Biological Risk Factors for Onset of Binge Eating and Compensatory Behaviors

The purpose of this proposed project is to test whether several biological factors (such as elevated brain reward region and attention region response to high-calorie foods, weaker inhibitory region response to high-calorie foods, habitual caloric deprivation, and elevated limbic region responsivity) increase the risk of problematic eating (bingeing and purging) in female adolescents.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Eating Disorder

Detailed Description

Participants will be adolescent girls aged 13-16, some of whom will have parental history of eating pathology. Participants will be recruited from the general population but their age, gender, and the presence of parental lifetime eating pathology will create a high-risk sample. The goals of the proposed project are to (1) conduct a prospective high-risk study to test whether proposed biological risk factors predict the future onset of core ED symptoms (e.g., binge eating, compensatory behaviors); (2) test hypotheses regarding how these biological risk factors and established self-report ED risk factors may work together to predict ED behavior onset; (3) examine if certain biological factors account for the effects of certain established self-reported ED risk factors (e.g., elevated brain response to thin models accounts for the effect of questionnaire-measured thin-ideal internalization). The participants will complete a baseline assessment and then follow-ups assessments over a span of three years. In addition, participants will complete one fMRI scan after the first assessment.

During the COVID-19 shelter-at-home order, the investigators will not measure in person only outcomes including fMRI scans, height and weight measurement for BMI calculation nor IAT computer paradigms for all participants that have assessments due during this order.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 88

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Oregon
    • Eugene, Oregon, United States, 97403
      • Oregon Research Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 13 years to 16 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Community sample

Description

• Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female
  • Aged 13-16 years

• Exclusion Criteria:

  • Adolescents who report functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) contraindications
  • Current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5) substance abuse disorder, eating disorder (ED), conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or bipolar disorder
  • Weekly or greater use of psychoactive drugs (e.g., analgesics, cocaine, marijuana)
  • Serious medical complications (e.g., cancer, diabetes)
  • History of head injury
  • Relevant food allergies
  • BMI > 35

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
High Risk Group; Parental history of eating pathology
Low Risk Group; No parental history of eating pathology

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in binge eating behaviors using the EDDI	Eating Disorder Diagnostic Interview (EDDI)	6 months, 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year follow-up
Change in compensatory behaviors using the EDDI	Eating Disorder Diagnostic Interview (EDDI)	6 months, 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Oregon Research Institute
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Eric Stice, Ph.D., Stanford University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Stice E, Yokum S, Rohde P, Cloud K, Desjardins CD. Comparing healthy adolescent females with and without parental history of eating pathology on neural responsivity to food and thin models and other potential risk factors. J Abnorm Psychol. 2021 Aug;130(6):608-619. doi: 10.1037/abn0000686.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 3, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 21, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 25, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): September 27, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 3, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 2, 2021
• Last Verified: November 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: adolescent; fMRI; Eating disorder
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Hyperphagia; Bulimia; Feeding and Eating Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: BioRF Pilot

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No