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Background: Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness, which requires new strategies for prevention and management. Recent evidence suggests that a ketogenic diet may be an effective intervention. This research aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a ketogenic diet intervention for bipolar disorder, fidelity to its behavioural components and the experiences of the participants and research clinicians involved. Methods: A mixed-methods process evaluation was conducted. Semi-structured telephone interviews were carried out with 15 participants 1–2 months after completing a 6–8 week modified ketogenic diet intervention, and 4 research clinicians from the study team following the completion of data collection. Data were thematically analysed. Fidelity checklists completed by research dietitians were analysed using descriptive count and percentage statistics. Findings are reported post-hoc, following the analysis and publication of the main pilot study findings. Reporting was guided by the COREQ checklist. Results: Five themes were identified in the qualitative data: (1) 'Encouraging entry and supporting exit' (e.g. recognising and managing participants' varied motives and expectations, including around weight loss and symptom alleviation); (2) 'Challenging but potentially transformational,' which reflects that while it can be difficult to initiate and maintain a ketogenic diet day-to-day, many participants perceived physical and psychological benefits (e.g. significant weight loss, mood stability and enhanced ability to focus); (3) 'Intervention facilitators,' including a range of behavioural (e.g. goal setting), social (e.g. family and dietitians) and technological (e.g. apps for monitoring) support mechanisms; (4) 'Intervention barriers' (e.g. dietary preferences, concerns about the diet and its impact, the testing burden and capacity of the delivery team); and (5) 'The wider context' (e.g. the cost of living and sociocultural expectations) was a crucial factor explaining differential experiences. Overall, descriptive analyses indicated moderate-to-good fidelity to the behaviour change components of the study. Conclusion: We provide novel insight into the experiences of people living with bipolar disorder initiating and following a ketogenic diet, as well as those of research clinicians who support the intervention. Future trials may benefit from increased clinical research capacity, better-defined entry and exit routes, additional interpersonal support, and greater understanding of how social and societal factors impact participation. Trial registration: Study registration number: ISRCTN61613198 (02/03/22). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we introduce CBGTPy, a virtual environment for designing and testing goal-directed agents with internal dynamics that are modeled on the cortico-basal-ganglia-thalamic (CBGT) pathways in the mammalian brain. CBGTPy enables researchers to investigate the internal dynamics of the CBGT system during a variety of tasks, allowing for the formation of testable predictions about animal behavior and neural activity. The framework has been designed around the principle of flexibility, such that many experimental parameters in a decision making paradigm can be easily defined and modified. Here we demonstrate the capabilities of CBGTPy across a range of single and multi-choice tasks, highlighting the ease of set up and the biologically realistic behavior that it produces. We show that CBGTPy is extensible enough to apply to a range of experimental protocols and to allow for the implementation of model extensions with minimal developmental effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study describes the comparative effect of 24-week supplementation of beeswax alcohol (BWA, Raydel®, 0.5% and 1.0%, wt/wt) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, 0.5% and 1.0%, wt/wt) on plasma oxidative variables and the prevention of organ injury in adult zebrafish subjected to a high-cholesterol (HC, 4%, wt/wt) and -D-galactose (Gal, 30%, wt/wt) diet. Methods: Adult zebrafish were fed various HC+Gal diets enriched with either BWA or CoQ10. After 24 weeks of dietary intervention, blood and organs were harvested for subsequent biochemical and histological evaluations. Results: The HC+Gal-elevated plasma oxidative variables were reverted by the consumption of BWA, marked by the lowest plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) level and highest sulfhydryl content. The HC+Gal-impaired zebrafish swimming ability (staggering movement) was substantially recovered by BWA, manifested by a ~three-fold (p < 0.001) enhancement in swimming distance and speed. Also, the intake of BWA affected the morphology of HC+Gal-compromised kidney and induced histological changes by mitigating reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cellular senescence, which was markedly more effective than the results seen in the CoQ10 group. Likewise, BWA proved effective in preventing HC+Gal-induced testis damage, apparent in the 48.3% (p < 0.05) higher spermatozoa and 26.3% (p < 0.01) reduced interstitial space between the seminiferous tubules. BWA substantially prevented HC+Gal-induced ovary damage by suppressing oxidative stress, lipid deposition and senescence, leading to the restoration of mature vitellogenic oocyte counts. Conclusion: BWA demonstrated a greater ability than CoQ10 to enhance plasma antioxidant status, suppress ROS generation, delay organ aging and alleviate HC+Gal-induced adversity in zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]