Substance Use and Eating Disorders : Food Craving and Addiction Transfer

The knowledge of existence of common addictive, neurobiological and clinical processes between substance use disorders and eating disorders has been a promising approach for a better understanding of the factors involved in the emergence and maintenance of these disorders. Several studies have shown that increased palatable food with high sugar or fat content causes brain neurochemistry changes similar to those observed after use of addictive drugs. Clinical and behavioral similarities concerning craving, loss of control and use as a coping strategy have also been highlighted. Craving is considered as a clinical marker of addiction and a potent predictor of relapse vulnerability. In substance addiction, the link between craving, use and relapse has been previously demonstrated in experimental and daily life studies. The main objective of this study is to examine the hypothesis of addiction transfer between Substance Use Disorders and Eating Disorders, according to which food craving for palatable foods would correspond to an attempt to regulate substance craving or vice versa. One assumption is that food intake could be used to alleviate craving for substances in patients hospitalized for substance use disorder. The secondary objective is to explore psychopathological, addictive, and medical similarities between substance use disorder and eating disorder participants. Included patients (group 1: substance use disorder participants and group 2: eating disorder) will be asked to answer different self-questionnaires, as well as a clinical psychiatric (MINI) and cognitive (MoCA) assessment.