There’s always been discussion among professionals about the brain and eating disorders. At surface level, we often see changes in mood, behaviors and of course, eating habits with our clients. But what if there was more to this story? How would it help us during the recovery process?
New research was officially published this week in JAMA giving us some hints. The study was done at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the most reputable research institutions worldwide. The research team looked at how behaviors affected the response to rewards in those with eating disorders. Along with this, how do these changes affect food intake?
The study took a look at 197 young women; with several diagnoses including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and otherwise specified. They all had varying BMIs (Body Mass Indexes) or weight status. The study also included 120 women without diagnosed eating disorders as controls.
All participants got scans of their brain while they were given or denied a surprise taste of a sugar solution. Researchers looked at the response; evaluating the dopamine response. This showed in theory how surprised a person was to get this “unexpected” stimulus.
Those with a higher BMIs and with a diagnosis of binge eating disorder had a lower error response. Meaning; they were less surprised. Those with lower BMIs and a diagnosis of anorexia, had a higher error response. They were more surprised. No associations were found between BMI, ED behavior and brain activity in the control group.
What does this mean? Researchers estimated that eating disorder behaviors and excessive weight loss or gain adjusted the dopamine circuit in the brain. Altered brain circuits can affect so many things; including food intake control, and how we respond in food related situations. This translates that researchers believe that actual changes might occur in the brains of those with eating disorders; changing chemical balances and reponses.
The study is just the starting point for more research to come; but it importantly shows that behaviors and weight status may be intertwined with the brain even more than we realized. This study continues the conversation about how powerful the brain is in eating disorders and reinforces how difficult and challenging recovery is. Moreover, it reminds us that recovery is non linear and complicated. Both client and clinician must unravel multiple layers of complexities during the recovery process.
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