paucity of suitable data.

The impact of side effect framing on COVID-19 booster vaccine intentions in an Australian sample

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The impact of side effect framing on COVID-19 booster vaccine intentions in an Australian sample Barnes, K.; Faasse, K.; Colagiuri, B. Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of presenting positively attribute-framed side effect information on COVID-19 booster vaccine intention relative to standard negatively-framed wording and a no-intervention control. Design setting and participants A representative sample of Australian adults ( N =1,204) were randomised to one of six conditions within a factorial design: Framing (Positive; Negative; Control) * Vaccine (Familiar (Pfizer); Unfamiliar (Moderna)). Intervention Negative Framing involved presenting the likelihood of experiencing side effects (e.g., heart inflammation is very rare, 1 in every 80,000 will be affected), whereas Positive Framing involved presenting the same information but as the likelihood of not experiencing side effects (e.g., 79,999 in every 80,000 will not be affected). Primary Outcome Booster vaccine intention measured pre- and post-intervention. Results Positive Framing ( M =75.7, SE =0.9, 95% CI[73.9, 77.4]) increased vaccine intention relative to Negative Framing ( M =70.7, SE =0.9, 95% CI[68.9, 72.4]) overall ( F (1, 1192)=4.68, p =.031, η p 2 =.004). Framing interacted with Vaccine and Baseline Intention ( F (2, 1192)=6.18, p =.002, η p 2 =.01). Positive Framing was superior, or at least equal, to Negative Framing and Control at increasing Booster Intention, irrespective of the participants pre-intervention level of intent. Side effect worry and perceived severity mediated the effect of Positive vs. Negative Framing across vaccines. Conclusion Positive framing of side effect information appears superior for increasing vaccine intent relative to the standard negative wording currently used. Pre-registration See: aspredicted.org/LDX_2ZL

Barriers and enablers to implementing telehealth consultations in psycho‐oncology

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Barriers and enablers to implementing telehealth consultations in psycho‐oncology Butt, Zoe; Kirsten, Laura; Beatty, Lisa; Kelly, Brian; Dhillon, Haryana; Shaw, Joanne M. OBJECTIVE: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, use of telehealth to deliver care was recommended across the Australian health system. This study aims to explore the barriers and enablers to delivery of psycho-oncology services via telehealth and attitudes to use of telehealth in psycho-oncology. METHODS: Twenty-one psycho-oncology clinicians participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Transcribed interviews were thematically analysed using the framework method. RESULTS: Three key themes were identified which described the overall experience of delivering psycho-oncology services via telehealth: (1) Context Matters-for whom is telehealth effective, when is it less effective; (2) Therapy content and telehealth implementation; (3) Recommendations for Sustainability. CONCLUSIONS: These insights into the barriers and enablers to delivering psycho-oncology services via telehealth inform future research and clinical practice. While there is support for the continued use of telehealth in psycho-oncology, there are significant improvements needed to ensure effective implementation and continued benefit.

Do Side Effects to the Primary COVID-19 Vaccine Reduce Intentions for a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster?

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Do Side Effects to the Primary COVID-19 Vaccine Reduce Intentions for a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster? Geers, Andrew L; Clemens, Kelly S; Colagiuri, Ben; Jason, Emily; Colloca, Luana; Webster, Rebecca; Vase, Lene; Seig, Mette; Faasse, Kate BACKGROUND: Vaccines are being administered worldwide to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine boosters are essential for maintaining immunity and protecting against virus variants. The side effects of the primary COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., headache, nausea), however, could reduce intentions to repeat the vaccination experience, thereby hindering global inoculation efforts. PURPOSE: The aim of this research was to test whether side effects of a primary COVID-19 vaccine relate to reduced intentions to receive a COVID-19 booster. The secondary aim was to test whether psychological and demographic factors predict booster intentions. METHODS: Secondary data analyses were conducted on a U.S. national sample of 551 individuals recruited through the online platform Prolific. Key measures in the dataset were side effects reported from a primary COVID-19 vaccination and subsequent intentions to receive a booster vaccine. Psychological and demographic variables that predicted primary vaccination intentions in prior studies were also measured. RESULTS: Booster intentions were high. COVID-19 booster vaccine intentions were uncorrelated with the number of side effects, intensity of side effects, or occurrence of an intense side effect from the primary COVID-19 vaccine. Correlational and regression analyses indicated intentions for a booster vaccination increased with positive vaccination attitudes, trust in vaccine development, worry about the COVID-19 pandemic, low concern over vaccine side effects, and democratic political party affiliation. CONCLUSIONS: Side effects of a primary COVID-19 vaccine were not directly associated with lower intentions to receive a booster of the COVID-19 vaccine early in the pandemic. However, many variables that predict primary vaccination intentions also predict booster intentions.

The impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients, their carers and Oncology health professionals: A qualitative study

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients, their carers and Oncology health professionals: A qualitative study Butow, P; Havard, P E; Butt, Z; Juraskova; Sharpe, L; Dhillon, H; Beatty, L; Beale, P; Cigolini, M; Kelly, B; Chan, R J; Kirsten, L; Best, M; Shaw, J OBJECTIVE: Cancer patients, carers and oncology health professionals have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in many ways, but their experiences and psychosocial responses to the pandemic are still being explored. This study aimed to document the experience of Australians living with cancer, family carers, and Oncology health professionals (HPs) when COVID-19 first emerged. METHODS: In this qualitative study, participants (cancer patients currently receiving treatment, family carers and HPs) completed a semi-structured interview exploring their experiences of COVID-19 and the impact it had on cancer care. Participants also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (patients) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (carers and HPs) to assess emotional morbidity. Thematic analysis was undertaken on qualitative data. RESULTS: 32 patients, 16 carers and 29 HPs participated. Qualitative analysis yielded three shared themes: fear and death anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty. For HPs, uncertainty incorporated the potential for moral distress and work-stress. Patients and carers scoring high on anxiety/depression measures were more likely to have advanced disease, expressed greater death anxiety, talked about taking more extreme precautionary measures, and felt more impacted by isolation. CONCLUSION: Cancer and COVID-19 can have compounding psychological impacts on all those receiving or giving care. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Screening for distress in patients, and burnout in HPs, is recommended. Increased compassionate access and provision of creative alternatives to face-to-face support are warrented.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia and carer mental health: an international multicentre study

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia and carer mental health: an international multicentre study Wei, Grace; Diehl-Schmid, Janine; Matias-Guiu, Jordi A.; Pijnenburg, Yolande; Landin-Romero, Ramon; Bogaardt, Hans; Piguet, Olivier; Kumfor, Fiona As a global health emergency, the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led to the implementation of widespread restrictions (e.g., quarantine, physical/social distancing measures). However, while these restrictions reduce the viral spread of COVID-19, they may exacerbate behavioural and cognitive symptoms in dementia patients and increase pressure on caregiving. Here, we aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 and related restrictions on both carers and people living with dementia across the world. We conducted an international survey (Australia, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands) to assess the impact of COVID-19 on carers and people living with dementia. People with dementia experienced worsened neuropsychiatric symptoms since the outbreak of COVID-19, most commonly, depression, apathy, delusions, anxiety, irritability, and agitation. Regression analyses revealed that limited understanding of the COVID-19 situation and not living with the carer was associated with worsened neuropsychiatric symptoms. Carers also reported a decline in their own mental health, increased stress and reduced social networks as a result of COVID-19 and related restrictions. Regression analyses revealed uncertainty about the future and loneliness were associated with worsened carer mental health. Findings from this study will inform strategies for the development of support services and compassionate protocols that meet the evolving needs of those living with dementia and their carers.

Psychosocial Factors Predict COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Psychosocial Factors Predict COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects Geers, Andrew L; Clemens, Kelly S; Faasse, Kate; Colagiuri, Ben; Webster, Rebecca; Vase, Lene; Sieg, Mette; Jason, Emily; Colloca, Luana

Recovering and rebuilding after COVID-19: What are the best ways to support medical radiation science students?

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Recovering and rebuilding after COVID-19: What are the best ways to support medical radiation science students? Smith, Sian K; Dhillon, Haryana M The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown periods have impacted Medical Radiation Science (MRS) students professionally and personally. This Editorial provides commentary on two papers that generate discussion on how MRS students can be supported during these challenging times. We highlight how Universities and clinical departments can support students through tailored and proactive support, building resilience and peer group supervision.

Predictability effects and parafoveal processing in older readers

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Predictability effects and parafoveal processing in older readers Veldre, Aaron; Wong, Roslyn; Andrews, Sally Normative aging is accompanied by visual and cognitive changes that impact the systems that are critical for fluent reading. The patterns of eye movements during reading displayed by older adults have been characterized as demonstrating a trade-off between longer forward saccades and more word skipping versus higher rates of regressions back to previously read text. This pattern is assumed to reflect older readers’ reliance on top-down contextual information to compensate for reduced uptake of parafoveal information from yet-to-be fixated words. However, the empirical evidence for these assumptions is equivocal. This study investigated the depth of older readers’ parafoveal processing as indexed by sensitivity to the contextual plausibility of parafoveal words in both neutral and highly constraining sentence contexts. The eye movements of 65 cognitively intact older adults (61-87 years) were compared with data previously collected from young adults in two sentence reading experiments in which critical target words were replaced by valid, plausible, related, or implausible previews until the reader fixated on the target word location. Older and younger adults showed equivalent plausibility preview benefits on first-pass reading measures of both predictable and unpredictable words. However, older readers did not show the benefit of preview orthographic relatedness that was observed in young adults, and showed significantly attenuated preview validity effects. Taken together, the data suggest that older readers are specifically impaired in the integration of parafoveal and foveal information but do not show deficits in the depth of parafoveal processing. The implications for understanding the effects of aging on reading are discussed.

Risks, real and imagined

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Risks, real and imagined Bulley, Adam; Schacter, Daniel L. Older adults are at high risk of suffering debilitating health effects from COVID-19. Effective communication of associated risks is therefore paramount. A new study finds that imagining a personalized disease transmission event amplifies perceived risk and bolsters risk-related information seeking in older age.

Impact of Gambling Supply Reduction During COVID-19 Shutdowns on Gambling Problems and Gambling Behaviour in Australia: A National Longitudinal Study

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Impact of Gambling Supply Reduction During COVID-19 Shutdowns on Gambling Problems and Gambling Behaviour in Australia: A National Longitudinal Study Black, Nicola; Swanton, Thomas B.; Burgess, Martin T.; Gainsbury, Sally M. Restricting access to gambling products is one possible harm reduction strategy. We examined whether land-based gambling product supply restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted gambling problems and gambling engagement. In a three-wave, online, longitudinal study, 462 Australian adults (Mage_=_44.94; 87% male) who gambled completed survey measures of demographics, gambling engagement (land-based and online), gambling problems, and psychological distress. Analyses were pre-registered and examined the impacts of restrictions on gambling problems and engagement. During the period of restrictions, there were no significant differences in gambling problems (OR_=_0.88 [95%CI 0.55�1.42], p_=_.610) nor online gambling (B_=_4.48 [95%CI-0.40�9.35], p_=_.071) between states experiencing and not experiencing restrictions. There was a small overall reduction in gambling engagement at 2-(t_=_2.03, p_=_.043) and 5-months (t_=_2.37, p_=_.019) post-restrictions, but no change in gambling problems (t_=_1.25, p_=_.211; t_=_1.50, p_=_.134). Amongst those at moderate-to-high risk of problems at baseline, there were no significant reductions in gambling engagement (t_=_0.58, p_=_.564; t_=_1.20, p_=_.232) or problems (t_=_0.92, p_=_.359; t_=_1.53, p_=_.126) at 2- and 5-months post-restrictions. Findings show only a modest impact of COVID-related supply restrictions on gambling engagement and no impact on gambling problems up to 5 months follow-up. The wide-ranging psychosocial and financial impacts of the pandemic may have overshadowed any potential beneficial effects of the supply restrictions on problem gambling levels. Policies to promote and improve access to problem gambling treatment services are needed even following periods of reduced availability of gambling products.

To comply or not comply? A latent profile analysis of behaviours and attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

To comply or not comply? A latent profile analysis of behaviours and attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic Kleitman, Sabina; Fullerton, Dayna J.; Zhang, Lisa M.; Blanchard, Matthew D.; Lee, Jihyun; Stankov, Lazar; Thompson, Valerie How and why do people comply with protective behaviours during COVID-19? The emerging literature employs a variable-centered approach, typically using a narrow selection of constructs within a study. This study is the first to adopt a person-centred approach to identify complex patterns of compliance, and holistically examine underlying psychological differences, integrating multiple psychology paradigms and epidemiology. 1575 participants from Australia, US, UK, and Canada indicated their behaviours, attitudes, personality, cognitive/decision-making ability, resilience, adaptability, coping, political and cultural factors, and information consumption during the pandemic's first wave. Using Latent Profile Analysis, two broad groups were identified. The compliant group (90%) reported greater worries, and perceived protective measures as effective, whilst the non-compliant group (about 10%) perceived them as problematic. The non-compliant group were lower on agreeableness and cultural tightness-looseness, but more extraverted, and reactant. They utilised more maladaptive coping strategies, checked/trusted the news less, and used official sources less. Females showed greater compliance than males. By promoting greater appreciation of the complexity of behaviour during COVID-19, this research provides a critical platform to inform future studies, public health policy, and targeted behaviour change interventions during pandemics. The results also challenge age-related stereotypes and assumptions.

The effect of COVID19 pandemic restrictions on an urban rodent population

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The effect of COVID19 pandemic restrictions on an urban rodent population Bedoya-Prez, Miguel A.; Ward, Michael P.; Loomes, Max; McGregor, Iain S.; Crowther, Mathew S. Shortly after the enactment of restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19, various local government and public health authorities around the world reported an increased sighting of rats. Such reports have yet to be empirically validated. Here we combined data from multi-catch rodent stations (providing data on rodent captures), rodent bait stations (providing data on rodent activity) and residents’ complaints to explore the effects of a six week lockdown period on rodent populations within the City of Sydney, Australia. The sampling interval encompassed October 2019 to July 2020 with lockdown defined as the interval from April 1st to May 15th, 2020. Rodent captures and activity (visits to bait stations) were stable prior to lockdown. Captures showed a rapid increase and then decline during the lockdown, while rodent visits to bait stations declined throughout this period. There were no changes in the frequency of complaints during lockdown relative to before and after lockdown. There was a non-directional change in the geographical distribution of indices of rodent abundance suggesting that rodents redistributed in response to resource scarcity. We hypothesize that lockdown measures initially resulted in increased rodent captures due to sudden shortage of human-derived food resources. Rodent visits to bait stations might not show this pattern due to the nature of the binary data collected, namely the presence or absence of a visit. Relocation of bait stations driven by pest management goals may also have affected the detection of any directional spatial effect. We conclude that the onset of COVID-19 may have disrupted commensal rodent populations, with possible implications for the future management of these ubiquitous urban indicator species.

The Double Bind of Communicating About Zoonotic Origins: Describing Exotic Animal Sources of COVID‐19 Increases Both Healthy and Discriminatory Avoidance Intentions

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The Double Bind of Communicating About Zoonotic Origins: Describing Exotic Animal Sources of COVID‐19 Increases Both Healthy and Discriminatory Avoidance Intentions LaCour, Mark; Hughes, Brent; Goldwater, Micah; Ireland, Molly; Worthy, Darrell; Van Allen, Jason; Gaylord, Nick; Van‐Hoosier, Garrett; Davis, Tyler Many novel diseases are of zoonotic origin, likely including COVID-19. Describing diseases as originating from a diverse range of animals is known to increase risk perceptions and intentions to engage in preventative behaviors. However, it is also possible that communications depicting use of exotic animals as food sources may activate stereotypes of cultures at the origin of a disease, increasing discriminatory behaviors and disease stigma. We used general linear modeling and mediation analysis to test experimental data on communications about zoonotic disease origins from the critical first two months leading up to the declaration of a global pandemic. Results suggest that communications about potential familiar food origins (pigs) affected people's risk perceptions, health behaviors, and COVID-19 stigma compared to more exotic food sources (e.g., snakes). Participants (N = 707) who read descriptions of exotic origins viewed the virus as riskier and reported stronger intentions to engage in preventative behaviors than those who read about familiar origins (pigs). However, reading exotic origin descriptions was also associated with stronger intentions to avoid Asian individuals and animal products. These results are critical for both theory and public policy. For theory, they are the first to experimentally demonstrate that zoonotic origin descriptions can impact intentions to engage in discriminatory behaviors for cultures viewed as the origin of a novel infectious disease. For policy, they offer clear, actionable insights on how to communicate about risks associated with a novel zoonosis while managing the potential impact on discriminatory behaviors and stigma.

Maintaining Momentum in Infant Mental Health Research During COVID-19: Adapting Observational Assessments

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Maintaining Momentum in Infant Mental Health Research During COVID-19: Adapting Observational Assessments Tesson, Stephanie; Swinsburg, Dianne; Kasparian, Nadine A Understanding the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the developing parent-infant relationship is a priority, especially for medically-fragile infants and their caregivers who face distinct challenges and stressors. Observational assessments can provide important insights into parent-child behaviors and relational risk; however, stay-at-home directives and physical distancing measures associated with COVID-19 have significantly limited opportunities for in-person observational parent-infant assessment. To maintain momentum in our research program during the pandemic, we rapidly pivoted to remote, technology-assisted parent-infant observational assessments. In this commentary, we offer a series of strategies and recommendations to assist researchers in adapting observational parent-infant paradigms. We also discuss the benefits, challenges, and limitations of distance-delivered assessments, and offer considerations for clinical service provision and future research during and post the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Long Way to Go Understanding the Role of Chaplaincy? A Critical Reflection on the Findings of the Survey Examining Chaplaincy Responses to Covid-19

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

A Long Way to Go Understanding the Role of Chaplaincy? A Critical Reflection on the Findings of the Survey Examining Chaplaincy Responses to Covid-19 Best, Megan; Rajaee, Geila; Vandenhoeck, Anne This contribution reflects on some of the most prominent findings in the survey on the chaplaincy response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The finding that chaplain respondents had difficulty understanding their own role prior to the first wave is of concern. If chaplains cannot articulate their own role, it is not surprising that those around them are also unclear. Chaplains are not the only ones to blame for the confusion around their role though.

Morphological preview effects in English are restricted to suffixed words

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Morphological preview effects in English are restricted to suffixed words Dann, Kelly Much of the evidence for morphological decomposition accounts of complex word identification has relied on the masked-priming paradigm. However, morphologically complex words are typically encountered in sentence contexts and processing begins before a word is fixated, when it is in the parafovea. To evaluate whether the single word-identification data generalize to natural reading, Experiment 1 investigated the contribution of morphological structure to the very earliest stages of lexical processing indexed by preview effects during sentence reading in the gaze-contingent boundary paradigm. Preview conditions systematically assessed the impact of prefixed and suffixed nonword previews that manipulated stem and affix overlap, and affix status, against an orthographically legal control baseline. Initial fixations on suffixed target words showed a preview benefit from nonwords that combined the target stem with a legitimate affix, but not with a non-affix, while prefixed targets only benefited from an identical preview. When presented in a masked prime lexical decision task in Experiment 2, the same stimuli yielded equivalent stem priming from suffixed and prefixed primes regardless of affix status, consistent with previous masked priming studies using similar nonword primes. The early effects of morphological structure selectively observed on parafoveal processing of suffixed words are inconsistent with recent non-morphological, position-invariant accounts of embedded stem activation. These results provide the first evidence of morphological parafoveal processing in English and contribute to recent evidence that readers extract a higher level of information from the parafovea during natural reading than was previously assumed.

Sleep Outcomes in Paediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence and Contributing Factors

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Sleep Outcomes in Paediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence and Contributing Factors Djukic, Suzana; Suncica, Lah The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to establish the prevalence of sleep disturbances in children that have experienced a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and to explore various psychological and cognitive outcomes that may moderate this relationship. We present the protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis.

Reading proficiency predicts the extent of the right, but not left, perceptual span in older readers

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Reading proficiency predicts the extent of the right, but not left, perceptual span in older readers Veldre, Aaron; Wong, Roslyn; Andrews, Sally The gaze-contingent moving-window paradigm was used to assess the size and symmetry of the perceptual span in older readers. The eye movements of 49 cognitively intact older adults (60-88 years) were recorded as they read sentences varying in difficulty, and the availability of letter information to the right and left of fixation was manipulated. In order to reconcile discrepancies in previous estimates of the perceptual span in older readers, individual differences in written language proficiency were assessed with tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, reading speed, spelling ability, and print exposure. The results revealed that higher proficiency older adults extracted information up to 15 letter spaces to the right of fixation, while lower proficiency readers did not show additional benefit beyond 9 letters to the right. However, all readers showed improvements to reading with the availability of up to 9 letters to the left—confirming previous evidence of reduced perceptual span asymmetry in older readers. The findings raise questions about whether the source of age-related changes in parafoveal processing lies in the adoption of a risky reading strategy involving an increased propensity to both guess upcoming words and make corrective regressions.

Wrapping up Sentence Comprehension: The Role of Task Demands and Individual Differences

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Wrapping up Sentence Comprehension: The Role of Task Demands and Individual Differences Andrews, Sally; Veldre, Aaron This study used wrap-up effects on eye movements to assess the relationship between online reading behavior and comprehension. Participants, assessed on measures of reading, vocabulary, and spelling, read short passages that manipulated whether a syntactic boundary was unmarked by punctuation, weakly marked by a comma, or strongly marked by a period. Comprehension demands were manipulated by presenting questions after either 25% or 100% of passages. Wrap-up effects at punctuation boundaries manifested principally in rereading of earlier text and were more marked in lower proficiency readers. High comprehension load was associated with longer total reading time but had little impact on wrap-up effects. The relationship between eye movements and comprehension accuracy suggested that poor comprehension was associated with a shallower reading strategy under low comprehension demands. The implications of these findings for understanding how the processes involved in self-regulating comprehension are modulated by reading proficiency and comprehension goals are discussed.

Digital gambling payments methods: Harm-minimization policy considerations

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Digital gambling payments methods: Harm-minimization policy considerations Gainsbury, Sally M.; Blaszczynski, Alex According to the Reserve Bank of Australia Governor, cash has become a “niche payment instrument” and efforts are needed to inform policies and regulations regarding digital payment methods. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the health risks of handling cash and accelerated the transition of customers and retailers to embracing digital payment methods. Globally, authorities, acting on expert health advice, have recommended businesses and customers use digital payment methods to minimize transmission of Covid-19. Gambling remains one of the few industries worldwide that has a high reliance on cash and in many cases has regulation prohibiting the use of digital payment methods., The reliance and requirement to use cash within gambling venues is at odds with consumer sentiment and technological advances and there are increasing cases of cashless payment methods being expanded. International trends suggest that at some point in the increasingly near future, gambling regulators will have to address the issue of digital payments for gambling. This paper describes the potential harm-minimization applications which should be established within any digital payment systems. Careful consideration is needed to ensure that digital gambling payments do not exacerbate gambling problems and may be used to contribute to consumer protection efforts. Given the lack of empirical research in this area, policy makers and stakeholder organizations should prioritize research trials to enable evidence-based policies. This paper comes at a critical time when Covid-19 is changing consumer preferences and behavior, accelerating industry innovation, and the risks of cash increasingly outweigh the benefits.

Cognitive processing biases in those experiencing frequent or chronic headaches or migraines: a meta-analysis and systematic review (protocol)

Mon, 11 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Cognitive processing biases in those experiencing frequent or chronic headaches or migraines: a meta-analysis and systematic review (protocol) Todd, Jemma; O'Hara, Robert The aim of this review is to explore the role of cognitive biases in those experiencing frequent or chronic headaches and migraines (based on selection criteria outlined across studies – e.g. criteria stated in the International Classification of Headache Disorders). More specifically, we are interested in attentional, interpretation and memory biases. We present here the protocol for this review. Pre-registered protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of cognitive processing biases of attention, interpretation and memory in those experiencing frequent or chronic headache or migraine

The effect of dose expectancies on caffeine withdrawal symptoms during tapered dose reduction

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The effect of dose expectancies on caffeine withdrawal symptoms during tapered dose reduction Mills, Llewellyn; Boakes, Robert A.; Colagiuri, Ben Background: Negative expectancies can exacerbate withdrawal symptoms via the nocebo effect. As such, information provided about dose reductions during attempts to taper a drug could contribute to withdrawal symptoms and increase the likelihood of relapse. The current study tested whether blinding participants to dose reductions during a supervised caffeine dose taper reduced these nocebo-induced withdrawal symptoms. Methods: Three groups of moderate to heavy coffee drinkers had their dose of caffeine reduced (tapered) from 300 mg per day to 0 mg over the course of five days and reported withdrawal symptoms twice daily. Groups were given differing information about how much caffeine they were receiving. An Open Reduction Group was given accurate information about dose reductions. A Blind Reduction Group was given no dose information whatsoever. A Deceptive Reduction Group was misinformed about dose, with instructions suggesting that the dose remained on 300 mg for three days then dropped to 0 mg. Results: The Open Reduction Group reported more pronounced caffeine withdrawal symptoms than the Deceptive Reduction Group on the days with the greatest discrepancy between actual dose and informed dose, indicating a nocebo effect of open versus deceptive reductions. In addition, the rate of increase in reported withdrawal symptoms in the Blind Reduction and Deceptive Reduction groups was less than that of the Open Reduction Group. Conclusion: These results suggest that awareness of dose reductions during a dose taper can result in a nocebo withdrawal effect, and that removing this awareness can reduce withdrawal. This has important implications for standard supervised dose tapering practice, where patients are aware of the timing and magnitude of dose reductions.

Placebo and Active Treatment Additivity in Placebo Analgesia: Research to Date and Future Directions

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Placebo and Active Treatment Additivity in Placebo Analgesia: Research to Date and Future Directions Coleshill, Matthew J; Sharpe, Louise; Colloca, Luana; Zachariae, Robert; Colagiuri, Ben

A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo versus no treatment for insomnia symptoms

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo versus no treatment for insomnia symptoms Yeung, Valerie; Sharpe, Louise; Glozier, Nick; Hackett, Maree; Colagiuri, Ben This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the size of the placebo effect for insomnia symptoms when comparing placebo treatment with no treatment. PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases were systematically searched for studies allocating participants with insomnia symptoms (diagnosed or self-reported) to receive a placebo that they were led to believe was an active treatment or to a no treatment control group. Thirteen independent studies (n = 566) met inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis indicated a reliable placebo effect whereby placebo treatment led to improved perceived sleep onset latency (SOL; Hedges g = 0.272), total sleep time (TST; Hedges g = 0.322), and global sleep quality (GSQ; Hedges' g = 0.581), when compared with no treatment. There was no effect on objective assessment of SOL, however only a few studies reported this outcome and there were insufficient sample sizes to meta-analyse other objective outcomes. Moderator analysis indicated that the placebo effect for perceived insomnia symptoms was quite consistent across different variables. The present findings provide strong evidence for placebo effects for perceived insomnia symptoms, but not on the only objective measurement with sufficient sample size to meta-analyse, namely objective SOL. This has important implications for the treatment of insomnia symptoms and the design and interpretation of clinical trials for insomnia symptoms.

The Influence of Side Effect Information Framing on Nocebo Effects

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The Influence of Side Effect Information Framing on Nocebo Effects Faasse, Kate; Huynh, Anna; Pearson, Sarah; Geers, Andrew L; Helfer, Suzanne; Colagiuri, Ben Background: One contributing factor to the development of nocebo effects is information provided about possible side effects. However, non-disclosure of information can be problematic. Purpose: We assessed whether positively framed side effect information (highlighting likelihood of not experiencing side effects) can reduce nocebo effects compared to negatively framed information (highlighting likelihood of experiencing side effects). Method: One-hundred-and-twelve participants took part in research ostensibly assessing the influence of benzodiazepines (actually sham capsules) on anxiety. Participants were randomized to receive a sham capsule with positively or negatively framed information about four side effects, or a no treatment control condition. Side effect expectations were assessed after information provision. Framed side effects and other unmentioned symptoms were assessed during the session and 24-hour follow-up. Results: Nocebo effects occurred in symptoms presented as side effects (regardless of framing) during the study session and follow-up (ps < .003). At follow-up, there was also a nocebo effect in other unmentioned symptoms (p = .018). Positive framing reduced side effect symptoms compared with negative framing during the study session (p = .037), but this effect was no longer present at follow-up (p = .53). Side effect expectations did not differ between the framing conditions (p = .14). Conclusions: Positive framing reduced side effects short-term, but not at follow-up. Expectations did not differ between negative and positive framing. Nocebo effects appeared to generalise to other unmentioned symptoms over a 24-hour period. Further research is needed to determine whether the initial impact of positive framing can be maintained over time.

Sources of placebo-induced relief from nausea: the role of instruction and conditioning

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Sources of placebo-induced relief from nausea: the role of instruction and conditioning Quinn, Veronica F.; Colagiuri, Ben Objectives: It is well documented that expectancies alter the nauseous response. However, the lack of integration in research examining sources of expectancy has limited our understanding of how expectancies are formed and, consequently, our ability to intervene. The present study explored the role of both instructions and conditioning in placebo-induced relief from nausea. Methods: The study used a 2 × 2 between-subjects design with instruction and conditioning as factors with 56 healthy volunteers. The instruction manipulation involved randomizing participants to receive information that a sham treatment (a peppermint essence vapor) would reduce nausea or no such instructions. The conditioning manipulation involved further randomizing participants to have the first administration of this sham treatment paired with a surreptitious reduction in galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) intensity or no prior pairing. Nausea was induced through GVS. On test, all groups received the same level of GVS with the sham treatment present. Results: On test, participants who received instruction had significantly lower nauseous response scores than those who did not (F(1,46) = 6.71, p = .013), and those who received conditioning also reported less nausea than those who did not (F(1,46) = 5.20, p = .027), with the interaction between the two not reaching statistical significance (F(1,46) = 2.33, p = .13). Conclusions: These findings indicate that placebo responding in nausea can be induced both through positive instructions and as little as one pairing of a treatment with a reduction in nausea, as well as their combination. This suggests that using placebo effects to complement antiemetic therapy may offer an important method of further reducing nausea in the clinic.

Autonomic arousal as a mechanism of the persistence of nocebo hyperalgesia

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Autonomic arousal as a mechanism of the persistence of nocebo hyperalgesia Colagiuri, Ben; Quinn, Veronica F. Placebo and nocebo mechanisms can lead to clinically significant modulation of pain. Whilst learning is considered to be the broad mechanism underlying both placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia, critical differences have emerged in their specific mechanisms. One of the most interesting of these is that while placebo analgesia seems to be relatively short-lived, nocebo hyperalgesia appears more resistant to extinction, often persisting indefinitely. The current study examined why nocebo hyperalgesia persists longer than placebo analgesia. Sixty healthy volunteers were randomised to receive placebo conditioning, nocebo conditioning, or no conditioning using an experimental pain model with surreptitious decreases (placebo group) and increases (nocebo group) in pain stimulation paired with sham treatment during training. Pain was then assessed in a test phase with and without the sham treatment at equal pain stimulation. The conditioning procedure successfully induced both placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia in the relevant groups, with nocebo hyperalgesia outlasting placebo analgesia, confirming nocebo hyperalgesia’s resistance to extinction. Most interestingly, nocebo treatment led to heightened anticipatory anxiety ratings and autonomic arousal. Further, autonomic arousal completely mediated the effect of nocebo versus placebo training on extinction, suggesting that heightened autonomic arousal is an important mechanism in the persistence of nocebo hyperalgesia.

Self-Esteem and Depression in Adolescents (SEDA) study data

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Self-Esteem and Depression in Adolescents (SEDA) study data Gittins, Catherine; Hunt, Caroline The dataset contains SpSS (.sav) and .csv files of self-report data from all research participants. Descriptions of variables can be found in the file. The aim of this research is to examine the relations between self-cognitions and depression in adolescents, as well as the influence of parenting behaviour on these processes. Two-hundred and forty-three Grade 7 students were followed over a two-year period, with self-report data collected at three time-points. They reported on their self-esteem, self-criticism, and depression, as well as parenting behaviours. Parents also provided self-report data at time one. Noting here that all identifying material has been removed.

Hippocampal atrophy and intrinsic brain network alterations relate to impaired capacity for mind wandering in neurodegeneration

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Hippocampal atrophy and intrinsic brain network alterations relate to impaired capacity for mind wandering in neurodegeneration O’Callaghan, C.; Shine, J.M.; Hodges, J.R.; Andrews-Hanna, J.R.; Irish, Muireann Mind wandering represents the human capacity for internally focussed thought, and relies upon dynamic interactions between default and frontoparietal networks. The majority of studies in the field have characterised mind wandering in healthy people, yet there is limited understanding of how this capacity is affected in clinical populations. The present study used a validated thought sampling task, to probe the capacity for mind wandering in two neurodegenerative disorders; the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (n=28) and Alzheimer’s disease (n=22), compared to healthy older controls (n=28). These disorders were selected due to their canonical profiles of neural dysfunction across key sites of the default and frontoparietal networks. Behaviourally, mind wandering frequency was found to be reduced in the patient groups, leading to an increase in stimulus-bound thoughts. These behavioural profiles were associated with distinct regions of grey matter loss, as revealed by voxel-based morphometry, predominantly in the hippocampal complex and striatum. Resting state functional connectivity further revealed associations between impaired mind wandering performance and altered connectivity within and between regions of the frontoparietal and default networks. Together, these findings are the first to describe altered mind wandering in neurodegenerative disorders, which was associated with hippocampal atrophy and aberrations in the functional integrity of the default and frontoparietal networks. These results corroborate current theoretical frameworks emphasising that cooperation between default and frontoparietal regions is critical for producing and sustaining internally focussed thought. Notably this study reveals a new dimension of cognitive dysfunction not previously documented in neurodegenerative disorders.

The cerebellum in frontotemporal dementia: a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The cerebellum in frontotemporal dementia: a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies Chen, Y.; Kumfor, F.; Landin-Romero, R.; Irish, Muireann; Piguet, O. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder primarily affecting the frontal and/or temporal lobes. Three main subtypes have been recognized: behavioural-variant FTD (bvFTD), semantic dementia (SD) and progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA), each with a distinct clinical and cognitive profile. Although the role of the cerebellum in cognition is increasingly accepted, knowledge of cerebellar changes across neuroimaging modalities and their contribution to behavioural and cognitive changes in FTD syndromes is currently scant. We conducted an anatomical/activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis in 53 neuroimaging studies (structural MRI: 42; positron emission tomography: 6; functional MRI: 4; single-photon emission computed tomography: 1) to identify the patterns of cerebellar changes and their relations to profiles of behavioural and cognitive deficits in FTD syndromes. Overall, widespread bilateral cerebellar changes were found in FTD and notably the patterns were subtype specific. In bvFTD, ALE peaks were identified in the bilateral Crus, left lobule VI, right lobules VIIb and VIIIb. In SD, focal cerebellar changes were located in the left Crus I and lobule VI. A separate ALE meta-analysis on PNFA studies was not performed due to the limited studies available. In addition, the ALE analysis indicated that bilateral Crus I and Crus II were associated with behavioural disruption and cognitive dysfunction. This ALE meta-analysis provides the quantification of the location and extent of cerebellar changes across the main FTD syndromes, which in turn provides evidence of syndrome specific cerebellar profiles. These results bring new insights into the mechanisms mediating FTD symptomatology.

External details revisited – A new taxonomy for coding ‘non-episodic’ content during autobiographical memory retrieval

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

External details revisited – A new taxonomy for coding ‘non-episodic’ content during autobiographical memory retrieval Strikwerda-Brown, Cherie; Mothakunnel, Annu; Hodges, John R.; Piguet, Olivier; Irish, Muireann Autobiographical memory is typically held to comprise episodic and semantic elements, with the vast majority of studies to date focusing on profiles of episodic details in health and disease. In this context, ‘non-episodic’ elements are often considered to reflect semantic processing, or are discounted from analyses entirely. Mounting evidence suggests that rather than reflecting one unitary entity, semantic autobiographical information may contain discrete subcomponents, which vary in their relative degree of semantic or episodic content. The current study aimed to (i) review the existing literature to formally characterise the variability in analysis of ‘non-episodic’ content (i.e., external details) on the Autobiographical Interview and (ii) use these findings to create a theoretically-grounded framework for coding external details. Our review exposed discrepancies in the reporting and interpretation of external details across studies, reinforcing the need for a new, consistent approach. We validated our new external details scoring protocol (the ‘NExt’ taxonomy) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (n = 18) and semantic dementia (n = 13), and 20 healthy older Control participants, and compared profiles of the NExt subcategories across groups and time periods. Our results revealed increased sensitivity of the NExt taxonomy in discriminating between autobiographical memory profiles of patient groups, when compared to traditionally used internal and external detail metrics. Further, remote and recent autobiographical memories displayed distinct compositions of the NExt detail types. This study is the first to provide a fine-grained and comprehensive taxonomy to parse external details into intuitive subcategories, and to validate this protocol in neurodegenerative disorders.

Fronto-parietal contributions to episodic retrieval – evidence from neurodegenerative disorders

Sat, 01 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Fronto-parietal contributions to episodic retrieval – evidence from neurodegenerative disorders Ramananan, Siddharth; Strikwerda-Brown, Cherie; Mothakunnelel, Annu; Hodges, John R.; Piguet, Olivier; Irish, Muireann Converging evidence suggests a critical role for the parietal cortices in episodic memory retrieval. Here, we examined episodic memory performance in Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS), a rare neurodegenerative disorder presenting with early parietal atrophy in the context of variable medial temporal lobe damage. Forty-four CBS patients were contrasted with 29 typical Alzheimer’s disease (AD), 29 healthy Controls, and 20 progressive supranuclear palsy patients presenting with brainstem atrophy as a disease control group. Participants completed standardised assessments of verbal episodic memory (learning, delayed recall, and recognition), and underwent structural and diffusion-weighted MRI. Selective delayed recall deficits were evident in the CBS group relative to Controls, at an intermediate level to the stark amnesia displayed by AD, and Control-level performance noted in progressive supranuclear palsy. Considerable variability within the CBS group on delayed recall performance led to the identification of memory-spared (N = 19) and memory-impaired (N = 25) subgroups. Whereas CBS-Spared showed no significant memory deficits, the CBS-Impaired subgroup were indistinguishable from typical AD across all episodic memory measures. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analyses implicated fronto-parietal and medial temporal regions in delayed recall performance in both the CBS-Impaired and AD groups. Furthermore, diffusion tensor imaging analyses revealed correlations between delayed recall performance and altered structural connectivity between fronto-parietal and fronto-temporal regions in the CBS-Impaired group. Our findings underscore the importance of a distributed brain network including frontal, medial temporal and parietal brain regions in supporting the capacity for successful episodic memory retrieval.

"All is not lost” - Rethinking the nature of memory and the self in dementia

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"All is not lost” - Rethinking the nature of memory and the self in dementia Strikwerda-Brown, C.; Grilli, M.D.; Andrews-Hanna, J.R.; Irish, Muireann Memory and the self have long been considered intertwined, leading to the assumption that without memory, there can be no self. This line of reasoning has led to the misconception that a loss of memory in dementia necessarily results in a diminished sense of self. Here, we challenge this assumption by considering discrete facets of self-referential memory, and their relative profiles of loss and sparing, across three neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer’s disease, semantic dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. By exploring canonical expressions of the self across past, present, and future contexts in dementia, relative to healthy ageing, we reconcile previous accounts of loss of self in dementia, and propose a new framework for understanding and managing everyday functioning and behaviour. Notably, our approach highlights the multifaceted and dynamic nature in which the temporally-extended self is likely to change in healthy and pathological ageing, with important ramifications for development of person-centred care. Collectively, we aim to promote a cohesive sense of self in dementia across past, present, and future contexts, by demonstrating how, ultimately, ‘All is not lost’.

Visuospatial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Visuospatial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia Salimi, S.; Irish, Muireann; Foxe, D.; Hodges, J.R.; Piguet, O.; Burrell, J.R. OBJECTIVES: Approximately 30% of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients are misdiagnosed due to overlapping and evolving clinical features. In particular, the distinction of AD from behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) can be challenging. Measures of visuospatial ability, which rely on parietal lobe function, show promise as markers of AD as the parietal lobe is preferentially affected early in the disease course. We hypothesise that traditional measures of visuospatial function may help distinguish AD from bvFTD. MATERIALS & METHODS: The Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE) visuospatial subtask, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (RCF) task, and subtests of the visual object and space perception battery (VOSP) were used to examine visuospatial abilities in 55 AD patients, 51 bvFTD patients, and 54 healthy Controls. A subgroup analysis was performed in patients with Pittsburgh Compound B positron emission tomography (PiB-PET) data. RESULTS: Relative to Controls, AD and bvFTD patients were impaired on almost all visuospatial tasks. Significantly worse performance was observed in AD relative to bvFTD patients on drawing tasks (ACE pentagons/loops copy, cube copy, and all RCF scores) and tasks of spatial orientation (VOSP cube analysis), when controlling for disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: Visuospatial measures demonstrate limited ability to distinguish between AD and bvFTD unless disease severity is taken into consideration. Controlling for disease severity reveals a disproportionate visuospatial impairment in AD compared to bvFTD. Development of targeted measures of visuospatial function is required to improve differential diagnosis of these syndromes.

The other side of the coin – Semantic dementia as a lesion model for understanding recollection and familiarity

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The other side of the coin – Semantic dementia as a lesion model for understanding recollection and familiarity Strikwerda-Brown, C.; Irish, Muireann The syndrome of semantic dementia represents the “other side of the coin” to Alzheimer’s disease, offering convergent evidence to help refine Bastin et al.’s Integrative Memory Model. By considering the Integrative Memory Model through the lens of semantic dementia, we propose a number of important extensions to the framework, to help clarify the complex neurocognitive mechanisms underlying recollection and familiarity.

"Truth be told” – Semantic memory as the scaffold for veridical communication

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

"Truth be told” – Semantic memory as the scaffold for veridical communication Hayes, Brett K.; Ramanan, Siddharth; Irish, Muireann Theoretical accounts placing episodic memory as central to constructive and communicative functions neglect the role of semantic memory. We argue that the decontextualized nature of semantic schemas largely supersedes the computational bottleneck and error-prone nature of episodic memory. Rather, neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence of episodic-semantic interactions suggest that an integrative framework more accurately captures the mechanisms underpinning social communication.

Rethinking the role of the angular gyrus in remembering the past and imagining the future - the Contextual Integration Model

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Rethinking the role of the angular gyrus in remembering the past and imagining the future - the Contextual Integration Model Ramanan, Siddharth; Piguet, Olivier; Irish, Muireann Despite consistent activation on tasks of episodic memory, the precise contribution of the left angular gyrus (AG) to mnemonic functions remains vigorously debated. Mounting evidence suggests that AG activity scales with subjective ratings of vividness and confidence in recollection, with further evidence pointing to its involvement during construction of detailed and coherent future simulations. Lesion studies however, indicate that damage to the AG does not render patients amnesic on standard source and associative memory paradigms. To reconcile these findings, we present the Contextual Integration model as a unifying framework that couches the mnemonic role of the AG in terms of multimodal integration and representation of contextual information across temporal contexts. Irrespective of whether one is remembering the past or constructing future or hypothetical scenarios, the Contextual-Integration model holds that the core elements of an event (i.e., the who, what, when, where) are bound within the medial temporal lobes while the multimodal details which give rise to perceptually rich recollection are integrated and represented in the AG. Building on previous work, the Contextual Integration model therefore provides a comprehensive exposition of the mnemonic and constructive functions of the AG across temporal contexts, offering a novel test-bed for future work.

Exploring the contribution of visual imagery to scene construction – evidence from Posterior Cortical Atrophy

Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Exploring the contribution of visual imagery to scene construction – evidence from Posterior Cortical Atrophy Ramanan, Siddharth; Alaeddin, Sara; Goldberg, Zoe-Lee; Strikwerda-Brown, Cherie; Hodges, John R.; Irish, Muireann Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) is a rare neurodegenerative syndrome characterised by profound visuoperceptual processing disturbances, attributable to focal parieto-occipital cortical atrophy. Despite relative sparing of the medial temporal lobes, converging evidence reveals significant autobiographical memory impairments in this syndrome, underscoring the crucial role of visual imagery for episodic memory processes. The contribution of visual imagery to complex constructive endeavours, however, remains unclear. Here, we investigated the capacity for atemporal scene construction in 5 well-characterised cases of PCA and contrasted their performance with 10 typical amnestic Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and 10 healthy older Control participants. Behavioural data were analysed using case-Control statistics comparing each PCA patient’s scene construction scores to the mean scores of AD and Control groups. In keeping with their clinical phenotype, PCA patients demonstrated significant visuoperceptual and episodic memory impairments on standard neuropsychological tasks. Scene construction performance was grossly impaired in PCA, at a level comparable to that observed in the AD group, manifesting in impoverished and spatially fragmented scenes. Structural neuroimaging confirmed prominent grey matter intensity decrease predominantly in posterior cortical regions in PCA, in the absence of frank hippocampal atrophy. Using an a priori motivated region-of-interest approach across all participants, scene construction performance was found to correlate with grey matter intensity in the left angular gyrus, right precuneus, and right hippocampus. This study is the first to reveal compromised scene construction capacity in PCA, extending our understanding of the cognitive profile of this rare syndrome and pointing towards the fundamental contribution of visual imagery to atemporal forms of imagination.

Age-related changes in the temporal focus and self-referential content of spontaneous cognition during periods of low cognitive demand

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Age-related changes in the temporal focus and self-referential content of spontaneous cognition during periods of low cognitive demand Irish, Muireann; Goldberg, Zoe-Lee; Alaeddin, Sara; O’Callaghan, Claire; Andrews-Hanna, Jessica R. An intriguing aspect of human cognition is the unique capacity to mentally retreat from our immediate surroundings to consider perspectives distinct from the here and now. Despite increasing interest in this phenomenon, relatively little is known regarding age-related changes in off-task, self-generated thought (often referred to as “mind-wandering”), particularly under conditions of low cognitive demand. While a number of studies have investigated the temporal orientation of mind-wandering with increasing age, findings have been largely inconsistent. Here, we explored the frequency, temporal focus, and self-referential/social content of spontaneous task-unrelated, perceptually-decoupled thought in 30 young and 33 healthy older adults using the Shape Expectations task, a validated experimental paradigm in which discrete facets of inner mentation are quantified along a conceptual continuum using open-ended report. Participants also completed the daydreaming subscale of the Imaginal Process Inventory (IPI) as a trait measure of mind-wandering propensity. Significant group differences emerged on the Shape Expectations task, with reduced instances of mind-wandering in the context of elevated task-related thoughts in older relative to younger adults. In terms of temporal focus, a preponderance of present/atemporal off-task thoughts was evident irrespective of group; however, significantly higher levels of future-oriented thoughts were provided by younger adults, contrasting with significantly higher instances of retrospection in the older group. In addition, older adults displayed significantly fewer incidences of self-referential cognition relative to their younger counterparts. Our findings indicate a distinct attenuation of off-task, self-generated thought processes with increasing age, with evidence for a shift in temporal focus and self-referential quality, during periods of low cognitive demand.

Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III: Psychometric Characteristics and Relations to Functional Ability in Dementia

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III: Psychometric Characteristics and Relations to Functional Ability in Dementia So, Matthew; Foxe, David; Kumfor, Fiona; Murray, Cynthia; Hsieh, Sharpley; Savage, Greg; Ahmed, Rebekah M.; Burrell, James R.; Hodges, John R.; Irish, Muireann; Piguet, Olivier Objectives: The Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE) is a common cognitive screening test for dementia. Here, we examined the relationship between the most recent version (ACE-III) and its predecessor (ACE-R), determined ACE- III cutoff scores for the detection of dementia, and explored its relationship with functional ability. Methods: Study 1 included 199 dementia patients and 52 healthy controls who completed the ACE-III and ACE-R. ACE-III total and domain scores were regressed on their corresponding ACE-R values to obtain conversion formulae. Study 2 included 331 mixed dementia patients and 87 controls to establish the optimal ACE-III cutoff scores for the detection of dementia using receiver operator curve analysis. Study 3 included 194 dementia patients and their carers to investigate the relationship between ACE-III total score and functional ability. Results: Study 1: ACE-III and ACE-R scores differed by ≤1 point overall, the magnitude varying according to dementia type. Study 2: a new lower bound cutoff ACE-III score of 84/100 to detect dementia was identified (compared with 82 for the ACE-R). The upper bound cutoff score of 88/100 was retained. Study 3: ACE-III scores were significantly related to functional ability on the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale across all dementia syndromes, except for semantic dementia. Conclusions: This study represents one of the largest and most clini- cally diverse investigations of the ACE-III. Our results demonstrate that the ACE-III is an acceptable alternative to the ACE-R. In addition, ACE-III performance has broader clinical implications in that it relates to carer reports of functional impairment in most common dementias. (JINS, 2018, 24, 854–863)

The function of prospection - variations in health and disease

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The function of prospection - variations in health and disease Bulley, Adam; Irish, Muireann Much of human life revolves around anticipating and planning for the future. It has become increasingly clear that this capacity for prospective cognition is a core adaptive function of the mind. Here, we review the role of prospection in two key functional domains: goal-directed behavior and flexible decision-making. We then survey and categorize variations in prospection, with a particular focus on functional impact in clinical psychological conditions and neurological disorders. Finally, we suggest avenues for future research into the functions of prospection and the manner in which these functions can shift toward maladaptive outcomes. In doing so, we consider the conceptualization and measurement of prospection, as well as novel approaches to its augmentation in healthy people and managing its alterations in a clinical context.