ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5035-1744
Current Organisations
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
,
University of Melbourne
,
Royal Melbourne Hospital
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Psychology | Health, Clinical And Counselling Psychology | Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology | Social And Community Psychology
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-09-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBTEP.2021.101675
Abstract: Cognitive-behavioural models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suggest that maladaptive beliefs about perfectionism play a key role in the development and maintenance of OCD. Cognitive-bias modification for interpretation bias (CBM-I) is an experimental procedure that can test this proposed causal relation. As such, the current study investigated whether multiple CBM-I sessions administered in different contexts can modify perfectionism biases. Undergraduate students high in OCD-related perfectionism beliefs were randomly allocated to either an experimental (n = 44) or control (n = 44) training condition and completed self-report and behavioural measures of perfectionism and OCD symptoms. As predicted, relative to the control condition, participants in the experimental condition exhibited a significant decrease in perfectionism beliefs, from baseline to after one CBM-I training session, which was maintained at one-week follow-up. Contrary to hypotheses, there were no significant differences between conditions on measures of OCD symptoms and perfectionistic behaviour. Issues with the current study's behavioural measures may have precluded any differences between conditions. Results underscore the need to further refine cognitive-behavioural models of OCD to understand the precise causal relation between beliefs and symptoms.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBTEP.2017.06.002
Abstract: Leading cognitive theories of OCD suggests that despite prevalent and persistent doubt, in iduals with OCD do not have perceptual deficits. An alternate cognitive theory, the Seeking Proxies for Internal States hypothesis (SPIS), proposes that sensory distrust in OCD stems from actual deficits in accessing internal states. Consistent with the SPIS, previous research has found that high-OC in iduals were less accurate than low-OC in iduals in producing target levels of muscle tension in a biofeedback task and that OC symptoms were positively associated with reliance on an external proxy. The current study aimed to replicate and extend the SPIS hypothesis in two experiments using a modified version of the biofeedback-aided muscle tensing task using grip strength as the sensory input and a distance perception task. We contrasted the performance of undergraduate students self-reporting high- and low-OC symptoms. Overall, our findings failed to substantially support the SPIS hypothesis such that OC symptoms were not associated with deficient access to internal states of grip strength and distance perception or increased reliance on feedback. As this study was conducted in a non-clinical s le, we were unable to generalise our findings to a clinical population. Findings are commensurate with the wider OCD literature suggesting the absence of cognitive and perceptual deficits in OCD in iduals.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-02-2008
DOI: 10.1007/S00406-007-0789-0
Abstract: It is important to understand how genetic and environmental factors interact in the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in order to provide a cohesive model of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. In this article, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of possible genetic and environmental contributions to the development of OCD. We consider the significant challenges for identifying risk factors for OCD as well as promising avenues for overcoming these obstacles in future research. In particular, we discuss the value of focusing on certain phenotypes, applying a dimensional approach, and investigating possible endophenotypes. We also describe innovative study designs that may be used in future research to explore the interaction between genetic vulnerability and environmental risk factors for OCD.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-11-2016
DOI: 10.1111/BJC.12120
Abstract: Unfulfilled basic psychological needs have been associated with disordered eating behaviours, but the mechanisms underlying that associations are not well understood. This study examined a two-stage path model linking basic psychological need satisfaction to disordered eating behaviours via issues of control. Female university students (N = 323 M Path analysis revealed that unsatisfied needs of autonomy and competence were indirectly related to disordered eating behaviours through feelings of ineffectiveness and FLC. The results indicate that issues of control might be one of the mechanisms through which lack of psychological need satisfaction is associated with disordered eating. Although the model was constructed using cross-sectional data, these findings suggest potential targets for prevention and treatment efforts aimed at reducing disordered eating in young females. Our results indicate that young women with chronically unfulfilled basic psychological needs might be vulnerable to developing disordered eating behaviours. The observed patterns suggest that persistent experience of need frustration may engender an internal sense of ineffectiveness and lack of control, which then compels in iduals to engage in disordered eating behaviours in an attempt to regain autonomy and competence. Interventions for eating disorders may be most effective when emphasizing the promotion of people's needs for autonomy and competence. Limitations The model was constructed using cross-sectional data. Future experimental and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the temporal sequence from basic psychological needs to issues of control. The s le only consisted of young women. Further research should explore how thwarting of psychological need satisfaction functions in men. Our clinical s le was small and diagnosis was not confirmed through clinical interview therefore, those data should be interpreted with caution.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBTEP.2017.06.001
Abstract: The inference-based approach (IBA) is a cognitive account of the genesis and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). According to the IBA, in iduals with OCD are prone to using inverse reasoning, in which hypothetical causes form the basis of conclusions about reality. Several studies have provided preliminary support for an association between features of the IBA and OCD symptoms. However, there are currently no studies that have investigated the proposed causal relationship of inverse reasoning in OCD. In a non-clinical s le (N = 187), we used an interpretive cognitive bias procedure to train a bias towards using inverse reasoning (n = 64), healthy sensory-based reasoning (n = 65), or a control condition (n = 58). Participants were randomly allocated to these training conditions. This manipulation allowed us to assess whether, consistent with the IBA, inverse reasoning training increased compulsive-like behaviours and self-reported OCD symptoms. Results indicated that compared to a control condition, participants trained in inverse reasoning reported more OCD symptoms and were more avoidant of potentially contaminated objects. Moreover, change in inverse reasoning bias was a small but significant mediator of the relationship between training condition and behavioural avoidance. Conversely, training in a healthy (non-inverse) reasoning style did not have any effect on symptoms or behaviour relative to the control condition. As this study was conducted in a non-clinical s le, we were unable to generalise our findings to a clinical population. Findings generally support the IBA model by providing preliminary evidence of a causal role for inverse reasoning in OCD.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-03-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-22491-7
Abstract: To optimise fecal s ling for reproducible analysis of the gut microbiome, we compared different methods of s le collection and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes at two centers. S les collected from six in iduals on three consecutive days were placed in commercial collection tubes (OMNIgeneGut OMR-200) or in sterile screw-top tubes in a home fridge or home freezer for 6–24 h, before transfer and storage at −80 °C. Replicate s les were shipped to centers in Australia and the USA for DNA extraction and sequencing by their respective PCR protocols, and analysed with the same bioinformatic pipeline. Variation in gut microbiome was dominated by differences between in iduals. Minor differences in the abundance of taxa were found between collection-processing methods and day of collection, and between the two centers. We conclude that collection with storage and transport at 4 °C within 24 h is adequate for 16S rRNA analysis of the gut microbiome. Other factors including differences in PCR and sequencing methods account for relatively minor variation compared to differences between in iduals.
Publisher: Akademiai Kiado Zrt.
Date: 08-01-2020
Abstract: In iduals who meet criteria for compulsive buying–shopping disorder (i.e., acquiring problems only) or hoarding disorder (i.e., acquiring and discarding problems) may acquire possessions to compensate for unmet belonging needs, but may do so in different ways. Those with compulsive buying–shopping disorder may acquire objects that they believe will relieve the distress associated with unmet belonging needs (e.g., objects that distract or comfort), whereas those with hoarding disorder may acquire objects that they believe achieve belonging needs (e.g., objects that have interpersonal connotations). Accordingly, this study examined whether a belongingness threat would drive in iduals who excessively acquire possessions to choose a human-like object (person-shaped tea holder) or a comfort item (box of chamomile tea). One hundred seventy-five participants (57 self-reported excessive acquiring only 118 self-reported excessive acquiring and difficulty discarding) recalled a time when they either felt supported or unsupported by a significant other before choosing an object to take home with them. Participants rated how anthropomorphic and comforting the objects were as well as how attached they became to their chosen object. Unsupported in iduals were more likely to acquire the comfort item than supported in iduals however, in iduals with both acquiring and discarding problems were more likely to acquire the human-like item than those with an acquiring problem only. Comfort and anthropomorphism ratings predicted object choice and attachment. The current findings extend the Compensatory Consumer Behavior Model to include what factors determine strategy choice and object attachment.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-11-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.JANXDIS.2019.01.005
Abstract: The inference-based approach (IBA) is one cognitive model that aims to explain the aetiology and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). IBA theory suggests that certain reasoning processes lead an in idual with OCD to confuse imagined possibilities with actual probabilities, a process termed inferential confusion. One such reasoning process is inverse reasoning, where hypothetical causes form the basis of conclusions about reality. Recently, we developed a task-based measure of inverse reasoning. In an online s le, we reported significant and positive associations between endorsement of inverse reasoning on this task and OCD symptomatology. We concluded that there was some support for the role of inverse reasoning in OCD but these results required extension using a between-groups design in a clinical s le. Therefore, the present study compared endorsement in inverse reasoning on this task between in iduals diagnosed with OCD, anxiety and/or mood disorder (clinical controls), and healthy in iduals (healthy controls). Relative to both control groups, the OCD group demonstrated significantly greater endorsement in inverse reasoning on scenarios where OCD relevant concerns were prompted. When non-OCD relevant concerns were involved, the OCD group only evidenced greater endorsement in inverse reasoning relative to the healthy control group. Implications for IBA theory are discussed.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-05-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-02-2021
DOI: 10.1111/BJC.12280
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-02-2011
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2018
Abstract: The inference-based approach (IBA) is a cognitive account of the etiology and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). According to the IBA, in iduals with OCD confuse an imagined possibility with an actual probability, which leads them to become immersed in their obsessions. To investigate the relationship between OCD and the cognitive factors proposed to add to immersion, we used the Choice Blindness Paradigm (CBP). This paradigm is an experimental reasoning task designed to induce confabulatory reasoning. Undergraduate participants with high levels of OCD symptoms ( n = 29) were compared to those with low levels of OCD symptoms ( n = 32) with respect to their performance on the CBP. Compared to low-OCD participants, the results indicated that high-OCD participants were more certain (one aspect of immersion) when reasoning about falsely occurring events. However, the cognitive factors proposed by the IBA to underpin immersion did not mediate the relationship between OCD status and certainty regarding false events. Replication and refinement of the current study will help to determine the significance of these cognitive factors in obsessions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.JANXDIS.2011.10.003
Abstract: It has been proposed that a persistent and pervasive tendency to avoid risks is involved in the development and maintenance of clinically significant anxiety. Few studies, however, have examined the clinical implications of risk-aversion, and particularly the association between risk-aversion and treatment outcome. The current study investigated how risk-aversion in specific domains (Social and Recreational) related to treatment outcome in a clinical s le of patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) undergoing internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). We hypothesized that: (i) risk-taking would increase as a result of treatment and (ii) risk-taking would mediate changes in symptom severity and impairment as a result of treatment. In iduals recruited online (N=44) meeting diagnostic criteria for GAD were randomized to the treatment (n=24) or control group (n=20). Participants completed measures of symptom severity, impairment and risk-taking before and after treatment. Results partially confirmed our hypotheses, demonstrating that participants in the treatment group significantly increased social and recreational risk-taking scores relative to the control group and risk-taking mediated treatment outcome for depression, but not for anxiety symptoms. The results of this study suggest that social and recreational risk-avoidance decreases following CBT treatment, and this change may mediate treatment outcome for depression. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.COMPPSYCH.2018.06.011
Abstract: Recent evidence suggests that avoiding waste may be a prominent motive to save in hoarding disorder. Such beliefs are reminiscent of scrupulosity obsessions in OCD. This paper reports on three studies examining scrupulosity-like beliefs in hoarding and the development and validation of a measure of material scrupulosity. Study one examined the reliability and validity of a measure of material scrupulosity (MOMS) and its relationship to hoarding in a college student s le, as well as the relationship between hoarding and OCD-base scrupulosity. Study 2 examined the psychometric properties of the MOMS in a replication of study 1 with a s le of people with hoarding problems. Study 3 examined the reliability and validity of the MOMS in a large nonclinical/community s le. Findings across the studies provided evidence for the reliability and validity of the MOMS. It was highly correlated with hoarding symptoms, especially difficulty discarding, and hoarding related beliefs, especially responsibility beliefs. It accounted for significant variance in hoarding symptoms independent of other correlates, including other hoarding beliefs. OCD-based scrupulosity was correlated with hoarding in s le 1, but not in the hoarding s le in study 2. Material Scrupulosity refers to an exaggerated sense of duty or moral/ethical responsibility for the care and disposition of possessions to prevent their being harmed or wasted. It appears to be distinct from other hoarding-related beliefs and a significant predictor of hoarding symptoms. The MOMS appears to possess good reliability and validity in both clinical and nonclinical s les.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-01-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.2044-8260.2010.02001.X
Abstract: OBJECTIVES. Although emotion dysregulation is regarded as a core feature of schizophrenia, the use of specific regulatory strategies remains poorly understood. The aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate the habitual use of suppression, reappraisal, and acceptance in this population. METHODS. Thirty-three in iduals with schizophrenia and 36 matched controls completed self-report measures examining emotion regulation and psychosocial functioning. RESULTS. No group differences were found in terms of use of suppression or reappraisal, but clinical participants reported using less acceptance. Further, greater use of acceptance was associated with better psychosocial outcomes. CONCLUSIONS. Results highlight the potential utility of acceptance-based interventions for comorbid psychopathology in schizophrenia.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/BJC.12279
Abstract: Researchers are increasingly investigating how technology could be used to improve the efficacy of treatment for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive (OC) spectrum disorders. A broad range of technologies, disorders and therapeutic processes have been examined in the literature. This review summarizes the evidence for using technology in clinical interventions for anxiety and OC-spectrum disorders and highlights research gaps that should be addressed to improve the evidence base. A scoping review was conducted based on systematic searches of three databases. Broadly, the criteria included interventions that had integrated technology into clinical contexts to enhance treatment for anxiety and OC-spectrum disorders. All records were double-screened by two reviewers, and data were extracted on the characteristics of interventions, symptom outcomes, and implementation factors. Searches returned 2,475 studies, of which 117 were eligible for inclusion in this review. Although almost all studies reported pre-post-symptom reductions, only one quarter of the controlled studies demonstrated additive effect of technology-based interventions in between-group analyses. We noted a trend in underreporting implementation factors. Technology-based interventions can improve the efficacy of treatment for anxiety and OC-spectrum disorders, but there are challenges to achieving this goal. Based on a review of the included studies, we provide four specific recommendations to improve the quality and likelihood of success of future research projects. Technology-based adjuvants are unlikely to improve the efficacy of treatment for anxiety or OC-spectrum disorders based on their novelty or convenience alone. A subset of studies gives hope that specific innovations can improve treatment when targeting a therapeutic process that has been problematic. Clinicians seeking to improve the efficacy of their treatment should first define client-specific therapeutic factors (e.g., homework compliance) that could be leveraged, then apply a specific innovation to address this factor.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2014
DOI: 10.1111/IMJ.12584
Abstract: Exome sequencing is being increasingly used to identify disease-associated gene mutations. We used whole exome sequencing to determine the genetic basis of a syndrome of diabetes and renal disease affecting a mother and her son. We identified a mutation in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-b (HNF1B) gene that encoded a methionine to valine amino acid change (M160V) in the HNF1B protein. This leads us to the previously unappreciated diagnosis of maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 5 and provided a basis for genetic counselling of other family members.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2012.661405
Abstract: Although general emotion coping difficulties are well documented in schizophrenia, there has been limited study of specific regulatory strategies such as suppression, reappraisal, and acceptance. In the present study, clinical and control participants were asked to watch video clips selected to elicit negative affect while engaging in one of these three different emotion regulation strategies (counterbalanced), versus a passive viewing condition. The experiential and expressive components of emotion were quantified using self-report and facial electromyography, respectively. A major finding was that, in contrast to control participants, in iduals with schizophrenia did not report a greater willingness to reexperience negative emotion after engaging in acceptance. These data are discussed in the context of evidence highlighting the potentially important role of acceptance in understanding affective abnormalities in clinical conditions such as schizophrenia.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBTEP.2021.101720
Abstract: Excessive reassurance seeking (ERS) in OCD increases following scenarios with high threat and personal responsibility, but the mechanism via which ERS addresses these concerns is unclear. We investigated whether reassurance following OCD-related threats facilitated temporary threat re-appraisal and/or transferred responsibility to others. We also examined the 'checking by proxy' theory of OCD ERS by comparing the functional mechanisms of reassurance and checking behaviour. Community participants (N = 398) were recruited through MTurk and randomised to one of four conditions: ambiguous object-derived (checking) information, ambiguous person-derived (reassurance) information, unambiguous object-derived information and unambiguous person-derived information. Participants read scenarios that conveyed a risk of harm or contamination before imagining receiving reassurance or checking information as per their condition. Ratings of personal and external responsibility, threat likelihood and uncertainty were made before and after receiving the information. In support of a checking by proxy hypothesis of ERS, participants in the unambiguous information conditions reported decreased uncertainty, decreased estimated threat likelihood and increased responsibility of others, regardless of whether they imagined checking or receiving reassurance. Those in the ambiguous conditions reported no changes in threat estimation or responsibility beliefs. OCD symptom level moderated responses to ambiguity: unlike low OCD, high OCD participants did not respond differentially to ambiguous versus unambiguous reassurance. The study was performed online due to Covid-19 restrictions and utilised non-clinical participants. Like checking, reassurance facilitates short-term threat re-appraisal and diffuses responsibility following obsessive threats. Differentiated responses to reassurance ambiguity disappear as OC symptoms increase.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2019
DOI: 10.1111/CP.12176
Publisher: American Diabetes Association
Date: 18-01-2022
DOI: 10.2337/DB21-0612
Abstract: Type 1 diabetes in children is heralded by a preclinical phase defined by circulating autoantibodies to pancreatic islet antigens. How islet autoimmunity is initiated and then progresses to clinical diabetes remains poorly understood. Only one study has reported gene expression in specific immune cells of children at risk associated with progression to islet autoimmunity. We analyzed gene expression with RNA sequencing in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and B cells, and chromatin accessibility by assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) in CD4+ T cells, in five genetically at risk children with islet autoantibodies who progressed to diabetes over a median of 3 years (“progressors”) compared with five children matched for sex, age, and HLA-DR who had not progressed (“nonprogressors”). In progressors, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were largely confined to CD4+ T cells and enriched for cytotoxicity-related genes athways. Several top-ranked DEGs were validated in a semi-independent cohort of 13 progressors and 11 nonprogressors. Flow cytometry confirmed that progression was associated with expansion of CD4+ cells with a cytotoxic phenotype. By ATAC-seq, progression was associated with reconfiguration of regulatory chromatin regions in CD4+ cells, some linked to differentially expressed cytotoxicity-related genes. Our findings suggest that cytotoxic CD4+ T cells play a role in promoting progression to type 1 diabetes.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 07-01-2020
DOI: 10.1111/PEDI.12952
Abstract: Microbial exposures in utero and early life shape the infant microbiome, which can profoundly impact on health. Compared to the bacterial microbiome, very little is known about the virome. We set out to characterize longitudinal changes in the gut virome of healthy infants born to mothers with or without type 1 diabetes using comprehensive virome capture sequencing. Healthy infants were selected from Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA), a prospective cohort of Australian children with a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes, followed from pregnancy. Fecal specimens were collected three-monthly in the first year of life. Among 25 infants (44% born to mothers with type 1 diabetes) at least one virus was detected in 65% (65/100) of s les and 96% (24/25) of infants during the first year of life. In total, 26 genera of viruses were identified and >150 viruses were differentially abundant between the gut of infants with a mother with type 1 diabetes vs without. Positivity for any virus was associated with maternal type 1 diabetes and older infant age. Enterovirus was associated with older infant age and maternal smoking. We demonstrate a distinct gut virome profile in infants of mothers with type 1 diabetes, which may influence health outcomes later in life. Higher prevalence and greater number of viruses observed compared to previous studies suggests significant underrepresentation in existing virome datasets, arising most likely from less sensitive techniques used in data acquisition.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-06-2014
DOI: 10.1111/BJC.12058
Abstract: Evidence suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by heightened self-reported disgust, however, it is unclear if this extends to physiology. The relationship between obsessive beliefs and disgust also remains poorly understood. Therefore, we examined whether the heightened trait and self-reported disgust observed in in iduals with OCD is reflected in heightened physiological disgust responses. We also examined whether obsessive beliefs are associated with disgust responding. A 3 (group) × 6 (stimulus) repeated measures design was used to examine disgust responses in in iduals with OCD to six categories of image stimuli: body waste, contamination, injury, sociomoral, neutral, negative non-disgust. In iduals with OCD (n = 25) were compared to in iduals with non-OCD anxiety disorders (n = 21) and healthy participants (n = 25) with respect to trait, self-reported, facial electromyographic and electrodermal disgust responses. In iduals with OCD showed greater disgust propensity and self-reported disgust to images of body waste compared to healthy and anxious participants, however, there were no group differences in physiological responses. After controlling for trait disgust, obsessive beliefs positively correlated with increased self-reported disgust to neutral images and increased levator labii activity to negative non-disgusting images. Although in iduals with OCD showed elevated disgust propensity and self-reported ratings of body waste stimuli, there was little evidence that OCD is characterized by an abnormal physiological disgust response. The intensity of obsessive beliefs was associated with a tendency to respond with disgust in contexts that are non-disgusting, indicating that obsessive beliefs may be implicated in pathological disgust. In iduals with OCD display greater levels of disgust propensity and self-reported disgust to images of body waste compared to healthy control participants and in iduals with non-OCD anxiety disorders. The abnormalities in self-reported disgust observed in those with OCD do not extend to abnormalities in electrodermal activity or facial electromyographic responses. Maladaptive obsessive beliefs commonly associated with OCD predict heightened disgust in contexts where objective sources of disgust are absent, even after controlling for trait disgust. Maladaptive obsessive beliefs may therefore be implicated in pathological disgust. This study used a heterogeneous OCD s le and future research is needed to determine whether the observed effects are greater for those with primarily washing and contamination symptoms. Although group differences emerged in self-reported disgust, further replications using measures of state anxiety are needed to rule out the possibility that heightened self-reported disgust was confounded with co-occurring fear or general negative affect.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2015
DOI: 10.1038/IJO.2015.223
Abstract: The association between central obesity and insulin resistance reflects the properties of visceral adipose tissue. Our aim was to gain further insight into this association by analysing the lipid composition of subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue in obese women with and without insulin resistance. Subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue and serum were obtained from 29 obese non-diabetic women, 13 of whom were hyperinsulinemic. Histology, lipid and gene profiling were performed. In omental adipose tissue of obese, insulin-resistant women, adipocyte hypertrophy and macrophage infiltration were accompanied by an increase in GM3 ganglioside and its synthesis enzyme ST3GAL5 in addition, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids were increased and their degradation enzyme, phosphatidylethanolamine methyl transferase (PEMT), decreased. ST3GAL5 was expressed predominantly in adipose stromovascular cells and PEMT in adipocytes. Insulin resistance was also associated with an increase in PE lipids in serum. The relevance of these findings to insulin resistance in humans is supported by published mouse studies, in which adipocyte GM3 ganglioside, increased by the inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-α, impaired insulin action and PEMT was required for adipocyte lipid storage. Thus in visceral adipose tissue of obese humans, an increase in GM3 ganglioside secondary to inflammation may contribute to insulin resistance and a decrease in PEMT may be a compensatory response to adipocyte hypertrophy.
Publisher: Akademiai Kiado Zrt.
Date: 21-05-2019
Abstract: The appetitive aspects of hoarding disorder, such as the compulsive acquisition and saving of objects, are akin to other behavioral addictions. Underpinning these appetitive features is the strong emotional and sentimental attachments that hoarding sufferers have for their possessions. Different facets of object attachment have been identified including anthropomorphism, insecure object attachment, possessions as an extension of identity, possessions as a repository of autobiographical memories, and possessions as a source of comfort and safety. The aim of this study was to examine the association between each of these facets and hoarding symptoms independent of non-sentimental hoarding beliefs, depression, and anxiety. Participants were 532 in iduals recruited via Turkprime who completed online self-report questionnaires on hoarding symptoms, hoarding beliefs, depression, anxiety, and the facets of object attachment. Pearson’s correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. The results showed that all facets of object attachment were positively correlated with hoarding symptoms. After accounting for other non-sentimental hoarding beliefs, depression, and anxiety, three facets made significant unique contributions to hoarding symptoms: insecure object attachment, anthropomorphism, and possessions as a repository of autobiographical memories. Based on these findings, we propose a compensatory model to explain how the different facets of object attachment may be implicated in hoarding. Further research into ways of reducing anthropomorphism, insecure object attachment, and possessions as memories are warranted.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CCT.2017.06.010
Abstract: Cognitive behavior group therapy (CBGT) is effective for social anxiety disorder (SAD), but a substantial proportion of patients do not typically achieve normative functioning. Cognitive behavioral models of SAD emphasize negative self-imagery as an important maintaining factor, and evidence suggests that imagery is a powerful cognitive mode for facilitating affective change. This study will compare two group CBGT interventions, one that predominantly uses verbally-based strategies (VB-CBGT) and another that predominantly uses imagery-enhanced strategies (IE-CBGT), in terms of (a) efficacy, (b) mechanisms of change, and (c) cost-effectiveness. This study is a parallel groups (two-arm) single-blind randomized controlled trial. A minimum of 96 patients with SAD will be recruited within a public outpatient community mental health clinic in Perth, Australia. The primary outcomes will be self-reported symptom severity, caseness (SAD present: yes/no) based on a structured diagnostic interview, and clinician-rated severity and life impact. Secondary outcomes and mechanism measures include blind observer-rated use of safety behaviors, physiological activity (heart rate variability and skin conductance level) during a standardized speech task, negative self-beliefs, imagery suppression, fear of negative and positive evaluation, repetitive negative thinking, anxiety, depression, self-consciousness, use of safety behaviors, and the EQ-5D-5L and TiC-P for the health economic analysis. Homework completion, group cohesion, and working alliance will also be monitored. The outcomes of this trial will inform clinicians as to whether integrating imagery-based strategies in cognitive behavior therapy for SAD is likely to improve outcomes. Common and distinct mechanisms of change might be identified, along with relative cost-effectiveness of each intervention.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2019
Publisher: American Diabetes Association
Date: 02-02-2022
DOI: 10.2337/DC21-2335
Abstract: Pregnancy and type 1 diabetes are each associated with increased anxiety and depression, but the combined impact on well-being is unresolved. We compared the mental health of women with and without type 1 diabetes during pregnancy and postpartum and examined the relationship between mental health and glycemic control. Participants were women enrolled from 2016 to 2020 in the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study, a pregnancy to birth prospective cohort following children with a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were completed during the third trimester (T3) (median [interquartile range] 34 [32, 36] weeks) and postpartum (14 [13, 16] weeks) by 737 women (800 pregnancies) with (n = 518) and without (n = 282) type 1 diabetes. EPDS and PSS scores did not differ between women with and without type 1 diabetes during T3 and postpartum. EPDS scores were marginally higher in T3: predicted mean (95% CI) 5.7 (5.4, 6.1) than postpartum: 5.3 (5.0, 5.6), independent of type 1 diabetes status (P = 0.01). HbA1c levels in type 1 diabetes were 6.3% [5.8, 6.9%] in T3 and did not correlate with EPDS or PSS scores. Reported use of psychotropic medications was similar in women with (n = 44 of 518 [8%]) and without type 1 diabetes (n = 17 of 282 [6%]), as was their amount of physical activity. Overall, mental health in late pregnancy and postpartum did not differ between women with and without type 1 diabetes, and mental health scores were not correlated with glycemic control.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-11-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-04-2015
DOI: 10.1038/NI0515-544D
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-01-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S00125-021-05647-5
Abstract: Age is known to be one of the most important stratifiers of disease progression in type 1 diabetes. However, what drives the difference in rate of progression between adults and children is poorly understood. Evidence suggests that many type 1 diabetes disease predictors do not have the same effect across the age spectrum. Without a comprehensive analysis describing the varying risk profiles of predictors over the age continuum, researchers and clinicians are susceptible to inappropriate assessment of risk when examining populations of differing ages. We aimed to systematically assess and characterise how the effect of key type 1 diabetes risk predictors changes with age. Using longitudinal data from single- and multiple-autoantibody-positive at-risk in iduals recruited between the ages of 1 and 45 years in TrialNet's Pathway to Prevention Study, we assessed and visually characterised the age-varying effect of key demographic, immune and metabolic predictors of type 1 diabetes by employing a flexible spline model. Two progression outcomes were defined: participants with single autoantibodies (n=4893) were analysed for progression to multiple autoantibodies or type 1 diabetes, and participants with multiple autoantibodies were analysed (n=3856) for progression to type 1 diabetes. Several predictors exhibited significant age-varying effects on disease progression. Amongst single-autoantibody participants, HLA-DR3 (p=0.007), GAD65 autoantibody positivity (p=0.008), elevated BMI (p=0.007) and HOMA-IR (p=0.002) showed a significant increase in effect on disease progression with increasing age. Insulin autoantibody positivity had a diminishing effect with older age in single-autoantibody-positive participants (p<0.001). Amongst multiple-autoantibody-positive participants, male sex (p=0.002) was associated with an increase in risk for progression, and HLA DR3/4 (p=0.05) showed a decreased effect on disease progression with older age. In both single- and multiple-autoantibody-positive in iduals, significant changes in HR with age were seen for multiple measures of islet function. Risk estimation using prediction risk score Index60 was found to be better at a younger age for both single- and multiple-autoantibody-positive in iduals (p=0.007 and p<0.001, respectively). No age-varying effect was seen for prediction risk score DPTRS (p=0.861 and p=0.178, respectively). Multivariable analyses suggested that incorporating the age-varying effect of the in idual components of these validated risk scores has the potential to enhance the risk estimate. Analysing the age-varying effect of disease predictors improves understanding and prediction of type 1 diabetes disease progression, and should be leveraged to refine prediction models and guide mechanistic studies.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 02-2021
DOI: 10.1111/PEDI.13178
Abstract: We aimed to characterize associations between diet and the gut microbiome and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) products in youth with islet autoimmunity or type 1 diabetes (IA/T1D) in comparison with controls. Eighty participants (25 diagnosed with T1D, 17 with confirmed IA, 38 sibling or unrelated controls) from the Australian T1D Gut Study cohort were studied (median [IQR] age 11.7 [8.9, 14.0] years, 43% female). A Food Frequency Questionnaire characterized daily macronutrient intake over the preceding 6 months. Plasma and fecal SCFA were measured by gas chromatography gut microbiome composition and ersity by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A 10 g increase in daily carbohydrate intake associated with higher plasma acetate in IA/T1D (adjusted estimate +5.2 (95% CI 1.1, 9.2) μmol/L p = 0.01) and controls (adjusted estimate +4.1 [95% CI 1.7, 8.5] μmol/L p = 0.04). A 5 g increase in total fat intake associated with lower plasma acetate in IA/T1D and controls. A 5% increase in noncore (junk) food intake associated with reduced richness (adjusted estimate -4.09 [95%CI -7.83, -0.35] p = .03) and evenness (-1.25 [95% CI -2.00, -0.49] p < 0.01) of the gut microbiome in IA/T1D. Fiber intake associated with community structure of the microbiome in IA/T1D. Modest increments in carbohydrate and fat intake associated with plasma acetate in all youth. Increased junk food intake associated with reduced ersity of the gut microbiome in IA/T1D alone. These associations with the gut microbiome in IA/T1D support future efforts to promote SCFA by using dietary interventions.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-08-2017
DOI: 10.1038/IJO.2017.180
Abstract: Inflammatory factors derived from adipose tissue have been implicated in mediating insulin resistance in obesity. We sought to identify these using explanted human adipose tissue exposed to innate and adaptive immune stimuli. Subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue from obese, insulin-resistant donors was cultured in the presence of macrophage and T-cell stimuli, and the conditioned medium tested for its ability to inhibit insulin-stimulated glucose uptake into human Simpson-Golabi-Behmel Syndrome (SGBS) adipocytes. The nature of the inhibitory factor in conditioned medium was characterized physicochemically, inferred by gene microarray analysis and confirmed by antibody neutralization. Conditioned medium from omental adipose tissue exposed to a combination of macrophage- and T-cell stimuli inhibited insulin action and adiponectin secretion in SGBS adipocytes. This effect was associated with a pronounced change in adipocyte morphology, characterized by a decreased number of lipid droplets of increased size. The bioactivity of conditioned medium was abolished by trypsin treatment and had a molecular weight of 46 kDa by gel filtration. SGBS adipocytes exposed to a bioactive medium expressed multiple gene transcripts regulated by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Recombinant human IFN-γ recapitulated the effects of the bioactive medium and neutralizing antibody against IFN-γ but not other candidate factors abrogated medium bioactivity. IFN-γ released from inflamed omental adipose tissue may contribute to the metabolic abnormalities seen in human obesity.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 10-2018
Abstract: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an incurable autoimmune disease caused by T cell-mediated destruction of insulin-producing beta cells. The beta-cell antigens recognized by human CD4 + T cells in T1D are poorly defined. Here, we show that C-peptide, derived from proinsulin, is recognized by CD4 + T cells from the blood of % of people with recent onset T1D. The majority of C-peptide–derived epitopes were recognized when presented by high-risk T1D HLA alleles. For some T cells, full-length C-peptide was a more potent stimulator than shorter peptides. Hence, our data suggests that full-length C-peptide may be uniquely antigenic in human T1D. C-peptide may be useful in assays to monitor changes in T cell autoimmunity and antigen-specific therapies for T1D.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 09-06-2020
DOI: 10.1111/PEDI.13056
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 16-01-2019
DOI: 10.1093/OFID/OFZ025
Abstract: The importance of gut bacteria in human physiology, immune regulation, and disease pathogenesis is well established. In contrast, the composition and dynamics of the gut virome are largely unknown particularly lacking are studies in pregnancy. We used comprehensive virome capture sequencing to characterize the gut virome of pregnant women with and without type 1 diabetes (T1D), longitudinally followed in the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity study. In total, 61 pregnant women (35 with T1D and 26 without) from Australia were examined. Nucleic acid was extracted from serial fecal specimens obtained at prenatal visits, and viral genomes were sequenced by virome capture enrichment. The frequency, richness, and abundance of viruses were compared between women with and without T1D. Two viruses were more prevalent in pregnant women with T1D: picobirnaviruses (odds ratio [OR], 4.2 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–17.1 P = .046) and tobamoviruses (OR, 3.2 95% CI, 1.1–9.3 P = .037). The abundance of 77 viruses significantly differed between the 2 maternal groups (≥2-fold difference P & .02), including 8 Enterovirus B types present at a higher abundance in women with T1D. These findings provide novel insight into the composition of the gut virome during pregnancy and demonstrate a distinct profile of viruses in women with T1D.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-02-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10862-022-09963-X
Abstract: Cognitive-behavioural models of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) propose that a tendency to negatively interpret ambiguous thoughts and situations plays a key role in maintaining the disorder. Moreover, some researchers have proposed that negative interpretive biases may share a common processing mechanism with attentional biases, with changes in one predicted to lead to changes in the other. The current study examined whether training positive (i.e., adaptive) interpretive bias of contamination-related OCD concerns using a cognitive bias modification paradigm (CBM-I) would lead to reductions in contamination concerns, as well as changes in contamination-related attentional bias. Undergraduate students with high levels of contamination-related OCD symptoms were randomly assigned to receive either positive ( n = 31) or neutral ( n = 33) CBM-I training. Participants in the positive training condition, relative to the neutral training condition, showed a significantly greater increase in positive interpretive bias, significantly less within-session behavioural avoidance of contaminants, and significantly reduced contamination-related cognitions (at one-week follow-up). Contrary to expectations, CBM-I training did not differentially impact attentional bias nor self-reported contamination-related OCD symptoms. We discuss future directions in applying CBM-I to contamination-related OCD.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBTEP.2013.10.001
Abstract: Abnormalities in cognitive control and disgust responding are well-documented in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and also interfere with flexible, outcome-driven utilitarian moral reasoning. The current study examined whether in iduals with OCD differ from healthy and anxious in iduals in their use of utilitarian moral reasoning, and whether abnormalities in inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and disgust contribute to moral rigidity. In iduals with OCD (n = 23), non-OCD anxiety (n = 21) and healthy participants (n = 24) gave forced-choice responses to three types of moral dilemmas: benign, impersonal, personal. Scores on measures of cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control and trait disgust were also examined. In iduals with OCD gave fewer utilitarian responses to impersonal moral dilemmas compared to healthy, but not anxious, in iduals. Poorer cognitive flexibility was associated with fewer utilitarian responses to impersonal dilemmas in the OCD group. Furthermore, greater trait disgust was associated with increased utilitarian responding to personal dilemmas in the OCD group, but decreased utilitarian responding to impersonal dilemmas in the anxious group. Although we did not find an association between inhibitory control and moral reasoning, smaller associations may be evident in a larger s le. These data indicate that in iduals with OCD use more rigid moral reasoning in response to impersonal moral dilemmas compared to healthy in iduals, and that this may be associated with reduced cognitive flexibility. Furthermore, these data suggest that trait disgust may exert opposing effects on moral reasoning in in iduals with OCD compared to those with other forms of anxiety.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 11-06-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.BRAT.2016.05.009
Abstract: Pathological doubting and checking is a common symptom presentation in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Previous research has established that compulsive checkers do not display an actual memory deficit, but lack confidence in their memories and experience intolerance of uncertainty regarding the completion of tasks. We investigated whether interpretive cognitive bias modification (CBM-I) reduced memory distrust and intolerance of uncertainty in a nonclinical s le. We also examined the possible enhancement of CBM-I for OCD through imagery training. The results provide evidence that participants who received positive imagery CBM-I training may have interpreted novel ambiguous checking scenarios more adaptively and endorsed negative checking beliefs less relative to participants in the control imagery CBM-I condition. Findings on behavioural checking tasks did not indicate any specific response to CBM-I training. Future research may translate these suggestive findings into a useful adjunct to traditional strategies targeting maladaptive OCD beliefs.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-02-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CPR.2017.07.002
Abstract: Pathological fear and anxiety regarding food, eating, weight and body shape are at the core of eating disorder (ED) psychopathology. To manage anxiety, patients develop complicated repertoires of ritualistic and repetitive behaviours, which can lead to total functional impairment. Yet the cognitive processes underlying anxiety, fear, and anxiety-driven behaviours in EDs remain poorly understood. Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is defined as a tendency to react negatively on an emotional, cognitive, and behavioural level to uncertain situations and events. There is substantial evidence that IU is a transdiagnostic process that contributes to the maintenance of anxiety disorders however, IU may also be relevant to the understanding and treatment of EDs. The current review summarises the growing literature examining IU in relation to ED symptoms, including restriction, bingeing, purging, ritualised behaviours, reassurance-seeking and body checking. Extending from the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorder literature, we propose that IU provides a novel theoretical and clinical framework from which to understand the anxiety, fixation with rules and rituals, and the cognitively rigid profile that is characteristic of ED presentations. We conclude with suggestions for future research, and discuss IU as a potential treatment target for core features of EDs and comorbid symptoms.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-03-2017
DOI: 10.1038/IJO.2017.59
Abstract: Substantial weight loss in the setting of obesity has considerable metabolic benefits. Yet some studies have shown improvements in obesity-related metabolic comorbidities with more modest weight loss. By closely monitoring patients undergoing bariatric surgery, we aimed to determine the effects of weight loss on the metabolic syndrome and its components and determine the weight loss required for their resolution. We performed a prospective observational study of obese participants with metabolic syndrome (Adult Treatment Panel III criteria) who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Participants were assessed for all criteria of the metabolic syndrome monthly for the first 9 months, then 3-monthly until 24 months. There were 89 participants with adequate longitudinal data. Baseline body mass index was 42.4±6.2 kg m In obese participants with metabolic syndrome, a weight loss target of 10-12.5% TBWL (25-30% EWL) is a reasonable initial goal associated with significant odds of having metabolic benefits. If minimal improvements are seen with this initial target, additional weight loss substantially increases the probability of resolution.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 25-04-2018
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 20-05-2019
DOI: 10.1111/PEDI.12865
Abstract: To investigate the longitudinal relationship between the gut microbiome, circulating short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and intestinal permeability in children with islet autoimmunity or type 1 diabetes and controls. We analyzed the gut bacterial microbiome, plasma SCFAs, small intestinal permeability and dietary intake in 47 children with islet autoimmunity or recent-onset type 1 diabetes and in 41 unrelated or sibling controls over a median (range) of 13 (2-34) months follow-up. Children with multiple islet autoantibodies (≥2 IA) or type 1 diabetes had gut microbiome dysbiosis. Anti-inflammatory Prevotella and Butyricimonas genera were less abundant and these changes were not explained by differences in diet. Small intestinal permeability measured by blood lactulose:rhamnose ratio was higher in type 1 diabetes. Children with ≥2 IA who progressed to type 1 diabetes (progressors), compared to those who did not progress, had higher intestinal permeability (mean [SE] difference +5.14 [2.0], 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21, 9.07, P = .006), lower within-s le (alpha) microbial ersity (31.3 [11.2], 95% CI 9.3, 53.3, P = .005), and lower abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria. Alpha ersity (observed richness) correlated with plasma acetate levels in all groups combined (regression coefficient [SE] 0.57 [0.21], 95% CI 0.15, 0.99 P = .008). Children with ≥2 IA who progress to diabetes, like those with recent-onset diabetes, have gut microbiome dysbiosis associated with increased intestinal permeability. Interventions that expand gut microbial ersity, in particular SCFA-producing bacteria, may have a role to decrease progression to diabetes in children at-risk.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 15-08-2016
DOI: 10.1111/PEDI.12425
Abstract: The incidence of type 1 diabetes globally has increased dramatically over the last 50 years. Proposed environmental reasons for this increase mirror the modern lifestyle. Type 1 diabetes can be viewed as part of the non- communicable disease epidemic in our modern society. Meanwhile rapidly evolving new technologies are advancing our understanding of how human microbial communities interface with the immune system and metabolism, and how the modern pro-inflammatory environment is changing these communities and contributing to the rapid rise of non-communicable disease. The majority of children who present with clinical type 1 diabetes are of school age however 80% of children who develop type 1 diabetes by 18 years of age will have detectable islet autoantibodies by 3 years of age. The evolving concept that type 1 diabetes in many children has developmental origins has directed research questions in search of prevention back to pregnancy and early life. To this end the world's first pregnancy to early childhood cohort study in at-risk children has commenced.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-04-2023
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 02-04-2019
Abstract: The ability to regulate anger facilitates harmonious interactions with strangers, colleagues, friends, and romantic partners. We review the influence of four emotion regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal, suppression, angry rumination, and mindfulness) on subjective anger experience, cardiovascular reactivity, and aggressive behavior. All studies included a real or implied social interaction (e.g., with a fictitious participant). We included research on in idual differences in emotion regulation as well as experiments that manipulated emotion regulation strategies. The evidence suggests that cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness can buffer anger-related responses in interpersonal contexts. Angry rumination perpetuates anger and aggression. The effects of suppression are mixed. Our review highlights the need for additional research into the extent to which emotion regulation strategies influence provoked anger and aggression in different interpersonal contexts.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-05-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.BIOPSYCHO.2013.11.012
Abstract: Physical disgust is elicited by, and lifies responses to, moral transgressions, suggesting that moral disgust may be a biologically expanded form of physical disgust. However, there is limited research comparing the effects of physical disgust to that of other emotions like anger, making it difficult to determine if the link between disgust and morality is unique. The current research evaluated the specificity of the relationship between disgust and morality by comparing links with anger, using state, physiological and trait measures of emotionality. Participants (N=90) were randomly allocated to have disgust, anger or no emotion induced. Responses to images depicting moral, negative non-moral, and neutral themes were then recorded using facial electromyography. Inducing disgust, but not anger, increased psychophysiological responses to moral themes. Trait disgust, but not trait anger, correlated with levator labii responses to moral themes. These findings provide strong evidence of a unique link between physical disgust and morality.
Publisher: Akademiai Kiado Zrt.
Date: 03-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-01-2015
DOI: 10.1038/NI.3085
Abstract: Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells in visceral adipose tissue (VAT-Treg cells) are functionally specialized tissue-resident cells that prevent obesity-associated inflammation and preserve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Their development depends on the transcription factor PPAR-γ however, the environmental cues required for their differentiation are unknown. Here we show that interleukin 33 (IL-33) signaling through the IL-33 receptor ST2 and myeloid differentiation factor MyD88 is essential for development and maintenance of VAT-Treg cells and sustains their transcriptional signature. Furthermore, the transcriptional regulators BATF and IRF4 were necessary for VAT-Treg differentiation through direct regulation of ST2 and PPAR-γ expression. IL-33 administration induced vigorous population expansion of VAT-Treg cells, which tightly correlated with improvements in metabolic parameters in obese mice. Human omental adipose tissue Treg cells also showed high ST2 expression, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved requirement for IL-33 in VAT-Treg cell homeostasis.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-03-2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-05-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-08-2013
Abstract: The incidence of type 1 diabetes has increased worldwide, particularly in younger children and those with lower genetic susceptibility. These observations suggest factors in the modern environment promote pancreatic islet autoimmunity and destruction of insulin-producing beta cells. The Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) Study is investigating candidate environmental exposures and gene-environment interactions that may contribute to the development of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. ENDIA is the only prospective pregnancy/birth cohort study in the Southern Hemisphere investigating the determinants of type 1 diabetes in at-risk children. The study will recruit 1,400 unborn infants or infants less than six months of age with a first-degree relative (i.e. mother, father or sibling) with type 1 diabetes, across five Australian states. Pregnant mothers/infants will be followed prospectively from early pregnancy through childhood to investigate relationships between genotype, the development of islet autoimmunity (and subsequently type 1 diabetes), and prenatal and postnatal environmental factors. ENDIA will evaluate the microbiome, nutrition, bodyweight/composition, metabolome-lipidome, insulin resistance, innate and adaptive immune function and viral infections. A systems biology approach will be used to integrate these data. Investigation will be by 3-monthly assessments of the mother during pregnancy, then 3-monthly assessments of the child until 24 months of age and 6-monthly thereafter. The primary outcome measure is persistent islet autoimmunity, defined as the presence of autoantibodies to one or more islet autoantigens on consecutive tests. Defining gene-environment interactions that initiate and/or promote destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in early life will inform approaches to primary prevention of type 1 diabetes. The strength of ENDIA is the prospective, comprehensive and frequent systems-wide profiling from early pregnancy through to early childhood, to capture dynamic environmental exposures that may shape the development of islet autoimmunity. Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000794707 .
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUROIMAGE.2011.09.078
Abstract: Despite the enormous costs associated with unrestrained anger, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying anger regulation. Behavioral evidence supports the effectiveness of reappraisal in reducing anger, and demonstrates that rumination typically maintains or augments anger. To further understand the effects of different anger regulation strategies, during functional magnetic resonance imaging 21 healthy male and female undergraduates recalled an anger-inducing autobiographical memory. They then engaged in three counterbalanced anger regulation strategies: reappraisal, analytical rumination, and angry rumination. Reappraisal produced the least self-reported anger followed by analytical rumination and angry rumination. Rumination was associated with increased functional connectivity of the inferior frontal gyrus with the amygdala and thalamus. Understanding how neural regions interact during anger regulation has important implications for reducing anger and violence.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date: 18-09-2012
DOI: 10.1093/OXFORDHB/9780195376210.013.0092
Abstract: Compulsive hoarding is a prevalent and chronic problem that is associated with a profound public health burden. In iduals with hoarding symptoms who have been included in OCD treatment outcome trials have responded poorly to standard pharmacological and psychological treatments. Interventions based on a cognitive-behavioral model specific to compulsive hoarding have shown more promise, according to recent studies. This chapter reviews assessment practices, current evidence regarding biological and psychological treatments for hoarding, and challenges associated with treating hoarding. The cognitive-behavioral treatment for hoarding developed by Steketee and Frost (2007) is described, followed by research questions regarding how to improve treatment outcomes for hoarding.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 04-10-2021
Abstract: ecruitment and retention of research participants is challenging. Social media, particularly Facebook, has emerged as a tool for connecting with participants due to its high uptake in the community. The Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study is an Australia-wide prospective pregnancy-birth cohort following children who have a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes (ACTRN1261300794707). A dedicated Facebook page was established for the ENDIA study in 2013 with the aim to enhance recruitment and support participant retention. he purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the long-term impact of Facebook as a recruitment and retention tool. The hypotheses were that (1) Facebook was an important source of referral to the ENDIA study, (2) the sociodemographic characteristics of participants recruited by Facebook would be different from those of participants recruited by other means (i.e., ‘conventional recruits’), and (3) recruitment by Facebook would be associated with long-term retention. We also evaluated the most effective types of Facebook content based on post engagement. ecruitment of 1511 ENDIA participants was completed in December 2019. Characteristics of participants recruited through Facebook were compared to conventional recruits using linear, logistic, and multinomial logistic regression models. A logistic regression model was used to determine the risk of study withdrawal. Data pertaining to 794 Facebook posts over 7.5 years from June 2013 until December 2020 were extracted using the Facebook ‘Insights’ function for thematic analysis. acebook was the third largest source of referral to the ENDIA study (300/1511 19.9%) behind in-person clinics (500/1511, 33.1%) and healthcare professional referrals (347/1511, 23.0%). The ENDIA Facebook page had 2337 followers at the close of recruitment. Approximately 20% of these could be identified as participating parents. Facebook recruits were more frequently Australian-born (P .001) enrolling postnatally (P=.01) and withdrew from the study at a significantly lower rate compared to conventional recruits (4.7% vs 12.3% P .001) after a median of follow-up of 3.3 years. acebook was a valuable recruitment tool for the ENDIA study and participants recruited through Facebook were three times less likely to withdraw during long-term follow-up. The sociodemographic characteristics of Facebook recruits were different to conventional recruits, but perhaps in unintended ways. Facebook content featuring stories and images of participants received the highest engagement despite the fact that most Facebook followers were not enrolled in the study. These findings should inform social media strategies for future cohort studies involving pregnant women and young families, and for type 1 diabetes risk studies. ustralia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN1261300794707 R2-0.1186/1471-2431-13-124
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.BETH.2011.08.001
Abstract: The manner in which in iduals recall negative life events has important affective consequences. The present experiment investigated the effects of emotion regulation strategies on anger experience. One hundred and twenty-one undergraduates recalled an anger-inducing memory and were instructed to engage in either analytical rumination, cognitive reappraisal, or distraction for 20 minutes. In the remaining (control) condition, participants were instructed to write about their thoughts but were not given any emotion regulation instructions. Rumination maintained anger, whereas participants in the remaining conditions reported decreased anger following the writing task. Our results suggest that reappraisal facilitates adaptive processing of anger-inducing memories and distraction facilitates rapid reductions in anger experience. These findings have implications for the management of clinical populations that commonly experience difficulty with anger regulation.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.BRAT.2010.05.011
Abstract: According to the cognitive-behavioural model of compulsive hoarding, information-processing deficits in the areas of attention, memory, decision-making, and categorization contribute to hoarding behaviour. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether in iduals with compulsive hoarding exhibited impairment on executive functioning and categorization tasks. Three groups of participants were recruited (N = 60): in iduals with compulsive hoarding syndrome, in iduals with an Axis I mood or anxiety disorder, and non-clinical control participants. All participants completed self-report measures of cognitive difficulties, neuropsychological tests of executive functioning and decision-making, and four categorization tasks. Results suggested that hoarding participants reported more cognitive failures and more problems with attention and decision-making than non-clinical control participants. In addition, hoarding participants performed worse than both control groups on the Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), a neuropsychological test of planning ability, and were slower and more anxious during a categorization task. These findings suggest that specific deficits in executive functioning may be associated with the difficulties hoarding patients have organizing their possessions.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 27-03-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CMET.2015.09.024
Abstract: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is activated by Caspase-1 in inflammasome complexes and has anti-obesity effects however, it is not known which inflammasome regulates this process. We found that mice lacking the NLRP1 inflammasome phenocopy mice lacking IL-18, with spontaneous obesity due to intrinsic lipid accumulation. This is exacerbated when the mice are fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or a high-protein diet, but not when mice are fed a HFD with low energy density (high fiber). Furthermore, mice with an activating mutation in NLRP1, and hence increased IL-18, have decreased adiposity and are resistant to diet-induced metabolic dysfunction. Feeding these mice a HFD further increased plasma IL-18 concentrations and strikingly resulted in loss of adipose tissue mass and fatal cachexia, which could be prevented by genetic deletion of IL-18. Thus, NLRP1 is an innate immune sensor that functions in the context of metabolic stress to produce IL-18, preventing obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBTEP.2017.12.001
Abstract: This study examined the hypothesis that participants diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) show a selective deficit in inductive reasoning but are equivalent to controls in deductive reasoning. Twenty-five participants with OCD and 25 non-clinical controls made inductive and deductive judgments about a common set of arguments that varied in logical validity and the amount of positive evidence provided (premise s le size). A second inductive reasoning task required participants to make forced-choice decisions and rate the usefulness of erse evidence or non- erse evidence for evaluating arguments. No differences in deductive reasoning were found between participants diagnosed with OCD and control participants. Both groups saw that the amount of positive evidence supporting a conclusion was an important guide for evaluating inductive arguments. However, those with OCD showed less sensitivity to premise ersity in inductive reasoning than controls. The findings were similar for both emotionally neutral and OCD-relevant stimuli. The absence of a clinical control group means that it is difficult to know whether the deficit in ersity-based reasoning is specific to those with OCD. People with OCD are impaired in some forms of inductive reasoning (using erse evidence) but not others (use of s le size). Deductive reasoning appears intact in those with OCD. Difficulties using evidence ersity when reasoning inductively may maintain OCD symptoms through reduced generalization of learned safety information.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBTEP.2019.101492
Abstract: Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic process contributing to the maintenance of anxiety disorders, and is a potential target for treatment. Recent literature has investigated IU as a cognitive process underpinning pathological fear and anxiety in Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The current study was designed to examine trait and state IU, and their relationship to restrictive eating disorder symptoms, anxiety, worry, cognitive rigidity and eating behaviour. A s le of undergraduate women (N = 85) completed measures of eating disorder symptoms, IU, cognitive rigidity and worry. Participants were randomised to complete an eating task under one of two conditions: the "certain" condition received a high-calorie meal and nutritional information, while the "uncertain" condition received the meal alone. During the meal, state IU and state anxiety were examined at three time-points (baseline, pre-eating, post-eating). Trait IU was correlated with cognitive rigidity, worry, global eating disorder symptoms, and, in particular, dietary restraint. No differences emerged between conditions with respect to eating-related anxiety, or amount of food eaten. Controlling for condition and eating disorder symptoms, state IU predicted pre-eating anxiety. Beyond the contribution of condition, BMI and eating disorder symptoms, state IU predicted consumption, specifically greater dietary restriction. The study employed a non-clinical s le. IU may be implicated in a rigid cognitive style, the anxiety response to energy-dense food, and restrictive eating behaviour. Should these findings be replicated in a clinical s le, then IU might emerge as an adjunctive treatment target for AN.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-06-2020
DOI: 10.1111/DME.13987
Abstract: To measure pancreatic area and exocrine function in young children with recent-onset Type 1 diabetes to determine whether the exocrine pancreas is also affected in the pathophysiology of early childhood diabetes. Thirty-two children (14 boys) aged 5.5 (4.5, 7.3) median (IQR) years presenting with recent-onset Type 1 diabetes and 90 controls (44 boys) of similar age had ultrasound imaging of the pancreas. Children with Type 1 diabetes were receiving insulin and were without ketosis. Transverse and longitudinal areas of the pancreas were measured by digitalized outline. Pancreatic faecal elastase-1 was analysed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit in recent-onset Type 1 diabetes and 38 first-degree relative control children. Pancreatic area and exocrine function were reduced in Type 1 diabetes. Mean transverse area (SD) in Type 1 diabetes was 6.82 cm Pancreatic area and accompanying subclinical exocrine function were reduced in very young children with recent-onset Type 1 diabetes. This supports changes in the exocrine pancreas in the pathophysiology of Type 1 diabetes presenting in early life.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.PSYCHRES.2022.114631
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the use of video-teleconferencing (VTC) for psychological treatments but VTC effectiveness studies are sparse. We examined treatment outcomes for a modified Buried in Treasures (BIT) group program for hoarding disorder (HD) delivered via VTC. Participants were 10 in iduals with HD. Hoarding severity was evaluated at pre, mid, post, and six-month follow-up. Results showed significant decrease in hoarding symptoms over time (with an average decrease of 32%). The dropout rate was low (9%) and 30% of participants were fully recovered at follow-up. These results support the adaptation of in-person BIT for HD into a VTC format.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.PSYCHRES.2008.01.007
Abstract: In schizophrenia, blunted affect has been argued to reflect difficulties with the lification of emotion expressive behavior. The aim of the present study was to assess whether ostensibly healthy in iduals vulnerable to schizophrenia present with similar difficulties. In the first component of the study, 843 non-clinical participants completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, of which 27 scoring in the upper 15% (high schizotypy group) and 27 scoring in the lower 15% (low schizotypy group) were asked to watch amusing film clips, whilst engaging in different emotion regulatory strategies, and specifically, lify the expression of an experienced emotion (' lification') or suppress the expression of an experienced emotion ('suppression'). The results indicate that highly schizotypal participants present with specific difficulties with the lification (but not suppression) of emotion expressive behavior. These difficulties are significantly correlated with total negative schizotypy, particularly blunted affect. In the second component of the study, an in idual differences approach was used to assess the interrelationship between self-reported use of suppression and schizotypy in an independent s le of 204 community volunteers. The results suggest that, although blunted affect is associated with increased use of suppression, it cannot be regarded as the primary mechanism underpinning this disturbance. Implications for understanding blunted affect in schizophrenia and related disorders are discussed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.PSYCHRES.2009.01.028
Abstract: Increasing emphasis has been placed on the role of socioemotional functioning in models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study investigated whether OCD symptoms were associated with capacity for theory of mind (ToM) and basic affect recognition. Non-clinical volunteers (N=204) completed self report measures of OCD and general psychopathology, in addition to behavioral measures of ToM and affect recognition. The results indicated that higher OCD symptoms were associated with reduced ToM, as well as reduced accuracy decoding the specific emotion of disgust. Importantly, these relationships could not be attributed to other, more general features of psychopathology. The findings of the current study therefore further our understanding of how the processing and interpretation of social and emotional information is affected in the context of OCD symptomatology, and are discussed in relation to neuropsychological models of OCD.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.PSYCHRES.2018.05.084
Abstract: Hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized primarily by difficulty discarding possessions, leading to severe clutter and significant distress and impairment. Although promising psychological treatments have emerged, treating HD remains a clinical challenge. A greater understanding of the role of psychological vulnerability factors in predicting hoarding symptoms in a clinical HD s le could further enhance treatments. To investigate the role of proposed in idual difference factors (i.e., distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty), we administered a diagnostic and self-report battery to 73 in iduals diagnosed with HD who were seeking treatment for hoarding at a community clinic. Results indicated that when controlling for depression and anxiety symptoms, only distress tolerance predicted the severity of hoarding symptoms. Furthermore, meditation analyses revealed that the impact of distress tolerance on hoarding severity was partially mediated by hoarding beliefs. These results have important theoretical and clinical implications for HD.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-04-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JANXDIS.2016.12.005
Abstract: The inference-based approach (IBA) is one cognitive model that aims to explain the aetiology and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The model proposes that certain reasoning processes lead an in idual with OCD to confuse an imagined possibility with an actual probability, a state termed inferential confusion. One such reasoning process is inverse reasoning, in which hypothetical causes form the basis of conclusions about reality. Although previous research has found associations between a self-report measure of inferential confusion and OCD symptoms, evidence of a specific association between inverse reasoning and OCD symptoms is lacking. In the present study, we developed a task-based measure of inverse reasoning in order to investigate whether performance on this task is associated with OCD symptoms in an online s le. The results provide some evidence for the IBA assertion: greater endorsement of inverse reasoning was significantly associated with OCD symptoms, even when controlling for general distress and OCD-related beliefs. Future research is needed to replicate this result in a clinical s le and to investigate a potential causal role for inverse reasoning in OCD.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.BRAT.2022.104131
Abstract: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with marked physiological reactivity in social-evaluative situations. However, objective measurement of biomarkers is rarely evaluated in treatment trials, despite potential utility in clarifying disorder-specific physiological correlates. This randomized controlled trial sought to examine the differential impact of imagery-enhanced vs. verbal-based cognitive behavioral group therapy (IE-CBGT, n = 53 VB-CBGT, n = 54) on biomarkers of emotion regulation and arousal during social stress in people with SAD (pre- and post-treatment differences in heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance). We acquired psychophysiological data from randomized participants across four social stress test phases (baseline, speech preparation, speech, interaction) at pre-treatment, and 1- and 6-months post-treatment. Analyses revealed that IE-CBGT selectively attenuated heart rate as indexed by increases in median heart rate interval (median-RR) compared to VB-CBGT at post-treatment, whereas one HRV index showed a larger increase in the VB-CBGT condition before but not after controlling for median-RR. Other psychophysiological indices did not differ between conditions. Lower sympathetic arousal in the IE-CBGT condition may have obviated the need for parasympathetic downregulation, whereas the opposite was true for VB-CBGT. These findings provide preliminary insights into the impact of imagery-enhanced and verbally-based psychotherapy for SAD on emotion regulation biomarkers.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 11-09-2022
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291720003001
Abstract: Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is effective for most patients with a social anxiety disorder (SAD) but a substantial proportion fails to remit. Experimental and clinical research suggests that enhancing CBT using imagery-based techniques could improve outcomes. It was hypothesized that imagery-enhanced CBT (IE-CBT) would be superior to verbally-based CBT (VB-CBT) on pre-registered outcomes. A randomized controlled trial of IE-CBT v. VB-CBT for social anxiety was completed in a community mental health clinic setting. Participants were randomized to IE ( n = 53) or VB ( n = 54) CBT, with 1-month (primary end point) and 6-month follow-up assessments. Participants completed 12, 2-hour, weekly sessions of IE-CBT or VB-CBT plus 1-month follow-up. Intention to treat analyses showed very large within-treatment effect sizes on the social interaction anxiety at all time points ( d s = 2.09–2.62), with no between-treatment differences on this outcome or clinician-rated severity [1-month OR = 1.45 (0.45, 4.62), p = 0.53 6-month OR = 1.31 (0.42, 4.08), p = 0.65], SAD remission (1-month: IE = 61.04%, VB = 55.09%, p = 0.59) 6-month: IE = 58.73%, VB = 61.89%, p = 0.77), or secondary outcomes. Three adverse events were noted (substance abuse, n = 1 in IE-CBT temporary increase in suicide risk, n = 1 in each condition, with one being withdrawn at 1-month follow-up). Group IE-CBT and VB-CBT were safe and there were no significant differences in outcomes. Both treatments were associated with very large within-group effect sizes and the majority of patients remitted following treatment.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.BETH.2012.05.005
Abstract: The emotion of disgust has been implicated in the development and maintenance of contamination-based obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In the present study nonclinical participants with high (n=26) and low (n=28) levels of OCD contamination symptoms were exposed to 2 categories of disgust stimuli (blood injury and body waste) across 4 blocks using standardized disgust images. Self-report disgust and fear were recorded, as well as cardiovascular heart rate. In both groups, an initial primary disgust reaction was observed. Self-report disgust and fear, but not heart rate deceleration, was greater in the high symptom group. The high symptom group showed reductions in heart rate deceleration, whereas the low symptom group did not. Significant differences in self-report changes across time were observed between the groups, with fear increasing to a greater extent for high contamination fearful in iduals when viewing body waste images. The implications of these findings for theoretical models and clinical treatment of OCD with prominent contamination symptoms are discussed.
Publisher: Akademiai Kiado Zrt.
Date: 12-10-2018
Abstract: People who hoard form intense attachments to their possessions and save items for sentimental and instrumental reasons. Feeling socially excluded may encourage these in iduals to anthropomorphize objects (i.e., perceive them as human-like) to fulfill unmet belonging needs, which may increase the sentimental and instrumental values of objects, and then lead to stronger object attachment. We randomly assigned 331 participants with excessive acquisition tendencies to be excluded, included, or overincluded in an online ball-tossing game before presenting them with five objects that had human characteristics. Participants then completed measures assessing anthropomorphism, sentimental and instrumental values, and object attachment. Inconsistent with this study hypothesis, socially excluded participants did not rate unowned objects as more human-like than the included or overincluded participants however, stronger anthropomorphism predicted greater instrumental and sentimental values, which then predicted greater object attachment. Sentimental and instrumental values may explain how stronger anthropomorphism may lead to greater object attachment. Learning that leads to anthropomorphism may help us better understand object attachment.
Publisher: American Diabetes Association
Date: 31-03-2010
DOI: 10.2337/DB09-0287
Abstract: Insulin resistance and other features of the metabolic syndrome have been causally linked to adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) in mice with diet-induced obesity. We aimed to characterize macrophage phenotype and function in human subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue in relation to insulin resistance in obesity. Adipose tissue was obtained from lean and obese women undergoing bariatric surgery. Metabolic markers were measured in fasting serum and ATMs characterized by immunohistology, flow cytometry, and tissue culture studies. ATMs comprised CD11c+CD206+ cells in “crown” aggregates and solitary CD11c−CD206+ cells at adipocyte junctions. In obese women, CD11c+ ATM density was greater in subcutaneous than omental adipose tissue and correlated with markers of insulin resistance. CD11c+ ATMs were distinguished by high expression of integrins and antigen presentation molecules interleukin (IL)-1β, -6, -8, and -10 tumor necrosis factor-α and CC chemokine ligand-3, indicative of an activated, proinflammatory state. In addition, CD11c+ ATMs were enriched for mitochondria and for RNA transcripts encoding mitochondrial, proteasomal, and lysosomal proteins, fatty acid metabolism enzymes, and T-cell chemoattractants, whereas CD11c− ATMs were enriched for transcripts involved in tissue maintenance and repair. Tissue culture medium conditioned by CD11c+ ATMs, but not CD11c− ATMs or other stromovascular cells, impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by human adipocytes. These findings identify proinflammatory CD11c+ ATMs as markers of insulin resistance in human obesity. In addition, the machinery of CD11c+ ATMs indicates they metabolize lipid and may initiate adaptive immune responses.
Location: Australia
Start Date: 05-2015
End Date: 05-2020
Amount: $681,974.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2009
End Date: 12-2013
Amount: $160,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2009
End Date: 12-2011
Amount: $170,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity