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Early life adversity and disordered eating: cognitive and neural mechanisms
The mosaic brain evolution perspective posits that the relative sizes and functions of brain regions adapt in response to environmental conditions and behavioral motivations. This review examines how early life adversity induces alterations in brain structure, function, and cognitive processing of food-related cues. Notably, specific developmental patterns in the brain are linked to increased risks of disordered eating, which in turn elevates the likelihood of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. The synthesis of findings reveals aberrant indices of brain development, trajectories of neural growth, and neural markers associated with the cognitive processing of food cues. The review concludes by discussing the implications of early life adversity on disordered eating through these irregular brain development patterns, providing a foundation for future research and intervention strategies targeting disordered eating behaviors. [Early life adversity, eating disorders, cognitive processing, disordered eating behaviors]
Year: 2025
