Early weight gain trajectories in first episode anorexia: predictors of outcome for emerging adults in outpatient treatment

BACKGROUND

Early response to treatment has been shown to be a predictor of later clinical outcomes in eating disorders (EDs). Specifically, early weight gain trajectories in anorexia nervosa (AN) have been shown to predict higher rates of later remission in inpatient treatment. However, no study has, as of yet, examined this phenomenon within outpatient treatment of first episode cases of AN or in emerging adults.

METHODS

One hundred seven patients with AN, all between the ages of 16 and 25 and with an illness duration of < 3 years, received treatment via the first episode rapid early intervention in eating disorders (FREED) service pathway. Weight was recorded routinely across early treatment sessions and recovery outcomes (BMI > 18.5 kg/m2 and eating psychopathology) were assessed up to 1 year later. Early weight gain across the first 12 treatment sessions was investigated using latent growth mixture modelling to determine distinct classes of change. Follow-up clinical outcomes and remission rates were compared between classes, and individual and clinical characteristics at baseline (treatment start) were tested as potential predictors.

RESULTS

Four classes of early treatment trajectory were identified. Three of these classes (n = 95), though differing in their early change trajectories, showed substantial improvement in clinical outcomes at final follow-up. One smaller class (n = 12), characterised by a 'higher' start BMI (> 17) and no early weight gain, showed negligible improvement 1 year later. Of the three treatment responding groups, levels of purging, depression, and patient reported carer expressed emotion (in the form of high expectations and low tolerance of the patient) determined class membership, although these findings were not significant after correcting for multiple testing. A higher BMI at treatment start was not sufficient to predict optimal clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSION

First episode cases of AN treated via FREED fit into four distinct early response trajectory classes. These may represent subtypes of first episode AN patients. Three of these four trajectories included patients with substantial improvements 1 year later. For those in the non-response trajectory class, treatment adjustments or augmentations could be considered earlier, i.e., at treatment session 12.

Seven-Year Experience From the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Supported Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials

Importance

One major advantage of developing large, federally funded networks for clinical research in neurology is the ability to have a trial-ready network that can efficiently conduct scientifically rigorous projects to improve the health of people with neurologic disorders.

Observations

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) was established in 2011 and renewed in 2018 with the goal of being an efficient network to test between 5 and 7 promising new agents in phase II clinical trials. A clinical coordinating center, data coordinating center, and 25 sites were competitively chosen. Common infrastructure was developed to accelerate timelines for clinical trials, including central institutional review board (a first for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke), master clinical trial agreements, the use of common data elements, and experienced research sites and coordination centers. During the first 7 years, the network exceeded the goal of conducting 5 to 7 studies, with 9 funded. High interest was evident by receipt of 148 initial applications for potential studies in various neurologic disorders. Across the first 8 studies (the ninth study was funded at end of initial funding period), the central institutional review board approved the initial protocol in a mean (SD) of 59 (21) days, and additional sites were added a mean (SD) of 22 (18) days after submission. The median time from central institutional review board approval to first site activation was 47.5 days (mean, 102.1; range, 1-282) and from first site activation to first participant consent was 27 days (mean, 37.5; range, 0-96). The median time for database readiness was 3.5 months (mean, 4.0; range, 0-8) from funding receipt. In the 4 completed studies, enrollment met or exceeded expectations with 96% overall data accuracy across all sites. Nine peer-reviewed manuscripts were published, and 22 oral presentations or posters and 9 invited presentations were given at regional, national, and international meetings.

Conclusions and Relevance

NeuroNEXT initiated 8 studies, successfully enrolled participants at or ahead of schedule, collected high-quality data, published primary results in high-impact journals, and provided mentorship, expert statistical, and trial management support to several new investigators. Partnerships were successfully created between government, academia, industry, foundations, and patient advocacy groups. Clinical trial consortia can efficiently and successfully address a range of important neurologic research and therapeutic questions.

Production of Highly Polarized Positrons Using Polarized Electrons at MeV Energies

The Polarized Electrons for Polarized Positrons experiment at the injector of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility has demonstrated for the first time the efficient transfer of polarization from electrons to positrons produced by the polarized bremsstrahlung radiation induced by a polarized electron beam in a high-Z target. Positron polarization up to 82% have been measured for an initial electron beam momentum of 8.19  MeV/c, limited only by the electron beam polarization. This technique extends polarized positron capabilities from GeV to MeV electron beams, and opens access to polarized positron beam physics to a wide community.

Hypercaloric enteral nutrition in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with few therapeutic options. Mild obesity is associated with greater survival in patients with the disease, and calorie-dense diets increased survival in a mouse model. We aimed to assess the safety and tolerability of two hypercaloric diets in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis receiving enteral nutrition.

METHODS

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised phase 2 clinical trial, we enrolled adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from participating centres in the USA. Eligible participants were aged 18 years or older with no history of diabetes or liver or cardiovascular disease, and who were already receiving percutaneous enteral nutrition. We randomly assigned participants (1:1:1) using a computer-generated list of random numbers to one of three dietary interventions: replacement calories using an isocaloric tube-fed diet (control), a high-carbohydrate hypercaloric tube-fed diet (HC/HC), or a high-fat hypercaloric tube-fed diet (HF/HC). Participants received the intervention diets for 4 months and were followed up for 5 months. The primary outcomes were safety and tolerability, analysed in all patients who began their study diet. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00983983.

FINDINGS

Between Dec 14, 2009, and Nov 2, 2012, we enrolled 24 participants, of whom 20 started their study diet (six in the control group, eight in the HC/HC group, and six in the HF/HC group). One patient in the control group, one in the HC/HC group, and two in the HF/HC group withdrew consent before receiving the intervention. Participants who received the HC/HC diet had a smaller total number of adverse events than did those in the other groups (23 in the HC/HC group vs 42 in the control group vs 48 in the HF/HC group; overall, p=0.06; HC/HC vs control, p=0.06) and significantly fewer serious adverse events than did those on the control diet (none vs nine; p=0.0005). Fewer patients in the HC/HC group discontinued their study diet due to adverse events (none [0%] of eight in the HC/HC group vs three [50%] of six in the control group). During the 5 month follow-up, no deaths occurred in the nine patients assigned to the HC/HC diet compared with three deaths (43%) in the seven patients assigned to the control diet (log-rank p=0.03). Adverse events, tolerability, deaths, and disease progression did not differ significantly between the HF/HC group and the control group.

INTERPRETATION

Our results provide preliminary evidence that hypercaloric enteral nutrition is safe and tolerable in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and support the study of nutritional interventions in larger randomised controlled trials at earlier stages of the disease.

FUNDING

Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health, and Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center.

An antisense oligonucleotide against SOD1 delivered intrathecally for patients with SOD1 familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a phase 1, randomised, first-in-man study

BACKGROUND

Mutations in SOD1 cause 13% of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In the SOD1 Gly93Ala rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the antisense oligonucleotide ISIS 333611 delivered to CSF decreased SOD1 mRNA and protein concentrations in spinal cord tissue and prolonged survival. We aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of ISIS 333611 after intrathecal administration in patients with SOD1-related familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

METHODS

In this randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial, we delivered ISIS 333611 by intrathecal infusion using an external pump over 11·5 h at increasing doses (0·15 mg, 0·50 mg, 1·50 mg, 3·00 mg) to four cohorts of eight patients with SOD1-positive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (six patients assigned to ISIS 333611, two to placebo in each cohort). We did the randomisation with a web-based system, assigning patients in blocks of four. Patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. Participants were allowed to re-enrol in subsequent cohorts. Our primary objective was to assess the safety and tolerability of ISIS 333611. Assessments were done during infusion and over 28 days after infusion. This study was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT01041222.

FINDINGS

Seven of eight (88%) patients in the placebo group versus 20 of 24 (83%) in the ISIS 333611 group had adverse events. The most common events were post-lumbar puncture syndrome (3/8 [38%] vs 8/24 [33%]), back pain (4/8 [50%] vs 4/24 [17%]), and nausea (0/8 [0%] vs 3/24 [13%]). We recorded no dose-limiting toxic effects or any safety or tolerability concerns related to ISIS 333611. No serious adverse events occurred in patients given ISIS 333611. Re-enrolment and re-treatment were also well tolerated.

INTERPRETATION

This trial is the first clinical study of intrathecal delivery of an antisense oligonucleotide. ISIS 333611 was well tolerated when administered as an intrathecal infusion. Antisense oligonucleotides delivered to the CNS might be a feasible treatment for neurological disorders.

FUNDING

The ALS Association, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Isis Pharmaceuticals.

Toilet training of normal and retarded children

Early elements in an operant chain of toilet behaviors were trained in three normal infants and five retarded children. Following that, eliminative behaviors were conditioned by operant procedures. Each child was equipped with an auditory signalling device that gave cues to the learner. Baseline behavior was recorded for a period of five days. The procedure for training consisted of two steps. First, a response was obtained through physical, verbal, and auditory prompts. Second, prompts were faded until the child responded in the presence of the auditory signal. When the device was removed the child performed without the auditory prompt. Parents were instructed in a similar procedure to enhance generalization in the home. Seven of the eight subjects reached a criterion and maintained that behavior during three criterion sessions.

Comparison of modelled and observed in vivo temperature elevations induced by focused ultrasound: implications for treatment planning

Two numerical models for predicting the temperature elevations resulting from focused ultrasound heating of muscle tissue were tested against experimental data. Both models use the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral to calculate the pressure field from a source distribution. The first method assumes a source distribution derived from a uniformly radiating transducer whereas the second uses a source distribution obtained by numerically projecting pressure field measurements from an area near the focus backward toward the transducer surface. Both of these calculated ultrasound fields were used as heat sources in the bioheat equation to calculate the temperature elevation in vivo. Experimental results were obtained from in vivo rabbit experiments using eight-element sector-vortex transducers at 1.61 and 1.7 MHz and noninvasive temperature mapping with MRI. Results showed that the uniformly radiating transducer model over-predicted the peak temperature by a factor ranging from 1.4 to 2.8, depending on the operating mode. Simulations run using the back-projected sources were much closer to experimental values, ranging from 1.0 to 1.7 times the experimental results, again varying with mode. Thus, a significant improvement in the treatment planning can be obtained by using actual measured ultrasound field distributions in combination with backward projection.

The utility of a bilateral breast pumping system for mothers of premature infants

Mothers of premature infants have difficulty maintaining their milk supply as a result of the separation that occurs between the mother and the baby. The hypothesis in the present investigation is that use of a bilateral (simultaneous) breast pumping system will increase the volume of milk expressed in these mothers. Thirty-two breastfeeding mothers of premature infants were randomly assigned to either the control (single) or the experimental (bilateral) breast pump group. Mothers pumped at least four times a day. Data collection included a daily milk production log, weekly serum prolactin levels, and a weekly State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Participation lasted from four to six weeks. Data analysis included average STAI scores; average prolactin levels; and weekly averages for number of pumping sessions, hours of pumping, and milk production in milliliters. The two groups did not differ on several demographic characteristics, STAI scores, prolactin levels, number of pumping sessions per week, or weekly milk production. The amount of time spent pumping, however, was statistically less for mothers who used the bilateral pump (7.6 +/- 3.0 hours/week) versus those who used the single pump (11.1 +/- 3.1 hours/week) (p = .003). Although use of either the single pump or the bilateral electric pump resulted in similar milk production, the bilateral pump significantly reduced the time invested in pumping. Health professionals should advocate use of the bilateral pump for mothers of premature infants. Additional studies are needed to determine strategies for increasing milk production in this population.

Migration of distinct subsets of CD8+ blood T cells through endothelial cell monolayers in vitro

The immune response in many infections and to allografts is dependent on CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Influx of CD8+ CTL from the blood has been documented during antigen challenge. We have previously found that a subset of CD8+ T cells from normal blood can migrate through endothelial cell monolayers in vitro. To further characterize migration-prone CD8+ T cells from normal blood, we examined the expression of CD28 and a restricted epitope of CD18/CD11a (S6F1), a CTL marker. Although normal blood CD8bright+ T cells were heterogeneous in their expression of CD28, three populations could be identified (CD28low, CD28moderate, and CD28high). CD8+ cells migrating across endothelial cell monolayers were enriched for CD8bright+ CD28high cells and a subset of CD8dim+ cells, which were CD28high. Both adherent and migrating CD8+ cells were exclusively (> 95%) S6F1high. There was also preferential adhesion and migration of CD8+ cells expressing the low-molecular-weight form of the leukocyte common antigen, CD45RO. Cytokine activation of the endothelium did not significantly alter preferential migration of these subsets. These data suggest that certain subsets of CD8+ memory T cells in normal human blood are prone to, adhere to, and migrate through allogeneic endothelial cells and would thus be likely to be recruited to sites of antigen challenge.

Graves' IgG recognizes linear epitopes in the human thyrotropin receptor

Twenty-nine peptides covering the full extracellular domain of the human thyrotropin receptor have been synthesized and tested for reactivity with Graves' patients' and normal sera in ELISA. Two peptides, amino acids 331-350 and the second extracellular loop of the transmembrane segment, bound IgG-s from 5 and 4 of 10 Graves' disease patients' sera, respectively. Neither of these two peptides showed enhanced binding to normal IgG. There were no apparent differences between the Graves' disease and normal group with respect to the other 27 peptides. We conclude that peptide 331-350 and the second extracellular loop carry important linear epitopes which may contribute to the disease process in selected Graves' patients.

Characterization of lymphocytic infiltrates in normal, preneoplastic, and neoplastic mouse mammary tissues

Lymphocytic infiltrates were isolated from normal, preneoplastic, and neoplastic mouse mammary tissues. The surface markers on the infiltrating lymphocytes were characterized by immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry. Preneoplastic and neoplastic tissues contained 10- to 20-fold more in situ lymphocytes than did the normal pregnant gland. Most of these lympocytes were T-cells. Relative to the T-cells in normal gland, the T-cells in C4 preneoplastic hyperplastic alveolar nodules and their spontaneous tumors have shifted in favor of the killer-suppressor subpopulation. This shift of T-cell subpopulations was a localized phenomenon and was not seen in the lymph nodes of hyperplastic alveolar nodules and tumor bearing mice. C4 lesion infiltrating cells also contained a subpopulation of lymphocytes that expressed 5- to 6-fold more LFA-1 antigen (lymphocyte function associated antigen-1) than did normal lymph node cells. The infiltrating lymphocytes of mammary tumors from cloned cell lines, on the contrary, had the same staining profile as did the lymphocytes from normal gland. Since most studies with human breast cancer infiltrates have demonstrated increased killer/suppressor T-cells and the presence of activated lymphocytes (J. Hurlimann and P. Saraga, Int. J. Cancer, 35: 753-762, 1985; H.L. Whitwell, H.P.A. Hughes, M. Moore, and A. Ahmed, Br. J. Cancer, 49: 161-172, 1984; and J.A. Ledbetter, R.V. Rouse, H. Spedding Micklem, and L. Herzenberg, J. Exp. Med., 152: 280-295, 1980) the C4 hyperplastic alveolar nodules and spontaneous tumor system may be a more relevant model for studying breast cancer infiltrates.

A comparative trial of ranitidine 300 mg at night with ranitidine 150 mg twice daily in the treatment of duodenal and gastric ulcer

A multicenter double-blind comparative trial of oral ranitidine, 300 mg hs versus 150 mg bid, was conducted in 89 patients with duodenal ulcer (DU) and 54 with gastric ulcer (GU). Antacid tablets were prescribed prn. After 4 wk of treatment there were no statistically significant differences in the ulcer healing rates associated with the once daily (DU 86.4%, GU 62.5%) and the twice daily (DU 84.4%, GU 73.3%) regimens. Antacid consumption, by both DU and GU patients, was higher in the 150 mg bid group, but the differences did not achieve statistical significance. Further improvement in cumulative healing rates in response to both treatment regimens was observed following a second 4-wk treatment for those patients whose ulcers had failed to heal during the 1st month. Smoking adversely affected the rate of ulcer healing in DU patients, but had no significant effect on GU healing. No serious adverse effects or biochemical abnormalities were observed. Ranitidine 300 mg hs appears to be equally safe and effective as the standard regimen of 150 mg bid in the short-term treatment of uncomplicated gastroduodenal ulcer.

A noninvasive positron computed tomography technique using oxygen-15--labeled water for the evaluation of neurobehavioral task batteries

A technique is described that provides information about relative cerebral responses to differing neurobehavioral tasks in normal subjects studied with positron computed tomography and oxygen-15-labeled water. Simulation studies demonstrate that this technique is sensitive to changes in true local CBF within a physiological range and tends to underestimate relative flow changes at high flow values (greater than 30 ml min-1 100 g-1) and to overestimate these changes for flow values of less than 25 ml min-1 100 g-1. Image acquisition times of 60 s following the arrival of oxygen-15-labeled water in the brain were the most accurate for identifying such relative changes between radioisotope administrations and were not limited by statistical noise from total image counts. Studies in normal volunteers indicate that the technique is highly reproducible, demonstrating a coefficient of variation for small (less than 2 cm2) regions of 2.98 between studies in the same state. Visual stimulation studies in normal volunteers demonstrated relative radioisotope concentration changes between control and stimulated states that are in good agreement with similar results obtained using the same stimulation paradigm but with the use of fluorodeoxyglucose to determine cerebral glucose metabolism.