The effect of expectation on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to suppress food craving and eating in individuals with overweight and obesity.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique with potential to treat eating disorders and obesity. As for any potential treatment, it is important to assess the degree to which expectation effects contribute to its reported efficacy. This study assessed the effect of tDCS on amount of food craving and eating while tightly controlling treatment expectation. N = 74 adults with overweight or obesity were informed of the known effects of tDCS to suppress craving and eating. Once electrodes were on the head, half of the participants were told they were receiving real, and the other half sham tDCS. Within these groups, approximately half actually received real and the other half sham tDCS. Stimulation parameters used were those previously found to reduce craving and eating, including in our lab: 2 mA, anode right/cathode left targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 min (real), or only for the first and last minute (sham). Analyses controlled for demographics, hunger, trait impulsiveness, eating motives, dieting, binge eating, suggestibility, and baseline craving and eating. Participants told they were receiving real tDCS craved and ate less than participants told they were receiving sham tDCS (both p < 0.01), regardless of tDCS condition administered. There was no main effect of real vs. sham tDCS on craving or eating or an interaction between tDCS condition and expectation. The scientific validation of tDCS as a treatment for eating-related conditions hinges on controlling for the powerful effects of expectation. This can include the type of information provided on consent forms and participants' ability to guess real from sham conditions.

Acute Kidney Injury Among Children Admitted With Viral Rhabdomyolysis.

BACKGROUND: Infectious etiologies cause a large portion of pediatric rhabdomyolysis. Among pediatric patients with rhabdomyolysis, it is unknown who will develop acute kidney injury (AKI). We sought to test the hypothesis that a viral etiology would be associated with less AKI in children admitted with rhabdomyolysis than a nonviral etiology. METHODS: In this single-center retrospective cohort study, patients <21 years of age admitted with acute rhabdomyolysis from May 1, 2010, through December 31, 2018, were studied. The primary outcome was development of AKI, defined by using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guidelines. The primary predictor was identification of viral infection by laboratory testing or clinical diagnosis. Covariates included age, sex, race, insurance provider, presence of proteinuria and myoglobinuria, and initial creatinine kinase and serum urea nitrogen. Routine statistics and multivariable logistic modeling were performed via SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC). RESULTS: In total, 319 pediatric patients with rhabdomyolysis were studied. The median age was 13 years. Patients were predominately male (69.9%), non-Hispanic Black (55.2%), and publicly insured (45.1%). We found no difference in the rates of AKI in those with a viral diagnosis versus those without a viral diagnosis (30 of 77 [39.0%] vs 111 of 234 [47.4%]; P = .19). Multivariable analysis revealed that viral diagnosis was not associated with the development of AKI. Patients ≥13 years of age, male patients, and those with proteinuria and elevated serum urea nitrogen on admission had increased odds of developing AKI. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, viral rhabdomyolysis did not have lower rates of AKI compared with nonviral etiologies of AKI; therefore, providers should consider continued caution in these patients.