Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is defined by the frequent occurrence of binge-eating episodes that are associated with a severe sense of loss of control, followed by compensatory behaviors to avoid weight gain. Our preliminary data suggest that anatomical and functional abnormalities in frontostriatal neural systems are associated with binge- eating and other impulsive behaviors in adults and adolescents with BN. However, the peak onset of BN in adolescence suggests that understanding the development and progression of frontostriatal abnormalities during this period is necessary to understand the biology of BN and design novel treatments and prevention strategies. This multimodal imaging study will use functional MRI, anatomical MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging measures to assess longitudinal changes (over 3 years) in the function, anatomical characteristics, and organization of frontostriatal systems in 50 adolescents who meet the proposed DSM-5 criteria for BN compared with 50 matched controls, 13-18 years of age. We will determine how the trajectories of frontostriatal disturbances diverge from normal in the adolescents with BN whose symptoms worsen compared to those whose symptoms remit, and whether our brain imaging measures at baseline can predict the severity of symptoms at follow-up. This will be the first longitudinal imaging study of adolescents with BN, the first multimodal imaging study of any individuals with eating disorders, and the first longitudinal, multimodal imaging study of frontostriatal systems in the same sample of healthy adolescents. Thus, findings from this study may point to a useful biomarker (frontostriatal disturbances) for the early intervention of BN, and further our understanding of the normal maturation of these systems.

Public Health Relevance

We propose a longitudinal multimodal imaging study of the structure and function of frontostriatal neural systems in adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa (BN). Identification of abnormalities in these systems will foster a better understanding of the pathophysiology of BN and point to a biomarker that will aid in the development of early interventions and individualized treatments for this disabling illness.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH090062-03
Application #
8470711
Study Section
Child Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities Study Section (CPDD)
Program Officer
Zehr, Julia L
Project Start
2011-07-01
Project End
2016-05-31
Budget Start
2013-06-01
Budget End
2014-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$603,433
Indirect Cost
$168,069
Name
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
167204994
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10032
Berner, Laura A; Stefan, Mihaela; Lee, Seonjoo et al. (2018) Altered cortical thickness and attentional deficits in adolescent girls and women with bulimia nervosa. J Psychiatry Neurosci 43:151-160
Margolis, Amy E; Davis, Katie S; Pao, Lisa S et al. (2018) Verbal-spatial IQ discrepancies impact brain activation associated with the resolution of cognitive conflict in children and adolescents. Dev Sci 21:
Cyr, Marilyn; Yang, Xiao; Horga, Guillermo et al. (2018) Abnormal fronto-striatal activation as a marker of threshold and subthreshold Bulimia Nervosa. Hum Brain Mapp 39:1796-1804
Cyr, Marilyn; Kopala-Sibley, Daniel C; Lee, Seonjoo et al. (2017) Reduced Inferior and Orbital Frontal Thickness in Adolescent Bulimia Nervosa Persists Over Two-Year Follow-Up. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 56:866-874.e7
Wang, Zhishun; Jacobs, Rachel H; Marsh, Rachel et al. (2016) Sex-specific neural activity when resolving cognitive interference in individuals with or without prior internalizing disorders. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 249:76-83
Labouliere, Christa D; Terranova, Kate; Steinglass, Joanna et al. (2016) Implicit learning on a probabilistic classification task in adults and adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa. J Psychiatr Res 77:35-41
He, Xiaofu; Stefan, Mihaela; Terranova, Kate et al. (2016) Altered White Matter Microstructure in Adolescents and Adults with Bulimia Nervosa. Neuropsychopharmacology 41:1841-8
Cyr, Marilyn; Wang, Zhishun; Tau, Gregory Z et al. (2016) Reward-Based Spatial Learning in Teens With Bulimia Nervosa. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 55:962-971.e3
Marsh, Rachel; Stefan, Mihaela; Bansal, Ravi et al. (2015) Anatomical characteristics of the cerebral surface in bulimia nervosa. Biol Psychiatry 77:616-23
Berner, Laura A; Marsh, Rachel (2014) Frontostriatal circuits and the development of bulimia nervosa. Front Behav Neurosci 8:395

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