| Study code, study duration, PI | Title | Short description | Population | Methoden, AVs |
ESS
01/2008 – 01/2010
Jens Blechert | Body image distortion in bulimia n. and anorexia n. | A disturbed body image is considered an important maintenance factor in eating disorders. We currently investigate the information processing in these patients using the eye tracking methodology | Anorexia N. (AN), Bulimia N. (BN), Binge eating Disorder (BED) | Eye tracking, reaction times |
IAT
01/2008 – 01/2010
Jens Blechert
Karoline Hoffmeister | Implicit and explicit self esteem in a restrained eaters | Low self esteem has frequently been found in patients with eating disorders. However, self report measures of self esteem are subject to response biases and comorbid depression. The self esteem implicit association test (IAT) offers a reaction time based alternative. Implicit and explicit self esteem is measured before and after mirror exposure in two groups differing in restrained eating patterns. A similar procedure is used in eating disorders (see above) | Restrained eaters,
AN, BN, BED.
Restrained eaters, AN, BN | Reaction times, questionnaires
Reaction times, questionnaires |
N400
01/2008 – 01/2010
Jens Blechert | Components of self esteem in eating disorders | We test for an association of body shape and weight with the self esteem relevant aspects performance and interpersonal attractiveness using an affective priming paradigm in the EEG. In addition, we measure the N400 component in the ERP. | AN, BN, BED
AN, BN, BED | EEG: N400, reaction times
ERPs, reaction times |
ALP
01/2008 – 01/2010
Jens Blechert | Frontal Alpha Asymmetry in eating disorders | Frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) is a putative electrophysiological measure of affective style. The present study investigates FAA in eating disorders and its psychometric correlates. | AN, BN, BED | EEG: front. Alpha |
PIC
01/2008 – 01/2010
Jens Blechert | The neuronal processing of food cues in eating disorder | In a rapid serial presentation ERP paradigm, IAPS pictures intermixed with pictures of high and low caloric food stimuli are shown. Target is the modulation of the EPN (early posterior negativity) by the motivational significance of the food cues | AN, BN, BED | EEG: ERPs |
SOP
02/08-02/09
Martina Krämer
Julian Schmitz | Cognitive and emotional deficits in children with social phobia | Study 1 assesses information processing biases with respect to human faces using eye tracing methodology in children with social phobia (SP) and healthy controls. Faces of adults and children with angry, neutral and happy expression are shown and eye traces are analysed with respect to vigilance and/or avoidance effects.
Study 2 tests the hypothesis that – similar to social phobic adults - the visibility of bodily stress signals is a key concern in children with SP. Participants listen to their own heart beat, either through headphone (private condition) or through speakers (public condition) while being confronted with two observers.
Study 3 involves a standardized social stressor the TSST-C. Children perform a mental arithmetic and a speech test in front of two observers while peripheral psychophysiology (cardiovascular and elektrodermal measures) and cortisol is measured.
SP children then enter in a cognitive-behavioural group therapy program. | Children (8-12 years)
with Social Anxiety Disorder | Eye tracking,
salivary Cortisol, psychophysiological
measures |
01/2008-01/2010
Jeniffer Svaldi | Memory biases in patients with Binge eating disorder (BED) | Several studies have found a link between affective disorders (e.g. depression) and selective information processing concerning memory. Theoretical models postulate, that the negative body image in women with eating disorders is also partially due to dysfunctional memory processing. This research experiment analyzes such selective information processing bias at the level of memory encoding in women with BED. Participants are presented positively and negatively valenced cues with high and low body relevance and the number of recalled words is measured. | BED and weight matched healthy controls | Reactiontimes, Recall |
01/2008-01/2010
Jennifer Svaldi | Visual attention biases in BED | Even though body image is a main factor for the maintenance of eating disorders, it is not yet clear, which mechanisms lead to and maintain a disturbed body image. We use the eye tracker methodology to study attention focus in participants with BED and weight matched healthy controls when confronted with pictures of themselves and of others. | BED and weight matched healthy controls | Eyetracker |
01/2008-01/2010
Jennifer Svaldi | Emotion regulation in BED | Possible deficits in emotion regulation in BED are investigated in a film viewing paradigm using 4 different sadness inducing movies and psychophysiological measurements | BED and weight matched healthy controls | Peripheral psychophysiology |
01/2008-01/2010
Jennifer Svaldi | Effectiveness of therapy in BED | In a multi-centered study we compare regular CBT to internet-based guided self-help in women with BED. Both therapeutic interventions last for four months. Variables of interest are among others the reduction of binges and weight as well as improvement of life quality. | BED and weight matched healthy controls | |
EXP
02/2008-02/2009
Monika Trentowska | Biophysiological reactivity across mirror-exposure sessions and throughout a mirror-exposure treatment in eating disordered individuals. | It is postulated that mirror-exposure techniques enable body-image distorted individuals with eating disorders like bulimia nervosa to habituate to aversive, cognitive-affective states. So far the basic mechanism of habituation is not well studied in this context. According to Foa & Kozaks emotional processing model (1986) is a strong initial reactivity of aversive states crucial and indicative for a successful habituation process. The emotional reactivity should diminish within a single prolonged exposure session as well as between repeated mirror-exposure sessions. The aim of this study is to investigate the habituation process of the mirror-exposure treatment. Following Lang´s definition of emotional reactivity (1968) the habituation process will be investigated via multi-methological subjective and physiological parameters. Additionally we will include endocrine stress parameters to test the hypothesis of arousal increase by body stimuli in bulimic patients. | BN, KG | Peripheral psychophysiology |
