Weight Loss Outcomes in a Veterans Affairs Pharmacotherapy-based Weight Management Clinic

Context

Despite a high prevalence of obesity in the veteran population, antiobesity medications (AOMs) have been underused in the Veterans Health Administration. Real-world reports on outcomes when AOMs have been used in veterans is limited.

Objective

To analyze weight loss outcomes from a local Veterans Health Administration pharmacotherapy-based weight management clinic (WMC).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of veterans enrolled in a local WMC for 15 months from August 2016 through September 2018 and followed through November 2019. Patients were offered 1 of 5 available AOMs based on their comorbidities. Factors associated with weight loss (5% or more weight loss) were assessed.

Key results

A total of 159 patients were seen in a WMC, 149 (93.7%) veterans were prescribed an AOM, and 129 returned for follow-up. Overall, 61/129 (47%) patients achieved 5% or greater weight loss and 28/129 (22%) achieved 10% or greater weight loss within 15 months. Clinically significant weight loss (%) over the first 15 months was achieved with phentermine/topiramate ER (-6.3%) and liraglutide (-7.5%), but not with orlistat (-3.9%) and lorcaserin (-3.6%). Comorbid obstructive sleep apnea was negatively associated with achieving ≥5% weight loss.

Conclusion

Phentermine/topiramate ER and liraglutide were found to be effective AOMs among veterans. Further work is needed to mitigate barriers to AOM initiation given the continued rise in obesity.

The effects of early time restricted eating plus daily caloric restriction compared to daily caloric restriction alone on continuous glucose levels

Background

The median eating duration in the U.S. is 14.75 h, spread throughout the period of wakefulness and ending before sleep. Food intake at an inappropriate circadian time may lead to adverse metabolic outcomes. Emerging literature suggests that time restricted eating (TRE) may improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. The aim was to compare 24-h glucose profiles and insulin sensitivity in participants after completing 12 weeks of a behavioral weight loss intervention based on early TRE plus daily caloric restriction (E-TRE+DCR) or DCR alone.

Methods

Eighty-one adults with overweight or obesity (age 18-50 years, BMI 25-45 kg/m2) were randomized to either E-TRE+DCR or DCR alone. Each participant wore a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for 7 days and insulin sensitivity was estimated using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) at Baseline and Week 12. Changes in CGM-derived measures and HOMA-IR from Baseline to Week 12 were assessed within and between groups using random intercept mixed models.

Results

Forty-four participants had valid CGM data at both time points, while 38 had valid glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and hemoglobin A1c (A1c) data at both timepoints. There were no significant differences in sex, age, BMI, or the percentage of participants with prediabetes between the groups (28% female, age 39.2 ± 6.9 years, BMI 33.8 ± 5.7 kg/m2, 16% with prediabetes). After adjusting for weight, there were no between-group differences in changes in overall average sensor glucose, standard deviation of glucose levels, the coefficient of variation of glucose levels, daytime or nighttime average sensor glucose, fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, or A1c. However, mean amplitude of glycemic excursions changed differently over time between the two groups, with a greater reduction found in the DCR as compared to E-TRE+DCR (p = 0.03).

Conclusion

There were no major differences between E-TRE+DCR and DCR groups in continuous glucose profiles or insulin sensitivity 12 weeks after the intervention. Because the study sample included participants with normal baseline mean glucose profiles and insulin sensitivity, the ability to detect changes in these outcomes may have been limited.

Rapid Detection of Lithium Concentrations in Oral Fluid

BACKGROUND

Lithium medication is considered to be the first-line treatment for bipolar disorder as a monotherapy, and for treatment-resistant depression with lithium augmentation. However, because of potential toxicity, lithium levels must be monitored frequently. Recent studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between lithium levels measured in serum and those detected in oral fluid, suggesting that oral fluid analysis may represent an easy, noninvasive means to monitor lithium levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analytical performance of rapid assays for lithium measurements in oral fluid.

METHODS

Levels of lithium in oral fluid from psychiatric patients (n = 108 in total) taking lithium medications were quantified using 2 rapid techniques: an automated clinical chemistry analyzer and a novel, commercially available colorimetric lithium assay. These results were compared with those obtained using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).

RESULTS

The mean and median oral fluid lithium levels in this cohort were 1.43-1.61 mM and 1.32-1.52 mM, respectively, depending on the method, with the overall range, across all methods, being 0.213-4.42 mM. Linear regression analysis showed excellent agreement between the oral fluid values measured using ICP-OES and the colorimetric method (r 2 value = 0.926; P < 0.0001; slope = 1.084 ± 0.038). Similarly, excellent agreement was observed between ICP-OES and the automated method (r 2 = 0.872; P < 0.0001; slope = 1.019 ± 0.057).

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that lithium levels in oral fluid can be rapidly and reliably quantified using colorimetric approaches. These findings may facilitate the development of point-of-care lithium monitoring systems for use in oral fluid.

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is associated with increased levels of metals in children's saliva

BACKGROUND

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been associated with detectable levels of cotinine (a nicotine metabolite) in children's saliva. However, tobacco smoke also contains toxic and essential trace metals, including chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn).

OBJECTIVE

The current study examines whether there is a relationship between ETS exposure, as gauged by salivary cotinine, and salivary levels of these metals in a subset (n = 238) of children from the Family Life Project.

METHODS

Using inductively-coupled-plasma optical emission spectrophotometry, we measured levels of metals in saliva from children at ~90 months of age. Salivary cotinine was measured using a commercial immunoassay.

RESULTS

We found that Cr, Cu, Mn, and Zn were detected in most samples (85-99%) with lower levels of detection for Pb and Ni (9.3% and 13.9% respectively). There were no significant differences in any of the metal concentrations between males and females, nor were levels associated with body mass index, although significant differences in salivary Cr and Mn by race, state and income-to-needs ratio were observed. Children with cotinine levels >1 ng/ml had higher levels of Zn (b = 0.401, 95% CI: 0.183 to 0.619; p = 0.0003) and Cu (b = 0.655, 95% CI: 0.206 to 1.104; p = 0.004) compared to children with levels <1 ng/ml, after controlling for multiple confounders, including sex, race, BMI and income-to-needs ratio. Further, we show that children whose cotinine levels were >1 μg/L were more likely to have detectable levels of Pb in their saliva (b = 1.40, 95% CI: 0.424 to 2.459; p = 0.006) compared to children with cotinine levels <1 ng/ml, also considering confounders.

IMPACT STATEMENT

This is the first study to demonstrate significant associations between salivary cotinine and salivary levels of Cu, Zn and Pb, suggesting that environmental tobacco smoke exposure my be one source of increased children's exposure to heavy metals. This study also demonstrates that saliva samples can be used to measure heavy metal exposure, and thus serve as a non-invasive tool for assessing a broader range of risk indicators.

Plasma NfL as a prognostic biomarker for enriching HD-ISS stage 1 categorisation: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The recently proposed Huntington's Disease Integrated Staging System (HD-ISS) categorises individuals with the Huntintin genetic mutation into disease progression cohorts based on quantitative neuroimaging, cognitive, and functional markers for research purposes. Unfortunately, many research studies do not collect quantitative neuroimaging data, and so the authors of the HD-ISS have subsequently provided approximated cohort thresholds based on disease and clinical data alone. However, these are rough proxies that aim to maximise stage separation, and should not be considered as 1:1 substitutes for the HD-ISS. Notably, no wet biomarker met the stringent criteria required to be considered a landmark for HD-ISS categorisation. We have previously shown that levels of plasma neurofilament light (NfL), a neuronal marker associated with axonal injury, are associated with predicted years to clinical motor diagnosis (CMD). Our objective in the current study was to determine whether HD-ISS categorisation, particularly for stages prior to CMD, could be improved with consideration of plasma NfL levels.

METHODS

A total of 290 blood samples, and clinical measures, were collected from participants across all HD-ISS stages: n = 50 [Stage 0], n = 64 [Stage 1], n = 63 [Stage 2], n = 63 [Stage 3], as well as 50 healthy controls. Plasma NfL levels were measured using a Meso Scale Discovery assay.

FINDINGS

Cohorts differed by age, cognitive function, CAG repeat length, and select UHDRS measures. Plasma NfL levels also differed significantly across cohorts. Approximately 50% of Stage 1 participants had plasma NfL levels indicative of predicted CMD within ten years.

INTERPRETATION

Our findings suggest that plasma NfL levels may have use in enriching Stage 1 membership into sub-groups that are less than, and within, predicted 10 years until CMD.

FUNDING

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NS111655 to E.A.T.); the UCSD Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence; and the UCSD Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (NIH-NIA P30 AG062429).

Associations between saliva and plasma cytokines in cognitively normal, older adults

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory responses play key roles in the development and progression of many pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. Accurate quantification of inflammatory factors in saliva would be highly advantageous, given its convenience and non-invasive nature, especially in elderly populations.

METHODS

In this study, we measured levels of 10 cytokines, and the pro-inflammatory factor, YKL-40, in plasma and saliva samples from a cohort of nondemented older adults (n = 71; 62% female; 70.3 ± 6.4 years) using sensitive electrochemiluminescence-based immunoassays.

RESULTS

We found that the mean levels of all cytokines were higher in saliva compared to plasma and that strong sex differences were observed for both saliva and plasma cytokines in this population. Comparing each cytokine between the two biofluids, we found that levels of interferon-gamma (IFNγ), interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in blood were significantly correlated with their respective levels in saliva. We further observed that levels of these cytokines in blood were significantly correlated with additional cytokines in saliva, including IL-1β, IL-10, IL-8, IL12p70 and IL-13.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that inflammatory markers in saliva are associated with those found in circulation, suggesting shared inflammatory mechanisms between these two fluids. The higher levels of cytokines measured in saliva suggest that it might represent a better peripheral fluid to gauge inflammatory processes. Finally, our findings of robust sex differences in several salivary cytokines could have important implications for their potential use as disease biomarkers in the elderly and might be related to sex differences in the prevalence of age-related conditions.

RF24 | PSUN110 A Cross-Sectional Study Evaluating the Impact of Combined Hormonal Contraceptives on Components of Energy Balance in Pre-Menopausal Women with Overweight or Obesity

Background

Combined estrogen and progestin hormonal contraceptives (CHCs, including combined oral contraceptives, hormonal patches, or vaginal rings) expose women to supraphysiologic levels of reproductive hormones, which in turn suppress endogenous estrogen and progesterone. Sustained elevations of synthetic estrogen/progestin or suppression of endogenous hormones in CHC users may lead to altered dietary intake and/or patterns of physical activity (PA). Previously, we reported that CHC use was associated with higher energy intake (EI) and weight regain over 1 year after weight loss in women with overweight and obesity enrolled in a behavioral weight loss program, suggesting a potential impact of CHCs on energy balance in the weight reduced state. The aim of this secondary data analysis was to compare dietary intake and PA in weight-stable women with overweight or obesity using CHCs to non-CHC users.

Methods

Pre-menopausal women with overweight or obesity (n=269, age 18-55 years, BMI 27-45kg/m2) enrolled in 3 different interventional weight loss trials were categorized as CHC users (CHC, n=48) or non-CHC controls (CON, n=221). Fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM) were measured with DXA. Self-reported dietary energy and macronutrient intake was obtained from either 3-day (n=178) or 7-day (n=91) written diet diaries and analyzed using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) software. Healthy eating index (HEI) scores for diet quality were calculated in a subset (CHC=17, CON=84) of participants using variables available in NDSR output files. Additionally, average daily step counts were measured over 1 week in a subset (CHC=27, CON=143) of participants using the activPAL device.

Results

Age was lower in CHC users (mean±SD; CHC 35.3±9.0 vs. CON 39.4±7.6 years, p<0.01), but race and ethnicity did not differ between the two groups. After controlling for age, there were no significant differences between groups in baseline BMI (mean±SEM; CHC 34.3±0.7 vs. CON 34.8±0.3 kg/m2), weight (93.6±2.4 vs. 94.2±1.1 kg), %FM (43.3±0.6 vs. 42.7±0.3%), or %LM (54.3±0.6 vs. 54.7±0.3%). There were no significant differences between groups in EI (mean±SEM; CHC 1763.7±78.1 vs. CON 1768.8±36.7 kcal); proportions of fat (36.7±0.9 vs. 36.9±0.4%), carbohydrate (43.9±1.1 vs. 44.3±0.5%), and protein intake (17.7±0.6 vs. 17.3±0.3%); or HEI scores (58.3±2.9 vs. 56.8±1.3). There was a trend for lower daily step count in CHC users (mean±SEM; CHC 5978±460 vs. CON 6913±197 steps/day, p=0.07).

Conclusion

Daily steps tended to be lower in CHC users compared to controls, while differences in self-reported dietary intake were not observed. Future studies that are done in larger samples over a greater range of BMI and with more detailed measures of PA timed to the menstrual cycle are needed to explore the extent to which CHC use may impact energy balance in women.

Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Sunday, June 12, 2022 1:06 p.m. - 1:11 p.m.

Predictors of posttraumatic stress symptom severity and meaning made in treatment-seeking veterans

OBJECTIVE

Combat-exposed veterans risk encountering events that disrupt beliefs. To facilitate reduced discrepancy between prior beliefs and current trauma appraisals, veterans may engage in a process of meaning-making. Meaning-making can lead to positive outcomes, such as integrating the traumatic event into one's life narrative or adapting global meaning (meaning made) or elicit distress. Given these potentially different outcomes, this study examined potential correlates of posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) severity and meaning made, including relationship attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance, and difficulties with emotion regulation, while controlling for combat exposure.

METHOD

Veterans receiving mental health services at a Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center and a VA community-based outpatient clinic (N = 130) completed measures through a paper-and-pencil survey. Almost all participants (92%) were male, with a mean age of 55.92 years.

RESULTS

In terms of meaning made, lower levels of attachment anxiety and emotional clarity (an aspect of emotion regulation) predicted higher meaning made. In terms of PTSS severity, higher attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior (an aspect of emotion regulation) significantly predicted higher PTSS severity.

CONCLUSION

Aspects of both attachment style and emotion regulation difficulties affect meaning made and PTSS severity. These constructs may be especially relevant for clinicians working with veterans to help PTSS and support meaning made postcombat.

Early time-restricted eating compared with daily caloric restriction: A randomized trial in adults with obesity

OBJECTIVE

This trial aimed to evaluate the acceptability and efficacy of early time-restricted eating plus daily caloric restriction (E-TRE+DCR) compared with DCR alone within a behavioral weight-loss intervention.

METHODS

Participants (n = 81, 69 women, mean [SD] age: 38.0 [7.8] years, BMI: 34.1 [5.7] kg/m² ) were randomized to E-TRE (10-hour eating window starting within 3 hours of waking) plus DCR or DCR alone (~35% DCR) for 39 weeks. The primary outcome was body weight (measured with digital scale) at week 12. Secondary outcomes measured at week 12 included hemoglobin A1c, lipids, energy intake (photographic food records), physical activity (accelerometry), dietary adherence (questionnaires), and body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry). Weight and body composition were also assessed at week 39.

RESULTS

Mean [SD] weight loss was not different between groups at week 12 (E-TRE+DCR: -6.2 [4.1] kg vs. DCR: -5.1 [3.2] kg) or at week 39 (E-TRE: -4.9 [5.3] kg vs. DCR: -4.3 [5.3] kg). There were no between-group differences in changes in body composition, dietary adherence, energy intake, physical activity, hemoglobin A1c, or lipids at week 12.

CONCLUSIONS

E-TRE+DCR was found to be an acceptable dietary strategy, resulting in similar levels of adherence and weight loss compared with DCR alone.

Associations between prognostic index scores and plasma neurofilament light in Huntington's disease

INTRODUCTION

The inclusion of premanifest Huntington's Disease (Pre-HD) subjects in clinical trials necessitates selecting those who are near transition to manifest Huntington's disease (Man-HD). We previously determined that plasma neurofilament light (NfL) levels are significantly correlated with predicted years to Man-HD onset, using established formulae. Recently, a new normalized prognostic index (PIN) score for predicting Pre-HD disease progression has been validated. Our objective was to determine whether plasma NfL levels are similarly associated with PIN score and PIN score-derived years to Man-HD onset (PIN-YTO).

METHOD

112 individuals (46 Pre-HD, 66 Man-HD) underwent blood sample collection and clinical assessment, inclusive of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test and Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale Total Motor Score. Plasma NfL levels were measured using a Meso Scale Discovery assay.

RESULTS

Pre-HD and Man-HD cohorts differed by age (p < .0001), and CAG repeat number (p = .004), but not education level or gender. Plasma NfL levels were significantly correlated with PIN scores (r = 0.69, p < .0001) and PIN-YTO (r = -0.69, p < .0001). Plasma NfL levels were similarly correlated with predicted years to onset scores determined using Langbehn and colleague's formula (r = -0.68, p < .0001). All significant correlations endured corrections for age and CAG repeat number. A plasma NfL cut-point of <45.0 pg/ml distinguished Pre-HD participants >10 predicted years from Man-HD onset, compared to those ≤10 predicted years.

CONCLUSIONS

We have extensively shown that plasma NfL levels are associated with predicted years to manifest HD onset in Pre-HD participants, and present a plasma NfL cut-point that may help exclude far-from-onset Pre-HD patients from clinical trials.

Improving lifestyle obesity treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: New challenges for weight management

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes to daily life and many health-related behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine how the stay-at-home/safer-at-home mandates issued in Colorado (March 2020-May 2020) impacted lifestyle behaviors and mental health among individuals with overweight or obesity participating in two separate behavioral weight loss trials (n = 82).

Methods

Questionnaires were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data on challenges to weight loss presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, including changes in dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and mental health during the stay-at-home/safer-at-home mandates.

Results

Using a convergent mixed method approach integrating qualitative and quantitative data, the greatest challenge experienced by participants was increased stress and anxiety, which led to more unhealthy behaviors. The majority perceived it to be harder to adhere to the prescribed diet (81%) and recommended physical activity (68%); however, self-reported exercise on weekdays increased significantly and 92% of participants lost weight or maintained weight within ±1% 5-6 weeks following the stay-at-home mandate.

Conclusion

Study results suggest that obesity treatment programs should consider and attempt to address the burden of stress and anxiety stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and other sources due to the negative effects they can have on weight management and associated behaviors.

Provider Perspectives on the Current Use of Lithium Medications and Lithium Monitoring Practices for Psychiatric Conditions

PURPOSE

Despite lithium being a gold standard treatment for bipolar disorder, the percentage of patients with bipolar disorder who are prescribed lithium medication has declined in many parts of the world over the past two decades. The use of lithium is limited by its narrow therapeutic window and adverse side effects, which necessitates frequent serum lithium monitoring; hence, there is a critical need for improved ways to monitor lithium levels in psychiatric patients. We have recently shown that saliva lithium levels are highly correlated with those in blood, thereby presenting an alternative to venipuncture. Saliva sampling could open the door for at-home collections - potential that has been exemplified throughout the COVID-19 pandemic - thereby allowing samples to be collected remotely and delivered to a specific site for testing. In addition, prototype point-of-care devices have been developed by others for serum lithium monitoring, suggesting potential for a saliva lithium monitoring device. Our objective was to query the perspectives of American psychiatrists on lithium treatment practices and obstacles, the potential for at-home saliva collection and point-of-care devices, for lithium monitoring, as an alternative to pathology-based blood testing.

METHODS

Data was collected through an online, anonymous survey, distributed to American psychiatric societies.

RESULTS

Sixty-five respondents from 21 American states completed the survey. The majority of respondents were female, over 65 years of age, and/or had practiced for 30 years or more. The most frequent obstacles encountered with regard to lithium monitoring were adverse drug effects, and the need for monitoring. Overall, respondents believed saliva lithium monitoring and point-of-care devices would be useful, however raised concerns regarding validity and time-delay.

CONCLUSION

Point-of-care devices and saliva lithium monitoring are promising alternatives to blood testing that would be welcomed by psychiatric societies, however, require extensive development and validation before implementation into a clinical setting.

Saliva testing as a means to monitor therapeutic lithium levels in patients with psychiatric disorders: Identification of clinical and environmental covariates, and their incorporation into a prediction model

OBJECTIVE

The narrow therapeutic window of lithium medications necessitates frequent serum monitoring, which can be expensive and inconvenient for the patient. Compared to blood, saliva collection is easier, non-invasive, requires less processing, and can be done without the need for trained personnel. This study investigated the utility of longitudinal salivary lithium level monitoring.

METHODS

We measured salivary lithium levels using ICP-OES in n = 169 passive drool samples, collected both as single observations and longitudinally for up to 18 months, from a multi-center cohort of n = 75 patients with bipolar disorder or other psychiatric conditions.

RESULTS

Saliva and serum lithium levels were highly correlated. Adjustment for daily lithium dose, diabetes, and smoking improved this relationship (r = 0.77). Using the adjusted intersubject equation and a patient's salivary lithium value, we observed a strong correlation between the predicted vs. observed serum lithium levels (r = 0.70). Most patients had highly stable saliva/serum ratios across multiple visits, with longitudinal variability significantly greater with age. Use of the intrasubject saliva/serum ratio from a single prior observation had similar predictive power to the use of the adjusted intersubject equation. However, the use of the mean intrasubject ratio from three prior observations could robustly predict serum lithium levels (predicted vs. observed r = 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings strongly suggest that saliva could be used for lithium monitoring, and open the door for the development and implementation of a point-of-care salivary lithium device for use at home or the clinic. We propose that the use of saliva will dramatically improve treatment opportunities for patients with mood disorders.

Plasma neurofilament light in Huntington's disease: A marker for disease onset, but not symptom progression

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether plasma NfL levels correlate with clinical symptom severity in premanifest (PM) and manifest HD (HD) individuals, and whether a NfL cut-point could distinguish PM from HD patients with reasonable accuracy.

METHOD

98 participants (33 control, 26 PM, 39 HD), underwent blood sample collection and clinical assessment, using both UHDRS and non-UHDRS measures, at one academic HD Center. Years to onset (YTO), probability of disease onset in 5 years, and predicted years until 60% onset probability were also calculated. NfL levels were measured using a Meso Scale Discovery assay.

RESULTS

Cohorts differed by age. NfL levels differed significantly across diagnostic groups and were significantly correlated with age. Age-adjusted NfL levels were not correlated with clinical measures in either HD or PM cohorts, but were correlated when cohorts were combined. In PM subjects, NfL levels correlated with YTO, probability of onset in 5 years, and years until 60% onset probability. Using ROC analysis, a NfL cut-point of <53.15 pg/ml distinguished HD from control; <74.84 pg/ml distinguished HD from PM.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings implicate plasma NfL as a peripheral prognostic marker for premanifest-HD. Notably, we show that significant correlations between NfL and clinical symptoms are detected only when PM + HD subjects are combined, but not within HD subjects alone. To date, prior studies have investigated the clinical usefulness of NfL exclusively in merged PM + HD cohorts. Our data suggests a biasing of these previous correlations, and hence potentially limited usefulness of plasma NfL in monitoring HD symptom progression, for example, in clinical trials.

Relationships among non-interpersonal and interpersonal trauma types, posttraumatic stress, and posttraumatic growth

METHODS

Adults seeking behavioral health or medical treatment (N = 158) were recruited from a community healthcare agency and a residential support program in the southeastern United States.

RESULTS

Individuals who reported interpersonal trauma had significantly higher total PTS severity and symptom clusters. No significant difference was found in perceived PTG based on trauma type. No significant curvilinear relationship between PTS and perceived PTG was found. A significant negative linear relationship was observed between PTS and perceived PTG for non-interpersonal trauma, but not interpersonal trauma.

CONCLUSION

Trauma type may influence the PTS and perceived PTG relationship and, while associated with PTS, seems less important to reporting of perceived PTG.

Levels of Interleukin-6 in Saliva, but Not Plasma, Correlate with Clinical Metrics in Huntington's Disease Patients and Healthy Control Subjects

Growing evidence suggests that inflammatory responses, in both the brain and peripheral tissues, contribute to disease pathology in Huntington's disease (HD), an inherited, progressive neurodegenerative disorder typically affecting adults in their 30-40 s. Hence, studies of inflammation-related markers in peripheral fluids might be useful to better characterize disease features. In this study, we measured levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1B), and alpha-amylase (AA) in saliva and plasma from n = 125 subjects, including n = 37 manifest HD patients, n = 36 premanifest patients, and n = 52 healthy controls, using immunoassays. We found increases in salivary levels of IL-6, IL-1B and CRP across different disease groups and increased levels of IL-6 in the plasma of HD patients as compared to premanifest patients and controls. The levels of salivary IL-6 were significantly correlated with each of the other salivary markers, as well as with IL-6 levels measured in plasma. Further, salivary IL-6 and IL-1B levels were significantly positively correlated with Total Motor Score (TMS) and chorea scores and negatively correlated with Total Functional Capacity (TFC) in HD patients, whereby in healthy control subjects, IL-6 was significantly negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Symbol Digit Modalities test (SDM). Interestingly, the plasma levels of IL-6 did not show similar correlations to any clinical measures in either HD or control subjects. These findings suggest that salivary IL-6 is particularly relevant as a potential non-invasive biomarker for HD symptoms. The advent of an effective, dependable salivary biomarker would meet the urgent need for a less invasive means of identifying and monitoring HD disease progression.

Uric Acid as a Potential Peripheral Biomarker for Disease Features in Huntington's Patients

Oxidative stress has long been implicated in the pathophysiology and progression of Huntington's disease (HD). Uric acid (UA) is a naturally occurring antioxidant that is present in the brain and periphery. Growing evidence has implicated UA as a molecular biomarker for several neurodegenerative diseases, most notably Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we investigated UA levels in clinical samples from HD patients and normal controls (NCs) and assessed potential relationships between UA levels and disease and clinical data. UA levels were measured in plasma (n = 107) and saliva (n = 178) samples from premanifest (pre-HD) and manifest HD patients and control subjects. Gender effects of UA levels were observed in both biofluids, with male patients showing higher UA levels compared to female patients. Comparisons of UA levels across diagnostic groups, separated by gender, revealed that both plasma and salivary UA levels were significantly lower in female pre-HD and manifest HD patients compared to NCs. Salivary levels of UA were also significantly lower in male manifest HD patients versus controls, but not in plasma. Correlations of peripheral UA levels to clinical data also showed differences according to gender. In male HD patients, both plasma and salivary UA levels were significantly negatively correlated with total functional capacity (TFC), while positive correlations were observed with total motor score (TMS). Female HD patients showed a significant positive correlation between plasma UA levels and TMS, while salivary UA levels from female patients were significantly correlated to disease burden. Finally, in a separate cohort, we show that UA levels are decreased in postmortem prefrontal cortical samples (n = 20) from HD subjects compared to matched controls. These findings suggest that decreased levels of UA in the brains of HD patients can be reflected in peripheral fluids, with salivary measures of UA particularly offering significant promise as a potentially relevant, non-invasive biomarker of disease symptoms and burden. Our findings further highlight the impact of sexual dimorphism in HD pathophysiology.

Evaluation of Biochemical and Epigenetic Measures of Peripheral Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) as a Biomarker in Huntington's Disease Patients

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative movement disorder that presents with prominent cognitive and psychiatric dysfunction. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of HD, as well as other neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, and epigenetic alterations in the complex BDNF promoter have been associated with its deregulation in pathological conditions. BDNF has gained increased attention as a potential biomarker of disease; but currently, the conflicting results from measurements of BDNF in different biofluids difficult the assessment of its utility as a biomarker for HD. Here, we measured BDNF protein levels in plasma (n = 85) and saliva (n = 81) samples from premanifest and manifest HD patients and normal controls using ELISA assays. We further examined DNA methylation levels of BDNF promoter IV using DNA derived from whole blood of HD patients and healthy controls (n = 40) using pyrosequencing. BDNF protein levels were not significantly different in plasma samples across diagnostic groups. Plasma BDNF was significantly correlated with age in control subjects but not in HD patients, nor were significant gender effects observed. Similar to plasma, salivary BDNF was correlated with age only in control subjects, with no gender effects observed. Importantly, we detected significantly lower levels of salivary BDNF in premanifest and manifest HD patients compared to control subjects, with lower BDNF levels being observed in premanifest patients within a predicted 10 years to disease onset. Salivary and plasma BDNF levels were not significantly correlated with one another, suggesting different origins. DNA methylation at four out of the 12 CpG sites studied in promoter IV were significantly altered in HD patients in comparison to controls. Interestingly, methylation at three of these CpG sites was inversely correlated to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. BDNF promoter methylation was not correlated with motor or cognitive scores in HD patients, and was not associated with sex or age in neither disease nor control groups. Conclusion: Our studies show that BDNF protein levels are decreased in saliva; and BDNF promoter methylation increased in blood in HD subjects when compared to controls. These findings suggest that salivary BDNF measures may represent an early marker of disease onset and DNA methylation at the BDNF promoter IV, could represent a biomarker of psychiatric symptoms in HD patients.

Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement Restructures Reward Processing and Promotes Interoceptive Awareness in Overweight Cancer Survivors: Mechanistic Results From a Stage 1 Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: The primary aims of this Stage I pilot randomized controlled trial were to establish the feasibility of integrating exercise and nutrition counseling with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a novel intervention that unites training in mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring skills to target mechanisms underpinning appetitive dysregulation a pathogenic process that contributes to obesity among cancer survivors; to identify potential therapeutic mechanisms of the MORE intervention; and to obtain effect sizes to power a subsequent Stage II trial. Methods: Female overweight and obese cancer survivors (N = 51; mean age = 57.92 ± 10.04; 88% breast cancer history; 96% white) were randomized to one of two 10-week study treatment conditions: (a) exercise and nutrition counseling or (b) exercise and nutrition counseling plus the MORE intervention. Trial feasibility was assessed via recruitment and retention metrics. Measures of therapeutic mechanisms included self-reported interoceptive awareness, maladaptive eating behaviors, and savoring, as well as natural reward responsiveness and food attentional bias, which were evaluated as psychophysiological mechanisms. Results: Feasibility was demonstrated by 82% of participants who initiated MORE receiving a full dose of the intervention. Linear mixed models revealed that the addition of MORE led to significantly greater increases in indices of interoceptive awareness, savoring, and natural reward responsiveness, and, significantly greater decreases in external eating behaviors and food attentional bias—the latter of which was significantly associated with decreases in waist-to-hip ratio. Path analysis demonstrated that the effect of MORE on reducing food attentional bias was mediated by increased zygomatic electromyographic activation during attention to natural rewards. Conclusions and Implications: MORE may target appetitive dysregulatory mechanisms implicated in obesity by promoting interoceptive awareness and restructuring reward responsiveness.

Effectiveness of Intermittent Fasting and Time-Restricted Feeding Compared to Continuous Energy Restriction for Weight Loss

The current obesity epidemic is staggering in terms of its magnitude and public health impact. Current guidelines recommend continuous energy restriction (CER) along with a comprehensive lifestyle intervention as the cornerstone of obesity treatment, yet this approach produces modest weight loss on average. Recently, there has been increased interest in identifying alternative dietary weight loss strategies that involve restricting energy intake to certain periods of the day or prolonging the fasting interval between meals (i.e., intermittent energy restriction, IER). These strategies include intermittent fasting (IMF; >60% energy restriction on 2-3 days per week, or on alternate days) and time-restricted feeding (TRF; limiting the daily period of food intake to 8-10 h or less on most days of the week). Here, we summarize the current evidence for IER regimens as treatments for overweight and obesity. Specifically, we review randomized trials of ≥8 weeks in duration performed in adults with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) in which an IER paradigm (IMF or TRF) was compared to CER, with the primary outcome being weight loss. Overall, the available evidence suggests that IER paradigms produce equivalent weight loss when compared to CER, with 9 out of 11 studies reviewed showing no differences between groups in weight or body fat loss.

Reducing Mcl-1 gene dosage induces dopaminergic neuronal loss and motor impairments in Park2 knockout mice

Mutations in the PARK2 gene are associated with early onset Parkinsonism. The Park2 -/- mouse, however, does not exhibit neurodegeneration or other Parkinson's disease (PD) phenotypes. Previously, we discovered that translation of Mcl-1, a pro-survival factor, is upregulated in the Park2 -/- mouse, suggesting a compensatory mechanism during development. Here we generated the Park2 -/- Mcl-1 +/- mouse and show that by reducing Mcl-1 gene dosage by 50%, the Park2 -/- genotype is sensitized, conferring both dopaminergic neuron loss and motor impairments. We propose that this murine model could be a useful tool for dissecting PD etiology and developing treatment strategies against this neurodegenerative disease.

Salivary levels of total huntingtin are elevated in Huntington's disease patients

Patients with Huntington's disease (HD), an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease, show substantial variability in age-of-onset, symptom severity and course of illness, warranting the need for biomarkers to anticipate and monitor these features. The HD gene encodes the disease protein huntingtin (Htt), a potentially useful biomarker for this disease. In the current study, we determined whether total Htt protein (normal plus mutant; "tHtt") could be reliably measured in human saliva, a body fluid that is much more accessible compared to cerebral spinal fluid or even blood, and whether salivary levels of tHtt were clinically meaningful. We collected 146 saliva samples from manifest HD patients, early-premanifest individuals, late-premanifest patients, gene-negative family members and normal controls. We found that tHtt protein could be reliably and stably detected in human saliva and that tHtt levels were significantly increased in saliva from HD individuals compared to normal controls. Salivary tHtt showed no gender effects, nor were levels correlated with total protein levels in saliva. Salivary tHtt was significantly positively correlated with age, but not age-of-onset or CAG-repeat length. Importantly, salivary tHtt was significantly correlated with several clinical measures, indicating relevance to disease symptom onset and/or severity. Measurements of salivary tHtt offer significant promise as a relevant, non-invasive disease biomarker for HD, and its use could be implemented into clinical applications.

Complex neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects of histone deacetylases

By their ability to shatter quality of life for both patients and caregivers, neurodegenerative diseases are the most devastating of human disorders. Unfortunately, there are no effective or long-terms treatments capable of slowing down the relentless loss of neurons in any of these diseases. One impediment is the lack of detailed knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the processes of neurodegeneration. While some neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are mostly sporadic in nature, driven by both environment and genetic susceptibility, many others, including Huntington's disease, spinocerebellar ataxias, and spinal-bulbar muscular atrophy, are genetically inherited disorders. Surprisingly, given their different roots and etiologies, both sporadic and genetic neurodegenerative disorders have been linked to disease mechanisms involving histone deacetylase (HDAC) proteins, which consists of 18 family members with diverse functions. While most studies have implicated certain HDAC subtypes in promoting neurodegeneration, a substantial body of literature suggests that other HDAC proteins can preserve neuronal viability. Of particular interest, however, is the recent realization that a single HDAC subtype can have both neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects. Diverse mechanisms, beyond transcriptional regulation have been linked to these effects, including deacetylation of non-histone proteins, protein-protein interactions, post-translational modifications of the HDAC proteins themselves and direct interactions with disease proteins. The roles of these HDACs in both sporadic and genetic neurodegenerative diseases will be discussed in the current review.

Changed gene expression in subjects with schizophrenia and low cortical muscarinic M1 receptors predicts disrupted upstream pathways interacting with that receptor

We tested the hypothesis that, compared with subjects with no history of psychiatric illness (controls), changes in gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from two subgroups of subjects with schizophrenia, one with a marked deficit in muscarinic M1 receptors (muscarinic receptor-deficit schizophrenia (MRDS)), would identify different biochemical pathways that would be affected by their aetiologies. Hence, we measured levels of cortical (Brodmann area 9) mRNA in 15 MRDS subjects, 15 subjects with schizophrenia but without a deficit in muscarinic M1 receptors (non-MRDS) and 15 controls using Affymetrix Exon 1.0 ST arrays. Levels of mRNA for 65 genes were significantly different in the cortex of subjects with MRDS and predicted changes in pathways involved in cellular movement and cell-to-cell signalling. Levels of mRNA for 45 genes were significantly different in non-MRDS and predicted changes in pathways involved in cellular growth and proliferation as well as cellular function and maintenance. Changes in gene expression also predicted effects on pathways involved in amino acid metabolism, molecular transport and small-molecule biochemistry in both MRDS and non-MRDS. Overall, our data argue a prominent role for glial function in MRDS and neurodevelopment in non-MRDS. Finally, the interactions of gene with altered levels of mRNA in the cortex of subjects with MRDS suggest many of their affects will be upstream of the muscarinic M1 receptor. Our study gives new insight into the molecular pathways affected in the cortex of subjects with MRDS and supports the notion that studying subgroups within the syndrome of schizophrenia is worthwhile.

Greater Reward-Related Neuronal Response to Hedonic Foods in Women Compared with Men

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to identify how sex influences neurobiological responses to food cues, particularly those related to hedonic eating, and how this relates to obesity propensity, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

METHODS

Adult men and women who were either obesity resistant (OR) or obesity prone (OP) underwent fMRI while viewing visual food cues (hedonic foods, neutral foods, and nonfood objects) in both fasted and fed states.

RESULTS

When fasted, a significant sex effect on the response to hedonic vs. neutral foods was observed, with greater responses in women than men in the nucleus accumbens (P = 0.0002) and insula (P = 0.010). Sex-based differences were not observed in the fed state. No significant group effects (OP vs. OR) or group-by-sex interactions were observed in fasted or fed states.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater fasted responses to hedonic food cues in reward-related brain regions were observed in women compared with men, suggesting that women may be more sensitive to the reward value of hedonic foods than men when fasted. This may indicate sex-dependent neurophysiology underlying eating behaviors.

Beneficial effects of glatiramer acetate in Huntington's disease mouse models: Evidence for BDNF-elevating and immunomodulatory mechanisms

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, neurodegenerative movement disorder that has no cure and few treatment options. In these preclinical studies, we tested the effects of chronic treatment of glatiramer acetate (GA; Copaxone®), an FDA-approved drug used as first-line therapy for MS, in two different HD mouse models, and explored potential mechanisms of action of drug efficacy. Groups of CAG140 knock-in and N171-82Q transgenic mice were treated with GA for up to 1year of age (CAG140 knock-in mice) or 20weeks (N171-82Q mice). Various behavioral assays were measured over the course of drug treatment whereby GA treatment delayed the onset and reduced the severity of HD behavioral symptoms in both mouse models. The beneficial actions of GA were associated with elevated levels of promoter I- and IV-driven brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) expression and reduced levels of cytokines, in particular, interleukins IL4 and IL12, in the brains of HD mice. In addition, the GA-induced effects on BDNF, IL4 and IL12 levels were detected in plasma from drug-treated mice and rats, suggesting utility as a peripheral biomarker of treatment effectiveness. These preclinical studies support the use of GA as a relevant clinical therapy for HD patients.

Isoform specific differences in phospholipase C beta 1 expression in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia and suicide

Our previous study demonstrated that phospholipase C beta 1 mRNA was down-regulated in Brodmann's area 46 from subjects with schizophrenia. However, phospholipase C beta 1 protein has also been shown to be lower in Brodmann's area 8 and 9 from teenage suicide subjects, creating a potential confound in interpreting the findings in schizophrenia due to the high suicide rate associated with this disorder. To begin to reconcile and consolidate these findings, in this study, we measured mRNA and protein levels of phospholipase C beta 1 variants a and b in Brodmann's area 46 and Brodmann's area 9 from subjects with schizophrenia, many of whom were suicide completers, and determined the diagnostic specificity of observed findings. Consistent with our previous study, levels of phospholipase C beta 1 a and b mRNA, but not protein, were lower in Brodmann's area 46 from subjects with schizophrenia. In Brodmann's area 9, phospholipase C beta 1a protein levels were lower in subjects with schizophrenia, while phospholipase C beta 1b mRNA was higher and protein was lower in those that had died of suicide. Altered protein levels in Brodmann's area 9 appeared to be diagnostically specific, as we did not detect these changes in subjects with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder or suicide completers with no diagnosis of mental illness. We further assessed the relationship between phospholipase C beta 1 and levels of muscarinic receptors (CHRMs) that signal through this protein, in both human and Chrm knockout mouse central nervous system tissue, and found no strong relationship between the two. Understanding central nervous system differences in downstream effector pathways in schizophrenia may lead to improved treatment strategies and help to identify those at risk of suicide.

Pain, hedonic regulation, and opioid misuse: Modulation of momentary experience by Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement in opioid-treated chronic pain patients

BACKGROUND

Given the risk of opioid misuse among chronic pain patients being treated with long-term opioid pharmacotherapy, non-pharmacological treatments are needed. Further, in light of hedonic deficits in this population, therapies that enhance positive affect may be useful. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of a Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) intervention on ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of pain and positive affective experience, and to determine if changes in pain, affect, and their interaction were associated with opioid misuse at post-treatment.

METHODS

This study examined unpublished EMA data from a subset of participants (N=55) in a previously published RCT (NCT01505101) of MORE versus a support group (SG) control. Across 8 weeks of treatment, patients completed up to 224 EMA measures of pain and affect. Multilevel models and generalized estimating equations examined effects of treatment on momentary pain and positive affect, and generalized linear models examined associations between pain and affect and changes in opioid misuse by post-treatment.

RESULTS

Patients in MORE reported significantly greater improvements in momentary pain (p=0.01) and positive affect (p=0.004) than patients in the SG. Further, over the entire course of treatment, patients in MORE were significantly more likely to exhibit positive affect regulation (OR=2.75) than patients in the SG. Finally, improvements in positive affect (but not pain) over the course of intervention were associated with reduced risk of misusing opioids by post-treatment (p=0.02).

CONCLUSION

MORE may be a useful non-pharmacological treatment for pain and hedonic deficits among chronic pain patients at risk for opioid misuse.

DNA methylation in Huntington's disease: Implications for transgenerational effects

Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating, neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat mutation in the HTT gene. A growing body of evidence suggests that epigenetic modifications play a key role in HD pathogenesis. Expression of the disease protein, huntingtin, leads to extensive transcriptional dysregulation due to disruption of histone-modifying complexes and altered interactions with chromatin-related factors. Such epigenetic mechanisms also readily respond to environmental factors, which are now thought to influence the risk, onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders, including HD. DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that has been studied intensively, however, its role in HD is just emerging. In this review, DNA methylation differences associated with HD will be summarized, as well as the role of environmental factors to alter DNA methylation in a manner that could alter disease phenotypes. Further, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance will be discussed in the context of relevant environmental factors and their potential links to HD. The study of epigenetic states in HD presents an opportunity to gain new insights into risk factors and pathogenic mechanisms associated with HD, as well as to inform about treatment options.

The Effects of Pharmacological Inhibition of Histone Deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) in Huntington's Disease Mice

An important epigenetic modification in Huntington’s disease (HD) research is histone acetylation, which is regulated by histone acetyltransferase and histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes. HDAC inhibitors have proven effective in HD model systems, and recent work is now focused on functional dissection of the individual HDAC enzymes in these effects. Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), a member of the class I subfamily of HDACs, has previously been implicated in neuronal toxicity and huntingtin-induced cell death. Hence, we tested the effects of RGFP966 ((E)-N-(2-amino-4-fluorophenyl)-3-(1-cinnamyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)acrylamide), a benzamide-type HDAC inhibitor that selectively targets HDAC3, in the N171-82Q transgenic mouse model of HD. We found that RGFP966 at doses of 10 and 25 mg/kg improves motor deficits on rotarod and in open field exploration, accompanied by neuroprotective effects on striatal volume. In light of previous studies implicating HDAC3 in immune function, we measured gene expression changes for 84 immune-related genes elicited by RGFP966 using quantitative PCR arrays. RGFP966 treatment did not cause widespread changes in cytokine/chemokine gene expression patterns, but did significantly alter the striatal expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (Mif), a hormone immune modulator associated with glial cell activation, in N171-82Q transgenic mice, but not WT mice. Accordingly, RGFP966-treated mice showed decreased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity, a marker of astrocyte activation, in the striatum of N171-82Q transgenic mice compared to vehicle-treated mice. These findings suggest that the beneficial actions of HDAC3 inhibition could be related, in part, with lowered Mif levels and its associated downstream effects.

Increased cortical expression of the zinc transporter SLC39A12 suggests a breakdown in zinc cellular homeostasis as part of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia

Our expression microarray studies showed messenger RNA (mRNA) for solute carrier family 39 (zinc transporter), member 12 (SLC39A12) was higher in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from subjects with schizophrenia (Sz) in comparison with controls. To better understand the significance of these data we ascertained whether SLC39A12 mRNA was altered in a number of cortical regions (Brodmann’s area (BA) 8, 9, 44) from subjects with Sz, in BA 9 from subjects with mood disorders and in rats treated with antipsychotic drugs. In addition, we determined whether inducing the expression of SLC39A12 resulted in an increased cellular zinc uptake. SLC39A12 variant 1 and 2 mRNA was measured using quantitative PCR. Zinc uptake was measured in CHO cells transfected with human SLC39A12 variant 1 and 2. In Sz, compared with controls, SLC39A12 variant 1 and 2 mRNA was higher in all cortical regions studied. The were no differences in levels of mRNA for either variant of SLC39A12 in BA 9 from subjects with mood disorders and levels of mRNA for Slc39a12 was not different in the cortex of rats treated with antipsychotic drugs. Finally, expressing both variants in CHO-K1 cells was associated with an increase in radioactive zinc uptake. As increased levels of murine Slc39a12 mRNA has been shown to correlate with increasing cellular zinc uptake, our data would be consistent with the possibility of a dysregulated zinc homeostasis in the cortex of subjects with schizophrenia due to altered expression of SLC39A12.

Disease Modifying Potential of Glatiramer Acetate in Huntington's Disease

BACKGROUND

Deficiencies in brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD).

OBJECTIVE

Glatiramer acetate, an FDA- approved drug used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, has been shown to increase brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor levels in immune cells; hence, we investigated whether it could have similar effects in striatal cells.

METHODS

Wild-type and HD striatal cells were treated with glatiramer acetate for 48 hrs. HD transgenic and wild-type mice were injected with glatiramer acetate (1.5 to 1.7 mg/mouse) for five days. These treatments were followed by protein measurements for brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor.

RESULTS

Glatiramer acetate elicited concentration-dependent increases in brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor protein levels in wild-type and HD striatal cells and in striatal tissue from N171-82Q transgenic mice. Glatiramer acetate also improved metabolic activity of HD striatal cells, and significantly reduced the early hyperactivity phenotype exhibited by N171-82Q transgenic mice.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that glatiramer acetate may represent a useful therapeutic approach for HD. The excellent safety and tolerability record of this compound makes it an ideal candidate for drug repurposing efforts.

Linking dispositional mindfulness and positive psychological processes in cancer survivorship: a multivariate path analytic test of the mindfulness-to-meaning theory

BACKGROUND

Research indicates that dispositional mindfulness is associated with positive psychological functioning. Although this disposition has been linked with beneficial outcomes in the broader mental health literature, less is known about dispositional mindfulness in cancer survivors and how it may be linked with indices of psychological and physical health relevant to cancer survivorship.

METHODS

We conducted a multivariate path analysis of data from a heterogeneous sample of cancer patients (N = 97) to test the Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory, an extended process model of emotion regulation linking dispositional mindfulness with cancer-related quality of life via positive psychological processes.

RESULTS

We found that patients endorsing higher levels of dispositional mindfulness were more likely to pay attention to positive experiences (β = .56), a tendency which was associated with positive reappraisal of stressful life events (β = .51). Patients who engaged in more frequent positive reappraisal had a greater sense of meaning in life (β = .43) and tended to savor rewarding or life affirming events (β = .50). In turn, those who engaged in high levels of savoring had better quality of life (β = .33) and suffered less from emotional distress (β = -.54).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide support for the Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory and help explicate the processes by which mindfulness promotes psychological flourishing in the face of cancer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORSHIP

Cancer survivors may benefit from enhancing mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Greater hunger and less restraint predict weight loss success with phentermine treatment

OBJECTIVE

Phentermine is thought to cause weight loss through a reduction in hunger. It was hypothesized that higher hunger ratings would predict greater weight loss with phentermine.

METHODS

This is an observational pilot study in which all subjects were treated with phentermine for 8 weeks and appetite and eating behaviors were measured at baseline and week 8. Outcomes were compared in subjects with ≥5% vs. <5% weight loss, and linear regression was used to identify predictors of percent weight loss.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven subjects (37 ± 4.5 years, 93.8 ± 12.1 kg, BMI 33.8 ± 3.1 kg m(-2) ) completed the study, with mean weight loss of -5.4 ± 3.3 kg (-5.7% ± 3.2%). Subjects with ≥5% weight loss had higher baseline pre-breakfast hunger (P = 0.017), desire to eat (P =0.003), and prospective food consumption (0.006) and lower baseline cognitive restraint (P = 0.01). In addition, higher baseline home prospective food consumption (P = 0.002) and lower baseline cognitive restraint (P < 0.001) were found to be predictors of weight loss.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that individuals reporting greater hunger and less restraint are more likely to achieve significant weight loss with phentermine. This information can be used clinically to determine who might benefit most from phentermine treatment.

LPA signaling initiates schizophrenia-like brain and behavioral changes in a mouse model of prenatal brain hemorrhage

Genetic, environmental and neurodevelopmental factors are thought to underlie the onset of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. How these risk factors collectively contribute to pathology is unclear. Here, we present a mouse model of prenatal intracerebral hemorrhage--an identified risk factor for schizophrenia--using a serum-exposure paradigm. This model exhibits behavioral, neurochemical and schizophrenia-related gene expression alterations in adult females. Behavioral alterations in amphetamine-induced locomotion, prepulse inhibition, thigmotaxis and social interaction--in addition to increases in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area and decreases in parvalbumin-positive cells in the prefrontal cortex--were induced upon prenatal serum exposure. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a lipid component of serum, was identified as a key molecular initiator of schizophrenia-like sequelae induced by serum. Prenatal exposure to LPA alone phenocopied many of the schizophrenia-like alterations seen in the serum model, whereas pretreatment with an antagonist against the LPA receptor subtype LPA1 prevented many of the behavioral and neurochemical alterations. In addition, both prenatal serum and LPA exposure altered the expression of many genes and pathways related to schizophrenia, including the expression of Grin2b, Slc17a7 and Grid1. These findings demonstrate that aberrant LPA receptor signaling associated with fetal brain hemorrhage may contribute to the development of some neuropsychiatric disorders.

Usual breakfast eating habits affect response to breakfast skipping in overweight women

OBJECTIVE

This randomized, cross-over trial was designed to investigate the metabolic and appetitive responses to skipping breakfast in overweight women who were habitual breakfast Eaters or Skippers.

METHODS

Nine Eaters and nine Skippers were studied on two separate days during which subjects ate breakfast (B) or had no breakfast (NB), followed by a standard lunch meal 4 h later. Blood sampling for hormones and metabolites was performed after lunch, and appetite was rated throughout the day.

RESULTS

Interactions between day and habitual breakfast pattern were seen for area under the curve (AUC) for insulin and free fatty acids (FFA). Both insulin (P = 0.020) and FFA (P = 0.023) AUC were higher on the NB day for Eaters but similar on both days for Skippers. Eaters had higher pre lunch hunger AUC on the NB day (P = 0.015) as well as lower pre lunch satiety AUC under both conditions (P = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study showed that the adverse effects of skipping breakfast (higher insulin and FFA responses to lunch, increased hunger, and decreased satiety) were found primarily in habitual breakfast eaters. This suggests that meal skipping may have enhanced effects in habitual Eaters due to entrainment of metabolic and appetitive regulatory systems.

Propensity to obesity impacts the neuronal response to energy imbalance

The mechanisms responsible for the propensity to gain weight or remain normal weight are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to study the neuronal response to visual food cues during short-term energy imbalance in healthy adults recruited as obesity-resistant (OR) or obesity-prone (OP) based on self-identification, body mass index, and personal/family weight history. Twenty-five OR and 28 OP subjects were studied in underfed (UF) and overfed (OF) as compared to eucaloric (EU) conditions in a randomized crossover design. Each study phase included a 3-day run-in diet, 1 day of controlled feeding (basal energy needs for EU, 40% above/below basal energy needs for OF/UF), and a test day. On the test day, fMRI was performed in the acute fed stated (30 min after a test meal) while subjects viewed images of foods of high hedonic value and neutral non-food objects. Measures of appetite and hormones were also performed before and every 30 min after the test meal. UF was associated with significantly increased activation of insula, somatosensory cortex, inferior and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), parahippocampus, precuneus, cingulate, and visual cortex in OR. However, UF had no impact in OP. As a result, UF was associated with significantly greater activation, specifically in the insula, inferior PFC, and somatosensory cortex in OR as compared to OP. While OF was overall associated with reduced activation of inferior visual cortex, no group interaction was observed with OF. In summary, these findings suggest that individuals resistant to weight gain and obesity are more sensitive to short-term energy imbalance, particularly with UF, than those prone to weight gain. The inability to sense or adapt to changes in energy balance may represent an important mechanism contributing to excess energy intake and risk for obesity.

The effects of energy balance, obesity-proneness and sex on the neuronal response to sweet taste

We have previously shown that propensity for weight gain, energy balance state and sex are important determinants of the neuronal response to visual food cues. It is not clear, though, whether these factors also impact the neuronal response to taste. The objective of this study was to examine the neuronal response to sweet taste during energy imbalance in men and women recruited to be obesity-prone (OP) or obesity-resistant (OR). OP (13 men and 12 women) and OR (12 men and 12 women) subjects were studied after 1 day of eucaloric, overfed and underfed conditions in a randomized crossover design. On each test day, fMRI was performed in the respective acute fed state while subjects received in random order 60 trials each of 1M sucrose solution (SU), or artificial saliva (AS) following a visual cue predicting the taste. The neuronal response to SU versus AS expectation was significantly greater in the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, putamen and insula in OR versus OP; SU receipt was not different between groups. There were also sex-based differences with men having greater neuronal response to SU versus AS receipt in the caudate than women. The results, however, were not impacted by the state of energy balance. In summary, response to expectation but not receipt of basic sweet taste was different in OR compared to OP, highlighting the importance of learning and conditioning in the propensity to gain weight. Response to sucrose taste receipt was stronger in men than women, raising questions about the effect of sex hormones on brain response to food.

The effectiveness of breakfast recommendations on weight loss: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Breakfast is associated with lower body weight in observational studies. Public health authorities commonly recommend breakfast consumption to reduce obesity, but the effectiveness of adopting these recommendations for reducing body weight is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

We tested the relative effectiveness of a recommendation to eat or skip breakfast on weight loss in adults trying to lose weight in a free-living setting.

DESIGN

We conducted a multisite, 16-wk, 3-parallel-arm randomized controlled trial in otherwise healthy overweight and obese adults [body mass index (in kg/m²) between 25 and 40] aged 20-65 y. Our primary outcome was weight change. We compared weight change in a control group with weight loss in experimental groups told to eat breakfast or to skip breakfast [no breakfast (NB)]. Randomization was stratified by prerandomization breakfast eating habits. A total of 309 participants were randomly assigned.

RESULTS

A total of 283 of the 309 participants who were randomly assigned completed the intervention. Treatment assignment did not have a significant effect on weight loss, and there was no interaction between initial breakfast eating status and treatment. Among skippers, mean (±SD) baseline weight-, age-, sex-, site-, and race-adjusted weight changes were -0.71 ± 1.16, -0.76 ± 1.26, and -0.61 ± 1.18 kg for the control, breakfast, and NB groups, respectively. Among breakfast consumers, mean (±SD) baseline weight-, age-, sex-, site-, and race-adjusted weight changes were -0.53 ± 1.16, -0.59 ± 1.06, and -0.71 ± 1.17 kg for the control, breakfast, and NB groups, respectively. Self-reported compliance with the recommendation was 93.6% for the breakfast group and 92.4% for the NB group.

CONCLUSIONS

A recommendation to eat or skip breakfast for weight loss was effective at changing self-reported breakfast eating habits, but contrary to widely espoused views this had no discernable effect on weight loss in free-living adults who were attempting to lose weight.

Involvement of HDAC1 and HDAC3 in the Pathology of Polyglutamine Disorders: Therapeutic Implications for Selective HDAC1/HDAC3 Inhibitors

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) enzymes, which affect the acetylation status of histones and other important cellular proteins, have been recognized as potentially useful therapeutic targets for a broad range of human disorders. Emerging studies have demonstrated that different types of HDAC inhibitors show beneficial effects in various experimental models of neurological disorders. HDAC enzymes comprise a large family of proteins, with18 HDAC enzymes currently identified in humans. Hence, an important question for HDAC inhibitor therapeutics is which HDAC enzyme(s) is/are important for the amelioration of disease phenotypes, as it has become clear that individual HDAC enzymes play different biological roles in the brain. This review will discuss evidence supporting the involvement of HDAC1 and HDAC3 in polyglutamine disorders, including Huntington's disease, and the use of HDAC1- and HDAC3-selective HDAC inhibitors as therapeutic intervention for these disorders. Further, while HDAC inhibitors are known alter chromatin structure resulting in changes in gene transcription, understanding the exact mechanisms responsible for the preclinical efficacy of these compounds remains a challenge. The potential chromatin-related and non-chromatin-related mechanisms of action of selective HDAC inhibitors will also be discussed.

Behavioral and transcriptome alterations in male and female mice with postnatal deletion of TrkB in dorsal striatal medium spiny neurons

Background

The high affinity tyrosine kinase receptor, TrkB, is the primary receptor for brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and plays an important role in development, maintenance and plasticity of the striatal output medium size spiny neuron. The striatal BDNF/TrkB system is thereby implicated in many physiologic and pathophysiologic processes, the latter including mood disorders, addiction, and Huntington’s disease. We crossed a mouse harboring a transgene directing cre-recombinase expression primarily to postnatal, dorsal striatal medium spiny neurons, to a mouse containing a floxed TrkB allele (fB) mouse designed for deletion of TrkB to determine its role in the adult striatum.

Results

We found that there were sexually dimorphic alterations in behaviors in response to stressful situations and drugs of abuse. Significant sex and/or genotype differences were found in the forced swim test of depression-like behaviors, anxiety-like behaviors on the elevated plus maze, and cocaine conditioned reward. Microarray analysis of dorsal striatum revealed significant dysregulation in individual and groups of genes that may contribute to the observed behavioral responses and in some cases, represent previously unidentified downstream targets of TrkB.

Conclusions

The data point to a set of behaviors and changes in gene expression following postnatal deletion of TrkB in the dorsal striatum distinct from those in other brain regions.

Place Knowing of Persons and Populations

Place emerges when space acquires definition in social constructions of meaning as landscape-languages, which reflect assumptions about physical and social realities. The place work of nursing, which resonated throughout Nightingale’s work and the profession’s evolution, focuses on human health and healing in the historical transitions and landscape-languages of populations. However, evidence-based practice dominated by empirical knowing inadequately addresses complex health and illness dynamics between place and populations. Translating evidence to the life course experiences of individuals and populations requires place knowing of human situated embodiment within discrete space. An exploration of the concept of place, its application to nursing, and the need for a place paradigm for practice is presented. A sense of salience and situated cognition has been identified as the essential element of the transformation needed in the education of nurses. Place knowing integrates other patterns of knowing (empirical, ethical, aesthetical, personal, unknowing, sociopolitical, and emancipatory) in a situated cognition. Place knowing, like other established patterns of knowing, is a significant epistemological foundation of nursing. Place knowing allows the nuanced intricately complex dynamics of embodied situated human health and illness to be examined, the salience of the particulars to be considered, and the whole of the landscape-languages to emerge.

Epigenetic changes at gene promoters in response to immune activation in utero

Increasing evidence suggests that maternal infection increases the risk of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism in offspring. However, the molecular mechanisms associated with these effects are unclear. Here, we have studied epigenetic gene regulation in mice exposed to non-specific immune activation elicited by polyI:C injection to pregnant dams. Using Western blot analysis, we detected global hypoacetylation of histone H3, at lysine residues 9 and 14, and histone H4, at lysine residue 8, in the cortex from juvenile (∼24days of age) offspring exposed to polyI:C in utero, but not from adult (3months of age) offspring, which exhibit significant behavioral abnormalities. Accordingly, we detected robust deficits in the expression of genes associated with neuronal development, synaptic transmission and immune signaling in the cortex of polyI:C-exposed juvenile mice. In particular, we found that several genes in the glutamate receptor signaling pathway, including Gria1 and Slc17a7, showed decreases in promoter-specific histone acetylation, and corresponding gene expression deficits, in polyI:C-exposed offspring at both juvenile and adult ages. In contrast, the expression of these same genes, in addition to Disc1 and Ntrk3, was elevated in the hippocampus of juvenile mice, in concordance with elevated levels of promoter-specific histone acetylation. We suggest that these early epigenetic changes contribute to the delayed behavioral abnormalities that are observed in adult animals after exposure to polyI:C, and which resemble symptoms seen in schizophrenia and related disorders.

Eating-related behaviors and appetite during energy imbalance in obese-prone and obese-resistant individuals

While the majority of Americans are now overweight, some individuals maintain their weight with minimal effort. This study investigated behavioral differences between 58 individuals recruited as either obese-resistant (OR) or obese-prone (OP) based on self-identification, BMI, and personal/family weight history. Subjects were studied during Eucaloric (EU), Overfed (OF), and Underfed (UF) phases which included a run-in diet, 1 day intervention diet, and a study day. At baseline, subjects completed the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and Power of Food Scale (PFS). On the study day, ratings of appetite, food appeal and desire, and food cravings were performed in response to a breakfast shake. OF resulted in reduced hunger and food desire while UF resulted in increased hunger and food appeal and desire. While hunger did not differ between groups, OP had higher scores for TFEQ measures (hunger, restraint and disinhibition), higher "hedonic hunger" as measured by the PFS, and greater food cravings and ratings of food appeal and desire. These results suggest that subjective hunger and desire for food change significantly after only one day of over- or underfeeding. Additionally, we found several behavioral differences between groups that are likely to promote weight gain over time in the OP.

Differences in the neuronal response to food in obesity-resistant as compared to obesity-prone individuals

Despite living in an obesogenic environment, some individuals maintain a thin phenotype compared to the majority who are at risk for weight gain and obesity. Understanding how these different phenotypes regulate energy intake is critical. The objective of this study was to examine the differences in neuronal response to visual food cues in adults recruited as either obesity-resistant (OR) or obesity-prone (OP) based on self-identification, BMI, and personal/family weight history. 25 OR and 28 OP individuals were studied after 4 days of eucaloric energy intake. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in the fasted and acute fed states (30 min after a test meal) while subjects viewed images of foods of high hedonic value and neutral non-food objects. Measures of appetite using visual analog scales were performed before and every 30 min after the test meal for 3 h. In the fasted state, food as compared to nonfood images elicited significant response in the insula, somatosensory cortex, parietal cortex, and visual cortex in both OR and OP. The acute fed state resulted in significant attenuation of these and other brain areas in the OR but not OP individuals. Furthermore, OP as compared to OR individuals showed greater activation of medial and anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC) in response to the test meal. Adjusting for fat mass did not impact these results. Attenuation of insula/PFC response to food images in the fed state was associated with greater reductions in hunger. These findings suggest that individuals prone to weight gain and obesity have altered neuronal responses to food cues in brain regions known to be important in energy intake regulation. These altered responses may represent an important mechanism contributing to excess energy intake and risk for obesity.

A prospective study of cutaneous abnormalities in patients with chronic kidney disease

There are diverse ways in which the skin is affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). Various specific and nonspecific skin abnormalities are observed in patients with CKD. The aim of the study was to document the prevalence of skin diseases that commonly occur in patients with CKD on medical treatment and dialysis. A total of 99 patients with CKD were examined for evidence of skin diseases. Ninety-six had at least one cutaneous abnormality attributable to CKD. The most prevalent finding was xerosis (66.7%), followed by pallor (45.45%), pruritus (43.4%), and cutaneous pigmentation (32.3%). Other cutaneous manifestations included dermatitis (27.27%); Kyrle's disease (17.17%); fungal (8.08%), bacterial (11.1%), and viral (5.05%) infections; purpura (10.1%); gynecomastia (4.04%); and yellow skin (5.05%). The common nail changes were half and half nails (36.36%) and onycholysis (13.13%). CKD is associated with various cutaneous abnormalities caused either by the disease or by treatment, the most common being xerosis and pruritus. The dermatologic complications can significantly impair the quality of life in certain individuals; therefore, earlier diagnosis and treatment is important to improve their quality of life.

Selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition imparts beneficial effects in Huntington's disease mice: implications for the ubiquitin-proteasomal and autophagy systems

We previously demonstrated that the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, 4b, which preferentially targets HDAC1 and HDAC3, ameliorates Huntington's disease (HD)-related phenotypes in different HD model systems. In the current study, we investigated extensive behavioral and biological effects of 4b in N171-82Q transgenic mice and further explored potential molecular mechanisms of 4b action. We found that 4b significantly prevented body weight loss, improved several parameters of motor function and ameliorated Huntingtin (Htt)-elicited cognitive decline in N171-82Q transgenic mice. Pathways analysis of microarray data from the mouse brain revealed gene networks involving post-translational modification, including protein phosphorylation and ubiquitination pathways, associated with 4b drug treatment. Using real-time qPCR analysis, we validated differential regulation of several genes in these pathways by 4b, including Ube2K, Ubqln, Ube2e3, Usp28 and Sumo2, as well as several other related genes. Additionally, 4b elicited increases in the expression of genes encoding components of the inhibitor of kappaB kinase (IKK) complex. IKK activation has been linked to phosphorylation, acetylation and clearance of the Htt protein by the proteasome and the lysosome, and accordingly, we found elevated levels of phosphorylated endogenous wild-type (wt) Htt protein at serine 16 and threonine 3, and increased AcK9/pS13/pS16 immunoreactivity in cortical samples from 4b-treated mice. We further show that HDAC inhibitors prevent the formation of nuclear Htt aggregates in the brains of N171-82Q mice. Our findings suggest that one mechanism of 4b action is associated with the modulation of the ubiquitin-proteasomal and autophagy pathways, which could affect accumulation, stability and/or clearance of important disease-related proteins, such as Htt.

Brain structure predicts risk for obesity

The neurobiology of obesity is poorly understood. Here we report findings of a study designed to examine the differences in brain regional gray matter volume in adults recruited as either Obese Prone or Obese Resistant based on self-identification, body mass index, and personal/family weight history. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 28 Obese Prone (14 male, 14 female) and 25 Obese Resistant (13 male, 12 female) healthy adults. Voxel-based morphometry was used to identify gray matter volume differences between groups. Gray matter volume was found to be lower in the insula, medial orbitofrontal cortex and cerebellum in Obese Prone, as compared to Obese Resistant individuals. Adjusting for body fat mass did not impact these results. Insula gray matter volume was negatively correlated with leptin concentration and measures of hunger. These findings suggest that individuals at risk for weight gain have structural differences in brain regions known to be important in energy intake regulation, and that these differences, particularly in the insula, may be related to leptin.

High spatial and temporal resolution wide-field imaging of neuron activity using quantum NV-diamond

A quantitative understanding of the dynamics of biological neural networks is fundamental to gaining insight into information processing in the brain. While techniques exist to measure spatial or temporal properties of these networks, it remains a significant challenge to resolve the neural dynamics with subcellular spatial resolution. In this work we consider a fundamentally new form of wide-field imaging for neuronal networks based on the nanoscale magnetic field sensing properties of optically active spins in a diamond substrate. We analyse the sensitivity of the system to the magnetic field generated by an axon transmembrane potential and confirm these predictions experimentally using electronically-generated neuron signals. By numerical simulation of the time dependent transmembrane potential of a morphologically reconstructed hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neuron, we show that the imaging system is capable of imaging planar neuron activity non-invasively at millisecond temporal resolution and micron spatial resolution over wide-fields.