Effect of exogenous testosterone in the context of energy deficit on risky choice: Behavioural and neural evidence from males.

Previous research has shown greater risk aversion when people make choices about lives than cash. We tested the hypothesis that compared to placebo, exogenous testosterone administration would lead to riskier choices about cash than lives, given testosterone's association with financial risk-taking and reward sensitivity. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was conducted to test this hypothesis (Clinical Trials Registry: NCT02734238, www.

Effects of testosterone administration on fMRI responses to executive function, aggressive behavior, and emotion processing tasks during severe exercise- and diet-induced energy deficit.

Background: Clinical administration of testosterone is widely used due to a variety of claimed physical and cognitive benefits. Testosterone administration is associated with enhanced brain and cognitive function, as well as mood, in energy-balanced males, although such relationships are controversial. However, the effects of testosterone administration on the brains of energy-deficient males, whose testosterone concentrations are likely to be well below normal, have not been investigated.

Validation of the Activity Preference Assessment: a tool for quantifying children's implicit preferences for sedentary and physical activities.

Background: High levels of sedentary behavior and low physical activity are associated with poor health, and the cognitive determinants of these behaviors in children and adolescents are not well understood. To address this gap, we developed a novel, non-verbal, computer-based assessment to quantify the degree to which youth prefer to be sedentary relative to physically active in their leisure time.

Methods: The Activity Preference Assessment (APA) uses a forced-choice paradigm to understand implicit decision-making processes when presented with common sedentary and physical activities.

Perceptual Characterization of the Macronutrient Picture System (MaPS) for Food Image fMRI.

Food image fMRI paradigms are used widely for investigating the neural basis of ingestive behavior. However, these paradigms have not been validated in terms of ingestive behavior constructs, engagement of food-relevant neural systems, or test-retest reliability, making the generalizability of study findings unclear. Therefore, we validated the Macronutrient Picture System (MaPS) (McClernon et al.

Pioglitazone-induced improvements in insulin sensitivity occur without concomitant changes in muscle mitochondrial function.

Aims: Pioglitazone (Pio) is known to improve insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. However, the role of Pio in skeletal muscle lipid metabolism and skeletal muscle oxidative capacity is not clear. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of chronic Pio treatment on skeletal muscle mitochondrial activity in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Quantitative Comparison of 2 Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Systems in Assessing Body Composition and Bone Mineral Measurements.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is widely used in body composition measurement and evaluation. Because of its numerous applications, the probability of instrument discrepancies has increased dramatically. This study quantitatively compares 2 different DXA systems.

Higher mitochondrial respiration and uncoupling with reduced electron transport chain content in vivo in muscle of sedentary versus active subjects.

Objective: This study investigated the disparity between muscle metabolic rate and mitochondrial metabolism in human muscle of sedentary vs. active individuals.

Research Design And Methods: Chronic activity level was characterized by a physical activity questionnaire and a triaxial accelerometer as well as a maximal oxygen uptake test.