OBJECTIVES People with Anorexia Nervosa exhibit difficulties flexibly adjusting behaviour in response to environmental changes. This has previously been attributed to problematic behavioural shifting, characterised by a decrease in fronto-striatal activity. Additionally, alterations of instrumental learning, which relies on fronto-striatal networks, may contribute to the observation of inflexib...

OBJECTIVE Abnormalities in cognitive function and brain structure have been reported in acutely ill adolescents with anorexia nervosa, but whether these abnormalities persist or are reversible in the context of weight restoration remains unclear. Brain structure and cognitive function in female subjects with adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa assessed at long-term follow-up were studied in compa...

This article provides an overview of research findings on the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa (AN). including studies of monoamine neurotransmitter function, genetics, brain imaging, and neuropsychology. Such studies are designed to reveal the underlying neuroanatomical and pathophysiological bases of this potentially lethal condition. Notwithstanding commonly held misconceptions, there is no ...

OBJECTIVE Recent studies suggest that altered function of higher-order appetitive neural circuitry may contribute to restricted eating in anorexia nervosa and overeating in bulimia nervosa. This study used sweet tastes to interrogate gustatory neurocircuitry involving the anterior insula and related regions that modulate sensory-interoceptive-reward signals in response to palatable foods. MET...

Sinus bradycardia may be seen commonly in healthy individuals and athletes without any significance. It may also occur in cardiovascular and systemic diseases. Sinus bradycardia is a common clinical sign in patients with anorexia nervosa. However, it is not usual to experience a patient with severe bradycardia who was diagnosed to have anorexia nervosa after being treated with a permanent pacem...

The association between pregnancy and perinatal complications (PPCs) and risks for adult psychiatric disorders other than psychoses has received relatively limited attention. In this study, we aim to characterize the associations between PPCs and risks for anxiety, affective, substance use, and eating disorders in a population-based sample of twins. Personal interviews were conducted with 1,806...

The eating disorders literature has focussed on females and little is known of the male experience. The overall image this has generated suggests a young woman in conflict with socio-cultural pressures which associate thinness with beauty. Historical studies have examined anorexia nervosa from an entirely female focus while ignoring how diagnostic categories have shaped approaches to the male b...

OBJECTIVE A large and well-characterized sample of individuals with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa from the Price Foundation collaborative genetics study was used to determine the frequency of anxiety disorders and to understand how anxiety disorders are related to state of eating disorder illness and age at onset. METHOD Ninety-seven individuals with anorexia nervosa, 282 with bulimia ...

Clinical confidence and coordinated multidisciplinary care can influence the course of anorexia nervosa in children and adolescents. Sicker and younger patients with anorexia nervosa often present first to a paediatrician, requiring early recognition and appropriate management. Paediatric knowledge and skills are also needed to manage the impact of eating disorders on growth and development. Th...

The term anorexia nervosa is used to describe a condition of food refusal in pursuit of thinness, often accompanied by self-induced vomiting and purgative abuse. Patients are typically very active and have a disturbed body image. Usually it is seen in pre -pubertal or pubertal girls. However, Bruch I describes atypical anorexia nervosa, which can occur in either sex, usually later in puberty. T...