Study Protocol: Effect of stimulant medication on loss of control eating in youth with ADHD

Together with collaborators Anja Hilbert, Joseph Sadek, Guido K.W. Frank, and Stuart B. Murray, MEAL members Aaron Keshen, Victoria Taylor, Anastasia Harris, and Nami Trappenberg have published a new study protocol in Journal of Eating Disorders!

In line with the principles of open science, the goal of a study protocol is to communicate research methods in a highly specific way, prior to proceeding with the study. Pre-registering a study protocol increases research transparency and accountability, and can help researchers avoid cherry-picking (i.e., selectively making post-hoc changes to the outcomes reported).

From the study:

“To gather pilot data, we aim to measure prospective, observational outcomes in a clinical setting to examine the effect of stimulant initiation on loss-of-control eating in children with comorbid ADHD and loss-of-control eating. We will also collect exploratory secondary outcomes to measure eating-related cognitions, emotions and behaviors, ADHD symptom severity, parental loss-of-control eating, impulsivity and reward sensitivity, and anxiety/mood symptoms.”

You can read the whole article for free by clicking the link below:

Keshen, A.R., Hilbert, A., Taylor, V. et al. Effect of stimulant medication on loss of control eating in youth with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a prospective, observational case series study protocol. Journal of Eating Disorders 10, 152. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00674-y