Adaptive learning from outcome contingencies in eating-disorder risk groups

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Eating disorders involve altered eating and body overvaluation, with poor treatment outcomes.
• Cognitive inflexibility is a key factor in the development and persistence of eating disorders.
• Understanding the basis of cognitive inflexibility may reveal new treatment avenues.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate if altered learning rate adjustment contributes to cognitive inflexibility in eating disorders.
• Examine learning and eye-tracking responses in individuals recovered from anorexia nervosa (RA), those with eating disorder symptoms (EA), and healthy controls (HC).

Main Methods:

• Recruited 82 participants across three groups: RA, EA, and HC.
• Administered a reinforcement learning task with manipulated win/loss volatility.
• Utilized eye-tracking to measure pupil dilation during the task.

Main Results:

• Contrary to predictions, the RA group showed significantly higher learning rate adjustment for both wins and losses compared to controls.
• The RA group exhibited increased pupil dilation to stable wins and decreased dilation to stable losses.
• Learning rate adjustment in the RA group correlated with pupil dilation differences between volatile and stable wins.

Conclusions:

• Learning rate adjustment is unexpectedly elevated in individuals recovered from anorexia nervosa.
• The relationship between eating disorders and cognitive inflexibility is more complex than previously thought.
• Noradrenergic agents warrant investigation for potential therapeutic benefits in eating disorder treatment.