Abstract: Introduction: Obesity has a multifactorial etiology and is a global public health problem which also affects Mexican population. Obesity is characterized by excessive body adiposity, as well as high prevalence of diverse comorbidities, which diminish life quality. Sedentary lifestyle and hypercaloric food overconsumption are amongst the causes of obesity. It has been suggested that some traits seen in obese patients may represent an addictive behavior, similar to those observed in substance-dependent patients. Objective: The aim of this work was the validation of the Spanish version of the Yale Food Addiction Rating Scale (YFAS) in a Mexican adult population sample. Method: The scale was applied twice to 160 participants with a three weeks period in-between. The factorial model was corroborated with Bartlett's sphericity test and with that of Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin. Results: Internal consistency was calculated by means of Cronbach's alpha which was α = 0.7963; reliability, measured with Spearman's coefficient by means of the test-retest method, was r = 0.565, n = 96. Convergence validity was estimated using the Binge Eating Scale (BES) and Spearman's correlation (r = 0.5868 p ≤ 0.0001; n = 157). Bartlett's sphericity test showed (χ2(300) = 1572.33, p r = 0.2843 p ≤ 0.001; n = 151. Discussion and conclusion: The Spanish version of the YFAS showed psychometric properties not different from the original and adapted existing versions. Therefore, YFAS Spanish version could be useful in healthcare and clinical research in Mexican population.

Resumen: Introducción: La obesidad es la acumulación excesiva de grasa corporal, lo que condiciona una alta comorbilidad. El consumo descontrolado de alimentos hipercalóricos es causa de su desarrollo; ésta es una conducta de características similares a la de pacientes con adicción a sustancias. La escala de adicción a los alimentos, YFAS (Yale Food Addiction Scale), permite identificar a sujetos con conducta adictiva a los alimentos. Objetivo: Validar la escala YFAS en español en una muestra de población mexicana adulta. Método: La muestra de participantes (160) respondió a la encuesta en dos ocasiones, con un período de tres semanas entre cada aplicación. La pertinencia de un modelo factorial se corroboró con las pruebas de esfericidad de Bartlett y la medición del parámetro de Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin. Resultados: El α de Cronbach = 0.7963 corroboró la consistencia interna de la escala. Para la confiabilidad se obtuvo el coeficiente de Spearman por la metodología test-retest, de r = 0.565, n = 96. La validación por convergencia, correlacionando con la escala para trastorno por atracón (Binge Eating Scale, BES) (r = 0.5868 p ≤ 0.0001; n = 157). Las pruebas de Bartlett (χ2(300) = 1572.3, p r = 0.2843 p ≤ 0.001; n = 151). Discusión y conclusión: Esta versión de YFAS presentó propiedades psicométricas adecuadas y similares a las de la original y a otras de sus traducciones y adaptaciones. Se considera entonces con utilidad para la práctica asistencial y para estudios de investigación clínica en población mexicana.

Objective: To explore the association of three polymorphisms of the serotonin receptor 1Dβ gene (HTR1B) in the etiology of eating disorders and their relationship with clinical characteristics. Methods: We analyzed the G861C, A-161T, and A1180G polymorphisms of the HTR1B gene through a family-based association test (FBAT) in 245 nuclear families. The sample was stratified into anorexia nervosa (AN) spectrum and bulimia nervosa (BN) spectrum. In addition, we performed a quantitative FBAT analysis of anxiety severity, depression severity, and Yale-Brown-Cornell Eating Disorders Scale (YBC-EDS) in the AN and BN-spectrum groups. Results: FBAT analysis of the A-161T polymorphism found preferential transmission of allele A-161 in the overall sample. This association was stronger when the sample was stratified by spectrums, showing transmission disequilibrium between the A-161 allele and BN spectrum (z = 2.871, p = 0.004). Quantitative trait analysis showed an association between severity of anxiety symptoms and the C861 allele in AN-spectrum participants (z = 2.871, p = 0.004). We found no associations on analysis of depression severity or preoccupation and ritual scores in AN or BN-spectrum participants. Conclusions: Our preliminary findings suggest a role of the HTR1B gene in susceptibility to development of BN subtypes. Furthermore, this gene might have an impact on the severity of anxiety in AN-spectrum patients.

Objective: Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder, characterized by disturbed patterns of thought and affecting 0.3-2.0% of the world population. Previously, the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene has been associated with schizophrenia in treatment response studies in psychotic patients. The aim of this study was to determine the association between MDR1 gene polymorphisms and clinical characteristics in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were assessed with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) in 158 Mexican patients with schizophrenia. Analyses of MDR1 gene polymorphisms were performed using TaqMan technology. A multivariate ANOVA was performed with MDR1 polymorphisms and gender as independent variables. Results: Males with the G/G genotype of MDR1 rs2032582 presented significantly higher levels of delusions (p = 0.02). When comparing female vs. male groups, the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0003). Analyses of the MDR1 gene rs1045642 variant showed no significant differences. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that male carriers of the G allele of variant rs2032582 exhibit greater severity of delusions; however, these results should be taken as preliminary, and replication studies in other populations of different ethnic origins are required to confirm these findings.

Among the factors associated with the predisposition to violent behavior is the bearing of risk alleles. To investigate the effect of two risk alleles (low activity of MAO-A and 7 repeat DRD4) 60 healthy men were assessed on psychological scales of aggression. The results indicated that both the main effect of each of the risk alleles, and their interaction impact on measures of hostility, anger, impulsivity, empathy and antisocial traits of psychopathy. We conclude that it is necessary to investigate the effect of these alleles on brain structure and function; these alleles apparently also confer risk for the development of violent behavior.

Entre los diversos factores asociados con la predisposición a la conducta violenta se encuentra la portación de alelos de riesgo. Para investigar el efecto de dos alelos de riesgo (baja actividad de MAO-A y 7 repeticiones DRD4) sobre mediciones de agresión, se evaluaron mediante escalas psicológicas a 60 hombres sanos. Los resultados indicaron que tanto el efecto principal de cada uno de los alelos de riesgo, como su interacción impactan sobre mediciones de hostilidad, enojo, impulsividad, empatía y rasgos antisociales de psicopatía. Se concluye que es necesario investigar el efecto de estos alelos sobre la estructura y función cerebrales, además estos alelos aparentemente confieren riesgo para el desarrollo de conductas violentas.

We investigated the relationship between a functional polymorphism of the COMT gene and neuropsychological performance in healthy children. Specifically inhibition was studied. The Val108/158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene was genotyped in 248 healthy children aged 3-6 years. Groups were divided according to polymorphism type Val/Val (n=83), Val/Met (n=76) and Met/Met (n=89). All children were tested with a neuropsychological test (Stroop) of executive functions that depend on the Prefrontal Cortex. Neuropsychological performance was compared across genotype groups using an analysis of variance (p<05). Results: All children were similar with regard to developmental characteristics. Children carrying the Met/Met polymorphism performed significantly better on tasks related to inhibition with emotional component than children carrying Val/Val genotype. These results seem to reflect the role of COMT enzyme as a regulator of DA and that both hypermetabolism and hypometabolism has important implications for the EF.

En este estudio de analizó la relación entre el polimorfismo funcional del gen COMT y el rendimiento neuropsicológico de niños sanos. De forma específica se estudió la inhibición. Se analizó el genotipo Val108/158Met en 248 niños sanos de 3 a 6 años de edad. Los grupos se dividieron de acuerdo al tipo de polimorfismo que presentaron: Val/Val (n=83), Val/Met (n=76) and Met/Met (n=89). Todos los niños fueron evaluados con pruebas neuropsicológicas de Funciones Ejecutivas (tipo Stroop) que dependen de la Corteza Prefrontal. El desempeño neuropsicológico fue comparado entre los grupos de polimorfismo utilizando un análisis de varianza (p<.05). Resultados: todos los niños evaluados tenían similares características de desarrollo. Los niños con polimorfismo Met/Met desempeñaron significativamente mejor en las tareas relacionadas con la inhibición que contenían el componente emocional que los niños con polimorfismo Val/Val. Estos resultados parecen reflejar el papel de la enzima COMT como regulador de DA y que tanto el hipermetabolismo como el hipometabolismo tiene implicaciones importantes en las FE.

The executive functions allow to organize our behavior, to regulate our emotions and in general terms, our behavior. This function increases its complexity when the organism grows up and matures, in accordance with the environment conditions and the forebrain's neurological development. Nevertheless, there are different variables that can help its optimal execution like the MAO-A, in charge of the metabolism of the neurotransmissors, like the serotonin, in charge of the impulsive manners. Like the Temperament that makes easier the capability to regulate the self-behavior, through the inhibition of the impulses when the demands are not only cognitive, also with the emotional demands. With the application of the inhibition's tests in preschoolers children and these factors like reference. It was possible to watch that the preschoolers children with a low metabolic activity in the MAO-A and a self-control temperament, have developed a better results to inhibit their behavior in order to have a better result in the tests; this, represents a contribution to the purpose to analyze different variables that allow a better development of this executive functions.

Las Funciones Ejecutivas permiten organizar nuestro comportamiento, regular nuestras emociones y en general, nuestro comportamiento. Estas funciones van incrementando su complejidad conforme el organismo crece y madura, acorde a las demandas ambientales y al desarrollo neurológico de los lóbulos frontales principalmente, sin embargo existen distintas variables que favorecerían su óptima ejecución, como la enzima MAO-A encargada de metabolizar neurotransmisores como la serotonina, involucrada en la regulación de conductas impulsivas. Así como el Temperamento que facilita la capacidad de autoregular la propia conducta, inhibiendo los impulsos en presencia de demandas no solo cognitivas sino también emocionales. Mediante la aplicación de pruebas de Inhibición en niños en edad preescolar y tomando en cuenta estos factores se observó que aquellos niños con la variación de MAO-A de Baja actividad Transcripcional y un Temperamento de Autocontrol tendían a tener mejores resultados para inhibir sus conductas en favor de un mejor resultado en la pruebas; contribuyendo al propósito de analizar distintas variables que permitan un mejor desarrollo de las Funciones Ejecutivas.