Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study

on behalf of the IMAGEN Consortium; Xinyang Yu; Zuo Zhang; Moritz Herle; Tobias Banaschewski; Gareth J. Barker; Arun L.W. Bokde; Herta Flor; Antoine Grigis; Hugh Garavan; Penny Gowland; Andreas Heinz; Rüdiger Brühl; Jean Luc Martinot; Marie Laure Paillère Martinot; Eric Artiges; Frauke Nees; Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos; Hervé Lemaître; Tomáš Paus; Luise Poustka; Sarah Hohmann; Nathalie Holz; Christian Bäuchl; Michael N. Smolka; Nilakshi Vaidya; Henrik Walter; Robert Whelan; Ulrike Schmidt; Gunter Schumann; Sylvane Desrivières; Juliane H. Fröhner; Bernd Ittermann; Christian Büchel; Uli Bromberg

doi:10.1038/s44220-024-00354-7

Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study

on behalf of the IMAGEN Consortium, Xinyang Yu, Zuo Zhang, Moritz Herle, Tobias Banaschewski, Gareth J. Barker, Arun L.W. Bokde, Herta Flor, Antoine Grigis, Hugh Garavan, Penny Gowland, Andreas Heinz, Rüdiger Brühl, Jean Luc Martinot, Marie Laure Paillère Martinot, Eric Artiges, Frauke Nees, Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos, Hervé Lemaître, Tomáš PausLuise Poustka, Sarah Hohmann, Nathalie Holz, Christian Bäuchl, Michael N. Smolka, Nilakshi Vaidya, Henrik Walter, Robert Whelan, Ulrike Schmidt, Gunter Schumann, Sylvane Desrivières^*, Juliane H. Fröhner, Bernd Ittermann, Christian Büchel, Uli Bromberg

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14–23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation. Clustering analyses at age 23 years (N = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters. BMI PGS, trajectories of ED symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, and brain maturation distinguished these groups. Decreasing volumes and thickness in several brain regions were less pronounced in restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled eaters. Smaller cerebellar volume reductions uniquely mediated the effects of BMI PGS on restrictive eating, whereas smaller volumetric reductions across multiple brain regions mediated the relationship between elevated externalizing problems and emotional/uncontrolled eating, independently of BMI. These findings shed light on distinct contributions of genetic risk, protracted brain maturation and behaviors in ED symptomatology.

Original language	English
Article number	3
Pages (from-to)	58-70
Number of pages	13
Journal	Nature Mental Health
Volume	3
Issue number	1
Early online date	10 Jan 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00354-7
Publication status	Published - Jan 2025

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on behalf of the IMAGEN Consortium, Yu, X., Zhang, Z., Herle, M., Banaschewski, T., Barker, G. J., Bokde, A. L. W., Flor, H., Grigis, A., Garavan, H., Gowland, P., Heinz, A., Brühl, R., Martinot, J. L., Martinot, M. L. P., Artiges, E., Nees, F., Orfanos, D. P., Lemaître, H., ... Bromberg, U. (2025). Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study. Nature Mental Health , 3(1), 58-70. Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00354-7

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title = "Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study",

abstract = "Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14–23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation. Clustering analyses at age 23 years (N = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters. BMI PGS, trajectories of ED symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, and brain maturation distinguished these groups. Decreasing volumes and thickness in several brain regions were less pronounced in restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled eaters. Smaller cerebellar volume reductions uniquely mediated the effects of BMI PGS on restrictive eating, whereas smaller volumetric reductions across multiple brain regions mediated the relationship between elevated externalizing problems and emotional/uncontrolled eating, independently of BMI. These findings shed light on distinct contributions of genetic risk, protracted brain maturation and behaviors in ED symptomatology.",

author = "{on behalf of the IMAGEN Consortium} and Xinyang Yu and Zuo Zhang and Moritz Herle and Tobias Banaschewski and Barker, {Gareth J.} and Bokde, {Arun L.W.} and Herta Flor and Antoine Grigis and Hugh Garavan and Penny Gowland and Andreas Heinz and R{\"u}diger Br{\"u}hl and Martinot, {Jean Luc} and Martinot, {Marie Laure Paill{\`e}re} and Eric Artiges and Frauke Nees and Orfanos, {Dimitri Papadopoulos} and Herv{\'e} Lema{\^i}tre and Tom{\'a}{\v s} Paus and Luise Poustka and Sarah Hohmann and Nathalie Holz and Christian B{\"a}uchl and Smolka, {Michael N.} and Nilakshi Vaidya and Henrik Walter and Robert Whelan and Ulrike Schmidt and Gunter Schumann and Sylvane Desrivi{\`e}res and Fr{\"o}hner, {Juliane H.} and Bernd Ittermann and Christian B{\"u}chel and Uli Bromberg",

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doi = "10.1038/s44220-024-00354-7",

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on behalf of the IMAGEN Consortium, Yu, X , Zhang, Z , Herle, M, Banaschewski, T, Barker, GJ, Bokde, ALW, Flor, H, Grigis, A, Garavan, H, Gowland, P, Heinz, A, Brühl, R, Martinot, JL, Martinot, MLP, Artiges, E, Nees, F, Orfanos, DP, Lemaître, H, Paus, T, Poustka, L, Hohmann, S, Holz, N, Bäuchl, C, Smolka, MN, Vaidya, N, Walter, H, Whelan, R, Schmidt, U, Schumann, G, Desrivières, S, Fröhner, JH, Ittermann, B, Büchel, C & Bromberg, U 2025, 'Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study', Nature Mental Health , vol. 3, no. 1, 3, pp. 58-70. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00354-7

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AU - Yu, Xinyang

AU - Zhang, Zuo

AU - Herle, Moritz

AU - Banaschewski, Tobias

AU - Barker, Gareth J.

AU - Bokde, Arun L.W.

AU - Flor, Herta

AU - Grigis, Antoine

AU - Garavan, Hugh

AU - Gowland, Penny

AU - Heinz, Andreas

AU - Brühl, Rüdiger

AU - Martinot, Jean Luc

AU - Martinot, Marie Laure Paillère

AU - Artiges, Eric

AU - Nees, Frauke

AU - Orfanos, Dimitri Papadopoulos

AU - Lemaître, Hervé

AU - Paus, Tomáš

AU - Poustka, Luise

AU - Hohmann, Sarah

AU - Holz, Nathalie

AU - Bäuchl, Christian

AU - Smolka, Michael N.

AU - Vaidya, Nilakshi

AU - Walter, Henrik

AU - Whelan, Robert

AU - Schmidt, Ulrike

AU - Schumann, Gunter

AU - Desrivières, Sylvane

AU - Fröhner, Juliane H.

AU - Ittermann, Bernd

AU - Büchel, Christian

AU - Bromberg, Uli

PY - 2025/1

Y1 - 2025/1

N2 - Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14–23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation. Clustering analyses at age 23 years (N = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters. BMI PGS, trajectories of ED symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, and brain maturation distinguished these groups. Decreasing volumes and thickness in several brain regions were less pronounced in restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled eaters. Smaller cerebellar volume reductions uniquely mediated the effects of BMI PGS on restrictive eating, whereas smaller volumetric reductions across multiple brain regions mediated the relationship between elevated externalizing problems and emotional/uncontrolled eating, independently of BMI. These findings shed light on distinct contributions of genetic risk, protracted brain maturation and behaviors in ED symptomatology.

AB - Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14–23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation. Clustering analyses at age 23 years (N = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters. BMI PGS, trajectories of ED symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, and brain maturation distinguished these groups. Decreasing volumes and thickness in several brain regions were less pronounced in restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled eaters. Smaller cerebellar volume reductions uniquely mediated the effects of BMI PGS on restrictive eating, whereas smaller volumetric reductions across multiple brain regions mediated the relationship between elevated externalizing problems and emotional/uncontrolled eating, independently of BMI. These findings shed light on distinct contributions of genetic risk, protracted brain maturation and behaviors in ED symptomatology.

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DO - 10.1038/s44220-024-00354-7

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JO - Nature Mental Health

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Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study

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