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Diaz-Marsá M, López-Villatoro JM, De la Torre-Luque A, MacDowell KS, Galvez-Merlin A, Gómez Del Barrio A, Ruiz-Guerrero F, Beato-Fernández L, Polo-Montes F, León-Velasco M, Martín-Hernández D, Carrasco-Diaz A, Leza JC, Carrasco JL. Decreased oxytocin plasma levels and oxytocin receptor expression associated with aggressive behavior in aggressive-impulsive disorders. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 170:200-206. [PMID: 38157667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study aims to enhance the understanding of the association between the phenotypic and endophenotypic characteristics of impulsive-aggressive disorders, through the study of plasma oxytocin (OXT) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) levels in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and patients with eating disorders (ED), as well as to examine the relationship of OXT system with aggressive behavior in these disorders. METHODS 68 patients with BPD, 67 patients with ED and 57 healthy control subjects were examined for plasma oxytocin levels and protein expression of OXTR in blood mononuclear cells. Aggressive behavior was assessed using the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2). Other self and hetero-aggressive behaviors were also evaluated through interviews. RESULTS BPD and ED patients exhibited significantly lower plasma oxytocin levels than control subjects. Furthermore, BPD patients demonstrated significantly reduced expression of OXTR compared to controls. Plasma oxytocin levels negatively correlated with verbal aggression, while OXTR expression was inversely associated with the STAXI trait subscale. CONCLUSIONS The findings validate the existence of oxytocin system dysfunction in impulsive-aggressive disorders. They also support the link between low OXT levels in plasma and OXTR expression and the impulsive-aggressive behavior that characterizes these patients in both state and trait situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Diaz-Marsá
- Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain
| | - J M López-Villatoro
- Institute of Health Research, Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain.
| | - A De la Torre-Luque
- Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain
| | - K S MacDowell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Institute of Health Research Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), University Institute of Research in Neurochemistry UCM, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - A Galvez-Merlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain
| | - A Gómez Del Barrio
- Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Eating Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Santander, Spain; Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | - F Ruiz-Guerrero
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Eating Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Santander, Spain; Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | | | | | | | - D Martín-Hernández
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Institute of Health Research Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), University Institute of Research in Neurochemistry UCM, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | | | - J C Leza
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Institute of Health Research Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), University Institute of Research in Neurochemistry UCM, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - J L Carrasco
- Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain
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Diaz-Marsa M, Pemau A, de la Torre-Luque A, Vaz-Leal F, Rojo-Moreno L, Beato-Fernandez L, Graell M, Carrasco-Diaz A, Carrasco JL. Executive dysfunction in eating disorders: Relationship with clinical features. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 120:110649. [PMID: 36181959 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Eating disorders (ED) are severe mental disorders that may result in significant functional impairment and disability. Neuropsychological studies have consistently found impaired executive function (EF) among ED patients. EF is particularly involved in fundamental skills of daily living and in behavioral and emotional regulation. In this study, impairment of executive functioning is investigated in patients with eating disorders and the associations with clinical features and clinical subtypes are analyzed. METHOD 75 female patients (m = 22.01 years, sd = 9.15) with eating disorder (43 restrictive anorexia, 30 binge-eating anorexia and 13 bulimia nervosa) and 37 healthy controls (m = 18.54 years, sd = 4.21) were included in the study. An extensive assessment of executive function domains (verbal fluency, set shifting, attention span, selective attention, working memory, inhibitory control and processing speed) was carried out in both groups. Clinical scales for food intake restriction, binge-eating/purging, depression, anxiety and impulsivity were also administered and correlated with scores on executive function tests. RESULTS Patients with an ED had significantly lower scores than healthy controls in performance of several executive function tests, particularly in set shifting, interference control and processing speed (p < .01, in all three domains). Executive function impairment was related to anxious, depressive and eating disorder symptoms (p < .05), regardless of clinical subtype. CONCLUSIONS Executive function impairment in eating disorders is associated with greater ED symptomatic severity and might involve a negative treatment outcome. Therefore, cognitive remediation techniques should probably be considered in a number of severe patients with ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Diaz-Marsa
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain; Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Spain
| | - Andres Pemau
- Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alejandro de la Torre-Luque
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Montserrat Graell
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Hospital Universitario Niño Jesus, Spain
| | | | - Jose Luis Carrasco
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain; Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Spain
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Diaz-Marsa M, MacDowell K, de laTorre-Luque A, Caso JR, Faya M, Gutierrez S, Soto M, Pemau A, Diaz-Carracedo P, Carrasco-Diaz A, Leza JC, Graell M, Carrasco JL. Inflammatory dysregulation in women with an eating disorder: Relationships with altered emotional reactivity. Int J Eat Disord 2021; 54:1843-1854. [PMID: 34418141 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some studies suggest that inflammatory signaling dysregulation may contribute to eating disorder (ED) pathophysiology. However, little is known about the influence of inflammatory response on altered processes seen among patients with ED, such as emotional processing and reactivity. OBJECTIVES The objectives were: (a) to investigate the systemic inflammatory response in ED women; and (b) to analyze the role of inflammatory markers in emotional reactivity. METHOD Concentrations of several intercellular and intracellular inflammatory mediators (cytokines, prostaglandin by-products and enzymes, TBARS, and MAPK proteins) were quantified in plasma and PBMCs from 68 women with an ED (m = 22.01 years, SD = 9.15) and 35 healthy controls (m = 18.54 years, SD = 4.21). Moreover, emotional reactivity to affective pictures (those without either food or thinness content) was studied using the adult (>18 years old) sample (n = 41). RESULTS Between-group differences were revealed for most markers (TNF-α, PGE2 , COX2, and ratio of activated MAPK proteins), pointing to increased inflammatory response in patients (p < .01). Women with ED showed heightened emotional reactivity, regardless of picture valence. Principal components derived from inflammatory markers showed an explanatory loading on patient's emotional reaction, in terms of valence and arousal. CONCLUSION This study corroborates the altered systemic inflammatory response in patients with ED. The inflammatory dysregulation may contribute to ED phenotype, as seen by its relationship with heightened emotional reactivity, even though the inflammatory markers were not evaluated throughout the emotional reactivity protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Diaz-Marsa
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pathology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,IIS Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Karina MacDowell
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, UCM, Madrid, Spain.,IIS Hospital 12 de Octubre, IUIN-UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro de laTorre-Luque
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pathology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier R Caso
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, UCM, Madrid, Spain.,IIS Hospital 12 de Octubre, IUIN-UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Faya
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Child Hospital Niño Jesus, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Gutierrez
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Child Hospital Niño Jesus, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Soto
- IIS Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andres Pemau
- Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alvaro Carrasco-Diaz
- Education and Psychology Faculty, Francisco de Vitoria University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan C Leza
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, UCM, Madrid, Spain.,IIS Hospital 12 de Octubre, IUIN-UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Montserrat Graell
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Child Hospital Niño Jesus, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose L Carrasco
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Pathology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,IIS Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
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