title: Assessment of the motivation to use artificial sweetener among individuals with an eating disorder.
abstract: Eating disorders are associated with a range of abnormalities in eating behavior. Some individuals consume large amounts of non-caloric artificial sweeteners, suggesting abnormalities in appetitive responding. The current study aimed to quantify hedonic and motivating effects of artificial sweetener in individuals with and without an eating disorder. Two laboratory studies were conducted. Hedonic preference was estimated using the number of artificial sweetener packets (0-10) added to unsweetened cherry flavored Kool-Aid (study 1). Motivation to obtain sweetener was assessed by a progressive ratio (PR) work task (study 2). Ninety-three participants (25 anorexia nervosa restricting type (AN-R), 23 AN binge/purge type (AN-B/P), 20 bulimia nervosa (BN), and 25 normal controls (NC)) completed the study. No significant difference in hedonic preference was found among participant groups. Work completed at the PR task ranged from 0 to 9500 key-board presses. The AN-B/P group had a significantly higher breakpoint and performed significantly more work for sweetener compared to the BN and NC groups. Among AN-B/P and AN-R participants, the preferred number of Equal packets was significantly correlated with the breakpoint and total work. The increased amount of work for sweetener among individuals with AN-B/P supports an enhanced reward value of sweet taste in this population, and suggests that the characteristic food avoidance in AN cannot be accounted for by decreased reward value of all taste-related stimuli. This study also supports the novel application of a PR ratio task to quantify the motivating effect of sweet taste among individuals with an eating disorder.
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Research Unit, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 98, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: js2202@cumc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schebendach
authors.affiliation: New York University, Langone Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, USA.
authors.forename: Diane A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Research Unit, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 98, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Laurel E S
authors.initials: LES
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Research Unit, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 98, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Research Unit, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 98, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.affiliation: Division on Substance Abuse, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 98, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Foltin
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Research Unit, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 98, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: B Timothy
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents
keywords: Anorexia nervosa; Artificial sweetener; Bulimia nervosa; Eating disorders; Hedonics; Ingestive behavior; Motivation; Progressive ratio task; Reward