Neural basis of impaired cognitive flexibility in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Background: Impaired cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa (AN) causes clinical problems and makes the disease hard to treat, but its neural basis has yet to be fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the brain activity of individuals with AN while performing a task requiring cognitive flexibility on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), which is one of the most frequently used neurocognitive measures of cognitive flexibility and problem-solving ability.

Methods: Participants were 15 female AN patients and 15 age- and intelligence quotient-matched healthy control women.

Increased brain histamine H1 receptor binding in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Background: The central histaminergic neuron system modulates various brain functions, including eating behavior. We hypothesized that women have higher density of histamine H1 receptor (H1R) in the limbic system than men and that the density of central H1R is increased in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN).

Methods: Subjects were 12 female AN patients, 12 healthy female subjects, and 11 healthy male subjects.

Gender difference in association between polymorphism of serotonin transporter gene regulatory region and anxiety.

Objective: The objective of this study was to verify the hypothesis that variation of the serotonin transporter gene promoter region (5-HTTLPR) is associated with sensitivity to stress.

Methods: Genotyping of 5-HTTLPR and evaluation of emotional states were performed on 194 participants. Participants' emotional states were evaluated using the Perceived-Stress Scale (PSS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS).

Exaggerated motility of the descending colon with repetitive distention of the sigmoid colon in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: Visceral hypersensitivity is one of the mechanisms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but it does not explain the entire symptomatology, i.e., altered bowel habit with abdominal pain relieved by defecation.

The role of endogenous GHRH in arginine-, insulin-, clonidine- and l-dopa-induced GH release in normal subjects.

Objective: The role of endogenous GHRH in arginine-, insulin-, clonidine- and l-dopa-induced GH secretion was studied in man using a GHRH antagonist (GHRH-Ant).

Design: Ten healthy adult males were studied for serum GH responses to arginine or insulin singly, or sequentially 120 min after GHRH injection with or without combined administration of GHRH-Ant. Further, GHRH, clonidine or l-dopa were sequentially administered to these subjects 120 min after the GHRH injection.