Identification of Neurocorrelates of Loss of Control Eating

Introduction: Loss of Control (LOC) eating leads to positive energy balance and higher instances of chronic diseases, and is, regardless of the amount consumed, defined as a subjective sense of loss-of-control while eating, difficulty stopping eating, and difficulty preventing oneself from eating. Although research supports the clinical significance of subjective findings LOC, survey instruments as well as their findings may be flawed; objective attestation is needed to confirm the validity of subjective diagnostic questionnaires of LOC. Methods: Embedded within a study examining regional prefrontal cortex activation during eating, we assessed loss of control over eating by questionnaire, and hypothesized that medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity measured during eating preferred food would be greater in those self-reporting "Loss of Control" (LOC) over eating. Seventy-seven adults (41M, 36W) completed the TFEQ, BES and two questionnaires assessing LOC (EDE-Q and Latner LOCES), had anthropometrics measured, and consumed a self-rated preferred food while wearing a fNIRS headband sensor. The ad libitum eating episode lasted between 3 and 10 minutes. Two groups were formed based on whether fNIRS data showed mPFC activation was greater or less than lPFC activation. LOC scores (EDE-Q composite scores: Subjective LOC (EDE-Q questions 9 plus 14); Objective LOC (EDE-Q questions 13 plus 15), and LOCES scores where compared between fNIRS groups. Results: The amount of food consumed was significantly correlated with BES (r = 0.28, p = 0.015), and did not correlate significantly with LOCES, TFEQ-CR, TFEQ-D. The subjective EDE-Q composite score (questions 9 and 14 from the EDE-Q) correlated positively with TFEQ-D, LOCES, and BES, but was lower for the mPFC > lPFC group (1.45 +/- 3.4; lPFC > mPFC = 2.22 +/- 3.9; P = 0.047, respectively, controlled for sex and total eating time). Neither the subjective EDE-Q composite score, nor the objective EDE-Q composite score correlated significantly with anthropometric measures, total eating time, or amount of food eaten. The subjective EDE-Q composite score correlated negatively with lPFC time to peak activity (r = -0.029, p = 0.017). There was no significant correlation of subjective EDE-Q composite score with mPFC time to peak activity, and subjective EDE-Q composite score did not correlate positively with either lPFC or mPFC time to peak activity. Summary: Per our hypothesis, the amount of preferred food consumed correlated positively with BES. Contrary to our predictions, neither EDE-Q composite score (subjective or objective) correlated with amount of preferred food consumed. The subjective composite score did correlate positively, as predicted, with BES, TFEQ-D, and LOCES. In contrast to our prediction, the subjective composite score correlated negatively with lPFC time to peak activity.