Previous research on the changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in anorexia nervosa (AN) has been limited by an insufficient sample size, which reduced the reliability of the results and made it difficult to set the whole brain as regions of interest (ROIs).

We analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 114 female AN patients and 135 healthy controls (HC) and obtained self-reported psychological scales, including eating disorder examination questionnaire 6.0. One hundred sixty-four cortical, subcortical, cerebellar, and network parcellation regions were considered as ROIs. We calculated the ROI-to-ROI rsFCs and performed group comparisons.

Compared to HC, AN patients showed 12 stronger rsFCs mainly in regions containing dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and 33 weaker rsFCs primarily in regions containing cerebellum, within temporal lobe, between posterior fusiform cortex and lateral part of visual network, and between anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and thalamus (p < 0.01, false discovery rate [FDR] correction). Comparisons between AN subtypes showed that there were stronger rsFCs between right lingual gyrus and right supracalcarine cortex and between left temporal occipital fusiform cortex and medial part of visual network in the restricting type compared to the binge/purging type (p < 0.01, FDR correction).

Stronger rsFCs in regions containing mainly DLPFC, and weaker rsFCs in regions containing primarily cerebellum, within temporal lobe, between posterior fusiform cortex and lateral part of visual network, and between ACC and thalamus, may represent categorical diagnostic markers discriminating AN patients from HC.

Guided parent-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (GPD-CBT) is an effective low-intensity treatment for childhood anxiety disorder in Western countries and can increase access to evidence-based psychological therapies.

This study aimed to examine its feasibility in a Japanese sample.

Twelve children with anxiety disorders and their parents participated in the study, and ten children and parents completed the program. Participants were assessed at pre-, post- and one-month follow-up using a diagnostic interview for anxiety disorders, self- and parent-report measures for anxiety, depression, parental behaviour, and parental anxiety.

Four children (40% of completers) were free from their primary diagnoses immediately following the brief treatment, and seven children (70%) at the one-month follow-up. Changes in disorder severity, child and parent reported anxiety symptoms, and child reported depression symptoms were consistent with those found in Western trials of GPD-CBT and of Japanese trials of more intensive CBT for child anxiety disorders that involves both the child and the parent. Moderate increases were also found in child reported parental autonomy behaviours; however, there were only small changes in parent self-reported anxiety.

These results support the potential of GPD-CBT to increase access to evidence-based treatments for anxiety disorders in Japanese children.

Imagery rescripting (IR) for early aversive memories in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) has shown promising results, but no study has investigated the reactions and perspectives of patients who received IR.

This study aimed to gain understanding of patients’ experiences/perspectives on IR as an adjunct to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for SAD.

Twenty-five individuals with SAD received one or two sessions of IR over 16 CBT sessions. Contents of recurrent images and linked memories were identified during IR. Outcome measures included social anxiety, image and memory distress and vividness, and encapsulated belief. Patients completed a questionnaire about their perspectives of IR after the session. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.

IR resulted in significant within-session improvement in most outcome measures. Linked memories to negative recurrent images in social situations were categorized into nine groups. Common memories were ‘Being criticized by others’, ‘Being made fun of’, ‘Failing or not doing something well’ and ‘Being left out in a group’. Most patients (82%) experienced IR as impressive, and more than half of patients (59%) found IR effective. Themes of reasons of impressiveness and effectiveness were categorized as ‘Results of IR session’ and ‘Processes of IR session’. The theme ‘Results of IR session’ included six subthemes, and the theme ‘Processes of the IR session’ included five subthemes.

Regarding patients’ perspectives, although they may experience negative emotions in the process of an IR session, our results suggest that many patients with SAD found IR sessions effective.

We examined the impact of demographic confounding factors on responses to the Impact of Event Scale–Revised.

Participants were rescue workers aged 20 to 65 years who had responded during the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. A multiple indicators, multiple causes model was used to examine associations between covariates and latent factors or items in the Impact of Event Scale–Revised.

Participants were recruited from April to August 2015. The model fit indices in the confirmatory factor analysis and the multiple indicators, multiple causes model suggested an acceptable model fit. Higher education and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale score were significantly associated with a decrease in intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Counseling was significantly associated with increased avoidance. In the direct path model using modification indices, counseling and early arrival were identified as significant covariates.

This study found that higher education and resilience reduced all 3 factors in the Impact of Event Scale–Revised and improved the symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Counseling and early arrival were also associated with improvement in certain items. However, counseling was also linked to increased avoidance and worsening psychophysiological reactions. Further research is recommended to clarify these relationships. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:309–318)

To investigate the relationship between the severities of symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and white matter alterations.

We applied tract-based spatial statistics for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) acquired by 3T magnetic resonance imaging. First, we compared fractional anisotropy (FA) between 20 OCD patients and 30 healthy controls (HC). Then, applying whole brain analysis, we searched the brain regions showing correlations between the severities of symptom dimensions assessed by Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised and FA in all participants. Finally, we calculated the correlations between the six symptom dimensions and multiple DTI measures [FA, axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), mean diffusivity (MD)] in a region-of-interest (ROI) analysis and explored the differences between OCD patients and HC.

There were no between-group differences in FA or brain region correlations between the severities of symptom dimensions and FA in any of the participants. ROI analysis revealed negative correlations between checking severity and left inferior frontal gyrus white matter and left middle temporal gyrus white matter and a positive correlation between ordering severity and right precuneus in FA in OCD compared with HC. We also found negative correlations between ordering severity and right precuneus in RD, between obsessing severities and right supramarginal gyrus in AD and MD, and between hoarding severity and right insular gyrus in AD.

Our study supported the hypothesis that the severities of respective symptom dimensions are associated with different patterns of white matter alterations.