Neural Correlates of Body Image Processing in Binge Eating Disorder

Although body image disturbances play a central role in the development, maintenance and relapse of binge eating disorder (BED), studies investigating the neural basis underlying body processing in BED are still missing. To address this gap, we conducted a preregistered (German Clinical Trials Register [Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien; DRKS], Registration DRKS00008107) combined functional magnetic resonance (fMRI)/eye tracking study in which 38 women with BED and 22 healthy controls weight-matched for overall equivalence processed images of their own bodies, an unfamiliar weight-matched body, and visually matched nonbody control stimuli while performing a one-back task. Women with BED responded with higher left fusiform body area (FBA) activity than controls during body image processing. Despite higher levels of self-reported body dissatisfaction, women with BED did not show overactivation in emotion-processing areas in response to their own body. The eye-tracking results indicated that visual attention toward the presented stimuli was associated with increased activity in the extrastriate body area (EBA) and FBA across groups. Our results thus provide evidence for an aberrant neural processing of body images in BED and highlight the importance of controlling for visual attention in future studies assessing neuronal body processing. General Scientific Summary This study is the first to investigate neural correlates of body image disturbances in binge eating disorder (BED). The results show that compared to a healthy control group, women with BED respond to body images with increased activity in a brain area that plays a central role in the visual processing of body stimuli.

Automated summary

This study is the first to investigate the neural correlates of body image disturbances in binge eating disorder (BED). The results show that compared to a healthy control group, women with BED respond to body images with increased activity in a brain area that plays a central role in the visual processing of body stimuli.