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The relationship between motor skills and executive functions (EFs) is gaining prominence in the field of developmental psychology. However, evidence of the motor skills–EFs link in children with t...

Background and aimsPrevious studies suggest that attentional bias and disengagement may vary as a function of Body Mass Index (BMI), most notably in a palatable food related context. Though this could indeed represent a food context specific effect, it could also represent a general reward related context effect. In addition, though mindfulness and stress have both been reported to affect attention, it is not yet clear whether these moderate the relationship between BMI and attention as a function of reward context. In the current study we addressed these questions. It was hypothesized that BMI would be positively associated with bias in a food context and money context relative to a neutral context. The inverse was expected for disengagement. It was expected that mindfulness would decrease these relationships and for stress the inverse was expected.MethodsIn the current online study, eighty-seven participants (24 males and 63 females; age: M = 30.1, SD = 8.3; BMI: M = 24.2, SD = 4.67), filled out questionnaires and completed a visuospatial cueing task measuring attention and disengagement of attention in a neutral, food-related, and money-related condition.ResultsThere was no association between BMI and attentional bias. Higher BMI was associated with faster responses to money pictures presented opposite to a cued location as compared to money pictures that did not follow a predictive cue. Our results do not support a clear moderating role of mindfulness and stress.Discussion and conclusionOur results imply faster processing and associated quicker responding to unanticipated reward-related stimuli in individuals with overweight or obesity.

Executive functions (EFs) undergo dramatic changes during preschool years and show differential age-related effects. In view of this, the present study examines the developmental pathways of EF com...

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of several neurological and psychiatric diseases, but few studies report the contribution of biological features in the occurrence of mood disorders in obese patients. The aim of the study is to evaluate the potential links between serum metabolomics and gut microbiome, and mood disturbances in a cohort of obese patients. Psychological, biological characteristics and nutritional habits were evaluated in 94 obese subjects from the Food4Gut study stratified according to their mood score assessed by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The fecal gut microbiota and plasma non-targeted metabolomics were analysed. Obese subjects with increased negative mood display elevated levels of Coprococcus as well as decreased levels of Sutterella and Lactobacillus. Serum metabolite profile analysis reveals in these subjects altered levels of several amino acid-derived metabolites, such as an increased level of L-histidine and a decreased in phenylacetylglutamine, linked to altered gut microbiota composition and function rather than to differences in dietary amino acid intake. Regarding clinical profile, we did not observe any differences between both groups. Our results reveal new microbiota-derived metabolites that characterize the alterations of mood in obese subjects, thereby allowing to propose new targets to tackle mood disturbances in this context. Food4gut, clinicaltrial.gov: NCT03852069.

Abstract: Introduction and aim: Earlier results in the literature suggest that overweight subjects show weaker performance in executive function tasks as compared to normal weight people. Dopaminergic system is strongly linked to executive functions, body mass regulation and ingestion. The aim of the present study was to examine the possible relationship between DRD4 VNTR 7-repeat allele, body mass index and Stroop performance in a healthy adult population, and to draw psychogenetic conclusions. Method: 152 subjects without diabetic or psychiatric history participated in the study. Along with non-invasive DNA sampling, demographic, weight and height data were collected. The participants also solved the computerized Stroop task. 11 subjects belonged to the underweight (mean body mass index = 17.9 kg/m2), 98 subjects to the normal (mean body mass index = 21.8 kg/m2), and 43 subjects to the overweight (mean body mass index = 28.9 kg/m2) category. After grouping participants according to their body mass index and DRD4 VNTR genotype, we compared their mean performance to investigate the possible psychogenetic associations. Results: Body mass index and stimuli type showed significant interaction on error number (p = 0.045): subjects with normal body mass index made significantly less error as compared to under- and overweight subjects in incongruent trials. The 7-repeat allele carriers made tendentiously more errors than non-carriers. Normal weight people made less error – independently from their genotype –, while subjects with either low or high BMI carrying the 7-repeat allele made more errors compared to non-carriers. Conclusion: Under- and overweight subjects perform weaker where inhibition is necessary in the task. This may reflect their reactions to food-related situations. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(39): 1554–1562.

Background and aims Metabolic and behavioural diseases, which are often related to obesity, have been associated to alterations of the gut microbiota considered as an interesting therapeutic target. We have analyzed in a cohort of obese patients treated with prebiotic inulin versus placebo the potential link between gut microbiota changes occurring upon intervention and their effect on psychological parameters (mood and cognition). Methods A randomized, single-blinded, multicentric, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 106 obese patients assigned to two groups: prebiotic versus placebo, who received respectively 16 g/d of native inulin or maltodextrin combined with dietary advice to consume inulin-rich or -poor vegetables for 3 months as well as to restrict caloric intake. Anthropometric measurements, food intake, psychological questionnaires, serum measures, and fecal microbiome sequencing were performed before and after the intervention. Results Inulin supplementation in obese subjects had moderate beneficial effect on emotional competence and cognitive flexibility. However, an exploratory analysis revealed that some patients exhibiting specific microbial signature -elevated Coprococcus levels at baseline- were more prone to benefit from prebiotic supplementation in terms of mood. Positive responders toward inulin intervention in term of mood also displayed worse metabolic and inflammatory profiles at baseline (increased levels of IL-8, insulin resistance and adiposity). Conclusion This study shows that inulin intake can be helpful to improve mood in obese subjects exhibiting a specific microbial profile. The present work highlights some microbial, metabolic and inflammatory features (IL-8, insulin resistance) which can predict or mediate the beneficial effects of inulin on behaviour in obesity. Food4gut, clinicaltrial.gov: NCT03852069, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03852069 .

Many people would like to reduce indulging in unhealthy foods, but find it difficult to do so. Previous research shows that individuals eat smaller portions of unhealthy hedonic food if they first imagine the sensory properties of tempting food (sensory imagery; Cornil & Chandon, 2016). Similarly, they show less preference for such food if they think about food in a detached way (decentering; Papies, Barsalou, & Custers, 2012; Papies, Pronk, Keesman, & Barsalou, 2015). Given that these two mindsets are seemingly at odds with each other, we compared them across two studies to examine their effects on the preference for (Experiment 1) and consumption of (Experiment 2) hedonic healthy and unhealthy food. Although sensory imagery and decentering had largely different effects for preferences towards healthy and unhealthy foods, they had comparable effects on the consumption of both types of foods, serving to reduce the effects of consumption in participants affected by hunger and emotional eating. These results suggest that while sensory imagery and decentering are based on different mechanisms, they produce similar results when it comes to the consumption of hedonic food, regardless of how healthy the food is., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Abstract: Introduction: Owing to the rapid progress of the medical science and technology, the chances of survival of the extremely low birth weight (

We investigated the implicit preference in terms of food portion in obesity using the affective priming paradigm. Primes representing different portions of fast food (small, medium and large) were used to assess participants' readiness to respond to a positive or negative target word. A self-reported affective rating scale of food portion and a portion judgment task were administered to determine the explicit preference for food portion and portion misperception, respectively. The results of the affective priming paradigm showed an implicit preference for large food portions in the obese group. No implicit preference in terms of food portion was found in the non-obese group. The explicit preference measure of food portion demonstrated a rather negative attitude for large portions in the obese group, whereas the non-obese group reported no explicit preference in terms of food portion. Thus, unlike the non-obese group, the obese group showed clear discrepancies between implicit and explicit preferences in terms of food portion: obese participants demonstrated an implicit, but not an explicit preference for large food portions. These results could not be attributed to a misperception of food portion, as revealed by the portion judgment task. The current findings suggest that social desirability might conceal self-reported preference in terms of food portion and/or that obese individuals are less aware of their internal preferences.

Background Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are basic movement skills (i.e. balance, object control, and locomotor skills) that form the foundation for more advanced movement patterns. These skills are a crucial but often an overlooked part of the development process, especially in populations with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In view of this, the present review was undertaken with the purpose of determining the extent of FMS impairments in children with ASD compared to typically developing children and those with other developmental disorders. Method A total of 24 studies that measured FMS in children with ASD using product- and process-oriented standardized movement assessment batteries were included in the review. Results The results showed that impairments in FMS are highly prevalent across the ASD spectrum and that children with ASD exhibited greater impairments in FMS competencies especially object control and locomotor skills compared to typically developing children and those with other developmental disorders. Moreover, these impairments in FMS appear to emerge early in life and persist throughout late childhood years in the majority of children with ASD. Conclusion These findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting that FMS has the potential to be an early motor marker in children with ASD, and that practitioners should therefore be encouraged to consider movement skill evaluations as a routine investigation for children with ASD.

We investigated an attention bias (AB) for emotional faces in emotional eating (EM). A group obtaining a low score (n = 18) on the Emotional eating scale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire and a high scoring group (n = 23) completed the Exogenous Cueing Task (ECT). The ECT experiment measured their reaction times to the location of a target dot preceded by a happy, sad, angry or neutral face cue. The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations was administrated to collect information on participants’ coping strategies. Compared to the group with a low degree of EM, the high EM group showed significant attentional avoidance of emotional faces, particularly negative faces, in the ECT. The coping questionnaire indicated that the high EM group displayed higher levels of avoidance coping compared to the low EM group. General levels of EM and avoidance coping were also positively correlated, and avoidance coping significantly predicted the level of EM. The findings of the present study indicate that attentional avoidance of emotional content, which has previously been observed in clinical studies of eating disorders ( Cardi et al., 2015a ; Davies et al., 2011 ), is also present in subclinical samples of EM.

Investigating associations between personality and reproductive fitness may reveal the adaptive significance of human behavioural traits. What we dub ‘solid-citizenship’ personality characteristics such as self-control, diligence and responsibility may repay study from an evolutionary perspective as they protect against negative life-outcomes. We explored associations between reproductive fitness and personality questionnaire markers of solid citizenship in 4981 women from four Australian samples. We also examined relations between reproductive fitness and army discharge status, an applied measure of solid citizenship, in 15,283 Vietnam War-era military veterans. In two Australian samples there were significant negative associations between reproductive fitness and personality measures of solid citizenship. Similarly, in the US study honourably discharged servicemen on average fathered significantly fewer children than non-honourably discharged servicemen. Since personality is genetically influenced, our results suggest that genetic variants for solid citizenship may be decreasing in frequency in some populations, in line with other modern findings but in contrast to historical analyses. Causes for this change may include relatively more conscientious women using contraception to prioritise their careers over reproduction and the availability of systematic welfare provisioning.

The vagus nerve is strategically located in the body, and has multiple homeostatic and health-promoting effects. Low vagal activity predicts onset and progression of diseases. These are the reasons to activate this nerve. This study examined the effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS) on a main index of vagal activity, namely heart rate variability (HRV). In Study 1, we compared short (10 min) left versus right ear t-VNS versus sham (no stimulation) in a within-subjects experimental design. Results revealed significant increases in only one HRV parameter (standard deviation of the RR intervals (SDNN)) following right-ear t-VNS. Study 2 examined the prolonged effects of t-VNS (1 h) in the right ear. Compared to baseline, right-t-VNS significantly increased the LF and LF/HF components of HRV, and SDNN in women, but not in men. These results show limited effects of t-VNS on HRV, and are discussed in light of neuroanatomical and statistical considerations and future directions are proposed.

Aim The aim of this study was to identify subgroups of children born moderately preterm (MPT) and term with distinctive levels and patterns of functioning, and the perinatal and demographic factors that predict subgroup membership. Method A total of 378 children aged 7 years, 248 MPT (138 males, 110 females; gestational age 3236wks) and a comparison group of 130 children born at term (58 males, 72 females; gestational age 3841wks), were selected from a community-based cohort study. Latent class analyses were performed on measures of intelligence, verbal memory, attention, executive functioning, and visuomotor and motor skills. ?2 automatic interaction detection analyses were performed to detect associations between the subgroups and predictors. Results Four subgroups differing in levels of performance were identified, with parental education being the only statistically significant determinant of subgroup assignment (p

There is growing evidence that disordered eating is associated with facial expression recognition and emotion processing problems. In this study, we investigated the question of whether anorexia and obesity occur on a continuum of attention bias towards negative facial expressions in comparison with healthy individuals of normal weight. Thirty-three patients with restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN-R), 30 patients with obesity (OB) and 63 healthy age and social-economic status matched controls were recruited. Our results indicated that AN-R patients were more attentive to angry faces and had difficulties in being attentive to positive expressions, whilst OB patients had problems in looking for or being attentive to negative expressions independently of self-reported depression and anxiety. Our findings did not support the idea that AN-R and OB occur on a continuum. We found that AN-R was associated with a reduced capacity in positive facial expression processing, whereas OB was associated with a reduced capacity in negative facial expressions processing. The social relevance of our findings and a possible explanation based upon neuroscience are discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

In the present study we investigated the evaluation of body shapes in patients with restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN) on both automatic and controlled levels. The first aim of the study was to examine whether an ultra-thin ideal or negative attitudes toward overweight might be the motivation behind pathological restriction. The second aim was to investigate the relationship between body figure evaluations, eating disorder symptoms and mood. A Modified Affective Priming Test was used to measure implicit evaluations of body silhouettes, while a Likert scale was used to assess explicit evaluations. The study involved 35 women with restrictive anorexia nervosa and 35 age- and education-level-matched controls with normal body weight. In contrast to the control group, the patients did not show a positive attitude toward the ultra-thin body shape on the automatic level. The AN group both on the automatic and the self-reported levels evaluated the overweight body as negative. Depression and anxiety did not influence body evaluation. Strong negative evaluation of overweight appears to be a key issue in AN rather than positive evaluation of ultra-thin role models.

Cognitive profiles of 12 schoolboys with obesity were compared with their peers with normal weight. For the cognitive assessment five clinical tasks were selected: digit span memory, Raven's progressive matrices (intelligence), semantic verbal fluency, D2 attention endurance and Wisconsin card sorting test. We found no differences in memory, intelligence and verbal fluency between the two groups. Children with obesity performed worse on D2 and Wisconsin tests. Correlations confirmed relationships between body weight, body mass index, attention and Wisconsin measured perseveration in set-shifting. This suggests that childhood obesity involves cognitive deficits in shifting and attention abilities.

Az alexitímia olyan személyiségjegy, amely magába foglalja az érzelmek azonosításának, az emocionális arousal és a testi érzetek megkülönböztetésének, valamint az érzelmek külvilág felétörténőkifejezésének zavarát. A 20 tételes Torontói Alexitímia Skála (TAS-20) három faktor –az érzelmek azonosításának nehézsége, az érzelmek kifejezésének nehézsége és a prag­matikus gondolkodás–mentén ragadja meg az alexitímia konstruktumát. A TAS-20 magyar nyelvűváltozatát 275 egyetemi hallgató(172 nőés 103 férfi) töltötte ki a Pécsi Tudományegyetemen. A más nyelvekre fordított változatokhoz hasonla

OBJECTIVE: To compare neuropsychological functions in moderately preterm (32–35 weeks’ gestation) and full-term children at the age of 7 years and identify gender differences. METHODS: Community-based prospective cohort study of 248 moderately preterm children (138 boys) and 130 full-term children (58 boys). Neuropsychological tests included IQ, memory, attention, visual perception, motor skills, visuomotor skills, and parental report of executive functioning. RESULTS: The moderately preterm group performed significantly worse on total and performance IQ, visuospatial reasoning, attention control, inhibition, and executive functioning. No differences were found in verbal IQ, verbal memory, and visuomotor and motor skills. Preterm children were at higher risk for scores CONCLUSIONS: Moderately preterm birth is associated with lower intelligence and poorer neuropsychological functioning at early school age. No differences in motor skills and verbal memory were found. Using gender-specific norms, our data suggest that moderately preterm boys catch up, whereas moderately preterm girls lag behind their peers on various neuropsychological functions by the age of 7 years.

Communication from the brain to the immune system is influenced by hemispheric lateralisation (HL). Left-HL is immunopotentiating, right-HL is immunosuppressive. Only one study has examined the effects of HL on the progression of HIV (Gruzelier et al., 1996). That study included a small sample with very little control over third variables. The present study tested whether left HL predicted higher CD4 and CD8 levels, statistically controlling for confounders.

Eating is a highly motivated and reinforced behaviour, therefore human eating behaviour is not a passive response or merely physiological drives providing nutrients for survival; it is about cognitive and emotional processes based choice. Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans is increased to a point where it is associated with certain health conditions or increased mortality. Anorexia nervosa is a condition of self initiated weight loss characterised by a profound disturbance of the body image, distorted self-perception, and obsessive fear of gaining weight and problem in the cognitive and the emotional functioning. Continuum model proposed that eating disorders from restriction to overeating can be placed on a linear dimension. Aim: The main goal of the doctorate thesis is to examine the existence of certain common dysfunction related to the two extreme sides of the dimension of the eating disorders (restrictive anorexia and stable obesity). Therefore we compared cognitive profile, emotion functioning (explicit and early categorization of facial emotions) and attitudes (explicit and implicit) towards body image both in obesity and anorexia. Results: The neuropsychological tasks show attentional deficit and distractibility in obesity and anorexia nervosa. In obesity we have found perseveration, deficit on the shifting and inhibition capacity, while in anorexia nervosa perseveration was linked to anxiety. These findings suggest that the PFC based executive function can be associated with modified brain dopamine turnover in the PFC area in obesity. Beside, the higher level of depression in both patient groups; our findings proved that obese patients were more sensitive to the positive emotions and the same time they ignored the negative emotions. In contrary to obesity, anorexic patients were more sensitive to negative emotions specifically those one which represent possible threats such as anger. Obese patients evaluated implicitly more positive the overweight body figures than controls. There was an attitudinal discrepancy between the explicit, socially exposed “ideal body” and the internal (implicit) body shape preference. The anorexic group did not evaluate positively the underweight body shape as we expected either implicitly or explicitly. Based on these findings we suggest that not the underweight body preference is a key issue in anorexia, but the obsessive fear for the obesity. Conclusion: We have found different psychological mechanisms in the pathology of restrictive anorexia nervosa and stable obesity. Our results did not confirm the idea of the continuum model about the linear spectrum based on eating behaviour (from the restriction to overeating), and from body weight (from underweight to obese). Our results suggest that restrictive anorexia nervosa has several common features with anxiety disorder or affective disorders, while obesity most probably can be associated with addictive pathologies.