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Effects of Cognitive Strategies on Neural Food Cue Reactivity in Adults with Overweight/Obesity
Author(s) -
Demos McDermott Kathryn E.,
Lillis Jason,
McCaffery Jeanne M.,
Wing Rena R.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.22572
Subject(s) - cue reactivity , functional magnetic resonance imaging , psychology , cognition , dorsolateral prefrontal cortex , neural correlates of consciousness , set (abstract data type) , reactivity (psychology) , overweight , stroop effect , perception , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , prefrontal cortex , clinical psychology , obesity , medicine , craving , neuroscience , addiction , alternative medicine , pathology , computer science , programming language
Objective Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of obesity have revealed key roles for reward‐related and inhibitory control–related activity in response to food cues. This study examines how cognitive strategies impact neural food cue reactivity. Methods In a within‐participants, block‐design, fMRI paradigm, 30 participants (24 women; mean BMI = 31.8) used four mind‐sets while viewing food: “distract” (cognitive behavioral therapy based), “allow” (acceptance and commitment therapy based), “later” (focusing on long‐term negative consequences), and “now” (control; focusing on immediate rewards). Participants rated cravings by noting urges to eat on four‐point Likert scales after each block. Results Self‐reported cravings significantly differed among all conditions (pairwise comparisons P < 0.05). Cravings were lowest when participants considered long‐term consequences (LATER mind‐set: 1.7 [SD 0.7]), were significantly higher when participants used the DISTRACT (1.9 [SD 0.7]) and ALLOW (2.3 [SD 0.9]) mind‐sets, and were highest when participants used the NOW mind‐set (3.2 [SD 0.7]). These behavioral differences were accompanied by differences in neural food cue reactivity. The LATER mind‐set (long‐term consequences) led to greater inhibitory‐control activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The cognitive behavioral therapy–based DISTRACT mind‐set was associated with greater activity in executive function and reward‐processing areas, whereas the ALLOW mind‐set (acceptance and commitment therapy) elicited widespread activity in frontal, reward‐processing, and default‐mode regions. Conclusions Because focusing on negative long‐term consequences led to the greatest decrease in cravings and increased inhibitory control, this may be a promising treatment strategy for obesity.