Attention and distraction

وَأَنذِرۡهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحَسۡرَةِ إِذۡ قُضِيَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ وَهُمۡ فِي غَفۡلَةࣲ وَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ

for they are heedless and do not believe

ٱقۡتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ فِي غَفۡلَةࣲ مُّعۡرِضُونَ

Ever closer to people draws their reckoning, while they turn away, heedless

قُلۡ يَٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ تَبۡغُونَهَا عِوَجࣰ ا وَأَنتُمۡ شُهَدَآءُۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ

Say, ‘People of the Book, why do you turn the believers away from God’s path and try to make it crooked, when you yourselves [should be] witnesses to the [truth]? God is not heedless of anything you do.’

وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمۡ فَأَقَمۡتَ لَهُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَلۡتَقُمۡ طَآئِفَةࣱ مِّنۡهُم مَّعَكَ وَلۡيَأۡخُذُوٓاْ أَسۡلِحَتَهُمۡۖ فَإِذَا سَجَدُواْ فَلۡيَكُونُواْ مِن وَرَآئِكُمۡ وَلۡتَأۡتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخۡرَىٰ لَمۡ يُصَلُّواْ فَلۡيُصَلُّواْ مَعَكَ وَلۡيَأۡخُذُواْ حِذۡرَهُمۡ وَأَسۡلِحَتَهُمۡۗ وَدَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡ تَغۡفُلُونَ عَنۡ أَسۡلِحَتِكُمۡ وَأَمۡتِعَتِكُمۡ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيۡكُم مَّيۡلَةࣰ وَٰحِدَةࣰۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِن كَانَ بِكُمۡ أَذࣰ ى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوۡ كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَن تَضَعُوٓاْ أَسۡلِحَتَكُمۡۖ وَخُذُواْ حِذۡرَكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابࣰ ا مُّهِينࣰ ا

When you [Prophet] are with the believers, leading them in prayer, let a group of them stand up in prayer with you, taking their weapons with them, and when they have finished their prostration, let them take up their positions at the back. Then let the other group, who have not yet prayed, pray with you, also on their guard and armed with their weapons: the disbelievers would dearly like you to be heedless of your weapons and baggage, in order for them to take you in a single assault. You will not be blamed if you lay aside your arms when you are overtaken by heavy rain or illness, but be on your guard. Indeed, God has prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers

وَلَقَدۡ ذَرَأۡنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرࣰ ا مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِۖ لَهُمۡ قُلُوبࣱ لَّا يَفۡقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمۡ أَعۡيُنࣱ لَّا يُبۡصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمۡ ءَاذَانࣱ لَّا يَسۡمَعُونَ بِهَآۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ كَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ بَلۡ هُمۡ أَضَلُّۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡغَٰفِلُونَ

We have created many jinn and people who are destined for Hell, with hearts they do not use for comprehension, eyes they do not use for sight, ears they do not use for hearing. They are like cattle, no, even further astray: these are the ones who are entirely heedless

وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفۡسِكَ تَضَرُّعࣰ ا وَخِيفَةࣰ وَدُونَ ٱلۡجَهۡرِ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡأٓصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلۡغَٰفِلِينَ

[Prophet], remember your Lord inwardly, in all humility and awe, without raising your voice, in the mornings and in the evenings- do not be one of the heedless

Warn them of the day of remorse. The Day of Remorse is the Day of Resurrection. Wretchedness preceded for one group without their having committing disobedience, and felicity for another group without their having done beautiful deeds. The Day of Remorse is the first day in the era of the Beginningless, when it was ruled and decreed that everyone would be given what was suited for him: One would be driven away without any offense, and the other caressed but not because of obedience. For one a robe of elevation was woven without bias, and the other was burned in the fire of severance without iniquity. One was full of joy on the carpet of gentleness and heard the address, “So rejoice in your sale!” [9:111]. The other was in the pit of abandonment with the attribute of deprivation and tasted the venom of “Die in your rage!” [3:119]. Yes, He put into effect the precedent as He knew it, and H

And warn them threaten O Muhammad (s) the disbelievers of Mecca of the Day of Regret namely the Day of Resurrection on which the sinner will regret not having been virtuous in the life of this world when the matter will be decided for them thereupon that they be chastised while they in this world are yet heedless of it and do not believe in it the Day of Resurrection.

Nigh has drawn for mankind the people of Mecca the deniers of the Resurrection their reckoning on the Day of Resurrection yet they are heedless of it disregardful of the preparation required for it by way of embracing faith.

The Virtues of Surat Al-Anbiya' Al-Bukhari recorded that 'Abdur-Rahman bin Yazid said that 'Abdullah said, "Banu Isra'il, Al-Kahf, Maryam, Ta Ha and Al-Anbiya' - they are among the earliest and most beautiful Surahs and they are my treasure." بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ - مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ - لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا هَلْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ ۖ أَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ - قَالَ رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ - بَلْ قَالُوا أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ بَلِ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِآيَةٍ كَمَا أُرْسِلَ الْأَوَّلُونَ - مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن ق

(And when thou (O Muhammad) art among them and arrangest (their) worship for them�) [4:102]. The teacher Abu �Uthman al-Za�farani al-Muqri� informed us in the year [4]25> Abu Muhammad �Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn �Ali ibn Ziyad al-Suddi in the year 363> Abu Sa�id al-Fadl ibn Muhammad al-Jazari in the Sacred Mosque, Mecca, in 304> �Ali ibn Ziyad al-Lahji> Abu Qurrah Musa ibn Tariq> Sufyan> Mansur> Mujahid> Abu �Ayyash al-Zurraqi who said: �We performed the prayer of Zuhr with the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, upon which the idolaters exclaimed: �They were in a vulnerable situation, why did we not attack them by surprise?� Then they said: �There shall come another prayer which is more beloved to them than their own fathers, which is the midafternoon (�Asr) prayer�. Gabriel, peace be upon him, then came down with these verses between the Zuhr and the �Asr prayers. (

And remember thy Lord in thyself. The rememberers are three men: One remembers with the tongue while the heart is unaware. Another remembers with both tongue and heart, but his work is in danger, as has been said, " The self-purifiers are in grave danger. " Still another is silent with the tongue but his heart is drowned in Him. The Pir of the Tariqah said, " O God, how can I remember, for I myself am all remembrance? I have given the harvest of my marks to the wind. How can I remember Him whom I have not for- gotten? O remembrance of the spirits, remembered by the hearts, and mentioned by the tongues! Remember me with Your bounty and make me happy with gentle remembrance! "

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ابْنِ بُحَيْنَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَامَ مِنِ اثْنَتَيْنِ مِنَ الظُّهْرِ لَمْ يَجْلِسْ بَيْنَهُمَا، فَلَمَّا قَضَى صَلاَتَهُ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah bin Buhaina:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got up after the second rak`a of the Zuhr prayer without sitting in between (the second and the third rak`at). When he finished the prayer he performed two prostrations (of Sahu) and then finished the prayer with Taslim

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى الظُّهْرَ خَمْسًا فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَزِيدَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ وَمَا ذَاكَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ صَلَّيْتَ خَمْسًا‏.‏ فَسَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ مَا سَلَّمَ‏.‏

Narrated' `Abdullah:Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered five rak`at in the Zuhr prayer, and somebody asked him whether there was some increase in the prayer. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "What is that?" He said, "You have offered five rak`at." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) performed two prostrations of Sahu after Taslim

أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بَابَيْهِ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ‏{‏ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا، مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ‏}‏ فَقَدْ أَمِنَ النَّاسُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رضى الله عنه عَجِبْتُ مِمَّا عَجِبْتَ مِنْهُ فَسَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ صَدَقَةٌ تَصَدَّقَ اللَّهُ بِهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْبَلُوا صَدَقَتَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that Ya'la bin Umayyah said:"I said to 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: 'There is no sin on you if you shorten salah and if you fear that the disbelievers may put you in trial (attack you). But now the people are safe.' 'Umar said: 'I wondered the same thing, so I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about that and he said: This is a favor from Allah (SWT) to you, so accept His favor

أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ إِنَّا نَجِدُ صَلاَةَ الْحَضَرِ وَصَلاَةَ الْخَوْفِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَلاَ نَجِدُ صَلاَةَ السَّفَرِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلاَ نَعْلَمُ شَيْئًا وَإِنَّمَا نَفْعَلُ كَمَا رَأَيْنَا مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم يَفْعَلُ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Umayyah bin 'Abdullah bin Khalid that:He said to 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: "We find (mention of) prayer when one is at home (i.e., not traveling) and prayer at times of fear in the Qur'an, but we do not find any mention in the Qur'an of prayer when traveling. Ibn Umar said to him: 'O son of my brother, Allah (SWT) send Muhammad (ﷺ) to us when we did not know anything, and all we should do is to do that which we saw Muhammad (ﷺ) doing

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا، فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِيِّ سَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ فِي الصَّلاَةِ شُغْلاً ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah:We used to greet the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was praying and he used to answer our greetings. When we returned from An-Najashi (the ruler of Ethiopia), we greeted him, but he did not answer us (during the prayer) and (after finishing the prayer) he said, "In the prayer one is occupied (with a more serious matter)

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هُرَيْمُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah:The same as No. 290. from the Prophet

فدلت هذه الحكايات والأخبار مع ما سبق على أن الأصل في الصلاة الخشوع وحضور القلب وأن مجرد الحركات مع الغفلة قليل الجدوى في المعاد والله أعلم

والحضور مضاد للعزوب والغفلة وإن لم يكن مفصلا

وأما ذكر الرعاية : فمثل قول الذاكر : الله معي والله ناظر إلي الله شاهدي ونحو ذلك مما يستعمل لتقوية الحضور مع الله وفيه رعاية لمصلحة القلب ولحفظ الأدب مع الله والتحرز من الغفلة والاعتصام من الشيطان والنفس

يريد بالخفي ههنا : الذكر بمجرد القلب بما يعرض له من الواردات وهذا ثمرة الذكر الأول ويريد بالخلاض من القيود : التخلص من الغفلة والنسيان والحجب الحائلة بين القلب وبين الرب سبحانه والبقاء مع الشهود : ملازمة الحضور مع المذكور ومشاهدة القلب له حتى كأنه يراه

ثم يتشعب من كل واحدة من هذه الخصال العشر عشر أخرى من الرذائل لم نطول بذكرها وتفصيل آحادها مثل الأنفة والغضب والبغضاء والطمع وحب طلب المال والجاه للتمكن من الغلبة والمباهاة والأشر والبطر وتعظيم الأغنياء والسلاطين والتردد إليهم والأخذ من حرامهم والتجمل بالخيول والمراكب والثياب المحظورة والاستحقار للناس بالفخر والخيلاء والخوض فيما لا يعني وكثرة الكلام وخروج الخشية والخوف والرحمة من القلب واستيلاء الغفلة عليه حتى لا يدري المصلي منهم في صلاته ما صلى وما الذي يقرأ ومن الذي يناجيه ولايحس بالخشوع من قلبه مع استغراق العمر في العلوم التي تعين في المناظرة مع أنها لا تنفع في الآخرة من تحسين العبارة وتسجيع اللفظ وحفظ النوادر إلى غير ذلك من أمور لا تحصى

وإذا أردت منهم هذا القدر كما ينبغي فانظر وقت أخذك في القراءة إذا أعرضت عن واجبها وتدبرها وتعقلها وفهم ما أريد بكل آية وحظك من الخطاب بها وتنزيلها على أدواء قلبك والتقيد بها كيف تدرك الختمة أو أكثرها أو ما قرأت منها بسهولة وخفة مستكثرا من القراءة فإذا ألزمت نفسك التدبر ومعرفة المراد والنظر إلى ما يخصك منه والتعبد به وتنزيل دوائه على أدواء قلبك والإستشفاء به لم تكد تجوز السورة أو الآية إلى غيرها وكذلك إذا جمعت قلبك كله على ركعتين أعطيتهما ما تقدر عليه من الحضور والخشوع والمراقبة لم تكد أن تصلي غيرهما إلا بجهد فإذا خلا القلب من ذلك عددت الركعات بلا حساب فالإستكثار من الطاعات دون مراعاة آفاتها وعيوبها ليتوب منها هي توبة العامة

Effects of L-theanine-caffeine combination on sustained attention and inhibitory control among children with ADHD: a proof-of-concept neuroimaging RCT.: We examined the acute effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on sustained attention, inhibitory control and overall cognition in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). L-Theanine (2.5 mg/kg), caffeine (2.0 mg/kg), their combination and a placebo were administered in a randomized four-way repeated-measures crossover with washout, to five boys (8-15 years) with ADHD. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed during a Go/NoGo task and a Stop-signa

Stimulating meditation: a pre-registered randomised controlled experiment combining a single dose of the cognitive enhancer, modafinil, with brief mindfulness training.: Background: Mindfulness-meditation has a variety of benefits on well-being. However, individuals with primary attentional impairments (e.g. attention deficit disorder) or attentional symptoms secondary to anxiety, depression or addiction, may be less likely to benefit, and require additional mindfulness-augmenting strategies. Aims: To determine whether a single dose of the cognitive enhancer, modafinil, acutely increases subjective and behavioural indices of mindfulness, and augments brief mindf

Mind Wandering (Internal Distractibility) in ADHD: A Literature Review.: Objective: Mind wandering, the unintended shifting of attention from a task, has been previously associated with symptoms of ADHD. To this end, we conducted a literature search to investigate the association between mind wandering and ADHD. Method: We conducted a systematic search of the literature of relevant articles assessing mind wandering and ADHD in PubMed, PsycINFO/OVID, and Medline. Included were original articles in English that had operationalized definitions of ADHD and mind wandering

A novel digital intervention for actively reducing severity of paediatric ADHD (STARS-ADHD): a randomised controlled trial.: Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common paediatric neurodevelopmental disorder with substantial effect on families and society. Alternatives to traditional care, including novel digital therapeutics, have shown promise to remediate cognitive deficits associated with this disorder and may address barriers to standard therapies, such as pharmacological interventions and behavioural therapy. AKL-T01 is an investigational digital therapeutic designed to target attenti

Randomised sham-controlled study of high-frequency bilateral deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) to treat adult attention hyperactive disorder (ADHD): Negative results.: Objectives: Recent studies support the possible effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and possible efficacy of bilateral prefrontal deep rTMS for the treatment of adult ADHD. Methods: Twenty-six adult ADHD patients were randomised blindly to sham or actual deep TMS (dTMS). Twenty daily sessions were conducted using the bilateral H5 dTMS coil (B

Atomoxetine treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adults with assessment of functional outcomes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.: Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with significant impairment in multiple functional domains. This trial evaluated efficacy in ADHD symptoms and functional outcomes in young adults treated with atomoxetine. Methods: Young adults (18-30 years old) with ADHD were randomized to 12 weeks of double-blind treatment with atomoxetine (n = 220) or placebo (n = 225). The primary efficacy measure of ADHD symptom change was Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS): In

Impact of meditation training on the default mode network during a restful state.

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to promote emotional stability. Moreover, during the processing of aversive and self-referential stimuli, mindful awareness is associated with reduced medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activity, a central default mode network (DMN) component. However, it remains unclear whether mindfulness practice influences functional connectivity between DMN regions and, if so, whether such impact persists beyond a state of meditation. Consequently, this study examined the effect of extensive mindfulness training on functional connectivity within the DMN during a restful state. Resting-state data were collected from 13 experienced meditators (with over 1000 h of training) and 11 beginner meditators (with no prior experience, trained for 1 week before the study) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Pairwise correlations and partial correlations were co…

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Validity of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) as a screener for adult ADHD in treatment seeking substance use disorder patients.

Background: To detect attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in treatment seeking substance use disorders (SUD) patients, a valid screening instrument is needed. Objectives: To test the performance of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale V 1.1(ASRS) for adult ADHD in an international sample of treatment seeking SUD patients for DSM-IV-TR; for the proposed DSM-5 criteria; in different subpopulations, at intake and 1-2 weeks after intake; using different scoring algorithms; and different externalizing disorders as external criterion (including adult ADHD, bipolar disorder, antisocial and borderline personality disorder). Methods: In 1138 treatment seeking SUD subjects, ASRS performance was determined using diagnoses based on Conner's Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID) as gold standard. Results: The prevalence of adult ADHD was 13.0% (95% CI: 11.0-15.0%). The overall p…

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Emotion regulation predicts attention bias in maltreated children at-risk for depression.

Background: Child maltreatment is associated with heightened risk for depression; however, not all individuals who experience maltreatment develop depression. Previous research indicates that maltreatment contributes to an attention bias for emotional cues, and that depressed individuals show attention bias for sad cues. Method: The present study examined attention patterns for sad, depression-relevant cues in children with and without experience of maltreatment. We also explored whether individual differences in physiological reactivity and emotion regulation in response to a sad emotional state predict heightened attention to sad cues associated with depression. Results: Children who experienced high levels of maltreatment showed an increase in attention bias for sad faces throughout the course of the study, such that they showed biased attention for sad faces following the initiation …

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Caregiver burden as people with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder transition into adolescence and adulthood in the United Kingdom.

Objective: There is increasing recognition that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with significant costs and burdens. However, research on their impact has focused mostly on the caregivers of young children; few studies have examined caregiver burden as children transition into adolescence and young adulthood, and no one has compared the impact of ASD to other neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., ADHD). Method: We conducted an observational study of 192 families caring for a young person (aged 14 to 24 years) with a childhood diagnosis of ASD or ADHD (n = 101 and n = 91, respectively) in the United Kingdom. A modified stress-appraisal model was used to investigate the correlates of caregiver burden as a function of family background (parental education), primary stressors (symptoms), primary appraisal (need), and resources (u…

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Gender differences in teachers' perceptions of students' temperament, educational competence, and teachability.

Background: Student's temperament plays a significant role in teacher's perception of the student's learning style, educational competence (EC), and teachability. Hence, temperament contributes to student's academic achievement and teacher's subjective ratings of school grades. However, little is known about the effect of gender and teacher's age on this association. Aims: We examined the effect of teacher's and student's gender and teacher's age on teacher-perceived temperament, EC, and teachability, and whether there is significant same gender or different gender association between teachers and students in this relationship. Sample: The participants were population-based sample of 3,212 Finnish adolescents (M= 15.1 years) and 221 subject teachers. Methods: Temperament was assessed with Temperament Assessment Battery for Children - Revised and Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey b…

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The expression and regulation of anger in toddlers: relations to maternal behavior and mental representations.

Anger is an intense and adaptive approach emotion that undergoes significant development during the toddler years. We assessed the expression of anger and the strategies toddlers use to regulate it in relation to maternal behavior and mental representations. Seventy-four toddlers were observed in three anger-eliciting paradigms: toy removal (TR), still-face (SF), and delayed gratification (DG). Anger expression and three clusters of regulatory behaviors were micro-coded: putative regulatory behaviors, attention manipulation, and play behaviors. Maternal relational style was coded for sensitivity and intrusiveness, and mental representations of the mother-child relationship were assessed for joy and anger. Children expressed the most anger during the TR, less during the SF, and minimally during the DG. Use of putative regulatory behaviors was highest during the SF, whereas during the TR c…

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Fractionating the default mode network: distinct contributions of the ventral and dorsal posterior cingulate cortex to cognitive control.

The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) is a central part of the default mode network (DMN) and part of the structural core of the brain. Although the PCC often shows consistent deactivation when attention is focused on external events, anatomical studies show that the region is not homogeneous, and electrophysiological recordings in nonhuman primates suggest that it is directly involved in some forms of attention. We report a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of an attentionally demanding task (either a zero- or two-back working memory task). Standard subtraction analysis within the PCC shows a relative deactivation as task difficulty increases. In contrast, a dual-regression functional connectivity analysis reveals a clear dissociation between ventral and dorsal parts of the PCC. As task difficulty increases, the ventral PCC shows reduced integration within the DMN and less anti…

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Does working memory training work? The promise and challenges of enhancing cognition by training working memory.

A growing body of literature shows that one's working memory (WM) capacity can be expanded through targeted training. Given the established relationship between WM and higher cognition, these successful training studies have led to speculation that WM training may yield broad cognitive benefits. This review considers the current state of the emerging WM training literature, and details both its successes and limitations. We identify two distinct approaches to WM training, strategy training and core training, and highlight both the theoretical and practical motivations that guide each approach. Training-related increases in WM capacity have been successfully demonstrated across a wide range of subject populations, but different training techniques seem to produce differential impacts upon the broader landscape of cognitive abilities. In particular, core WM training studies seem to produce…

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Patterns of comorbidity, functioning, and service use for US children with ADHD, 2007.

Objective: To determine patterns of comorbidity, functioning, and service use for US children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Bivariate and multivariable cross-sectional analyses were conducted on data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health on 61 779 children ages 6 to 17 years, including 5028 with ADHD. Results: Parent-reported diagnosed prevalence of ADHD was 8.2%. Children with ADHD were more likely to have other mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. Parents reported that 46% of children with ADHD had a learning disability versus 5% without ADHD, 27% vs 2% had a conduct disorder, 18% vs 2% anxiety, 14% vs 1% depression, and 12% vs 3% speech problems (all P < .05). Most children with ADHD had at least 1 comorbid disorder: 33% had 1, 16% had 2, and 18% had 3 or more. The risk for having 3 or more comorbidities was 3.8 times higher fo…

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Heritability of delay discounting in adolescence: a longitudinal twin study.

Delay discounting (DD) refers to the preference for smaller immediate rewards over larger but delayed rewards, and is considered to be a distinct component of a broader "impulsivity" construct. Although greater propensity for discounting the value of delayed gratification has been associated with a range of problem behaviors and substance abuse, particularly in adolescents, the origins of individual differences in DD remain unclear. We examined genetic and environmental influences on a real-life behavioral measure of DD using a longitudinal twin design. Adolescent participants were asked to choose between a smaller ($7) reward available immediately and a larger ($10) reward to be received in 7 days. Biometrical genetic analysis using linear structural equation modeling showed significant heritability of DD at ages 12 and 14 (30 and 51%, respectively) and suggested that the same genetic f…

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Confirmatory factor analysis and factorial invariance analysis of the adolescent self-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: how important are method effects and minor factors?

OBJECTIVES. This study examined the factor structure of the self-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, paying special attention to the number of factors and to negative effects of reverse-worded items and minor factors within the subscales on model fit. Furthermore, factorial invariance across gender, age, level of education, and ethnicity was investigated. DESIGN. Data were obtained from the Youth Health Monitor Rotterdam, a community-based health surveillance system. METHODS. The sample consisted of 11,881 pupils of 11-16 years old. Next to the original five-factor model, a factor model with the number of factors based on parallel analysis and scree test was investigated. Confirmatory factor analysis for ordered-categorical measures was applied to examine the goodness-of-fit and factorial invariance of the factor models. RESULTS. After allowing reverse-worded items to cross-…

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The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS).

The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS) is an ongoing longitudinal twin study targeting all twins born in Sweden since July 1, 1992. Since 2004, parents of twins are interviewed regarding the children's somatic and mental health and social environment in connection with their 9th or 12th birthdays (CATSS-9/12). By January 2010, 8,610 parental interviews concerning 17,220 twins had been completed, with an overall response rate of 80%. At age 15 (CATSS-15) and 18 (CATSS-18), twins and parents complete questionnaires that, in addition to assessments of somatic and mental health, include measures of personality development and psychosocial adaptation. Twin pairs in CATSS-9/12 with one or both twins screening positive for autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, tic disorders, developmental coordination disorder, learning disorders, oppositional defia…

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The wandering mind of men: ERP evidence for gender differences in attention bias towards attractive opposite sex faces.

To examine the time course and automaticity of our attention bias towards attractive opposite sex faces, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 20 males and 20 females while they carried out a covert orienting task. Faces that were high, low or average in attractiveness, were presented in focus of attention, but were unrelated to task goals. Across the entire sample larger P2 amplitudes were found in response to both attractive and unattractive opposite sex faces, presumably reflecting early implicit selective attention to distinctive faces. In male but not female participants this was followed by an increased late slow wave for the attractive faces, signifying heightened processing linked to motivated attention. This latter finding is consistent with sexual strategy theory, which suggests that men and women have evolved to pursue different mating strategies with men being mo…

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Factorial and cross-cultural validity of a Farsi version of the Anger Rumination Scale.

This study aimed to examine factorial and cross-cultural validity of a Farsi version of the Anger Rumination Scale. 933 undergraduate students (388 men, 545 women) from the University of Tehran participated. The Farsi version of the Anger Rumination Scale, the Tehran Multidimensional Anger Scale, and the Mental Health Inventory were completed by all participants. Results supported the four-factor structure, convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the Farsi version of the Anger Rumination Scale. The factors found in the Farsi version of the Anger Rumination Scale are similar to the factors found in previous studies and were accordingly labeled as Angry Afterthoughts, Thoughts of Revenge, Angry Memories, and Understanding Causes. The results also provided evidence for applicability of the Farsi version of the Anger Rumination Scale and its…

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Differential effects on pain intensity and unpleasantness of two meditation practices.

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that can be regulated by many different cognitive mechanisms. We compared the regulatory qualities of two different meditation practices during noxious thermal stimuli: Focused Attention, directed at a fixation cross away from the stimulation, which could regulate negative affect through a sensory gating mechanism; and Open Monitoring, which could regulate negative affect through a mechanism of nonjudgmental, nonreactive awareness of sensory experience. Here, we report behavioral data from a comparison between novice and long-term meditation practitioners (long-term meditators, LTMs) using these techniques. LTMs, compared to novices, had a significant reduction of self-reported unpleasantness, but not intensity, of painful stimuli while practicing Open Monitoring. No significant effects were found for FA. This finding illuminates the…

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Social comparison and its relation to body dissatisfaction in bulimia nervosa: evidence from eye movements.

Objective: To determine the role of social comparison for body dissatisfaction in bulimia nervosa (BN). Previous research suggested that exposure to media content idealizing thin body shape decreases body satisfaction, particularly in women with eating disorder symptoms. This might be due to the negative outcome of social comparisons with media models, and women with eating disorders might be particularly susceptible because they engage in upward social comparison more frequently than women without these symptoms. However, no study has yet explored both upward (i.e., toward more attractive others) and downward (i.e., toward less attractive others) social comparisons and their impact on body dissatisfaction in a clinical eating disorder and healthy controls. Methods: We presented patients with BN (n = 20) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 22) with slides comprising a digitized image of their…

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Marital dissolution and blood pressure reactivity: evidence for the specificity of emotional intrusion-hyperarousal and task-rated emotional difficulty.

Objective: To assess blood pressure (BP) reactivity as recently separated adults completed a laboratory task asking to mentally reflect on their relationship experiences. Marital separations and the experience of divorce are associated with increased risk for early mortality and poor health outcomes. Few studies, however, have investigated the potential psychophysiological mechanisms that may account for these broad-based associations. Method: Seventy recently separated or divorced community-dwelling adults (26 men) completed self-report measures of divorce-related psychological adjustment. During a laboratory visit, quasi-continuous BP was assessed across four task periods, including a divorce-specific mental activation task (DMAT). A task-rated emotional difficulty (TRED) index was computed based on participants' immediate appraisals of the task demands. Results: After accounting for r…

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Pain sensitivity and analgesic effects of mindful states in Zen meditators: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To investigate pain perception and the potential analgesic effects of mindful states in experienced Zen meditators. Methods: Highly trained Zen meditators (n = 13; >1000 hours of practice) and age/gender-matched control volunteers (n = 13) received individually adjusted thermal stimuli to elicit moderate pain on the calf. Conditions included: a) baseline-1: no task; b) concentration: attend exclusively to the calf; c) mindfulness: attend to the calf and observe, moment to moment, in a nonjudgmental manner; and d) baseline-2: no task. Results: Meditators required significantly higher temperatures to elicit moderate pain (meditators: 49.9 degrees C; controls: 48.2 degrees C; p = .01). While attending "mindfully," meditators reported decreases in pain intensity whereas control subjects showed no change from baseline. The concentration condition resulted in increased pain intensit…

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Antidepressant treatment normalizes hypoactivity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during emotional interference processing in major depression.

Background: Major depression (MDD) is characterized by altered emotion processing and deficits in cognitive control. In cognitive interference tasks, patients with MDD have shown excessive amygdala activity and under-recruitment of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of antidepressant treatment on anomalous neural activity in cognitive-control and emotion-processing circuitry. Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted on depressed patients (n=23) (both before and after antidepressant treatment) compared with matched controls (n=18) while they performed a cognitive task involving attended and unattended fear-related stimuli. Results: After eight weeks of SSRI antidepressant treatment, patients with depression showed significantly increased DLPFC activity to unattended fear-related stimuli and no longer differed fr…

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Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS): Psychometric properties of the French translation and exploration of its relations with emotion regulation strategies.

Over the past few years, several questionnaires have been developed to measure mindfulness. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) was created to specifically capture attention and awareness in daily life (Brown & Ryan, 2003). In this article, we present a French adaptation of the MAAS. In the 1st study, we explored the psychometric properties of this adaptation. In the 2nd study, we investigated its relation to cognitive emotion regulation and depressive symptomatology using path analysis. As in the original version of the MAAS, the French adaptation has a strong 1-factor structure. Moreover, there was a negative relationship between the MAAS and the severity of depressive symptoms, both directly and indirectly. The indirect pathway was mediated by the nonadaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategy of self-blame and the adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategy of positive…

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Cessation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs in the young (CADDY)--a pharmacoepidemiological and qualitative study.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) pharmacological treatment, and its demographic and clinical details, and to estimate the proportion of patients in the target group who stopped ADHD treatment and investigate possible factors for continuation or cessation of treatment. Design: A pharmacoepidemiological study using an automated database and a qualititative study using patient interviews. Part 1 was a pharmacoepidemiological study that provided accurate data on use and cessation of ADHD drugs. Part 2 was an in-depth interview study to investigate the reasons, processes and outcomes of treatment cessation. Setting: Part 1: primary care using the General Practice Research Database (GPRD). Part 2: secondary and tertiary care paediatric clinics, child and adolescent mental health and adult mental health clinics in London, Nottingham, Dund…

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Attentional biases in PTSD: More evidence for interference.

Attentional biases to trauma-related stimuli have been widely demonstrated in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the majority of these studies used methods not suited to differentiating difficulty disengaging attention from threatening stimuli (interference) from facilitated detection of threat. In the current study, a visual search task (VST) with a lexical decision component was used to differentiate between attentional interference and facilitation. Forty-six sexual assault survivors with High PTSD or Low PTSD symptoms completed the VST with three types of stimuli (trauma-related, general threat-related, and semantically-related neutral words), to examine the specificity of attentional biases associated with PTSD symptoms. High PTSD participants showed increased interference to trauma-related words relative to Low PTSD participants. Furthermore, the increa…

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The Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale: psychometric properties in a clinical sample.

Cognitive models of social anxiety suggest that fear of negative evaluation (FNE) is the central cognitive dimension underlying the disorder. The Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale (FPES; Weeks, Heimberg, & Rodebaugh, 2008) was recently developed to assess an additional cognitive dimension purported to underlie social anxiety disorder (SAD), but its psychometric properties have yet to be examined in clinical populations. The present study, with 133 treatment-seeking patients, examined the applicability of the FPES with a clinical sample. Results indicated that the FPES was factorially distinct from a measure assessing FNE, and patients with SAD (n=51) had higher mean scores on the FPES than patients with other anxiety disorders (n=82). The FPES also showed adequate reliability (internal consistency), good convergent and discriminant validity, acceptable criterion-related validity in predi…

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Amygdala and nucleus accumbens activation to emotional facial expressions in children and adolescents at risk for major depression.

Objective: Offspring of parents with major depressive disorder face a threefold higher risk for major depression than offspring without such family histories. Although major depression is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, neural correlates of risk for major depression remain poorly understood. This study compares amygdala and nucleus accumbens activation in children and adolescents at high and low risk for major depression under varying attentional and emotional conditions. Method: Thirty-nine juveniles, 17 offspring of parents with major depression (high-risk group) and 22 offspring of parents without histories of major depression, anxiety, or psychotic disorders (low-risk group) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. During imaging, subjects viewed faces that varied in intensity of emotional expressions across blocks of trials while attention was unconst…

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A pilot study of the feasibility and efficacy of the Strategies to Enhance Positive Parenting (STEPP) program for single mothers of children with ADHD.

Objective: The Strategies to Enhance Positive Parenting (STEPP) program was developed to address putative factors related to poor engagement in and outcomes following traditional behavioral parent training (BPT) for single mothers of children diagnosed with ADHD. Method: Twelve single mothers of children with ADHD were enrolled in an initial investigation of the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the 9-week STEPP program. Results: Results indicated that the STEPP program was effective in reducing problematic child behavior and improving parental stress and psychopathology at posttreatment. The STEPP program resulted in high rates of treatment attendance and completion and consumer satisfaction with the program. However, results also indicated that the STEPP program did not improve childrens' overall psychosocial impairment and resulted in small effect size findings across measures. …

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