• April 25, 2024

Spanish researchers recently demonstrated that there are alterations in the circuits of the dopamine which are implicated in some eating disorders, as well as the link between anorexy Y obesity .

The study, carried out by scientists from Institute for Biomedical Research in the Network-Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), the Bellvitge Research Institute and the University of Barcelona , identifies the common phenotypic characteristics of Eating Disorders and the obesity with recurrent episodes, related to negative emotions and / or dietary restriction.

To achieve this, tests were applied to groups of people in extreme weight conditions, such as anorexia nervosa and obesity , whose results, according to the research, support the hypothesis that decision-making capacity is affected in these people.

Impulsiveness and rigidity

Deficits in decision making, inhibition of response and cognitive flexibility of anorexic and obese, underscore the importance of proper executive functioning for the satisfactory control of eating behavior, the study notes.

The performance of obese subjects in these areas could be associated with a high level of impulsiveness , because impulsive people show limitations in learning the appropriate associations between reward and punishment.

Consequently, the obese have a reduced capacity to delay gratification, showing a impulsiveness characterized by overeating and weight gain. As long as the behavior of people with anorexia nervosa It is rigid and obsessive, with a high resistance to changes, in contrast to the obese.

Factors that share

Among the factors that anorexics and obese can share is executive dysfunction, characterized mainly by alterations in the ability to make decisions, inhibit inappropriate responses and show cognitive flexibility.

In addition, studies of neuroimaging indicate that alterations in the circuits of the dopamine are involved in some eating behaviors and drug abuse.
 

According to the research, conducted in women between 18 and 60 years, subjects in extreme weight situations show a similar executive pattern, which could be playing a role in the development and maintenance of these disorders.

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