scholarly journals Forgetting Unwanted Memories: Active Forgetting and Implications for the Development of Psychological Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Marco Costanzi ◽  
Beatrice Cianfanelli ◽  
Alessandro Santirocchi ◽  
Stefano Lasaponara ◽  
Pietro Spataro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Neurotransmitter Systems ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Induced Forgetting ◽  
Active Processes

Intrusive memories are a common feature of many psychopathologies, and suppression-induced forgetting of unwanted memories appears as a critical ability to preserve mental health. In recent years, biological and cognitive studies converged in revealing that forgetting is due to active processes. Recent neurobiological studies provide evidence on the active role of main neurotransmitter systems in forgetting, suggesting that the brain actively works to suppress retrieval of unwanted memories. On the cognitive side, there is evidence that voluntary and involuntary processes (here termed “intentional” and “incidental” forgetting, respectively) contribute to active forgetting. In intentional forgetting, an inhibitory control mechanism suppresses awareness of unwanted memories at encoding or retrieval. In incidental forgetting, retrieval practice of some memories involuntarily suppresses the retrieval of other related memories. In this review we describe recent findings on deficits in active forgetting observed in psychopathologies, like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Moreover, we report studies in which the role of neurotransmitter systems, known to be involved in the pathogenesis of mental disorders, has been investigated in active forgetting paradigms. The possibility that biological and cognitive mechanisms of active forgetting could be considered as hallmarks of the early onset of psychopathologies is also discussed.

scholarly journals The Fourth IOCDC

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 5 (S4) ◽  
pp. 4-4
Author(s):  
Eric Hollander ◽  
Joseph Zohar ◽  
Donatella Marazziti
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Cortical Inhibition ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Ablative Surgery

The Fourth International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Conference (IOCDC) was held February 10–12, 2000, on the beautiful island of St. Thomas. The IOCDC is an annual meeting which brings together the world's leading experts in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders in a small workshop setting to present recent research advances, discuss gaps in our current knowledge, and plan or international approaches that address these knowledge gaps. The IOCDC meetings have been held on islands on both sides of the Atlantic—Capri, Guadeloupe, Madeira, and now St. Thomas.The International Organizing Committee consists of Eric Hollander, MD (USA), Joseph Zohar, MD (Israel), and Donatella Marazziti, MD (Italy). The proceedings are generously supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Solvay Pharmaceuticals, and we would like to acknowledge the very important contributions of Chantal Vekens and Mary Blangiardo of Solvay. Also, an mportant part of the success of these meetings stems from the very active role of the chairpersons and cochairpersons of the workshops who lead the discussions, who synthesize the future directions and prepare the manuscripts that result from these discussions that appear in this academic supplement.The meeting led off with a state-of-the-art plenary address by Mark George, MD (USA), describing how new methods of brain stimulation are improving research and therapy in OCD and promise to revolutionize neuropsychiatric research and herapy over the next decade. He describes how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is used to test the circuits in OCD and test electrophysiologic evaluations of cortical inhibition n OCD. Newer techniques that are less invasive than ablative surgery and appear promising in OCD therapy include vagus nerve stimulation and deep brain stimulation.

scholarly journals Effect of tryptophan depletion on conditioned threat memory expression: role of intolerance of uncertainty

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan W Kanen ◽  
Frederique E Arntz ◽  
Robyn Yellowlees ◽  
David M Christmas ◽  
Annabel Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Tryptophan Depletion ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Emotional Responding

AbstractBackgroundResponding emotionally to danger is critical for survival. Normal functioning also requires flexible alteration of emotional responses when a threat becomes safe. Aberrant threat and safety learning occurs in many psychiatric disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia, where emotional responses can persist pathologically. Whilst there is evidence that threat and safety learning can be modulated by the serotonin systems, there have been few studies in humans. We addressed a critical clinically relevant question: How does pharmacological lowering of serotonin affect the retention of conditioned threat memory?MethodsForty-seven healthy participants underwent threat conditioning on Day 1 followed by an extinction session. Emotional responding was assessed by the skin conductance response (SCR). On Day 2, we employed acute dietary tryptophan depletion to lower serotonin temporarily, in a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized between-groups design. We then tested for the return of conditioned threat memory spontaneous recovery). We also measured self-reported intolerance of uncertainty, known to modulate threat memory expression.ResultsThe expression of emotional memory was attenuated in participants who had undergone tryptophan depletion. Individuals who were more intolerant of uncertainty showed even greater attenuation of emotion following depletion.ConclusionsThese results support the view that serotonin is involved in predicting aversive outcomes and refine our understanding of the role of serotonin in the persistence of emotional responsivity, with implications for individual differences in vulnerability to psychopathology.

scholarly journals The possible role of oxytocin in neuropsychiatric disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 274-278
Author(s):  
Donatella Marazziti ◽  
Alessandra Della Vecchia
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Peptide Hormone ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Social Signals ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Compulsive Disorder

Oxytocin (OT) is a peptide hormone unique to mammals, typically involved in activities characteristic of this vertebrate class, such as labour and lactation. Evidence suggests a role of OT even in most complex activities, including child attachment, maternal care, couple bonding, emotional and social behaviors. Furthermore, it seems to contribute to the modulation of stress responses, learning, and memory processes, as well as to the connection of social signals with cognition, behaviors and reward. For this reason, for years there has been a debate on the possible contribution of the OT system in the pathophysiology of different neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, addiction, and schizophrenia. In this article, we describe the most relevant findings on OT system abnormalities in the aforementioned disorders, with a focus on possible therapeutic implications.

EMDR as therapy for conditions other than PTSD: a systematic review.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Scelles ◽  
LUIS CARLO BULNES
Keyword(s):  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Treatment As Usual ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Adult Personality ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
Research Criteria ◽  
Positive Effect

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment for post-traumatic stressdisorder (PTSD). The technique is known to stimulate the capacity to reprocess maladaptive memoriesthat are thought to be central to this pathology. Here we investigate if EMDR therapy can be used in otherconditions than PTSD. We conducted a systematic literature search on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. Wesearched for published empirical findings on EMDR, excluding those centred on trauma and PTSD,published up to 2020. The results were classified by psychiatric categories.   Ninety articles met our research criteria. A positive effect was reported in addictions, somatoformdisorders, sexual dysfunction, eating disorder, disorders of adult personality, mood disorders, reaction tosevere stress, anxiety disorders, performance anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), pain,neurodegenerative disorders, paedopsychiatry and sleep. The evidence was more consistent in pain, OCD,mood disorders, and reaction to severe stress.EMDR’s efficiency across numerous pathological situations, highlighted the central role of affectivememory in several psychiatric and non-psychiatric conditions. Furthermore, EMDR seems to besuccessful in usually uncooperative (e.g. Dementia) or unproductive cases (e.g. aphasia). Moreover, insome severe medical situations were psychologic distress was an obstacle, EMDR allowed thecontinuation of treatment-as-usual. Our review suggests that it is a safe and economical therapeuticoption, and its effect in non-pathological situations opens new avenues for translational research. Overallmore methodologically rigorous studies are needed.

Pupil with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-25
Author(s):  
Karolina Diallo
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
School Performance ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Detrimental Effect ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
The Past ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Pupil with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Over the past twenty years childhood OCD has received more attention than any other anxiety disorder that occurs in the childhood. The increasing interest and research in this area have led to increasing number of diagnoses of OCD in children and adolescents, which affects both specialists and teachers. Depending on the severity of symptoms OCD has a detrimental effect upon child's school performance, which can lead almost to the impossibility to concentrate on school and associated duties. This article is devoted to the obsessive-compulsive disorder and its specifics in children, focusing on the impact of this disorder on behaviour, experience and performance of the child in the school environment. It mentions how important is the role of the teacher in whose class the pupil with this diagnosis is and it points out that it is necessary to increase teachers' competence to identify children with OCD symptoms, to take the disease into the account, to adapt the course of teaching and to introduce such measures that could help children reduce the anxiety and maintain (or increase) the school performance within and in accordance with the school regulations and curriculum.

scholarly journals Likely Exacerbation of Psychological Disorders from Covid-19 Response

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110167
Author(s):  
Tara Rava Zolnikov ◽  
Tanya Clark ◽  
Tessa Zolnikov
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Face ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Anxiety and fear felt by people around the world regarding the coronavirus pandemic is real and can be overwhelming, resulting in strong emotional reactions in adults and children. With depressive and anxiety disorders already highly prevalent in the general population (300 million worldwide), depression and/or anxiety specifically because of the pandemic response is likely. Moreover, the current state of panic in the face of uncertainty is apt to produce significant amounts of stress. While this situation has the potential to cause psychological disorders in previously unaffected populations, perhaps more impactful is the exacerbation of symptoms of many existing disorders including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and hoarding disorder.

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