Neurotrophic factors and brain health in children with overweight and obesity: The role of cardiorespiratory fitness.

ABSTRACTNeurotrophic factors and cardiorespiratory fitness are both considered important in developmental trajectories but their link to brain health remains poorly understood. The aims of the study were to examine whether levels of plasma-derived neurotrophic factors were associated with brain health indicators in children with overweight or obesity; and to test whether these associations were moderated by cardiorespiratory fitness. 100 children (41% girls) were included in this analysis. Plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor-1, vascular endothelial growth factor A, and epidermal growth factor were determined by XMap technology. Academic performance and executive function were assessed using validated neuropsychological tests. Hippocampal volume was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the 20-m Shuttle Run Test. Insulin-like growth factor-1 was positively associated with cognitive flexibility. Stratified analyses by fitness categories (i.e. unfit vs. fit) showed that brain-derived neurotrophic factor was positively associated with right posterior hippocampal volume in fit children, and epidermal growth factor was negatively associated with right hippocampal, and right anterior hippocampal volumes in their unfit peers, with a moderating role of cardiorespiratory fitness in these associations. However, all these significant associations disappeared after correction for multiple comparisons. The association between neurotrophic factors and brain health indicators in children with overweight/obesity was neither strong nor consistent. These results could help enhance our understanding of determinants of brain health in children with overweight/obesity.HighlightsThis study provides novel findings on the associations between neurotrophic factors and a wide range of brain health indicators in children.This study additionally explored the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in these associations.The association between neurotrophic factors and brain health in children with overweight/obesity was neither strong nor consistent.Cardiorespiratory fitness moderated the associations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and epidermal growth factor with right hippocampal volume.

Adaptación al castellano de la Centrality of Event Scale (CES) / Adaptation of Centrality of Event Scale (CES) to Spanish

La "Centrality of Event Scale" (CES) es un instrumento utilizado para evaluar la centralidad que tiene una determinada experiencia en la persona. Estudios previos muestran que la centralidad es un constructo altamente relacionado con el estrés post-traumático, la depresión o el duelo complicado. El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar su adaptación al castellano y caracterizar su fiabilidad y validez. Participaron dos muestras compuestas por 208 y 320 estudiantes universitarios que completaron la CES y medidas de depresión (BDI), ansiedad (STAI) y sintomatologia de estrés post-traumático (PSS). Los resultados coinciden con los obtenidos con la versión original de la CES, tanto en consistencia interna (alfa de Cronbach de 0.92 y 0.94, para cada muestra), como en test-retest a los dos meses (r=0.803, p<0.01). El análisis de componentes principales muestra un único factor explicativo que daba cuenta del 45% de la varianza. Finalmente las puntuaciones de la CES muestran relaciones con diversos indices de psicopatologia, siendo además un predictor, junto con las medidas de ansiedad y depresión, del 32% de la sintomatologia de estrés post-traumático. La adaptación al castellano de la escala CES parece ser una medida válida y fiable sobre centralidad del evento.

The "Centrality of Event Scale" (CES) is an instrument used to assess the centrality that a particular event has in the person. Previous studies show that centrality is a construct highly relevant for post-traumatic stress symptomatho-logy, depression and complicated grief. The aim of this study was to adapt into Spanish the CES and obtain evidences of reliability and validity. Two samples consisting of208 and 320 college students participated in the study. They completed the CES and measures of depression (BDI), anxiety (STAI) and symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PSS). The results agree with those obtained by the original version of the CES, showing high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.92 and 0.94, for each sample) and acceptable test-retest reliability at two months (r = 0.803, p < 0.01). The principal component analysis shows a single explanatory factor that accounted for 45% of the variance. Finally, CES scores show significative relationships with various indicators of psychopatholo-gy, and is also a predictor, along with measures of anxiety and depression, of the 32% of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The Spanish version of the CES seems to be a valid and reliable measure of the centrality of the event.