Mirror Exposure Training for Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa (MIRADAN): Cognitive Mechanisms of Body Disturbance - A Study Protocol.

Background: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a severe mental illness, which typically develops in adolescence and, if left untreated, often becomes chronic. Body dissatisfaction is a core characteristic of AN. Mirror exposure (ME) is an effective therapeutic technique to tackle body dissatisfaction in adult patients with eating disorders, but there is limited evidence for the effects of ME in adolescence.

Skill Improvement Through Learning in Therapy (SKILT): A Study Protocol for a Randomized Trial Testing the Direct Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skill Acquisition and Role of Learning Capacity in Depression.

Background: To improve psychological treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), a better understanding on how symptoms ameliorate during treatment is essential. In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), it is unclear whether procedures focused on the acquisition of CBT skills play a causal role in the improvement of CBT skills. In this randomized trial, we isolate a single CBT Skill Acquisition Procedure (CBTSAP) and test its direct effects on CBT skills and related therapy processes (i.

A randomised controlled feasibility study of food-related computerised attention training versus mindfulness training and waiting-list control for adults with overweight or obesity: the FOCUS study.

Background: In a feasibility randomised controlled trial in people with overweight/obesity with and without binge eating disorder (BED) symptoms, we assessed eight weekly sessions of attention bias modification training (ABMT) and mindfulness training (MT) versus waiting list (WL) and explored potential mechanisms.

Methods: 45 participants were randomly allocated to one of three trial arms. Primary outcomes were recruitment, retention and treatment adherence rates.

Healthy cravings? Impact of imagined healthy food consumption on craving for healthy foods and motivation to eat healthily - Results of an initial experimental study.

Craving for high-calorie foods predicts consumption of high-calorie foods thereby contributing to unhealthy eating habits and, potentially in the long term, to the development of overweight, obesity, and eating disorder pathology. Thus, effective interventions tackling craving for unhealthy foods and motivating healthy eating behavior are needed. This initial study tested if an experimental mental imagery procedure could induce craving for healthy foods and increase the motivation to eat healthily.

The traces of imagination: early attention bias toward positively imagined stimuli.

Positively imagined activities may capture visual attention due to an increase in positive value. Increasing attention toward activities, in turn, may prove useful for clinical interventions aiming to motivate behavioral engagement. Employing a within-subject experimental design, we examined the effect of positive imagery on attention using a visual probe task with concurrent eye tracking.

Body Exposure, its Forms of Delivery and Potentially Associated Working Mechanisms: How to Move the Field Forward.

Background: Body image disturbance (BID) is a hallmark feature of eating disorders (EDs) and has proven to be involved in their etiology and maintenance. Therefore, the targeting of BID in treatment is crucial, and has been incorporated in various treatment manuals. One of the most common techniques in the treatment of BID is body exposure (BE), the confrontation with one's own body.

The outcomes of mindfulness-based interventions for Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) for weight loss and overeating-related behaviours have recently gained popularity. Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses included studies of variable quality, which hinders interpretation of results. This meta-analysis examined only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of MBIs with control groups primarily encouraging either dietary or exercise-based behavioural change in individuals with overweight/obesity and/or binge eating disorder (BED).

Prospective Mental Imagery in Depression: Impact on Reward Processing and Reward-Motivated Behaviour.

Background: Mental imagery has long been part of cognitive behavioural therapies. More recently, a resurgence of interest has emerged for prospective mental imagery, i.e.

Food-related attentional bias and its associations with appetitive motivation and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Theoretical models suggest that food-related visual attentional bias (AB) may be related to appetitive motivational states and individual differences in body weight; however, findings in this area are equivocal. We conducted a systematic review and series of meta-analyses to determine if there is a positive association between food-related AB and: (1.) body mass index (BMI) (number of effect sizes (k) = 110), (2.

Study protocol of a randomised controlled feasibility study of food-related computerised attention training versus mindfulness training and waiting-list control for adults with overweight or obesity.

Background: Obesity is a highly prevalent condition with multiple adverse health consequences. Widely available first-line treatments for obesity, such as dietary and other lifestyle interventions, typically have only short-term effects. Thus, new treatment approaches are needed.

Food related attention bias modification training for anorexia nervosa and its potential underpinning mechanisms.

Treatment outcomes in anorexia nervosa (AN) remain suboptimal, evidencing the need for better and more targeted treatments. Whilst the aetiology of AN is complex, cognitive processes such as attention bias (AB) have been proposed to contribute to maintaining food restriction behaviour. Attention bias modification raining (ABMT) has been investigated in other eating disorders (EDs) such as binge eating disorder (BED) as a means of modifying AB for food and of changing eating behaviour.

Same, same but different: Attention bias for food cues in adults and adolescents with anorexia nervosa.

Objective: Attention processing for food may be biased in people with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). However, previous studies have had inconsistent results. This is likely to be due to indirect assessment of attention, which does not inform on the underlying attention processes, and/or the heterogeneity of participants across studies, testing either adults or adolescents with AN, that is, people at very different developmental and illness stages.

Test-retest reliability of attention bias for food: Robust eye-tracking and reaction time indices.

This study assessed internal reliability and test-retest reliability of attention bias scores for food derived from the dot probe task. A visual dot probe task with food and non-food pictures (presented for 3000 ms) was administered to 53 healthy women on two occasions. Attention bias scores for food were calculated based on manual response latencies (reaction time bias) and concurrent assessment of eye-movements (direction bias and dwell-time bias).

Dynamics of attentional bias for food in adults, children, and restrained eaters.

Objective: Empirical evidence of attentional bias (AB) for food in obese and restrained eaters is contradictory. It has been suggested that AB for food in obese people might reflect both food craving and food-related concerns. Thus, AB for food may be a dynamic process.

Randomised controlled feasibility trial of real versus sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment in adults with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa: the TIARA study.

Objective: Treatment options for severe, enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN) are limited. Non-invasive neuromodulation is a promising emerging intervention. Our study is a feasibility randomised controlled trial of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in individuals with SE-AN, which aims to inform the design of a future large-scale trial.

Dutch courage? Effects of acute alcohol consumption on self-ratings and observer ratings of foreign language skills.

Aims: A popular belief is that alcohol improves the ability to speak in a foreign language. The effect of acute alcohol consumption on perceived foreign language performance and actual foreign language performance in foreign language learners has not been investigated. The aim of the current study was to test the effects of acute alcohol consumption on self-rated and observer-rated verbal foreign language performance in participants who have recently learned this language.

The role of attentional bias in obesity and addiction.

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to critically evaluate the following claims derived from contemporary theoretical models of attentional bias (AB) for food- and drug-related stimuli: (a) AB is a characteristic feature of obesity and addiction, (b) AB predicts future behavior, (c) AB exerts a causal influence on consummatory behavior, and (d) AB reflects appetitive motivational processes.

Method: A focused discussion of the relevant literature is presented.

Results: The available evidence reveals inconsistencies with the aforementioned claims.

Make up your mind about food: A healthy mindset attenuates attention for high-calorie food in restrained eaters.

Attention bias for food could be a cognitive pathway to overeating in obesity and restrained eating. Yet, empirical evidence for individual differences (e.g.

Clinical outcomes and neural correlates of 20 sessions of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (the TIARA study): study protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental disorder with multiple comorbidities and complications. In those with a severe and enduring form of the illness (SEED-AN), treatment responsivity is poor and the evidence base limited. Thus, there is a need for novel treatment strategies.

Food through the child's eye: An eye-tracking study on attentional bias for food in healthy-weight children and children with obesity.

Objective: Obesity prevalence among children is high and knowledge on cognitive factors that contribute to children's reactivity to the "obesogenic" food environment could help to design effective treatment and prevention campaigns. Empirical studies in adults suggest that attention bias for food could be a risk factor for overeating. Accordingly, the current study tested if children with obesity have an elevated attention bias for food when compared to healthy-weight children.

Bits and pieces. Food texture influences food acceptance in young children.

Background: Picky or fussy eating is common in early childhood and associated with a decreased preference for a variety of foods. The aim of the current study was to test experimentally which sensory food feature influences food acceptance, which, in turn is an indication for fussy eating, in young children (32 - 48 months). Another aim was to evaluate if the behavioural measurement of food acceptance is related to parental reports of their child's fussy eating behaviour, parental feeding styles and children's BMI.

Worry or craving? A selective review of evidence for food-related attention biases in obese individuals, eating-disorder patients, restrained eaters and healthy samples.

Living in an 'obesogenic' environment poses a serious challenge for weight maintenance. However, many people are able to maintain a healthy weight indicating that not everybody is equally susceptible to the temptations of this food environment. The way in which someone perceives and reacts to food cues, that is, cognitive processes, could underlie differences in susceptibility.

Looking at food in sad mood: do attention biases lead emotional eaters into overeating after a negative mood induction?

Background: Emotional eating is associated with overeating and the development of obesity. Yet, empirical evidence for individual (trait) differences in emotional eating and cognitive mechanisms that contribute to eating during sad mood remain equivocal.

Aim: The aim of this study was to test if attention bias for food moderates the effect of self-reported emotional eating during sad mood (vs neutral mood) on actual food intake.

Attention bias for chocolate increases chocolate consumption--an attention bias modification study.

Objective: The current study examined experimentally whether a manipulated attention bias for food cues increases craving, chocolate intake and motivation to search for hidden chocolates.

Method: To test the effect of attention for food on subsequent chocolate intake, attention for chocolate was experimentally modified by instructing participants to look at chocolate stimuli ("attend chocolate" group) or at non-food stimuli ("attend shoes" group) during a novel attention bias modification task (antisaccade task). Chocolate consumption, changes in craving and search time for hidden chocolates were assessed.