Longitudinal dynamics between stressful life events, corticolimbic functional connectivity, and binge eating symptoms in youth

Background Cumulative exposure to adverse life events during childhood and adolescence is associated with of binge eating symptomology in adulthood. However, the mechanisms that underpin this relationship are uncertain. Emerging research suggests that early life stress increases the risk of future mental health problems by accelerating the maturation of functional connectivity between limbic regions (i.e., amygdala, hippocampus) and the cingulo-opercular network (CON) during adolescence. Correspondingly, the CON has been implicated in binge eating behaviour. Therefore, the current study leveraged longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to ascertain whether stress exposure and binge eating symptoms are mediated by changes in amygdala-CON and hippocampus-CON functional connectivity. Methods Longitudinal mediation models were used to examine the indirect effect of self-reported negative life events at baseline on binge eating symptoms at two-year follow-up via changes in amygdala-CON and hippocampus-CON resting-state functional connectivity among a sample of eligible adolescents ( n = 94). Results We found a significant direct effect, with greater exposure to negative life events at baseline predicting a higher number of binge eating symptoms two years later. However, indirect effects via both amygdala-CON and hippocampus-CON connectivity were not significant. Conclusions These findings support evidence linking chronic stress exposure with binge eating symptoms in youth, but not a mediating role of cingulo-opercular – limbic functional connectivity.