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Romero-Rebollar C, García-Gómez L, Báez-Yáñez MG, Gutiérrez-Aguilar R, Pacheco-López G. Adiposity affects emotional information processing. Front Psychol 2022; 13:879065. [PMID: 36225672 PMCID: PMC9549075 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.879065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic associated with severe health and psychological wellbeing impairments expressed by an increased prevalence of affective disorders. Emotional dysfunction is important due to its effect on social performance. The aim of the present narrative review is to provide a general overview of human research exploring emotional information processing in overweight and obese people. Evidence suggests that obesity is associated with an attenuation of emotional experience, contradictory findings about emotion recognition, and scarce research about automatic emotional information processing. Finally, we made some concluding considerations for future research on emotional information processing in overweight and obese people.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leonor García-Gómez
- School of Psychology, Intercontinental University (UIC), Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Research on Smoking and COPD, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mario G. Báez-Yáñez
- Radiology Department, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ruth Gutiérrez-Aguilar
- Division of Research, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
- Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases: Obesity and Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez”, Mexico City, Mexico
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Scarpina F, Varallo G, Castelnuovo G, Capodaglio P, Molinari E, Mauro A. Implicit facial emotion recognition of fear and anger in obesity. Eat Weight Disord 2021; 26:1243-1251. [PMID: 32948997 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-020-01010-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous evidence about facial emotion recognition capability in obesity is few and not conclusive. OBJECTIVE We investigated the capability of female individuals affected by obesity to recognize the emotions of fear and anger through a facial emotion recognition task grounded on the implicit redundant target effect. METHODS 20 women affected by obesity and 20 healthy-weight women were enrolled. We administered an implicit facial emotion recognition task. Both reaction time and level of accuracy were computed. Moreover, the level of alexithymia was measured through the standard questionnaire. RESULTS Selective difficulties in recognizing the emotion of fear were observed in participants with obesity, when their performance was contrasted with healthy-weight controls. Instead, they showed the implicit redundant target effect when anger was the target. However, the two groups reported globally similar scores at the standard questionnaire relative to the level of alexithymia. CONCLUSIONS Our result might agree with the hypothesis about affected individuals' difficulties in being attentive to negative facial emotions, and specifically in the case of fearful expression. This study might encourage future research in which emotional processing will be investigated through subjective judgments and implicit/objective measurements. LEVEL I Experimental study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Scarpina
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, 28824, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy.
- "Rita Levi Montalcini", Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10124, Turin, Italy.
| | - Giorgia Varallo
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, 28824, Piancavallo, Italy
- Psychology Department, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, 28824, Piancavallo, Italy
- Psychology Department, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Capodaglio
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, U.O. di. Riabilitazione Osteoarticolare, Ospedale S. Giuseppe, 28824, Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Enrico Molinari
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Laboratorio di Psicologia, Ospedale San Giuseppe, 28824, Piancavallo, Italy
- Psychology Department, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, U.O. di Neurologia e Neuroriabilitazione, Ospedale San Giuseppe, 28824, Piancavallo, VCO, Italy
- "Rita Levi Montalcini", Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10124, Turin, Italy
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Emotion perception and theory of mind in obesity: a systematic review on the impact of social cognitive deficits on dysfunctional eating behaviors. Surg Obes Relat Dis 2020; 17:618-629. [PMID: 33249085 DOI: 10.1016/j.soard.2020.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to summarize our current understanding of emotion perception and Theory of Mind (ToM) in obesity and how they relate to dysfunctional eating behaviors (DEB), frequently found in candidates for bariatric surgery. The literature was searched using the electronic databases PsychInfo, Medline, and Web of Science databases, and by additional hand searches through reference lists and specialist eating disorders journals. Relevant studies were included if they were written in English, included participants suffering from obesity and evaluation with tasks assessing social cognition, such as emotion recognition and perception, as well as ToM. Twelve studies analyzed for this systematic review suggest that deficits in such social cognitive domains may lie behind many emotional and social difficulties present in people with obesity, be they bariatric or not, which usually favor DEB. Our review suggests that people with obesity of all ages score significantly less than controls on instruments assessing emotion recognition and ToM, justifying a possible relationship between social cognitive impairments and dysfunctional eating behaviors, such as binges, emotional eating, and addition to food, frequently seen in people with obesity. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the social cognitive foundations of eating behavior in individuals with obesity. They can help not only the presurgical behavioral assessment, but also guide postoperative follow-up of this population.
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Steward T, Picó-Pérez M, Mestre-Bach G, Martínez-Zalacaín I, Suñol M, Jiménez-Murcia S, Fernández-Formoso JA, Vilarrasa N, García-Ruiz-de-Gordejuela A, Veciana de las Heras M, Custal N, Virgili N, Lopez-Urdiales R, Menchón JM, Granero R, Soriano-Mas C, Fernandez-Aranda F. A multimodal MRI study of the neural mechanisms of emotion regulation impairment in women with obesity. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:194. [PMID: 31431608 PMCID: PMC6702163 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0533-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Maladaptive emotion regulation contributes to overeating and impedes weight loss. Our study aimed to compare the voluntary downregulation of negative emotions by means of cognitive reappraisal in adult women with obesity (OB) and female healthy controls (HC) using a data-driven, multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach. Women with OB (n = 24) and HC (n = 25) carried out an emotion regulation task during functional MRI scanning. Seed-to-voxel resting-state connectivity patterns derived from activation peaks identified by this task were compared between groups. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to examine white matter microstructure integrity between regions exhibiting group differences in resting-state functional connectivity. Participants in the OB group presented reduced activation in the ventromedial prefrontal (vmPFC) cortex in comparison to the HC group when downregulating negative emotions, along with heightened activation in the extrastriate visual cortex (p < 0.05, AlphaSim-corrected). Moreover, vmPFC peak activity levels during cognitive reappraisal were negatively correlated with self-reported difficulties in emotion regulation. OB patients exhibited decreased functional connectivity between the vmPFC and the temporal pole during rest (peak-pFWE = 0.039). Decreased fractional white-matter track volume in the uncinate fasciculus, which links these two regions, was also found in participants with OB. Taken together, our findings are indicative of emotion regulation deficits in OB being underpinned by dysfunctional hypoactivity in the vmPFC and hyperactivity in the extrastriate visual cortex. Our results provide a potential target circuit for neuromodulatory interventions to improve emotion regulation skills and weight-loss intervention outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Steward
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0000 9314 1427grid.413448.eCiber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0001 2179 088Xgrid.1008.9Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Maria Picó-Pérez
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0001 2159 175Xgrid.10328.38Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal ,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Gemma Mestre-Bach
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0000 9314 1427grid.413448.eCiber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Martínez-Zalacaín
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0004 1937 0247grid.5841.8Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Suñol
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0004 1937 0247grid.5841.8Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0000 9314 1427grid.413448.eCiber Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Jiménez-Murcia
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0000 9314 1427grid.413448.eCiber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0004 1937 0247grid.5841.8Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose A. Fernández-Formoso
- 0000 0000 9314 1427grid.413448.eCiber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Vilarrasa
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Endocrinology and Nutrition, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0000 9314 1427grid.413448.eCIBERDEM-CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amador García-Ruiz-de-Gordejuela
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eBariatric and Metabolic Surgery Unit, Service of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Misericordia Veciana de las Heras
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eNeurology Department, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Custal
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Virgili
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Endocrinology and Nutrition, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Lopez-Urdiales
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Endocrinology and Nutrition, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José M. Menchón
- 0000 0000 8836 0780grid.411129.eDepartment of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0004 1937 0247grid.5841.8Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,0000 0000 9314 1427grid.413448.eCiber Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Granero
- 0000 0000 9314 1427grid.413448.eCiber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Barcelona, Spain ,grid.7080.fDepartament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907, Barcelona, Spain. .,Ciber Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907, Barcelona, Spain. .,Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Fernando Fernandez-Aranda
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907, Barcelona, Spain. .,Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907, Barcelona, Spain. .,Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.
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Manasse SM, Crochiere RJ, Dallal DH, Lieber EW, Schumacher LM, Crosby RD, Butryn ML, Forman EM. A multimodal investigation of impulsivity as a moderator of the relation between momentary elevations in negative internal states and subsequent dietary lapses. Appetite 2018; 127:52-58. [PMID: 29715502 PMCID: PMC10148240 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Suboptimal outcomes from behavioral weight loss (BWL) treatments are partially attributable to accumulated instances of non-adherence to dietary prescriptions (i.e., dietary lapses). Results identifying negative internal triggers for dietary lapses are inconsistent, potentially due to individual differences that impact how individuals respond to cues. Impulsivity is one factor that likely influences reactivity to internal states. We examined three dimensions of impulsivity (delay discounting, inhibitory control, and negative urgency) as moderators of the relation between affective and physical states and subsequent dietary lapses at the beginning of BWL. Overweight/obese adults (n = 189) completed behavioral and self-reported measures of impulsivity at baseline of BWL and an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol across the first two weeks of treatment to report on affective/physical states and instances of dietary lapses. Results indicated that baseline negative urgency, but not delay discounting or inhibitory control, was positively associated with overall lapse risk. Moderation analyses indicated that poorer inhibitory control strengthened the relation between momentary increases in stress and subsequent dietary lapse, and higher negative urgency strengthened the relation between increases in loneliness and dietary lapse. Negative urgency also moderated the impact of momentary hunger on subsequent dietary lapse risk in an unexpected direction, such that higher negative urgency weakened the relation between hunger and subsequent lapse. Results lend partial and tentative support for the moderating role of impulsivity on the relation between internal states and lapse likelihood. With replication, the development and testing of personalized treatment components based on baseline impulsivity level may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Manasse
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
| | - Rebecca J Crochiere
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States; Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Diane H Dallal
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States; Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Edward W Lieber
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Leah M Schumacher
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States; Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Ross D Crosby
- Neuropsychiatric Research Institute/University of North Dakota School of Medicine, 1208th Street South, Fargo, ND 58103, United States
| | - Meghan L Butryn
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States; Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Evan M Forman
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States; Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
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Giel KE, Paganini S, Schank I, Enck P, Zipfel S, Junne F. Processing of Emotional Faces in Patients with Chronic Pain Disorder: An Eye-Tracking Study. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:63. [PMID: 29556205 PMCID: PMC5845113 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Problems in emotion processing potentially contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain. Theories focusing on attentional processing have suggested that dysfunctional attention deployment toward emotional information, i.e., attentional biases for negative emotions, might entail one potential developmental and/or maintenance factor of chronic pain. METHODS We assessed self-reported alexithymia, attentional orienting to and maintenance on emotional stimuli using eye tracking in 17 patients with chronic pain disorder (CP) and two age- and sex-matched control groups, 17 healthy individuals (HC) and 17 individuals who were matched to CP according to depressive symptoms (DC). In a choice viewing paradigm, a dot indicated the position of the emotional picture in the next trial to allow for strategic attention deployment. Picture pairs consisted of a happy or sad facial expression and a neutral facial expression of the same individual. Participants were asked to explore picture pairs freely. RESULTS CP and DC groups reported higher alexithymia than the HC group. HC showed a previously reported emotionality bias by preferentially orienting to the emotional face and preferentially maintaining on the happy face. CP and DC participants showed no facilitated early attention to sad facial expressions, and DC participants showed no facilitated early attention to happy facial expressions, while CP and DC participants did. We found no group differences in attentional maintenance. CONCLUSION Our findings are in line with the clinical large overlap between pain and depression. The blunted initial reaction to sadness could be interpreted as a failure of the attentional system to attend to evolutionary salient emotional stimuli or as an attempt to suppress negative emotions. These difficulties in emotion processing might contribute to etiology or maintenance of chronic pain and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Elisabeth Giel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Paganini
- Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Irena Schank
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Paul Enck
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Zipfel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Florian Junne
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Giel K, Zipfel S, Hallschmid M. Oxytocin and Eating Disorders: A Narrative Review on Emerging Findings and Perspectives. Curr Neuropharmacol 2018; 16:1111-1121. [PMID: 29189166 PMCID: PMC6187754 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x15666171128143158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin regulates reproductive behavior and mother-infant interaction, and conclusive studies in humans indicate that oxytocin is also a potent modulator of psychosocial function. Pilot experiments have yielded first evidence that this neuropeptide moreover influences eating behavior. METHODS We briefly summarize currently available studies on the involvement of the oxytocin system in the pathophysiology of eating disorders, as well as on the effects of oxytocin administration in patients with these disorders. RESULTS Brain administration of oxytocin in animals with normal weight, but also with diet-induced or genetically induced obesity, attenuates food intake and reduces body weight. In normal-weight and obese individuals, acute intranasal oxytocin delivery curbs calorie intake from main dishes and snacks. Such effects might converge with the poignant social and cognitive impact of oxytocin to also improve dysfunctional eating behavior in the therapeutic context. This assumption has received support in first studies showing that oxytocin might play a role in the disease process of anorexia nervosa. In contrast, respective experiments in patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are still scarce. CONCLUSIONS We propose a framework of oxytocin's role and its therapeutic potential in eating disorders that aims at integrating social and metabolic aspects of its pharmacological profile, and ponder perspectives and limitations of oxytocin use in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Manfred Hallschmid
- Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Medical
Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; Tel/Fax: ++49-7071-29-88925, +49-7071-29-25016; E-mail:
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