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Madelon L. Peters - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the multi dimensional Blood injury Phobia inventory its psychometric properties and relationship with disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity
Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2011Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:The Multi-Dimensional Blood Phobia Inventory (MBPI: Wenzel & Holt, 2003) is the only instrument available that assesses both disgust and anxiety for Blood-phobic stimuli. As inflated levels of disgust propensity (i.e., tendency to experience disgust more readily) are often observed in Blood Phobia, the MBPI appears a promising instrument for disgust research. First, we examined its psychometric properties. Next, it was examined whether disgust sensitivity (i.e., considering experiencing disgust as something horrid) had added predictive value compared to disgust propensity in Blood Phobia. Therefore, students and university employees (N= 616) completed the MBPI, indices on Blood Phobia, disgust propensity and sensitivity. The MBPI proved to be reliable and valid. Further, it correlated moderately to high with disgust propensity and sensitivity. Additionally, disgust propensity and sensitivity were both significant predictors for Blood Phobia. In conclusion, the MBPI-appears a valuable addition to the currently available arsenal of indices to investigate Blood Phobia. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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The Multi-Dimensional Blood / Injury Phobia Inventory: Its psychometric properties and relationship with disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity
Journal of anxiety disorders, 2010Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:The Multi-Dimensional Blood Phobia Inventory (MBPI: Wenzel & Holt, 2003) is the only instrument available that assesses both disgust and anxiety for Blood-phobic stimuli. As inflated levels of disgust propensity (i.e., tendency to experience disgust more readily) are often observed in Blood Phobia, the MBPI appears a promising instrument for disgust research. First, we examined its psychometric properties. Next, it was examined whether disgust sensitivity (i.e., considering experiencing disgust as something horrid) had added predictive value compared to disgust propensity in Blood Phobia. Therefore, students and university employees (N= 616) completed the MBPI, indices on Blood Phobia, disgust propensity and sensitivity. The MBPI proved to be reliable and valid. Further, it correlated moderately to high with disgust propensity and sensitivity. Additionally, disgust propensity and sensitivity were both significant predictors for Blood Phobia. In conclusion, the MBPI-appears a valuable addition to the currently available arsenal of indices to investigate Blood Phobia. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Disgust and fear-related UCS-expectancy bias in Blood-fearful individuals.
Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 2010Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:People with specific fears tend to overestimate the occurrence of unpleasant consequences in situations involving their feared objects. Such expectancy bias logically acts in a way to confirm phobic fear and avoidance. Increasing evidence suggests that Blood Phobia is qualitatively different from other specific Phobias. Confrontation with phobic stimuli gives rise to disgust and repulsion rather than (threat-induced) fear. Therefore, this study examined the role of disgust-related UCS expectancies following confrontation with Blood Phobia-relevant stimuli. Using a thought-experiment procedure, high (n = 30) and low (n = 30) Blood-fearful individuals estimated the probability that the presentation of slides showing a Bloody wound and a series of filler slides would be followed by a sip of nauseating juice, a threat-related electrical shock or nothing. Although participants generally expected shock and juice following Blood, UCS expectancies for both aversive outcomes for Blood were significantly more pronounced in high Blood-fearful participants. This implicates that UCS-expectancy biases may be involved in the development and maintenance of Blood Phobia.
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Disgust and fear-related UCS-expectancy bias in Blood-fearful individuals
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 2009Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:People with specific fears tend to overestimate the occurrence of unpleasant consequences in situations involving their feared objects. Such expectancy bias logically acts in a way to confirm phobic fear and avoidance. Increasing evidence suggests that Blood Phobia is qualitatively different from other specific Phobias. Confrontation with phobic stimuli gives rise to disgust and repulsion rather than (threat-induced) fear. Therefore, this study examined the role of disgust-related UCS expectancies following confrontation with Blood Phobia-relevant stimuli. Using a thought-experiment procedure, high (n = 30) and low (n = 30) Blood-fearful individuals estimated the probability that the presentation of slides showing a Bloody wound and a series of filler slides would be followed by a sip of nauseating juice, a threat-related electrical shock or nothing. Although participants generally expected shock and juice following Blood, UCS expectancies for both aversive outcomes for Blood were significantly more pronounced in high Blood-fearful participants. This implicates that UCS-expectancy biases may be involved in the development and maintenance of Blood Phobia. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
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Digestive and cardiovascular responses to core and animal-reminder disgust
Biological psychology, 2008Co-Authors: W. J. M. Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:The two-stage model of disgust differentiates between core and animal-reminder (AR) disgust [Rozin P., Fallon A., 1987. A perspective on disgust. Psychological Review 94, 23-41]. This study investigates whether core and A-R disgust elicit distinct physiological reaction patterns. Further, in line with the idea that A-R disgust is critically involved in Blood Phobia and may explain typical phenomenology of psychopathological symptoms (e.g., dizziness), we investigated whether physiological patterns (if present) would differ specifically for A-R disgust between high and low Blood-fearful participants. Therefore, high (n = 30) and low (n = 30) Blood-fearful individuals engaged in guided imagery of core disgust, A-R disgust, and neutral stimuli. Overall, both disgust scripts lead to increased activity in the digestive component of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). For cardiac components, sympathetic activity decreased, whereas no parasympathetic reactivity was observed compared to the neutral script. No differences were observed in physiological reactivity between the A-R and core disgust scripts. Meanwhile, in line with the idea that disgust is involved in Blood Phobia, subjective symptoms of vomit and dizziness did differentiate between high and low Blood-fearful participants, as subjective symptoms were most pronounced in the high Blood-fearful group. Contrary to our expectations, increases in subjective symptoms were apparent for both disgust types and not specifically for A-R disgust. So, physiological reactivity appeared relatively independent of type of disgust elicitor which, in turn, may reflect a general hard-wired protective mechanism to prevent contamination with pathogens.
Mark Van Overveld - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the multi dimensional Blood injury Phobia inventory its psychometric properties and relationship with disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity
Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2011Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:The Multi-Dimensional Blood Phobia Inventory (MBPI: Wenzel & Holt, 2003) is the only instrument available that assesses both disgust and anxiety for Blood-phobic stimuli. As inflated levels of disgust propensity (i.e., tendency to experience disgust more readily) are often observed in Blood Phobia, the MBPI appears a promising instrument for disgust research. First, we examined its psychometric properties. Next, it was examined whether disgust sensitivity (i.e., considering experiencing disgust as something horrid) had added predictive value compared to disgust propensity in Blood Phobia. Therefore, students and university employees (N= 616) completed the MBPI, indices on Blood Phobia, disgust propensity and sensitivity. The MBPI proved to be reliable and valid. Further, it correlated moderately to high with disgust propensity and sensitivity. Additionally, disgust propensity and sensitivity were both significant predictors for Blood Phobia. In conclusion, the MBPI-appears a valuable addition to the currently available arsenal of indices to investigate Blood Phobia. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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The Multi-Dimensional Blood / Injury Phobia Inventory: Its psychometric properties and relationship with disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity
Journal of anxiety disorders, 2010Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:The Multi-Dimensional Blood Phobia Inventory (MBPI: Wenzel & Holt, 2003) is the only instrument available that assesses both disgust and anxiety for Blood-phobic stimuli. As inflated levels of disgust propensity (i.e., tendency to experience disgust more readily) are often observed in Blood Phobia, the MBPI appears a promising instrument for disgust research. First, we examined its psychometric properties. Next, it was examined whether disgust sensitivity (i.e., considering experiencing disgust as something horrid) had added predictive value compared to disgust propensity in Blood Phobia. Therefore, students and university employees (N= 616) completed the MBPI, indices on Blood Phobia, disgust propensity and sensitivity. The MBPI proved to be reliable and valid. Further, it correlated moderately to high with disgust propensity and sensitivity. Additionally, disgust propensity and sensitivity were both significant predictors for Blood Phobia. In conclusion, the MBPI-appears a valuable addition to the currently available arsenal of indices to investigate Blood Phobia. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Disgust and fear-related UCS-expectancy bias in Blood-fearful individuals.
Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 2010Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:People with specific fears tend to overestimate the occurrence of unpleasant consequences in situations involving their feared objects. Such expectancy bias logically acts in a way to confirm phobic fear and avoidance. Increasing evidence suggests that Blood Phobia is qualitatively different from other specific Phobias. Confrontation with phobic stimuli gives rise to disgust and repulsion rather than (threat-induced) fear. Therefore, this study examined the role of disgust-related UCS expectancies following confrontation with Blood Phobia-relevant stimuli. Using a thought-experiment procedure, high (n = 30) and low (n = 30) Blood-fearful individuals estimated the probability that the presentation of slides showing a Bloody wound and a series of filler slides would be followed by a sip of nauseating juice, a threat-related electrical shock or nothing. Although participants generally expected shock and juice following Blood, UCS expectancies for both aversive outcomes for Blood were significantly more pronounced in high Blood-fearful participants. This implicates that UCS-expectancy biases may be involved in the development and maintenance of Blood Phobia.
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Disgust and fear-related UCS-expectancy bias in Blood-fearful individuals
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 2009Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:People with specific fears tend to overestimate the occurrence of unpleasant consequences in situations involving their feared objects. Such expectancy bias logically acts in a way to confirm phobic fear and avoidance. Increasing evidence suggests that Blood Phobia is qualitatively different from other specific Phobias. Confrontation with phobic stimuli gives rise to disgust and repulsion rather than (threat-induced) fear. Therefore, this study examined the role of disgust-related UCS expectancies following confrontation with Blood Phobia-relevant stimuli. Using a thought-experiment procedure, high (n = 30) and low (n = 30) Blood-fearful individuals estimated the probability that the presentation of slides showing a Bloody wound and a series of filler slides would be followed by a sip of nauseating juice, a threat-related electrical shock or nothing. Although participants generally expected shock and juice following Blood, UCS expectancies for both aversive outcomes for Blood were significantly more pronounced in high Blood-fearful participants. This implicates that UCS-expectancy biases may be involved in the development and maintenance of Blood Phobia. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Peter J. De Jong - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the multi dimensional Blood injury Phobia inventory its psychometric properties and relationship with disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity
Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2011Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:The Multi-Dimensional Blood Phobia Inventory (MBPI: Wenzel & Holt, 2003) is the only instrument available that assesses both disgust and anxiety for Blood-phobic stimuli. As inflated levels of disgust propensity (i.e., tendency to experience disgust more readily) are often observed in Blood Phobia, the MBPI appears a promising instrument for disgust research. First, we examined its psychometric properties. Next, it was examined whether disgust sensitivity (i.e., considering experiencing disgust as something horrid) had added predictive value compared to disgust propensity in Blood Phobia. Therefore, students and university employees (N= 616) completed the MBPI, indices on Blood Phobia, disgust propensity and sensitivity. The MBPI proved to be reliable and valid. Further, it correlated moderately to high with disgust propensity and sensitivity. Additionally, disgust propensity and sensitivity were both significant predictors for Blood Phobia. In conclusion, the MBPI-appears a valuable addition to the currently available arsenal of indices to investigate Blood Phobia. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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The Multi-Dimensional Blood / Injury Phobia Inventory: Its psychometric properties and relationship with disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity
Journal of anxiety disorders, 2010Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:The Multi-Dimensional Blood Phobia Inventory (MBPI: Wenzel & Holt, 2003) is the only instrument available that assesses both disgust and anxiety for Blood-phobic stimuli. As inflated levels of disgust propensity (i.e., tendency to experience disgust more readily) are often observed in Blood Phobia, the MBPI appears a promising instrument for disgust research. First, we examined its psychometric properties. Next, it was examined whether disgust sensitivity (i.e., considering experiencing disgust as something horrid) had added predictive value compared to disgust propensity in Blood Phobia. Therefore, students and university employees (N= 616) completed the MBPI, indices on Blood Phobia, disgust propensity and sensitivity. The MBPI proved to be reliable and valid. Further, it correlated moderately to high with disgust propensity and sensitivity. Additionally, disgust propensity and sensitivity were both significant predictors for Blood Phobia. In conclusion, the MBPI-appears a valuable addition to the currently available arsenal of indices to investigate Blood Phobia. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Disgust and fear-related UCS-expectancy bias in Blood-fearful individuals.
Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 2010Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:People with specific fears tend to overestimate the occurrence of unpleasant consequences in situations involving their feared objects. Such expectancy bias logically acts in a way to confirm phobic fear and avoidance. Increasing evidence suggests that Blood Phobia is qualitatively different from other specific Phobias. Confrontation with phobic stimuli gives rise to disgust and repulsion rather than (threat-induced) fear. Therefore, this study examined the role of disgust-related UCS expectancies following confrontation with Blood Phobia-relevant stimuli. Using a thought-experiment procedure, high (n = 30) and low (n = 30) Blood-fearful individuals estimated the probability that the presentation of slides showing a Bloody wound and a series of filler slides would be followed by a sip of nauseating juice, a threat-related electrical shock or nothing. Although participants generally expected shock and juice following Blood, UCS expectancies for both aversive outcomes for Blood were significantly more pronounced in high Blood-fearful participants. This implicates that UCS-expectancy biases may be involved in the development and maintenance of Blood Phobia.
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Disgust and fear-related UCS-expectancy bias in Blood-fearful individuals
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 2009Co-Authors: Mark Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:People with specific fears tend to overestimate the occurrence of unpleasant consequences in situations involving their feared objects. Such expectancy bias logically acts in a way to confirm phobic fear and avoidance. Increasing evidence suggests that Blood Phobia is qualitatively different from other specific Phobias. Confrontation with phobic stimuli gives rise to disgust and repulsion rather than (threat-induced) fear. Therefore, this study examined the role of disgust-related UCS expectancies following confrontation with Blood Phobia-relevant stimuli. Using a thought-experiment procedure, high (n = 30) and low (n = 30) Blood-fearful individuals estimated the probability that the presentation of slides showing a Bloody wound and a series of filler slides would be followed by a sip of nauseating juice, a threat-related electrical shock or nothing. Although participants generally expected shock and juice following Blood, UCS expectancies for both aversive outcomes for Blood were significantly more pronounced in high Blood-fearful participants. This implicates that UCS-expectancy biases may be involved in the development and maintenance of Blood Phobia. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
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Digestive and cardiovascular responses to core and animal-reminder disgust
Biological psychology, 2008Co-Authors: W. J. M. Van Overveld, Peter J. De Jong, Madelon L. PetersAbstract:The two-stage model of disgust differentiates between core and animal-reminder (AR) disgust [Rozin P., Fallon A., 1987. A perspective on disgust. Psychological Review 94, 23-41]. This study investigates whether core and A-R disgust elicit distinct physiological reaction patterns. Further, in line with the idea that A-R disgust is critically involved in Blood Phobia and may explain typical phenomenology of psychopathological symptoms (e.g., dizziness), we investigated whether physiological patterns (if present) would differ specifically for A-R disgust between high and low Blood-fearful participants. Therefore, high (n = 30) and low (n = 30) Blood-fearful individuals engaged in guided imagery of core disgust, A-R disgust, and neutral stimuli. Overall, both disgust scripts lead to increased activity in the digestive component of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). For cardiac components, sympathetic activity decreased, whereas no parasympathetic reactivity was observed compared to the neutral script. No differences were observed in physiological reactivity between the A-R and core disgust scripts. Meanwhile, in line with the idea that disgust is involved in Blood Phobia, subjective symptoms of vomit and dizziness did differentiate between high and low Blood-fearful participants, as subjective symptoms were most pronounced in the high Blood-fearful group. Contrary to our expectations, increases in subjective symptoms were apparent for both disgust types and not specifically for A-R disgust. So, physiological reactivity appeared relatively independent of type of disgust elicitor which, in turn, may reflect a general hard-wired protective mechanism to prevent contamination with pathogens.
Michela Sarlo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY 23:304–311 (2006) Research Article EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS AND VISUAL AVOIDANCE IN BloodPHOBICS: IS THERE ANYATTENTIONAL BIAS?y
2016Co-Authors: Giulia Buodo, Michela Sarlo, Ph. D, Maurizio Codispoti, Daniela PalombaAbstract:The possible presence of processing biases for threat-relevant information in Blood–injection–injury Phobia has been largely neglected in the literature. This issue was addressed by recording the late components (P300 and slow waves) of event-related potentials (ERPs) in the context of affective picture perception, as indicators of processing resources allocation. Blood phobics and healthy controls were shown threat-relevant, emotional threat-irrelevant, and neutral pictures. Free viewing time (VT) was measured as an index of voluntary visual avoidance, along with self-reports of pleasantness and arousal. No group differences as a function of picture content emerged for ERPs. Blood phobics spent less time viewing mutilations than did controls, but they did not show a clear-cut visual avoidance. As expected, individuals with Phobias rated Blood-related pictures as more unpleasant and arousing relative to controls. ERP results are in line with the limited behavioral data in the literature in demonstrating that Blood phobics do not show an attentional bias toward threat-relevant stimuli. Depression and Anxiety 23:304–311, 2006. & 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Key words: Blood Phobia; event-related potentials; free viewing time; arousal; valenc
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Lack of startle blink potentiation to mutilation pictures irrespective of fearfulness
Biological psychology, 2010Co-Authors: Michela Sarlo, Giulia Buodo, Daniela PalombaAbstract:Previous research has shown that in healthy individuals Blood-related stimuli elicit a distinctive autonomic response pattern and heightened processing as compared with other unpleasant and arousing visual stimuli. In addition, growing evidence suggests that information processing of disorder-related stimuli is also different in Blood Phobia as compared with other specific Phobias. In the present study, the magnitude of the startle eyeblink reflex elicited during the viewing of mutilation, human attack, erotica and neutral pictures was recorded in 22 Blood phobics and 25 healthy controls. Startle eyeblink responses were measured at 300, 1500, 3500 and 4500-ms time intervals after picture onset in order to assess the attentional/affective modulation and its temporal course. Reliable startle inhibition to erotic pictures and startle potentiation to human attack scenes were found relative to neutral pictures. However, while both groups rated mutilations as the most unpleasant and arousing content, no blink facilitation relative to neutral contents was found at either early or late probe times. Crucially, such effect occurred independently of fear levels, as no difference between phobics and controls was found in the size of the startle blinks elicited throughout the viewing of Blood pictures.
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The neural correlates of attentional bias in Blood Phobia as revealed by the N2pc
Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 2009Co-Authors: Giulia Buodo, Michela Sarlo, Marianna MunafòAbstract:In the literature, a lack of attentional bias in Blood Phobia has been reported, using both behavioral and ERP measures. However, in the tasks employed so far, attentional resources to single stimuli, rather than attentional selection, were evaluated. The present study investigated whether in Blood phobics disorder-relevant pictures can capture visuo–spatial attention when paired with neutral or non-specific unpleasant pictures (attack), and participants have to focus on a visual detection task. The N2pc component of the ERPs was measured as an index of spatial attentional selection. Results showed that in Blood phobics, but not in controls, injuries elicited a larger early N2pc than attack pictures when paired with neutral material. Moreover, only in Blood phobics a reliable N2pc to injury-attack pairs was found. The late N2pc reversal to injury pictures suggests that early orienting to phobic cues was followed by cognitive avoidance.
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Cardiovascular dynamics in Blood Phobia: evidence for a key role of sympathetic activity in vulnerability to syncope.
Psychophysiology, 2008Co-Authors: Michela Sarlo, Luciano Stegagno, Giulia Buodo, Marianna Munafò, Daniela PalombaAbstract:This study was aimed at clarifying the mechanism predisposing people with Blood Phobia to syncope by investigating the complete hemodynamic response pattern and the underlying autonomic control. Blood phobics and controls were shown 3 film-clips: Phobia-related, Phobia-unrelated, and neutral. Hemodynamic responses were recorded using impedance cardiography and Finapres. Preejection period and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were employed as indices of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Self-ratings of emotion were also collected. Blood phobics displayed global heart rate and cardiac output increases to the phobic film, mediated by augmented cardiac sympathetic activity. Systolic Blood pressure and total peripheral resistance markedly declined, with no evidence of diphasic reaction or parasympathetic activation. An impaired vasomotor response under sympathetic control might be the key mechanism underlying the phobic dysfunctional response.
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Blood Phobia and spider Phobia two specific Phobias with different autonomic cardiac modulations
Biological Psychology, 2002Co-Authors: Michela Sarlo, Daniela Palomba, Alessandro Angrilli, Luciano StegagnoAbstract:Cardiac reactions to two fear-related and one control film were compared in individuals high in spider or Blood/injury fear. Twelve subjects in each phobic group were selected on the basis of their scores in the Spider or Mutilation Questionnaires and a semi-structured interview. Cardiac responses and self-reported affective ratings to the films were investigated. Sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac influences were indexed by T-wave amplitude and respiratory sinus arrhythmia measured during film viewing. Basal parasympathetic cardiac control was also assessed during a paced breathing task. Results indicate differential autonomic modulation of cardiac responses for Blood and spider phobics. Although each group reacted with marked cardiac activation to its feared stimulus, a sympathetic increase followed by withdrawal over time was found in Blood phobics. Greater vagal tone at rest was present in Blood phobics compared with spider phobics.
Daniela Palomba - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY 23:304–311 (2006) Research Article EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS AND VISUAL AVOIDANCE IN BloodPHOBICS: IS THERE ANYATTENTIONAL BIAS?y
2016Co-Authors: Giulia Buodo, Michela Sarlo, Ph. D, Maurizio Codispoti, Daniela PalombaAbstract:The possible presence of processing biases for threat-relevant information in Blood–injection–injury Phobia has been largely neglected in the literature. This issue was addressed by recording the late components (P300 and slow waves) of event-related potentials (ERPs) in the context of affective picture perception, as indicators of processing resources allocation. Blood phobics and healthy controls were shown threat-relevant, emotional threat-irrelevant, and neutral pictures. Free viewing time (VT) was measured as an index of voluntary visual avoidance, along with self-reports of pleasantness and arousal. No group differences as a function of picture content emerged for ERPs. Blood phobics spent less time viewing mutilations than did controls, but they did not show a clear-cut visual avoidance. As expected, individuals with Phobias rated Blood-related pictures as more unpleasant and arousing relative to controls. ERP results are in line with the limited behavioral data in the literature in demonstrating that Blood phobics do not show an attentional bias toward threat-relevant stimuli. Depression and Anxiety 23:304–311, 2006. & 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Key words: Blood Phobia; event-related potentials; free viewing time; arousal; valenc
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Lack of startle blink potentiation to mutilation pictures irrespective of fearfulness
Biological psychology, 2010Co-Authors: Michela Sarlo, Giulia Buodo, Daniela PalombaAbstract:Previous research has shown that in healthy individuals Blood-related stimuli elicit a distinctive autonomic response pattern and heightened processing as compared with other unpleasant and arousing visual stimuli. In addition, growing evidence suggests that information processing of disorder-related stimuli is also different in Blood Phobia as compared with other specific Phobias. In the present study, the magnitude of the startle eyeblink reflex elicited during the viewing of mutilation, human attack, erotica and neutral pictures was recorded in 22 Blood phobics and 25 healthy controls. Startle eyeblink responses were measured at 300, 1500, 3500 and 4500-ms time intervals after picture onset in order to assess the attentional/affective modulation and its temporal course. Reliable startle inhibition to erotic pictures and startle potentiation to human attack scenes were found relative to neutral pictures. However, while both groups rated mutilations as the most unpleasant and arousing content, no blink facilitation relative to neutral contents was found at either early or late probe times. Crucially, such effect occurred independently of fear levels, as no difference between phobics and controls was found in the size of the startle blinks elicited throughout the viewing of Blood pictures.
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Cardiovascular dynamics in Blood Phobia: evidence for a key role of sympathetic activity in vulnerability to syncope.
Psychophysiology, 2008Co-Authors: Michela Sarlo, Luciano Stegagno, Giulia Buodo, Marianna Munafò, Daniela PalombaAbstract:This study was aimed at clarifying the mechanism predisposing people with Blood Phobia to syncope by investigating the complete hemodynamic response pattern and the underlying autonomic control. Blood phobics and controls were shown 3 film-clips: Phobia-related, Phobia-unrelated, and neutral. Hemodynamic responses were recorded using impedance cardiography and Finapres. Preejection period and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were employed as indices of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Self-ratings of emotion were also collected. Blood phobics displayed global heart rate and cardiac output increases to the phobic film, mediated by augmented cardiac sympathetic activity. Systolic Blood pressure and total peripheral resistance markedly declined, with no evidence of diphasic reaction or parasympathetic activation. An impaired vasomotor response under sympathetic control might be the key mechanism underlying the phobic dysfunctional response.
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Electromagnetic indication of hypervigilant responses to emotional stimuli in Blood-injection-injury fear.
Neuroscience letters, 2007Co-Authors: Giulia Buodo, Daniela Palomba, Peter Peyk, Markus Junghöfer, Brigitte RockstrohAbstract:Abstract Blood Phobia differs from other Phobias and anxiety disorders in that no attentional bias for Blood-related stimuli has been consistently observed. The present study aimed at clarifying this characteristic by investigating electromagnetic brain activity to Blood-related and -unrelated pictures in high Blood-fearful and non-fearful individuals. Relative to non-fearful controls, high Blood-fearful subjects displayed more intense occipito-parietal activation 190–250 ms after picture onset, which was interpreted as non-specifically enhanced sensory encoding of visual stimuli. Blood-related stimuli did not elicit different activity patterns in high Blood-fearful subjects and controls, supporting the hypothesis that non-specific hypervigilance does not provide a basis for subsequent, specifically enhanced processing of fear-related contents.
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Blood Phobia and spider Phobia two specific Phobias with different autonomic cardiac modulations
Biological Psychology, 2002Co-Authors: Michela Sarlo, Daniela Palomba, Alessandro Angrilli, Luciano StegagnoAbstract:Cardiac reactions to two fear-related and one control film were compared in individuals high in spider or Blood/injury fear. Twelve subjects in each phobic group were selected on the basis of their scores in the Spider or Mutilation Questionnaires and a semi-structured interview. Cardiac responses and self-reported affective ratings to the films were investigated. Sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac influences were indexed by T-wave amplitude and respiratory sinus arrhythmia measured during film viewing. Basal parasympathetic cardiac control was also assessed during a paced breathing task. Results indicate differential autonomic modulation of cardiac responses for Blood and spider phobics. Although each group reacted with marked cardiac activation to its feared stimulus, a sympathetic increase followed by withdrawal over time was found in Blood phobics. Greater vagal tone at rest was present in Blood phobics compared with spider phobics.