Abstract
Background
The course of anorexia nervosa varies from rapid recovery to a chronic debilitating
illness. This study aimed to identify functional neural correlates associated with
differential outcomes.
Methods
Brain reactions to food and emotional visual stimuli were measured with functional
magnetic resonance imaging in nine women who had long-term recovery from restricting
anorexia nervosa. These were compared with age- and education-matched groups of eight
women chronically ill with restricting anorexia nervosa and nine healthy control women.
Results
In response to food stimuli, increased medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate activation,
as well as a lack of activity in the inferior parietal lobule, differentiated the
recovered group from the healthy control subjects. Increased activation of the right
lateral prefrontal, apical prefrontal, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortices differentiated
these recovered subjects from chronically ill patients. Group differences were specific
to food stimuli, whereas processing of emotional stimuli did not differ between groups.
Conclusions
Separate neural correlates underlie trait and state characteristics of anorexia nervosa.
The medial prefrontal response to disease-specific stimuli may be related to trait
vulnerability. Lateral and apical prefrontal involvement is associated with a good
outcome.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 15,
2003
Received in revised form:
January 14,
2003
Received:
November 13,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
