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1. Implicit attitudes toward eating stimuli differentiate eating disorder and non‐eating disorder groups and predict eating disorder behaviors

   https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22843  

   Smith, April R. ; Forrest, Lauren N. ; Velkoff, Elizabeth A. ; Ribeiro, Jessica D. ; Franklin, Joseph ( February 2018 , International Journal of Eating Disorders)

   The current study tested whether people with and without eating disorders (EDs) varied in their implicit attitudes toward ED‐relevant stimuli. Additionally, the study tested whether implicit evaluations of ED‐relevant stimuli predicted ED symptoms and behaviors over a 4‐week interval.

   Participants were people without EDs (N =85) and people seeking treatment for EDs (N =92). All participants completed self‐report questionnaires and a version of the affect misattribution procedure (AMP) at baseline. The AMP indexed implicit evaluations of average body stimuli, eating stimuli, and ED‐symptom stimuli. Participants with EDs completed weekly follow‐up measures of ED symptoms and behaviors for 4 weeks.

   Contrary to predictions, the anorexia nervosa (AN) group did not differ from the no ED group on implicit attitudes toward ED‐symptom stimuli, and the bulimia nervosa (BN) group had less positive implicit attitudes toward ED‐symptom stimuli relative to the no ED group. In line with predictions, people with AN and BN had more negative implicit attitudes toward average body and eating stimuli relative to the no ED group. In addition, among the ED group more negative implicit attitudes toward eating stimuli predicted ED symptoms and behaviors 4 weeks later, over and above baseline ED symptoms and behaviors.

   Taken together, implicit evaluations of eating stimuli differentiated people with AN and BN from people without EDs and longitudinally predicted ED symptoms and behaviors. Interventions that increase implicit liking of eating‐related stimuli may reduce ED behaviors.

    

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2. Elevated perceived threat is associated with reduced hippocampal volume in combat veterans

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-51533-x  

   Grupe, Daniel W. ; Hushek, Benjamin A. ; Davis, Kaley ; Schoen, Andrew J. ; Wielgosz, Joseph ; Nitschke, Jack B. ; Davidson, Richard J. ( October 2019 , Scientific Reports)

   Reduced hippocampal volume is frequently observed in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the psychological processes associated with these alterations remain unclear. Given hippocampal involvement in memory and contextual representations of threat, we investigated relationships between retrospectively reported combat exposure, perceived threat, and hippocampal volume in trauma-exposed veterans. T1-weighted anatomical MRI scans were obtained from 56 veterans (4 women, 52 men; 39 with elevated PTSD symptoms, “PTSS” group) and hippocampal volume was estimated using automatic segmentation tools in FreeSurfer. Hippocampal volume was regressed on self-reported perceived threat from the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory, and combat exposure from the Combat Exposure Scale. As a secondary analysis, hippocampal volume was regressed on Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) symptoms. In veterans with elevated PTSD symptoms, hippocampal volume was inversely related to perceived threat while deployed while controlling for self-reported combat exposure. Hippocampal volume was also inversely correlated with avoidance/numbing CAPS symptoms. Future research should clarify the temporal milieu of these effects and investigate whether individual differences in hippocampal structure and function contribute to heightened threat appraisal at the time of trauma vs. subsequently elevated appraisals of traumatic events.

    

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3. Residential eating disorder outcomes associated with screening positive for substance use disorder and borderline personality disorder

   https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23028  

   Weigel, Thomas J. ; Wang, Shirley B. ; Thomas, Jennifer J. ; Eddy, Kamryn T. ; Pierce, Casey ; Zanarini, Mary C. ; Fitzmaurice, Garrett ; Busch, Alisa ( February 2019 , International Journal of Eating Disorders)

   We examined whether eating disorder (ED) outcome trajectories during residential treatment differed for patients screening positive for comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD) and/or substance use disorders (SUDs) than those who do not.

   We examined data from patients in a residential ED treatment program. Patients completed validated self‐report surveys to screen for SUDs and BPD on admission, and the ED Examination‐Questionnaire (EDE‐Q) on admission and every 2 weeks until discharge (N= 479 females).

   Fifty‐four percent screened positive for at least one co‐occurring condition. At admission, patients screening positive for SUD and/or BPD had significantly greater eating pathology than patients screening negative for both (t[477] = 8.23,p< .001). Patients screening positive for SUD (independent of BPD screening status) had a significantly faster rate of symptom improvement during the initial 4 weeks than patients screening positive for BPD only and those with no comorbidities.

   Screening positive for SUD and/or BPD was common in residential ED treatment, and associated with more severe ED symptoms. Screening positive for SUD was associated with faster ED symptom improvement than screening positive for BPD. These findings suggest that intensive ED treatment, even in the absence of intensive SUD treatment, may enhance patient outcomes for those with SUDs.

    

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4. Photobiomodulation prevents PTSD-like memory impairments in rats

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01088-z  

   Li, Yong ; Dong, Yan ; Yang, Luodan ; Tucker, Lorelei ; Zong, Xuemei ; Brann, Darrell ; Hamblin, Michael R. ; Vazdarjanova, Almira ; Zhang, Quanguang ( April 2021 , Molecular Psychiatry)

   A precise fear memory encoding a traumatic event enables an individual to avoid danger and identify safety. An impaired fear memory (contextual amnesia), however, puts the individual at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the inability to identify a safe context when encountering trauma-associated cues later in life. Although it is gaining attention that contextual amnesia is a critical etiologic factor for PTSD, there is no treatment currently available that can reverse contextual amnesia, and whether such treatment can prevent the development of PTSD is unknown. Here, we report that (I) a single dose of transcranial photobiomodulation (PBM) applied immediately after tone fear conditioning can reverse contextual amnesia. PBM treatment preserved an appropriately high level of contextual fear memory in rats revisiting the “dangerous” context, while control rats displayed memory impairment. (II) A single dose of PBM applied after memory recall can reduce contextual fear during both contextual and cued memory testing. (III) In a model of complex PTSD with repeated trauma, rats given early PBM interventions efficiently discriminated safety from danger during cued memory testing and, importantly, these rats did not develop PTSD-like symptoms and comorbidities. (IV) Finally, we report that fear extinction was facilitated when PBM was applied in the early intervention window of memory consolidation. Our results demonstrate that PBM treatment applied immediately after a traumatic event or its memory recall can protect contextual fear memory and prevent the development of PTSD-like psychopathological fear in rats.

    

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5. Comparing eating disorder characteristics and treatment in self‐identified competitive athletes and non‐athletes from the National Eating Disorders Association online screening tool

   https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23415  

   Flatt, Rachael E. ; Thornton, Laura M. ; Fitzsimmons‐Craft, Ellen E. ; Balantekin, Katherine N. ; Smolar, Lauren ; Mysko, Claire ; Wilfley, Denise E. ; Taylor, C. Barr ; DeFreese, J. D. ; Bardone‐Cone, Anna M. ; et al ( November 2020 , International Journal of Eating Disorders)

   We compared eating disorder (ED) characteristics and treatment seeking behaviors between self‐identified competitive athletes and non‐athletes in a large, community‐based sample.

   During the 2018 National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, 23,920 respondents, 14.7% of whom identified as competitive athletes, completed the National Eating Disorders Association online screen. Data were collected on demographics, disordered eating behaviors, probable ED diagnosis/risk, treatment history, and intent to seek treatment.

   The sample was predominantly White (81.8%), female (90.3%), and between 13 and 24 years (82.6%). Over 86% met criteria for an ED/subthreshold ED, and of those, only 2.5% were in treatment. Suicidal ideation was reported in over half of the sample. Athletes reported a significantly greater likelihood of engaging in and more frequent excessive exercise episodes than non‐athletes. Athletes also reported a significantly lower likelihood of engaging in and less frequent binge‐eating episodes compared with non‐athletes. Athletes were more likely to screen positive for an ED/subthreshold ED than non‐athletes, but percentages across all probable ED diagnoses were similar. No significant differences between athletes and non‐athletes emerged on treatment history or intention to seek treatment post‐screen (less than 30%).

   Although the distribution of probable ED diagnoses was similar in athletes and non‐athletes, symptom profiles related to disordered eating behavior engagement and frequency may differ. Athletes may be less likely to seek treatment due to stigma, accessibility, and sport‐specific barriers. Future work should directly connect survey respondents to tailored treatment tools and increase motivation to seek treatment.

    

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