Beta-Endorphin and Oxytocin in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder and Comorbid Depression

Background: The neuropeptides β-endorphin and oxytocin are released into the bloodstream as hormones from the pituitary gland but also have an important function as neuroregulators in the forebrain. The blood levels of both polypeptides have been shown to reflect depressive symptoms. β-Endorphin, in particular, is also involved in abstinence from alcohol. Methods: The serum levels of β-endorphin and oxytocin were measured during the early withdrawal phase in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) with (N = 35) or without (N = 45) depressive comorbidity and compared with those in healthy volunteers (N = 23). In addition to comparing the groups, the study examined whether serum levels correlated with various psychometric measures of dependence, depression and aggression, as well as with clinical characteristics of dependence. Results: Both serum levels of beta-endorphin and oxytocin were significantly lower in patients than those in healthy controls (p = 0.011 for β-endorphin and p = 0.005 for oxytocin, Kruskal–Wallis test). In patients with depressive comorbidity, the significance was greatest (p = 0.005 for β-endorphin and p = 0.004 for oxytocin, U-test). There was no correlation with clinical or psychometric parameters (p > 0.05, Spearman test), but beta-endorphin levels did correlate significantly with physical aggression (p = 0.026, Spearman test). Conclusions: Serum levels of β-endorphin and oxytocin are lower in patients with AUD, particularly in those with depressive comorbidity. β-Endorphin levels correlated with physical aggression according to the Buss–Durkee (BDHI) estimates.

Psychometric properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale in Ethiopian university students

The prevalence of anxiety and its associated factors in Ethiopians necessitates availability of a valid questionnaire tool to screen for this disorder. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the factor structure, its stability, and psychometric measures of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale GAD-7) in Ethiopian university students. A cross-sectional study with random sampling was carried out in students (n = 354, age = 21.79 ± 4.49) attending Mizan-Tepi University, Ethiopia. The GAD-7, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and a sociodemographic questionnaire were completed by participants. The unidimensional model of the GAD-7 showed configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance among gender groups. The Cronbach's alpha (0.77), item-total score correlations (r = .51—.72, p < .01), and inter-item correlations (all significant, p < .05) indicated adequate internal consistency. GAD-7 scale scores correlated significantly with the PSS, suggesting desired convergent validity. The GAD-7 has good psychometric validity with Ethiopian university students.

Inpatient Weight Restoration Treatment Is Associated with Decrease in Post-Meal Anxiety

Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by weight loss, distorted body image with fear of becoming fat and associated with anxiety, especially in relation to food intake. Anxiety in relation to meals and weight restoration remains a major challenge in the treatment of AN. We examined the effects of inpatient weight restoration treatment on levels of post-meal anxiety using visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings in patients with AN. Materials: Thirty-two patients with AN, all part of the PROspective Longitudinal all-comer inclusion study on Eating Disorders (PROLED) were followed over eight weeks with baseline psychometric measures and weekly VAS anxiety self-scoring. Methods: Apart from the weekly body mass index (BMI) and VAS, patients were characterized at baseline using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), Symptom Check List 92 (SCL-92), Major Depression Inventory (MDI), and Autism Quotient (AQ). Results: The results showed a significant time effect, Wilks Lambda = 0.523, F = 3.12, p < 0.05 (power of 0.862), indicating a reduction in VAS scores of anxiety from baseline to week 8. There was no effect of baseline medication or scores of MDI on the results. BMI increased from a mean of 15.16 (week 1) to 17.35 (week 8). In comparison, patients dropping out after only three weeks (n = 31) also had a trend toward a reduction in VAS anxiety (ns). Conclusions: Inpatient weight restoration treatment is associated with a decrease in post-meal anxiety in AN, an effect that occurs early and becomes clinically significant in patients who stay in treatment.

Minimal Clinically Important Difference and Patient Acceptable Symptom State in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis Treated With PRP Injection

Background: Although several injection-based treatments have been proposed to address knee osteoarthritis (OA), it is often difficult to understand the clinical relevance of the obtained results. The psychometric measures of minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) were developed to better interpret study findings. Purpose: To establish the MCID and the PASS for the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective score and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) in patients treated with intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for knee OA. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: This study included 215 patients with knee OA (68% men, 32% women; age, 53.2 ± 11.3 years; body mass index, 26.8 ± 4.3 kg/m2) who underwent intra-articular PRP injections. Patients were assessed through the IKDC Subjective score and KOOS subscales, and the MCID and the PASS for both measures were independently calculated at 6 and 12 months post-injection. The MCID was calculated using the value equal to half of the standard deviation of the overall cohort improvement. The PASS was assessed using a 2-point scale ( satisfied or not satisfied), with threshold values being detected through a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and the Youden index to maximize the sensitivity and the specificity of the threshold values. Results: All scores improved significantly from baseline to 6 months and baseline to 12 months ( P < .001 for all scores). All scores were stable from 6 to 12 months except for the KOOS Quality of Life subscale, which improved further ( P = .033). For the IKDC, the MCID values were 8.6 and 8.5 points and the PASS scores were 59.7 and 62.1 at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Overall, the MCID and the PASS for all KOOS subscales remained constant at the 2 follow-up points. The percentage of patients who achieved the MCID and the PASS was higher than 85% at both 6 and 12 months post-injection. Conclusion: This study provided the MCID and PASS thresholds for the IKDC and KOOS scores in patients with knee OA treated with PRP injections. These psychometric measures may allow a better interpretation of the clinical relevance of injection-based treatment outcomes for knee OA.

Anxiety, Knowledge, Misconceptions, and Health-Seeking Behavioral Intentions in Brazil COVID-19 Pandemic: A network psychometric approach

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide, causing life-changing and affecting anxiety, misconceptions, knowledge, and people's health behavioral intentions, which need adhering to COVID-19 prevention practices. Thus, it is relevant to develop psychometric measures for those variables on different populations. The goal of the present research is to seek evidence of validity and reliability of the Fear and Health-Seeking Behavioral Intentions Scales in a Brazilian sample. To do so, this research used recent developments in the field of network psychometrics. Using a sample of 476 Brazilians collected at the beginning of the pandemic, we found a four-dimensional structure in the reflective variables, forming a sound structure with good psychometric properties. In addition, using the novel approach to see the relationship between those variables, novel findings are discussed. We highlighted the importance of COVID-19 anxiety in the network structure, as it can be a possible alternative to increase adherence to prevent COVID-19 infection.

Intentions versus Outcomes: Cooperation and Fairness in a Sequential Prisoner’s Dilemma with Nature

This paper investigates the importance of concerns about intentions and outcomes in a sequential prisoner’s dilemma game with nature. In the game, there is a chance that the first mover’s choice is reversed. This allows the separation of intended actions from the resulting outcomes. Equilibrium predictions from theoretical models of fairness are tested experimentally by varying the chance the first mover’s choice is reversed and whether the second mover observes the first mover’s choice. The results show that second mover cooperation is higher when the first mover has little control over their choice and when the second mover is not told what the first mover chose. While subject behavior is consistent with concerns for both intentions and outcomes, the results indicate that these concerns work in ways not predicted by current theoretical models. In addition, I find that psychometric measures of empathic concern and perspective taking are correlated with second mover cooperation and provide potential explanations for the experimental results.

Propensity to Selling Scale

Sales occupation is one of the most frequent in the job market, and selection of successful sales people is typically among the highest priorities of their companies. Research aimed at explaining sales performance shows that traditional psychometric predictors are limited in achieving this goal. Common constructs that are typically related to work behaviour, such as abilities or personality traits, typically show non-significant or low relations with sales performance. Taking that into an account, we developed a new measure for assessing one’s propensity for selling, based on motivational constructs that underlie successful sales job. In the first study, we developed an initial set of items and assessed its content validity using a sample of sales professionals. In the second study, we assessed the scale’s dimensionality, divergent and predictive validity. A sample of 99 contact centre agents were asked to describe themselves using newly developed items and measures of personality and explicit motives. Besides psychometric measures, the data on agents’ objective sales performance was provided by their employer. First, a unidimensional, three-item solution was shown to be the most appropriate in the exploratory factor analysis of initially developed items. Second, an aggregated result of these three items, representing a total scale score, showed to be largely independent of personality and explicit motives measures. Third, propensity to selling, compared to personality and motives measures, showed to be the most important predictor in explaining the variance of objective sales performance. The scale was labelled Propensity to Selling Scale, and its theoretical and practical implications were further discussed.

Inconsistently consistent: Rationality is not reliable

Contemporarily, experimental investigations of revealed preference choice consistency utilize different tasks interchangeably. However, the reliability of choice consistency measurements among (inter-method) and within tasks (test-retest) has not been determined so far. Hence, it is unclear whether estimations of choice consistency fulfill a basic requirement of valid psychometric measures. Further, it is unclear how far results from different studies using different methodologies are comparable. In the study described here, we investigated the reliability of two established and one novel choice consistency tasks in an online-experiment under non-incentivized conditions in the choice domain of social decisions. Our results confidently indicate generally poor inter-method reliability and at best moderate test-retest reliability for the two indices, the Critical Cost Efficiency Index (CCEI) and the Houtman-Maks-Index (HMI), with the CCEI being the tentatively more reliable measure. This is especially concerning, since the full experiment (including test and retest measurement) lasted on average less than 45 minutes. Hence, it appears that estimations of choice consistency do not fulfill a basic requirement of valid psychometric measures. Further, results from different studies using different methodologies should not be compared without caution. Future work should investigate the impact of incentivization as well as the choice domain generality of our results.