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Prefrontal systems involvement in binge eating

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether severity of binge eating is associated with dysfunction in behaviors mediated by the three main areas of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). METHODS: One hundred fifty-one adults (mean BMI=49.50) were classified into three groups based on the presence and severity of binge eating behaviors: Binge Eating Disorder (BED) group (N=22), Binge Eating Prone (BEP) group (N=47), and non-Eating Disorder (non-ED) group (N=82). Participants completed the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), a widely used measure of neurobehavioral traits associated with the three primary regions of the PFC corresponding with the behavioral traits of apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction. RESULTS: The BED and BEP groups scored significantly higher than the non-ED group on the three FrSBe subscales, as well as the FrSBe Total score. There were no significant correlations between the FrSBe and participant BMI. DISCUSSION: As expected, individuals who engaged in binge eating endorsed greater PFC dysfunction than those who did not binge eat. These results provide a complement to studies utilizing neuroimaging and neuropsychological methodologies and further support for the role of prefrontal systems in the regulation of eating behavior.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

    A. G. Boeka PhD & K. L. Lokken

  2. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks, Nashville, 719 Thompson Lane, Ste 22200, Tennessee, 37204, USA

    A. G. Boeka PhD

  3. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

    K. L. Lokken

Authors
  1. A. G. Boeka PhD
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  2. K. L. Lokken
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Correspondence to A. G. Boeka PhD.

Additional information

This research was conducted while Drs. Boeka and Lokken were affiliated with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

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Boeka, A.G., Lokken, K.L. Prefrontal systems involvement in binge eating. Eat Weight Disord 16, e121–e126 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325317

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325317

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