Key result
Peripheral physiological indices differed in eating disorders, with anorexia nervosa showing lower HR and EDA and higher HRV, and bulimia nervosa showing higher HRV and lower EDA and PST vs controls.
Why the study?
Eating disorders carry high relapse rates without everyday support, and understanding wearable-measured physiological indices could enable new momentary interventions.
Do peripheral physiological indices differ between individuals with eating disorders and healthy individuals?
Systematic Review (n=7,409)
Do peripheral physiological indices differ between individuals with eating disorders and healthy individuals?
Peripheral physiological indices such as heart rate and heart rate variability show distinct patterns in individuals with eating disorders compared to healthy controls, suggesting potential for wearable sensor-based momentary interventions.
May support wearable monitoring in eating disorders; leaves open whether indices can guide interventions.
Eating disorders (ED) are serious psychiatric illnesses, with no everyday support to intervene on the high rates of relapse. Understanding physiological indices that can be measured by wearable sensor technologies may provide new momentary interventions for individuals with ED. This systematic review, searching large databases, synthesises studies investigating peripheral physiological (PP) indices commonly included in wearable wristbands (heart rate [HR], heart rate variability [HRV], electrodermal activity [EDA], peripheral skin temperature [PST], and acceleration) in ED. Inclusion criteria included: (a) full peer-reviewed empirical articles in English; (b) human participants with active ED; and (c) containing one of five wearable physiological measures. Kmet risk of bias was assessed. Ninety-four studies were included (Anorexia nervosa [AN; N = 4418], bulimia nervosa [BN; N = 916], binge eating disorder [BED; N = 1604], other specified feeding and eating disorders [OSFED; N = 424], and transdiagnostic [N = 47]). Participants with AN displayed lower HR and EDA and higher HRV compared to healthy individuals. Those with BN showed higher HRV, and lower EDA and PST compared to healthy individuals. Other ED and Transdiagnostic samples showed mixed results. PP differences are indicated through various assessments in ED, which may suggest diagnostic associations, although more studies are needed to validate observed patterns. Results suggest important therapeutic potential for PP in ED, and larger studies including diverse participants and diagnostic groups are needed to fully uncover their role in ED.
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Ralph‐Nearman et al. (2024) conducted a systematic review in Eating disorders (n=7,409). Peripheral physiological indices (HR, HRV, EDA, PST, acceleration) vs. Healthy individuals was evaluated on Differences in peripheral physiological indices. Peripheral physiological indices differed in eating disorders, with anorexia nervosa showing lower HR and EDA and higher HRV, and bulimia nervosa showing higher HRV and lower EDA and PST vs controls.
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