Reward-related decision making in eating and weight disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence from neuropsychological studies

TY - JOUR

T1 - Reward-related decision making in eating and weight disorders

T2 - A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence from neuropsychological studies

AU - Wu, Mudan

AU - Brockmeyer, Timo

AU - Hartmann, Mechthild

AU - Skunde, Mandy

AU - Herzog, Wolfgang

AU - Friederich, Hans-Christoph

N1 - Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2016/2/1

Y1 - 2016/2/1

N2 - Eating disorders (EDs) and overweight/obesity (OW/OB) are serious public health concerns that share common neuropsychological features and patterns of disturbed eating. Reward-related decision making as a basic neurocognitive function may trans-diagnostically underlie both pathological overeating and restricted eating. The present meta-analysis synthesizes the evidence from N=82 neuropsychological studies for altered reward-related decision making in all ED subtypes, OW and OB. The overall effect sizes for the differences between currently-ill ED patients and OW/OB people and controls were Hedge's g=-0.49 [CI: -0.63; -0.35], and Hedge's g=-0.39 [CI: -0.53; -0.25], respectively. Decision making was found to be altered to similar degrees in all ED subtypes and OB. Effect sizes, however, diverged for the different measures of decision making. Adolescents appear to be less affected than adults. When foods were used as rewarding stimuli, decision making was found to be intact in OB. The findings support that altered general reward-related decision making is a salient neuropsychological factor across eating and weight disorders in adulthood.

AB - Eating disorders (EDs) and overweight/obesity (OW/OB) are serious public health concerns that share common neuropsychological features and patterns of disturbed eating. Reward-related decision making as a basic neurocognitive function may trans-diagnostically underlie both pathological overeating and restricted eating. The present meta-analysis synthesizes the evidence from N=82 neuropsychological studies for altered reward-related decision making in all ED subtypes, OW and OB. The overall effect sizes for the differences between currently-ill ED patients and OW/OB people and controls were Hedge's g=-0.49 [CI: -0.63; -0.35], and Hedge's g=-0.39 [CI: -0.53; -0.25], respectively. Decision making was found to be altered to similar degrees in all ED subtypes and OB. Effect sizes, however, diverged for the different measures of decision making. Adolescents appear to be less affected than adults. When foods were used as rewarding stimuli, decision making was found to be intact in OB. The findings support that altered general reward-related decision making is a salient neuropsychological factor across eating and weight disorders in adulthood.

U2 - 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.11.017

DO - 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.11.017

M3 - Article

C2 - 26698021

SN - 0149-7634

VL - 61

SP - 177

EP - 196

JO - Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews

JF - Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews

ER -