Testing the dual pathway model of ADHD in obesity: a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: there may be shared neuropsychological dysfunctions in ADHD and obesity. This study tested a neuropsychological model of ADHD (reward/executive dysfunctioning) in individuals with obesity. Further, the association between comorbid binge eating and reward/executive dysfunction was explored.

Methods: reward/executive dysfunctioning was assessed using both neuropsychological measures and questionnaires in individuals (aged 17-68) with obesity (N=39; mean BMI=39.70) and normal weight (N=25; mean BMI=22.94).

Results: no significant difference emerged between individuals with and without obesity on the outcome measures. However, individuals with obesity and binge eating showed significantly more self-reported delay discounting and inattention than those individuals with obesity but without binge eating. When controlling for inattention, this difference in delay discounting was no longer significant.

Discussion: not obesity alone, but obesity with binge eating was associated with a mechanism often reported in ADHD, namely delay discounting. However, this effect may be more driven by inattention than by binge eating alone.

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ORCID for Samuele Cortese: orcid.org/0000-0001-5877-8075

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