How reward, motivation, and learning drive anorexia and bulimia
Official title: Incentive Processing and Learning in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11251274 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how people with anorexia or bulimia experience pleasure, motivation, and learning about food to understand why disordered eating keeps happening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $713,191 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH125880-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251274 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (18 years and older) diagnosed with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa who can attend in-person visits at the study site are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People under 18, those without an eating disorder diagnosis, or individuals who cannot undergo in-person testing (for example, MRI) are unlikely to be eligible or benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
You would take part in behavioral tasks that measure 'liking' (how pleasant food feels), 'wanting' (motivation to get food), and learning about rewards and punishments. The team combines these tasks with brain imaging that focuses on frontostriatal circuits linked to reward processing. They compare people with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa to control participants to find shared and distinct patterns. The work may also include clinical interviews and biological markers to link behavior and brain function with symptom history.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new treatment targets that better address the reward and learning problems that keep eating disorders going.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has found altered reward sensitivity in eating disorders, but applying a multi-part 'liking, wanting, and learning' framework together with brain imaging is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wierenga, Christina E — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Wierenga, Christina E
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how people with anorexia and bulimia process rewards and learn from experiences
This study is looking at why some people with eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia, struggle with food even when it hurts them, by exploring how their brains respond to rewards and learn from their experiences, and it invites patients to share their thoughts and feelings about eating.
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Understanding how avoidance affects decision-making in anorexia and bulimia
This study is looking at how the way we learn to avoid bad experiences affects eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, with the hope of finding better ways to help people who struggle with these issues.
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A research study will explore how habitual eating patterns and brain systems keep anorexia nervosa going, and how these habits might change when people recover.
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Online guided self-help family-based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa
A study is testing a guided self-help version of a proven family-based therapy to help adolescents with anorexia nervosa receive effective treatment more efficiently in real-world clinics.
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Ketogenic Diet for Weight-Recovered Anorexia Nervosa to Support Metabolism and Eating-Disorder Symptoms
A research project will test a ketogenic diet to see if it helps people who have recovered weight from anorexia nervosa by normalizing brain metabolism and reducing core eating-disorder thoughts and behaviors.
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Point-of-care RH risk tool for refeeding in anorexia nervosa
A quick, clinician-friendly risk tool helps predict who with anorexia nervosa might develop dangerous low phosphorus during hospitalization, guiding safer feeding and monitoring.
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.