Hormone Release and Stomach Disturbances in People With Binge Eating Disorder
Hormone Release and Stomach Disturbances in People With Binge Eating Disorder
This study will determine whether the disturbances in cholecystokinin release and gastric
 emptying that occur in people with binge eating disorder are similar to those that occur in
 people with bulimia nervosa.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a serious eating disorder that can occur in people of any
 weight, but occurs most frequently in people who are overweight. BED is characterized by the
 following eating behaviors: frequent episodes of eating large quantities of food in short
 periods of time; feeling out of control over one's eating behavior; feeling ashamed or
 disgusted by one's eating behavior; eating when not hungry; and eating in secret. BED is
 similar to Bulimia Nervosa (BN), in that binge eating is a characteristic of both disorders.
 However, people with BED do not purge after an episode of binge eating, and therefore often
 become overweight. The health risks of BED include those that are most commonly associated
 with clinical obesity. High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes
 mellitus, and gallbladder disease are all health problems that occur frequently in people
 with BED. CCK is a hormone that is released by the small intestine, and functions as a
 trigger for digestion and hunger suppression. People with BN often have disturbances in the
 release of cholecystokinin (CCK), which may contribute to their binge eating behavior. This
 study will determine whether the disturbances in CCK release and gastric emptying that occur
 in people with BED are similar to those that occur in people with BN.

 Participants in this study will report to the study site on two non-consecutive days within a
 2-week period for gastric emptying testing. On the day before the first study visit,
 participants will be instructed to eat a standardized dinner that does not include alcohol
 before 7 P.M., and not to eat or drink after 9 P.M. On the first day of testing, participants
 will lie in a semi-reclined position while drinking 600 ml of Ensure Plus. A gamma camera
 will be placed over the stomach to measure gastric emptying. In addition, a catheter will be
 inserted into the forearm of all participants for periodic blood testing throughout the
 process. On the second day of testing, participants will perform the same procedures, but the
 Ensure Plus will also contain a small amount of radioactive material so that gastric emptying
 can be tracked by the gamma camera. The testing procedure on each day will take approximately
 90 minutes.

 For information on related studies, please follow these links:

 http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00308776

 http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00304187
Inclusion Criteria:

 For all participants:

 -  Obese (body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 kg/m2)

 For participants with BED:

 -  Meets DSM-IV criteria for BED

 -  BED duration of at least 1 year

 For healthy participants:

 -  Weight close to that of participants with BED

 Exclusion Criteria for all participants:

 -  Current or past diagnosis of BN, or any binge eating or self-induced vomiting

 -  Significant medical illness

 -  Current or lifetime history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other psychotic
 disorder as defined by DSM-IV-TR

 -  Current DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of organic mental disorder, factitious disorder, or
 malingering

 -  History of a personality disorder (e.g., schizotypal, borderline, or antisocial) that
 might interfere with assessment or compliance with the study procedures

 -  At risk for suicide

 -  Currently taking psychotropic medication or medication that is known to affect
 appetite or gastric functioning

 -  History of drug or alcohol abuse within the 3 months prior to study entry

 -  Pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or lactating

 -  Anemia