Screening for eating disorders in adolescents with chronic pain: the Eating Attitudes Test– 16–Chronic Pain

Background Few measures have been validated to screen for eating disorders (ED) in youth with chronic pain. We conducted confirmatory (CFA) of two established factor structures of the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) in a sample of youth with chronic pain attending an intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) program and examined the validity of the best-fitting model in predicting ED diagnoses in this sample. Methods Participants were 880 adolescents (M age = 16.1, SD = 2.1) consecutively admitted into an IIPT program who completed the EAT-26 upon admission. CFA was conducted and in the case of inadequate fit, EFA was planned to identify alternative models. Factors of the best-fitting model were included in a logistic regression analysis to predict ED diagnoses. Results The TLIs (0.70; 0.90), RMSEAs (0.09; 0.07) and CFIs (0.73; 0.92) suggested poor fit of one model and adequate of the second model. Goodness of fit indices from EFA (TLI:0.85, RMSEA:0.06) did not outperform the fit of the second CFA. As such, the second model was retained with the exception of one factor. The items loaded onto a 16-item, five factor model: Fear of Getting Fat, Social Pressure to Gain Weight, Eating-Related Control, Eating-Related Guilt and Food Preoccupation. Based on chart review, 19.1% of the participants were diagnosed with an eating disorder. Logistic regression analyses indicated the new 16-item measure and Fear of Getting Fat, significantly predicted an ED diagnosis that did not include avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and Social Pressure to Gain Weight significantly predicted a diagnosis of ARFID

A novel computer adaptive word list memory test optimized for remote assessment: Psychometric properties and associations with neurodegenerative biomarkers in older women without dementia

Introduction: This study established the psychometric properties and preliminary validity of the Stricker Learning Span (SLS), a novel computer adaptive word list memory test designed for remote assessment and optimized for smartphone use. Methods: Women enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Specialized Center of Research Excellence (SCORE) were recruited via e-mail or phone to complete two remote cognitive testing sessions. Convergent validity was assessed through correlation with previously administered in-person neuropsychological tests (n = 96, ages 55-79) and criterion validity through associations with magnetic resonance imaging measures of neurodegeneration sensitive to Alzheimer\u27s disease (n = 47). Results: SLS performance significantly correlated with the Auditory Verbal Learning Test and measures of neurodegeneration (temporal meta-regions of interest and entorhinal cortical thickness, adjusting for age and education). Test-retest reliabilities across two sessions were 0.71-0.76 (two-way mixed intraclass correlation coefficients). Discussion: The SLS is a valid and reliable self-administered memory test that shows promise for remote assessment of aging and neurodegenerative disorders

Cytochrome P450 2C19 Poor Metabolizer Phenotype in Treatment Resistant Depression: Treatment and Diagnostic Implications

Background: Pharmacogenomic testing, specifically for pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) genetic variation, may contribute to a better understanding of baseline genetic differences in patients seeking treatment for depression, which may further impact clinical antidepressant treatment recommendations. This study evaluated PK and PD genetic variation and the clinical use of such testing in treatment seeking patients with bipolar disorder (BP) and major depressive disorder (MDD) and history of multiple drug failures/treatment resistance.Methods: Consecutive depressed patients evaluated at the Mayo Clinic Depression Center over a 10-year study time frame (2003–2013) were included in this retrospective analysis. Diagnoses of BP or MDD were confirmed using a semi-structured diagnostic interview. Clinical rating scales included the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD24), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire. Clinically selected patients underwent genotyping of cytochrome P450 CYP2D6/CYP2C19 and the serotonin transporter SLC6A4. PK and PD differences and whether clinicians incorporated test results in providing recommendations were compared between the two patient groups.Results: Of the 1795 patients, 167/523 (31.9%) with BP and 446/1272 (35.1%) with MDD were genotyped. Genotyped patients had significantly higher self-report measures of depression and anxiety compared to non-genotyped patients. There were significantly more CYP2C19 poor metabolizer (PM) phenotypes in BP (9.3%) vs. MDD patients (1.7%, p = 0.003); among participants with an S-allele, the rate of CYP2C19 PM phenotype was even higher in the BP (9.8%) vs. MDD (0.6%, p = 0.003). There was a significant difference in the distribution of SLC6A4 genotypes between BP (l/l = 28.1%, s/l = 59.3%, s/s = 12.6%) and MDD (l/l = 31.4%, s/l = 46.1%, s/s = 22.7%) patients (p < 0.01).Conclusion: There may be underlying pharmacogenomic differences in treatment seeking depressed patients that potentially have impact on serum levels of CYP2C19 metabolized antidepressants (i.e., citalopram / escitalopram) contributing to rates of efficacy vs. side effect burden with additional potential risk of antidepressant response vs. induced mania. The evidence for utilizing pharmacogenomics-guided therapy in MDD and BP is still developing with a much needed focus on drug safety, side effect burden, and treatment adherence

Lassa Fever in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone

Background: Lassa fever (LF), an often-fatal hemorrhagic disease caused by Lassa virus (LASV), is a major public health threat in West Africa. When the violent civil conflict in Sierra Leone (1991 to 2002) ended, an international consortium assisted in restoration of the LF program at Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) in an area with the world's highest incidence of the disease. Methodology/Principal Findings Clinical and laboratory records of patients presenting to the KGH Lassa Ward in the post-conflict period were organized electronically. Recombinant antigen-based LF immunoassays were used to assess LASV antigenemia and LASV-specific antibodies in patients who met criteria for suspected LF. KGH has been reestablished as a center for LF treatment and research, with over 500 suspected cases now presenting yearly. Higher case fatality rates (CFRs) in LF patients were observed compared to studies conducted prior to the civil conflict. Different criteria for defining LF stages and differences in sensitivity of assays likely account for these differences. The highest incidence of LF in Sierra Leone was observed during the dry season. LF cases were observed in ten of Sierra Leone's thirteen districts, with numerous cases from outside the traditional endemic zone. Deaths in patients presenting with LASV antigenemia were skewed towards individuals less than 29 years of age. Women self-reporting as pregnant were significantly overrepresented among LASV antigenemic patients. The CFR of ribavirin-treated patients presenting early in acute infection was lower than in untreated subjects. Conclusions/Significance: Lassa fever remains a major public health threat in Sierra Leone. Outreach activities should expand because LF may be more widespread in Sierra Leone than previously recognized. Enhanced case finding to ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment is imperative to reduce mortality. Even with ribavirin treatment, there was a high rate of fatalities underscoring the need to develop more effective and/or supplemental treatments for LF

Correlations between sex-related hormones, alcohol dependence and alcohol craving

Background: Sex-related differences in the susceptibility, progression, and treatment response in alcohol-dependent subjects have been repeatedly reported. In this study, we aimed to investigate the associations of the sex-related hormone/protein levels with alcohol dependence (AD) and alcohol craving in male and female subjects. Methods: Plasma sex-related hormones (estradiol, estrone, total testosterone, progesterone, follicle stimulated hormone [FSH], luteinizing hormone), and sex hormone binding globulin were measured by mass spectrometry or automated immunoassays from 44 recently-abstained subjects (29 males and 15 females; mean age = 45.9 ± 15.6) meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for AD and 44 age-, sex- and race-matched non-AD controls. Conditional logistic regression was conducted to examine the association of sex-related hormone and protein levels with AD risk, accounting for matching variables. Their associations with alcohol craving scales (Penn Alcohol Craving Scale and Inventory of Drug-Taking Situations) were assessed in AD subjects. Results: Plasma FSH level was significantly higher in AD males (10.3 ± 9.8 IU/L) than control males (8.0 ± 15.9 IU/L; p = 0.005, pcorrected = 0.035). We also found a significant inverse correlation of FSH level with propensity to drink in negative emotional situations (Spearman’s rho=-.540; p = 0.021) and positive correlations between progesterone level and craving intensity (Spearman’s rho=.464; p = 0.020) and between total testosterone level and propensity to drink under temptations (adjusted for no-drinking days; β=6.496; p = 0.041) in AD males. Conclusions: These results suggest that FSH, progesterone, and testosterone levels may be associated with AD and alcohol craving in AD males. Future research is needed to replicate these findings and investigate the underlying biological mechanisms

Physical Symptoms, Distress, and Functional Disability in Youth With Chronic Orthostatic Intolerance

Objective: Youth with chronic orthostatic intolerance (OI) can experience significant physical, social, and academic functional debilitation. Previous studies have indicated associations among symptom severity, psychosocial factors, and functional disability. However, empirically tested models explaining how different medical and psychosocial factors may contribute to functional disability are lacking. The current cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate mediation, moderation, and additive models of the effect of physical symptoms and psychological distress on functional disability. Methods: One hundred and sixty-five youth (13-22 years old) undergoing medical evaluation of chronic OI symptoms completed measures of autonomic dysfunction symptom severity, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and functional disability. Models were evaluated using tests of indirect effects and linear and logistic regression analyses. Results: Results supported the mediation and additive effects models for depressive symptoms. Mediation, moderation, and additive models for hypothesized effects of anxiety symptoms were not supported. Conclusions: Results provide preliminary support for models in which OI symptoms affect functional debility via their effects on mood and in which depressive symptoms have unique and additive effects on functioning. Findings lay the foundation for longitudinal and experimental evaluation of biopsychosocial models of functional disability in youth with chronic OI and related conditions. Implications include the importance of a biopsychosocial conceptualization of OI symptoms and debility as a complex interplay of factors rather than as a purely physiological or psychological process

Positron emission tomography objective parameters for assessment of left ventricular assist device infection using 18F-FDG PET/CT

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a life-saving therapy, but it poses a substantial infection risk. Current evaluation of LVAD infection wit

Associations of prodynorphin sequence variation with alcohol dependence and related traits are phenotype-specific and sex-dependent

We previously demonstrated that prodynorphin (PDYN) haplotypes and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2281285 are associated with alcohol dependence and the propensity to drink in negative emotional states, and recent studies suggest that PDYN gene effects on substance dependence risk may be sex-related. We examined sex-dependent associations of PDYN variation with alcohol dependence and related phenotypes, including negative craving, time until relapse after treatment and the length of sobriety episodes before seeking treatment, in discovery and validation cohorts of European ancestry. We found a significant haplotype-by-sex interaction (p = 0.03), suggesting association with alcohol dependence in males (p = 1E-4) but not females. The rs2281285G allele increased risk for alcohol dependence in males in the discovery cohort (OR = 1.49, p = 0.002), with a similar trend in the validation cohort (OR = 1.35, p = 0.086). However, rs2281285 showed a trend towards association with increased negative craving in females in both the discovery (beta = 10.16, p = 0.045) and validation samples (OR = 7.11, p = 0.066). In the discovery cohort, rs2281285 was associated with time until relapse after treatment in females (HR = 1.72, p = 0.037); in the validation cohort, it was associated with increased length of sobriety episodes before treatment in males (beta = 13.49, p = 0.001). Our findings suggest that sex-dependent effects of PDYN variants in alcohol dependence are phenotype-specific