How reward, motivation, and learning drive anorexia and bulimia
Incentive Processing and Learning in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa
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 ID | NIH-11251274 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: 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.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
La Jolla, United States
- 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
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.