Aims
This study aims to investigate the brain and hormonal responses involved in food consumption decisions in people with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Using brain imaging, neural activity during real choices to consume or reject a milkshake are observed. In addition, the study examines cognitive, psychological, and behavioural factors identified as important by individuals with lived experience of AN. By advancing our understanding of the biological underpinnings of restrictive eating in AN, this research has the potential to inform the development of novel treatment strategies and represents a critical step toward biologically informed interventions for AN.

Background
There is limited research into how individuals with AN resist hunger signals, despite being physiologically hungry. While psychological explanations for caloric restriction are partially understood, far less is known about the biological mechanisms. Previous studies have examined brain responses to images of food, but few have looked at real-time consumption or the interaction between appetite-regulating and stress hormones and brain activity. Moving beyond image-based food cue research by integrating real-time consumption and hormone-brain interactions, this study will improve our understanding of the influence of biological factors upon eating behaviours in AN.