An examination of neurocognitive functions in prospective bariatric surgery patients with and without binge eating disorder Psychology and bariatric surgery - pre and post-op challenges

Abstract

Background: There are some differences among bariatric surgery candidates s with and without binge eating disorder (BED) in terms of some neurocognitive functions such as attention and memory. Cognitive deficits are thought to contribute to problematic eating behaviors. Objectives: The purpose of the study is to examine the neurocognitive functions of bariatric surgery candidates with and without BED. Method: The sample consisted of 73 individuals who applied to Bezmialem University Hospital for bariatric surgery (mean age=37.44,standard deviation [SD]=9.193). Stroop Test, Trail-making Test and Oktem Verbal Memory Processes Test were applied to the participants to measure their neurocognitive functions such as focused attention, continuous attention and memory. The bariatric surgery candidates were categorized into two groups as the patients with and without BED in a consequence of the clinical evaluation by the researcher. The results between the two groups were compared with the SPSS 22.0 package program.