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Kelly C Allison

Publications and source records attributed to Kelly C Allison.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

The application of ecological momentary assessment to the study of night eating.

OBJECTIVE: Night eating syndrome (NES) was first described in 1955 by Albert Stunkard and colleagues. NES consists of either overeating at night or waking up during the night and eating. METHOD: In the current study we used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to describe 14 self-defined night-eaters. The participants in the current study completed an EMA protocol of approximately two weeks. RESULTS: We found that ratings of hunger appeared to be higher during night awakenings than in the evening. Also, both affect and arousal generally decreased throughout the day and were lowest during awakening episodes. CONCLUSION: The current study adds interesting data in describing the experience of night-eating behavior with ecological momentary assessments from self-described night-eaters.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Familial aggregation in the night eating syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the extent to which the night eating syndrome (NES) affects first-degree relatives of NES and control probands. METHOD: NES participants and controls were assessed with the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), the Night Eating Syndrome History and Inventory (NESHI), 10 day sleep and food records, the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV Axis I Disorders (SCID I), and a Family History Questionnaire (FHQ) to assess the presence of NES among first-degree relatives. A proband predictive model, using logistic regression analyses and the generalized estimating equation to control for correlation among observations within families was used to assess familial aggregation. RESULTS: The odds of an NES proband having an affected first-degree relative were significantly greater than that of a control proband (odds ratio=4.9, p<.001). A number of covariates were included in the model: proband body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), proband gender, proband age, proband ethnicity, first-degree relative gender, relationship to proband (i.e., mother, father, or sibling), and the interaction between relationship to proband and proband status (night eater or control); none was statistically significant (p>.05). CONCLUSION: The study showed a strong aggregation of NES in families.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Night eating syndrome and binge eating disorder among persons seeking bariatric surgery: prevalence and related features.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of night eating syndrome (NES) and binge eating disorder (BED) and their related behavioral and psychological correlates in persons who sought bariatric surgery. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A consecutive series of 215 persons with extreme obesity (82% women, 70% European American) completed the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory and a semistructured interview as part of a pre-surgery behavioral/psychological assessment. Diagnoses for NES and BED were based on graded diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: Percentages of participants who met diagnostic criteria for NES by interview were 1.9% for the strictest definition and 8.9% across all definitions of NES. After interview, full DSM-TR criteria for BED were met by 4.2%; an additional 1.4% reported binge eating at least once per week. Self-reported prevalence of NES and BED were higher. Those with NES or BED had significantly more symptoms of depression and a greater history of psychological complications than the remaining sample. DISCUSSION: The prevalence rates of NES and BED among this population of bariatric surgery candidates were lower than expected based on previous reports. Findings and hypotheses regarding lowered prevalence rates are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Assessment of sleep in women with night eating syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of sleep in subjects with night eating syndrome (NES). DESIGN: Polysomnographic and questionnaire comparisons between subjects with NES and controls. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen women with NES (mean +/- SD = 41 +/- 8 years) and 14 women (comparable age and weight) without NES (39 +/- 10 years) were studied in the laboratory for 3 days. INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Subjects with NES did not differ from controls in timing of sleep onset or offset. They had less stage 2 sleep than controls (minutes, p = .012; percentage, p = .016) and less stage 3 sleep (p = .023), which contributed to their having a lower total sleep time (p = .05) and reduced sleep efficiency (p = .03). Subjects with NES did not have more awakenings than controls, but 93.3% of them ate on awakening during all 3 nights, while 92.9% of controls did not eat on any night. Logistic discriminant analyses identified a multiple sleep parameter model associated with increased likelihood of NES that had sensitivity of 84.6% and specificity of 76.9%. Patients with NES were more depressed than controls (p < .001) and reported greater sleep disturbance that included lower sleep quality (p < or = .001), reduced sleep duration (p < or = .001), and increased number of awakenings (p < or = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with NES appear to have sleep maintenance insomnia rather than sleep-related eating disorder or a parasomnia. The maintenance of normal timing for sleep-wake behavior in the presence of a phase delay in the timing of caloric intake suggests this disorder reflects a state of internal circadian desynchrony associated with significant sleep complaints. It remains unknown whether the sleep disturbance precedes the abnormally timed eating.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of sertraline in the treatment of night eating syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed the efficacy of sertraline in the treatment of night eating syndrome. METHOD: Thirty-four outpatients diagnosed with night eating syndrome were randomly assigned to receive either sertraline (N=17) or placebo (N=17) in an 8-week, double-blind, flexible-dose (50-200 mg/day) study. A mixed effects linear regression model was used to analyze change in the primary outcome measure, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) improvement rating. Secondary outcomes included changes in night eating symptoms, the number of nocturnal awakenings and ingestions, total daily caloric intake after the evening meal, CGI severity ratings, quality of life ratings, and weight. RESULTS: Sertraline was associated with significantly greater improvement than placebo. Twelve subjects in the sertraline group (71%) were classified as having responded (CGI improvement rating < or = 2, indicating much or very much improved) versus only three (18%) in the placebo group. There were also significant improvements in night eating symptoms, CGI severity ratings, quality of life ratings, frequency of nocturnal ingestions and awakenings, and caloric intake after the evening meal. Overweight and obese subjects in the sertraline group (N=14) lost a significant amount of weight by week 8 (mean=-2.9 kg, SD=3.8) compared with overweight and obese subjects receiving placebo (N=14) (mean=-0.3 kg, SD=2.7). CONCLUSIONS: In this 8-week trial, sertraline was effective in the treatment of night eating syndrome and was well tolerated.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of the night eating syndrome in a psychiatric population.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the prevalence of night eating syndrome and its comorbid psychopathology in a psychiatric population. METHOD: The Night Eating Questionnaire was administered to 399 patients in two psychiatric outpatient clinics. Those scoring above 20 on the questionnaire (N=205) were assessed for night eating syndrome with a semistructured telephone interview. Chart reviews of all participants were performed to determine their psychiatric diagnoses and medications. RESULTS: Forty-nine participants (12.3%) met criteria for night eating syndrome. Greater rates of substance use disorders were found among patients diagnosed with night eating syndrome than among those without the syndrome. Obese patients were more likely than nonobese patients to manifest night eating syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Night eating syndrome is prevalent among psychiatric clinic outpatients and is likely to co-occur with substance use disorders and obesity.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

A paradigm for facilitating pharmacotherapy at a distance: sertraline treatment of the night eating syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To test a novel method of facilitating pharmacotherapy at a distance and assess the effectiveness of sertraline for the treatment of night eating syndrome (NES). METHOD: The effectiveness of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline in the treatment of NES was assessed at a distance. NES is characterized by a delay in the circadian rhythm of food intake, with evening hyperphagia and/or nighttime awakenings and ingestions. Persons who contacted us through our Web site, e-mail, or telephone for help with their NES completed a Night Eating Questionnaire and received a semistructured interview (Night Eating Syndrome History and Inventory) to determine the presence of NES. Fifty such persons received treatment with sertraline from their own physicians, to whom we offered consultation. Participants completed questionnaires every 2 weeks for 8 weeks and received a final telephone interview to assess their progress. Outcomes were compared with those from an earlier face-to-face open-label trial of sertraline. The study was conducted from September 2003 to May 2005. RESULTS: Both the questionnaires and interviews showed improvements in 5 key aspects of NES: the general Night Eating Symptom Scale, evening hyperphagia, nighttime awakenings, nocturnal ingestions, and the Beck Depression Inventory (all p < .001), and the mean body weight of the 41 overweight and obese subjects, reported by survey, fell 3.0 kg (p = .01). These results are similar to those obtained in an earlier face-to-face trial of sertraline with NES. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed the effectiveness of sertraline in the treatment of NES and introduced a paradigm for facilitating pharmaco-therapy at a distance.

Body Weight↗
PubMed2005

Neuroendocrine profiles associated with energy intake, sleep, and stress in the night eating syndrome.

CONTEXT: Night eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by evening hyperphagia and frequent awakenings with ingestion of food. It is associated with obesity and depressed mood. Greater understanding of hormonal influences on NES is desirable. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate 25-h profiles of hormones involved in energy balance, sleep, and stress in NES. DESIGN: Blood assays for glucose, insulin, ghrelin, leptin, melatonin, cortisol, TSH, and prolactin were sampled repeatedly among NES and control subjects. Food intake and depressive symptoms were assessed. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen NES and 14 matched control participants stayed three nights in a General Clinical Research Center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed differences between NES and control participants in the 25-h profiles of eight hormones. RESULTS: Nocturnal food intake was higher among NES participants, although their daily calorie intake was similar to that of controls. Reflecting their increased nocturnal intake, insulin (P < 0.001) and glucose levels (P = 0.07) among NES participants were higher than those of controls. Ghrelin levels were significantly lower in NES participants than in controls from 0100-0900 h (P = 0.003). Levels of plasma cortisol, melatonin, leptin, and prolactin did not differ between groups, but there was a trend for TSH levels (P = 0.07) to be higher during the 25 h in NES. NES participants had greater depressive symptoms than controls (P < 0.001). The differences in the levels of glucose, insulin, and ghrelin between NES and controls are closely associated with nocturnal food intake.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The night eating syndrome: a progress report.

The night eating syndrome (NES) is an eating disorder marked by a delay in the circadian pattern of eating that disrupts sleep. Studies have shown that those with NES eat a significant proportion of their calories after their evening meal and wake up during the night to eat. However, the timing of the sleep cycles are phase appropriate, with similar bedtimes and morning wake up times as control subjects, suggesting that the delayed eating rhythm may secondarily disrupt sleep. A case study and an open-label trial with SSRIs suggest that they may treat NES effectively. Randomized controlled trials are needed.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Binge eating disorder and night eating syndrome: a comparative study of disordered eating.

The authors compared eating patterns, disordered eating, features of eating disorders, and depressive symptoms in persons with binge eating disorder (BED; n = 177), with night eating syndrome (NES; n = 68), and in an overweight comparison group without BED or NES (comparison; n = 45). Participants completed semistructured interviews and several established measures. Depressive symptoms were greater in the BED and NES groups than in the comparison group. NES participants ate fewer meals during the day and more during the night than BED and comparison participants, whereas BED participants ate more during the day than the comparison participants. BED participants reported more objective bulimic and overeating episodes, shape/weight concerns, disinhibition, and hunger than NES and comparison participants, whereas NES participants reported more eating pathology than comparison participants. This evaluation provides strong evidence for the distinctiveness of the BED and NES constructs and highlights their clinical significance.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Night eating syndrome : diagnosis, epidemiology and management.

Night eating syndrome (NES) is an eating disorder characterised by the clinical features of morning anorexia, evening hyperphagia, and insomnia with awakenings followed by nocturnal food ingestion. The core clinical feature appears to be a delay in the circadian timing of food intake. Energy intake is reduced in the first half of the day and greatly increased in the second half, such that sleep is disrupted in the service of food intake. The syndrome can be distinguished from bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder by the lack of associated compensatory behaviours, the timing of food intake and the fact that the food ingestions are small, amounting to repeated snacks rather than true binges. NES also differs from sleep-related eating disorder by the presence of full awareness, as opposed to parasomnic nocturnal ingestions. NES is of importance clinically because of its association with obesity. Its prevalence rises with increasing weight, and about half of those diagnosed with it report a normal weight status before the onset of the syndrome. The recognition and effective treatment of NES may be an increasingly important way to treat a subset of the obese population. Treatment of the syndrome, however, is still in its infancy. One clinical trial has reported efficacy with the SSRI sertraline. Other treatments, such as the anticonvulsant topiramate, phototherapy and other SSRIs, may also offer future promise.

Feeding and Eating Disorders↗
PubMed2004

Clinical trial of sertraline in the treatment of night eating syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of sertraline in the treatment of night eating syndrome. METHODS: Seventeen patients meeting criteria for night eating syndrome received sertraline in a 12-week open-label, nonblind trial. Outcome was assessed by four primary measures, namely, the number of nocturnal awakenings, the number of ingestions, total daily caloric intake after the evening meal, and an overall rating of change from the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement scale (CGI-I). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: An intent-to-treat analysis revealed highly significant improvements across all four primary outcome measures for all 17 subjects. Five subjects achieved full remission of symptoms (CGI-I score of 1 = very much improved) and lost a significant amount of weight over the course of the study (-4.8 +/- 2.6 kg, p < .05). Sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, may be beneficial in the treatment of night eating syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Night eating syndrome among nonobese persons.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the characteristics of obese persons with the night eating syndrome (NES) with those of nonobese persons with the NES. METHODS: Eighty subjects (40 with a body mass index [BMI] greater than 30 and 40 with a BMI less than 25) identified themselves on a website for the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) as suffering from the NES. The responses of the 40 obese website subjects were compared with 21 obese persons with the NES who had undergone face-to-face interviews. The responses on the NEQ of the 40 obese and the 40 non-obese website subjects were then compared. RESULTS: There was no difference in the NEQ results of the 40 website obese subjects and 21 obese night eaters who had undergone face-to-face interviews. The responses of these same 40 obese subjects showed very little difference compared with those of the 40 nonobese subjects. The major difference between the two groups was the considerable younger age of the normal-weight NES subjects. DISCUSSION: The striking similarity in the characteristics between obese and nonobese subjects with the NES indicates that this disorder, considered until now to occur primarily among obese persons, also occurs among nonobese persons. The younger age of the nonobese subjects suggests that the NES may contribute to the development of obesity.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

A prospective study of disordered eating among sorority and nonsorority women.

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined disordered eating prospectively among sorority and nonsorority women. METHOD: University women were surveyed during their first, second, and third undergraduate years. Disordered eating, depression, self-esteem, body mass index (BMI), and ideal weight were measured. RESULTS: Disordered eating did not differ between the groups before women joined sororities. By Time 3, sorority women reported higher Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) Drive for Thinness subscale scores than nonsorority women, but the EDI Bulimia and Body Dissatisfaction subscales did not differ. BMI, ideal weights, depression, and self-esteem did not differ. CONCLUSIONS: Women who join sororities are similar to those who do not in their baseline levels of disordered eating, but they maintain more rigorous attitudes and behaviors regarding dieting over the course of their higher education.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Depression and obesity.

The prevalence of depression (10%) and overweight (65%) indicates that there is a probability that they will co-occur, but are they functionally related? This report used the moderator/mediator distinction to approach this question. Moderators, such as severity of depression, severity of obesity, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), gene-by-environment interactions and childhood experiences, specify for whom and under what conditions effects of agents occur. Mediators, such as eating and physical activity, teasing, disordered eating and stress, identify why and how they exert these effects. Major depression among adolescents predicted a greater body mass index (BMI = kg/m(2)) in adult life than for persons who had not been depressed. Among women, obesity is related to major depression, and this relationship increases among those of high SES, while among men, there is an inverse relationship between depression and obesity, and there is no relationship with SES. A genetic susceptibility to both depression and obesity may be expressed by environmental influences. Adverse childhood experiences promote the development of both depression and obesity, and, presumably, their co-occurrence. As most knowledge about the relationship between these two factors results from research devoted to other topics, a systematic exploration of this relationship would help to elucidate causal mechanisms and opportunities for prevention and treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Binge eating disorder: disorder or marker?

OBJECTIVE: To describe the evidence for the constellation of symptoms known as binge eating disorder (BED) and to evaluate the utility of this diagnosis. METHODS: Examination of the definition, prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity, and treatment of BED through a selective review of the literature. RESULTS: The objective definition of a binge (its size and duration) remains problematic. Persons with BED have extensive comorbid psychopathology. Pharmacologic treatments effectively reduce binge eating, but only somewhat more than placebos, whereas psychotherapeutic treatments reduce binge eating, but do not produce weight loss. Traditional behavioral weight loss programs produce both weight loss and decreases in binge eating. The course of BED is variable and often remits with nonspecific attention or during wait-list conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is consensus on the criteria for BED, its great variability limits the implications that can be drawn from its diagnosis, and it may be most useful as a marker of psychopathology.

Bulimia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Night eating syndrome and binge eating disorder among persons seeking bariatric surgery: prevalence and related features.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of night eating syndrome (NES) and binge eating disorder (BED) and their related behavioral and psychological correlates in persons who sought bariatric surgery. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A consecutive series of 215 persons with extreme obesity (82% women, 70% European American) completed the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory and a semistructured interview as part of a pre-surgery behavioral/psychological assessment. Diagnoses for NES and BED were based on graded diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: Percentages of participants who met diagnostic criteria for NES by interview were 1.9% for the strictest definition and 8.9% across all definitions of NES. After interview, full DSM-TR criteria for BED were met by 4.2%; an additional 1.4% reported binge eating at least once per week. Self-reported prevalence of NES and BED were higher. Those with NES or BED had significantly more symptoms of depression and a greater history of psychological complications than the remaining sample. DISCUSSION: The prevalence rates of NES and BED among this population of bariatric surgery candidates were lower than expected based on previous reports. Findings and hypotheses regarding lowered prevalence rates are discussed.

Adult↗