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Impulsivity and negative mood in adolescents with loss of control eating and ADHD symptoms: an experimental study

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to experimentally examine the reactivity of mood and impulsivity to negative mood induction in adolescents with loss of control (LOC) eating and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. The study included eighty-eight adolescents with LOC eating, ADHD symptoms, and control. Participants self-reported on mood and participated in a stop signal task before and after negative mood induction with Cyberball. Groups did not differ in impulsivity at baseline (p > .05). The LOC group presented with greater increase of negative mood than the ADHD group, and with greater increase of impulsivity than both other groups from pre- to post-Cyberball (p < .05). Stronger reactivity of negative mood and impulsivity in LOC eating corroborates findings in adults that the concepts’ association might be specific to binge eating disorder. Additionally, findings add to previous results showing emotion regulation deficits in LOC eating. Future research should examine the concepts’ impact on actual eating behavior including binge eating.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grant HI 1111/1-2, 3 from the German Research Foundation awarded to Anja Hilbert.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Suite 2200, Boston, MA, 02214, USA

    Andrea Sabrina Hartmann

  2. Department of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, 35032, Marburg, Germany

    Winfried Rief

  3. Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Hospital of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Anja Hilbert

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  1. Andrea Sabrina Hartmann
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  2. Winfried Rief
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  3. Anja Hilbert
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Correspondence to Andrea Sabrina Hartmann.

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Hartmann, A.S., Rief, W. & Hilbert, A. Impulsivity and negative mood in adolescents with loss of control eating and ADHD symptoms: an experimental study. Eat Weight Disord 18, 53–60 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0004-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0004-4

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