scholarly journals Obese Adolescents Have Reduced Mentalizing Ability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alaleh Taheri ◽  
M. Ali Mazaheri ◽  
Abbas Zabihzadeh ◽  
Paul Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Obese Adolescents ◽  
The Mind

Abstract Purpose: Obesity affects both mental health and the quality of life, and it also causes diseases associated with increased mortality. The aetiology of obesity is thought to be multifactorial with biological, psychological and social elements. The psychological realm includes the capacity to be aware of one’s own and others’ mental states, that is mentalizing. We hypothesized that poor mentalizing might contribute to the development and/or persistence of obesity among adolescents. The present study aims to investigate the components of the mentalization model to better identify the psychological status of obese adolescents. Methods: This study was carried out on 100 adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who were either obese (N=50, Mean age=17.04, Mean BMI=30.24) or normal weight (N=50, Mean age=16.94, Mean BMI=20.95). All completed the reflective functioning questionnaire (RFQ), reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET), difficulties in emotional regulation scale (DERS), and Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS). Results: Multivariate analysis of variance, univariate analysis of variance, and independent t-test were used. Lower certainty and higher uncertainty on the RFQ were confirmed in the OB group indicating reduced mentalizing ability. Misperception and misinterpretation of emotional states conveyed in the eyes in the RMET were consistent the RFQ results. Alexithymia, including difficulty recognizing, expressing and reflecting on emotions, was also found and this also fits with poor mentalizing capacity. The OB group had difficulty in all components of DERS, apart from the “Strategies” subscale. Conclusion: Mentalization or reflective function is significantly poorer in obese, compared to normal weight adolescents. Poor mentalizing could be a cause of obesity, a factor leading to its persistence, or a consequence of obesity. Further research is required to differentiate these possibilities.Level of evidence Level III: case-control analytic study.

scholarly journals Understanding of Emotional States in Persons with Pedophilia / Pedophilic Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 84-99
Author(s):  
L.Y. Demidova ◽  
N.V. Dvoryanchikov
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Sexual Crimes ◽  
Sexual Drive ◽  
Emotional Perception ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
High Level

This article highlights the problem of emotional perception in pedophilia (ICD-10) / pedophilia disorder (ICD-11). In present paper, emotional perception is considered as abilities of recognizing and identifying a wide range of mental states like emotions, affects, moods, feelings. The assumption about relations of alexithymia and disturbances in the recognition of emotions, perspective taking, empathy with pedophilia and regulatory mechanisms of activity verified empirically. Two groups of persons accused of sexual crimes are compared: 44 people with pedophilia, 32 people without the disorder; also 95 persons who haven't been accused were examined for the control group; as well intra-group comparison of pedophilic persons with egosyntonic and egodystonic attitude toward sexual drive was made. Contradictions of earlier studies are resolved in the result: it is shown that in pedophilia the ability of understanding emotional states remains normal at first sight (in comparison with the deficits found in the accused without pedophilia). However, the group with pedophilia is characterized by extremely high level of alexithymia and based on this the consistently conclusion is made about disturbances of emotional regulation in egosyntonic form of this disorder.

scholarly journals The Mind-Brain Relationship as a Mathematical Problem

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio A. Ascoli
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Mathematical Problem ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Neural Connectivity ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Scientific Phenomena ◽  
The Mind

This paper aims to frame certain fundamental aspects of the human mind (content and meaning of mental states) and foundational elements of brain computation (spatial and temporal patterns of neural activity) so as to enable at least in principle their integration within one and the same quantitative representation. Through the history of science, similar approaches have been instrumental to bridge other seemingly mysterious scientific phenomena, such as thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, optics and electromagnetism, or chemistry and quantum physics, among several other examples. Identifying the relevant levels of analysis is important to define proper mathematical formalisms for describing the brain and the mind, such that they could be mapped onto each other in order to explain their equivalence. Based on these premises, we overview the potential of neural connectivity to provide highly informative constraints on brain computational process. Moreover, we outline approaches for representing cognitive and emotional states geometrically with semantic maps. Next, we summarize leading theoretical framework that might serve as an explanatory bridge between neural connectivity and mental space. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of this framework for human communication and our view of reality. We conclude by analyzing the practical requirements to manage the necessary data for solving the mind-brain problem from this perspective.

A BUDDHIST VIEW OF HAPPINESS

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthieu Ricard
Keyword(s):  
Mental States ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Authentic Happiness ◽  
Healthy State ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Mental Constructs ◽  
Contemplative Neuroscience

AbstractIn Buddhism, happiness is achieved when a person can perceive the true nature of reality, unmodified by the mental constructs we superimpose upon it. This authentic happiness comes from having an exceptionally healthy state of mind that underlies and suffuses all emotional states and that embraces all the joys and sorrows that come one's way. The mental states necessary for authentic happiness are not simply found or happened upon. Rather, happiness is achieved through mental training that purges the mind of afflictive emotions, such as hatred and compulsive desire, which literally poison the mind, and above all through the eradication of ignorance. This article discusses the Buddhist conception of happiness and its attainment. In particular, the article addresses the methods and practices that Buddhism employs to train the mind to achieve authentic happiness and the recent developments in contemplative neuroscience that complement and advance these methods.

Consciousness of Motivated, Emotional Mind

2021 ◽  
pp. 57-80
Keyword(s):  
Intelligent System ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
Cognitive Awareness ◽  
Bodily Experiences ◽  
Mode Of Operation ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Rational Actions

The efficient functioning of the conscious mind requires motivation. Motivations are both the source and the reason for its development and sophistication. The motivation for intelligent activities is usually to avoid discomfort and seek pleasure. On the other hand, the implementation of complex life plans and the feeling of higher mental states requires motivation through curiosity and through a desire to learn and discover something new. A mind equipped with cognitive awareness has the ability to observe and assess the effects of its actions on the environment. Creating complex mental representations associating actions with distant impressions and effects allows for their emotional assessment. If bodily experiences are to give meaning to what an individual perceives and remembers, then he must be able to assess the value of his experiences for his own good. Using these experiences and learned knowledge an intelligent system gains the ability to take rational actions to achieve its goals, feel the pain and pleasure resulting from such actions, be sensitive to effects of his actions, be conscious. The analysis of one's own situation and the choice of the optimal mode of operation can be interpreted as implementations of the system's own will. The discussion of restrictions on the choices made indicates that this will of the system is by no means free will. Conscious being decisions depend on the momentary mental states in which the mind is in the process of deciding. They depend on the content of what he has in his memory at the moment, his current mood, available knowledge, his patience for analyzing different variants of behavior and ability to act. In addition to known ontological, physical, and biological limitations, and social (for social beings), there are significant limitations related to the content and structural organization of memory, created associations and beliefs shaped by life experiences and interactions with subconscious mind. Assessing the effects of the operation, satisfying, or not satisfying the needs of the system revealed in the above way creates complex emotional states. Structures and processes leading to the creation of emotions, motivating to rational action for the broadly understood own good, constitute a model of a fully conscious, motivated, emotional mind (MEM). Is the presented model really a reductive model? Do mental states even exist? The authors try to answer these and similar questions in this chapter.

scholarly journals Social Class Predicts Emotion Perception and Perspective-Taking Performance in Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Dietze ◽  
Eric D. Knowles
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Emotion Perception ◽  
Lower Class ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Visual Perspective ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
The Mind ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Director Task

“Theory of Mind” (ToM; people’s ability to infer and use information about others’ mental states) varies across cultures. In four studies ( N = 881), including two preregistered replications, we show that social class predicts performance on ToM tasks. In Studies 1A and 1B, we provide new evidence for a relationship between social class and emotion perception: Higher-class individuals performed more poorly than their lower-class counterparts on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, which has participants infer the emotional states of targets from images of their eyes. In Studies 2A and 2B, we provide the first evidence that social class predicts visual perspective taking: Higher-class individuals made more errors than lower-class individuals in the Director Task, which requires participants to assume the visual perspective of another person. Potential mechanisms linking social class to performance in different ToM domains, as well as implications for deficiency-centered perspectives on low social class, are discussed.

scholarly journals Social Class Predicts Emotion Perception and Perspective-Taking Performance in Adults

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Dietze ◽  
Eric Knowles
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Emotion Perception ◽  
Lower Class ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Visual Perspective ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
The Mind ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Director Task

“Theory of Mind” (ToM; people’s ability to infer and use information about others’ mental states) varies across cultures. In four studies (N = 881), including two preregistered replications, we show that social class predicts performance on ToM tasks. In Studies 1A and 1B, we provide new evidence for a relationship between social class and emotion perception: Higher-class individuals performed more poorly than their lower-class counterparts on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, which has participants infer the emotional states of targets from images of their eyes. In Studies 2A and 2B, we provide the first evidence that social class predicts visual perspective-taking: Higher-class individuals made more errors than lower-class individuals in the Director Task, which requires participants to assume the visual perspective of another person. Potential mechanisms linking social class to performance in different ToM domains, as well as implications for deficiency-centered perspectives on low social class, are discussed.

Challenges and opportunities for the affective sciences.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew S. Fox ◽  
Regina Lapate ◽  
Alexander J. Shackman ◽  
Richard J Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Quarter Century ◽  
Core Feature ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Improved Methods ◽  
Health And Well Being

Emotion is a core feature of the human condition, with profound consequences for health, wealth, and wellbeing. Over the past quarter-century, improved methods for manipulating and measuring different features of emotion have yielded steady advances in our scientific understanding emotional states, traits, and disorders. Yet, it is clear that most of the work remains undone. Here, we highlight key challenges facing the field of affective sciences. Addressing these challenges will provide critical opportunities not just for understanding the mind, but also for increasing the impact of the affective sciences on public health and well-being.

scholarly journals Emotional Eating in Adolescence: Effects of Emotion Regulation, Weight Status and Negative Body Image

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Lenka H. Shriver ◽  
Jessica M. Dollar ◽  
Susan D. Calkins ◽  
Susan P. Keane ◽  
Lilly Shanahan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Emotional Eating ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Obesity Risk ◽  
Negative Body Image ◽  
Increased Risk

Emotional eating is associated with an increased risk of binge eating, eating in the absence of hunger and obesity risk. While previous studies with children and adolescents suggest that emotion regulation may be a key predictor of this dysregulated eating behavior, little is known about what other factors may be influencing the link between emotional regulation and emotional eating in adolescence. This multi-method longitudinal study (n = 138) utilized linear regression models to examine associations between childhood emotion regulation, adolescent weight status and negative body image, and emotional eating at age 17. Emotion regulation predicted adolescent emotional eating and this link was moderated by weight status (β = 1.19, p < 0.01) and negative body image (β = −0.34, p < 0.01). Higher engagement in emotional eating was predicted by lower emotional regulation scores among normal-weight teens (β = −0.46, p < 0.001) but not among overweight/obese teens (β = 0.32, p > 0.10). Higher scores on emotion regulation were significantly associated with lower emotional eating at high (β = −1.59, p < 0.001) and low (β = −1.00, p < 0.01) levels of negative body image. Engagement in emotional eating was predicted by higher negative body image among overweight/obese teens only (β = 0.70, p < 0.001). Our findings show that while better childhood emotion regulation skills are associated with lower emotional eating, weight status and negative body image influence this link and should be considered as important foci in future interventions that aim to reduce emotional eating in adolescence.

scholarly journals Predictors of Central Compartment Involvement in Patients with Positive Lateral Cervical Lymph Nodes according to Clinical and/or Ultrasound Evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 3407
Author(s):  
Giuseppa Graceffa ◽  
Giuseppina Orlando ◽  
Gianfranco Cocorullo ◽  
Sergio Mazzola ◽  
Irene Vitale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lymph Nodes ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Roc Curves ◽  
Central Compartment ◽  
Central Neck Dissection ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Cervical Lymph Nodes ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Ultrasound Evaluation ◽  
Central Lymph

Lymph node neck metastases are frequent in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Current guidelines state, on a weak level of evidence, that level VI dissection is mandatory in the presence of latero-cervical metastases. The aim of our study is to evaluate predictive factors for the absence of level VI involvement despite the presence of metastases to the lateral cervical stations in PTC. Eighty-eight patients operated for PTC with level II–V metastases were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Demographics, thyroid function, autoimmunity, nodule size and site, cancer variant, multifocality, Bethesda and EU-TIRADS, number of central and lateral lymph nodes removed, number of positive lymph nodes and outcome were recorded. At univariate analysis, PTC location and number of positive lateral lymph nodes were risk criteria for failure to cure. ROC curves demonstrated the association of the number of positive lateral lymph nodes and failure to cure. On multivariate analysis, the protective factors were PTC located in lobe center and number of positive lateral lymph nodes < 4. Kaplan–Meier curves confirmed the absence of central lymph nodes as a positive prognostic factor. In the selected cases, Central Neck Dissection (CND) could be avoided even in the presence of positive Lateralcervical Lymph Nodes (LLN+).

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