title: Prefrontal systems involvement in binge eating.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined whether severity of binge eating is associated with dysfunction in behaviors mediated by the three main areas of the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fifty-one adults (mean BMI=49.50) were classified into three groups based on the presence and severity of binge eating behaviors: Binge Eating Disorder (BED) group (N=22), Binge Eating Prone (BEP) group (N=47), and non-Eating Disorder (non-ED) group (N=82). Participants completed the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), a widely used measure of neurobehavioral traits associated with the three primary regions of the PFC corresponding with the behavioral traits of apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BED and BEP groups scored significantly higher than the non-ED group on the three FrSBe subscales, as well as the FrSBe Total score. There were no significant correlations between the FrSBe and participant BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As expected, individuals who engaged in binge eating endorsed greater PFC dysfunction than those who did not binge eat. These results provide a complement to studies utilizing neuroimaging and neuropsychological methodologies and further support for the role of prefrontal systems in the regulation of eating behavior.
authors: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks, Center for Surgical Weight Loss, Nashville, TN 37204, USA. abbe.boeka@vanderbilt.edu
authors: A G
authors: AG
authors: Boeka
authors: K L
authors: KL
authors: Lokken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002032:Bulimia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index