The Metacognitive Hub Model of Craving on Eating Disorders (Principal Investigator):
Project funded by the Region Pays-de-la-Loire, and Nantes University (110 000€)
Craving (which could be defined as a compelling urge to use a substance) is an important symptom of substance use disorders (SUDs), recently introduced in the DSM 5. However, it is not currently considered a symptom of eating disorders, despite the increasingly frequent association of this disorder with SUDs and the growing number of studies exploring craving in bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). This lack of recognition of craving in BN and BED can be understood in terms of the divergence of methods for assessing craving. One way to address these criticisms is to explore craving via the recent model proposed by Flaudias et al. (2019). This model allows for the integration of all components of craving (clinical and cognitive) based on recent neurobiological knowledge of addictions. In particular, this model assumes the articulation of three systems (emotional, cognitive and interoceptive) whose dysregulation would lead to the expression of craving.
Thus, this project aims to:
- explore in BN and BED the presence of the different sub-dimensions of craving postulated by the « metacognitive hub » model and their interactions
- better understand the link between the neuropsychological processes involved in craving and the symptomatology of BN and BED.
These results would allow:
- to characterize food craving in patients suffering from BN and BED by exploring the three systems of the triadic model as well as the role of metacognitive capacities in this symptom,
- to offer perspectives of new computerized tools that could be used in clinical practice to allow more refined evaluations of psychological processes,
- to underline the importance of craving in the pathology and to stimulate future research on this symptom that seems to be major in these disorders.
Project status :
- A pre-print about triadic model on eating disorders (here)
- A poster presentation (here)
- A review of the current literature (here)
- Assignments in progress
The Metacognitive Hub Model of Craving on students with tobacco use (Principal Investigator):
Project funded by the Region Pays-de-la-Loire, and Nantes University (10 000€)
Numerous studies have measured, tested, evaluated and examined craving. Nevertheless, the abundance of theory on this subject still does not allow a consensus on the precise definition of craving. Therefore, the aim of this research is to evaluate precisely the effects of the three components of the metacognitive hub model, notably interoception, in triggering craving. Moreover, the interaction of these three systems (cognitive/emotion/interoception) has never been measured before on a students population with tobacco use. For this, we refer to the neurocognitive model of Flaudias et al. (2019), building on the triadic model of Noël et al. (2013). More than anything, the appreciation of the articulation of the three systems involved in craving is also framed in a temporal perspective, with an ecological momentary approach (EMA), in order to account for the evolution of tobacco craving in students.
Alimnum : Le numérique comme levier de changement des comportements alimentaires (Digital technology as a lever for changing eating habits) (Associate Investigator)
Project funded by the ANR (446 237€)
This project is based on the observation that for several years, we have been witnessing the development of digital tools: platforms, applications …. which accompany the daily life of consumers. This very rapid development is taking place without any real control and regulation. The central question that drives these reflections is the following: How can we put these tools at the service of healthy and sustainable food behaviors? More concretely, the objectives of our projects are twofold: to consider their positive role (better information, implementation of sustainable supply chains, fight against food waste, …); to examine their potentially harmful effects (roles of influencers, impacts of digital food marketing, effects on eating disorders …) on consumers and in particular on young people (children / adolescents / young adults). Principal Investigator : Pascale Ezan
CapturUSE : Capture specificity of substance use of college students through participatory research (Associate Investigator)
Project funded by the ANR (239 843€)
Substance use among young people are describe around the world at an alarming level raising concerns about public health implications. Although existing literature is mainly based on studies focusing on a single substance, poly-substance use is still poorly taken into account. This project strives to rethink substance use as non-isolated behaviors involving college student as research partners (community-based participatory research) to capture the big picture of college students’ substance use. The project will be structured following four main objectives: (1) to systematically review literature concerning ad hod classifications of young adults and college students’ substance use; (2) to bring original empirical data about substance use patterns (mixing secondary analysis of existed databases and qualitative interviews); (3) to obtain consensus around a new definition and classification for college students substance use; (4) to make clear recommendations for measurement protocol related to this new classification adapted to college students. Principal Inverstigator : Julie Arsandaux