Impulsivity in Obesity: An Event-Related Potential Investigation
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1
Deakin University, Australia
The global obesity epidemic continues to grow with rising obesity rates increasing every year. With a relative lack of successful interventions, research has attempted to discern cognitive components that may be implicated in excessive food consumption and weight gain. Self-regulation has been suggested as one factor which may influence the intention-behaviour discrepancy experienced by individuals who fail to achieve desired weight or weight loss goals. Specifically, impulsivity has been suggested as a behavioural tendency which impairs individual's ability to self-regulate their eating behaviour.
To further explore this possibility, the current study aimed to measure risk taking amongst obese and normal weight individuals using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and to identify the ERP concomitants associated the individual's responses to negative consequences of behaviour which may contribute to risky behaviour. A pilot study of 10 normal weight and 10 obese individuals failed to find any significant between group differences on the BART, however risky responding on the BART was found to correlate with increased BMI. The fERN, was found to be reduced in the obese. Reduced sensitivity to negative feedback may hinder attempts at weight loss as this hyposensitivity affects learning required for behavioural modification as well as effectively assessing consequences required to make accurate and informed decisions regarding food choices.
Keywords:
Obesity,
Weight Gain,
impulsivity,
ERP,
Self-regulation,
Risk taking,
fERN
Conference:
XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 27 Jul - 31 Jul, 2014.
Presentation Type:
Poster
Topic:
Cognition and Executive Processes
Citation:
Hayden
M and
Kothe
E
(2015). Impulsivity in Obesity: An Event-Related Potential Investigation.
Conference Abstract:
XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII).
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.217.00117
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Received:
19 Feb 2015;
Published Online:
24 Apr 2015.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Melissa Hayden, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, m.hayden@deakin.edu.au