title: Neural activation during anticipated peer evaluation and laboratory meal intake in overweight girls with and without loss of control eating.
abstract: The interpersonal model of loss of control (LOC) eating proposes that socially distressing situations lead to anxious states that trigger excessive food consumption. Self-reports support these links, but the neurobiological underpinnings of these relationships remain unclear. We therefore examined brain regions associated with anxiety in relation to LOC eating and energy intake in the laboratory. Twenty-two overweight and obese (BMIz: 1.9±0.4) adolescent (15.8±1.6y) girls with LOC eating (LOC+, n=10) and without LOC eating (LOC-, n=12) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a simulated peer interaction chatroom paradigm. Immediately after the fMRI scan, girls consumed lunch ad libitum from a 10,934-kcal laboratory buffet meal with the instruction to "let yourself go and eat as much as you want." Pre-specified hypotheses regarding activation of five regions of interest were tested. Analysis of fMRI data revealed a significant group by peer feedback interaction in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), such that LOC+ had less activity following peer rejection (vs. acceptance), while LOC- had increased activity (p<.005). Moreover, functional coupling between vmPFC and striatum for peer rejection (vs. acceptance) interacted with LOC status: coupling was positive for LOC+, but negative in LOC- (p<.005). Activity of fusiform face area (FFA) during negative peer feedback from high-value peers also interacted with LOC status (p<.005). A positive association between FFA activation and intake during the meal was observed among only those with LOC eating. In conclusion, overweight and obese girls with LOC eating may be distinguished by a failure to engage regions of prefrontal cortex implicated in emotion regulation in response to social distress. The relationship between FFA activation and food intake supports the notion that heightened sensitivity to incoming interpersonal cues and perturbations in socio-emotional neural circuits may lead to overeating in order to cope with negative affect elicited by social discomfort in susceptible youth.
authors.affiliation: Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH), 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Johanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jarcho
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Section on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: marian.tanofsky-kraff@usuhs.edu.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanofsky-Kraff
authors.affiliation: Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH), 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 700 1st Ave S, Fargo, ND 58103, USA.
authors.forename: Scott G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Section on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vannucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Section on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Field
authors.affiliation: Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH), 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Adrienne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Romer
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Section on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hannallah
authors.affiliation: Section on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Sheila M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.affiliation: Section on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Demidowich
authors.affiliation: Section on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Shomaker
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Department, Clinical Center, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Amber B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Courville
authors.affiliation: Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH), 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 15K, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pine
authors.affiliation: Section on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Jack A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Yanovski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000067074:Peer Influence
keywords: Adolescents; Anxiety; Food intake; Loss of control eating; Neural activation; Social distress