Attention and memory contributions to the maintenance of binge eating
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Binge eating (BE) is a transdiagnostic symptom of multiple eating disorders, including binge eating
disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN), that involves the overconsumption of food accompanied by a
sense of having lost control over one’s eating. Individuals who exhibit recurrent binge eating are at
elevated risk for early death, increased psychosocial impairment, and a range of additional psychiatric
and medical problems, including obesity. However, treatments for BED and BN have demonstrated
limited effectiveness, and the pathophysiological bases of these debilitating conditions remains poorly
understood. Given this, there is a critical need to clarify the underlying mechanisms that contribute to
binge eating maintenance. The proposed project will contribute to this endeavor by using ecological
momentary assessment (EMA) and electroencephalography (EEG) to study the relationship between
food cue exposure, food craving, and binge eating, and how these relationships are influenced by
alterations in attention and memory processes. Specifically, we propose to test the hypothesis that
exposure to food cues promotes binge eating episodes via increased food craving. In addition, we will
test the further hypothesis that food cue exposure interacts with food-specific attention and memory
biases to increase food craving and the likelihood of binge eating. Results from this study would provide
critically needed guidance regarding biobehavioral mechanisms of binge-eating behavior, and
illuminate possible treatment targets to help improve the efficacy of interventions for eating disorders.