Arizmendi Brian J, Seeley Saren H, Allen John J B, Killgore William D S, Andrews-Hanna Jessica, Weihs Karen, O'Connor Mary-Frances
Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.
Eur J Trauma Dissociation. 2023 Sep;7(3). doi: 10.1016/j.ejtd.2023.100339. Epub 2023 Jul 28.
Theoretical models of complicated grief (CG) suggest that maladaptive motivational tendencies (e.g., perseverative proximity-seeking of the deceased; excessive avoidance of reminders) interfere with a person's ability to recover from their loved one's death. Due in part to conflicting evidence, little mechanistic understanding of how these behaviors develop in grief exists. We sought to (1) identify behavioral differences between CG and non-CG groups based on approach/avoidance bias for grief-, deceased-, and social-related stimuli, and (2) test the role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in shaping approach/avoidance bias. Widowed older adults with ( 17) and without ( 22) CG completed an approach/avoidance task measuring implicit bias for both personalized and non-specific grief-related stimuli (among other stimuli). In a double-blinded, randomized, counterbalanced design, each participant attended both an intranasal oxytocin session and a placebo session. Aims were to (1) identify differential effects of CG and stimulus type on implicit approach/avoidance bias [placebo session], and (2) investigate interactive effects of CG, stimulus type, and oxytocin vs. placebo on approach/avoidance bias [both sessions]. In the placebo session, participants in the non-CG group demonstrated an approach bias across all stimuli. Intranasal oxytocin had an overall slowing effect on the CG group's response times. Further, oxytocin decreased avoidance bias in response to photos of the deceased spouse in the CG group only. Findings support the hypothesis that oxytocin has a differential effect on motivational tendency in CG compared to non-CG, strengthening evidence for its role in CG. Findings also emphasize the need to consider differences in personalized vs. generic stimuli when designing grief-relevant tasks.
复杂性悲伤（CG）的理论模型表明，适应不良的动机倾向（例如，持续寻求与逝者的亲近；过度回避相关提示）会干扰个体从所爱之人离世中恢复的能力。部分由于证据相互矛盾，对于这些行为在悲伤中如何发展的机制了解甚少。我们试图：（1）基于对悲伤、逝者及社交相关刺激的趋近/回避偏向，确定CG组与非CG组之间的行为差异；（2）测试神经肽催产素在塑造趋近/回避偏向中的作用。有（17名）和无（22名）CG的丧偶老年人完成了一项趋近/回避任务，该任务测量了对个性化和非特定悲伤相关刺激（以及其他刺激）的内隐偏向。在双盲、随机、平衡设计中，每位参与者都参加了鼻内催产素疗程和安慰剂疗程。目的是：（1）确定CG和刺激类型对内隐趋近/回避偏向的差异影响[安慰剂疗程]；（2）研究CG、刺激类型以及催产素与安慰剂对趋近/回避偏向的交互作用[两个疗程]。在安慰剂疗程中，非CG组的参与者在所有刺激上均表现出趋近偏向。鼻内催产素对CG组的反应时间有总体减慢作用。此外，催产素仅降低了CG组对已故配偶照片的回避偏向。研究结果支持以下假设：与非CG相比，催产素对CG的动机倾向有不同影响，这进一步证明了其在CG中的作用。研究结果还强调，在设计与悲伤相关的任务时，需要考虑个性化刺激与一般刺激的差异。
