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Growing Mind: The Role of Brain Maturation in Genetic Risk for Eating Disorders


Eating disorders (EDs) are serious psychiatric conditions with high health risks and social impacts. Psychological problems, such as anxiety and externalizing behaviors, also contribute to the development of EDs. A study of adolescents identified three eating profiles associated with different brain maturation trajectories and genetic factors, highlighting the importance of understanding these elements to improve the prevention and treatment of EDs.


Eating disorders (EDs) are mental disorders defined by deviant eating behavior patterns that negatively affect the individual's physical or mental health. They are considered pathologies and are described in detail by ICD 10, DSM IV and the WHO. ED's are serious psychiatric conditions that affect many people, especially adolescents.


These disorders include problems such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, and can have serious consequences, such as high mortality rates and significant impacts on the quality of life of those who experience them.


The main risk factors for the development of EDs include certain eating behaviors, such as food restriction, where the person eats less than necessary, and binge eating, where the person consumes large amounts of food in an uncontrolled manner.


These behaviors can lead to the use of unhealthy weight control methods and the development of eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa, which involves episodes of binging followed by purging, or binge eating disorder, where a person feels they cannot stop eating.

Cognitive restraint (CR) is a type of eating behavior in which a person consciously limits the amount of food they eat in an attempt to control their weight.


Studies have shown that this practice can result in episodes of uncontrolled eating and is strongly associated with a negative body image and eating disorders.


On the other hand, emotional eating and binge eating are behaviors in which a person eats in response to negative emotions or the environment around them, and both are linked to an increased risk of obesity and a higher body mass index (BMI).


Research suggests that eating behaviors such as cognitive restraint, emotional eating, and binge eating may be partially influenced by genetics.


Certain genetic variations associated with obesity are also linked to these behaviors, and studies have shown that the development of problematic eating behaviors during childhood and adolescence may be linked to genetic factors.

Furthermore, neural factors play a crucial role in eating disorders. Neurobiological studies have identified that brain systems responsible for emotions, memory, and executive control are involved in eating control.


For example, activation of brain areas such as the prefrontal cortex, which aids in self-control and decision-making, and the striatal reward system, which processes feelings of pleasure, are associated with individual differences in cognitive restraint.


Longitudinal studies have revealed volumetric differences in the brain, particularly in the striatal and prefrontal regions, suggesting that differences in brain maturation may be etiological factors for disordered eating behaviors and comorbid depressive symptoms.


Symptoms of psychopathology, such as anxiety and behavioral problems, may also be precursors to eating disorders. Adolescents who exhibit behavioral problems may be at greater risk of developing eating disorders, while those who suffer from generalized anxiety are more likely to develop eating disorders during adolescence.


Negative emotions and functional difficulties, such as problems at work or school, are also factors that can predict the onset of EDs.


Scientists at King’s College London conducted a study to better understand eating behaviors, using data from adolescents followed over several years.

Research question and analysis workflow. Multimodal characterization of different eating profiles. EE, emotional eating; UE, uncontrolled eating; RE, restrictive eaters; E/UE, emotional/uncontrolled eaters; HE, healthy eaters; IP, internalizing problem; EP, externalizing problem; GMV, gray matter volume; CT, cortical thickness; SD, sulcal depth; BMI, body mass index; PGS, polygenic score. Regions 1 and 2 represent brain areas that showed a significant age-by-group interaction in their trajectory comparisons.


They identified three main groups of eating behavior at age 23: restrictive eaters, emotional/uncontrolled eaters, and healthy eaters.


Factors such as genetics, eating disorder symptoms, behavioral problems, and brain maturation were found to distinguish these groups.


The analyses showed that restrictive and emotional/disordered eaters had smaller reductions in brain volumes over time, suggesting that brain maturation in these groups may be different.


In addition, smaller reductions in cerebellar volume were found to be associated with restrictive eating, while changes in other brain regions were linked to emotional and disordered eating.


These findings help illuminate how genetics, brain development, and eating behaviors interact to influence the risk of eating disorders. Understanding these relationships may be crucial to developing more effective interventions to prevent and treat these disorders in adolescents and adults.



READ MORE:


Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study. 

Yu, X., Zhang, Z., Herle, M. et al. 

Nat. Mental Health 3, 58–70 (2025). 


Abstract:


Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14–23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation. Clustering analyses at age 23 years (N = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters. BMI PGS, trajectories of ED symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, and brain maturation distinguished these groups. Decreasing volumes and thickness in several brain regions were less pronounced in restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled eaters. Smaller cerebellar volume reductions uniquely mediated the effects of BMI PGS on restrictive eating, whereas smaller volumetric reductions across multiple brain regions mediated the relationship between elevated externalizing problems and emotional/uncontrolled eating, independently of BMI. These findings shed light on distinct contributions of genetic risk, protracted brain maturation and behaviors in ED symptomatology.

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© 2024 by Lidiane Garcia

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