Cognitive function in binge eating disorder and food addiction: A systematic review and three-level meta-analysis

Recent studies have examined how cognitive functioning affects eating behaviors in great detail. The degree of cognitive impairment in food addiction (FA) and binge eating disorder (BED) is largely unknown. This study by Iceta et al. (2021) aimed to characterize neurocognitive functioning in people with BED and FA, utilizing performances on neuropsychological tasks in the presence of neutral stimuli. Studies that reported neurocognitive evaluations in BED or FA up to December 2019 were found using Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and grey literature (ProQuest and OpenGrey). Studies underwent three-level meta-analyses. Analysis of the literature revealed that global cognitive deficits were shown to have a substantial overall effect, indicating that those with BED or FA perform worse on cognitive tests. Individuals with BED performed worse on tests evaluating inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, attention, and planning, according to analyses for certain cognitive domains. Due to a paucity of studies, investigations addressing FA were equivocal. As a consequence, the outcomes were qualitatively summarized. The authors conclude that their meta-analysis brought attention to the cognitive deficits that appear to be associated with BED and the need to incorporate them in the diagnosis and care of this disorder, in addition to emphasizing the paucity of high-quality research on FA’s cognitive characteristics. [NPID: Binge eating disorder, executive function, food addiction, neurocognition, meta-analysis]

Year: 2021

Reference: Iceta, S., Rodrigue, C., Legendre, M., Daoust, J., Flaudias, V., Michaud, A., & Bégin, C. (2021). Cognitive function in binge eating disorder and food addiction: A systematic review and three-level meta-analysis. Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry, 111, 110400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110400

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