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The Binge Eating-Prone/Binge Eating-Resistant Animal Model: A Valuable Tool for Examining Neurobiological Underpinnings of Binge Eating

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Animal Models of Eating Disorders

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 161))

Abstract

Binge eating is a common form of disordered eating, affecting approximately 8% of Americans and characterizing several eating disorders, including binge-eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and anorexia nervosa binge-purge subtype. While the etiology of binge eating remains largely unknown, there is increasing evidence to support a role for neurobiological underpinnings of the behavior. Animal models are a valuable tool for examining neurobiology. The binge eating-prone (BEP)/binge eating-resistant (BER) rodent model of binge eating is a tool that can help expand our understanding of the neurobiological risk factors that contribute to binge eating etiology. Following repeated, intermittent exposure to palatable food (PF), rats that are BEP versus BER can be identified based on their pattern of under- or overconsumption of PF. BEP/BER phenotypes emerge upon first presentation to a PF (and thus are not learned patterns of behavior) and share striking similarities with the continuum of binge eating that is present in humans. In this chapter, we outline the protocol for the BEP/BER model and describe subsequent iterations of the model that reveal additional parallels between BEP rats and human binge eating, including sex differences in BEP phenotypes, binge eating in the absence of hunger and with intact satiety signals, preference for and hyperphagia of PF when stressed, motivation to obtain and consume PF despite aversive consequences, binge eating development that is independent of obesity, and emergence of BEP phenotype during puberty. These behavioral profiles render the BEP/BER model a useful tool to uncover key neurobiological substrates of binge eating that can assist in the development of more targeted treatments and prevention methods for individuals suffering with binge eating.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For more details about the conditioned place preference paradigm, see [44].

  2. 2.

    For more details on the foot shock paradigm, see [54].

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by internal funding from the Michigan State University Departments of Psychology and College of Social Sciences awarded to CS and KK, as well as funds from the Global Foundation for Eating Disorders to CS and KK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Natasha Fowler, Nicollette Russell, Cheryl L. Sisk & Alexander W. Johnson

  2. Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Nicollette Russell & Cheryl L. Sisk

  3. Department of Psychology, Clinical Science Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Kelly L. Klump

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  1. Natasha Fowler
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  2. Nicollette Russell
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  3. Cheryl L. Sisk
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  4. Alexander W. Johnson
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  5. Kelly L. Klump
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Correspondence to Kelly L. Klump .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Nicole M. Avena

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Fowler, N., Russell, N., Sisk, C.L., Johnson, A.W., Klump, K.L. (2021). The Binge Eating-Prone/Binge Eating-Resistant Animal Model: A Valuable Tool for Examining Neurobiological Underpinnings of Binge Eating. In: Avena, N.M. (eds) Animal Models of Eating Disorders. Neuromethods, vol 161. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0924-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0924-8_2

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