Thiamine deficiency induces anorexia by inhibiting hypothalamic AMPK.

Obesity and eating disorders are prevailing health concerns worldwide. It is important to understand the regulation of food intake and energy metabolism. Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an essential nutrient. Thiamine deficiency (TD) can cause a number of disorders in humans, such as Beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. We demonstrated here that TD caused anorexia in C57BL/6 mice. After feeding a TD diet for 16days, the mice displayed a significant decrease in food intake and an increase in resting energy expenditure (REE), which resulted in a severe weight loss. At the 22nd day, the food intake was reduced by 69% and 74% for male and female mice, respectively in TD group. The REE increased by ninefolds in TD group. The loss of body weight (17-24%) was similar between male and female animals and mainly resulted from the reduction of fat mass (49% decrease). Re-supplementation of thiamine (benfotiamine) restored animal's appetite, leading to a total recovery of body weight. The hypothalamic adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a critical regulator of food intake. TD inhibited the phosphorylation of AMPK in the arcuate nucleus (ARN) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus without affecting its expression. TD-induced inhibition of AMPK phosphorylation was reversed once thiamine was re-supplemented. In contrast, TD increased AMPK phosphorylation in the skeletal muscle and upregulated the uncoupling protein (UCP)-1 in brown adipose tissues which was consistent with increased basal energy expenditure. Re-administration of thiamine stabilized AMPK phosphorylation in the skeletal muscle as well as energy expenditure. Taken together, TD may induce anorexia by inhibiting hypothalamic AMPK activity. With a simultaneous increase in energy expenditure, TD caused an overall body weight loss. The results suggest that the status of thiamine levels in the body may affect food intake and body weight.

Electromagnetic articulography treatment for an adult with Broca's aphasia and apraxia of speech.

Electromagnetic articulography (EMA) was explored as a means of remediating [s]/[symbol in text] articulation deficits in the speech of an adult with Broca's aphasia and apraxia of speech. Over a 1-month period, the subject was provided with 2 different treatments in a counterbalanced procedure: (1) visually guided biofeedback concerning tongue-tip position and (2) a foil treatment in which a computer program delivered voicing-contrast stimuli for simple repetition. Kinematic and perceptual data suggest improvement resulting from visually guided biofeedback, both for nonspeech oral and, to a lesser extent, speech motor tasks. In contrast, the phonetic contrast treated in the foil condition showed only marginal improvement during the therapy session, with performance dropping back to baseline 10 weeks post-treatment. Although preliminary, the findings suggest that visual biofeedback concerning tongue-tip position can be used to treat nonspeech oral and (to a lesser extent) speech motor behavior in adults with Broca's aphasia and apraxia of speech.

Yoga-based intervention for carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common complication of repetitive activities and causes significant morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of a yoga-based regimen for relieving symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. DESIGN: Randomized, single-blind, controlled trial. SETTING: A geriatric center and an industrial site in 1994-1995. PATIENTS: Forty-two employed or retired individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome (median age, 52 years; range, 24-77 years). INTERVENTION: Subjects assigned to the yoga group received a yoga-based intervention consisting of 11 yoga postures designed for strengthening, stretching, and balancing each joint in the upper body along with relaxation given twice weekly for 8 weeks. Patients in the control group were offered a wrist splint to supplement their current treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes from baseline to 8 weeks in grip strength, pain intensity, sleep disturbance, Phalen sign, and Tinel sign, and in median nerve motor and sensory conduction time. RESULTS: Subjects in the yoga groups had significant improvement in grip strength (increased from 162 to 187 mm Hg; P = .009) and pain reduction (decreased from 5.0 to 2.9 mm; P = .02), but changes in grip strength and pain were not significant for control subjects. The yoga group had significantly more improvement in Phalen sign (12 improved vs 2 in control group; P = .008), but no significant differences were found in sleep disturbance, Tinel sign, and median nerve motor and sensory conduction time. CONCLUSION: In this preliminary study, a yoga-based regimen was more effective than wrist splinting or no treatment in relieving some symptoms and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome.