Emerging translational treatments to target the neural networks of binge eating

Abstract

It is an exciting time to study the neurobiological basis of binge-eating behavior, as innovative techniques to manipulate the brain are allowing for novel and more targeted treatment approaches to be evaluated. While some of these techniques are currently being tested in patients, others are at the stage of evaluation in animal models of binge eating. Animal models are useful because the interconnected brain networks that underlie binge eating are highly conserved across mammalian species. Discussed here are a brief and simplified take on three major systems of interconnected networks and their respective roles in binge-eating behavior: (1) metabolism and caloric homeostasis; (2) reward and motivation; and (3) cognitive control and decisionmaking. Also presented is a brief review of the types of innovative techniques to manipulate the brain that are currently available to translational neuroscientists. Finally, examples of their application in animal models and clinical populations are presented, with consideration of their translational potential.