Are you how you eat? Aspects of self-awareness in eating disorders.

Eating disorders (ED) are severe psychiatric disorders characterized by dysfunctional behaviors related to eating or weight control, with profound impacts on health, quality of life, and the financial burden of affected individuals and society at large. Given that these disorders involve disturbances in self-perception, it is crucial to comprehend the role of self-awareness in their prevalence and maintenance. This literature review presents different self-awareness processes, discussing their functioning across different levels of complexity. By deconstructing this concept, we can gain a better understanding of how each facet of self and personality relates to the symptoms of these disorders. Understanding the absence or impairment of self-awareness in ED holds significant implications for diagnosis, treatment, and overall management. By recognizing and comprehending the characteristics of self-awareness, clinicians can develop tailored interventions and evidence-based treatments for individuals with ED. Furthermore, this narrative review underscores the importance of considering temperament and personality factors in the context of ED, as temperament traits and personality characteristics may interact with self-awareness processes, influencing the development and maintenance of ED. Ultimately, the results highlight the pressing need for further research on the development of effective interventions and support strategies grounded in the aspects of self-awareness mechanisms for individuals affected by these disorders.

Large nesting expression in deer mice remains stable under conditions of visual deprivation despite heightened limbic involvement: Perspectives on compulsive-like behavior.

Visual stimuli and limbic activation varyingly influence obsessive-compulsive symptom expression and so impact treatment outcomes. Some symptom phenotypes, for example, covert repugnant thoughts, are likely less sensitive to sensory stimuli compared to symptoms with an extrinsic focus, that is, symptoms related to contamination, safety, and "just-right-perceptions." Toward an improved understanding of the neurocognitive underpinnings of obsessive-compulsive psychobiology, work in naturalistic animal model systems is useful. Here, we explored the impact of visual feedback and limbic processes on 24 normal (NNB) and large (LNB) nesting deer mice, respectively (as far as possible, equally distributed between sexes). Briefly, after behavioral classification into either the NNB or LNB cohorts, mice of each cohort were separated into two groups each and assessed for nesting expression under either standard light conditions or conditions of complete visual deprivation (VD). Nesting outcomes were assessed in terms of size and neatness. After nesting assessment completion, mice were euthanized, and samples of frontal-cortical and hippocampal tissues were collected to determine serotonin and noradrenaline concentrations. Our results show that LNB, as opposed to NNB, represents an inflexible and excessive behavioral phenotype that is not dependent on visually guided action-outcome processing, and that it associates with increased frontal-cortical and hippocampal noradrenaline concentrations, irrespective of lighting condition. Collectively, the current results are informing of the neurocognitive underpinnings of nesting behavior. It also provides a valuable foundation for continued investigations into the noradrenergic mechanisms that may influence the development and promulgation of excessive, rigid, and inflexible behaviors.

Neuropsychological evaluation of children and adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in the Brazilian population.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a collective name for lifelong physical and neurodevelopmental problems caused by the gestational consumption of alcohol affecting fetal development. In Brazil, the lack of awareness among healthcare professionals, and the scarcity of suitable diagnostic tools and trained clinicians, can contribute to the underestimation of FASD prevalence and severity. The present review aims to map and analyze studies conducted in Brazil on children and adolescents with FASD or a history of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Additionally, it intends to report the psychometric properties of the neurodevelopmental assessment tools applied in the selected articles. Searches were carried out in the databases Scielo, LILACS, PePSIC, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, selecting original clinical studies that have investigated the neurodevelopment of this population. From a total of 175 studies, ten articles fit the inclusion criteria in which 18 instruments were identified. The most reported deficits were related to language, general intelligence quotient (IQ), adaptive behavior, attention, and visual perception. Our results point to the need for more clinical research on FASD in Brazil, as well as for the standardization and validation of neurodevelopmental assessment tools for the accurate diagnosis of FASD in Brazil.

Tracking demands for seeking psychological help before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quanti-qualitative study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented burdens on individuals and communities around the world. The isolation, fear, and uncertainty caused by the virus has led to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. The pandemic has also had a disproportionate impact on individuals and communities with low income and socioeconomic status.ObjectiveTo shed light on the consequences of the pandemic on individuals from minorities and low-income areas, we investigate the main reasons that led patients who were referred to a social clinic of a private university in Rio de Janeiro to seek psychological treatment before (2019) and during the pandemic (2020 and 2021).MethodsWe conducted a quanti-qualitative study with a lexical analysis that evaluated 549 complaint forms of patients seeking treatment in these two distinct periods. Our analyses included descending hierarchical analysis (DHA) and correspondence factor analysis (CFA).ResultsFamily dynamics and communication factors play a dominant role in the reason for seeking therapy and psychological treatment. Additionally, our study suggested an increase in anxiety and panic attacks among other mental health issues associated with grief and losses during the pandemic years.ConclusionBased on these analyses, we can begin to identify a few changes in the main demand and redirection of complaints of patients during the period of COVID-19.

Combined exposure to alcohol and cannabis during development: Mechanisms and outcomes.

Exposure to substances of abuse during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on offspring. Alcohol is one of the most widely used substances of abuse that leads to the most severe consequences. Recent studies in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom showed that between 1% and 7% of all children exhibit signs and symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Despite preventive campaigns, the rate of children with FASD has not decreased during recent decades. Alcohol consumption often accompanies exposure to such drugs as tobacco, cocaine, opioids, and cannabis. These interactions can be synergistic and exacerbate the deleterious consequences of developmental alcohol exposure. The present review focuses on interactions between alcohol and cannabis exposure and the potential consequences of these interactions.

Pharmacological and Physiological Correlates of the Bidirectional Fear Phenotype of the Carioca Rats and Other Bidirectionally Selected Lines.

The Carioca rat lines originated from the selective bidirectional breeding of mates displaying extreme defense responses to contextual conditioned fear. After three generations, two distinct populations could be distinguished: the Carioca High- and Low-conditioned Freezing rats, CHF, and CLF, respectively. Later studies identified strong anxiety-like behaviors in the CHF line, while indications of impulsivity and hyperactivity were prominent in the CLF animals. The present review details the physiological and pharmacological-related findings obtained from these lines. The results discussed here point towards a dysfunctional fear circuitry in CHF rats, including alterations in key brain structures and the serotoninergic system. Moreover, data from these animals highlight important alterations in the stress-processing machinery and its associated systems, such as energy metabolism and antioxidative defense. Finally, evidence of an alteration in the dopaminergic pathway in CLF rats is also debated. Thus, accumulating data gathered over the years, place the Carioca lines as significant animal models for the study of psychiatric disorders, especially fear-related ones like anxiety.

Tracking demands for seeking psychological help before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quanti-qualitative study

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented burdens on individuals and communities around the world. The isolation, fear, and uncertainty caused by the virus has led to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. The pandemic has also had a disproportionate impact on individuals and communities with low income and socioeconomic status. Objective To shed light on the consequences of the pandemic on individuals from minorities and low-income areas, we investigate the main reasons that led patients who were referred to a social clinic of a private university in Rio de Janeiro to seek psychological treatment before (2019) and during the pandemic (2020 and 2021). Methods We conducted a quanti-qualitative study with a lexical analysis that evaluated 549 complaint forms of patients seeking treatment in these two distinct periods. Our analyses included descending hierarchical analysis (DHA) and correspondence factor analysis (CFA). Results Family dynamics and communication factors play a dominant role in the reason for seeking therapy and psychological treatment. Additionally, our study suggested an increase in anxiety and panic attacks among other mental health issues associated with griefand losses during the pandemic years. Conclusion Based on these analyses, we can begin to identify a few changes in the main demand and redirection of complaints of patients during the period of COVID-19.

High-sugar/high-fat diet modulates the effects of chronic stress in cariocas high- and low-conditioned freezing rats.

Stress and eating disorders are closely related and are a topic of major concern due to their burden on human health. Engaging in unhealthy eating habits may come as a result of stress, and it often serves to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety or as a distraction from the stressor itself or self-awareness. However, it can also lead to negative feelings of a person's body figure, guilty, or shame. As diverse as these consequences are in humans, so are the effects of the combined administration of stress and hypercaloric food in animals' models. In this study, we assessed the influence of individual innate behavioral predisposition on the effects of chronic unpredictable mild stress and the dietary supplementation with high-sugar/high-fat food. These conditions were applied to male Carioca low- and high-conditioned freezing (CLF and CHF) rats for 21 days. Behavioral results show that the hypercaloric supplement had a protective effect over the alterations caused by the stress. Notably, it was more strongly observed in CHF rather than CLF animals. As the chronic stress led to an impaired behavior in the contextual fear conditioning and the forced swimming tests in the CLF line, animals fed with the HSHF pellet scored responses similar to their untreated control. On CHF rats, these effects also were seen to a broader extent on the open field test, where the locomotor behavior was also increased. No major effects of the diet were seen in the unstressed groups. Overall, our results show that the influences of both chronic stress and hypercaloric feeding depend on innate differences in fear response traits of male Carioca rats.

Behavioral effects of chronic stress in Carioca high- and low-conditioned freezing rats.

Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) is a widely used model to study stress-coping strategies in rodents. Different factors have been shown to influence whether animals adopt passive or active coping responses to CUMS. Individual adaptation and susceptibility to the environment seem to play a critical role in this process. To further investigate this relationship, we examined the effects of CUMS on Carioca high- and low-conditioned freezing rats (CHF and CLF, respectively), bidirectional lines of animals selected for high and low freezing in response to contextual cues that were previously associated with footshocks. For this purpose, the behavior of CHF and CLF animals was evaluated in the contextual fear conditioning, open field, elevated T maze, and forced swimming tests before and after 21 days of CUMS. For all tests, CHF rats were more susceptible to the effects of CUMS compared to CLF. CHF animals exposed to CUMS displayed a reduction in freezing behavior, decreased number of entries and time spent in the center of the open field, greater latencies to become immobile, and increased avoidance and escaping behaviors in the elevated T maze. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that a heightened susceptibility to the environment exerts a strong influence on coping responses to chronic stress.

Forced swimming stress increases natatory activity of lead-exposed mice.

Recent evidence points to the relationship between lead toxicity and the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which suggests that lead exposure could influence how an individual cope with stress. Here we test this hypothesis by investigating the behavioral effects of lead exposure in mice during the forced swimming test (FST), a parading in which animals are exposed to a stressful situation and environment. Swiss mice received either 180 ppm or 540 ppm of lead acetate (Pb) in their ad-lib water supply for 60-90 days, starting at postnatal day 30. Control (Ctrl) mice drank tap water. At the end of the exposure period, mice were submitted to a 5-min session of FST or to an open-field session of the same duration. Data from naïve animals showed that corticosterone levels were higher for animals tested in the FST compared to animals tested in the open-field. Blood-lead levels (BLL) in Pb-exposed mice ranged from 14.3 to 106.9 µg/dL. No differences were observed in spontaneous locomotion between Ctrl and Pb-exposed groups in the open-field. However, in the FST, Pb-treated mice displayed higher swimming activity than Ctrl ones and this effect was observed even for animals with BLL higher than 20 µg/dL. Furthermore, significant differences in brain glutathione levels, used as an indicator of led toxicity, were only observed for BLL higher than 40 µg/dL. Overall, these findings suggest that swimming activity in the FST is a good indicator of lead toxicity and confirm our prediction that lead toxicity influences behavioral responses associated to stress.

Ethanol exposure during the brain growth spurt period increases ethanol-induced aggressive behavior in adolescent male mice.

Ethanol exposure during development is associated with deficient social behavior, such as aggressive behavior, and ethanol consumption is associated with violent crimes, thus raising the possibility that individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder may exhibit exacerbated social deficits in response to ethanol exposure. The present study evaluated the effects of ethanol exposure during the brain growth spurt period (i.e., a critical time period during which ethanol's effects are augmented) on aggressive behavior and ethanol-induced aggression during adolescence. From postnatal Day 2 (PD2) to PD8, Swiss mice received either ethanol (5 g/kg, i.p.) or saline on alternate days. On PD39, aggressive behavior was assessed using the resident-intruder paradigm in male mice, and social dominance was investigated using the tube dominance test in both males and females. Testis structure and testosterone levels were evaluated in male mice. Early ethanol exposure increased the gonadosomatic index and the number of Leydig cells. The thickness of the seminiferous tube decreased. No difference in testosterone levels was found. The ethanol-exposed resident mice exhibited increased number and duration of aggressive episodes only when challenged with a low ethanol dose (1 g/kg) before confrontation. Female mice early-exposed to ethanol won more confrontations in the tube dominance test. The present findings suggest a critical brain growth spurt period that is susceptible to ethanol-induced alterations of social dominance behavior in females. Although basal levels of aggression were unaffected, early ethanol exposure resulted in greater susceptibility to ethanol-induced aggression in adolescent male mice.

Theoretical, and epistemological challenges in scientific investigations of complex emotional states in animals.

This review brings to light critical epistemological and theoretical considerations when studying complex emotional states in animals. We discuss anthropomorphic and Umwelt perspectives of nonhuman animals and the ways in which distinct theories of consciousness and neural processing may restrict the potential for the development of knowledge on the topic. Within the same line of argumentation, we consider influences of the debate between monism and dualism and psychology's behaviorism and cognitive theories. Finally, we contrast the affective consciousness, higher-order emotional consciousness, and constructed emotion theories to further our understanding of complex emotional states in animals.

Alcohol intake in Carioca High- and Low-conditioned Freezing rats.

Evidence from clinical and epidemiological studies point towards an association between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and alcohol abuse. In the present study we investigated whether a similar relationship could be observed in an animal model of GAD. Specifically, we evaluated the alcohol intake of Carioca High- and Low-conditioned Freezing rats (CHF and CLF, respectively). Sex differences in alcohol drinking behavior were also studied. Male and female rats from randomized crossbreeding populations served as controls (CTL). Free- and forced-choice protocols were used to measure alcohol consumption, and quinine and saccharin were used as taste control solutions. Our results indicate that CHF rats consumed more alcohol than CLF and CTL ones in both the free-choice (6 and 10% concentrations) and the forced-choice (10% concentration) conditions. CHF female rats exhibited the highest amount of alcohol intake in the forced-choice condition. CHF females also consumed more quinine than CHF male rats. Finally, CHF rats exhibited lower saccharin consumption compared to CLF and CTL animals. Altogether, these results support the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between anxiety and alcohol intake, and provide further evidence for the use of CHF rats as a model of GAD.

Distinct patterns of brain Fos expression in Carioca High- and Low-conditioned Freezing Rats.

BACKGROUND: The bidirectional selection of high and low anxiety-like behavior is a valuable tool for understanding the neurocircuits that are responsible for anxiety disorders. Our group developed two breeding lines of rats, known as Carioca High- and Low-conditioned Freezing (CHF and CLF), based on defensive freezing in the contextual fear conditioning paradigm. A random selected line was employed as a control (CTL) comparison group for both CHF and CLF lines of animals. The present study performed Fos immunochemistry to investigate changes in neural activity in different brain structures among CHF and CLF rats when they were exposed to contextual cues that were previously associated with footshock. RESULTS: The study indicated that CHF rats expressed high Fos expression in the locus coeruleus, periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), and lateral portion of the septal area and low Fos expression in the medial portion of the septal area, dentate gyrus, and prelimbic cortex (PL) compared to CTL animals. CLF rats exhibited a decrease in Fos expression in the PVN, PL, and basolateral nucleus of the amygdala and increase in the cingulate and perirhinal cortices compared to CTL animals. CONCLUSIONS: Both CHF and CLF rats displayed Fos expression changes key regions of the anxiety brain circuitry. The two bidirectional lines exhibit different pattern of neural activation and inhibition with opposing influences on the PVN, the main structure involved in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal neuroendocrine responses observed in anxiety disorders.

High- and Low-conditioned Behavioral effects of midazolam in Carioca high- and low-conditioned freezing rats in an ethologically based test.

The selective breeding of laboratory rodents with different anxiety-related traits is the subject of growing interest. The present study compared the effects of the benzodiazepine midazolam in the elevated plus maze (EPM) test of anxiety in two lines of Wistar rats that were selectively bred in our laboratory for either high or low anxiety-like traits based on a contextual freezing conditioning paradigm. After phenotyping anxiety-like traits (i.e., conditioned freezing behavior), Carioca High-Freezing [CHF], Carioca Low-Freezing [CLF]) and control rats were intraperitoneally injected (1.0 ml/kg) with .9 % saline or midazolam (.25, .5, .75, and 1.0 mg/kg) and subjected to the EPM 30 min later. After the saline injection, the CHF and CLF groups exhibited lower and higher open-arm exploration in the EPM, respectively, compared with control rats. These results indicate that anxiety-related traits previously selected from an associative learning paradigm can also be phenotypically expressed in an ethologically based animal model of anxiety. All midazolam doses significantly increased open-arm exploration in both CHF and control animals, but this anxiolytic-like effect in CLF rats was only observed at the lowest dose tested (.25 mg/kg). The present findings indicate that these two breeding lines of rats are a useful model for studying anxiety, and the anxiolytic effect of midazolam depends on genetic variability that is associated with basal reactions to threatening situations.

Cued Fear Conditioning in Carioca High- and Low-Conditioned Freezing Rats.

Anxiety disorders (AD) comprise a broad range of psychiatric conditions, including general anxiety (GAD) and specific phobias. For the last decades, the use of animal models of anxiety has offered important insights into the understanding of the association between these psychopathologies. Here, we investigate whether Carioca high- and low-conditioned freezing rats (CHF and CLF, respectively), a GAD animal model of anxiety, show similar high- and low-freezing behavioral phenotypes for cued auditory fear conditioning. Adult CHF (n = 16), CLF (n = 16) and normal age-matched Wistar rats (control, CTL, n = 16) were tested in a classical auditory-cued fear conditioning paradigm over 3 days (Tone + Shock and Tone only groups, n = 8 per treatment). Freezing responses were measured and used as evidence of fear conditioning. Overall, both CHF and CLF rats, as well as CTL animals displayed fear conditioning to the auditory CS. However, CLF animals showed a rapid extinction to the auditory conditioned stimulus compared to CHF and CTL rats. We discuss these findings in the context of the behavioral and neuronal differences observed in rodent lines of high and low anxiety traits.

Tobacco and alcohol use during adolescence: Interactive mechanisms in animal models.

There is a strong association between tobacco smoking and the consumption of alcoholic beverages. When compared to the effects of either drug on its own, the combined use may lead to worsened outcomes, such as less successful quitting attempts and increased likelihood of developing mood disorders. Co-consumption most frequently begins during adolescence, a developmental period that is characterized by an increased risk for substance use disorders. However, to date, most studies that have contributed to the current state of knowledge on the mechanisms that underlie tobacco or alcohol use/abuse, and their consequences, adopted adult animal models. Besides, the available literature hardly addresses the effects of co-exposure, irrespective of age. Since adolescence is a period of transition between infancy and adulthood that is characterized by unique brain maturational events and behavioral traits, the mechanisms that drive drug use/abuse in adolescents differ in several aspects from those proposed to underlie adult consumption. This review summarizes and consolidates recent findings on common molecular targets and neuropharmacological mechanisms of action associated with nicotine/tobacco smoke and ethanol co-exposure in animal models, highlighting the effects that culminate in behavioral dysfunctions. To that effect, we discuss the role of mesocorticolimbic system maturation events, cross-tolerance and cross-reinforcement, stress, and sex differences in the context of adolescent co-exposure, identifying gaps in knowledge regarding the interactions between these habit-forming drugs. Finally, we suggest future directions for research on epigenetic mechanisms associated with nicotine and ethanol co-exposure as well as on potential pharmacological therapies for co-addiction.

Energy drink enhances the behavioral effects of alcohol in adolescent mice.

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks has become increasingly popular among teenagers and young adults due to the prevailing view that the stimulant properties of energy drinks decrease the depressant effects of alcohol. Surprisingly, in spite of energy drinks being heavily marketed to and consumed by adolescents, there is scarcely available preclinical data on the neurobehavioral effects of energy drinks mixed with alcohol during adolescence. Thus, here we examine the effects of the combined exposure to alcohol and energy drink on adolescent mice using a variety of behavioral tasks to assess locomotor activity, righting reflex and motor coordination. At postnatal day 40, male and female Swiss mice were assigned to the following experimental groups: alcohol diluted in energy drink (Ed+Etoh), alcohol diluted in water (Etoh) or controls (Ctrl: energy drink or water). Alcohol and energy drink (Red Bull) concentrations were 4g/kg and 8ml/kg, respectively, and all solutions were administered via oral gavage. When compared to Etoh mice, Ed+Etoh animals displayed greater locomotor activity and increased anxiety-like behaviors in the open-field, lost their righting reflexes sooner and displayed poorer motor coordination in the rotarod. Collectively, our findings indicate that alcohol-induced deficits in adolescent mice are worsened by energy drink and go against the view that the stimulant properties of energy drinks can antagonize the adverse effects of alcohol.

Adaptive reorganization of retinogeniculate axon terminals in dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus following experimental mild traumatic brain injury.

The pathologic process in traumatic brain injury marked by delayed axonal loss, known as diffuse axonal injury (DAI), leads to partial deafferentation of neurons downstream of injured axons. This process is linked to persistent visual dysfunction following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), however, examination of deafferentation in humans is impossible with current technology. To investigate potential reorganization in the visual system following mTBI, we utilized the central fluid percussion injury (cFPI) mouse model of mTBI. We report that in the optic nerve of adult male C57BL/6J mice, axonal projections of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to their downstream thalamic target, dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), undergo DAI followed by scattered, widespread axon terminals loss within the dLGN at 4days post-injury. However, at 10days post-injury, significant reorganization of RGC axon terminals was found, suggestive of an adaptive neuroplastic response. While these changes persisted at 20days post-injury, the RGC axon terminal distribution did not recovery fully to sham-injury levels. Our studies also revealed that following DAI, the segregation of axon terminals from ipsilateral and contralateral eye projections remained consistent with normal adult mouse distribution. Lastly, our examination of the shell and core of dLGN suggested that different RGC subpopulations may vary in their susceptibility to injury or in their contribution to reorganization following injury. Collectively, these findings support the premise that subcortical axon terminal reorganization may contribute to recovery following mTBI, and that different neural phenotypes may vary in their contribution to this reorganization despite exposure to the same injury.

Effects of developmental alcohol and valproic acid exposure on play behavior of ferrets.

Exposure to alcohol and valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and fetal valproate syndrome, respectively. Altered social behavior is a hallmark of both these conditions and there is ample evidence showing that developmental exposure to alcohol and VPA affect social behavior in rodents. However, results from rodent models are somewhat difficult to translate to humans owing to the substantial differences in brain development, morphology, and connectivity. Since the cortex folding pattern is closely related to its specialization and that social behavior is strongly influenced by cortical structures, here we studied the effects of developmental alcohol and VPA exposure on the play behavior of the ferret, a gyrencephalic animal known for its playful nature. Animals were injected with alcohol (3.5g/kg, i.p.), VPA (200mg/kg, i.p.) or saline (i.p) every other day during the brain growth spurt period, between postnatal days 10 and 30. The play behavior of pairs of the same experimental group was evaluated 3 weeks later. Both treatments induced significant behavioral differences compared to controls. Alcohol and VPA exposed ferrets played less than saline treated ones, but while animals from the alcohol group displayed a delay in start playing with each other, VPA treated ones spent most of the time close to one another without playing. These findings not only extend previous results on the effects of developmental exposure to alcohol and VPA on social behavior, but make the ferret a great model to study the underlying mechanisms of social interaction.