Anorexia Nervosa Research Links

In November I will be looking at some research research in eating disorders.

On my first look at some of important research these five studies stood out for more review.

I will be posting more on several of these studies in the next few weeks.

You can click on the manuscript title to go to the abstract.  All studies have free full-text manuscripts that can be access through the abstract link.

The Neuropsychology of Starvation
One of the key problems in studying anorexia nervosa is the isolation of psychological effects from the effects of starvation on the brain. In this study, 60 healthy female subjects were studied after 18 hours of starvation and again when satiated. Short-term starvation was linked to changes in set-shifting and central coherence.

Resting State Connectivity in Anorexia Nervosa
In this study, 35 subjects with anorexia nervosa were studied using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The study found increased connectivity between the angular gyrus and the fronto-parietal brain ciruit. Additionally, anterior insula connectivity was linked to deficits in interoceptive awareness.

Neuropsychology of Body Perception in Anorexia Nervosa
Patients with anorexia nervosa commonly display impaired perception of body shape and size. They often feel "fat" with body part size misperception. This manuscript reviews studies of nonvisual multisensory neuropsychological performance in anorexia nervosa. The review found support for deficits in tactile and proprioreceptive function in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Body Fat Distribution in Anorexia Nervosa
This literature review examined studies of body fat distribution before and during weight loss and with weight restoration. The authors found key differences between body fat distribution patterns in adolescents with anorexia nervosa compared to adult women with anorexia. The authors note body fat loss and re-accumulation may be an important metabolic and nutritional component of anorexia nervosa treatment.

Anorexia Nervosa Treatment Outcome After Urgent Hospitalization
This study examined the effect of several variables on outcome following urgent inpatient hospitalizations. Several psychological variables failed to contribute to poor outcome. However, lower BMI at admission was linked to several poor outcome measures.

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