Brain and body factors behind adult avoidant/restrictive eating (ARFID)
Neurobiological Underpinnings of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder in Adults
This work looks at how stress hormones, hunger signals, and brain reactions to food differ in adults who have ARFID compared with people who do not.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11099814 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a group of adults with ARFID and a matched group of people without eating problems to help researchers compare biological patterns. Participants (ages 18–45) will provide blood samples before and after a meal to measure hormones like cortisol, CCK, and ghrelin, and will complete a food-cue brain imaging task to see activity in areas such as the amygdala, anterior cingulate, and orbitofrontal cortex. The team will relate these hormone and brain measures to different ARFID presentations (fear of choking/allergy, low interest in eating, or sensory-based food selectivity). The goal is to link biological signals with the types of symptoms people experience so future treatments can be better targeted.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 18–45 with a current diagnosis of ARFID, including those with fear-based, low-interest, or sensory-selective presentations, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children under 18, adults older than 45, people without ARFID, or those whose primary issue is a different eating disorder would likely not be eligible or benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to biological targets and subtypes that help personalize treatments and reduce weight loss, nutritional problems, and anxiety around eating.
How similar studies have performed: Related hormone and brain-imaging approaches have helped clarify other eating disorders, but studies focused specifically on adult ARFID are limited, so this work is relatively novel for this condition.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thomas, Jennifer Joanne — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Thomas, Jennifer Joanne
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.