Sex differences in regional gray matter density in pre-adolescent binge eating disorder: a voxel-based morphometry...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Binge eating disorder (BED) is a psychiatric disorder associated with significant medical and psychiatric comorbidities, including obesity.
• Altered cortical morphometry is observed in BED, but sex differences in gray matter characteristics, especially in children during development, remain understudied.
• Understanding these differences is crucial as BED symptoms often emerge during periods of rapid brain maturation in childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex differences in regional gray matter density (GMD) among pre-adolescent children with BED.
• To explore the association between gray matter characteristics in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and behavioral tendencies in children with BED.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, including 9-10-year-old boys (N=38) and girls (N=33) diagnosed with BED.
• Employed voxel-based morphometry to assess sex differences in GMD, comparing BED participants with age- and BMI-matched controls (boys N=36, girls N=38).
• Examined correlations between dlPFC GMD and parent-reported behavioral approach and inhibition tendencies in children with BED.

Main Results:

• Girls with BED exhibited significantly greater GMD in diffuse clusters, including the left dlPFC, bilateral dmPFC, bilateral primary motor and somatosensory cortex, and bilateral precuneus compared to boys with BED.
• A significant negative correlation was found between left dlPFC GMD and behavioral approach tendencies specifically in girls with BED.
• No significant sex differences were noted in the control group.

Conclusions:

• Early-onset BED is characterized by distinct regional sex differences in gray matter morphometry.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in the neurobiological understanding of childhood-onset BED.
• The observed brain-behavior associations in girls suggest potential sex-specific neural mechanisms underlying BED symptomatology.