GLRB allelic variation associated with agoraphobic cognitions, increased startle response and fear network activation: a potential neurogenetic pathway to panic disorder.

The molecular genetics of panic disorder (PD) with and without agoraphobia (AG) are still largely unknown and progress is hampered by small sample sizes. We therefore performed a genome-wide association study with a dimensional, PD/AG-related anxiety phenotype based on the Agoraphobia Cognition Questionnaire (ACQ) in a sample of 1370 healthy German volunteers of the CRC TRR58 MEGA study wave 1. A genome-wide significant association was found between ACQ and single non-coding nucleotide variants of the GLRB gene (rs78726293, P=3.3 × 10-8; rs191260602, P=3.9 × 10-8). We followed up on this finding in a larger dimensional ACQ sample (N=2547) and in independent samples with a dichotomous AG phenotype based on the Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90; N=3845) and a case-control sample with the categorical phenotype PD/AG (Ncombined =1012) obtaining highly significant P-values also for GLRB single-nucleotide variants rs17035816 (P=3.8 × 10-4) and rs7688285 (P=7.6 × 10-5). GLRB gene expression was found to be modulated by rs7688285 in brain tissue, as well as cell culture. Analyses of intermediate PD/AG phenotypes demonstrated increased startle reflex and increased fear network, as well as general sensory activation by GLRB risk gene variants rs78726293, rs191260602, rs17035816 and rs7688285. Partial Glrb knockout mice demonstrated an agoraphobic phenotype. In conjunction with the clinical observation that rare coding GLRB gene mutations are associated with the neurological disorder hyperekplexia characterized by a generalized startle reaction and agoraphobic behavior, our data provide evidence that non-coding, although functional GLRB gene polymorphisms may predispose to PD by increasing startle response and agoraphobic cognitions.

Social support of virtual characters reduces pain perception.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors, such as social support, can reduce pain. Virtual reality (VR) is a powerful tool to decrease pain, but social factors in VR-based pain analgesia have rarely been studied. Specifically, it is unclear whether social support by virtual characters can reduce pain and whether the perceived control behind virtual characters (agency) and varying degrees of social cues impact pain perception. METHODS: Healthy participants (N = 97) received heat pain stimulation while undergoing four within-subject conditions in immersive VR: (1) virtual character with a low number of social cues (virtual figure) provided verbal support, (2) virtual character with a high number of social cues (virtual human) provided verbal support, (3) no social support (hearing neutral words), (4) no social support. Perceived agency of the virtual characters served as between-subjects factor. Participants in the avatar group were led to believe that another participant controlled the virtual characters. Participants in the agent group were told they interacted with a computer. However, in both conditions, virtual characters were computer-controlled. Pain ratings, psychophysiological measurements and presence ratings were recorded. RESULTS: Virtual social support decreased pain intensity and pain unpleasantness ratings but had no impact on electrodermal activity nor heart rate. A virtual character with a high number of social cues led to lower pain unpleasantness and higher feelings of presence. Agency had no significant impact. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual characters providing social support can reduce pain independent of perceived agency. A more human visual appearance can have beneficial effects on social pain modulation by virtual characters. SIGNIFICANCE: Social influences are important factors in pain modulation. The current study demonstrated analgesic effects through verbal support provided by virtual characters and investigated modulating factors. A more human appearance of a virtual character resulted in a higher reduction of pain unpleasantness. Importantly, agency of the virtual characters had no impact. Given the increasing use of digital health interventions, the findings suggest a positive impact of virtual characters for digital pain treatments.

The Influence of Methylphenidate on Hyperactivity and Attention Deficits in Children With ADHD: A Virtual Classroom Test.

Objective: This study compares the performance in a continuous performance test within a virtual reality classroom (CPT-VRC) between medicated children with ADHD, unmedicated children with ADHD, and healthy children. Method:N = 94 children with ADHD (n = 26 of them received methylphenidate and n = 68 were unmedicated) and n = 34 healthy children performed the CPT-VRC. Omission errors, reaction time/variability, commission errors, and body movements were assessed. Furthermore, ADHD questionnaires were administered and compared with the CPT-VRC measures. Results: The unmedicated ADHD group exhibited more omission errors and showed slower reaction times than the healthy group. Reaction time variability was higher in the unmedicated ADHD group compared with both the healthy and the medicated ADHD group. Omission errors and reaction time variability were associated with inattentiveness ratings of experimenters. Head movements were correlated with hyperactivity ratings of parents and experimenters. Conclusion: Virtual reality is a promising technology to assess ADHD symptoms in an ecologically valid environment.

La alimentación y sus vínculos con la salud desde la Teoría de las Representaciones Sociales / Social representations on the study of diet related to health

En este artículo se analizan contribuciones recientes a la temática de la alimentación y su relación con la salud desde la teoría de las Representaciones Sociales. El concepto de representación social, desarrollado originalmente por Serge Moscovici, refiere a una forma de conocimiento socialmente elaborado y compartido, orientado a la práctica y que participa en la construcción de una realidad común a un conjunto social. El vínculo alimentación-salud es objeto de representación en tanto generador de opiniones, creencias y significados que circulan socialmente y que tienen un impacto en las prácticas alimentarias. Los trabajos analizados muestran representaciones consistentes con los mensajes nutricionales emitidos desde los organismos de salud y que circulan socialmente aunque la apropiación de estos discursos difiere según género, edad, trayectorias educativas y lugar de residencia. La gran mayoría de estos trabajos se basa en el enfoque estructural de la teoría y utiliza estrategias cuantitativas. Los estudios apoyados en el enfoque procesual y al uso de técnicas cualitativas son escasos. Como profesionales de la Nutrición, la relevancia de esta perspectiva reside en que nos permite acceder a otras formas de interpretar el mundo que necesitamos conocer si queremos facilitar tanto a las comunidades como a los individuos una atención integral de sus problemáticas de alimentación-salud

Artificial sweetener consumption and urinary tract tumors in Cordoba, Argentina.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of the habitual use of the most common artificial sweeteners (AS) in the development of urinary tract tumors (UTT) in Argentina. METHODS: Case-control study of 197 patients with histologically confirmed UTT of transitional varieties, and 397 controls with acute, non-neoplastic, and non-urinary tract diseases, admitted to the same hospitals in Córdoba (Argentina) between 1999 and 2006. All subjects were interviewed about their use of AS and their exposure to other known or suspected risk factors for UTT. RESULTS: Fifty-one UTT patients (26%) and 87 controls (22%) used AS. The risk of UTT was significantly increased in long-term (> or =10 years) AS users compared with none-AS users. The OR (95% CI) for long-term consumers was 2.18 (1.22-3.89) and for short-term users was 1.10 (0.61-2.00) after adjustment for age, gender, BMI, social status. and years of tobacco use. CONCLUSION: Regular use of AS for 10 years or more was positively associated with UTT.

Contact with armadillos increases the risk of leprosy in Brazil: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium leprae infection has recently been detected in wild armadillos in Brazil. Leprosy is still endemic in Brazil and although its transmission is mostly by person-to-person contact, many cases report no history of previously known leprosy contact. It has been suggested that other sources of M. leprae may contribute to the transmission of leprosy in some areas. AIM: Our objective was to investigate whether contact with armadillos is associated with leprosy. METHODS: A case-control study was carried out in Brazil. Data was collected from 506 leprosy patients and 594 controls on exposure to armadillos and age, sex, place of birth and living conditions. Univariate analysis and unconditional logistic regression were conducted to investigate whether leprosy was associated with exposure to armadillos. RESULTS: Direct armadillo exposure was reported by 68% of leprosy cases and by 48% of controls (P < 0.001) roughly doubling the risk of leprosy, with odds ratio (OR) 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.36-2.99]. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that direct exposure to armadillos is a risk factor for leprosy in Brazil.

[Evaluation of bone age in patients with kwashiorkor]. / Valutazione dell'età ossea in pazienti affetti da Kwashiorkor.

The present work is the result of a multicentric study performed at Hoima and Kitgum Hospitals in Uganda on a group of 20 children with Kwashiorkor. Bone age was evaluated on the X-ray film of the children's left hand and wrist, according to Tanner and to De Roo, by 2 different evaluators. The final results were compared. Eighty-five % of the patients presented delayed bone maturation: such a result confirms the importance of malnutrition on skeletal development. The data reported by other authors are also discussed.

Permanencia de la cultura piamontesa en las prácticas alimentarias de descendientes de tercera generación de la localidad de Piamonte (Provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina) / Permanence of the piamontese culture on food practices in third generation descendants in Piamonte (Province of Santa Fe, Argentina)

This paper describes the influence of the piemontese culture on food practices of students living in Piamonte, Santa Fe, Argentina. Food practices of 96 students with Piamontese ancestry (PA) (n = 57) and without Piamontese ancestry (No-PA) (n = 39) were studied along 2002 using a self-administered questionnare. Data were analysed by Chi square test, Fisher's exact test, multiple correspondance analysis and logistic regression. Consumption of bagna cauda (p < 0.05) and polenta (p < 0.1) were higher among PA. Differences on the elaboration of polenta and pasta were found: PA add them cheese (p < 0.05) and cream (p < 0.05) whereas no-PA make use of meat (p < 0.05) and tomato sauce (p < 0.05), respectively. The frequency of consumption of traditional Piamontese meals and the role of the mother in the purchase, the elaboration and the serving of the food were similar on both groups. In conclusion, food practices of Piamontese's descendants recall the food culture of their ancestry with some reasonable adaptations to the local context.

La alimentación refleja la identidad de los pueblos y las condiciones nutricionales resultan de la interacción de factores biológicos y culturales. El objetivo de este trabajo fue establecer si la cultura alimentaria piamontesa persiste en las prácticas alimentarias (PA) de alumnos del Polimodal J.M. Estrada de la localidad de Piamonte (provincia de Santa Fe). Se distribuyeron 96 alumnos en dos grupos: descendientes (D) (n=57) y no descendientes de piamonteses (ND) (n=39). Los datos se recabaron en mayo de 2002 mediante cuestionario autoadministrado y se analizaron con Test de Chi Cuadrado y Exacto de Fisher, Correspondencia Múltiple y Regresión Logística Múltiple. El consumo de bagna cauda (p<0,05) Y polenta (p