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New insight into neurobiology of binge eating disorder


March 5, 2014

Drs. Giorgio Tasca and Andrée Gruslin have discovered that a growth factor similar to insulin may play a role in binge eating disorder (BED). They found that obese women with BED have different levels of certain forms of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) compared to obese women without BED and normal weight women. They also found that group psychological treatment for BED correlated with changes in the IGF-II system that could not be accounted for by changes in obesity. The study, published in PLOS ONE, could lead to new approaches to monitor and treat BED.

Funders: Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Ontario Mental Health Foundation and The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

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