Anorexia Nervosa
Conditions
Brief summary
The objective of this study is to identify the patterns of brain activity in reward circuitry that promote symptoms of anorexia nervosa. This project will compare weight-restored individuals with anorexia nervosa to a non-eating disorder control group on reward brain circuitry patterns in response to typically rewarding cues (i.e., entertaining videos) and disorder-specific restrictive eating cues (i.e., low-fat food choice) using fMRI. In addition, this study will examine which neurobiological reward responses among weight-restored individuals with anorexia nervosa predict objective restrictive eating (measured by laboratory meal intake) and longitudinal risk of relapse one year later.
Detailed description
Aim 1: To compare patterns of brain activity in reward circuits to typically rewarding cues and disorder-specific cues between weight-restored individuals with anorexia nervosa and non-eating disorder controls Hypothesis 1a: Activity in reward circuitry will be elevated in response to typically rewarding cues in the non-eating disorder control group versus weight-restored anorexia nervosa group. Hypothesis 1b: Activity in reward circuitry will be elevated in response to disorder-specific in the weight-restored anorexia nervosa group versus the non-eating disorder control group. Aim 2: To specify the relationship between brain patterns related to reward and restrictive eating among weight-restored individuals with anorexia nervosa Hypothesis 2a: Lower reward circuit activity in response to typically rewarding cues will predict lower test meal intake for weight-restored anorexia nervosa group versus the non-eating disorder control group. Hypothesis 2b: Higher reward circuit activity in response to disorder-specific cues will predict lower test meal intake for the weight-restored anorexia nervosa group versus the non-eating disorder control group. Aim 3: To identify the brain patterns in reward circuitry associated with the risk of relapse among weight-restored individuals with anorexia nervosa in the year following weight-restoration. Hypothesis 3a: Lower reward circuit activity in response to typically rewarding cues will predict relapse in the weight-restored anorexia nervosa group. Hypothesis 3b: Higher reward circuit activity in response to disorder-specific cues will predict relapse in the weight-restored anorexia nervosa group.
Interventions
OTHERNo intervention
No intervention is being examined in this study
Sponsors
University of Minnesota
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age \> 18 years old * Current BMI \> 18.5 kg/m2 * Ability to read and speak in English * Right-handed * Weight restored Anorexia Nervosa group: 1) DSM-5 diagnosis of AN in the past 6 months, with the exception of body image disturbance and intense fear of weight gain criteria; 2) BMI \< 18.5 kg/m2 within past 6 months
Exclusion criteria
* Medical instability or current pregnancy * Current substance use disorder, psychosis, or bipolar-I disorder * Contraindication for fMRI * History of neurological disorder/injury (e.g., stroke; head injury with \> 10 minutes loss of consciousness) * Food allergy that cannot be accommodated through substitutions to the laboratory test meal * Lacking capacity to consent * Non-eating disorder Control group: Current DSM-5 Axis-I diagnosis or current or past eating disorder diagnosis
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brain activation in reward circuits | Baseline | Activation in regions of interest in reward brain circuitry (i.e., ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens) in response to typically-rewarding and disorder-specific tasks |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Restrictive eating | Baseline | Caloric consumption from a laboratory test meal |
| Relapse | 12 months | Relapse from anorexia nervosa, defined as: BMI \< 18.5 kg/m2 and/or binge eating and/or purging \> 1x/week for 3 consecutive months |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed