Anorexia nervosa, neuroimaging research, and the contextual salience of food cues: The food approach–avoidance conundrum
Open accessAbstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by an avoidance and marked apprehension around food intake, yet paradoxically, those with AN often display approach behaviors to food, engaging in food shopping or preparation activities which are described as rewarding. This approach–avoidance conundrum is of much importance as neuroimaging studies continue to probe mechanisms relating to core AN psychopathology. This Idea Worth Researching discusses the notion that neuroimaging studies relying on food cue presentation paradigms may be methodologically flawed without specifying the contextual salience of the food cues presented in paradigms. The appraisal of food cues may diverge as a function of one's intent‐to‐eat, and thus, neuroimaging studies not specifying the contextual salience of food cues (i.e., intent‐to‐eat or not) may confound two distinctly different processes.
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Other studies have found that Anorexia Nervosa patients exhibit approach toward, as well as avoidance of, food stimuli.
“Consistent with this finding, other studies have found that AN patients exhibit approach toward, as well as avoidance of, food stimuli (Giel et al., 2011; Murray & Strigo, 2018).”
From Advancing the treatment of anxiety disorders in transition‐age youth: a review of the therapeutic effects of unconscious exposure. (2025) · cites this paper as Murray & Strigo, 2018
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Guo, S. H., Marazzi, L., Guarda, Á. S., Kamath, V. J., & Smith, K. (2026) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2026.108747
- Authors
- Murray, S. B., & Strigo, I. A.
- Affiliations
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Murray, Stuart B.
- Venue
- International Journal of Eating Disorders
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-05-30
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 822-825
- ISSN
- 0276-3478 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-108X
- PMC
- PMC6230302
- OpenAlex
- W2805219564
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 2.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- International Journal of Eating Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (K23 MH115184)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- anorexia nervosa, food cues, neuroimaging methodology, food reward
- MeSH terms
- Anorexia Nervosa, Choice Behavior, Cues, Eating, Female, Humans, Research, Neuroimaging
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