Wednesday, February 5, 2025 2/5/2025

The Role of Negative Affect in the Cognitive-Behavioral Model of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: An Integrated Analysis of Neural Circuitry, Hormones, and Momentary Negative Emotions

Award Number: K23MH125143
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

Group Awards By:

View Award Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is identified as a restrictive eating disorder in DSM-5 and is associated with substantial medical morbidity, psychiatric comorbidity, and high treatment costs. Maintenance mechanisms for ARFID are unknown. However, the cognitive behavioral model of ARFID suggests that negative reinforcement, via reductions in negative affect, may be key in understanding these highly persistent and medically compromising behaviors. This 5-year K23-Patient-Oriented Research Career Development award application addresses this hypothesis using an innovative, multi-disciplinary approach to examine differences in neural circuitry and hormone functioning in adults with ARFID compared to healthy controls (HC) and to explore the relationships between real-time emotions and behaviors with brain responsivity and endocrine signaling to food stimuli. Specifically, this proposal leverages ongoing data collection from a funded R01 (MH108595) investigating the neurobiology of ARFID in youth and extends these methods by focusing on adults and including one week of ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Activation in the amygdala, hippocampus, anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex (brain regions in the limbic and paralimbic circuits governing emotional processing) as well as cortisol and oxytocin levels around a standardized meal (hormones associated with mood and anxiety) will be compared between adults with ARIFD and HC. EMA ratings of negative emotions and eating behaviors will be used to test whether negative affect is reduced following common problematic eating behaviors (i.e., food refusal) in ARFID. As a final aim, this study will explore if activity in limbic/paralimbic circuitry and aberrant cortisol and oxytocin correlate with negative affect levels as well as reports of avoidant/restrictive eating during the one-week EMA period. This project represents the first exploration of ARFID in adults, the first examination of emotional functioning in ARFID, and a rigorous first test of the cognitive-behavioral model of ARFID. The training plan corresponding to this project will support Dr. Kendra R. Becker in becoming an independent clinical scientist with a program of research examining neurobiological underpinnings of affect and reward maintenance mechanisms in feeding/eating disorders to better understand illness trajectory and inform personalized formulations of pathology. Each aim of the study corresponds to a specific training goal, which will map onto four main areas of competency for Dr. Becker: (1) reproducible fMRI methodology, (2) study design and analysis/interpretation of endocrine data, (3), EMA methodology including advanced longitudinal data analysis integrating neurobiological variables, and (4) career development. Training goals will be implemented under the guidance of Dr. Jennifer J. Thomas (primary mentor), Drs. Elizabeth A. Lawson and Laura M. Holsen (co-mentors), Drs. Stephen A. Wonderlich and Ross D. Crosby (collaborators), and Drs. Kamryn T. Eddy and Madhusmita Misra (other significant contributors).


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $199,519 )
2025	2025	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	5	12/20/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$199,519
														Subtotal = $199,519

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $199,453 )
2024	2024	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	2/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$199,453
														Subtotal = $199,453

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $199,545 )
2023	2023	THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	2/1/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$199,545
														Subtotal = $199,545

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $253,390 )
2022	2022	MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	1/12/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$199,390
2022	2022	MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	2	1/25/2022	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$54,000
														Subtotal = $253,390

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $199,320 )
2021	2021	MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE	55 FRUIT ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	11/24/2020	NEW	$199,320
														Subtotal = $199,320

Grand Total All Awards = $1,051,227

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

The Role of Negative Affect in the Cognitive-Behavioral Model of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: An Integrated Analysis of Neural Circuitry, Hormones, and Momentary Negative Emotions

Award Number: K23MH125143

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer