Validation of a questionnaire on emotional eating for use in cases of obesity : the Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ)

Introduction: Emotions have a powerful effect on our choice of food and eating habits. It has been found that in some people there is relationship between eating, emotions and the increased energy intake. This relationship should be measurable to better understand how food is used to deal with certain mood states and how these emotions affect the effectiveness of weight loss programs. Objective: To develop and analyze the psychometric characteristics of a questionnaire on emotional eating for obesity easy to apply in clinical practice. Subjects and methods: A ten-item questionnaire called Emotional-Eater-Questionnaire (EEQ) was developed and administered to a total of 354 subjects (body mass index, 31 ± 5), aged 39 ± 12, who were subjected to a weight-reduction program. The questionnaire was specifically designed for obesity. Analysis of the internal structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and convergent validity with Mindful-Eater-Questionnaire (MEQ) were conducted. Results: After principal components analysis, the questionnaire was classified in three different dimensions that explained 60% of the total variance: Disinhibition, Type-of-food and Guilt. Internal consistency showed that Cronbach's alpha was 0.773 for the "Dishinibition" subscale, 0.656 for the "Type of food" subscale and 0.612 for the "Guilt" subscale. The test-retest stability was r =0.70. The data showed that the percentage of agreement between the EEQ and the MEQ was around 70% with a Kappa index of 0.40; P < 0.0001. Conclusion: We have presented a new questionnaire, which classifies individuals as a function of the relation between food intake and emotions. Such information will permit personalised treatments to be designed by drawing up early strategies from the very beginning of treatment programmesIntroducción: Las emociones tienen un poderoso efecto sobre la elección de alimentos y los hábitos alimentarios. Existe una relación entre comer, emociones y el aumento del aporte calórico. Esta relación debería ser medible para comprender mejor cómo utilizamos los alimentos en determinados estados de ánimo y cómo las emociones afectan a la eficacia de los programas de pérdida de peso. Objetivo: Desarrollar y analizar las características psicométricas de un cuestionario para identificar la ingesta emocional en la obesidad de fácil aplicación en la práctica clínica. Material y métodos: Se ha desarrollado y administrado un cuestionario de diez ítems llamado Cuestionario-de-Comedor-Emocional (CCE) a un total de 354 sujetos (Índice de Masa Corporal: 31 ± 5), (Edad: 39 ± 12 años), pertenecientes a un programa de reducción de peso. Se llevó a cabo un análisis de la estructura interna del cuestionario, de la consistencia interna, la fiabilidad testretest y la validez convergente con el Mindful-Eater- Questionnaire (MEQ). Resultados: El análisis de componentes principales del cuestionario encontró tres dimensiones diferentes que explicaban el 60% de la varianza: desinhibición, tipo de alimento y culpa. La consistencia interna mostró que el alfa de Cronbach fue de 0,773 para la subescala "Desinhibición", 0,656 para "Tipo de alimentos" y 0,612 para "culpa". La estabilidad test-retest fue de r = 0,70. Los datos mostraron que el porcentaje de acuerdo entre el CCE y MEQ era del 70% con un índice Kappa de 0,40, P < 0,0001. Conclusión: Hemos presentado un nuevo cuestionario, que clasifica a los individuos en función de la relación entre la ingesta de alimentos y las emociones. Esta información permitirá el diseño de tratamientos personalizados desde el inicio para la obesida

The NeuARt II system: a viewing tool for neuroanatomical data based on published neuroanatomical atlases

BACKGROUND: Anatomical studies of neural circuitry describing the basic wiring diagram of the brain produce intrinsically spatial, highly complex data of great value to the neuroscience community. Published neuroanatomical atlases provide a spatial framework for these studies. We have built an informatics framework based on these atlases for the representation of neuroanatomical knowledge. This framework not only captures current methods of anatomical data acquisition and analysis, it allows these studies to be collated, compared and synthesized within a single system. RESULTS: We have developed an atlas-viewing application ('NeuARt II') in the Java language with unique functional properties. These include the ability to use copyrighted atlases as templates within which users may view, save and retrieve data-maps and annotate them with volumetric delineations. NeuARt II also permits users to view multiple levels on multiple atlases at once. Each data-map in this system is simply a stack of vector images with one image per atlas level, so any set of accurate drawings made onto a supported atlas (in vector graphics format) could be uploaded into NeuARt II. Presently the database is populated with a corpus of high-quality neuroanatomical data from the laboratory of Dr Larry Swanson (consisting 64 highly-detailed maps of PHAL tract-tracing experiments, made up of 1039 separate drawings that were published in 27 primary research publications over 17 years). Herein we take selective examples from these data to demonstrate the features of NeuArt II. Our informatics tool permits users to browse, query and compare these maps. The NeuARt II tool operates within a bioinformatics knowledge management platform (called 'NeuroScholar') either as a standalone or a plug-in application. CONCLUSION: Anatomical localization is fundamental to neuroscientific work and atlases provide an easily-understood framework that is widely used by neuroanatomists and non-neuroanatomists alike. NeuARt II, the neuroinformatics tool presented here, provides an accurate and powerful way of representing neuroanatomical data in the context of commonly-used brain atlases for visualization, comparison and analysis. Furthermore, it provides a framework that supports the delivery and manipulation of mapped data either as a standalone system or as a component in a larger knowledge management system

Impacto ambiental de regeneración de playas: la playa de poniente (Gijón)

[ES] El litoral es un ecosistema frágil, con equilibrios dinámicos fáciles de vulnerar. Por otra parte, es un espacio multiuso muy demandado por el hombre. En consecuencia, es un recurso escaso que exige una gestión ambiental. La mejor defensa de una costa es una playa, por ello la conservación, creación y regeneración de playas se pueden considerar, con carácter general, como actuaciones encaminadas hacia el uso sostenible del recurso litoral. No obstante, la complejidad de relaciones que se dan en este espacio aconseja que estos proyectos prevean los posibles efectos adversos que puedan ocasionar, para tomar las adecuadas medidas correctoras. Se sintetiza en este artículo el Estudio de Impacto Ambiental del Proyecto de regeneración de la playa de poniente en Gijón. El Proyecto, promovido por la Autoridad Portuaria de Gijón y por el propio Ayuntamiento de esta ciudad, contempla la construcción de un paseo marítimo, además de la regeneración de parte de la antigua playa de Natahoyo y se ubica en la concha Oeste de Gijón, a poniente del Puerto Deportivo, constituyendo con éste la nueva fachada marítima de este sector de la ciudad. El Estudio realizado lleva a cabo la identificación, la caracterización y la valoración de los impactos (según la normativa vigente). Esta identificación preventiva de los impactos permite sugerir medidas correctoras y proponer ideas para la redacción de un plan de vigilancia ambiental. Se ha realizado un análisis del Proyecto y del medio y se han elaborado estudios específicos para la identificación y alcance de los impactos. Se ha contemplado también la participación ciudadana mediante una encuesta dirigida a diferentes grupos sociales: asociaciones de vecinos, grupos ecologistas y conservacionistas, centros universitarios, administraciones locales, autonómicas y estatales, etc. De forma muy sucinta, el Estudio permite decir que el Proyecto, de forma global, aumentará la calidad de vida del sector Oeste de la ciudad, que contará con una nueva fachada marítima más acorde con sus actuales características socioeconómicas. No obstante, provocará algunos impactos negativos e inevitables como el incremento de la vulnerabilidad de la avifauna limícola de la Bahía.Canteras, JC.; Pérez, L.; Cantera, E.; Soler, M.; Carralimos, CI. (1995). Impacto ambiental de regeneración de playas: la playa de poniente (Gijón). Ingeniería del Agua. 2(1 Extraordinario):223-243. https://doi.org/10.4995/ia.1995.267322324321 ExtraordinarioAlberto, L.J. y Purroy, F.C. (1981). Censo de limícolas invernantes en España (1978, 79 y 80) realizados por la Sociedad Española de Ornitología. Ardeola28, 3-33.Alberto, L.J. y Purroy, F.C. (1984). Datos del censo invernal de limícolas de 1981 y 1982 en España. Ardeola 30, 93-100.Amat, J.A.; Díaz, C.; Herrera, C.M.; Jordano, P; Obeso, J.R. y Soringuer, R.C. (1985). Criterios de valoración de zonas húmedas de importancia nacional y regional en función de las aves acuáticas.ICÓNA, Monografía n° 35, Madrid, 79 pp.ANA (1988). Diez años de censos de aves acuáticas invernantes en Asturias (1978-87). Asturnatura 7, 1-18.Autoridad Portuaria de Gijón (1993). Memoria anual. 1992. Ed. Autoridad Portuaria de Gijón, Gijón, 105 pp.Barragán, J.M. (1994). Ordenación. Planificación y Gestión del Espacio Litoral. Oikos-Tau, Barcelona, 298 pp.Canteras, J.C. (1992). Introducción al Paisaje: Metodologías de Valoración. Universidade do Paraná, Curitiba, Brasil, 110 pp.Centro de Investigaciones Submarinas (CIS) (1993). Estudio de la Biosfera Marina de la costa entre Cabo Peñas y Lastre (Asturias). Informe técnico realizado para la Autoridad Portuaria de Gijón.Clayton, K.M. (1993). Coastal processes and coastal management. Countryside Commission, elementos visuales. I Jornadas Internacionales Northampton, 52 pp.Español, Y. (1991). Análisis estético del paisaje por elementos visuales. I Jornadas Internacionales sobre paisajismo. Santiago de Compostela, 43-55 pp.Fundación Torres Quevedo (1993). Prediseño del Sistema General de Saneamiento del Área de Gijón y Avilés. Informe Técnico para la Confederación Hidrográfica del NorteGonzález, J.V.; Fuentes, A.; Rufino, J. y Muñoz, B. (1993). Informe sobre la Avifauna de la Bahía de Gijón. Inédito.Hoozemans, F.M.J. (1992). Introduction to the coastal system. II Course on Coastal zone management Institute for Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Delft (Netherland).ICONA (1986)-Lista Roja de los Vertebrados de España. ICONA, Madrid, 400 pp.Medio Ambiente (1994). Publicación de la Dirección General de Política Ambiental, n° 33, Madrid.MOPU (1985). Política de costas: plan de actuaciones 1983-1990. Documentos del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Urbanismo. Servicio de Publicaciones, Secretaría General Técnica, Madrid, 209 pp.MOPU (1991). Actuaciones en la costa. Dirección General de Puertos y Costas. Servicio de Publicaciones, Secretaría General Técnica, Madrid, 307 pp.Ortega, F. (1992). El litoral. Aproximación geográfica. Temas de administración local. Centro de Estudios Municipales y de Cooperación Internacional (CEMCI), Madrid, 9-29 pp.Sánchez-Arcilla, A. y Jiménez, J.A. (1994). Ingeniería de playas (I): Conceptos de Morfología Costera. Ingeniería del Agua. 1,2, 97-114.Toba, E. (1991). Restauración del paisaje litoral. I Jornadas Internacionales sobre paisajismo. Santiago de Compostela, 91-98 pp

METODOLOGÍA Y FIABILIDAD DE LA MEDICIÓN DEL PERÍMETRO DE MUSLO

Hipótesis: Para describir la fiabilidad intra e interexploradora de la medición del perímetro del muslo, en función de la experiencia previa del explorador y la masa muscularde muslo. Para describir la distancia más fiable a la rótula para la medición, así como si es necesario tomar estas mediciones durante la contracción muscular activa y durantela relajación. Para establecerla distancia (en mm), desde donde podemos asegurarnos de que las diferencias obtenidas se deben a modificaciones en los verdaderos perímetros del muslo y no aun error de medición.Antecedentes: el perímetro del muslo es un parámetro fácil y rápido de medir durante la evaluación de la rodilla con el fin de identificar la atrofia muscular y la documentaciónde la asimetría. Ha sido ampliamente utilizada para cuantificar el progreso de rehabilitación después de una cirugía de rodilla y de ciertas patologías. Sin embargo,el procedimiento sistemático de medición del perímetro del muslo y la fiabilidad que no están claramente establecidas en la literatura. Material y método: Se midió el perímetro del muslo a 5, 10 y 15 cm de la rótula a 16 voluntarios (9 deportistas y 7 sedentarios), por 7 exploradores con diferente experiencia. Resultados: El 93% de las mediciones presentaba una fiabilidad intraobservador > 0.90. La medición de la fiabilidad por el coeficiente de correlación no es un índice adecuado, ya que coeficientes elevados presentan un excesivo rango de variación. Conclusión: Las medidas más fiables se obtienen a 10 cm del polo de la rótula. Las mediciones son más fiables en sedentarios que en deportistas y están sujetas al grado de experiencia del explorador

Radiosurgery for pituitary adenomas: evaluation of its efficacy and safety

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Object</p> <p>To assess the effects of radiosurgery (RS) on the radiological and hormonal control and its toxicity in the treatment of pituitary adenomas.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Retrospective analysis of 42 patients out of the first 48 consecutive patients with pituitary adenomas treated with RS between 1999 and 2008 with a 6 months minimum follow-up. RS was delivered with Gamma Knife as a primary or adjuvant treatment. There were 14 patients with non-secretory adenomas and, among functioning adenomas, 9 were prolactinomas, 9 were adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting and 10 were growth hormone-secreting tumors. Hormonal control was defined as hormonal response (decline of more than 50% from the pre-RS levels) and hormonal normalization. Radiological control was defined as stasis or shrinkage of the tumor. Hypopituitarism and visual deficit were the morbidity outcomes. Hypopituitarism was defined as the initiation of any hormone replacement therapy and visual deficit as loss of visual acuity or visual field after RS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The median follow-up was 42 months (6-109 months). The median dose was 12,5 Gy (9 - 15 Gy) and 20 Gy (12 - 28 Gy) for non-secretory and secretory adenomas, respectively. Tumor growth was controlled in 98% (41 in 42) of the cases and tumor shrinkage ocurred in 10% (4 in 42) of the cases. The 3-year actuarial rate of hormonal control and normalization were 62,4% and 37,6%, respectively, and the 5-year actuarial rate were 81,2% and 55,4%, respectively. The median latency period for hormonal control and normalization was, respectively, 15 and 18 months. On univariate analysis, there were no relationships between median dose or tumoral volume and hormonal control or normalization. There were no patients with visual deficit and 1 patient had hypopituitarism after RS.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>RS is an effective and safe therapeutic option in the management of selected patients with pituitary adenomas. The short latency of the radiation response, the highly acceptable radiological and hormonal control and absence of complications at this early follow-up are consistent with literature.</p

Dorsal Periaqueductal gray ensembles represent approach and avoidance states

Animals must balance needs to approach threats for risk assessment and to avoid danger. The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) controls defensive behaviors, but it is unknown how it represents states associated with threat approach and avoidance. We identified a dPAG threatavoidance ensemble in mice that showed higher activity farther from threats such as the open arms of the elevated plus maze and a predator. These cells were also more active during threat avoidance behaviors such as escape and freezing, even though these behaviors have antagonistic motor output. Conversely, the threat approach ensemble was more active during risk assessment behaviors and near threats. Furthermore, unsupervised methods showed that avoidance/approach states were encoded with shared activity patterns across threats. Lastly, the relative number of cells in each ensemble predicted threat avoidance across mice. Thus, dPAG ensembles dynamically encode threat approach and avoidance states, providing a flexible mechanism to balance risk assessment and danger avoidance

Predator Cat Odors Activate Sexual Arousal Pathways in Brains of Toxoplasma gondii Infected Rats

Cat odors induce rapid, innate and stereotyped defensive behaviors in rats at first exposure, a presumed response to the evolutionary pressures of predation. Bizarrely, rats infected with the brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii approach the cat odors they typically avoid. Since the protozoan Toxoplasma requires the cat to sexually reproduce, this change in host behavior is thought to be a remarkable example of a parasite manipulating a mammalian host for its own benefit. Toxoplasma does not influence host response to non-feline predator odor nor does it alter behavior on olfactory, social, fear or anxiety tests, arguing for specific manipulation in the processing of cat odor. We report that Toxoplasma infection alters neural activity in limbic brain areas necessary for innate defensive behavior in response to cat odor. Moreover, Toxoplasma increases activity in nearby limbic regions of sexual attraction when the rat is exposed to cat urine, compelling evidence that Toxoplasma overwhelms the innate fear response by causing, in its stead, a type of sexual attraction to the normally aversive cat odor

Evidence for Time-of-Day Dependent Effect of Neurotoxic Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Lesions on Food Anticipatory Circadian Rhythms in Rats

The dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) is a site of circadian clock gene and immediate early gene expression inducible by daytime restricted feeding schedules that entrain food anticipatory circadian rhythms in rats and mice. The role of the DMH in the expression of anticipatory rhythms has been evaluated using different lesion methods. Partial lesions created with the neurotoxin ibotenic acid (IBO) have been reported to attenuate food anticipatory rhythms, while complete lesions made with radiofrequency current leave anticipatory rhythms largely intact. We tested a hypothesis that the DMH and fibers of passage spared by IBO lesions play a time-of-day dependent role in the expression of food anticipatory rhythms. Rats received intra-DMH microinjections of IBO and activity and body temperature (Tb) rhythms were recorded by telemetry during ad-lib food access, total food deprivation and scheduled feeding, with food provided for 4-h/day for 20 days in the middle of the light period and then for 20 days late in the dark period. During ad-lib food access, rats with DMH lesions exhibited a lower amplitude and mean level of light-dark entrained activity and Tb rhythms. During the daytime feeding schedule, all rats exhibited food anticipatory activity and Tb rhythms that persisted during 2 days without food in constant dark. In some rats with partial or total DMH ablation, the magnitude of the anticipatory rhythm was weak relative to most intact rats. When mealtime was shifted to the late night, the magnitude of the food anticipatory activity rhythms in these cases was restored to levels characteristic of intact rats. These results confirm that rats can anticipate scheduled daytime or nighttime meals without the DMH. Improved anticipation at night suggests a modulatory role for the DMH in the expression of food anticipatory activity rhythms during the daily light period, when nocturnal rodents normally sleep

Subthalamic nucleus stimulation affects orbitofrontal cortex in facial emotion recognition: a pet study

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) in Parkinson's disease is thought to produce adverse events such as emotional disorders, and in a recent study, we found fear recognition to be impaired as a result. These changes have been attributed to disturbance of the STN's limbic territory and would appear to confirm that the negative emotion recognition network passes through the STN. In addition, it is now widely acknowledged that damage to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), especially the right side, can result in impaired recognition of facial emotions (RFE). In this context, we hypothesized that this reduced recognition of fear is correlated with modifications in the cerebral glucose metabolism of the right OFC. The objective of the present study was first, to reinforce our previous results by demonstrating reduced fear recognition in our Parkinson's disease patient group following STN DBS and, second, to correlate these emotional performances with glucose metabolism using 18FDG-PET. The 18FDG-PET and RFE tasks were both performed by a cohort of 13 Parkinson's disease patients 3 months before and 3 months after surgery for STN DBS. As predicted, we observed a significant reduction in fear recognition following surgery and obtained a positive correlation between these neuropsychological results and changes in glucose metabolism, especially in the right OFC. These results confirm the role of the STN as a key basal ganglia structure in limbic circuits

The Distribution of Toxoplasma gondii Cysts in the Brain of a Mouse with Latent Toxoplasmosis: Implications for the Behavioral Manipulation Hypothesis

reportedly manipulates rodent behavior to enhance the likelihood of transmission to its definitive cat host. The proximate mechanisms underlying this adaptive manipulation remain largely unclear, though a growing body of evidence suggests that the parasite-entrained dysregulation of dopamine metabolism plays a central role. Paradoxically, the distribution of the parasite in the brain has received only scant attention. at six months of age and examined 18 weeks later. The cysts were distributed throughout the brain and selective tropism of the parasite toward a particular functional system was not observed. Importantly, the cysts were not preferentially associated with the dopaminergic system and absent from the hypothalamic defensive system. The striking interindividual differences in the total parasite load and cyst distribution indicate a probabilistic nature of brain infestation. Still, some brain regions were consistently more infected than others. These included the olfactory bulb, the entorhinal, somatosensory, motor and orbital, frontal association and visual cortices, and, importantly, the hippocampus and the amygdala. By contrast, a consistently low incidence of tissue cysts was recorded in the cerebellum, the pontine nuclei, the caudate putamen and virtually all compact masses of myelinated axons. Numerous perivascular and leptomeningeal infiltrations of inflammatory cells were observed, but they were not associated with intracellular cysts. distribution stems from uneven brain colonization during acute infection and explains numerous behavioral abnormalities observed in the chronically infected rodents. Thus, the parasite can effectively change behavioral phenotype of infected hosts despite the absence of well targeted tropism