Article
Psychology, Clinical
Stuart B. Murray, Celina Alba, Christina J. Duval, Jason M. Nagata, Ryan P. Cabeen, Darrin J. Lee, Arthur W. Toga, Steven J. Siegel, Kay Jann
Summary: Studies suggest that pediatric BED may be associated with abnormalities in reward and inhibitory control networks. Children with BED showed reduced functional connectivity between reward and inhibitory control networks compared to controls. These findings indicate that early-onset BED may be characterized by dysconnectivity between reward and cognitive control networks.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jessica Bomyea, Soo-Hee Choi, Alison Sweet, Murray Stein, Martin Paulus, Charles Taylor
Summary: This study explored the neural changes following approach-avoidance training in individuals with major depressive disorder. The results showed increased activation in reward processing regions and altered connectivity patterns after the training. These findings support the idea that modifying approach-oriented behavior can lead to changes in reward circuitry.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lucia Tecuta, Romana Schumann, Donatella Ballardini, Elena Tomba
Summary: This study examines whether the endorsement of the need to control thoughts undergoes modifications during CBT-based treatment for eating disorders (EDs) and whether its modification correlates with reduced ED symptomatology. The results indicate that post-treatment, there were significant reductions in the need to control thoughts, which were associated with decreases in specific ED symptoms.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rajat S. Shivacharan, Camarin E. Rolle, Daniel A. N. Barbosa, Tricia N. Cunningham, Austin Feng, Noriah D. Johnson, Debra L. Safer, Cara Bohon, Corey Keller, Vivek P. Buch, Jonathon J. Parker, Dan E. Azagury, Peter A. Tass, Mahendra T. Bhati, Robert C. Malenka, James D. Lock, Casey H. Halpern
Summary: In this pilot study, responsive deep brain stimulation (DBS) was used to improve self-control of food intake and weight loss in two patients with binge eating disorder (BED) and severe obesity. Increased low-frequency oscillations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), recorded during food cravings preceding loss of control (LOC) eating, were used to guide the delivery of DBS. Over 6 months, improved self-control of food intake and weight loss were observed. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to determine the scalability of this approach.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Laurence Claes, Glenn Kiekens, Els Boekaerts, Lies Depestele, Eva Dierckx, Sylvia Gijbels, Katrien Schoevaerts, Koen Luyckx
Summary: The study found that patients with eating disorders scored higher on punishment sensitivity, while there was no significant difference in reward sensitivity; patients with binge eating or compensatory behaviors scored lower on effortful control. Differences in temperamental profiles along the ED/obesity spectrum appear to be continuous and gradual.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Melanie N. French, Eunice Y. Chen
Summary: Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) compared to healthy controls (HCs) reported greater negative emotions throughout the study. Interestingly, film clips appeared to reduce binge urges in binge-eating groups.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Romain Bourdy, Katia Befort
Summary: Eating disorders, specifically binge eating disorder (BED), involve maladaptive feeding behaviors characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food with a loss of control. The endocannabinoid system, which regulates food intake, plays a major role in feeding behaviors and the development of addictive-like eating behaviors. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the neurobiology of BED and highlights the specific role of the endocannabinoid system. Further research is needed to develop targeted treatment strategies for reducing BED symptoms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Kathryn E. Smith, Shan Luo, Tyler B. Mason
Summary: This review systematically examined neuroimaging studies on dysregulated eating behavior associated with excess weight in children and adolescents, suggesting a relationship between eating dysregulation and aberrant functioning within brain regions involved in self-regulatory processes, satiety signaling, and interoception. The study results underscore the potential of studying these neural mechanisms to inform future prevention and intervention strategies.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lucia Tecuta, Valentina Gardini, Romana Schumann, Donatella Ballardini, Elena Tomba
Summary: This study found that ED patients exhibit higher levels of awfulizing, negative global evaluations, and low frustration tolerance compared to controls. Body mass index and awfulizing predict greater ED-specific risk, while negative global evaluations and general psychopathology predict greater general psychological maladjustment and lower cognitive reappraisal.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Karin Foerde, Janet E. Schebendach, Lauren Davis, Nathaniel Daw, B. Timothy Walsh, Daphna Shohamy, Joanna E. Steinglass
Summary: Restrictive eating is a central feature of anorexia nervosa (AN) and other eating disorders. This study examined the behavioral and neural mechanisms of restrictive eating among individuals with and without eating disorders. The findings showed that healthy individuals tended to choose high-fat foods, while patients with AN focused more on the healthiness of the food. Dorsal striatal activation associated with food choice was most pronounced among individuals with AN, and it was significantly associated with selecting fewer high-fat choices and lower caloric intake.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Neuroimaging
Zachary Anderson, Katherine S. F. Damme, Ann L. Carroll, Iris Ka-Yi Chat, Katherine S. Young, Michelle G. Craske, Susan Bookheimer, Richard Zinbarg, Robin Nusslock
Summary: Depression and anxiety are associated with abnormalities in brain regions involved in reward processing. The tri-level model provides more precision in understanding the subtle neural changes associated with depression and anxiety symptoms. The study found that heightened General Distress was associated with lower connectivity between the ventral striatum and medial orbitofrontal cortex during reward anticipation and reward outcome. Heightened Anhedonia-Apprehension was associated with greater connectivity between the ventral striatum and amygdala during reward anticipation. These findings have important implications for understanding the pathophysiology of mood and anxiety symptoms.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Sarah C. Dolan, Tiffany A. Brown, Christina E. Wierenga, Walter H. Kaye, Erin E. Reilly
Summary: This study found that anhedonia significantly changes during the course of eating disorder treatment and that changes in anhedonia are related to eating disorder symptoms at discharge. The results support further research on anhedonia in eating disorder samples and suggest that anhedonia should be explored as a potential target for novel eating disorder treatments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Bernadette Hippmann, Elinor Tzvi, Martin Goettlich, Ronja Weiblen, Thomas F. Muente, Sarah Jessen
Summary: This study found that while prospective punishment can facilitate task switching at a behavioral level, interactions between IFJ, ACC, and VTA are modulated through prospective reward rather than punishment to impact cognitive control. The results demonstrate that IFJ and VTA modulate ACC activity in parallel rather than through interaction, showing differential effects of prospective reward and punishment on neural control mechanisms for decision-making.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Kristin N. Meyer, Juliet Y. Davidow, Koene R. A. Van Dijk, Rosario M. Santillana, Jenna Snyder, Constanza M. Vidal Bustamante, Marissa Hollinshead, Bruce R. Rosen, Leah H. Somerville, Margaret A. Sheridan
Summary: The study aimed to characterize the impact of stimuli with a history of conditioned reward association on inhibitory control in healthy young adults. Results showed that a history of reward conditioning disrupted inhibitory control, with higher activity in frontal and striatal regions when inhibiting responses to previously rewarded stimuli compared to non-rewarded stimuli.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Taona P. Haderlein, A. Janet Tomiyama
Summary: This study analyzed data from 278 college-aged women in a high-risk group participating in an internet eating disorder prevention program, finding that dissonance-based intervention (DBI-I) was more effective in reducing reward-based eating compared to no intervention (NI).
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erdem Pulcu, Calum Guinea, Philip J. Cowen, Susannah E. Murphy, Catherine J. Harmer
Summary: This article summarizes the role of the habenula in regulating the expression of anhedonia and discusses the modulatory effect of ketamine on this circuitry. It suggests that experimental paradigms based on reinforcement learning and value-based decision-making can be useful in exploring this network to elucidate the mechanisms underlying ketamine's rapid antidepressant action.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Amy L. Gillespie, Chloe Wigg, Indra Van Assche, Susannah E. Murphy, Catherine J. Harmer
Summary: This study found an association between statin use and reduced psychological vulnerability to depression. Long-term use of statins may be a potential prophylactic treatment for depression.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Review
Psychology, Clinical
Lauren Rose Godier-McBard, Abigail Wood, Manjana Kohomange, Graham Cable, Matt Fossey
Summary: Female veterans face unique barriers to accessing mental healthcare services, resulting in lower utilization rates. Considering and addressing these barriers can improve health outcomes for female veterans.
JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Ragnhild Bo, Brage Kraft, Mads Lund Pedersen, Jutta Joormann, Rune Jonassen, Kare Osnes, Catherine J. Harmer, Nils Inge Landro
Summary: This study investigated the long-term effect of attention bias modification (ABM) on depressive symptoms in participants with major depressive disorder. The results showed that there was no significant difference in depression and anxiety between the ABM group and the sham group at the 6-month follow-up. While rumination decreased during the intervention, the condition did not have an impact on rumination and attentional bias. The findings suggest that ABM may not be effective in treating depressive symptoms in the long term.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andreea Raslescu, Sophie Kreicker, Amy L. Gillespie, William Berners-Lee, Susannah E. Murphy, Catherine J. Harmer
Summary: This study provides a dataset of subjective ratings for 150 positive and 150 negative adjectives describing personality characteristics, in order to facilitate word selection and matching in the development of cognitive-emotional tasks. Representative samples of 200 UK-based, English-speaking adults rated the 300 words on self-referential valence, imageability, and subjective frequency through online surveys. Data cleaning and statistical analysis were performed in R. The findings may be particularly relevant for researchers using self-referential cognitive tasks with UK-based samples.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Stephanie J. Ambrose, Pierre Ibri, Christopher J. Harmer, Carol H. Pong, Ruth M. Hall
Summary: The study aimed to characterize an early clinical multiply antibiotic resistant Acinetobacter baumannii global clone 1 (GC1) isolate from Africa. The draft genome sequence of LUH6050 isolate was determined and compared to other early GC1 isolates, revealing the presence of multiple antibiotic resistance genes and plasmids. These data contribute to the understanding of the emergence, evolution, and dissemination of the A. baumannii GC1 clonal complex.
JOURNAL OF GLOBAL ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Christopher J. Harmer, Carol H. Pong, Ruth M. Hall
Summary: Several insertion sequences (IS) showing target specificity were found in various Acinetobacter species. These IS are located near dif modules in plasmids and chromosomal dif sites, and encode a transposase that generates target site duplications (TSDs). The IS identified in the IS1202 group form a distinct family, and other IS in this group have different TSD lengths and may also target dif-like sites.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ting L. Luo, Christopher J. Harmer, Francois Lebreton, Jason Stam, Jason W. Bennett, Ruth M. Hall, Patrick T. Mc Gann
Summary: A. baumannii is a significant nosocomial pathogen, especially when resistant to carbapenems. Outbreaks linked to this pathogen are reported globally, especially during times of societal upheaval. This study identified an outbreak of extensively antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii strain in three military treatment facilities.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Alexander L. W. Smith, Catherine J. Harmer, Philip J. Cowen, Susannah E. Murphy
Summary: Clinical depression is a common and heterogeneous disorder that requires new approaches for treatment. The serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and the effects of conventional antidepressant treatment. This review discusses the roles of pre- and post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors and the potential of developing 5-HT1A biased agonists as therapeutic options.
Review
Psychiatry
Riccardo De Giorgi, Nicola Rizzo Pesci, Gianluca Rosso, Giuseppe Maina, Philip J. J. Cowen, Catherine J. J. Harmer
Summary: This review aims to gather available evidence from mechanistic studies to strengthen the pharmacological basis for repurposing statins in depression. The selected studies described several mechanisms potentially contributing to the effects of statins on mood, including serotonergic neurotransmission, neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, hypothalamic-pituitary axis regulation, and inflammation modulation. However, the association between statins, lipid metabolism, and worsening of depressive symptoms remains controversial.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Christopher J. J. Harmer, Steven J. J. Nigro, Ruth M. M. Hall
Summary: The aminoglycoside resistance gene aac(6')-Im is prevalent in the globally distributed resistant clones of Acinetobacter baumannii. It commonly coexists with the gene aacC1 in the global clone 2 (GC2) of A. baumannii. Understanding the dissemination and evolution of aac(6')-Im gene is important for tracking specific lineages and sublineages formation.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Carol H. Pong, Jade E. Peace, Christopher J. Harmer, Ruth M. Hall
Summary: In Gram-negative bacteria, the contribution of IS26 to the spread of antibiotic resistance and other genes is significant due to its unique mechanistic features, such as causing deletion of adjacent DNA segments and using two distinct reaction modes for cointegrate formation. The high frequency of the targeted conservative reaction mode is also crucial for its spread. However, the detailed mechanism of this reaction and the role of the RuvABC system in HJ resolution still need further investigation.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Ragnhild Bo, Brage Kraft, Jutta Joormann, Rune Jonassen, Catherine J. Harmer, Nils Inge Landro
Summary: The study explores the predictive role of cognitive processes such as attentional control, negative biases in attention and interpretation, and rumination in depressive mood reactivity and recovery in response to stress, as well as their relation to the severity of depression.
ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING
(2023)