Researchers receive NIMH grant to study new treatment for binge eating disorder

Mar 17 2014

Steve Wonderlich, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Clinical Neuroscience at the University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, North Dakota and Chair of Sanford's Eating Disorder Department, recently was awarded a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grant to study a new treatment for binge eating disorder.

The project will look at a new treatment for binge eating disorder and that was developed jointly at the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute in Fargo and the University of Minnesota Medical School.

The new treatment helps patients to identify specific patterns which trigger their binge eating and relies on several strategies to change eating in high risk moments.
The grant, which covers a three-year period, will fund completion of the treatment development and also a randomized controlled trial comparing this treatment to typical treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, for binge eating disorder.

With a team that includes researchers from the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Wonderlich will be conducting closely supervised trials of the new treatment with volunteers who suffer from binge eating disorder.

Wonderlich says "Binge eating disorder is a condition which significantly impairs peoples' lives and increases their risk of significant medical complications. New treatments for binge eating disorder are clearly needed and we are looking forward to completing the trial and hopefully establishing another effective treatment."
Researchers on the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute team are affiliated with the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences as well as the Sanford Health Eating Disorder and Weight Management Center.