Independent Stress Researcher

Dr. Bray's Research

Dr. Bray's Binge Eating Disorder Research

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by:

Discrete rapid consumption of objectively large amounts of food.
Without compensation (purging).
Associated with loss of control and distress.

High lifetime prevalence rates (5%–31%)
High comorbidity with anxiety, depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes.
Significantly impaired quality of life.

Standard-of-care interventions for BED have:

Low treatment rates (38.3%–43.6%).
High recurrence rates (49%–64%).
High rates of treatment dissatisfaction.
High rates of early dropout.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by:
- Discrete rapid consumption of objectively large amounts of food.
- Without compensation (purging).
- Associated with loss of control and distress.
The disorder has:
- High lifetime prevalence rates (5%–31%)
- High comorbidity with anxiety, depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes.
- Significantly impaired quality of life.

Standard-of-care interventions for binge eating disorder have:
- Low treatment rates (38.3%–43.6%).
- High recurrence rates (49%–64%).
- High rates of treatment dissatisfaction.
- High rates of early discontinuation of care (dropout).
Moreover, studies find that due to a variety of complex reasons:
- ~95% of individuals with BED do not know they have an eating disorder.
- ~95% of individuals with BED never receive a formal diagnosis.
- 56.4% – 86.8% of individuals with BED never receive or pursue standard treatment.
Dr. Bray’s Research raises awareness about BED and tests new treatment options that are:
- Free or low cost.
- Remote or community-based.
- Socioculturally/demographically sensitive and inclusive.
- Easily accessible to those in need.

Studies find that among individuals with BED:

95% do not know they have an eating disorder.
95% never receive a formal diagnosis.
56.4% – 86.8% never receive or pursue standard treatment.

Dr. Bray’s Research raises awareness about BED and tests new treatment options that are:

Free or low cost.
Remote or community-based.
Socioculturally/demographically sensitive and inclusive.
Easily accessible to those in need.

About Dr. Bray

Dr. Bray received her PhD in Basic Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience from the University of South Dakota Graduate School and Sanford School of Medicine (2018).

Her dissertation work used a rat model of amphetamine pre-treatment and withdrawal to identify a neural (brain) pathway that enables stress hormones (cortisol in humans, corticosterone in rodents) to alter reward/motivation neurotransmission (e.g., dopamine output in the nucleus accumbens).

This pathway potentially enables stress to enhance motivation in healthy conditions and contributing to stress-induced relapse in drug withdrawal (Bray et al., 2016, 2018a, 2018b, 2020).

She received her post-doctoral at the National University of Natural Medicine’s Helfgott Research Institute as an NIH/NCCIH R90 Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Her post-doctoral research focussed on complementary and integrative health interventions that can be used to promote and support recovery from binge eating disorder in adults.

Most notably (and recently), Dr. Bray conducted a cross-sectional mixed-methods study of opinions and experiences of binge eating disorder experts.

Dr. Bray's Publications

Submitting 2023-24: Bray, B., Shallcross, A.J., Wiss, D., Sadowski, A., Bray, C., & Zwickey, H. (2023). Treatment Barriers in Binge Eating Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. Frontiers in Psychiatry – Psychopathology. Impact Factor: 5.5

Submitting 2023-24: Bray, B., Shallcross, A.J., Wiss, D., Sadowski, A., & Zwickey, H. (2023). Treatment Barriers in Binge Eating Disorder: A Critical Review of Patient, Provider, and Systemic Barriers to Identification, Treatment-Seeking, Access, and Engagement in Adult Binge Eating Disorder. International Perspectives on Health Equity. Impact Factor: 7.0 (5-yr).

In Prep, Submitting 2024: Bray, B., Shallcross, A.J., Sadowski, A., Wiss, D., & Zwickey, H. (2023). Binge Eating Disorder: Breaking Down Patient-, Provider-, and Public Policy Barriers to Detection, Treatment Access, and Engagement. International Perspectives on Health Equity. Impact Factor: 7.0 (5-yr).

Submitting 2023-24: Bray, B., Shallcross, A.J., Sadowski, A., Schneller, M., Bray, C., & Zwickey, H. (2023). Complementary and Integrative Health Use in Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. Frontiers in Psychiatry – Psychopathology. Impact Factor: 5.5.

In Prep, Submitting 2024: Bray, B., Shallcross, A.J., Sadowski, A., Quaglia, J., Wiss, D., & Zwickey, H. (2023). Complementary and Integrative Health Intervention Use in Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: A Narrative Review. Environment and Public Health Research; Special Issue on Mental Health and Addiction. Impact Factor: 2.79.

In Prep: Bray, B., Schneller, M., Bray, C., Bradley, R. & Zwickey, H. (summer 2023). Frontiers in Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. Frontiers in Psychiatry – Psychopathology. Impact Factor: 5.5.

Bray, B., Sadowski, A., Bray, C., Bradley, R. & Zwickey, H. (2023). Clinical Aspects of Binge Eating Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. Frontiers in Psychiatry – Psychopathology. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1087165. Impact Factor: 5.5. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1087165/full

Bray, B., Bray, C., Bradley, R. & Zwickey, H. (2022). Mental Health Aspects of Binge Eating Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. Frontiers in Psychiatry – Psychopathology 13:953203. Doi: 0.3389/fpsyt.2022.953203. Impact Factor: 5.5. https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.nunm.idm.oclc.org/pmc/articles/PMC9520774/pdf/fpsyt-13-953203.pdf

Langley, B., Ryan, J., Phipps, J., Buttolph, L., Bray, B., Aslan, J., Metz, T., Stevens, J., Bradley, R. (2022). Xanthohumol microbiome and signature in adults with Crohn’s disease (the XMaS trial): a protocol for a phase II triple-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Trials, 23(1):885. Doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06782-z. Impact Factor: 2.606. https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-022-06782-z

Bray, B., Bray, C., Bradley, R. & Zwickey, H. (2022). Binge Eating Disorder is a Social Justice Issue: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. J. Environ. Res. Public Health (IJERPH), 19, 6243. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106243. Impact Factor: 3.4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9141064/pdf/ijerph-19-06243.pdf

Bray, B., Rodriguez-Martin, B. C., Wiss, D.A., Bray, C.E., & Zwickey, H. (2021). Overeaters Anonymous: An Overlooked Intervention for Binge Eating Disorder. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), 18 (14). doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147303. Impact Factor: 3.390. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8305393/pdf/ijerph-18-07303.pdf

Bray, B., Clement, K., Bachmeier, D., Weber, M., & Forster, G. (2020). Corticosterone in the ventral hippocampus differentially alters accumbal dopamine output in drug-naïve and amphetamine-withdrawn rats. Neuropharmacology, 165, 107924. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019107924. Impact Factor: 5.250. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7103421/pdf/nihms-1574147.pdf

Bray, B., Mowjood, M.R., Menchaca, V., & Smart, K. (2019). Clinical Scribe Accelerator Training (CSAT) Textbook – Family Practice, Fifth Edition. ScribeConnect, LLC. ISBN-13: 978-1-7333310-0-5. https://www.scribeaccelerator.com/shop/family-practice/e-book/.

Bray, B. Clinical Scribe Accelerator Training (CSAT) Workbook – Family Practice. (2019). ScribeConnect, LLC. ISBN-13: 978-1-7333310-1-2. https://www.scribeaccelerator.com/shop/family-practice/e-workbook/