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King JA, Bernardoni F, Westbrook A, Korb FM, Boehm I, Doose A, Geisler D, Gramatke K, Hellerhoff I, Wolff S, Strobel A, Goschke T, Roessner V, Ehrlich S. Exaggerated frontoparietal control over cognitive effort-based decision-making in young women with anorexia nervosa. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02712-4. [PMID: 39198684 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02712-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
Effortful tasks are generally experienced as costly, but the value of work varies greatly across individuals and populations. While most mental health conditions are characterized by amotivation and effort avoidance, individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) persistently engage in effortful behaviors that most people find unrewarding (food restriction, excessive exercise). Current models of AN differentially attribute such extreme weight-control behavior to altered reward responding and exaggerated cognitive control. In a novel test of these theoretical accounts, we employed an established cognitive effort discounting paradigm in combination with fMRI in young acutely underweight female patients with AN (n = 48) and age-matched healthy controls (HC; n = 48). Contrary to the hypothesis that individuals with AN would experience cognitive effort (operationalized as N-back task performance) as less costly than HC participants, groups did not differ in the subjective value (SV) of discounted rewards or in SV-related activation of brain regions involved in reward valuation. Rather, all group differences in both behavior (superior N-back performance in AN and associated effort ratings) and fMRI activation (increased SV-related frontoparietal activation during decision-making in AN even for easier choices) were more indicative of increased control. These findings suggest that while effort discounting may be relatively intact in AN, effort investment is high both when performing demanding tasks and during effort-based decision-making; highlighting cognitive overcontrol as an important therapeutic target. Future research should establish whether exaggerated control during effort-based decision-making persists after weight-recovery and explore learning the value of effort in AN with tasks involving disorder-relevant effort demands and rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A King
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabio Bernardoni
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrew Westbrook
- Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Franziska M Korb
- Chair of General Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilka Boehm
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Arne Doose
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Geisler
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Gramatke
- Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Center, Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Inger Hellerhoff
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Center, Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sylvia Wolff
- Department. of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Chair of Differential and Personality Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Goschke
- Chair of General Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
- Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Center, Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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Kucukdereli H, Amsalem O, Pottala T, Lim M, Potgieter L, Hasbrouck A, Lutas A, Andermann ML. Repeated stress triggers seeking of a starvation-like state in anxiety-prone female mice. Neuron 2024; 112:2130-2141.e7. [PMID: 38642553 PMCID: PMC11287784 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Elevated anxiety often precedes anorexia nervosa and persists after weight restoration. Patients with anorexia nervosa often describe self-starvation as pleasant, potentially because food restriction can be anxiolytic. Here, we tested whether repeated stress can cause animals to prefer a starvation-like state. We developed a virtual reality place preference paradigm in which head-fixed mice can voluntarily seek a starvation-like state induced by optogenetic stimulation of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. Prior to stress exposure, males but not females showed a mild aversion to AgRP stimulation. Strikingly, following multiple days of stress, a subset of females developed a strong preference for AgRP stimulation that was predicted by high baseline anxiety. Such stress-induced changes in preference were reflected in changes in facial expressions during AgRP stimulation. Our study suggests that stress may cause females predisposed to anxiety to seek a starvation state and provides a powerful experimental framework for investigating the underlying neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakan Kucukdereli
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Oren Amsalem
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Trent Pottala
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Michelle Lim
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Leilani Potgieter
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Amanda Hasbrouck
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew Lutas
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mark L Andermann
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Murray SB, Strober M, Le Grange D, Schauer R, Craske MG, Zbozinek TD. A multi-modal assessment of fear conditioning in adolescent anorexia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 2024; 57:1499-1509. [PMID: 38415877 DOI: 10.1002/eat.24180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a pernicious psychiatric disorder which is principally characterized by a fear of weight gain. Notwithstanding the centrality of fear in the psychopathology of AN, controlled assessments of negative valence systems are lacking. Herein we assess fear conditioning in adolescent females with AN. METHOD Adolescent girls (Mage = 14.6 years, ±1.57) with DSM-5 diagnoses of AN (N = 25) and age-matched control girls (Mage = 14.8 years, ±1.46) with no DSM-5 diagnoses (N = 25) completed structured clinical interviews and participated in a classical three-phase Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm. Participants with comorbid anxiety disorders were excluded. Skin conductance response (SCR) was measured, alongside self-reported fear, valence, and fear expectancy ratings. RESULTS Both groups demonstrated significant differential acquisition across all four measures. Regarding group comparisons, no differences emerged for self-reported fear, valence, and fear expectancy ratings during acquisition, although for SCR, those with AN demonstrated reduced physiological arousal relative to controls. Both groups demonstrated significant differential extinction for unconditioned stimuli (US) expectancy, self-report fear, and self-report valence. No statistically significant group differences were evident during extinction to the conditioned stimuli (CS)+, on any outcome measure. However, controls reported more positive valence to the CS- than those with AN. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to our hypotheses, our preliminary assessment did not find support for elevated fear responding among adolescent girls with AN with regards to fear acquisition or extinction. These data suggest that AN in adolescent girls may not be associated with a heightened propensity to acquire fear, but conversely, may suggest that exposure treatments for AN may be helpful, since extinction learning is intact in AN. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE AN is characterized by fear-related symptoms, including food and weight-related fear, and behavioral avoidance, yet controlled studies assessing fear learning are limited. Our preliminary assessment of adolescent AN indicates no abnormalities in fear learning among adolescents with AN. These findings may inform existing mechanistic models of AN psychopathology, and the development of exposure-based treatments for AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart B Murray
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michael Strober
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Daniel Le Grange
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (Emeritus), The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Rebecca Schauer
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michelle G Craske
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Tomislav D Zbozinek
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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Wronski ML, Bernardoni F, Bahnsen K, Seidel M, Arold D, Doose A, Steinhäuser JL, Borucki K, Breithaupt L, Lawson EA, Holsen LM, Weidner K, Roessner V, King JA, Plessow F, Ehrlich S. Dynamic Amygdala Nuclei Alterations in Relation to Weight Status in Anorexia Nervosa Are Mediated by Leptin. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 63:624-639. [PMID: 37797814 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The amygdaloid complex is a subcortical limbic group of distinct nuclei. In a previous patient-control study, differential amygdala nuclei alterations were found in acute anorexia nervosa (AN); rostral-medial nuclei involved in fear and reward processing were substantially reduced in volume and associated with hypoleptinemia, a key neuroendocrine characteristic of AN. Here, longitudinal amygdala nuclei alterations in AN were investigated in relation to weight status and their associations with leptin levels. METHOD T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were longitudinally processed with FreeSurfer. Amygdala nuclei volumes in young female patients with acute AN before and after short-term weight restoration (n = 110, >14% body mass index increase over 3 months) and female participants with a history of AN (n = 79, long-term [mean 5 years] weight recovered) were compared with female healthy control participants (n = 271) using linear mixed effects models. RESULTS Rostral-medially clustered amygdala nuclei volumes, accessory basal, cortical, medial nuclei, and corticoamygdaloid transition, increased during short-term weight restoration (Cohen's d range 0.18-0.30). However, volumetric normalization across nuclei was heterogeneous. Right cortical, medial nuclei, bilateral corticoamygdaloid transitions, and anterior amygdaloid areas were only partially normalized following short-term weight restoration. Right anterior amygdaloid area remained reduced after long-term weight recovery compared with control participants (d = 0.36). Leptin increase, accompanying short-term weight restoration, mediated the effect of weight gain on volumetric increase in left corticoamygdaloid transition and bilateral medial nuclei. CONCLUSION Rostral-medially clustered amygdala nuclei show pronounced volumetric increase but incomplete normalization in AN during and after short-term weight restoration. Leptin increase may be relevant for the recovery of specific amygdala nuclei in addition to nutritional rehabilitation, indicating links between amygdala substructure and leptin dynamics of potential pathophysiological and clinical relevance in AN. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY The amygdala plays a critical role in processing fearful and rewarding stimuli, and alterations in the amygdala are associated with anorexia nervosa. In this study, the authors measured amygdala nuclei volumes in female patients with acute anorexia nervosa undergoing weight-restoration treatment (n = 110), long-term weight-recovered individuals with anorexia (n = 79), and healthy control participants (n = 271). Structural magnetic resonance imaging revealed that volumes of specific nuclei, clustered in the rostral-medial amygdala, were substantially reduced in acute anorexia nervosa and only partially normalized following weight restoration treatment. Residual reductions in volume persisted even after long-term weight-recovery, compared to healthy control participants. Short-term weight restoration was associated with increases in the neurohormone leptin, and increasing leptin levels were found to mediate the positive impact of weight gain on increased amygdala volume over the treatment course. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. One or more of the authors of this paper received support from a program designed to increase minority representation in science. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our reference list. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Louis Wronski
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Fabio Bernardoni
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Klaas Bahnsen
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Seidel
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dominic Arold
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Arne Doose
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jonas L Steinhäuser
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Borucki
- Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lauren Breithaupt
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth A Lawson
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Laura M Holsen
- Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kerstin Weidner
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joseph A King
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Plessow
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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5
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Blanchette-Sarrasin A, Saj A. [Effects of non-invasive neuromodulation on the cognitive profile of people with anorexia nervosa: A scoping review]. L'ENCEPHALE 2024; 50:339-347. [PMID: 38087685 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of non-invasive neuromodulation is emerging in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Despite promising results, further research is needed to improve our understanding of these techniques and to adapt interventions to this population. As anorexia nervosa is associated with several cognitive difficulties and cerebral anomalies, the aim of the present study was to summarize the available data on the effects of non-invasive neuromodulation on the neuropsychological profile of people with anorexia nervosa. METHOD A scoping review was conducted by searching in PsycINFO, PubMed and CINAHL databases to systematically identify relevant studies published between 1994 and 2023 on the treatment of anorexia nervosa with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation or neurofeedback electroencephalogram. RESULTS Seventeen articles were included, including 12 on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, four on transcranial direct current stimulation and one on neurofeedback electroencephalogram. Of these, only three studies included a neuropsychological measure to assess the impact of neuromodulation on participants' cognitive functions. CONCLUSIONS Including detailed neuropsychological measures in clinical trials of non-invasive neuromodulation is highly recommended and appears essential to improve our understanding of these techniques and optimize their efficacy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arnaud Saj
- Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4, Canada; Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation (CRIR), Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille du CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, Longueuil, QC J4K 5G4, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Neuroscience Department, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Suisse; Département des neurosciences cliniques, Université de Genève, 1205 Genève, Suisse
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Hemmings A, Gallop L, İnce B, Cutinha D, Kan C, Simic M, Zadeh E, Malvisi I, McKenzie K, Zocek L, Sharpe H, O'Daly O, Campbell IC, Schmidt U. A randomised controlled feasibility trial of intermittent theta burst stimulation with an open longer-term follow-up for young people with persistent anorexia nervosa (RaISE): Study protocol. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2024; 32:575-588. [PMID: 38303559 DOI: 10.1002/erv.3073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We present the protocol of a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) for young people with anorexia nervosa (AN). Effective first-line psychological therapies exist for young people with AN, but little is known about how to treat those who do not respond. Non-invasive neuromodulation, such as iTBS, could address unmet treatment needs by targeting neurocircuitry associated with the development and/or maintenance of AN. DESIGN Sixty-six young people (aged 13-30 years) with persistent AN will be randomly allocated to receive 20 sessions of real or sham iTBS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in addition to their usual treatment. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-treatment (1-month post-randomisation) and 4-months post-randomisation (when unblinding will occur). Additional open follow-ups will be conducted at 12- and 24-months post-randomisation. The primary feasibility outcome is the proportion of participants retained in the study at 4-months. Secondary outcomes include AN symptomatology, other psychopathology, quality of life, service utilisation, neurocognitive processes, and neuroimaging measures. DISCUSSION Findings will inform the development of a future large-scale RCT. They will also provide exploratory data on treatment efficacy, and neural and neurocognitive predictors and correlates of treatment response to iTBS in AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia Hemmings
- Centre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW), Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Lucy Gallop
- Centre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW), Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Başak İnce
- Centre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW), Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Darren Cutinha
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Carol Kan
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Mima Simic
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Ewa Zadeh
- South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Helen Sharpe
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Owen O'Daly
- Department of Neuroimaging, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Iain C Campbell
- Centre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW), Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Ulrike Schmidt
- Centre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW), Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Brooks SJ, Dahl K, Dudley-Jones R, Schiöth HB. A neuroinflammatory compulsivity model of anorexia nervosa (NICAN). Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105580. [PMID: 38417395 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- S J Brooks
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden; School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK; Neuroscience Research Laboratory (NeuRL), Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - K Dahl
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - R Dudley-Jones
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
| | - H B Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden
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Schnapp WI, Kim J, Wang Y, Timilsena S, Fang C, Cai H. Development of activity-based anorexia requires PKC-δ neurons in two central extended amygdala nuclei. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113933. [PMID: 38460131 PMCID: PMC11003439 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric disease, but the neural mechanisms underlying its development are unclear. A subpopulation of amygdala neurons, marked by expression of protein kinase C-delta (PKC-δ), has previously been shown to regulate diverse anorexigenic signals. Here, we demonstrate that these neurons regulate development of activity-based anorexia (ABA), a common animal model for AN. PKC-δ neurons are located in two nuclei of the central extended amygdala (EAc): the central nucleus (CeA) and oval region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBNST). Simultaneous ablation of CeAPKC-δ and ovBNSTPKC-δ neurons prevents ABA, but ablating PKC-δ neurons in the CeA or ovBNST alone is not sufficient. Correspondingly, PKC-δ neurons in both nuclei show increased activity with ABA development. Our study shows how neurons in the amygdala regulate ABA by impacting both feeding and wheel activity behaviors and support a complex heterogeneous etiology of AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley Ilana Schnapp
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - JungMin Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Sayujya Timilsena
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Caohui Fang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Haijiang Cai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Bio5 Institute and Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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Hill L. Temperament impact on eating disorder symptoms and habit formation: a novel model to inform treatment. J Eat Disord 2024; 12:40. [PMID: 38504375 PMCID: PMC10953227 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-00998-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Temperament has long been described as the biological dimension of personality. Due to advancing brain-imaging technology, our understanding of temperament has deepened and transformed over the last 25 years. Temperament combines genetic, neurobiological and trait research. Temperament has been included peripherally in some eating disorder (ED) treatment approaches but has been ignored by most. Temperament fills a fundamental treatment gap by clarifying who is more vulnerable to develop ED and why some individuals are susceptible to specific ED symptoms while others are not. In addition, temperament targets possible treatment solutions. MAIN TEXT There is a need for a novel model that incorporates and explores the role of temperament in ED treatment intervention. This paper is a metaphoric temperament model to inform treatment intervention. It describes how temperament traits influences new decisions which impact new behavioural responses. In turn, it neurobiologically tracks how and why the brain efficiently transforms new decisions into new habits. This model integrates both temperament and habit research to explore (a) what temperament is; (b) how new decisions develop into habits neurobiologically; (c) that the brain wires destructive symptoms into habits in the same way that it wires healthy/productive behaviours into habits; (d) traits that trigger ED symptoms are the same traits that influence productive behaviours; and in regard to treatment implications (e) when treatment structure and intervention target client temperaments, the potential for new healthy "trait-syntonic" habits could develop. CONCLUSIONS This paper introduces a metaphoric model that synthesizes and integrates temperament neurobiological and trait findings with ED symptoms, habits, and client trait-based solutions. The model synthesizes and integrates different research domains to establish a brain-based foundation to inform treatment intervention. The model targets clients' temperament traits as central collections of innate self-expressions that could be utilized as tools to redirect client trait-syntonic ED responses into trait-syntonic productive outcomes. The brain bases of temperament and habit formation serve as a biological foundation for ED treatment intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Abber SR, Murray SM, Brown CS, Wierenga CE. Change in motivational bias during treatment predicts outcome in anorexia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 2024; 57:671-681. [PMID: 38303629 PMCID: PMC10947895 DOI: 10.1002/eat.24156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Reward and punishment sensitivity are known to be altered in anorexia nervosa (AN). Most research has examined these constructs separately although motivated behavior is influenced by considering both the potential for reward and risk of punishment. The present study sought to compare the relative balance of reward and punishment sensitivity in AN versus healthy controls (HCs) and examine whether motivational bias is associated with AN symptoms and treatment outcomes. METHODS Adolescents and adults with AN (n = 262) in a partial hospitalization program completed the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) scales, and Sensitivity to Punishment/Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ) at admission and discharge. HCs (HC; n = 90) completed the BIS/BAS and SPSRQ. Motivational Bias Scores were calculated to reflect the dominance of reward versus punishment sensitivity. RESULTS Individuals with AN demonstrated significantly greater bias toward punishment sensitivity than HC. In AN, a bias toward punishment was associated with higher EDE-Q Global score at admission. Change in motivational bias during treatment predicted EDE-Q Global scores, but not BMI, at discharge, with greater increases in reward sensitivity or greater decreases in punishment sensitivity during treatment predicting lower eating pathology. Similar findings were observed using the BIS/BAS and SPSRQ. DISCUSSION Change in motivational bias during treatment is associated with improved outcomes in AN. However, it appears that much of the change in motivational bias can be attributed to changes in punishment sensitivity, rather than reward sensitivity. Future research should examine the mechanisms underlying punishment sensitivity decreases during treatment. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE Sensitivity to reward and punishment may be important treatment targets for individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN). To date, most research has considered reward and punishment sensitivity separately, rather than examining their relationship to each other. We found that the balance of reward and punishment sensitivity (i.e., motivational bias) differs between healthy controls and those with AN and that this bias is associated with eating disorder symptoms and treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie R. Abber
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
| | - Susan M. Murray
- Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego Health, San Diego, CA
| | - Carina S. Brown
- Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego Health, San Diego, CA
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology
| | - Christina E. Wierenga
- Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego Health, San Diego, CA
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11
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Brown CS, Devine S, Otto AR, Bischoff-Grethe A, Wierenga CE. Greater reliance on model-free learning in adolescent anorexia nervosa: An examination of dual-system reinforcement learning. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.01.31.24302097. [PMID: 38352608 PMCID: PMC10863009 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.24302097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Alterations in learning and decision-making systems are thought to contribute to core features of anorexia nervosa (AN), a psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent dietary restriction and weight loss. Instrumental learning theory identifies a dual-system of habit and goal-directed decision-making, linked to model-free and model-based reinforcement learning algorithms. Difficulty arbitrating between these systems, resulting in an over-reliance on one strategy over the other, has been implicated in compulsivity and extreme goal pursuit, both of which are observed in AN. Characterizing alterations in model-free and model-based systems, and their neural correlates, in AN may clarify mechanisms contributing to symptom heterogeneity (e.g., binge/purge symptoms). This study tested whether adolescents with restricting AN (AN-R; n = 36) and binge/purge AN (AN-BP; n = 20) differentially utilized model-based and model-free learning systems compared to a healthy control group (HC; n = 28) during a Markov two-step decision-making task under conditions of reward and punishment. Associations between model-free and model-based learning and resting-state functional connectivity between neural regions of interest, including orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), putamen, and sensory motor cortex (SMC) were examined. AN-R showed higher utilization of model-free learning compared to HC for reward, but attenuated model-free and model-based learning for punishment. In AN-R only, higher model-based learning was associated with stronger OFC-to-left NAcc functional connectivity, regions linked to goal-directed behavior. Greater utilization of model-free learning for reward in AN-R may differentiate this group, particularly during adolescence, and facilitate dietary restriction by prioritizing habitual control in rewarding contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina S. Brown
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
| | | | | | | | - Christina E. Wierenga
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
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12
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Sader M, Waiter GD, Williams JHG. The cerebellum plays more than one role in the dysregulation of appetite: Review of structural evidence from typical and eating disorder populations. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3286. [PMID: 37830247 PMCID: PMC10726807 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dysregulated appetite control is characteristic of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and obesity (OB). Studies using a broad range of methods suggest the cerebellum plays an important role in aspects of weight and appetite control, and is implicated in both AN and OB by reports of aberrant gray matter volume (GMV) compared to nonclinical populations. As functions of the cerebellum are anatomically segregated, specific localization of aberrant anatomy may indicate the mechanisms of its relationship with weight and appetite in different states. We sought to determine if there were consistencies in regions of cerebellar GMV changes in AN/BN and OB, as well as across normative (NOR) variation. METHOD Systematic review and meta-analysis using GingerALE. RESULTS Twenty-six publications were identified as either case-control studies (nOB = 277; nAN/BN = 510) or regressed weight from NOR data against brain volume (total n = 3830). AN/BN and OB analyses both showed consistently decreased GMV within Crus I and Lobule VI, but volume reduction was bilateral for AN/BN and unilateral for OB. Analysis of the NOR data set identified a cluster in right posterior lobe that overlapped with AN/BN cerebellar reduction. Sensitivity analyses indicated robust repeatability for NOR and AN/BN cohorts, but found OB-specific heterogeneity. DISCUSSION Findings suggest that more than one area of the cerebellum is involved in control of eating behavior and may be differentially affected in normal variation and pathological conditions. Specifically, we hypothesize an association with sensorimotor and emotional learning via Lobule VI in AN/BN, and executive function via Crus I in OB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Sader
- Biomedical Imaging CentreUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | | | - Justin H. G. Williams
- Biomedical Imaging CentreUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
- School of MedicineGriffith UniversityGold CoastQueenslandAustralia
- Gold Coast Mental Health and Specialist ServicesGold CoastQueenslandAustralia
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13
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Marcolini F, Ravaglia A, Tempia Valenta S, Bosco G, Marconi G, Sanna F, Zilli G, Magrini E, Picone F, De Ronchi D, Atti AR. Severe-Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN): a case series. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:208. [PMID: 37993899 PMCID: PMC10664281 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00925-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anorexia Nervosa (AN) poses significant therapeutic challenges, especially in cases meeting the criteria for Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN). This subset of AN is associated with severe medical complications, frequent use of services, and the highest mortality rate among psychiatric disorders. CASE PRESENTATION In the present case series, 14 patients were selected from those currently or previously taken care of at the Eating Disorders Outpatients Unit of the Maggiore Hospital in Bologna between January 2012 and May 2023. This case series focuses on the effects of the disease, the treatment compliance, and the description of those variables that could help understand the great complexity of the disorder. CONCLUSION This case series highlights the relevant issue of resistance to treatment, as well as medical and psychological complications that mark the life course of SE-AN patients. The chronicity of these disorders is determined by the overlapping of the disorder's ego-syntonic nature, the health system's difficulty in recognizing the problem in its early stages, and the presence of occupational and social impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Marcolini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Ravaglia
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Tempia Valenta
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanna Bosco
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, AUSL Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giorgia Marconi
- U.O. Cure Primarie, AUSL Area Vasta Romagna, ambito di Rimini, Rimini, Italy
| | - Federica Sanna
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Zilli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Enrico Magrini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Flavia Picone
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Diana De Ronchi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Atti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Pepoli 5, 40123, Bologna, Italy
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14
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Wang J, Wu G, Wang M, Li W, Wang Y, Ren X, Wei X, Yang Z, Li Z, Wang Z, Chen Q, Zhang P, Tang L. Exploring the thalamus: a crucial hub for brain function and communication in patients with bulimia nervosa. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:207. [PMID: 37986127 PMCID: PMC10662785 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00933-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bulimia nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent binge eating and compensatory behaviors. The thalamus plays a crucial role in the neural circuitry related to eating behavior and needs to be further explored in BN. METHODS In this study, 49 BN patients and 44 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. We applied the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation to investigate regional brain activity in the thalamus and functional connectivity (FC) to examine the synchronization of activity between thalamic subregions and other brain regions in both groups. All results underwent false discovery rate (p < 0.05, FDR correction) correction. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the patients' abnormal clinical performance and the thalamic alterations (p < 0.05, FDR correction). RESULTS We found no significant differences in neural activity between BN patients and HCs in the sixteen thalamic subregions. However, compared to the HCs, the individuals with BN showed decreased FC between the thalamic subregions and several regions, including the bilateral prefrontal cortex, right inferior parietal lobule, right supplementary motor area, right insula, cingulate gyrus and vermis. Additionally, BN patients showed increased FC between the thalamic subregions and visual association regions, primary sensorimotor cortex, and left cerebellum. These altered FC patterns in the thalamus were found to be correlated with clinical variables (the frequency of binge eating/purging per week and external eating behavior scale scores) in the BN group. All results have passed FDR correction. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides evidence that there is disrupted FC between thalamic subregions and other brain regions in BN patients during resting state. These regions are primarily located within the frontoparietal network, default mode network, somatosensory, and visual network. These findings elucidate the neural activity characteristics underlying BN and suggest that thalamic subregions have potential as targets for future neuromodulation interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Wang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
| | - Guowei Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Miao Wang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Weihua Li
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
| | - Yiling Wang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodan Ren
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Ankang Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Wei
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenghan Yang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanjiang Li
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Ankang Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenchang Wang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
| | - Lirong Tang
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 5 Ankang Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing, China.
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15
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Meregalli V, Tenconi E, Cardi V, Bonifanti A, Meneguzzo P, Favaro A, Collantoni E. Strategic avoidance of food stimuli in patients with restrictive anorexia nervosa: An eye-tracking evaluation. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2023; 31:813-821. [PMID: 37408111 DOI: 10.1002/erv.3011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A biased attentional processing of food stimuli may represent a disorder maintenance factor in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study aimed at investigating the temporal course of attentional deployment towards both high-calorie and low-calorie foods in patients with AN using eye-tracking. METHOD Fifty-two patients with restrictive AN and 54 healthy controls (HC) performed a dot-probe task while their gaze was recorded with an eye-tracking system. The direction bias (percentage of trials in which the gaze was directed towards the food at first fixation, 500, and 1500 ms), and the duration bias (percentage of time spent looking at the food) were extracted. RESULTS Regarding the direction bias, a group by time interaction emerged (F = 3.29, p = 0.038): while in the control group the bias continued to increase over the course of the trial, patients with AN showed a reduction of the bias between the 500 and 1500 ms. No group differences were observed on the duration bias. CONCLUSIONS In advanced stages of attentional deployment patients with AN start to differ from HC by diverting their attention away from food stimuli, a strategic process that may contribute to food avoidance and calorie restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Meregalli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Tenconi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Cardi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Paolo Meneguzzo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Angela Favaro
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Collantoni
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
- Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
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16
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Conceição ISR, Garcia-Burgos D, de Macêdo PFC, Nepomuceno CMM, Pereira EM, Cunha CDM, Ribeiro CDF, de Santana MLP. Habits and Persistent Food Restriction in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa: A Scoping Review. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:883. [PMID: 37998630 PMCID: PMC10669471 DOI: 10.3390/bs13110883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The aetiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) presents a puzzle for researchers. Recent research has sought to understand the behavioural and neural mechanisms of these patients' persistent choice of calorie restriction. This scoping review aims to map the literature on the contribution of habit-based learning to food restriction in AN. PRISMA-ScR guidelines were adopted. The search strategy was applied to seven databases and to grey literature. A total of 35 studies were included in this review. The results indicate that the habit-based learning model has gained substantial attention in current research, employing neuroimaging methods, scales, and behavioural techniques. Food choices were strongly associated with dorsal striatum activity, and habitual food restriction based on the self-report restriction index was associated with clinical impairment in people chronically ill with restricting AN. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) and Regulating Emotions and Changing Habits (REaCH) have emerged as potential treatments. Future research should employ longitudinal studies to investigate the time required for habit-based learning and analyse how developmental status, such as adolescence, influences the role of habits in the progression and severity of diet-related illnesses. Ultimately, seeking effective strategies to modify persistent dietary restrictions controlled by habits remains essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismara Santos Rocha Conceição
- Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Nutrition, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40110-907, Brazil; (I.S.R.C.); (P.F.C.d.M.)
| | - David Garcia-Burgos
- Department of Psychobiology, The “Federico Olóriz” Institute of Neurosciences, Biomedical Research Centre, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Patrícia Fortes Cavalcanti de Macêdo
- Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Nutrition, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40110-907, Brazil; (I.S.R.C.); (P.F.C.d.M.)
| | | | | | - Carla de Magalhães Cunha
- School of Nutrition, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40110-907, Brazil; (C.d.M.C.); (C.D.F.R.)
| | - Camila Duarte Ferreira Ribeiro
- School of Nutrition, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40110-907, Brazil; (C.d.M.C.); (C.D.F.R.)
- Graduate Program in Food Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-115, Brazil
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17
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Wronski ML, Geisler D, Bernardoni F, Seidel M, Bahnsen K, Doose A, Steinhäuser JL, Gronow F, Böldt LV, Plessow F, Lawson EA, King JA, Roessner V, Ehrlich S. Differential alterations of amygdala nuclei volumes in acutely ill patients with anorexia nervosa and their associations with leptin levels. Psychol Med 2023; 53:6288-6303. [PMID: 36464660 PMCID: PMC10358440 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722003609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The amygdala is a subcortical limbic structure consisting of histologically and functionally distinct subregions. New automated structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation tools facilitate the in vivo study of individual amygdala nuclei in clinical populations such as patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) who show symptoms indicative of limbic dysregulation. This study is the first to investigate amygdala nuclei volumes in AN, their relationships with leptin, a key indicator of AN-related neuroendocrine alterations, and further clinical measures. METHODS T1-weighted MRI scans were subsegmented and multi-stage quality controlled using FreeSurfer. Left/right hemispheric amygdala nuclei volumes were cross-sectionally compared between females with AN (n = 168, 12-29 years) and age-matched healthy females (n = 168) applying general linear models. Associations with plasma leptin, body mass index (BMI), illness duration, and psychiatric symptoms were analyzed via robust linear regression. RESULTS Globally, most amygdala nuclei volumes in both hemispheres were reduced in AN v. healthy control participants. Importantly, four specific nuclei (accessory basal, cortical, medial nuclei, corticoamygdaloid transition in the rostral-medial amygdala) showed greater volumetric reduction even relative to reductions of whole amygdala and total subcortical gray matter volumes, whereas basal, lateral, and paralaminar nuclei were less reduced. All rostral-medially clustered nuclei were positively associated with leptin in AN independent of BMI. Amygdala nuclei volumes were not associated with illness duration or psychiatric symptom severity in AN. CONCLUSIONS In AN, amygdala nuclei are altered to different degrees. Severe volume loss in rostral-medially clustered nuclei, collectively involved in olfactory/food-related reward processing, may represent a structural correlate of AN-related symptoms. Hypoleptinemia might be linked to rostral-medial amygdala alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Louis Wronski
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Geisler
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabio Bernardoni
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Seidel
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Klaas Bahnsen
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Arne Doose
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jonas L. Steinhäuser
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Gronow
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Luisa V. Böldt
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Plessow
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Lawson
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph A. King
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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18
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Calder A, Mock S, Friedli N, Pasi P, Hasler G. Psychedelics in the treatment of eating disorders: Rationale and potential mechanisms. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 75:1-14. [PMID: 37352816 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Eating disorders are serious illnesses showing high rates of mortality and comorbidity with other mental health problems. Psychedelic-assisted therapy has recently shown potential in the treatment of several common comorbidities of eating disorders, including mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders. The theorized therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted therapy suggest that it could be beneficial in the treatment of eating disorders as well. In this review, we summarize preliminary data on the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy in people with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, which include studies and case reports of psychedelic-assisted therapy with ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, and ayahuasca. We then discuss the potential therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted therapy in these three eating disorders, including both general therapeutic mechanisms and those which are relatively specific to eating disorders. We find preliminary evidence that psychedelic-assisted therapy may be effective in the treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, with very little data available on binge eating disorder. Regarding mechanisms, psychedelic-assisted therapy may be able to improve beliefs about body image, normalize reward processing, promote cognitive flexibility, and facilitate trauma processing. Just as importantly, it appears to promote general therapeutic factors relevant to both eating disorders and many of their common comorbidities. Lastly, we discuss potential safety concerns which may be associated with these treatments and present recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Calder
- University Center for Psychiatric Research, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Cardinal-Journet 3, 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland
| | - Seline Mock
- University Center for Psychiatric Research, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Cardinal-Journet 3, 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Friedli
- University Center for Psychiatric Research, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Cardinal-Journet 3, 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Pasi
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gregor Hasler
- University Center for Psychiatric Research, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Cardinal-Journet 3, 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland.
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19
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Mitchell JS, Anijärv TE, Levenstein JL, Hermens DF, Lagopoulos J. Excitatory and inhibitory neurometabolites in anorexia nervosa: A systematic review of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105279. [PMID: 37307945 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The dysregulation of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission is considered a pathological marker of Anorexia Nervosa (AN), however, no systematic evaluation of the proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS) literature has been conducted to date. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic review of neurometabolite differences between individuals with AN and healthy controls (HC). A comprehensive database search (until June 2023) identified seven studies meeting inclusion criteria. Samples included adolescents and adults with similar mean age (AN: 22.20 HC: 22.60), and female percentages (AN: 98%; HC: 94%). The review found a considerable need for improving study design and the reporting of MRS sequence parameters and analysis. Reduced glutamate concentrations in the ACC and OCC, and reduced Glx concentrations in the ACC were reported by one and two studies, respectively. Lastly, only one study to date has quantified GABA concentrations, with no significant differences found. In conclusion, there is currently insufficient evidence of excitatory and inhibitory neurometabolites changes in AN. As the 1H-MRS literature in AN increases, the key questions herein proposed must be revisited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules S Mitchell
- Thompson Institute, University of Sunshine Coast, 12 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya, 4575 Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Toomas E Anijärv
- Thompson Institute, University of Sunshine Coast, 12 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya, 4575 Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jacob L Levenstein
- Thompson Institute, University of Sunshine Coast, 12 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya, 4575 Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Daniel F Hermens
- Thompson Institute, University of Sunshine Coast, 12 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya, 4575 Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jim Lagopoulos
- Thompson Institute, University of Sunshine Coast, 12 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya, 4575 Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
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20
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Oudijn MS, Linders JTW, Lok A, Schuurman PR, van den Munckhof P, van Elburg AA, van Wingen GA, Mocking RJT, Denys D. Neural effects of deep brain stimulation on reward and loss anticipation and food viewing in anorexia nervosa: a pilot study. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:140. [PMID: 37605212 PMCID: PMC10440869 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00863-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe and life-threatening psychiatric disorder. Initial studies on deep brain stimulation (DBS) in severe, treatment-refractory AN have shown clinical effects. However, the working mechanisms of DBS in AN remain largely unknown. Here, we used a task-based functional MRI approach to understand the pathophysiology of AN. METHODS We performed functional MRI on four AN patients that participated in a pilot study on the efficacy, safety, and functional effects of DBS targeted at the ventral limb of the capsula interna (vALIC). The patients and six gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were investigated at three different time points. We used an adapted version of the monetary incentive delay task to probe generic reward processing in patients and controls, and a food-specific task in patients only. RESULTS At baseline, no significant differences for reward anticipation were found between AN and HC. Significant group (AN and HC) by time (pre- and post-DBS) interactions were found in the right precuneus, right putamen, right ventral and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). No significant interactions were found in the food viewing task, neither between the conditions high-calorie and low-calorie food images nor between the different time points. This could possibly be due to the small sample size and the lack of a control group. CONCLUSION The results showed a difference in the response of reward-related brain areas post-DBS. This supports the hypotheses that the reward circuitry is involved in the pathogenesis of AN and that DBS affects responsivity of reward-related brain areas. Trial registration Registered in the Netherlands Trial Register ( https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/3322 ): NL3322 (NTR3469).
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Oudijn
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC)-Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - J T W Linders
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC)-Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Lok
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC)-Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P R Schuurman
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC)-Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P van den Munckhof
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC)-Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A A van Elburg
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - G A van Wingen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC)-Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R J T Mocking
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC)-Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - D Denys
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC)-Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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21
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Meregalli V, Ambrosini E, Tenconi E, Schroeder PA, Cardi V, Veronese A, Meneguzzo P, Favaro A, Collantoni E. Food induced distractibility in restrictive anorexia nervosa: Different motor patterns for different foods as revealed by a mouse tracker evaluation. Appetite 2023; 188:106639. [PMID: 37356579 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
An altered automatic processing of food stimuli may contribute to the maintenance of calorie restriction in patients with restrictive Anorexia Nervosa (AN-R). The present study aimed to assess whether task-irrelevant food distractors elicited a different interference effect in the motor actions of patients with AN-R compared to healthy controls (HC). 40 patients with acute AN-R and 40 HC performed an irrelevant distractor task in which they were required to perform a reaching movement from a starting point to a green dot, while an irrelevant distractor (a high-calorie food, low-calorie food, or neutral object) was presented in the middle of the screen. Mouse trajectories and response times (RT) were recorded. The analyses conducted on the kinematic variables revealed that while the trajectories of HC veered similarly toward the three categories of stimuli, AN-R patients showed an increased deviation toward low-calorie foods and a reduced deviation toward high-calorie foods compared to neutral objects. No significant results emerged as regards RT. The pattern of responses observed in patients with AN-R (deviation increased toward low-calorie and reduced toward high-calorie) is consistent with their eating habits and may thus represent an implicit mechanism sustaining calorie restriction in patients with AN-R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Meregalli
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
| | - Ettore Ambrosini
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Tenconi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Cardi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Angela Veronese
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Meneguzzo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Angela Favaro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Collantoni
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy; Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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22
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Steding J, Ritschel F, Boehm I, Geisler D, King JA, Roessner V, Smolka MN, Zepf FD, Ehrlich S. The effects of acute tryptophan depletion on instrumental reward learning in anorexia nervosa - an fMRI study. Psychol Med 2023; 53:3426-3436. [PMID: 35343412 PMCID: PMC10277771 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721005493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The serotonin (5-HT) hypothesis of anorexia nervosa (AN) posits that individuals predisposed toward or recovered from AN (recAN) have a central nervous hyperserotonergic state and therefore restrict food intake as a means to reduce 5-HT availability (via diminished tryptophan-derived precursor supply) and alleviate associated negative mood states. Importantly, the 5-HT system has also been generally implicated in reward processing, which has also been shown to be altered in AN. METHODS In this double-blind crossover study, 22 individuals recAN and 25 healthy control participants (HC) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing an established instrumental reward learning paradigm during acute tryptophan depletion (ATD; a dietary intervention that lowers central nervous 5-HT availability) as well as a sham depletion. RESULTS On a behavioral level, the main effects of reward and ATD were evident, but no group differences were found. fMRI analyses revealed a group × ATD × reward level interaction in the ventral anterior insula during reward anticipation as well as in the medial orbitofrontal cortex during reward consumption. DISCUSSION The precise pattern of results is suggestive of a 'normalization' of reward-related neural responses during ATD in recAN compared to HC. Our results lend further evidence to the 5-HT hypothesis of AN. Decreasing central nervous 5-HT synthesis and availability during ATD and possibly also by dieting may be a means to normalize 5-HT availability and associated brain processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Steding
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Ritschel
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilka Boehm
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Geisler
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joseph A. King
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Daniel Zepf
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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23
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Kucukdereli H, Amsalem O, Pottala T, Lim M, Potgieter L, Hasbrouck A, Lutas A, Andermann ML. Chronic stress triggers seeking of a starvation-like state in anxiety-prone female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.16.541013. [PMID: 37292650 PMCID: PMC10245771 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.16.541013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Elevated anxiety often precedes anorexia nervosa and persists after weight restoration. Patients with anorexia nervosa often describe hunger as pleasant, potentially because food restriction can be anxiolytic. Here, we tested whether chronic stress can cause animals to prefer a starvation-like state. We developed a virtual reality place preference paradigm in which head-fixed mice can voluntarily seek a starvation-like state induced by optogenetic stimulation of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. Prior to stress induction, male but not female mice showed mild aversion to AgRP stimulation. Strikingly, following chronic stress, a subset of females developed a strong preference for AgRP stimulation that was predicted by high baseline anxiety. Such stress-induced changes in preference were reflected in changes in facial expressions during AgRP stimulation. Our study suggests that stress may cause females predisposed to anxiety to seek a starvation state, and provides a powerful experimental framework for investigating the underlying neural mechanisms.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anorexia nervosa is a frequent eating disorder that affects predominantly young women and may take a severe and chronically worsening course of disease contributing to its high mortality rate. Although a multitude of treatment options exist, this disease still bears a high relapse rate. In light of these facts, an improvement of existing and development of new treatment targets and options is warranted. AREAS COVERED The present review article covers recent developments in psychotherapy associated with the respective neuropsychological and brain alterations as well as highlights current and future pharmacotherapeutic options. EXPERT OPINION Several encouraging developments in the field of psychotherapy such as interventions targeting neurocognitive profiles or addressing reward processing, brain stimulation as well as pharmacological modulation of hormones, namely leptin, oxytocin, ghrelin and nesfatin-1 signaling might be - most likely as part of a multimodal treatment approach - efficacious in order to improve treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa, especially those with a severe course of disease as well as comorbidities. As anorexia nervosa represents a complex and severe mental disorder, it seems most likely that a combination and integration of different evidence-based treatment approaches and settings will contribute to an improved prognosis of this eating disorder. This should be further explored in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stengel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Excellence in Eating Disorders Tübingen (KOMET)
- Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Giel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Excellence in Eating Disorders Tübingen (KOMET)
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25
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Elwyn R, Mitchell J, Kohn MR, Driver C, Hay P, Lagopoulos J, Hermens DF. Novel ketamine and zinc treatment for anorexia nervosa and the potential beneficial interactions with the gut microbiome. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 148:105122. [PMID: 36907256 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe illness with diverse aetiological and maintaining contributors including neurobiological, metabolic, psychological, and social determining factors. In addition to nutritional recovery, multiple psychological and pharmacological therapies and brain-based stimulations have been explored; however, existing treatments have limited efficacy. This paper outlines a neurobiological model of glutamatergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic dysfunction, exacerbated by chronic gut microbiome dysbiosis and zinc depletion at a brain and gut level. The gut microbiome is established early in development, and early exposure to stress and adversity contribute to gut microbial disturbance in AN, early dysregulation to glutamatergic and GABAergic networks, interoceptive impairment, and inhibited caloric harvest from food (e.g., zinc malabsorption, competition for zinc ions between gut bacteria and host). Zinc is a key part of glutamatergic and GABAergic networks, and also affects leptin and gut microbial function; systems dysregulated in AN. Low doses of ketamine in conjunction with zinc, could provide an efficacious combination to act on NMDA receptors and normalise glutamatergic, GABAergic and gut function in AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosiel Elwyn
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Birtinya, QLD, Australia; SouthWest Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
| | - Jules Mitchell
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Birtinya, QLD, Australia; SouthWest Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael R Kohn
- AYA Medicine Westmead Hospital, CRASH (Centre for Research into Adolescent's Health) Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney University, Australia; SouthWest Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Christina Driver
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Birtinya, QLD, Australia; SouthWest Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Phillipa Hay
- Translational Health Research Institute (THRI) School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia; SouthWest Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Jim Lagopoulos
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Birtinya, QLD, Australia; SouthWest Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel F Hermens
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Birtinya, QLD, Australia; SouthWest Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
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26
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Mack RA, Stanton CE, Carney MR. The importance of including occupational therapists as part of the multidisciplinary team in the management of eating disorders: a narrative review incorporating lived experience. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:37. [PMID: 36894981 PMCID: PMC9996838 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00763-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The literature demonstrates the importance of utilizing a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of eating disorders, however there is limited literature identifying the optimal team of professionals for providing comprehensive and effective care. It is widely accepted that the multidisciplinary treatment team should include a physician, a mental health professional, and a dietitian, but there is minimal literature explaining what other professionals should be involved in the medical assessment and management of eating disorders. Additional team members might include a psychiatrist, therapist, social worker, activity therapist, or occupational therapist. Occupational therapists are healthcare professionals who help their clients participate in the daily activities, referred to as occupations, that they have to do, want to do, and enjoy doing. Many factors (e.g., medical, psychological, cognitive, physical) can impact a person's ability to actively engage in their occupations. When a person has an eating disorder, it is likely that all four of the aforementioned factors will be affected, thus individuals undergoing treatment for an eating disorder benefit from the incorporation of occupational therapy in supporting their recovery journey. This narrative review strives to provide education on the role of the occupational therapist in treating eating disorders and the need for increased inclusion of this profession on the multidisciplinary team. Additionally, this narrative review offers insight into an individual's personal experience with occupational therapy (i.e., lived experience) during her battle for eating disorder recovery and the unique value that occupational therapy offered her as she learned to manage her eating disorder. Research suggests that occupational therapy should be included in multidisciplinary teams focused on managing eating disorders as it empowers individuals to return to activities that bring personal meaning and identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah A Mack
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
| | - Caroline E Stanton
- Prisma Health Kidnetics, 29 N. Academy Street, Greenville, SC, 29601, USA
| | - Marissa R Carney
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
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27
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Trinh S, Keller L, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Seitz J. The role of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in anorexia nervosa. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 151:106069. [PMID: 36878115 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor belonging to the neurotrophin family which plays a pivotal role in the differentiation, survival, and plasticity of neurons in the central nervous system. Evidence suggests that BDNF is an important signal molecule in the regulation of energy balance and thus implicated in body weight control. The discovery of BDNF-expressing neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus which is important in the regulation of energy intake, physical activity, and thermogenesis gives more evidence to the suggested participation of BDNF in eating behavior. Until now it remains questionable whether BDNF can be used as a reliable biomarker for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa (AN) as available findings on BDNF levels in patients with AN are ambiguous. AN is an eating disorder characterized by a pathological low body weight in combination with a body image disturbance typically developing during adolescence. A severe drive for thinness leads to restrictive eating behavior often accompanied by physical hyperactivity. During therapeutic weight restoration an increase of BDNF expression levels seems desirable as it might improve neuronal plasticity and survival which is essential for learning processes and thereby essential for the success of the psychotherapeutic treatment of patients. On the contrary, the well-known anorexigenic effect of BDNF might favor relapse in patients as soon as the BDNF levels significantly increase during weight rehabilitation. The present review summarizes the association between BDNF and general eating behavior and especially focuses on the eating disorder AN. In this regard findings from preclinical AN studies (activity-based anorexia model) are outlined as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Trinh
- Institute for Neuroanatomy, University Hospital, RWTH University Aachen, Wendlingweg 2, Aachen D-52074, Germany.
| | - Lara Keller
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH University Aachen, Neuenhofer Weg 21, Aachen D-52074, Germany.
| | - Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH University Aachen, Neuenhofer Weg 21, Aachen D-52074, Germany.
| | - Jochen Seitz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH University Aachen, Neuenhofer Weg 21, Aachen D-52074, Germany.
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28
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Allen KL, Mountford VA, Elwyn R, Flynn M, Fursland A, Obeid N, Partida G, Richards K, Schmidt U, Serpell L, Silverstein S, Wade T. A framework for conceptualising early intervention for eating disorders. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2023; 31:320-334. [PMID: 36426567 PMCID: PMC10100476 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper outlines the evidence base for early intervention for eating disorders; provides a global overview of how early intervention for eating disorders is provided in different regions and settings; and proposes policy, service, clinician and research recommendations to progress early intervention for eating disorders. METHOD AND RESULTS Currently, access to eating disorder treatment often takes many years or does not occur at all. This is despite neurobiological, clinical and socioeconomic evidence showing that early intervention may improve outcomes and facilitate full sustained recovery from an eating disorder. There is also considerable variation worldwide in how eating disorder care is provided, with marked inequalities in treatment provision. Despite these barriers, there are existing evidence-based approaches to early intervention for eating disorders and progress is being made in scaling these. CONCLUSIONS We propose action steps for the field that will transform eating disorder service provision and facilitate early detection, treatment and recovery for everyone affected by eating disorders, regardless of age, socioeconomic status and personal characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina L Allen
- Eating Disorders Outpatients Service, Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Victoria A Mountford
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,LightHouse Arabia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rosiel Elwyn
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Gubbi Gubbi Country, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michaela Flynn
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Nicole Obeid
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Georgina Partida
- Eating Disorders Outpatients Service, Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Katie Richards
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ulrike Schmidt
- Eating Disorders Outpatients Service, Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy Serpell
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.,Eating Disorder Service, North East London NHS Foundation Trust, Essex, UK
| | | | - Tracey Wade
- Flinders Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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29
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Haynos AF, Koithan E, Hagan KE. Learned industriousness as a translational mechanism in anorexia nervosa. NATURE REVIEWS PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 2:112-126. [PMID: 37693302 PMCID: PMC10485812 DOI: 10.1038/s44159-022-00134-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
It remains unexplained why some behaviours persist despite being non-hedonic and ostensibly aversive. This phenomenon is especially baffling when such behaviours are taken to excess in the form of psychopathology. Anorexia nervosa is one psychiatric disorder in which effortful behaviours that most people find unpleasant (suchas restrictive eating) are persistently performed. We propose thatthe social psychology theory of learned industriousness providesa novel mechanistic account for such phenomena. This theoryposits that high-effort behaviour can be conditioned to acquire secondary reinforcing properties through repeated pairing with reward. Accordingly, effort sensations become less aversive andmore appetitive, increasing willingness to engage in effortful behaviour. In this Perspective, we review pre-clinical behaviouraland biological data that support learned industriousness, contrast learned industriousness with other models of non-hedonic persistence (such as habit learning), highlight evidence that supports learned industriousness in individuals with anorexia nervosa and consider implications of the model, including translation to other psychiatric presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann F. Haynos
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Emily Koithan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kelsey E. Hagan
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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Murray SB, Cabeen RP, Jann K, Tadayonnejad R, Strober M, Feusner JD. White matter microstructure in habit and reward circuits in anorexia nervosa: Insights from a neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2023; 147:134-144. [PMID: 36376250 PMCID: PMC9852024 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavioral features of anorexia nervosa (AN) suggest abnormalities in reward and habit. Neuroimaging evidence suggests morphometric and functional perturbations within these circuits, although fewer studies have assessed white matter characteristics in AN, and no studies to date have assessed white matter microstructure in AN. METHODS In this brain imaging study, 29 female adolescents with partially or fully weight-restored AN and 27 healthy controls, all between 10 and 19 years, underwent whole-brain multi-shell diffusion tensor imaging. Utilizing neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging methods, we investigated group differences in white matter neurite density, orientation dispersion, and myelin density in tracts between prominent nodes of the reward circuit (ventral tegmental area (VTA) to nucleus accumbens (NAcc)) and the habit circuit (sensory motor area [SMA] to putamen). RESULTS Findings revealed reduced neurite (F = 5.20, p = 0.027) and myelin density (F = 5.39, p = 0.025) in the left VTA-NAcc tract, and reduced orientation dispersion in the left (F = 7.00, p = 0.011) and right (F = 6.77, p = 0.012) VTA-NAcc tract. There were no significant group differences in the SMA-putamen tract. Significant relationships, after corrections, were not evident between tract microstructure and reward responsiveness, compulsive behaviors, illness duration, or BMI. CONCLUSIONS Adolescents with AN exhibit less dense, undermyelinated, and less dispersed white matter tracts connecting prominent reward system nodes, which could potentially signify underutilization of this part of the reward circuit. These results provide a detailed examination of white matter microstructure in tracts underlying instrumental behavioral phenotypes contributing to illness in AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart B. Murray
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ryan P. Cabeen
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kay Jann
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Reza Tadayonnejad
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Computation & Neural Systems program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Michael Strober
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jamie D. Feusner
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,Corresponding author: Jamie Feusner, 250 College St. #645, Toronto, ON M5V 3W5, Canada, Phone: +1-416-535-8501 x33436,
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Garcia-Burgos D, Wilhelm P, Vögele C, Munsch S. Food Restriction in Anorexia Nervosa in the Light of Modern Learning Theory: A Narrative Review. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:bs13020096. [PMID: 36829325 PMCID: PMC9952578 DOI: 10.3390/bs13020096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Improvements in the clinical management of anorexia nervosa (AN) are urgently needed. To do so, the search for innovative approaches continues at laboratory and clinical levels to translate new findings into more effective treatments. In this sense, modern learning theory provides a unifying framework that connects concepts, methodologies and data from preclinical and clinical research to inspire novel interventions in the field of psychopathology in general, and of disordered eating in particular. Indeed, learning is thought to be a crucial factor in the development/regulation of normal and pathological eating behaviour. Thus, the present review not only tries to provide a comprehensive overview of modern learning research in the field of AN, but also follows a transdiagnostic perspective to offer testable explanations for the origin and maintenance of pathological food rejection. This narrative review was informed by a systematic search of research papers in the electronic databases PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science following PRISMA methodology. By considering the number and type of associations (Pavlovian, goal-directed or habitual) and the affective nature of conditioning processes (appetitive versus aversive), this approach can explain many features of AN, including why some patients restrict food intake to the point of life-threatening starvation and others restrict calorie intake to lose weight and binge on a regular basis. Nonetheless, it is striking how little impact modern learning theory has had on the current AN research agenda and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Garcia-Burgos
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Psychobiology, The “Federico Olóriz” Institute of Neurosciences, Biomedical Research Centre, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Peter Wilhelm
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Claus Vögele
- Institute for Health and Behaviour, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Simone Munsch
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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Abstract
Anorexia nervosa is a disorder associated with serious adverse health outcomes, for which there is currently considerable treatment ineffectiveness. Characterised by restrictive eating behaviours, distorted body image perceptions and excessive physical activity, there is growing recognition anorexia nervosa is associated with underlying dysfunction in excitatory and inhibitory neurometabolite metabolism and signalling. This narrative review critically explores the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated excitatory and inhibitory neurometabolite dysfunction in anorexia nervosa and its associated biomarkers. The existing magnetic resonance spectroscopy literature in anorexia nervosa is reviewed and we outline the brain region-specific neurometabolite changes that have been reported and their connection to anorexia nervosa psychopathology. Considering the proposed role of dysfunctional neurotransmission in anorexia nervosa, the potential utility of zinc supplementation and sub-anaesthetic doses of ketamine in normalising this is discussed with reference to previous research in anorexia nervosa and other neuropsychiatric conditions. The rationale for future research to investigate the combined use of low-dose ketamine and zinc supplementation to potentially extend the therapeutic benefits in anorexia nervosa is subsequently explored and promising biological markers for assessing and potentially predicting treatment response are outlined.
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Mottarlini F, Rizzi B, Targa G, Fumagalli F, Caffino L. Long-lasting BDNF signaling alterations in the amygdala of adolescent female rats exposed to the activity-based anorexia model. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1087075. [PMID: 36570702 PMCID: PMC9772010 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1087075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by a pathological fear of gaining weight, excessive physical exercise, and emotional instability. Since the amygdala is a key region for emotion processing and BDNF has been shown to play a critical role in this process, we hypothesized that alteration in the amygdalar BDNF system might underline vulnerability traits typical of AN patients. Methods: To this end, adolescent female rats have been exposed to the Activity-Based Anorexia (ABA) protocol, characterized by the combination of caloric restriction and intense physical exercise. Results: The induction of the anorexic phenotype caused hyperactivity and body weight loss in ABA animals. These changes were paralleled by amygdalar hyperactivation, as measured by the up-regulation of cfos mRNA levels. In the acute phase of the pathology, we observed reduced Bdnf exon IX, exon IV, and exon VI gene expression, while mBDNF protein levels were enhanced, an increase that was, instead, uncoupled from its downstream signaling as the phosphorylation of TrkB, Akt, and S6 in ABA rats were reduced. Despite the body weight recovery observed 7 days later, the BDNF-mediated signaling was still downregulated at this time point. Discussion: Our findings indicate that the BDNF system is downregulated in the amygdala of adolescent female rats under these experimental conditions, which mimic the anorexic phenotype in humans, pointing to such dysregulation as a potential contributor to the altered emotional processing observed in AN patients. In addition, since the modulation of BDNF levels is observed in other psychiatric conditions, the persistent AN-induced changes of the BDNF system in the amygdala might contribute to explaining the onset of comorbid psychiatric disorders that persist in patients even beyond recovery from AN.
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Altered Reinforcement Learning from Reward and Punishment in Anorexia Nervosa: Evidence from Computational Modeling. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2022; 28:1003-1015. [PMID: 34839845 PMCID: PMC9148374 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617721001326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with altered sensitivity to reward and punishment. Few studies have investigated whether this results in aberrant learning. The ability to learn from rewarding and aversive experiences is essential for flexibly adapting to changing environments, yet individuals with AN tend to demonstrate cognitive inflexibility, difficulty set-shifting and altered decision-making. Deficient reinforcement learning may contribute to repeated engagement in maladaptive behavior. METHODS This study investigated learning in AN using a probabilistic associative learning task that separated learning of stimuli via reward from learning via punishment. Forty-two individuals with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 restricting-type AN were compared to 38 healthy controls (HCs). We applied computational models of reinforcement learning to assess group differences in learning, thought to be driven by violations in expectations, or prediction errors (PEs). Linear regression analyses examined whether learning parameters predicted BMI at discharge. RESULTS AN had lower learning rates than HC following both positive and negative PE (p < .02), and were less likely to exploit what they had learned. Negative PE on punishment trials predicted lower discharge BMI (p < .001), suggesting individuals with more negative expectancies about avoiding punishment had the poorest outcome. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to show lower rates of learning in AN following both positive and negative outcomes, with worse punishment learning predicting less weight gain. An inability to modify expectations about avoiding punishment might explain persistence of restricted eating despite negative consequences, and suggests that treatments that modify negative expectancy might be effective in reducing food avoidance in AN.
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Neural correlates associated with processing food stimuli in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:2309-2320. [PMID: 35304713 PMCID: PMC9556419 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-022-01390-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Various neurobiological models have utilised symptom categories to explore the underlying neural correlates in both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). The aim of this research was to investigate the brain activity patterns associated with viewing food stimuli in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. METHODS Electronic databases including PsycInfo and PubMed were systematically searched from data base inception until 1st of December 2020, identifying 14 suitable functional magnetic resonance imaging studies (fMRI), involving 470 participants. ALE meta-analysis was used to statistically analyse the overlap of activation foci from different fMRI studies in response to visual food stimuli. RESULTS Comparing patients with AN with healthy control (HC), we detected hypoactivation in brain areas related to reward processing (i.e., amygdala and lentiform nucleus), and interoceptive processing (i.e., insula). In addition, patients with AN showed hyperactivations in cognitive control areas (i.e., prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex). In contrast, patients with BN exhibited hyperactivations in brain areas related to reward processing (i.e., lentiform nucleus), and interoceptive processing (i.e., insula). Furthermore, patients with BN showed hypoactivations in brain regions associated with cognitive control (i.e., prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex). CONCLUSIONS Our study shows differing neural endotypes of the two types of eating disorders, that underpin their behavioural phenotypes. While exploratory in nature, these findings might be relevant for guiding new emerging therapies, including invasive and non-invasive neuromodulation techniques in treatment of eating disorders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level I, meta-analysis.
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Efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:333. [PMID: 35970847 PMCID: PMC9378729 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02102-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several pioneering studies investigated deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa (AN) patients, but overall effects remain yet unclear. Aim of this study was to obtain estimates of efficacy of DBS in AN-patients using meta-analysis. METHODS We searched three electronic databases until 1st of November 2021, using terms related to DBS and AN. We included trials that investigated the clinical effects of DBS in AN-patients. We obtained data including psychiatric comorbidities, medication use, DBS target, and study duration. Primary outcome was Body Mass Index (BMI), secondary outcome was quality of life, and the severity of psychiatric symptoms, including eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. We assessed the risk of bias using the ROBINS-I tool. RESULTS Four studies were included for meta-analysis, with a total of 56 patients with treatment-refractory AN. Follow-up ranged from 6-24 months. Random effects meta-analysis showed a significant increase in BMI following DBS, with a large effect size (Hedges's g = 1 ∙ 13; 95% CI = 0 ∙ 80 to 1 ∙ 46; Z-value = 6 ∙ 75; P < 0 ∙ 001), without heterogeneity (I2 = 0 ∙ 00, P = 0 ∙ 901). Random effects meta-analysis also showed a significant increase in quality of life (Hedges's g = 0 ∙ 86; 95% CI = 0 ∙ 44 to 1 ∙ 28; Z-value = 4 ∙ 01, P < 0 ∙ 001). Furthermore, DBS decreased the severity of psychiatric symptoms (Hedges's g = 0 ∙ 89; 95% CI = 0 ∙ 57 to 1 ∙ 21; Z-value = 5 ∙ 47; P < 0 ∙ 001, I2 = 4 ∙ 29, P = 0 ∙ 371). DISCUSSION In this first meta-analysis, DBS showed statistically large beneficial effects on weight restoration, quality of life, and reduction of psychiatric symptoms in patients with treatment-refractory AN. These outcomes call for more extensive naturalistic studies to determine the clinical relevance for functional recovery. This study is preregistered in PROSPERO,CRD42022295712.
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Phonological working memory is adversely affected in adults with anorexia nervosa: a systematic literature review. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:1931-1952. [PMID: 35133643 PMCID: PMC9287223 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-022-01370-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Cognitive restraint has potentiating and deleterious effects on working memory (WM) in anorexia nervosa (AN). Conflicting evidence may be due to heterogeneity of tasks examining different WM components (e.g., verbal/auditory versus visuospatial), and differences in adolescent versus adult AN. Additionally, differential cognitive profiles of restricting versus binge/purging subtypes, comorbid psychiatric disorders and psychotropic medication use may confound findings. METHODS To address these conflicts, 25 studies, published between 2016 and 2021, investigating WM in children, adolescents and adults with AN were systematically reviewed using PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS In 71% of WM tasks, no difference in performance between AN patients and age-matched controls was reported, while 29% of WM tasks showed worse performance. Adults with AN displayed deficits in 44% of the verbal/auditory tasks, while performance remained unaffected in 86% of visuospatial tasks. CONCLUSION Examining age groups and WM subsystems separately revealed novel findings of differentially affected WM components in AN. Comorbidities and psychotropic medications were common among AN participants and should be regarded as critical confounding factors for WM measures. Future studies examining different components of WM, acknowledging these confounding factors, may reveal specific deficits in AN to aid treatment improvement strategies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE I, systematic review.
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38
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Mack RA, Stanton CE. Responding to "Terminal anorexia nervosa: three cases and proposed clinical characteristics". J Eat Disord 2022; 10:87. [PMID: 35752866 PMCID: PMC9233818 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00612-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The treatment of eating disorders raises many ethical debates given the pervasiveness with which this illness impacts individuals, especially as the length of time with the illness increases. A recent case study supported the appropriateness of pursuing medical aid in dying for individuals with eating disorders who wish to end their fight with their disorder. This correspondence raises concerns related to this controversial proposal as the current authors dispute that the use of medical aid in dying for individuals with eating disorders is ethically judicious or appropriate. Additionally, this correspondence highlights additional treatment implications that should be considered when trying to provide individuals with eating disorders with the best evidence-based care possible, with the goal of promoting steps toward recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah A Mack
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
| | - Caroline E Stanton
- The Medical University of South Carolina, 151 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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How Can Animal Models Inform the Understanding of Cognitive Inflexibility in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa? J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11092594. [PMID: 35566718 PMCID: PMC9105411 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11092594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficits in cognitive flexibility are consistently seen in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). This type of cognitive impairment is thought to be associated with the persistence of AN because it leads to deeply ingrained patterns of thought and behaviour that are highly resistant to change. Neurobiological drivers of cognitive inflexibility have some commonalities with the abnormal brain functional outcomes described in patients with AN, including disrupted prefrontal cortical function, and dysregulated dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter systems. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) model recapitulates the key features of AN in human patients, including rapid weight loss caused by self-starvation and hyperactivity, supporting its application in investigating the cognitive and neurobiological causes of pathological weight loss. The aim of this review is to describe the relationship between AN, neural function and cognitive flexibility in human patients, and to highlight how new techniques in behavioural neuroscience can improve the utility of animal models of AN to inform the development of novel therapeutics.
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Coniglio KA, Cooper M, Selby EA. Behavioral reinforcement of pathological exercise in anorexia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 2022; 55:184-192. [PMID: 34626127 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Pathological exercise in anorexia nervosa (AN) is a harmful behavior associated with a chronic course and poor prognosis. To date, no comprehensive theoretical model exists to describe pathological exercise in the context of AN, and as such, few treatments are effective at promoting direct and sustained pathological exercise extinction. Using a framework put forth by Wise & Koob (2014), debating the relative importance of positive and negative reinforcement in substance use, we present three hypotheses of behavioral reinforcement of exercise, encompassing biological, psychological, and environmental influences. Specifically, we argue that exercise is positively reinforced through receipt of biological and behavioral rewards, negatively reinforced through avoidance of aversive emotions, and that these two systems work in tandem over time to engrain pathological exercise as a habit. We then present suggestions for testing each of these hypotheses as future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Coniglio
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Marita Cooper
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edward A Selby
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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41
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Collantoni E, Alberti F, Meregalli V, Meneguzzo P, Tenconi E, Favaro A. Brain networks in eating disorders: a systematic review of graph theory studies. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:69-83. [PMID: 33754274 PMCID: PMC8860943 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-021-01172-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Recent evidence from neuroimaging research has shown that eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by alterations in interconnected neural systems, whose characteristics can be usefully described by connectomics tools. The present paper aimed to review the neuroimaging literature in EDs employing connectomic tools, and, specifically, graph theory analysis. METHODS A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify studies employing graph theory analysis on patients with eating disorders published before the 22nd of June 2020. RESULTS Twelve studies were included in the systematic review. Ten of them address anorexia nervosa (AN) (AN = 199; acute AN = 85, weight recovered AN with acute diagnosis = 24; fully recovered AN = 90). The remaining two articles address patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) (BN = 48). Global and regional unbalance in segregation and integration properties were described in both disorders. DISCUSSION The literature concerning the use of connectomics tools in EDs evidenced the presence of alterations in the topological characteristics of brain networks at a global and at a regional level. Changes in local characteristics involve areas that have been demonstrated to be crucial in the neurobiology and pathophysiology of EDs. Regional imbalances in network properties seem to reflect on global patterns. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level I, systematic review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Collantoni
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.
| | - Francesco Alberti
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Valentina Meregalli
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Paolo Meneguzzo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Elena Tenconi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Angela Favaro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Beeler JA, Burghardt NS. The Rise and Fall of Dopamine: A Two-Stage Model of the Development and Entrenchment of Anorexia Nervosa. Front Psychiatry 2022; 12:799548. [PMID: 35087433 PMCID: PMC8787068 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.799548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine has long been implicated as a critical neural substrate mediating anorexia nervosa (AN). Despite nearly 50 years of research, the putative direction of change in dopamine function remains unclear and no consensus on the mechanistic role of dopamine in AN has been achieved. We hypothesize two stages in AN- corresponding to initial development and entrenchment- characterized by opposite changes in dopamine. First, caloric restriction, particularly when combined with exercise, triggers an escalating spiral of increasing dopamine that facilitates the behavioral plasticity necessary to establish and reinforce weight-loss behaviors. Second, chronic self-starvation reverses this escalation to reduce or impair dopamine which, in turn, confers behavioral inflexibility and entrenchment of now established AN behaviors. This pattern of enhanced, followed by impaired dopamine might be a common path to many behavioral disorders characterized by reinforcement learning and subsequent behavioral inflexibility. If correct, our hypothesis has significant clinical and research implications for AN and other disorders, such as addiction and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff A. Beeler
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States
- Psychology Program, The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY, United States
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nesha S. Burghardt
- Psychology Program, The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY, United States
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Oudijn M, Linders J, Mocking R, Lok A, van Elburg A, Denys D. Psychopathological and Neurobiological Overlap Between Anorexia Nervosa and Self-Injurious Behavior: A Narrative Review and Conceptual Hypotheses. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:756238. [PMID: 35633779 PMCID: PMC9130491 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.756238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Empirical evidence and clinical observations suggest a strong -yet under acknowledged-link between anorexia nervosa (AN) and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSI). By reviewing the literature on the psychopathology and neurobiology of AN and NSSI, we shed light on their relationship. Both AN and NSSI are characterized by disturbances in affect regulation, dysregulation of the reward circuitry and the opioid system. By formulating a reward-centered hypothesis, we explain the overlap between AN and NSSI. We propose three approaches understanding the relationship between AN and NSSI, which integrate psychopathology and neurobiology from the perspective of self-destructiveness: (1) a nosographical approach, (2) a research domain (RDoC) approach and (3) a network analysis approach. These approaches will enhance our knowledge of the underlying neurobiological substrates and may provide groundwork for the development of new treatment options for disorders of self-destructiveness, like AN and NSSI. In conclusion, we hypothesize that self-destructiveness is a new, DSM-5-transcending concept or psychopathological entity that is reward-driven, and that both AN and NSSI could be conceptualized as disorders of self-destructiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marloes Oudijn
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC), Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jara Linders
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC), Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Roel Mocking
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC), Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anja Lok
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC), Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - D Denys
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC), Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Tadayonnejad R, Majid DA, Tsolaki E, Rane R, Wang H, Moody TD, Pauli WM, Pouratian N, Bari AA, Murray SB, O'Doherty JP, Feusner JD. Mesolimbic Neurobehavioral Mechanisms of Reward Motivation in Anorexia Nervosa: A Multimodal Imaging Study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:806327. [PMID: 35321230 PMCID: PMC8934777 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.806327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Diminished motivation to pursue and obtain primary and secondary rewards has been demonstrated in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, the neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying the behavioral activation component of aberrant reward motivation remains incompletely understood. This work aims to explore this underexplored facet of reward motivation in AN. We recruited female adolescents with AN, restricting type (n = 32) and a healthy control group (n = 28). All participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing a monetary reward task. Diffusion MRI data was also collected to examine the reward motivation circuit's structural connectivity. Behavioral results demonstrated slower speed of reward-seeking behavior in those with AN compared with controls. Accompanying this was lower functional connectivity and reduced white matter structural integrity of the connection between the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra pars compacta and the nucleus accumbens within the mesolimbic circuit. Further, there was evidence of neurobehavioral decoupling in AN between reward-seeking behavior and mesolimbic regional activation and functional connectivity. Aberrant activity of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and its connectivity with the mesolimbic system was also evident in AN during the reward motivation period. Our findings suggest functional and structural dysconnectivity within a mesolimbic reward circuit, neurofunctional decoupling from reward-seeking behavior, and abnormal BNST function and circuit interaction with the mesolimbic system. These results show behavioral indicators of aberrant reward motivation in AN, particularly in its activational component. This is mediated neuronally by mesolimbic reward circuit functional and structural dysconnectivity as well as neurobehavioral decoupling. Based on these findings, we suggest a novel circuit-based mechanism of impaired reward processing in AN, with the potential for translation to developing more targeted and effective treatments in this difficult-to-treat psychiatric condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Tadayonnejad
- Division of Neuromodulation, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Ds-Adnan Majid
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Evangelia Tsolaki
- Department of Neursurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Riddhi Rane
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Huan Wang
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Teena D Moody
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Wolfgang M Pauli
- Artificial Intelligence Platform, Microsoft, Redmon, WA, United States
| | - Nader Pouratian
- Department of Neursurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ausaf A Bari
- Department of Neursurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Stuart B Murray
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - John P O'Doherty
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States.,Computation & Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Jamie D Feusner
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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45
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Di Lodovico L, Versini A, Lachatre M, Marcheselli J, Ramoz N, Gorwood P. Is decision-making impairment an endophenotype of anorexia nervosa? Eur Psychiatry 2022; 65:e68. [DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) show impaired decision-making ability, but it is still unclear if this is a trait marker (i.e., being associated with AN at any stage of the disease) or a state parameter of the disease (i.e., being present only in acutely ill patients), and if it has endophenotypic characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the endophenotypic, and state- or trait-associated nature of decision-making impairment in AN.
Methods
Ninety-one patients with acute AN (A-AN), 90 unaffected relatives (UR), 23 patients remitted from AN (R-AN), and 204 healthy controls (HC) carried out the Iowa gambling task (IGT). Prospective valence learning (PVL) model was employed to distinguish the cognitive dimensions underlying the decision-making process, that is, learning, consistency, feedback sensitivity, and loss aversion. IGT performance and decision-making dimensions were compared among groups to assess whether they had endophenotypic (i.e., being present in A-AN, UR, and R-AN, but not in HC) and/or trait-associated features (i.e., present in A-AN and R-AN but not in HC).
Results
Patients with A-AN had lower performance at the IGT (p < 0.01), while UR, R-AN, and HC had comparable results. PVL-feedback sensitivity was lower in patients with R-AN and A-AN than in HC (p < 0.01).
Conclusions
Alteration of decision-making ability did not show endophenotypic features. Impaired decision-making seems a state-associated characteristic of AN, resulting from the interplay between trait-associated low feedback sensitivity and state-associated features of the disease.
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Austin A, Flynn M, Shearer J, Long M, Allen K, Mountford VA, Glennon D, Grant N, Brown A, Franklin‐Smith M, Schelhase M, Jones WR, Brady G, Nunes N, Connan F, Mahony K, Serpell L, Schmidt U. The First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders - Upscaled study: Clinical outcomes. Early Interv Psychiatry 2022; 16:97-105. [PMID: 33781000 PMCID: PMC9291113 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) is a service model and care pathway for emerging adults aged 16 to 25-years with a recent onset eating disorder (ED) of <3 years. A previous single-site study suggests that FREED significantly improves clinical outcomes compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU). The present study (FREED-Up) assessed the scalability of FREED. A multi-centre quasi-experimental pre-post design was used, comparing patient outcomes before and after implementation of FREED in participating services. METHODS FREED patients (n = 278) were consecutive, prospectively ascertained referrals to four specialist ED services in England, assessed at four time points over 12 months on ED symptoms, mood, service utilization and cost. FREED patients were compared to a TAU cohort (n = 224) of similar patients, identified retrospectively from electronic patient records in participating services. All were emerging adults aged 16-25 experiencing a first episode ED of <3 years duration. RESULTS Overall, FREED patients made significant and rapid clinical improvements over time. 53.2% of FREED patients with anorexia nervosa reached a healthy weight at the 12-month timepoint, compared to only 17.9% of TAU patients (X2 [1, N = 107] = 10.46, p < .001). Significantly fewer FREED patients required intensive (i.e., in-patient or day-patient) treatment (6.6%) compared to TAU patients (12.4%) across the follow-up period (X2 [1, N = 40] = 4.36, p = .037). This contributed to a trend in cost savings in FREED compared to TAU (-£4472, p = .06, CI -£9168, £233). DISCUSSION FREED is robust and scalable and is associated with substantial improvements in clinical outcomes, reduction in inpatient or day-patient admissions, and cost-savings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia Austin
- Eating Disorders Section, Department of Psychological MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Michaela Flynn
- Eating Disorders Section, Department of Psychological MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - James Shearer
- Department of Health Services and Population ResearchKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Mike Long
- Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science NetworkCrawleyUK
| | - Karina Allen
- Eating Disorders Section, Department of Psychological MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | - Victoria A. Mountford
- Eating Disorders Section, Department of Psychological MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
- Maudsley HealthAbu DhabiUAE
| | | | - Nina Grant
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | - Amy Brown
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustBrightonUK
| | | | | | | | | | - Nicole Nunes
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | - Frances Connan
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | - Kate Mahony
- North East London NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | - Lucy Serpell
- North East London NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health PsychologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Ulrike Schmidt
- Eating Disorders Section, Department of Psychological MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
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Mishima R, Isobe M, Noda T, Tose K, Kawabata M, Noma S, Murai T. Structural brain changes in severe and enduring anorexia nervosa: A multimodal magnetic resonance imaging study of gray matter volume, cortical thickness, and white matter integrity. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 318:111393. [PMID: 34670165 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Whole-brain T1-weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging was performed in 35 adult women with anorexia nervosa (AN) and 35 healthy controls. We conducted voxel-based group comparisons for gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT), and fractional anisotropy (FA) values, using age and total intracranial volume as nuisance covariates. We then conducted the same group comparisons for these three measures, but this time also controlled for the following global pathological measures: total GMV, mean CT across the whole brain, and mean FA across the entire white matter skeleton. Compared with the healthy controls, AN patients had lower GMV and CT in widespread cortical regions, and smaller FA values in widespread white matter regions. After controlling for global parameters, almost all of the differences between the two groups disappeared, except for higher CT in the medial orbital gyrus and parietal operculum in the AN group. Structural brain changes in AN are likely to be composed of both global and region-specific changes. The former changes are likely to have a dominant impact, while the latter changes might in part explain the disease-specific pathophysiology of AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Mishima
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masanori Isobe
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Tomomi Noda
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keima Tose
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Michiko Kawabata
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shun'ichi Noma
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan; Noma Kokoro Clinic, 5-322-1 Fukakusa-Sujikaibashi, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshiya Murai
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
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48
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Beeler JA, Mourra D, Zanca RM, Kalmbach A, Gellman C, Klein BY, Ravenelle R, Serrano P, Moore H, Rayport S, Mingote S, Burghardt NS. Vulnerable and Resilient Phenotypes in a Mouse Model of Anorexia Nervosa. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:829-842. [PMID: 32950210 PMCID: PMC7855473 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased physical activity is a common feature of anorexia nervosa (AN). Although high activity levels are associated with greater risk of developing AN, particularly when combined with dieting, most individuals who diet and exercise maintain a healthy body weight. It is unclear why some individuals develop AN while most do not. A rodent model of resilience and vulnerability to AN would be valuable to research. Dopamine, which is believed to play a crucial role in AN, regulates both reward and activity and may modulate vulnerability. METHODS Adolescent and young adult female C57BL/6N mice were tested in the activity-based anorexia (ABA) model, with an extended period of food restriction in adult mice. ABA was also tested in dopamine transporter knockdown mice and wild-type littermates. Mice that adapted to conditions and maintained a stable body weight were characterized as resilient. RESULTS In adults, vulnerable and resilient phenotypes emerged in both the ABA and food-restricted mice without wheels. Vulnerable mice exhibited a pronounced increase in running throughout the light cycle, which dramatically peaked prior to requiring removal from the experiment. Resilient mice exhibited an adaptive decrease in total running, appropriate food anticipatory activity, and increased consumption, thereby achieving stable body weight. Hyperdopaminergia accelerated progression of the vulnerable phenotype. CONCLUSIONS Our demonstration of distinct resilient and vulnerable phenotypes in mouse ABA significantly advances the utility of the model for identifying genes and neural substrates mediating AN risk and resilience. Modulation of dopamine may play a central role in the underlying circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff A. Beeler
- Dept. of Psychology, Queens College and The Graduate Center, CUNY, Flushing, NY, 11367 USA
| | - Devry Mourra
- Dept. of Psychology, Queens College and The Graduate Center, CUNY, Flushing, NY, 11367 USA
| | - Roseanna M. Zanca
- Dept. of Psychology, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY, 10065 USA
| | - Abigail Kalmbach
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA
| | - Celia Gellman
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA,Dept. of Molecular Therapeutics, NYS Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Benjamin Y. Klein
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA,Dept. of Developmental Neuroscience, NYS Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10031 USA,Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Peter Serrano
- Dept. of Psychology, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY, 10065 USA
| | - Holly Moore
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA,Dept. of Systems Neuroscience, NYS Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032 USA,National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD
| | - Stephen Rayport
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA,Dept. of Molecular Therapeutics, NYS Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Susana Mingote
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA,Dept. of Molecular Therapeutics, NYS Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032 USA,Advanced Science Research Center, The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY 10031 USA
| | - Nesha S. Burghardt
- Dept. of Psychology, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY, 10065 USA,Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA
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49
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Devoe DJ, Dimitropoulos G, Anderson A, Bahji A, Flanagan J, Soumbasis A, Patten SB, Lange T, Paslakis G. The prevalence of substance use disorders and substance use in anorexia nervosa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Eat Disord 2021; 9:161. [PMID: 34895358 PMCID: PMC8666057 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-021-00516-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) often present with substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs). However, the prevalence of substance use and SUDs in AN has not been studied in-depth, especially the differences in the prevalence of SUDs between AN types [e.g., AN-R (restrictive type) and AN-BP (binge-eating/purge type]. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence of SUDs and substance use in AN samples. METHOD Systematic database searches of the peer-reviewed literature were conducted in the following online databases: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and CINAHL from inception to January 2021. We restricted review eligibility to peer-reviewed research studies reporting the prevalence for either SUDs or substance use in individuals with AN. Random-effects meta-analyses using Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformations were performed on eligible studies to estimate pooled proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS Fifty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, including 14,695 individuals identified as having AN (mean age: 22.82 years). Random pooled estimates showed that substance use disorders had a 16% prevalence in those with AN (AN-BP = 18% vs. AN-R = 7%). Drug abuse/dependence disorders had a prevalence of 7% in AN (AN-BP = 9% vs. AN-R = 5%). In studies that looked at specific abuse/dependence disorders, there was a 10% prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence in AN (AN-BP = 15% vs. AN-R = 3%) and a 6% prevalence of cannabis abuse/dependence (AN-BP = 4% vs. AN-R = 0%). In addition, in terms of substance use, there was a 37% prevalence for caffeine use, 29% prevalence for alcohol use, 25% for tobacco use, and 14% for cannabis use in individuals with AN. CONCLUSION This is the most comprehensive meta-analysis on the comorbid prevalence of SUDs and substance use in persons with AN, with an overall pooled prevalence of 16%. Comorbid SUDs, including drugs, alcohol, and cannabis, were all more common in AN-BP compared to AN-R throughout. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the high prevalence of SUD comorbidity and substance use in individuals with AN. Finally, clinicians should consider screening for SUDs and integrating treatments that target SUDs in individuals with AN. Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) may also present with substance use or have a substance use disorder (SUDs). Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of substance use and substance use disorders in individuals with AN. We examined published studies that reported the prevalence of either substance use or SUDs in individuals with AN. We found that substance use disorders had a 16% prevalence and that drug abuse/dependence disorders had a prevalence of 7% in those with AN. These rates were much higher in individuals with binge-eating/purging type compared to the restrictive AN. However, many specific substance use disorders and substance use types were low in individuals with AN. Nonetheless, clinicians should be aware of the high prevalence of SUD comorbidity and substance use in individuals with AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Devoe
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
| | - Gina Dimitropoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Alida Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Anees Bahji
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Jordyn Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Andrea Soumbasis
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Scott B Patten
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Lange
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Georgios Paslakis
- Ruhr-University Bochum, University Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Campus East-Westphalia, Lübbecke, Germany
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50
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Keeler JL, Treasure J, Juruena MF, Kan C, Himmerich H. Ketamine as a Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa: A Narrative Review. Nutrients 2021; 13:4158. [PMID: 34836413 PMCID: PMC8625822 DOI: 10.3390/nu13114158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a highly complex disorder to treat, especially in severe and enduring cases. Whilst the precise aetiology of the disorder is uncertain, malnutrition and weight loss can contribute to reductions in grey and white matter of the brain, impairments in neuroplasticity and neurogenesis and difficulties with cognitive flexibility, memory and learning. Depression is highly comorbid in AN and may be a barrier to recovery. However, traditional antidepressants are often ineffective in alleviating depressive symptoms in underweight patients with AN. There is an urgent need for new treatment approaches for AN. This review gives a conceptual overview for the treatment of AN with ketamine. Ketamine has rapid antidepressant effects, which are hypothesised to occur via increases in glutamate, with sequelae including increased neuroplasticity, neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. This article provides an overview of the use of ketamine for common psychiatric comorbidities of AN and discusses particular safety concerns and side effects. Potential avenues for future research and specific methodological considerations are explored. Overall, there appears to be ample theoretical background, via several potential mechanisms, that warrant the exploration of ketamine as a treatment for adults with AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Louise Keeler
- Section of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK; (J.T.); (H.H.)
| | - Janet Treasure
- Section of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK; (J.T.); (H.H.)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham BR3 3BX, UK;
| | - Mario F. Juruena
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham BR3 3BX, UK;
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Carol Kan
- Eating Disorder Service, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, 1 Nightingale Place, Kensington & Chelsea, London SW10 9NG, UK;
| | - Hubertus Himmerich
- Section of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK; (J.T.); (H.H.)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham BR3 3BX, UK;
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