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The Attentional Fixation on Suicide Experiences Questionnaire (AFSEQ) was developed to measure attentional fixation on suicide, a cognitive process characterized by a preoccupation with suicide as a solution. This study investigated a revised version (AFSEQ-R) and examined differences between those who made a recent suicide attempt and those with suicidal ideation (SI).Participants were 57 inpatients who attempted suicide within 14 days of study participation and 57 inpatients who presented with SI but no suicidal behavior within the past year. Analyses examined the internal reliability, multidimensionality, and construct validity of the AFSEQ-R, and whether attentional fixation moderated the correlation between SI and attempt status.Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure, and subscale and total scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency. Cognitive Stuckness (and total score) correlated with SI, anxiety, impulsivity, and specific problem-solving deficits, while Cognitive Dysfunction correlated with anxiety and acted as a moderator of the correlation between Stuckness and SI. AFSEQ-R scores did not moderate the relationship between SI and attempt status.AFSEQ-R is a psychometrically sound and valid measure of attentional fixation. Attentional fixation on suicide is correlated with SI, and prospective studies are needed to uncover its directional effect on suicidal crises.

BackgroundFrustration, the response to blocked goal attainment, is a universal affective experience, but how the brain embodies frustration is not known. Understanding brain network dynamics during frustration may provide insight into pediatric irritability, one of the most frequent reasons for psychiatric consultation in youth and a risk factor for affective disorders and suicidality.MethodsUsing fMRI, we investigated changes in neural network architecture from a baseline resting-state, through a task that included frustrative nonreward (FNR) and anticipation of new feedback following FNR (FNR+1), to a post-task resting-state in a transdiagnostic sample of 66 youth (33 female, mean age 14 years). Using a train/test/held-out procedure, we aimed to predict past-week irritability from the global efficiency (i.e., Eglob, capacity for parallel information processing) of brain networks before, during, and after frustration.ResultsCompared to pre-task resting state, FNR+1 and the post-state resting state were uniquely associated with a more segregated brain network organization. Nodes that were originally affiliated with the default-mode-temporal-limbic and fronto-parietal networks contributed most to this reconfiguration. Solely Eglob of brain networks that emerged after the frustrating task predicted self- and observer-rated irritability in previously unseen data. Self-reported irritability was predicted by Eglob of a fronto-temporal-limbic module, while observer-rated irritability was predicted by Eglob of motor-parietal and ventral-prefrontal-subcortical modules.DiscussionWe characterize frustration as an evolving brain network process and demonstrate the importance of the post-frustration recovery period for the pathophysiology of irritability; an insight that, if replicated, suggests specific intervention targets for irritability.

Assessing and improving test-retest reliability is critical to efforts to address concerns about replicability of task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging. The current study uses two statistical approaches to examine how scanner and task-related factors influence reliability of neural response to face-emotion viewing. Forty healthy adult participants completed two face-emotion paradigms at up to three scanning sessions across two scanners of the same build over approximately 2 months. We examined reliability across the main task contrasts using Bayesian linear mixed-effects models performed voxel-wise across the brain. We also used a novel Bayesian hierarchical model across a predefined whole-brain parcellation scheme and subcortical anatomical regions. Scanner differences accounted for minimal variance in temporal signal-to-noise ratio and task contrast maps. Regions activated during task at the group level showed higher reliability relative to regions not activated significantly at the group level. Greater reliability was found for contrasts involving conditions with clearly distinct visual stimuli and associated cognitive demands (e.g., face vs. nonface discrimination) compared to conditions with more similar demands (e.g., angry vs. happy face discrimination). Voxel-wise reliability estimates tended to be higher than those based on predefined anatomical regions. This work informs attempts to improve reliability in the context of task activation patterns and specific task contrasts. Our study provides a new method to estimate reliability across a large number of regions of interest and can inform researchers' selection of task conditions and analytic contrasts.

Objectives Irritability is a transdiagnostic symptom in developmental psychopathology, conceptualized as a low threshold for frustration and increased proneness to anger. While central to emotion regulation, there is a vital need for empirical studies to explore the relationship between irritability and underlying physiological mechanisms of cardiovascular arousal. Methods We examined the relationship between irritability and cardiovascular arousal (i.e., heart rate [HR] and heart rate variability [HRV]) in a transdiagnostic sample of 51 youth (M = 12.63 years, SD = 2.25; 62.7% male). Data was collected using the Empatica E4 during a laboratory stop‐signal task. In addition, the impact of motion activity, age, medication, and sleep on cardiovascular responses was explored. Results Main findings showed that irritability was associated with increased HR and decreased HRV during task performance. Conclusions Findings support the role of peripheral physiological dysregulation in youth with emotion regulation problems and suggest the potential use of available wearable consumer electronics as an objective measure of irritability and physiological arousal in a transdiagnostic sample of youth.

IntroductionIrritability is defined as a tendency towards anger in response to frustration. Clinically, impairing irritability is a significant public health problem. There is a need for mechanism-based psychotherapies targeting severe irritability as it manifests in the context of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD). This study protocol describes a randomised multiple baseline design testing the preliminary efficacy of a new treatment, exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for severe irritability in youth, which also integrates components of parent management training. We will investigate associations of this intervention with primary clinical measures, as well as ecological momentary assessment measures.Methods and analysisForty youth will be enrolled. Participants, aged 8–17 years, must present at least one of two core symptoms of DMDD: abnormal mood or increased reactivity to negative emotional stimuli, with severe impairment in one domain (home, school, peers) and moderate in another, or moderate impairment in at least two domains. Each participant is randomised to a 2-week, 4-week or 6-week baseline observation period, followed by 12 active treatment sessions. Clinical ratings are conducted at baseline, biweekly (clinician), weekly (parent/child) throughout treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month and 6-month follow-up (clinician). Clinician ratings on the Affective Reactivity Index and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale for DMDD are our primary outcome measures. Secondary outcome measures include parent and child reports of irritability. Post hoc additional symptom measures include clinician, parent and self-ratings of depression, anxiety and overall functional impairment. Prospective, digitally based event sampling of symptoms is acquired for a week pre-treatment, mid-treatment and post-treatment. Based on our pathophysiological model of irritability implicating frustrative non-reward, aberrant threat processing and instrumental learning, we probe these three brain-based targets using functional MRI paradigms to assess target engagement.Ethics and disseminationThe research project and all related materials were submitted and approved by the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Trial registration numbersNCT02531893 and NCT00025935.