Intimate relationship quality, self-concept and illness acceptance in those with multiple sclerosis.

Lower levels of Intimate Relationship Quality (IRQ) have been found in those with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) compared to the general population. This study examined an MS sample to see whether IRQ was positively associated with self-concept, whether IRQ was positively associated with MS illness acceptance and whether IRQ was predicted by self-concept and illness acceptance. In this cross-sectional study, 115 participants with MS who were in an intimate relationship completed an online survey advertised on MS related websites. The survey assessed demographic variables, MS illness variables and levels of IRQ, self-concept and illness acceptance. Results revealed that IRQ was significantly positively associated with self-concept and with illness acceptance. Multiple hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that, after controlling for illness duration and level of disability, self-concept significantly predicted IRQ but illness acceptance did not significantly predict IRQ. This study addressed several gaps and methodological flaws in the literature and was the first known to assess predictors of IRQ in those with MS. The results suggest that self-concept could be a potential target for individual and couple psychological interventions to improve IRQ and contribute to improved outcomes for those with MS.

Impact of cafeteria feeding during lactation in the rat on novel object discrimination in the offspring.

There is increasing evidence that hyperenergetic diets have an impact on memory in rodents. However, it is largely unknown how diets, such as a cafeteria diet (CD), that mimic a Western-type diet act on learning and memory, in particular when fed during early stages of development. Here, we fed lactating dams a CD and exposed both male and female offspring to a novel object discrimination (NOD) task, a two-trial test of recognition memory in which rats exposed to two identical objects during a training/familiarisation trial can discriminate a novel from a familiar object during the subsequent choice trial. The choice trial was performed following inter-trial interval (ITI) delays of up to 4 h. Maternal diet did not have an impact on exploration of the objects by either sex during the familiarisation trial. Control males discriminated the novel from the familiar object, indicating intact memory with an ITI of 1 h, but not 2 or 4 h. The CD delayed this natural forgetting in male rats such that discrimination was also evident after a 2 h ITI. In contrast, control females exhibited discrimination following both 1 and 2 h ITI, but the CD impaired performance. In summary, the present study shows that maternal exposure to the CD programmes NOD in the adult. In better-performing females, dietary programming interferes with NOD, whereas NOD was improved in males after lactational CD feeding.

Exposure to maternal consumption of cafeteria diet during the lactation period programmes feeding behaviour in the rat.

Lactational overfeeding programmes obesity in the adult rat, and also impacts on adult emotional behaviour. The present study investigated the impact of exposing the lactating female to a hypercaloric diet on structural aspects of feeding behaviour in the adult offspring as measured by the behavioural satiety sequence (BSS). Lactating Wistar rats were fed a hypercaloric cafeteria diet (CD) in addition to chow. Controls were fed on chow only. All offspring were chow fed after weaning. BSS was tested in 12-15 week old offspring. At 20 weeks of age, monoamine neurotransmitter levels were measured in selected brain regions. When exposed to a palatable 1-h test meal, offspring responded with the same latency to feed, regardless of lactational diet. Total food intake during the test was unaffected by lactational diet. Control offspring showed a normal BSS pattern. Male CD offspring displayed shorter feeding bouts (P<0.05) with an overall higher bout frequency (P<0.001) and their latency to rest was delayed (P<0.001). Overall eating frequency (P<0.05), but not duration was increased in male CD offspring. Although the transition from feeding to resting was not affected by lactational CD, CD males fed for longer at the beginning of the test meal and were more active towards the end. CD females displayed an increased number of feeding bouts (P<0.05) and they spent more time eating (P<0.05). Resting latency was delayed (P<0.05) and overall time spent resting was shortened (P<0.01). Frequency of eating was increased in the middle of the test meal. The onset of satiety as indicated by the transition point between eating and resting was delayed in CD females (P<0.001). In both sexes, hypothalamic 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was increased (P<0.05 in females, P<0.01 in males) and 5-HT turnover was reduced by lactational CD (P<0.001 in females, P<0.01 in males). Lactational CD led also to an increase in dopamine (DA) (P<0.01). Hypothalamic DA metabolism (DOPAC+HVA/DA ratio) was overall lower in females than in males (P<0.01). This study indicates a programming effect of lactational CD on feeding behaviour and brain monoaminergic neurons.