On this page we show you all research publications of the Eat2beNICE consortium. These publications report on the research output of the project. For each publication we provide a summary or the publication’s abstract. If you want to read the full article, you can click on the link below the summary or abstract. For PDFs of our own press releases about progress within the Eat2beNICE project please go to DOWNLOADS. To receive our project newsletter please subscribe here!
On: 2 December 2019
Low cholesterol levels in children predict impulsivity in young adulthood
Severe behavioural issues such as impulsive action and suicide have since long been associated with low levels of cholesterol. While it is known that cholesterol plays a role in neural development and hence low levels of serum lipids could have long-term effects on behaviour, no longitudinal studies showed the association of serum lipids levels with impulsivity. We aimed to examine the prognostic properties of serum lipid levels during childhood and adolescence on measures of impulsivity during early adulthood in a representative birth cohort sample.
On: 25 October 2019
Brain mechanisms of impulsive and compulsive behaviors in obesity
Impulsivity and compulsivity are multidimensional constructs that are increasingly considered determinants of obesity. Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have provided insight on how differences in brain response during tasks exploring facets of impulsivity and compulsivity relate to the ingestive behaviors that support the etiology and maintenance of obesity.
On: 15 October 2019
Epigenetics of adult ADHD
Previous studies have reported associations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and DNA methylation in children. We report the first epigenome-wide association study meta-analysis of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, based on peripheral blood DNA methylation (Infinium HumanMethylation450K array) in three population-based adult cohorts.
On: 3 October 2019
Altered gene expression in ADHD: three new genes identified
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by an interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetics is crucial to lasting changes in gene expression in the brain. Recent studies suggest a role for DNA methylation in ADHD. We explored the contribution to ADHD of allele-specific methylation (ASM), an epigenetic mechanism that involves SNPs correlating with differential levels of DNA methylation at CpG sites.
On: 27 September 2019
Brain mechanisms of risk-taking behaviour in obesity after a loss
Altered activity in decision-making neural circuitry may underlie the maladaptive food choices found in obesity. Here, we aimed to identify the brain regions purportedly underpinning risk-taking behavior in individuals with obesity. Twenty-three adult women with obesity and twenty-three healthy weight controls completed the Risky Gains Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
On: 15 September 2019
Orexin/hypocretin receptor gene (HCRTR1) variation is associated with aggressive behaviour
Orexins, alternatively called hypocretins, are neuropeptides with crucial role in maintaining wakefulness. The orexin system is thought to mediate a coordinated defense response but thus far investigated from the flight, but never fight, response perspective. An HCRTR1 gene variant (rs2271933 G > A) leading to amino acid substitution (Ile408Val) has been associated with migraine and mood disorders.
On: 30 August 2019
Shared genetics between cocaine dependence and comorbid conditions
Cocaine dependence is a complex psychiatric disorder that is highly comorbid with other psychiatric traits. Twin and adoption studies suggest that genetic variants contribute substantially to cocaine dependence susceptibility, which has an estimated heritability of 65–79%. Here we performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of cocaine dependence using four datasets from the dbGaP repository (2085 cases and 4293 controls, all of them selected by their European ancestry).
On: 20 August 2019
The neural mechanisms of emotion regulation impairment in women with obesity
Maladaptive emotion regulation contributes to overeating and impedes weight loss. Our study aimed to compare the voluntary downregulation of negative emotions by means of cognitive reappraisal in adult women with obesity (OB) and female healthy controls (HC) using a data-driven, multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach.
On: 6 June 2019
Genetic risks of emotional lability in adult ADHD
Emotional lability is strongly associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), represents a major source of impairment and predicts poor clinical outcome in ADHD. Given that no specific genes with a role in the co-occurrence of both conditions have been described, we conducted a GWAS of emotional lability in 563 adults with ADHD. Despite not reaching genome-wide significance, the results highlighted genes related with neurotransmission, cognitive function and a wide range of psychiatric disorders that have emotional lability as common clinical feature.
On: 10 May 2019
The interaction between serotonin genes and early life maternal seperation
Converging evidence suggests a role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), the rate-limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis in the brain, in modulating long-term, neurobiological effects of early-life adversity. Here, we aimed at further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction, and its consequences for socio-emotional behaviors, with a focus on anxiety and social interaction.