Loss of control (LOC) while eating (i.e., the sense that one cannot control what or how much one is eating) is prevalent among children and adolescents. LOC eating is associated with a range of physical and psychosocial health impairments, including obesity and the development of partial- and full-syndrome eating disorders. Early identification is thus critical for preventing or minimizing these adverse health outcomes. However, little is known about the development of LOC eating in children and, consequently, there is a paucity of effective interventions. Impairments in emotion regulation appear to be involved in the onset and maintenance of eating pathology in obese samples. To date, emotion regulation in youth with LOC eating problems is poorly understood, and research on underlying neurodevelopmental substrates is virtually nonexistent. The proposed research aims to characterize neurocircuitry involved in emotion regulation among 30 overweight children with LOC eating as compared to 30 overweight and 15 normal-weight controls without LOC. Participants will complete a cognitive reappraisal task whilst situated in an MRI scanner, the purpose of which is to characterize neural activity involved in reappraisal versus an emotion maintenance control condition. The proposed research aims to advance the field's understanding of the nature and correlates of LOC eating in overweight children so as to inform intervention development. The research also fits within the broader context of the applicant's career development goals. The candidate is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience whose research program has focused on pediatric eating and weight disorders, particularly binge eating and its relationship with negative affect. The overarching goal of the 4-year training program is to establish the candidate as an independent investigator. Specific training activities will focus on gaining a sufficient understanding of neurocircuitry involved in emotion regulation across childhood and adolescence to be able to utilize a developmental neuroscience framework for the probing of dysregulated eating; and obtaining experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting fMRI data. The mentorship team consists of internationally-known experts in developmental psychopathology, affective neuroscience, and pediatric eating and weight disorders who will provide conceptual oversight of the training plan and nurture the applicant's career trajectory. Research and training activities will be carried out at the University of Chicago's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and Brain Imaging Research Center. This Career Development Award will fill gaps in the candidate's training in order to broaden her expertise in pediatric obesity and eating disorders, ultimately guiding the research program towards the development of novel interventions for these problems, and facilitating her transition into an independent clinical investigator.
Loss of control eating, or the sense that one cannot control what or how much one is eating, is prevalent among overweight children, and is associated with serious medical and psychosocial health complications. Although preliminary data suggest that youth with loss of control eating may have difficulties regulating their emotions, there is dearth f research concerning underlying neurodevelopmental factors. The proposed study aims to characterize neurodevelopmental substrates of emotion regulation in overweight children with loss of control eating, which could help guide research efforts towards the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies.
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