Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14–23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation. Clustering analyses at age 23 years (N = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters. BMI PGS, trajectories of ED symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, and brain maturation distinguished these groups. Decreasing volumes and thickness in several brain regions were less pronounced in restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled eaters. Smaller cerebellar volume reductions uniquely mediated the effects of BMI PGS on restrictive eating, whereas smaller volumetric reductions across multiple brain regions mediated the relationship between elevated externalizing problems and emotional/uncontrolled eating, independently of BMI. These findings shed light on distinct contributions of genetic risk, protracted brain maturation and behaviors in ED symptomatology.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 58-70 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Nature Mental Health |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2025 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| ORCID | /0000-0001-5615-3645/work/203808131 |
|---|---|
| ORCID | /0000-0002-8493-6396/work/203813709 |
| ORCID | /0000-0001-5398-5569/work/203814400 |