Cited by 132Eating Disorders and BehaviorsNutrition, Health and Food BehaviorRegulation of Appetite and Obesity

Neuroimaging in bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder: A systematic review

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Donnelly, Brooke, Touyz, Stephen, Hay, Phillipa, Burton, Amy, Russell, Janice, Caterson, Ian·2018·Journal of Eating Disorders

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: In recent decades there has been growing interest in the use of neuroimaging techniques to explore the structural and functional brain changes that take place in those with eating disorders. However, to date, the majority of research has focused on patients with anorexia nervosa. This systematic review addresses a gap in the literature by providing an examination of the published literature on the neurobiology of individuals who binge eat; specifically, individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, PsycInfo, Medline and Web of Science, and additional hand searches through reference lists. 1,003 papers were identified in the database search. Published studies were included if they were an original research paper written in English; studied humans only; used samples of participants with a diagnosed eating disorder characterised by recurrent binge eating; included a healthy control sample; and reported group comparisons between clinical groups and healthy control groups. RESULTS: Thirty-two papers were included in the systematic review. Significant heterogeneity in the methods used in the included papers coupled with small sample sizes impeded the interpretation of results. Twenty-one papers utilised functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI); seven papers utilized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with one of these using both MRI and Positron Emission Technology (PET); three studies used Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and one study used PET only. A small number of consistent findings emerged in individuals in the acute phase of illness with BN or BED including: volume reduction and increases across a range of areas; hypoactivity in the frontostriatal circuits; and aberrant responses in the insula, amygdala, middle frontal gyrus and occipital cortex to a range of different stimuli or tasks; a link between illness severity in BN and neural changes; diminished attentional capacity and early learning; and in SPECT studies, increased rCBF in relation to disorder-related stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Studies included in this review are heterogenous, preventing many robust conclusions from being drawn. The precise neurobiology of BN and BED remains unclear and ongoing, large-scale investigations are required. One clear finding is that illness severity, exclusively defined as the frequency of binge eating or bulimic episodes, is related to greater neural changes. The results of this review indicate additional research is required, particularly extending findings of reduced cortical volumes and diminished activity in regions associated with self-regulation (frontostriatal circuits) and further exploring responses to disorder-related stimuli in people with BN and BED.

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  1. [12][NG69], N.g., Eating disorders: recognition and treatment. 2017, NICE. 28654225
  2. [59]Miyake, et al. Brain activation during the perception of distorted body images in eating disorders. Psychiatry Research. Neuroimaging. 2010;181:183-92. 20153150
  3. [67]Chapman CD T Encylopedia of Neuroscience 2009 Berlin Springer 3989 4150

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Authors
Donnelly, B., Touyz, S., Hay, P., Burton, A., Russell, J., & Caterson, I.
Affiliations
  • The University of Sydney (AU)
  • Western Sydney University (AU)
  • Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (AU)
Corresponding author
Hay, Phillipa
Venue
Journal of Eating Disorders
Published
2018-02-20
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
3-3
ISSN
2050-2974 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2790216026
Cited by
132
References
92
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 2
FWCI
2.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Journal of Eating Disorders (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Pfizer
  • New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry
  • Science Foundation Ireland
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Shire
  • Australian Eggs
  • Servier
  • National Health and Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
Keywords
bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, neuroimaging, brain structure, brain function, frontostriatal circuits, insula, amygdala, cortical volume, disease severity, attention, regional cerebral blood flow, self-regulation, functional MRI, SPECT, PET, magnetic resonance imaging, early learning

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