Food cravings among bariatric surgery candidates.

Purpose: Food cravings are common, more prevalent in the obese, and may differ in those who pursue surgical treatment for obesity. Food craving tools are most often validated in non-clinical, non-obese samples.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 227 bariatric surgery candidates at a large medical center completed the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T).

Weight concerns, body image, and smoking continuation in pregnant women in rural Appalachia.

Objective: To examine the relationship between pre-pregnancy weight and body image concerns and smoking status in late pregnancy.

Methods: Participants included 172 pregnant smokers. Pre-pregnancy weight and body image concerns were assessed during first trimester via the Weight Concern Scale and Body Image Concern Inventory.

Integration of behavioral health services in a primary care clinic serving rural Appalachia: reflections on a clinical experience.

In the past few decades, there has been a move toward integrating behavioral health and medical services. This can be particularly beneficial for rural residents, as integration can increase access to mental healthcare in areas where there are shortages of mental health providers. Southern Appalachia is characterized by isolated areas that have shortages of both mental health and medical providers.

Nicotine sensitization and analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in adolescent beta-arrestin-2 knockout mice.

Nicotine sensitization and levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were analyzed in adolescent beta-arrestin-2 knockout (betaA-2 KO) and wild type (WT) mice. The beta-arrestin-2 protein has been shown to be important in G-protein hydrolysis and receptor internalization. Four- to five-week-old adolescent betaA-2 KO and WT C57/Bl6 mice were administered either nicotine (0.

Nicotine sensitization in adult male and female rats quinpirole-primed as neonates.

Rationale: Increases in dopamine D2-like receptor function are common in several psychological disorders that demonstrate a four to five fold increase in nicotine abuse compared to the general population.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the interaction of sex differences and sensitization to nicotine in rats D2 receptor primed as neonates.

Materials And Methods: A total of 32 male and 32 female Sprague-Dawley rats derived from eight litters were ontogenetically treated with quinpirole (1 mg/kg) or saline from postnatal days (P) 1-21 and raised to adulthood.