Cognitive remediation-enabled cognitive behaviour therapy for obesity: a case series

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine
• Obesity Research
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Weight recidivism is common, often linked to abandoning weight management strategies.
• Executive functioning deficits, particularly cognitive flexibility and response inhibition, are associated with weight management difficulties.
• Mainstream weight loss programs often overlook these crucial neurocognitive processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive remediation-enabled cognitive behavior therapy (CR-CBT) for obesity.
• To assess CR-CBT's impact on neurocognitive, psychological, and behavioral factors related to weight loss.
• To test the hypothesis that CR-CBT improves cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, reduces binge eating, aids weight loss, and enhances metabolic health.

Main Methods:

• A case series analysis involving four adults with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m²).
• Participants underwent a 7-week manualized CR-CBT program.
• Treatment comprised group-based sessions followed by individualized CR-CBT sessions; assessments were conducted at baseline, end of treatment, and 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• CR-CBT demonstrated improvements in response inhibition and cognitive flexibility.
• Significant reductions were observed in binge eating frequency and body weight.
• Improvements in metabolic health markers were noted between baseline and 3-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first assessment of CR-CBT for obesity treatment.
• Preliminary findings indicate CR-CBT's potential effectiveness in addressing key factors contributing to obesity.
• Further investigation through a randomized controlled trial is recommended to confirm these promising results.