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Peer-reviewedCC BYJournal of eating disorders

Temporal attentional bias to food stimuli in adolescent anorexia nervosa - an ERP study.

  • Julia Nannt1
  • Ines Wolz2
  • Jan Vagedes3,4
  • Jennifer Svaldi2,5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Schleichstr. 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. [email protected].
  2. 2Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Schleichstr. 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
  3. 3ARCIM Institute, Im Haberschlai 7, 70794, Filderstadt-Bonlanden, Germany.
  4. 4Department of Neonatology, University Hospital, University of Tübingen, Calwerstr. 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
  5. 5German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Schleichstr. 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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Abstract

Background

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with substantial psychological and physical impairment and low recovery rates. A deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms is therefore crucial. Cognitive models of eating disorders emphasize the role of attentional biases in the processing of food stimuli. However, only a few studies to date have examined the temporal dynamics of food-related attentional bias in adolescents with AN.Methods

The present study combined the high temporal resolution of event-related potentials with the behavioral measure of the attentional blink in a rapid serial visual presentation task in order to disentangle the temporal processing stages that underlie food-related attentional biases in female adolescents with AN (n = 33) compared to age-matched healthy controls (n = 36).Results

Behavioral results revealed an increased attentional engagement with food in AN, but no impairment in attentional disengagement. Additionally, high-calorie food distractors elicited reduced early electrocortical processing followed by enhanced later processing in AN. These AN-specific attentional biases were no longer evident for target processing.Conclusions

The findings suggest that attention allocation to food in AN is a temporally dynamic process rather than a unitary mechanism. They further suggest that these biases are not entirely autonomous but rather depend on the availability of attentional resources.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{nannt2026temporal,
  title = {{Temporal attentional bias to food stimuli in adolescent anorexia nervosa - an ERP study.}},
  author = {Julia Nannt and Ines Wolz and Jan Vagedes and Jennifer Svaldi},
  journal = {Journal of eating disorders},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1186/s40337-026-01800-w},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42919341},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Temporal attentional bias to food stimuli in adolescent anorexia nervosa - an ERP study.
AU  - Julia Nannt
AU  - Ines Wolz
AU  - Jan Vagedes
AU  - Jennifer Svaldi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/22
JO  - Journal of eating disorders
DO  - 10.1186/s40337-026-01800-w
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42919341
AB  - Background  Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with substantial psychological and physical impairment and low recovery rates. A deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms is therefore crucial. Cognitive models of eating disorders emphasize the role of attentional biases in the processing of food stimuli. However, only a few studies to date have examined the temporal dynamics of food-related attentional bias in adolescents with AN.Methods  The present study combined the high temporal resolution of event-related potentials with the behavioral measure of the attentional blink in a rapid serial visual presentation task in order to disentangle the temporal processing stages that underlie food-related attentional biases in female adolescents with AN (n = 33) compared to age-matched healthy controls (n = 36).Results  Behavioral results revealed an increased attentional engagement with food in AN, but no impairment in attentional disengagement. Additionally, high-calorie food distractors elicited reduced early electrocortical processing followed by enhanced later processing in AN. These AN-specific attentional biases were no longer evident for target processing.Conclusions  The findings suggest that attention allocation to food in AN is a temporally dynamic process rather than a unitary mechanism. They further suggest that these biases are not entirely autonomous but rather depend on the availability of attentional resources.
SN  - 2050-2974
ER  -