Neurobiological and Psychological Maintenance Mechanisms Associated With Anticipatory Reward in Bulimia Nervosa
The purpose of this investigation is to identify the potentially crucial role of anticipatory reward mechanisms maintaining bulimic behavior (i.e., binge eating and purging) in bulimia nervosa (BN). The research will investigate neural and psychological anticipatory processes in BN, both in the scanner and the natural environment.
⁃ Bulimia nervosa (BN) and healthy control (HC) groups:
• Right-handed
• Ability to read and speak in English
⁃ BN group only:
• Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) diagnosis of BN (i.e., at least one objective bulimic episode and one self-induced vomiting episode per week for at three months) with binge episodes always accompanied by self-induced vomiting
• Stable dose for at least 6 weeks of any recent changes in medication impacting mood, appetite, or weight
⁃ HC group only:
• No binge eating or purging episodes for the past three months on the EDE
• No current or past history of an eating disorder as diagnosed by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders