An examination of frontal asymmetry in relation to eating in the absence of hunger and loss-of-control eating

Loss-of-control (LOC) eating involves a subjective feeling that one cannot stop eating or control one's eating. Individuals with LOC eating may exhibit strong appetitive drives and weak inhibitory control, and these two opposing motivations have been related to EEG measurements of frontal asymmetry or lateralized frontal activation. The present study investigated whether frontal asymmetry is related to hedonic hunger, LOC eating severity and frequency, and eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in the laboratory. Fifty-nine individuals participated in an ostensible taste study after resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. After the EEGs, they were provided a meal to eat until fullness, followed by an array of snacks and instructions to eat as much as they would like. The results indicated that several measures of right-frontal asymmetry were related to greater EAH and greater self-reported LOC eating severity. Although right-frontal asymmetry has been theorized to reflect avoidance motivation, recent evidence suggests it may indicate effortful control during approach-avoidance conflicts. Because individuals with LOC eating presumably experience heightened conflict between drives to eat beyond energy needs and to minimize such eating, those experiencing greater LOC may exert greater effort to manage these conflicting motivations. An integration of these neurobiological correlates of LOC eating may help provide a more comprehensive understanding of LOC eating and inform treatments.