Regional gray matter abnormalities in pre-adolescent binge eating disorder: A voxel-based morphometry study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a serious psychiatric condition associated with significant medical and psychological comorbidities.
• Neurobiological markers of early-onset BED are understudied, hindering understanding of its developmental pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neurobiological differences in preadolescent children with BED compared to controls.
• To explore the relationship between brain structure and behavioral tendencies in early-onset BED.

Main Methods:

• Utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to analyze gray matter density (GMD) in 71 preadolescent children with BED and 74 matched controls from the ABCD Study.
• Conducted region of interest analyses on the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) to assess associations with behavioral inhibition and approach tendencies.

Main Results:

• Children with BED exhibited diffuse elevations in cortical GMD across prefrontal, parietal, and temporal regions.
• No reductions in GMD or alterations in subcortical GMD were observed in children with BED.
• A negative association was found between GMD in the OFC and dlPFC and hedonic behavioral approach tendencies.

Conclusions:

• Early-onset BED may be characterized by diffuse cortical GMD abnormalities, suggesting altered cortical architecture.
• These alterations could stem from decreased synaptic pruning, reduced arborization, or impaired myelination.
• Findings highlight potential neurodevelopmental underpinnings of early-onset BED.