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Behavioral Sciences
Special Issues
Psychopathological Analysis and Intervention for Anorexia Nervosa: Using Associative‐Learning Mechanisms
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Psychopathological Analysis and Intervention for Anorexia Nervosa: Using Associative‐Learning Mechanisms

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatric, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 April 2024) | Viewed by 9544

Special Issue Editor

Dr. David García-Burgos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychobiology, University of Granada, 18100 Granada, Spain
Interests: a better understanding of the role of learning processes in the acquisition and maintenance of eating- and weight-related problems moving from basic research to preclinical-experimental studies with patients, healthy humans and animal models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Limited therapeutic success in anorexia nervosa represents an ongoing challenge for both clinicians and scientists. In this context, the application of an associative learning framework in psychopathology of anorexia nervosa holds great promise for advancing research of eating disorders as it provides new and exciting avenues for research and experiments in this field. As an interdisciplinary and translational platform, the associative learning framework offers a mechanism-oriented approach that enables the integration of current findings from neuroscience and experimental psychopathology; including behavioral, neurobiological and pharmacological data from animals, healthy individuals and patients. Consequently, this Special Issue aims to provide readers with the latest state-of-the art research regarding the exploration of anorexia nervosa using associative learning mechanisms. We welcome theoretical and/or empirical contributions that broaden the knowledge in this area in order to enable us to successfully improve the clinical practice of anorexia nervosa.

Dr. David García-Burgos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anorexia nervosa
  • associative learning
  • conditioning
  • eating disorders
  • psychopathology

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 206 KiB  
Editorial
The Role of Associative Learning in Current Paradigm Shifts in Eating Disorder Research and Clinical Practice
by David Garcia-Burgos
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(11), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12110451 - 14 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1137
Abstract
This editorial is an introduction to the Special Issue “Psychopathological analysis and intervention for anorexia nervosa: using associative-learning mechanisms” [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychopathological Analysis and Intervention for Anorexia Nervosa: Using Associative‐Learning Mechanisms)

Research

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14 pages, 820 KiB  
Article
From Bad to Worse: Safety Behaviors Exacerbate Eating Disorder Fears
by Michelle Spix, Hanna Melles and Anita Jansen
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(7), 574; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13070574 - 11 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1441
Abstract
When evaluating ambiguous situations, humans sometimes use their behavior as a source of information (behavior-as-information effect) and interpret safety behaviors as evidence for danger. Accordingly, we hypothesized that eating disorder safety behaviors (restrictive eating, body checking, etc.) might aggravate fear and anxiety in [...] Read more.
When evaluating ambiguous situations, humans sometimes use their behavior as a source of information (behavior-as-information effect) and interpret safety behaviors as evidence for danger. Accordingly, we hypothesized that eating disorder safety behaviors (restrictive eating, body checking, etc.) might aggravate fear and anxiety in individuals with an eating disorder. The present study tested to what extent eating disorder safety behaviors increase threat perception in individuals with and without an eating disorder. For this, 108 individuals with a self-reported eating disorder diagnosis and 82 healthy controls rated the dangerousness of several short situations. The situations systematically varied in the presence of eating disorder safety behaviors and danger information. As expected, all participants perceived situations in which the protagonist executed an eating disorder safety behavior as more threatening than situations without a safety behavior. This ‘behavior-as-information’ effect was equally strong in individuals with and without an eating disorder. Additionally, safety behaviors strengthened threat perception more in safe situations than in dangerous situations. To conclude, the presence of eating disorder safety behavior can increase threat perception regardless of whether individuals have an eating disorder or not. This makes eating disorder safety behaviors a potential risk factor for the development and maintenance of eating disorder fears. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychopathological Analysis and Intervention for Anorexia Nervosa: Using Associative‐Learning Mechanisms)
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Review

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22 pages, 1572 KiB  
Review
Habits and Persistent Food Restriction in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa: A Scoping Review
by Ismara Santos Rocha Conceição, David Garcia-Burgos, Patrícia Fortes Cavalcanti de Macêdo, Carina Marcia Magalhães Nepomuceno, Emile Miranda Pereira, Carla de Magalhães Cunha, Camila Duarte Ferreira Ribeiro and Mônica Leila Portela de Santana
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110883 - 25 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1467
Abstract
The aetiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) presents a puzzle for researchers. Recent research has sought to understand the behavioural and neural mechanisms of these patients’ persistent choice of calorie restriction. This scoping review aims to map the literature on the contribution of habit-based [...] Read more.
The aetiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) presents a puzzle for researchers. Recent research has sought to understand the behavioural and neural mechanisms of these patients’ persistent choice of calorie restriction. This scoping review aims to map the literature on the contribution of habit-based learning to food restriction in AN. PRISMA-ScR guidelines were adopted. The search strategy was applied to seven databases and to grey literature. A total of 35 studies were included in this review. The results indicate that the habit-based learning model has gained substantial attention in current research, employing neuroimaging methods, scales, and behavioural techniques. Food choices were strongly associated with dorsal striatum activity, and habitual food restriction based on the self-report restriction index was associated with clinical impairment in people chronically ill with restricting AN. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) and Regulating Emotions and Changing Habits (REaCH) have emerged as potential treatments. Future research should employ longitudinal studies to investigate the time required for habit-based learning and analyse how developmental status, such as adolescence, influences the role of habits in the progression and severity of diet-related illnesses. Ultimately, seeking effective strategies to modify persistent dietary restrictions controlled by habits remains essential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychopathological Analysis and Intervention for Anorexia Nervosa: Using Associative‐Learning Mechanisms)
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25 pages, 1117 KiB  
Review
Food Restriction in Anorexia Nervosa in the Light of Modern Learning Theory: A Narrative Review
by David Garcia-Burgos, Peter Wilhelm, Claus Vögele and Simone Munsch
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020096 - 23 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3165
Abstract
Improvements in the clinical management of anorexia nervosa (AN) are urgently needed. To do so, the search for innovative approaches continues at laboratory and clinical levels to translate new findings into more effective treatments. In this sense, modern learning theory provides a unifying [...] Read more.
Improvements in the clinical management of anorexia nervosa (AN) are urgently needed. To do so, the search for innovative approaches continues at laboratory and clinical levels to translate new findings into more effective treatments. In this sense, modern learning theory provides a unifying framework that connects concepts, methodologies and data from preclinical and clinical research to inspire novel interventions in the field of psychopathology in general, and of disordered eating in particular. Indeed, learning is thought to be a crucial factor in the development/regulation of normal and pathological eating behaviour. Thus, the present review not only tries to provide a comprehensive overview of modern learning research in the field of AN, but also follows a transdiagnostic perspective to offer testable explanations for the origin and maintenance of pathological food rejection. This narrative review was informed by a systematic search of research papers in the electronic databases PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science following PRISMA methodology. By considering the number and type of associations (Pavlovian, goal-directed or habitual) and the affective nature of conditioning processes (appetitive versus aversive), this approach can explain many features of AN, including why some patients restrict food intake to the point of life-threatening starvation and others restrict calorie intake to lose weight and binge on a regular basis. Nonetheless, it is striking how little impact modern learning theory has had on the current AN research agenda and practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychopathological Analysis and Intervention for Anorexia Nervosa: Using Associative‐Learning Mechanisms)
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Other

18 pages, 631 KiB  
Protocol
Inhibitory Learning during Exposure Treatment in Anorexia Nervosa: A Practical Guide
by Hanna Melles, Stefanie Duijvis and Anita Jansen
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13050370 - 29 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1735
Abstract
Exposure therapy is known to be an effective intervention in the treatment of anxiety-related disorders. In eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, anxiety and avoidance are identified as maintenance factors. Therefore, they may constitute an important treatment target, suitable for the use of [...] Read more.
Exposure therapy is known to be an effective intervention in the treatment of anxiety-related disorders. In eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, anxiety and avoidance are identified as maintenance factors. Therefore, they may constitute an important treatment target, suitable for the use of exposure therapy. Remarkably, exposure techniques to target fears and avoidance behaviors are not commonly used in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. We present a practical guide for the implementation of exposure therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. We outline how exposure therapy is supposed to work according to the inhibitory learning model and how the exposure intervention can be designed for individuals with anorexia nervosa. Practical examples are provided through the case presentation of a patient with anorexia nervosa who completed 31 exposure sessions that focused on her fears of food, eating, weight, weight gain, their feared social consequences and the associated safety behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychopathological Analysis and Intervention for Anorexia Nervosa: Using Associative‐Learning Mechanisms)
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