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Loizou P, Panagiotou G, Zanos P, Paraskevopoulos E. Exploring the neurofunctional impairments and cognitive biases concerning food and body related stimuli in anorexia nervosa: An integrated EEG and eye-tracking study protocol. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299529. [PMID: 38547188 PMCID: PMC10977685 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) exhibit significant cognitive and neural disturbances compared to healthy individuals when processing food and body-related stimuli. These disturbances not only contribute to the manifestation and chronification of their pathological eating behaviour but also underscore the complex interplay of cognitive, emotional, and neurobiological factors in AN. However, the precise underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms of these disturbances remain a compelling area of investigation. METHODS This study presents a protocol developed for conducting a cross-sectional quasi-experimental study using a mixed model ANOVA approach with a crossover design. Our participants will consist of 20 patients with an active diagnosis of AN, 20 Overweight/obese individuals, and 20 Healthy Controls (HCs) with a normal BMI. An integrated eye-tracking and EEG methodology will be used in conjunction, with the primary aim of assessing participants' cognitive and neural processing towards high and low-calorie food stimuli. On an exploratory level, by utilizing the same methods, the present study will also investigate AN patients' responses towards high weight, normal weight, low weight, and self-body pictures, as well as towards images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) characterized by elevated valence and arousal levels. Additionally, behavioural methods such as yes or no questions, and self-reported questionnaires will be administered. The EEG and eye-tracking data will be analysed at early (50-300 ms) and late (350-500 ms) time intervals. DISCUSSION The investigation of the underlying cognitive and neural processes employed by patients with AN during the processing of food and body-related stimuli can help us develop a better understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms that contribute to the manifestation and maintenance of the disorder and assist in the development of more effective screening methods. ETHICAL APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE Ethical approval for the study has been obtained by the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee on 27.04.2023 (ΕΕΒΚ/ΕΠ/2023/19), and by the University of Cyprus (20.02.2023). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Panos Zanos
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Lakritz C, Iceta S, Duriez P, Makdassi M, Masetti V, Davidenko O, Lafraire J. Measuring implicit associations between food and body stimuli in anorexia nervosa: a Go/No-Go Association Task. Eat Weight Disord 2023; 28:93. [PMID: 37917374 PMCID: PMC10622378 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-023-01621-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study aimed to explore the implicit associations between food and bodily stimuli in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and control subjects (HC). METHODS A Go/No-Go Association Task was administrated to 55 participants (28 AN and 27 HC), using food stimuli (low-calorie food vs. high-calorie food) and body stimuli (underweight vs. overweight bodies). RESULTS We evidenced an implicit association between food and body stimuli in the AN group, whereas the HC group only showed a tendency. AN and HC groups also exhibited different categorization strategies: the AN group tended to categorize stimuli as low-calorie foods and underweight bodies less than the HC group, and they tended to categorize stimuli as high-calorie foods and overweight bodies more than the HC group. CONCLUSION The present study revealed for the first time specificities of the AN population's implicit association between food and body stimuli in terms of association strength and categorization strategy. Furthermore, the results suggest that combining implicit methodologies with other methods could contribute to a better characterization of the physiopathology of AN. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level I, experimental study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Lakritz
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Paul Bocuse, Ecully, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR PNCA, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Sylvain Iceta
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Philibert Duriez
- Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, 75014, Paris, France
- GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Maxime Makdassi
- GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, 75014, Paris, France
| | | | - Olga Davidenko
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR PNCA, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Jérémie Lafraire
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Paul Bocuse, Ecully, France.
- Laboratoire CHArt, Cognitions Humaine et ARTificielle,, EPHE - PSL, École Pratique des Hautes Études - Paris Sciences Lettres, Campus Condorcet, Aubervilliers, France.
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Eichin KN, Georgii C, Schnepper R, Voderholzer U, Blechert J. Emotional food-cue-reactivity in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: An electroencephalography study. Int J Eat Disord 2023; 56:2096-2106. [PMID: 37565581 PMCID: PMC10946739 DOI: 10.1002/eat.24028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Food-cue-reactivity entails neural and experiential responses to the sight and smell of attractive foods. Negative emotions can modulate such cue-reactivity and this might be central to the balance between restrictive versus bulimic symptomatology in Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). METHOD Pleasantness ratings and electrocortical responses to food images were measured in patients with AN (n = 35), BN (n = 32) and matched healthy controls (HC, n = 35) in a neutral state and after idiosyncratic negative emotion induction while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. The EEG data were analyzed using a mass testing approach. RESULTS Individuals with AN showed reduced pleasantness for foods compared to objects alongside elevated widespread occipito-central food-object discrimination between 170 and 535 ms, indicative of strong neural cue-reactivity. Food-object discrimination was further increased in the negative emotional condition between 690 and 1200 ms over centroparietal regions. Neither of these effects was seen in individuals with BN. DISCUSSION Emotion modulated food-cue-reactivity in AN might reflect a decreased appetitive response in negative mood. Such specific (emotion-)regulatory strategies require more theoretical work and clinical attention. The absence of any marked effects in BN suggests that emotional cue-reactivity might be less prominent in this group or quite specific to certain emotional contexts or food types. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE Negative affectivity is a risk factor for the development of eating disorders and individuals with eating disorders experience problems with emotion regulation. To better understand the effects of negative emotions, the present study investigated how they affected neural correlates of food perception in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Naomi Eichin
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity of SalzburgSalzburgAustria
- Department of PsychologyJohannes Kepler UniversityLinzAustria
| | - Claudio Georgii
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity of SalzburgSalzburgAustria
| | - Rebekka Schnepper
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity of SalzburgSalzburgAustria
- Department of Psychosomatic MedicineUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | | | - Jens Blechert
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity of SalzburgSalzburgAustria
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Puttevils L, De Bruecker M, Allaert J, Sanchez-Lopez A, De Schryver N, Vervaet M, Baeken C, Vanderhasselt MA. Attentional bias to food during free and instructed viewing in anorexia nervosa: An eye tracking study. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 164:468-476. [PMID: 37437319 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has shown that patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) show an attentional bias to food. However, due to different conceptualizations of attentional bias and the use of various paradigms, results are inconclusive and more precise insights into the exact nature of this attentional bias are needed. Therefore, an eye-tracking paradigm with food (low and high caloric) and non-food (objects) pictures was used to investigate biases in AN patients (n = 25) compared to healthy controls (n = 22). Several indices of visual attention were examined, both during free (initial orientation, fixation frequency, fixation time) and explicitly instructed (engagement, disengagement) viewing. Our results during the free viewing phase indicated that AN patients (as compared to healthy matched controls) looked less frequently and spent less time fixating on food stimuli, compared to the comparison group. No differences between both groups (n = 47) in initial orientation could be observed. Interestingly, during the instructed viewing phase, no differences between the patient and the comparison group were observed in engagement or disengagement to food stimuli. These results suggest an (initial) attentional avoidance of food in AN patients when closely investigating spontaneous attentional processes, while this could not be observed during gaze behaviour when receiving clear instructions. Hence, future research should look into how attentional bias during spontaneous gaze patterns could serve as a potential marker of AN, and how targeting this bias could be applied in treatment interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Puttevils
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Marie De Bruecker
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jens Allaert
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | | | - Nele De Schryver
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Eating Disorders, Ghent University Hospital, K12F, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
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5
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Meregalli V, Ambrosini E, Tenconi E, Schroeder PA, Cardi V, Veronese A, Meneguzzo P, Favaro A, Collantoni E. Food induced distractibility in restrictive anorexia nervosa: Different motor patterns for different foods as revealed by a mouse tracker evaluation. Appetite 2023; 188:106639. [PMID: 37356579 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
An altered automatic processing of food stimuli may contribute to the maintenance of calorie restriction in patients with restrictive Anorexia Nervosa (AN-R). The present study aimed to assess whether task-irrelevant food distractors elicited a different interference effect in the motor actions of patients with AN-R compared to healthy controls (HC). 40 patients with acute AN-R and 40 HC performed an irrelevant distractor task in which they were required to perform a reaching movement from a starting point to a green dot, while an irrelevant distractor (a high-calorie food, low-calorie food, or neutral object) was presented in the middle of the screen. Mouse trajectories and response times (RT) were recorded. The analyses conducted on the kinematic variables revealed that while the trajectories of HC veered similarly toward the three categories of stimuli, AN-R patients showed an increased deviation toward low-calorie foods and a reduced deviation toward high-calorie foods compared to neutral objects. No significant results emerged as regards RT. The pattern of responses observed in patients with AN-R (deviation increased toward low-calorie and reduced toward high-calorie) is consistent with their eating habits and may thus represent an implicit mechanism sustaining calorie restriction in patients with AN-R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Meregalli
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
| | - Ettore Ambrosini
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Tenconi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Cardi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Angela Veronese
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Meneguzzo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Angela Favaro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Collantoni
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Eddy KT, Plessow F, Breithaupt L, Becker KR, Slattery M, Mancuso CJ, Izquierdo AM, Van De Water AL, Kahn DL, Dreier MJ, Ebrahimi S, Deckersbach T, Thomas JJ, Holsen LM, Misra M, Lawson EA. Neural activation of regions involved in food reward and cognitive control in young females with anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa versus healthy controls. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:220. [PMID: 37353543 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02494-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical AN (AtypAN) are complex neurobiological illnesses that typically onset in adolescence with an often treatment-refractory and chronic illness trajectory. Aberrant eating behaviors in this population have been linked to abnormalities in food reward and cognitive control, but prior studies have not examined respective contributions of clinical characteristics and metabolic state. Research is needed to identify specific disruptions and inform novel intervention targets to improve outcomes. Fifty-nine females with AN (n = 34) or AtypAN (n = 25), ages 10-22 years, all ≤90% expected body weight, and 34 age-matched healthy controls (HC) completed a well-established neuroimaging food cue paradigm fasting and after a standardized meal, and we used ANCOVA models to investigate main and interaction effects of Group and Appetitive State on blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activation for the contrast of exposure to high-calorie food images minus objects. We found main effects of Group with greater BOLD activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), hippocampus, caudate, and putamen for AN/AtypAN versus HC groups, and in the three-group model including AN, AtypAN, and HC (sub-)groups, where differences were primarily driven by greater activation in the AtypAN subgroup versus HC group. We found a main effect of Appetitive State with increased premeal BOLD activation in the hypothalamus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and caudate for models that included AN/AtypAN and HC groups, and in BOLD activation in the nucleus accumbens for the model that included AN, AtypAN, and HC (sub-)groups. There were no interaction effects of Group with Appetitive State for any of the models. Our findings demonstrate robust feeding-state independent group effects reflecting greater neural activation of specific regions typically associated with reward and cognitive control processing across AN and AtypAN relative to healthy individuals in this food cue paradigm. Differential activation of specific brain regions in response to the passive viewing of high-calorie food images may underlie restrictive eating behavior in this clinical population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamryn T Eddy
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Franziska Plessow
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lauren Breithaupt
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kendra R Becker
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Meghan Slattery
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Avery L Van De Water
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Danielle L Kahn
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Melissa J Dreier
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seda Ebrahimi
- Cambridge Eating Disorders Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thilo Deckersbach
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- University of Applied Sciences, Diploma Hochschule, Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany
| | - Jennifer J Thomas
- Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura M Holsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Madhusmita Misra
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Mass General for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Lawson
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Frank GKW, Shott ME, Pryor T, Swindle S, Nguyen T, Stoddard J. Trait anxiety is associated with amygdala expectation and caloric taste receipt response across eating disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:380-390. [PMID: 36100656 PMCID: PMC9750993 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01440-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Anxious traits are elevated in eating disorders (EDs), are considered risk factors for ED development, and trait anxiety has been linked to ED psychopathology. How trait anxiety relates to ED neurobiology is not well understood. In this study 197 individuals across the ED spectrum (anorexia nervosa n = 91; other specified EDs n = 34; bulimia nervosa n = 56; binge ED n = 16), and 120 healthy controls were assessed for anxious traits and learned to expect and receive caloric or neutral taste stimuli during brain imaging. Amygdala sucrose expectation response differed across groups (Wilk's lambda = 0.945, p = 0.023), and was higher on the left in anorexia nervosa compared to healthy controls (p = 0.002). Expected sucrose receipt response across taste reward regions was not different between groups. In the ED sample, trait anxiety negatively moderated the relationship between amygdala expectation and right dorsal (p = 0.0062) and ventral (p = 0.0046) anterior insula receipt response. A subgroup analysis showed similar results for anorexia nervosa, and partially in bulimia nervosa. Across EDs, appetitive motivation correlated positively with bilateral orbitofrontal cortex, caudate head, and ventral striatal sucrose receipt response (r = 0.215 to 0.179, p = 0.002 to 0.012). Across the study sample, trait anxiety showed an inverted-U-shaped relationship with right (r = 0.147, p = 0.034) and left (r = 0.162, p = 0.016) amygdala expectation response. Amygdala sucrose expectation response is elevated in anorexia nervosa, correlates with sucrose receipt response, and this relationship is negatively moderated by trait anxiety across EDs. Trait anxiety may have an important role in how expectation drives taste stimulus receipt brain response and perhaps food approach in individuals with EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K W Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Megan E Shott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Skylar Swindle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Tyler Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Joel Stoddard
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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Neural correlates associated with processing food stimuli in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:2309-2320. [PMID: 35304713 PMCID: PMC9556419 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-022-01390-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Various neurobiological models have utilised symptom categories to explore the underlying neural correlates in both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). The aim of this research was to investigate the brain activity patterns associated with viewing food stimuli in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. METHODS Electronic databases including PsycInfo and PubMed were systematically searched from data base inception until 1st of December 2020, identifying 14 suitable functional magnetic resonance imaging studies (fMRI), involving 470 participants. ALE meta-analysis was used to statistically analyse the overlap of activation foci from different fMRI studies in response to visual food stimuli. RESULTS Comparing patients with AN with healthy control (HC), we detected hypoactivation in brain areas related to reward processing (i.e., amygdala and lentiform nucleus), and interoceptive processing (i.e., insula). In addition, patients with AN showed hyperactivations in cognitive control areas (i.e., prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex). In contrast, patients with BN exhibited hyperactivations in brain areas related to reward processing (i.e., lentiform nucleus), and interoceptive processing (i.e., insula). Furthermore, patients with BN showed hypoactivations in brain regions associated with cognitive control (i.e., prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex). CONCLUSIONS Our study shows differing neural endotypes of the two types of eating disorders, that underpin their behavioural phenotypes. While exploratory in nature, these findings might be relevant for guiding new emerging therapies, including invasive and non-invasive neuromodulation techniques in treatment of eating disorders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level I, meta-analysis.
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Foerde K, Schebendach JE, Davis L, Daw N, Walsh BT, Shohamy D, Steinglass JE. Restrictive eating across a spectrum from healthy to unhealthy: behavioral and neural mechanisms. Psychol Med 2022; 52:1755-1764. [PMID: 33046142 PMCID: PMC8449514 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720003542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Restriction of food intake is a central feature of anorexia nervosa (AN) and other eating disorders, yet also occurs in the absence of psychopathology. The neural mechanisms of restrictive eating in health and disease are unclear. METHODS This study examined behavioral and neural mechanisms associated with restrictive eating among individuals with and without eating disorders. Dietary restriction was examined in four groups of women (n = 110): healthy controls, dieting healthy controls, patients with subthreshold (non-low weight) AN, and patients with AN. A Food Choice Task was administered during fMRI scanning to examine neural activation associated with food choices, and a laboratory meal was conducted. RESULTS Behavioral findings distinguished between healthy and ill participants. Healthy individuals, both dieting and non-dieting, chose significantly more high-fat foods than patients with AN or subthreshold AN. Among healthy individuals, choice was primarily influenced by tastiness, whereas, among both patient groups, healthiness played a larger role. Dorsal striatal activation associated with choice was most pronounced among individuals with AN and was significantly associated with selecting fewer high-fat choices in the task and lower caloric intake in the meal the following day. CONCLUSIONS A continuous spectrum of behavior was suggested by the increasing amount of weight loss across groups. Yet, data from this Food Choice Task with fMRI suggest there is a behavioral distinction between illness and health, and that the neural mechanisms underlying food choice in AN are distinct. These behavioral and neural mechanisms of restrictive eating may be useful targets for treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Foerde
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
| | - Janet E. Schebendach
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
| | - Lauren Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
| | - Nathaniel Daw
- Department of Psychology, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - B. Timothy Walsh
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
| | - Daphna Shohamy
- Psychology Department and Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Joanna E. Steinglass
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
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Khalsa SS, Berner LA, Anderson LM. Gastrointestinal Interoception in Eating Disorders: Charting a New Path. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2022; 24:47-60. [PMID: 35061138 PMCID: PMC8898253 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-022-01318-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Abnormal interoception has been consistently observed across eating disorders despite limited inclusion in diagnostic conceptualization. Using the alimentary tract as well as recent developments in interoceptive neuroscience and predictive processing as a guide, the current review summarizes evidence of gastrointestinal interoceptive dysfunction in eating disorders. RECENT FINDINGS Eating is a complex process that begins well before and ends well after food consumption. Abnormal prediction and prediction-error signals may occur at any stage, resulting in aberrant gastrointestinal interoception and dysregulated gut sensations in eating disorders. Several interoceptive technologies have recently become available that can be paired with computational modeling and clinical interventions to yield new insights into eating disorder pathophysiology. Illuminating the neurobiology of gastrointestinal interoception in eating disorders requires a new generation of studies combining experimental probes of gut physiology with computational modeling. The application of such techniques within clinical trials frameworks may yield new tools and treatments with transdiagnostic relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahib S. Khalsa
- grid.417423.70000 0004 0512 8863Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 South Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK 74136 USA ,grid.267360.60000 0001 2160 264XOxley College of Health Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK USA
| | - Laura A. Berner
- grid.59734.3c0000 0001 0670 2351Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Lisa M. Anderson
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN USA
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Georgii C, Eichin KN, Richard A, Schnepper R, Naab S, Voderholzer U, Treasure J, Blechert J. I change my mind to get better: Process tracing-based microanalysis of food choice processes reveals differences between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa during inpatient treatment. Appetite 2022; 168:105745. [PMID: 34634375 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Food choice and its underlying processes is understudied in bulimia nervosa (BN) and anorexia nervosa (AN). Thus, we examined cognitive processes during food choice through mouse tracing in AN (n = 36) and BN (n = 27) undergoing inpatient treatment. Both patient groups and matched healthy controls (HC, n = 59) made 153 binary food choices before rating all foods on their liking and calorie density. Choice outcomes and corresponding mouse movements were modelled as a function of inpatient treatment stage in our analyses. Compared to patients with BN and HC, those with AN showed a clear calorie avoidance on most trials. Yet, mouse paths in AN patients early in treatment, revealed a late direction reversal ('change of mind', CoM) on high-calorie choices. AN patients later in treatment, by contrast, showed fewer CoM alongside more choices for - and liking of - high-calorie foods. Patients with BN showed more CoM trials during low-calorie choices and low-calorie choices were more frequent in patients later in treatment. Thus, relative to patients early in treatment, patients who are later in treatment show less of the overall group pattern of consistently choosing low-calorie food (AN) or high-calorie food (BN). Less cognitive regulation (fewer CoM trials) went along with higher liking for high-calorie foods in AN. These cross-sectional differences between AN early and late in treatment might reflect the formation of healthier habits. In addition, clear patient group differences suggest more specific treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Georgii
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Katharina Naomi Eichin
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Richard
- Schoen Clinic Roseneck, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany
| | - Rebekka Schnepper
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Silke Naab
- Schoen Clinic Roseneck, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany
| | - Ulrich Voderholzer
- Schoen Clinic Roseneck, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Janet Treasure
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, England, UK
| | - Jens Blechert
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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12
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Aberrant neural representation of food stimuli in women with acute anorexia nervosa predicts treatment outcome and is improved in weight restored individuals. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:532. [PMID: 34657121 PMCID: PMC8520531 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01630-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with altered reward processing. We recently reported greater neural response in secondary visual areas when processing visual food stimuli in acutely underweight AN patients (acAN). In order to examine whether the observed alterations are indicative of acute undernutrition or a potential trait marker of AN, we set out to assess neural responses in acAN and in individuals weight-recovered from AN (recAN). FMRI data were collected from a total of 126 female volunteers, 35 acAN, 33 recAN, and 58 age-matched healthy controls (HC) while they viewed streams of food, social and neutral stimuli. A standard general linear model (GLM) was used to interrogate neural responses to the different stimuli in recAN vs. age-matched HC. Moreover, within-subject multivoxel pattern analyses (MVPA) in the two matched samples (acAN/HC and recAN/HC) were used to estimate neural representation of food vs. neutral, and social vs. neutral stimuli. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to test associations between the accuracy of the neural representation and treatment outcome. The GLM revealed no group differences between recAN and HC. The MVPAs showed greater classification accuracy of food stimuli in the posterior fusiform gyrus in acAN but not recAN. Classification accuracy was associated with better treatment outcome. Our findings suggest that the neural representation of food stimuli is altered in secondary visual areas in acAN and normalizes with weight recovery. Possibly this altered representation reflects attentional engagement motivating food intake, which may promote the recovery process.
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13
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Schnepper R, Richard A, Georgii C, Arend AK, Naab S, Voderholzer U, Wilhelm FH, Blechert J. Bad mood food? Increased versus decreased food cue reactivity in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa during negative emotions. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2021; 29:756-769. [PMID: 34176193 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Emotion regulation difficulties in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) might underlie bingeing and purging in BN, extreme fasting in AN, or combinations of these symptoms in binge-purge type AN. In this study, we tested for decreased food cue reactivity in response to negative emotions in AN, and the opposite pattern for BN. Furthermore, we explored subgroup differences (restrictive vs. binge-purging AN; history of AN in BN). METHOD Patients with AN (n = 41), BN (n = 39), and matched controls (n = 70) completed an emotional eating questionnaire. In a laboratory experiment, we induced negative emotions and measured food cue reactivity (pleasantness, desire to eat (DTE), and corrugator muscle activity). RESULTS AN reported emotional undereating, while BN reported emotional overeating. In the laboratory task, BN showed increased DTE and an appetitive corrugator response during negative emotions, selectively towards high-calorie foods. AN showed generalized reduced cue reactivity to high-calorie food regardless of emotional state. This pattern appears to be characteristic of restrictive AN, while cue reactivity of both BN subgroups pointed towards emotional overeating. CONCLUSIONS The emotional over- versus undereating framework might help to explain bingeing and restricting along the anorectic-bulimic disorder spectrum, which calls for novel transdiagnostic theories and subgroup-specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka Schnepper
- Department of Psychology, Division of Health Psychology, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Richard
- Schoen Clinic Roseneck, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany
| | - Claudio Georgii
- Department of Psychology, Division of Health Psychology, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ann-Kathrin Arend
- Department of Psychology, Division of Health Psychology, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Silke Naab
- Schoen Clinic Roseneck, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany
| | - Ulrich Voderholzer
- Schoen Clinic Roseneck, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Frank H Wilhelm
- Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jens Blechert
- Department of Psychology, Division of Health Psychology, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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14
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Palmer S, Gronemann J, Mattler U, Febry H, Wünsch-Leiteritz W, Leiteritz A, Brockmeyer T. No effect of very brief exposure to masked food pictures on fear of food in anorexia nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2021; 29:645-656. [PMID: 33951241 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Very brief exposure to masked images of spider stimuli can facilitate approach behaviour towards spiders in fearful subjects. We hypothesized that a similar effect might occur for fear of food in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), possibly offering a new treatment approach, with advantages over other methods of food exposure. METHODS Patients with AN (n = 60) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions and received a single session of exposure to either masked and very briefly presented food images, clearly visible food images, or masked non-food images (i.e. household items). Effects of the three exposure conditions on fear of food and food avoidance were examined. RESULTS Contrary to our expectations, very brief food cue exposure was not superior to the control conditions regarding fear of food and approach behaviour towards food immediately after the intervention and body mass index four weeks later. CONCLUSION This finding suggests important differences between fear of food in AN and specific phobias such as fear of spiders. The absence of an effect reveals limitations of the very brief exposure method, which might be better suited for evolutionarily relevant threat stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Palmer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Jana Gronemann
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Uwe Mattler
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Hagen Febry
- Klinik Lueneburger Heide, Bad Bevensen, Germany
| | | | | | - Timo Brockmeyer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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15
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Romero Frausto H, Roesmann K, Klinkenberg IAG, Rehbein MA, Föcker M, Romer G, Junghoefer M, Wessing I. Increased early motivational response to food in adolescent anorexia nervosa revealed by magnetoencephalography. Psychol Med 2021; 52:1-9. [PMID: 33947486 PMCID: PMC9811273 DOI: 10.1017/s003329172100088x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It remains unclear to what extent reduced nutritional intake in anorexia nervosa (AN) is a consequence of a reduced motivational response to food. Although self-reports typically suggest AN patients have a reduced appetitive response, behavioral and neurophysiological measures have revealed evidence for both increased and reduced attentional biases towards food stimuli. The mechanisms influencing food perception in AN, might be clarified using time-sensitive magnetoencephalography (MEG) to differentiate the early (more automatic processing) stages from the late (more controlled) stages. METHODS MEG was recorded in 22 partially weight-restored adolescent AN patients and 29 age- and gender-matched healthy control (HC) participants during a rapid serial visual presentation paradigm using 100 high-calorie food, 100 low-calorie food, and 100 non-food pictures. Neural sources of event-related fields were estimated using the L2-Minimum-Norm method and analyzed in early (50-300 ms) and late (350-500 ms) time intervals. RESULTS AN patients rated high-calorie food as less palatable and reported overall less food craving than HC participants. Nevertheless, in response to food pictures AN patients showed relative increased neural activity in the left occipito-temporal and inferior frontal regions in the early time interval. No group differences occurred in the late time interval. CONCLUSIONS MEG results speak against an overall reduced motivational response to food in AN. Instead, relative increased early food processing in the visual cortex suggests greater motivated attention. A greater appetitive response to food might be an adaptive mechanism in a state of undernourishment. Yet, this relative increased food processing in AN was no longer present later, arguably reflecting rapid downregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Romero Frausto
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Kati Roesmann
- Institute for Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Isabelle A. G. Klinkenberg
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Maimu A. Rehbein
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Manuel Föcker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Georg Romer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Markus Junghoefer
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Ida Wessing
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
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16
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D’Agata F, Caroppo P, Spalatro A, Lavagnino L, Abbate Daga G, Boghi A, Bergui M, Cicerale A, Vitiello B, Fassino S, Derntl B, Amianto F. Emotional imagination of negative situations: Functional neuroimaging in anorexia and bulimia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0231684. [PMID: 33836002 PMCID: PMC8034744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim The present study aims to extend the knowledge of the neural correlates of emotion processing in first episode subjects affected by anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN). We applied an emotional distress paradigm targeting negative emotions thought to be relevant for interpersonal difficulties and therapeutic resistance mechanisms. Methods The current study applied to 44 female participants with newly diagnosed AN or BN and 20 matched controls a neuroimaging paradigm eliciting affective responses. The measurements also included an extensive assessment comprising clinical scales, neuropsychological tests, measures of emotion processing and empathy. Results AN and BN did not differ from controls in terms of emotional response, emotion matching, self-reported empathy and cognitive performance. However, eating disorder and psychopathological clinical scores, as well as alexithymia levels, were increased in AN and BN. On a neural level, no significant group differences emerged, even when focusing on a region of interest selected a priori: the amygdala. Some interesting findings put in relation the hippocampal activity with the level of Body Dissatisfaction of the participants, the relative importance of the key nodes for the common network in the decoding of different emotions (BN = right amygdala, AN = anterior cingulate area), and the qualitative profile of the deactivations. Conclusions Our data do not support the hypothesis that participants with AN or BN display reduced emotional responsiveness. However, peculiar characteristics in emotion processing could be associated to the three different groups. Therefore, relational difficulties in eating disorders, as well as therapeutic resistance, could be not secondary to a simple difficulty in feeling and identifying basic negative emotions in AN and BN participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico D’Agata
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Computational Imaging Group for MR diagnostics & therapy, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Paola Caroppo
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Spalatro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Lavagnino
- UT Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UT Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Andrea Boghi
- ASL TO2 San Giovanni Bosco Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Mauro Bergui
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Benedetto Vitiello
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Secondo Fassino
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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17
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The song of Anorexia Nervosa: a specific evoked potential response to musical stimuli in affected participants. Eat Weight Disord 2021; 26:807-816. [PMID: 32372322 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-020-00898-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Research applying electroencephalography (EEG) to Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is still limited, even though in other psychiatric disorders EEG has permitted to find out the hallmarks of the disorder. The aim of the study was to explore whether EEG basal activity and reactivity to musical stimulation differ in participants with AN as compared to healthy subjects (HS). METHODS Twenty female participants (respectively 10 with AN and 10 healthy controls) were administered a battery of psychometric tests and underwent EEG under three different conditions: (1) at baseline; (2) after a generic music stimulation; and (3) after a favorite musical stimulation. RESULTS In participants with AN, basal EEG showed the higher absolute amplitude of cortical slow waves (theta) in the parieto-occipital and temporal derivations, with a deficit in the beta band. In AN, there was a higher N100 latency and a reduced P300 latency compared to HS. While the N100 and P300 latencies were sensitive to the musical stimulus in HS, there was no difference after music stimulation in AN. CONCLUSION These data suggest that AN is accompanied by a state of brain hyperarousal with abnormal reactivity to environmental stimuli, similar to the state of HS after musical stimulation. If confirmed, this finding may have treatment implications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III, Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.
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18
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Kerem L, Holsen L, Fazeli P, Bredella MA, Mancuso C, Resulaj M, Holmes TM, Klibanski A, Lawson EA. Modulation of neural fMRI responses to visual food cues by overeating and fasting interventions: A preliminary study. Physiol Rep 2021; 8:e14639. [PMID: 33369272 PMCID: PMC7758977 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural processing of visual food stimuli is perturbated at extremes of weight. Human fMRI studies investigating diet effects on neural processing of food cues could aid in understanding altered brain activation in conditions of under- and overnutrition. In this preliminary study, we examined brain activity changes in response to 10 days of high-calorie-diet (HCD), followed by 10 days of fasting, hypothesizing that HCD would decrease activation in homeostatic and reward regions, while fasting would increase activation in homeostatic/reward regions and decrease activation of self-control regions. Seven adults completed fMRI scanning during a food-cue paradigm (high- and low-calorie food images and nonfood objects), pre- and post-10-day HCD. Six adults completed fMRI scanning pre- and post-10-day fasting. BOLD response changes for contrasts of interest pre- versus post-intervention in regions of interest were examined (peak-level significance set at p(FWE)<0.05). BMI increased by 6.8% and decreased by 8.1% following HCD and fasting, respectively. Following HCD, BOLD response in the hypothalamus (homeostatic control), was attenuated at trend level in response to high- versus low-calorie foods. Following fasting, BOLD response to food versus objects in inhibitory-control areas (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) was reduced, whereas the activation of homeostatic (hypothalamus), gustatory, and reward brain areas (anterior insula and orbitofrontal cortex) increased. Overfeeding and fasting for 10 days modulate brain activity in response to food stimuli, suggesting that in healthy adults, changes in energy balance affect saliency and reward value of food cues. Future studies are required to understand this interaction in states of unhealthy weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liya Kerem
- Neuroendocrine UnitDepartment of MedicineMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMAUSA
- Pediatric EndocrinologyMassachusetts General Hospital for ChildrenBostonMAUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Laura Holsen
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
- Division of Women’s HealthDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s HospitalBostonMaUSA
- Department of PsychiatryBrigham and Women’s HospitalBostonMAUSA
| | - Pouneh Fazeli
- Neuroendocrine UnitDepartment of MedicineMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMAUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Miriam A. Bredella
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
- Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMAUSA
| | - Christopher Mancuso
- Neuroendocrine UnitDepartment of MedicineMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMAUSA
| | - Megi Resulaj
- Neuroendocrine UnitDepartment of MedicineMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMAUSA
| | - Tara M. Holmes
- Translational and Clinical Research CenterMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMAUSA
| | - Anne Klibanski
- Neuroendocrine UnitDepartment of MedicineMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMAUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Elizabeth A. Lawson
- Neuroendocrine UnitDepartment of MedicineMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMAUSA
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
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19
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Wonderlich JA, Bershad M, Steinglass JE. Exploring Neural Mechanisms Related to Cognitive Control, Reward, and Affect in Eating Disorders: A Narrative Review of FMRI Studies. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2021; 17:2053-2062. [PMID: 34188475 PMCID: PMC8232881 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s282554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have contributed to our understanding of possible neural abnormalities among individuals with eating disorders. Many of these studies have focused on three domains: 1) cognitive control, 2) reward processing, and 3) affective processing. This review attempts to summarize the recent fMRI findings across these domains among the most well-characterized eating disorders: anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Though the literature is a bit murky, a few major themes have emerged. Cognitive control systems are affected among individuals across eating disorder diagnoses, but effects seem least pronounced in AN. Specifically, individuals with all eating disorders appear to show decreased prefrontal activation during cognitive control, but there is less evidence in AN linking decreased prefrontal activation with behavior. There is some evidence that the reinforcing value of food is reduced in AN, but individuals with BN and BED show hyperactivation to rewarding food-related stimuli, suggesting the reinforcing value of food may be enhanced. However, more complex reward processing paradigms show that individuals with BN and BED exhibit hypoactivation to reward anticipation and provide mixed results with regards to reward receipt. There are fewer neuroimaging findings related to affective processing, yet behavioral findings suggest affective processing is important in understanding eating disorders. Though the extant literature is complicated, these studies represent a foundation from which to build and provide insight into potential neurobiological mechanisms that may contribute to the pathophysiology of eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Wonderlich
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariya Bershad
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joanna E Steinglass
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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20
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Lloyd EC, Shehzad Z, Schebendach J, Bakkour A, Xue AM, Assaf NF, Jilani R, Walsh BT, Steinglass J, Foerde K. Food Folio by Columbia Center for Eating Disorders: A Freely Available Food Image Database. Front Psychol 2020; 11:585044. [PMID: 33424700 PMCID: PMC7785939 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.585044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Food images are useful stimuli for the study of cognitive processes as well as eating behavior. To enhance rigor and reproducibility in task-based research, it is advantageous to have stimulus sets that are publicly available and well characterized. Food Folio by Columbia Center for Eating Disorders is a publicly available set of 138 images of Western food items. The set was developed for the study of eating disorders, particularly for use in tasks that capture eating behavior characteristic of these illnesses. It contains foods that are typically eaten, as well as those typically avoided, by individuals with eating disorders. Each image has now been rated across 17 different attributes by a large general United States population sample via Amazon's Mechanical Turk (n = 1054). Ratings included subjective attributes (e.g., tastiness, healthiness, and favorable texture) as well as estimates of nutrient content (e.g., fat and carbohydrate). Each participant rated a subset of stimulus set food items (46 foods) on all 17 dimensions. Additional description of the image set is provided in terms of physical image information and accurate nutritional information. Correlations between subjective ratings were calculated and an exploratory factor analysis and exploratory cluster analysis completed. Outcomes of the factor analysis suggested foods may be described along three latent factors of healthiness, tastiness, and umami taste; the cluster analysis highlighted five distinct clusters of foods varying on these same dimensions. Descriptive outcomes indicated that the stimulus set includes a range of foods that vary along multiple dimensions and thus is likely to be useful in addressing various research questions surrounding eating behavior and cognition in healthy populations, as well as in those with eating disorders. The provision of comprehensive descriptive information allows for stimulus selection that is optimized for a given research question and promotes strong inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Caitlin Lloyd
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Zarrar Shehzad
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Janet Schebendach
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Akram Bakkour
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alice M Xue
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Rayman Jilani
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - B Timothy Walsh
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joanna Steinglass
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Karin Foerde
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
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21
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Racine SE, Suissa-Rocheleau L, Martin SJ, Benning SD. Implicit and explicit motivational responses to high- and low-calorie food in women with disordered eating. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 159:37-46. [PMID: 33245920 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Eating disorders and their symptoms are thought to be associated with altered motivational responding to food. Binge eating may relate to increased reward reactivity, restrictive eating may be associated with increased threat and/or decreased reward reactivity, and the combination of these symptoms within an individual may be linked to motivational conflict to food. Using both implicit (i.e., physiological) and explicit (i.e., self-reported) measures, we tested these hypotheses in 88 women with binge eating only, restrictive eating only, both binge eating and restrictive eating, or no eating pathology. Participants viewed and rated high-calorie food, low-calorie food, and emotional images while startle eye blink and postauricular reflexes were measured. Arousal and craving, but not valence, ratings were significantly greater for high- than low-calorie food. Startle blink reflexes during all food images were significantly lower than during neutral images, whereas only high-calorie foods related to greater postauricular reactivity than neutral images. Eating pathology group did not predict implicit and explicit motivational reactions to food. Exploratory dimensional analyses revealed that rating low-calorie foods as lower on craving predicted endorsement of restrictive eating, while rating low-calorie foods as lower on valence and arousal, and experiencing lower postauricular reactivity to high-calorie foods minus neutral images, predicted greater frequency of restrictive eating episodes. Decreased implicit and explicit appetitive motivation to high- and low-calorie food may relate to the presence and frequency of restrictive eating. Future longitudinal research should investigate whether decreased appetitive responding to food is a risk factor for, versus consequence of, restrictive eating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Racine
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 Avenue McGill College, Montréal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada.
| | - Léah Suissa-Rocheleau
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 Avenue McGill College, Montréal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Shelby J Martin
- Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Porter Hall, Athens, OH 45701, United States
| | - Stephen D Benning
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5030, United States
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22
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Dörsam AF, Mack I, Kögel L, Zipfel S, Giel KE. How do patients with eating disorders perceive and evaluate food portion sizes? A systematic review. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2020; 28:398-409. [PMID: 32567175 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The selection of adequate portion sizes plays a key role in the nutritional treatment of eating disorders (EDs). There is limited knowledge concerning the estimation of portion sizes in individuals with EDs. METHOD We performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA statement to synthesise current evidence in this field. Of N = 584 hits, four full-texts were included in the qualitative synthesis. RESULTS While patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) tend to overestimate the size of energy-dense food items and small to medium sized meal portions, they do not show a different estimation compared to healthy controls when judging the amount of food pieces. Large portion sizes were associated with increased anxiety in patients with AN. DISCUSSION The overestimation of food portion sizes seems to be driven by attitudinal and/or higher cognitive factors associated with AN. Differences between the studies are discussed and suggestions for future studies are given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annica Franziska Dörsam
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Competence Center for Eating Disorders (KOMET), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Isabelle Mack
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Competence Center for Eating Disorders (KOMET), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Laura Kögel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Competence Center for Eating Disorders (KOMET), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Zipfel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Competence Center for Eating Disorders (KOMET), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Elisabeth Giel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Competence Center for Eating Disorders (KOMET), Tübingen, Germany
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23
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Stern SA, Bulik CM. Alternative Frameworks for Advancing the Study of Eating Disorders. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:951-959. [PMID: 33139082 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Eating disorders are life-interrupting psychiatric conditions with high morbidity and mortality, yet the basic mechanisms underlying these conditions are understudied compared with other psychiatric disorders. In this opinion, we suggest that recent knowledge gleaned from genomic and neuroimaging investigations of eating disorders in humans presents a rich opportunity to sharpen animal models of eating disorders and to identify neural mechanisms that contribute to the risk and maintenance of these conditions. Our article reflects the state of the science, with a primary focus on anorexia nervosa (AN) and binge-eating behavior, and encourages further study of all conditions categorized under feeding and eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Stern
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cynthia M Bulik
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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24
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Hemmingsen SD, Wesselhoeft R, Lichtenstein MB, Sjögren JM, Støving RK. Cognitive improvement following weight gain in patients with anorexia nervosa: A systematic review. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2020; 29:402-426. [PMID: 33044043 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with cognitive impairment. While re-nutrition is one of the main treatment targets, the effect on cognitive impairments is unclear. The aim of this review was to examine whether cognitive functions improve after weight gain in patients with AN. METHOD A systematic review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement guidelines (PROSPERO CRD42019081993). Literature searches were conducted May 20th , 2019 in PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Cochrane Library. Pairs of reviewers screened reports independently based on titles/abstracts (N = 6539) and full texts (N = 378). Furthermore, they assessed the quality of reports, including whether practice effects were accounted for. RESULTS Twenty-four longitudinal reports were included featuring 757 patients and 419 healthy controls. Six studies examined children and adolescents. Four out of four studies found processing speed to improve above and beyond what could be assigned to practice effects and three out of four studies found that cognitive flexibility was unaffected after weight gain in children and adolescents. Results from studies of adults were inconclusive. DISCUSSION The literature on cognitive change in patients with AN following weight gain is sparse. Preliminary conclusions can be made only for children and adolescents, where weight gain appeared to be associated with improved processing speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Daugaard Hemmingsen
- Centre for Eating Disorder, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Research Unit for Medical Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Open Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense, Denmark
| | - Rikke Wesselhoeft
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Aabenraa, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mia Beck Lichtenstein
- Centre for Telepsychiatry, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jan Magnus Sjögren
- Eating Disorder Unit, Mental Health Centre Ballerup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Ballerup, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - René Klinkby Støving
- Centre for Eating Disorder, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Research Unit for Medical Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Open Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense, Denmark
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25
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Jonker NC, Glashouwer KA, Ostafin BD, de Jong PJ. Visual attention to food cues and the course of anorexia nervosa. Behav Res Ther 2020; 132:103649. [PMID: 32603953 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Previously, adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) showed reduced attentional engagement with food cues compared to adolescents without eating disorder (Jonker, Glashouwer, Hoekzema, Ostafin, & De Jong, 2019). This study tested whether (i) improvement in eating disorder symptoms and BMI are related to an increase in attentional engagement with food, and whether (ii) relatively low attentional engagement is related to persistent AN symptomatology, in the same sample of adolescents with AN (N = 69) from the study of Jonker et al. (2019). Eating disorder symptoms, BMI, and attention for food cues were measured during baseline and at one year follow-up. Adolescents with AN showed a substantial improvement in symptoms and BMI. However, their low attentional engagement with food cues remained unchanged. Change in attentional engagement with food was not related to change in symptoms, nor was low baseline attentional engagement with food predictive of symptom persistence. These findings indicate that improvement in AN symptoms does not seem to require an increase in attentional engagement with food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke C Jonker
- University of Groningen, Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, the Netherlands.
| | - Klaske A Glashouwer
- University of Groningen, Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, the Netherlands; Accare Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Eating Disorders, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Brian D Ostafin
- University of Groningen, Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, the Netherlands
| | - Peter J de Jong
- University of Groningen, Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, the Netherlands
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26
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Horster I, Nickel K, Holovics L, Schmidt S, Endres D, Tebartz van Elst L, Zeeck A, Maier S, Joos A. A Neglected Topic in Neuroscience: Replicability of fMRI Results With Specific Reference to ANOREXIA NERVOSA. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:777. [PMID: 32848943 PMCID: PMC7419696 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies report impaired functional correlates of cognition and emotion in mental disorders. The validity of preexisting studies needs to be confirmed through replication studies, which there is a lack of. So far, most replication studies have been conducted on non-patients (NP) and primarily investigated cognitive and motor tasks. To fill this gap, we conducted the first fMRI replication study to investigate brain function using disease-related food stimuli in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Using fMRI, we investigated 31 AN patients and 27 NP for increased amygdala and reduced midcingulate activation when viewing food and non-food stimuli, as reported by the original study (11AN, 11NP; Joos et al., 2011). Similar to the previous study, we observed in the within group comparisons (food>non-food) a frontoinsular activation for both groups. Although in AN the recorded activation clustered more prominently and extended into the cingulate cortex. In the between-group comparisons, the increased amygdala and reduced midcingulate activation could not be replicated. Instead, AN showed a higher activation of the cingulate cortices, the pre-/postcentral gyrus and the inferior parietal lobe. Unlike in the initial study, no significant differences between NP>AN could be observed. The inconsistency of results and the non-replication of the study could have several reasons, such as high inter-individual variance of functional correlates of emotion processing, as well as intra-individual variances and the smaller group size of the initial study. These results underline the importance of replication for assessing the reliability and validity of results from fMRI research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Horster
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kathrin Nickel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Holovics
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Schmidt
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dominique Endres
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ludger Tebartz van Elst
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Almut Zeeck
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simon Maier
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Joos
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ortenau Klinikum, Offenburg, Germany
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27
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Christensen KA, French MN, Chen EY. Multi-method assessment of palatable food exposure in women with and without eating disorders. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2020; 28:594-602. [PMID: 32627915 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by dysregulated responses to palatable food. Using a multi-method approach, this study examined responses to palatable food exposure and subsequent ad libitum eating in women with binge-eating disorder (BED: n = 64), anorexia nervosa (AN: n = 16), and bulimia nervosa (BN: n = 35) and 26 healthy controls (HCs). METHOD Participants were exposed to palatable food followed by an ad libitum eating opportunity. Affective and psychophysiological responses were measured before and during the task. RESULTS Participants with EDs reported greater negative affect, particularly fear, following the food cue exposure, whereas HCs reported no change. BN and BED groups reported greater urge to binge after the food cue exposure, whereas AN and HC groups reported no change. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia levels, skin conductance and tonic skin conductance levels increased during food exposure for all groups. Across baseline and during the food exposure, the BED group had lower respiratory sinus arrhythmia levels relative to the BN and HC groups. The BED group consumed significantly more palatable food than the AN group. CONCLUSIONS 'Palatable' food stimuli elicited more negative affect, particularly fear, in individuals with EDs; and this, rather than psychophysiological responses, distinguishes individuals with EDs from those without.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara A Christensen
- Cognition and Emotion Lab, Ohio State University, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, 1415 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Melanie N French
- TEDp (Temple Eating Disorders Program), Temple University, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA
| | - Eunice Y Chen
- TEDp (Temple Eating Disorders Program), Temple University, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA
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28
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Kaye WH, Wierenga CE, Bischoff-Grethe A, Berner LA, Ely AV, Bailer UF, Paulus MP, Fudge JL. Neural Insensitivity to the Effects of Hunger in Women Remitted From Anorexia Nervosa. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:601-610. [PMID: 32160766 PMCID: PMC7332383 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19030261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric condition, yet the pathophysiology of this disorder and its primary symptom, extreme dietary restriction, remains poorly understood. In states of hunger relative to satiety, the rewarding value of food stimuli normally increases to promote eating, yet individuals with anorexia nervosa avoid food despite emaciation. This study's aim was to examine potential neural insensitivity to these effects of hunger in anorexia nervosa. METHODS At two scanning sessions scheduled 24 hours apart, one after a 16-hour fast and one after a standardized meal, 26 women who were in remission from anorexia nervosa (to avoid the confounding effects of malnutrition) and 22 matched control women received tastes of sucrose solution or ionic water while functional MRI data were acquired. Within a network of interest responsible for food valuation and transforming taste signals into motivation to eat, the authors compared groups across conditions on blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal and task-based functional connectivity. RESULTS Participants in the two groups had similar BOLD responses to sucrose and water tastants. A group-by-condition interaction in the ventral caudal putamen indicated that hunger had opposite effects on tastant response in the control group and the remitted anorexia nervosa group, with an increase and a decrease, respectively, in BOLD response when hungry. Hunger had a similar opposite effect on insula-to-ventral caudal putamen functional connectivity in the remitted anorexia nervosa group compared with the control group. Exploratory analyses indicated that lower caudate response to tastants when hungry was associated with higher scores on harm avoidance among participants in the remitted anorexia nervosa group. CONCLUSIONS Reduced recruitment of neural circuitry that translates taste stimulation to motivated eating behavior when hungry may facilitate food avoidance and prolonged periods of extremely restricted food intake in anorexia nervosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter H Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christina E Wierenga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Laura A Berner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alice V Ely
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ursula F Bailer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA,Medical University of Vienna, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin P Paulus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA,Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Julie L Fudge
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
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29
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Ralph‐Nearman C, Achee M, Lapidus R, Stewart JL, Filik R. A systematic and methodological review of attentional biases in eating disorders: Food, body, and perfectionism. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01458. [PMID: 31696674 PMCID: PMC6908865 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current systematic and methodological review aimed to critically review existing literature utilizing implicit processing, or automatic approach- and/or avoidance-related attentional biases between eating disorder (ED) and nonclinical samples, which (a) highlights how psychophysiological methods advance knowledge of ED implicit bias; (b) explains how findings fit into transdiagnostic versus disorder-specific ED frameworks; and (c) suggests how research can address perfectionism-related ED biases. METHOD Three databases were systematically searched to identify studies: PubMed, Scopus, and PsychInfo electronic databases. Peer-reviewed studies of 18- to 39-year-olds with both clinical ED and healthy samples assessing visual attentional biases using pictorial and/or linguistic stimuli related to food, body, and/or perfectionism were included. RESULTS Forty-six studies were included. While behavioral results were often similar across ED diagnoses, studies incorporating psychophysiological measures often revealed disease-specific attentional biases. Specifically, women with bulimia nervosa (BN) tend to approach food and other body types, whereas women with anorexia nervosa (AN) tend to avoid food as well as overweight bodies. CONCLUSIONS Further integration of psychophysiological and behavioral methods may identify subtle processing variations in ED, which may guide prevention strategies and interventions, and provide important clinical implications. Few implicit bias studies include male participants, investigate binge-eating disorder, or evaluate perfectionism-relevant stimuli, despite the fact that perfectionism is implicated in models of ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Ralph‐Nearman
- Laureate Institute for Brain ResearchTulsaOKUSA
- School of PsychologyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | | | | | - Jennifer L. Stewart
- Laureate Institute for Brain ResearchTulsaOKUSA
- Department of Community MedicineUniversity of TulsaTulsaOKUSA
| | - Ruth Filik
- School of PsychologyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
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30
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Olivo G, Zhukovsky C, Salonen-Ros H, Larsson EM, Brooks S, Schiöth HB. Functional connectivity underlying hedonic response to food in female adolescents with atypical AN: the role of somatosensory and salience networks. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:276. [PMID: 31699967 PMCID: PMC6838122 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0617-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical anorexia nervosa (AN) usually occurs during adolescence. Patients are often in the normal-weight range at diagnosis; however, they often present with signs of medical complications and severe restraint over eating, body dissatisfaction, and low self-esteem. We investigated functional circuitry underlying the hedonic response in 28 female adolescent patients diagnosed with atypical AN and 33 healthy controls. Participants were shown images of food with high (HC) or low (LC) caloric content in alternating blocks during functional MRI. The HC > LC contrast was calculated. Based on the previous literature on full-threshold AN, we hypothesized that patients would exhibit increased connectivity in areas involved in sensory processing and bottom-up responses, coupled to increased connectivity from areas related to top-down inhibitory control, compared with controls. Patients showed increased connectivity in pathways related to multimodal somatosensory processing and memory retrieval. The connectivity was on the other hand decreased in patients in salience and attentional networks, and in a wide cerebello-occipital network. Our study was the first investigation of food-related neural response in atypical AN. Our findings support higher somatosensory processing in patients in response to HC food images compared with controls, however HC food was less efficient than LC food in engaging patients' bottom-up salient responses, and was not associated with connectivity increases in inhibitory control regions. These findings suggest that the psychopathological mechanisms underlying food restriction in atypical AN differ from full-threshold AN. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of eating behavior in atypical AN might help designing specific treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Olivo
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Christina Zhukovsky
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDepartment of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helena Salonen-Ros
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDepartment of Neuroscience, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elna-Marie Larsson
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDepartment of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Samantha Brooks
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDepartment of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden ,0000 0004 1937 1151grid.7836.aDepartment of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa ,School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Research Centre for Brain & Behaviour, Byrom Street, Liverpool, UK
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDepartment of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden ,0000 0001 2288 8774grid.448878.fInstitute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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31
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Eating disorders are severe psychiatric disorders with a suspected complex biopsychosocial cause. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the recent literature on brain imaging in eating disorders. RECENT FINDINGS Food restriction as well as binge eating and purging behaviors are associated with lower regional brain volumes or cortical thickness, but those changes largely return to normal with normalization of weight and eating behavior. Computational modeling has started to identify patterns of structural and functional imaging data that classify eating disorder subtypes, which could be used in the future, diagnostically and to better understand disorder-specific psychopathology. The prediction error model, a computational approach to assess dopamine-related brain reward function, helped support a brain-based model for anorexia nervosa. In that model, the conscious motivation to restrict conflicts with body signals that stimulate eating. This conflict causes anxiety and drives a vicious cycle of food restriction. SUMMARY Novel brain research supports the notion that eating disorders have distinct neurobiological underpinnings. This new knowledge can be used to describe disease models to patients and develop novel treatments.
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32
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article reviews new research in the context of existing literature to identify approaches that will advance understanding of the persistence of anorexia nervosa. RECENT FINDINGS Neuroscience research in anorexia nervosa has yielded disparate findings: no definitive neural mechanism underlying illness vulnerability or persistence has been identified and no clear neural target for intervention has emerged. Recent advances using structural and functional neuroimaging research, as well as new techniques for applying and combining these approaches, have led to a refined understanding of changes in neural architecture among individuals who are acutely ill, have undergone renourishment, or are in recovery/remission. In particular, advances have come from the incorporation of computational and translational approaches, as well as efforts to link experimental paradigms with illness-relevant behavior. Recent findings converge to suggest abnormalities in systems involved in reward learning and processing among individuals with anorexia nervosa. SUMMARY Anorexia nervosa is associated with neurobiological abnormalities. Aberrant learning and reward processing may contribute to the persistence of illness. To better utilize new techniques to understand the neural mechanisms of persistent anorexia nervosa, it may help to distinguish stages of illness and to link neurobiology with maladaptive behavior.
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33
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Simon JJ, Stopyra MA, Friederich HC. Neural Processing of Disorder-Related Stimuli in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa: A Narrative Review of Brain Imaging Studies. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8071047. [PMID: 31323803 PMCID: PMC6678397 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8071047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities and alterations in brain function are commonly associated with the etiology and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). Different symptom categories of AN have been correlated with distinct neurobiological patterns in previous studies. The aim of this literature review is to provide a narrative overview of the investigations into neural correlates of disorder-specific stimuli in patients with AN. Although findings vary across studies, a summary of neuroimaging results according to stimulus category allows us to account for methodological differences in experimental paradigms. Based on the available evidence, the following conclusions can be made: (a) the neural processing of visual food cues is characterized by increased top-down control, which enables restrictive eating, (b) increased emotional and reward processing during gustatory stimulation triggers disorder-specific thought patterns, (c) hunger ceases to motivate food foraging but instead reinforces disorder-related behaviors, (d) body image processing is related to increased emotional and hedonic reactions, (e) emotional stimuli provoke increased saliency associated with decreased top-down control and (f) neural hypersensitivity during interoceptive processing reinforces avoidance behavior. Taken together, studies that investigated symptom-specific neural processing have contributed to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe J Simon
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Marion A Stopyra
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hans-Christoph Friederich
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Chami R, Cardi V, Lautarescu A, Mallorquí-Bagué N, McLoughlin G. Neural responses to food stimuli among individuals with eating and weight disorders: a systematic review of event-related potentials. Int Rev Psychiatry 2019; 31:318-331. [PMID: 31246114 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2019.1622515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A systematic review was conducted to investigate event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to food and non-food stimuli among individuals with eating and weight disorders. Limiting the search to studies that have analysed ERPs relating to motivated attention and inhibitory control, 19 research papers were extracted from a systematic search in PubMed, Ovid, and Web of Science (2000-2018). An enhanced attentional bias towards food over non-food images (as indexed by P3(00) and LPP amplitudes) was evident for all populations. Individuals with binge eating disorder showed an enhanced attentional response to food cues compared to healthy controls. Inhibitory control-related ERP components (N2(00) and P3a) increased during food-specific no-go trials, but did not differentiate overweight from 'healthy' weight groups. The N2 amplitude to food pictures were positively correlated with caloric intake and food craving among individuals with obesity and binge eating disorder, respectively, while P3(00) was sensitive to hunger levels among overweight and obese females. The heterogeneity of stimuli/paradigms adopted, component timescales extracted, ERPs analysed, and data presented has challenged this review's ability to produce a robust synthesis of results. Some recommendations for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayane Chami
- a Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating Disorders , Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London , London , UK
| | - Valentina Cardi
- a Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating Disorders , Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London , London , UK
| | - Alexandra Lautarescu
- b Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience (IoPPN) , King's College London , London , UK
| | - Nuria Mallorquí-Bagué
- c Department of Psychiatry , Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL , Barcelona , Spain.,d Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición , Istituto Salud Carlos III , Madrid , Spain.,e Addictive Behaviours Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau , Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Grainne McLoughlin
- f Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre (SGDP) , King's College London , London , UK
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Abstract
Anorexia nervosa is a complex psychiatric illness associated with food restriction and high mortality. Recent brain research in adolescents and adults with anorexia nervosa has used larger sample sizes compared with earlier studies and tasks that test specific brain circuits. Those studies have produced more robust results and advanced our knowledge of underlying biological mechanisms that may contribute to the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa. It is now recognized that malnutrition and dehydration lead to dynamic changes in brain structure across the brain, which normalize with weight restoration. Some structural alterations could be trait factors but require replication. Functional brain imaging and behavioral studies have implicated learning-related brain circuits that may contribute to food restriction in anorexia nervosa. Most notably, those circuits involve striatal, insular, and frontal cortical regions that drive learning from reward and punishment, as well as habit learning. Disturbances in those circuits may lead to a vicious cycle that hampers recovery. Other studies have started to explore the neurobiology of interoception or social interaction and whether the connectivity between brain regions is altered in anorexia nervosa. All together, these studies build upon earlier research that indicated neurotransmitter abnormalities in anorexia nervosa and help us develop models of a distinct neurobiology that underlies anorexia nervosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K W Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Megan E Shott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Marisa C DeGuzman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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Frank GKW, DeGuzman MC, Shott ME. Motivation to eat and not to eat - The psycho-biological conflict in anorexia nervosa. Physiol Behav 2019; 206:185-190. [PMID: 30980856 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa is a severe psychiatric illness with high mortality. Brain imaging research has indicated altered reward circuits in the disorder. Here we propose a disease model for anorexia nervosa, supported by recent studies, that integrates psychological and biological factors. In that model, we propose that there is a conflict between the conscious motivation to restrict food, and a body-homeostasis driven motivation to approach food in response to weight loss. These opposing motivations trigger anxiety, which maintains the vicious cycle of ongoing energy restriction and weight loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K W Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Marisa C DeGuzman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Megan E Shott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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Abstract
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are characterized by severely restricted intake, binge eating, and compensatory behaviors like self-induced vomiting. The neurobiological underpinnings of these maladaptive behaviors are poorly understood, but the application of cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging to eating disorders has begun to elucidate their pathophysiology. Specifically, this review focuses on 3 areas that suggest paths forward: reward, cognitive and behavioral control, and decision making. Understanding the brain-based mechanisms that promote and maintain these often chronic symptoms could guide the development of new and more effective treatments.
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