How the Brain Responds to Food and Rewards in Eating Disorders

This research study is trying to understand what happens in the brains of people with eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Researchers will use special brain imaging called fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to look at how the brain processes food, rewards, and learning in people with these conditions compared to people without eating disorders. The goal is to identify differences in brain activity that might help explain why eating disorders develop and persist.

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, but we don't fully understand the brain differences that drive them. By studying how the brain responds to food and rewards in people with and without eating disorders, researchers hope to uncover new targets for better treatments and interventions.