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Using positron emission tomography and (18-F)-fluorodeoxyglucose, we studied cerebral
glucose metabolism in 10 anorectic girls within their underweight state and after
weight gain. Ten age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were used as controls. Both
groups were scanned during rest, eyes closed and with low ambient noise. In absolute
values, the underweight anorectic patients, when compared to control subjects, showed
a global (p = 0.002) and regional (p ≥ 0.001) hypometabolism of glucose which normalized with weight gain. In relative
values, no global difference could be assessed between underweight anorectic patients
and controls but a trend can, nevertheless, be observed toward parietal and superior
frontal cortex hypometabolism associated with a relative hypermetabolism in the caudate
nuclei and in the inferior frontal cortex. After weight gain, all regions normalized
for absolute and relative values, although a trend appears toward relative parietal
hypometabolism and inferior frontal cortex hypermetabolism in weight gain anorectic
patients.
Absolute brain glucose hypometabolism might result from neuroendocrinological or morphological
aspects of anorexia nervosa or might be the expression of altered neurotransmission
following deficient nutritional state. As some differences exists in relative values
in underweight patients and tend to persist in weight gain states, this could support
a potential abnormal cerebral functioning, a different reaction to starvation within
several regions of the brain or different restoration rates according to the region.
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Article info
Publication history
Received in revised form:
September 14,
1995
Received:
June 5,
1995
Identification
Copyright
© 1996 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc.
