ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: There is a relationship between emotional disorders, obesity, and craving for carbohydrates. This relationship complicates the success of treatments aimed at combatting obesity, which is considered to be the epidemic of the twenty-first century. We conducted a review of the neurobiologic basis for carbohydrate craving, with the hope that this understanding will enable the design of more efficient therapeutic strategies. METHOD: We conducted a non-systematic literature search in PubMed using MeSH. RESULTS: Research on the basis of carbohydrate craving is varied, but may be grouped into five main areas: the serotonergic system, palatability and hedonic response, the motivational system, stress response systems, and gene-environment interaction. CONCLUSIONS: The models that integrate motivational systems with palatability and hedonic response studies are the ones that we believe can best explain both craving for carbohydrates and related addictive phenomena. Research has contributed to a greater understanding of the neurobiologic basis of carbohydrate craving. The latter, in turn, contributes to an understanding of the implications, challenges, and possible therapies that might be put in place to cope with this phenomenon.
Subject(s)
Behavior, Addictive/psychology , Dietary Carbohydrates , Feeding Behavior/physiology , Feeding Behavior/psychology , Feeding and Eating Disorders/psychology , Obesity/psychology , Affect , Behavior, Addictive/physiopathology , Feeding and Eating Disorders/complications , Gene-Environment Interaction , Humans , Motivation , Obesity/etiology , Serotonergic Neurons/physiology , Serotonin/physiology , Stress, PhysiologicalABSTRACT
Background: Worldwide, suicide is the third cause of death among adolescents. Aim: To determine the socio-demographic context and clinical characteristics of children and adolescents hospitalized for suicidal behavior in a general hospital. Material and Methods: Between 2007 and 2009, we evaluated 47 patients with a mean age of 15.3 years (87% women) admitted for suicidal behavior at the Clinical Hospital of the Catholic University of Chile. Demographic data of the participants were registered. Clinical interviews were done by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Results: Fifty seven percent of patients lived with both parents. Fifty one percent had previous suicide attempts and 68% had a previous psychiatric treatment. The main trigger was a conflict with parents in 66%. The psychiatric diagnoses were major depressive episode in 74.5% and pathological development of personality in 43%. All suicide attempts were with drugs and 6.4% were associated with cuts. Seventeen percent of attempts were classified as medically serious and they were more common in older age groups. Non severe attempts were observed mainly in women (92.3%). Acetaminophen intake was recorded in 8.5% of cases. Admission to hospital increased in the final quarter of the year. High costs of hospitalization were observed associated to stays in high complexity units. Conclusions: The population studied shows a high incidence of prior suicidal behavior. Most of the studied patients had attempts that were not classified as serious. These occurred predominantly in women in all age ranges. Medically serious suicidal behavior is mainly observed in older adolescents.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Suicide, Attempted/psychology , Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical data , Age Distribution , Age Factors , Chile/epidemiology , Conflict, Psychological , Depressive Disorder, Major/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder, Major/epidemiology , Hospitals, General , Risk Factors , Sex Distribution , Sex Factors , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Worldwide, suicide is the third cause of death among adolescents. AIM: To determine the socio-demographic context and clinical characteristics of children and adolescents hospitalized for suicidal behavior in a general hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2007 and 2009, we evaluated 47 patients with a mean age of 15.3 years (87% women) admitted for suicidal behavior at the Clinical Hospital of the Catholic University of Chile. Demographic data of the participants were registered. Clinical interviews were done by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. RESULTS: Fifty seven percent of patients lived with both parents. Fifty one percent had previous suicide attempts and 68% had a previous psychiatric treatment. The main trigger was a conflict with parents in 66%. The psychiatric diagnoses were major depressive episode in 74.5% and pathological development of personality in 43%. All suicide attempts were with drugs and 6.4% were associated with cuts. Seventeen percent of attempts were classified as medically serious and they were more common in older age groups. Non severe attempts were observed mainly in women (92.3%). Acetaminophen intake was recorded in 8.5% of cases. Admission to hospital increased in the final quarter of the year. High costs of hospitalization were observed associated to stays in high complexity units. CONCLUSIONS: The population studied shows a high incidence of prior suicidal behavior. Most of the studied patients had attempts that were not classified as serious. These occurred predominantly in women in all age ranges. Medically serious suicidal behavior is mainly observed in older adolescents.
Subject(s)
Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Suicide, Attempted/psychology , Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Age Distribution , Age Factors , Child , Chile/epidemiology , Conflict, Psychological , Depressive Disorder, Major/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder, Major/epidemiology , Female , Hospitals, General , Humans , Male , Risk Factors , Sex Distribution , Sex Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
La ansiedad por separación es fisiológica entre los 6 meses y 6 años de edad, puede diagnosticarse como un trastorno cuando no es apropiada para el nivel de desarrollo y altera la funcionalidad del niño. Es importante tener presente esta trastorno en la práctica pediátrica, detectar factores de riesgo, diagnosticarlo y tratarlo oportunamente. De esta forma se fomente la autonomía y capacidad de relaciones empáticas del niño.
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Anxiety, Separation/diagnosis , Anxiety, Separation/etiology , Anxiety, Separation/therapyABSTRACT
La encopresis es un problema común en la infancia que se presenta en escenarios pediátricos, psiquiátricos y psicológicos y tiene un impacto significativo en el funcionamiento social y emocional del niño y en su familia.
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Encopresis/diagnosis , Encopresis/psychology , Encopresis/therapy , Diagnosis, Differential , Encopresis/epidemiology , Encopresis/etiology , Medical History Taking , Physical Examination , PrognosisABSTRACT
La comprensión del delirium es fundamental en el campo de la psiquiatría infanto-juvenil, pero también en otras especialidades que tratan niños. Estos comienzan bruscamente con alteración de la conciencia, de la memoria, del lenguaje, ideas delirantes durante el curso de una enfermedad, por el uso de sustancias o en el postoperatorio. Es importante la familiarización con los síntomas y tratamiento del delirium en niños y adolescentes así como reconocer el riesgo que conlleva.