Does this virtual food make me hungry? effects of visual quality and food type in virtual reality

Introduction: Studies into food-related behaviors and emotions are increasingly being explored with Virtual Reality (VR). Applications of VR technologies for food science include eating disorder therapies, eating behavior studies and sensory analyzes. These applications involve 3D food stimuli intended to elicit cravings, stress, and/or emotions. However, the visual quality (i.e., the realism) of used food stimuli is heterogeneous, and this factor’s influence on the results has never been isolated and evaluated. In this context, this work aims to study how the visual quality of food stimuli, exposed in a virtual reality environment, influences the resulting desire to eat.Methods: 28 subjects without eating disorders were included in this protocol, who evaluated the desire to eat induced by 10 3D food stimuli, each duplicated in 7 quality levels (for a total of 70 stimuli).Results: Results show that visual quality influences the desire to eat, and this effect depends on the type of food and users’ eating habits. We found two significant thresholds for visual quality: the first provides the minimal quality necessary to elicit a significant desire to eat, while the second provides the ceiling value above which increasing the quality does not improve further the desire to eat.Discussion: These results allow us to provide useful recommendations for the design of experiments involving food stimuli

Systematic review of prospective studies assessing risk factors to predict anorexia nervosa onset

Abstract Background According to case‒control studies, a multitude of factors contribute to the emergence of anorexia nervosa (AN). The present systematic review examines prospective studies specifically designed to evaluate the prediction of AN onset. Methods According to the ARMSTAR 2 and PRISMA 2020 checklists, the PubMed, PsycINFO and Cochrane databases were searched. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed with the Downs and Black checklist. Results Three articles concerning prospective studies of the general population were ultimately included in the review. The methodological quality of these studies was not optimal. Bidirectional amplification effects were observed between risk factors, some of which could have a relative predictive force as low bodyweight or body dissatisfaction. Even if not included according to specified criteria for this systematic review 11 longitudinal studies, with retrospective analysis of AN onset’ prediction, were also discussed. None of these studies asserted the predictive value of particular risk factors as low body weight, anxiety disorders or childhood aggression. Conclusions To date there are insufficient established data to propose predictive markers of AN onset for predictive actions in pre-adolescent or adolescent populations. Future work should further evaluate potential risk factors previously identified in case‒control/retrospective studies within larger prospective investigations in preadolescent populations. It is important to clearly distinguish predisposing factors from precipitating factors in subjects at risk of developing AN

Sujets pris en charge en substitution dans un CSST (Étude rétrospective du suivi pendant 11 ans en fonction du traitement reçu, méthadone et/ou buprénorphine)

Après plus de 40 ans d'expérience internationale et 15 ans d'usage en France, l'impact positif des traitements de substitution sur la prise en charge des patients dépendants aux opiacés n'est plus à démontrer. De nombreux travaux ont étudié l'efficacité des deux traitements disponibles, méthadone et buprénorphine haut dosage, que ce soit au cours d'études cliniques ou de cohortes, mais peu se sont intéressés à la population des patients changeant de substitution au cours du suivi. Ainsi, l'objectif de notre étude est d'analyser le suivi sur une période de 11 ans d'une population de patients substitués, caractérisée en fonction du traitement de substitution reçu : méthadone uniquement, buprénorphine haut dosage uniquement, les deux traitements. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié ces groupes de patients en fonction de leurs caractéristiques au début de la prise en charge, en termes de données sociodémographiques, fonctionnement social, conduites addictives, évaluation psychiatrique et somatique. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons étudié cette population en termes de maintien dans les soins et régularité du suivi. Enfin, nous avons essayé de mettre en évidence des facteurs prédictifs, à l'entrée dans les soins, de suivi instable. Nos résultats portent sur 829 patients pour les données cliniques à l'entrée et 891 pour le suivi. Les patients recevant les deux types de substitution présentent au début des soins une plus grande sévérité en termes d'insertion socioprofessionnelle, conduites addictives et indicateurs de comorbidités psychiatriques. Si dans l'ensemble de la population substituée, 74% des patients présentent un suivi régulier, les patients changeant de traitement se caractérisent par une prise en charge plus discontinue. Ils se différencient également des patients recevant un traitement unique, que ce soit de la méthadone ou la buprénorphine haut dosage, en termes de maintien dans les soins ; les patients qui bénéficient des deux traitements restent plus longtemps dans notre structure. Population ayant bénéficiée des deux traitements et irréguliers semblent fortement associés. Ces patients instables sont surtout caractérisés par la présence de comorbidités psychiatriques et de polyconsommations. Cette population mettant, au moins partiellement, en échec notre prise en charge, il apparaît nécessaire de la repérer précocement afin d'adapter au mieux les soins. Ce travail préliminaire présente certaines limites mais souligne l'intérêt de réaliser une étude prospective intégrant des outils d'évaluation plus adaptés.ST ETIENNE-BU Médecine (422182102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Mechanisms and predictors of menses resumption once normal weight is reached in anorexia nervosa

Abstract Background In cases of Anorexia Nervosa (AN), achieving weight gain recovery beyond the lower limits set by the World Health Organization and normalizing classical nutritional markers appears to be essential for most patients. However, this is not always adequate to restore menstrual cycles. This discrepancy can cause concern for both patients and healthcare providers, and can impact the medical management of these individuals. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the ability of anthropometric and hormonal factors to predict the resumption of menstrual cycles in individuals with anorexia nervosa upon reaching a normal body weight. Method Patients with AN who had achieved a normal Body Mass Index but had not yet resumed their menstrual cycles (referred to as ANRec) were evaluated on two occasions: first at visit 1 and then again 6 months later, provided their body weight remained stable over this period (visit 2). Among the 46 ANRec patients who reached visit 2, they were categorized into two groups: 20 with persistent amenorrhea (PA-ANRec) and 26 who had regained their menstrual cycles (RM-ANRec). Anthropometric measurements, several hormone levels, Luteinizing Hormone (LH) pulsatility over a 4-h period, and LH response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection (LH/GnRH) were then compared between the two groups at visit 1. Results Patients in the RM-ANRec group exhibited higher levels of follicular stimulating hormone, estradiol, inhibin B, LH/GnRH, and lower levels of ghrelin compared to those in the PA-ANRec group. Analysis of Receiver Operating Characteristic curves indicated that having ≥ 2 LH pulses over a 4-h period, LH/GnRH levels ≥ 33 IU/l, and inhibin B levels > 63 pg/ml predicted the resumption of menstrual cycles with a high degree of specificity (87%, 100%, and 100%, respectively) and sensitivity (82%, 80%, and 79%, respectively). Conclusions These three hormonal tests, of which two are straightforward to perform, demonstrated a high predictive accuracy for the resumption of menstrual cycles. They could offer valuable support for the management of individuals with AN upon achieving normalized weight. Negative results from these tests could assist clinicians and patients in maintaining their efforts to attain individualized metabolic targets. Trial registration IORG0004981

ReVBED : A semi-guided virtual environment for inducing food craving in a binge-eating therapy process

International audienceFood craving is a main pathological issue in Eating Disorders (ED), associated with binge eating such as bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Common therapies are currently based on Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (CBT). However, a significant number of patients are not receptive to conventional CBTs.Virtual Reality (VR) is now used as a variant of CBTs, especially VR based cue exposure therapy, but only food triggers are generally considered in this form of therapy. In this context, we developed the ReVBED environment: a semi-directed VR exposure scenario allowing the induction of food craving by including multimodal stimuli. The proposed paper presents the REVBED environment and scenario, and the planned clinical study of which aim is to evaluate its effectiveness for inducing food cravings in bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder patients, with subjective and objective measurements

Improving decision-making and cognitive impulse control in bulimia nervosa by rTMS: An ancillary randomized controlled study

International audienceOBJECTIVE: Impaired decision-making and inhibitory control may be involved in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders like bulimia nervosa (BN). Their improvement after neuromodulation may underpin clinical improvement. We assessed the effects of rTMS on these cognitive functions in a sample of women with BN. METHODS: Thirty-nine participants (22 in a sham group and 17 in an rTMS group) were assessed before and after 10 high frequency rTMS sessions over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). RESULTS: The between-group analyses revealed no differences in the final neuropsychological performances. The within-group analyses showed that inhibitory control improved in both the go/no-go task (p = .03) and the BIS cognitive impulsivity subscale (p = .01) in the rTMS group only. Switches toward good choices on the Iowa gambling task significantly improved in the rTMS group only (p = .002), and understanding of the task contingencies increased between the two assessments, also in the rTMS group only (p = .03). DISCUSSION: This preliminary evidence suggests that modulation of left DLPFC might improve two putative cognitive biomarkers of BN

A Lack of Clinical Effect of High-frequency rTMS to Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex on Bulimic Symptoms: A Randomised, Double-blind Trial

International audienceStudies suggests that stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) reduces food craving in bulimic patients, but evidence supporting rTMS as a therapeutic tool is lacking. We investigated the safety and therapeutic efficacy of an adjunct high-frequency rTMS program targeting the left DLPFC. Forty-seven females with bulimia nervosa were randomised to a real or sham stimulation group. The real group underwent ten rTMS sessions, each consisting of 20 trains of 5 seconds with 55-second intervals between trains, at a frequency of 10 Hz. The main outcome was the number of binge episodes in the 15 days following the end of stimulation. Overall, no significant improvement in binging and purging symptoms was noted after the program. rTMS was well tolerated. This suggests that ten sessions of high-frequency rTMS to the left DLPFC provide no greater benefit than placebo. Future studies should consider methodological issues as well as alternative targets