Psychophysiological analysis of the anxiety model of bulimia nervosa

Responsivity to food cues in bulimic women and controls

“…Of those conducted, a variety of different cues including slides of food (Bossert-Zaudig et al, 1991;Laberg et al, 1991), food/shape words (Ben-Tovim et al, 1989;Fairburn et al, 1991), mood cues (Laberg et al, 1991), stress (Cattanach et al, 1988), smell of food (LeGoff et al, 1988), sight/smell of food (Bulik et al, 1996) and the consumption of a standard non-diet meal (Williamson et al, 1988) have been used. However, unlike the alcohol and drug cue reactivity literature, the experimental design in these studies leaves open a number of questions.…”

Cue Reactivity and Bulimia Nervosa: Refining and Standardising Methodology

“…Cue reactivity in women with eating disorders has also been measured in the laboratory independent of a treatment trial. Cues that have been utilised in laboratory studies include auditory tones (Calloway, Fonagy, & Wakeling, 1983), food/shape words (Ben-Tovim & Walker, 1991;Ben-Tovim, Walker, Fok, & Yap, 1989;Fairburn, Cooper, Cooper, McKenna, & Anastasiades, 1991), imaginal stimuli relevant to either anorexia or bulimia nervosa (Salkind, Fincham, & Silverstone, 1980), eating (Crisp & Kalucy, 1974;Fichter, Meister, & Koch, 1986;Freeman, Thomas, Solyom, & Miles, 1983;Garfinkel, Moldofsky, Garner, Strancer, & Coscina, 1978;Lohr & Barrios, 1988;McKenzie, Williamson, & Cubic, 1993;Williamson, Goreczny, Davis, Ruggiero, & McKenzie, 1988), and "stress" (Cattanach, Malley, & Rodin, 1988). In the majority of studies, these cues are presented in isolation.…”

“…Response domains measured in the laboratory studies have included physiological reactivity (e.g., skin conductance, heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature and resistance, peripheral vasomotor response, forearm electromyogram, and salivation; Calloway et al, 1983;Cattanach et al, 1988;Laberg et al;Le Goff, Leichner, & Spigelman, 1988;Salkind et al, 1980;Williamson et al, 1988), speed of information processing (Ben-Tovim et al, 1989;Ben-Tovim & Walker, 1991;Fairburn et al, 1991), body image (Crisp & Kalucy, 1974;Fichter et al, 1986;Freeman et al, 1983;Garfinkel et al, 1978;Lohr & Barrios, 1988;McKenzie et al, 1993;Williamson et al, 1988), self-report measures (e.g., urge to binge, mood, stress, self-esteem, craving, and self-efficacy; Cattanach et al, 1988;Laberg et al, 1991), and amount of food eaten (Shaye, 1989). Limitations with many of the above studies include small subject numbers, lack of appropriate control groups, exposing subjects to only one class of cues, and recording only a limited range of responses.…”

Bulimia Nervosa: An Examination of the Anxiety-Inhibiting Properties of the Prospect of Vomiting

“…The role of anxiety in the development and maintenance of bulimia nervosa has been examined previously by several different authors employing both treatment-based and experimental methodologies (e.g., Buree, Papageorgis and Hare, 1990;Leitenberg, Rosen, Gross, Nudelman and Vara, 1988;Mizes, 1985;Williamson, Goereczny, Davis, Ruggiero and McKenzie, 1988). They have proposed that binge eating, among bulimic women, is precipitated by negative mood states and that binge eating is reinforced by its ability to reduce negative affect.…”