The Role of the Endocannabinoid System in Eating Disorders: Neurochemical and Behavioural Preclinical Evidence.
The Role of the Endocannabinoid System in Eating Disorders: Neurochemical and Behavioural Preclinical Evidence.
Curr Pharm Des. 2013 Jun 14;
Fadda P
The endocannabinoid system has long been known as a modulator of several physiological functions, among which the homeostatic and hedonic aspect of eating. CB1 receptors are widely expressed in brain regions that control food intake, reward and energy balance. Animal and human studies indicate that CB1 receptor agonists possess orexigenic effects enhancing appetite and increasing the rewarding value of food. Conversely, CB1 antagonists have been shown to inhibit the intake of food. Eating disorders include a range of chronic and disabling related pathological illnesses that are characterized by aberrant patterns of feeding behaviour and weight regulation, and by abnormal attitudes and perceptions toward body shape image. The psychological and biological factors underlying eating disorders are complex and not yet completely understood. However in the last decades, converging evidence have led to hypothesise a link between defects in the endocannabinoid system and eating disorders, including obesity. Here we review the neurochemical and behavioural preclinical evidence supporting the role of the endocannabinoid system in eating disorders to offer the reader an update regarding the state of the art. Although the recent withdrawal from the market of rimonabant for treating obesity and overweight individuals with metabolic complications due to its psychiatric side effects, preclinical findings support the rationale for the clinical development of drug which modulate the endocannabinoid system in the treatment of eating disorders. HubMed – eating
Psychometric evaluation of the Body Checking Cognitions Scale (BCCS) Portuguese version.
Percept Mot Skills. 2013 Feb; 116(1): 175-86
Kachani AT, Barroso LP, Brasiliano S, Hochgraf PB, Cordás TA, Conti MA
The aim of this study is evaluate the psychometric results and validity of the Brazilian Portuguese language version of the Body Checking Cognitions Scale (BCCS). Factor analysis and concurrent validity were checked on assessments from participants with and without eating disorders. The scale had good internal consistency. Factor analysis confirmed four components. Control and Eating Disorders groups were discriminated, and results correlated well with the Eating Attitudes Test and Body Shape Questionnaire. The results for the Portuguese version of the BCCS were similar to the original version, and its use is recommended for evaluation of body-checking cognitions in the Brazilian population with or without eating disorders. HubMed – eating