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Sjögren M, Nielsen ASM, Hasselbalch KC, Wøllo M, Hansen JS. A systematic review of blood-based serotonergic biomarkers in Bulimia Nervosa. Psychiatry Res 2019; 279:155-171. [PMID: 30878305 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is a serious eating disorder, which affects 0.8-2.9% of the young population. The etiology is unknown and biomarkers would support in understanding the pathophysiology of BN, and in identifying BN patients that may benefit from medical treatment. This systematic review aims to answer whether (a) BN deviate from healthy controls in terms of serotonin (5-HT) biomarkers in blood, and whether (b) blood-based 5-HT biomarkers could be used to tailor psychopharmacological treatment in BN. A literature search using PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase was done using the following search terms: "Bulimia Nervosa" AND "serotonin" AND "blood" OR "plasma" OR "serum". 32 studies were included in this systematic review. Several biomarkers and challenge tests were identified and all studies described an association with BN and dysregulation of the 5-HT system compared to healthy controls. Several studies pointed to an association also to borderline symptoms in BN. BN deviate from healthy controls in terms of 5-HT biomarkers in blood supporting an abnormal 5-HT system in BN. 5-HT biomarkers and associated methods could be used to tailor treatment in BN although as yet, most tests described are unpractical for bedside use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Sjögren
- Mental Health Center Ballerup, Ballerup, Denmark; University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | | | - Maria Wøllo
- Mental Health Center Ballerup, Ballerup, Denmark
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2
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Tomba E, Tecuta L, Crocetti E, Squarcio F, Tomei G. Residual eating disorder symptoms and clinical features in remitted and recovered eating disorder patients: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Int J Eat Disord 2019; 52:759-776. [PMID: 31169332 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In psychiatry, the presence of residual symptoms after treatment is linked to the definitions of remission and recovery. To identify the presence of residual eating disorder (ED) symptoms and associated non-ED clinical features in remitted and recovered EDs, the current systematic review with meta-analysis was performed. METHOD A systematic review was conducted on residual ED symptoms and non-ED clinical features including comorbid psychopathology, neurophysiological functioning, cognitive functioning, and quality of life in ED patients considered remitted or recovered. To examine residual ED symptoms, meta-analyses were performed while considering age, study quality, remission, and recovery criteria strictness as moderators. Sensitivity, publication bias, and heterogeneity analyses were also conducted. RESULTS The 64 studies selected for the systematic review underscored the presence of residual ED symptoms in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), and impairments and deficits in the additional features examined. From the 64 studies, 31 were selected regarding residual ED symptoms in AN for meta-analysis. Large effect sizes indicated that remitted/recovered AN patients reported significantly lower body mass index (Hedges' g = -0.62[-0.77, -0.46]) and significantly greater symptomatology in terms of ED examination-questionnaire (Hedges'g = 0.86 [0.48,1.23]) and ED inventory (Hedges' g = 0.94[0.64,1.24]) than healthy controls, independently of remission and recovery criteria strictness, age, and study quality. DISCUSSION The presence of residual ED symptoms in AN is quantitatively supported, whereas the presence of residual ED symptoms in BN should be further investigated. Data on binge-eating disorder are missing. Future research should use consistent, multicomponent, and standardized comparable indicators of recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Tomba
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lucia Tecuta
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Squarcio
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuliano Tomei
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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3
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Hudon Thibeault AA, Sanderson JT, Vaillancourt C. Serotonin-estrogen interactions: What can we learn from pregnancy? Biochimie 2019; 161:88-108. [PMID: 30946949 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We have reviewed the scientific literature related to four diseases in which to serotonin (5-HT) is involved in the etiology, herein named 5-HT-linked diseases, and whose prevalence is influenced by estrogenic status: depression, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome and eating disorders. These diseases all have in common a sex-dimorphic prevalence, with women more frequently affected than men. The co-occurrence between these 5-HT-linked diseases suggests that they have common physiopathological mechanisms. In most 5-HT-linked diseases (except for anorexia nervosa and irritable bowel syndrome), a decrease in the serotonergic tone is observed and estrogens are thought to contribute to the improvement of symptoms by stimulating the serotonergic system. Human pregnancy is characterized by a unique 5-HT and estrogen synthesis by the placenta. Pregnancy-specific disorders, such as hyperemesis gravidarum, gestational diabetes mellitus and pre-eclampsia, are associated with a hyperserotonergic state and decreased estrogen levels. Fetal programming of 5-HT-linked diseases is a complex phenomenon that involves notably fetal-sex differences, which suggest the implication of sex steroids. From a mechanistic point of view, we hypothesize that estrogens regulate the serotonergic system, resulting in a protective effect against 5-HT-linked diseases, but that, in turn, 5-HT affects estrogen synthesis in an attempt to retrieve homeostasis. These two processes (5-HT and estrogen biosynthesis) are crucial for successful pregnancy outcomes, and thus, a disruption of this 5-HT-estrogen relationship may explain pregnancy-specific pathologies or pregnancy complications associated with 5-HT-linked diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrée-Anne Hudon Thibeault
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 531, boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Well-Being, Health, Society and Environment (Cinbiose), Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P.8888, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada.
| | - J Thomas Sanderson
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 531, boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada.
| | - Cathy Vaillancourt
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 531, boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Well-Being, Health, Society and Environment (Cinbiose), Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P.8888, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada.
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Culbert KM, Racine SE, Klump KL. Research Review: What we have learned about the causes of eating disorders - a synthesis of sociocultural, psychological, and biological research. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2015; 56:1141-64. [PMID: 26095891 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eating disorders are severe psychiatric disorders with a complex etiology involving transactions among sociocultural, psychological, and biological influences. Most research and reviews, however, focus on only one level of analysis. To address this gap, we provide a qualitative review and summary using an integrative biopsychosocial approach. METHODS We selected variables for which there were available data using integrative methodologies (e.g., twin studies, gene-environment interactions) and/or data at the biological and behavioral level (e.g., neuroimaging). Factors that met these inclusion criteria were idealization of thinness, negative emotionality, perfectionism, negative urgency, inhibitory control, cognitive inflexibility, serotonin, dopamine, ovarian hormones. Literature searches were conducted using PubMed. Variables were classified as risk factors or correlates of eating disorder diagnoses and disordered eating symptoms using Kraemer et al.'s (1997) criteria. FINDINGS Sociocultural idealization of thinness variables (media exposure, pressures for thinness, thin-ideal internalization, thinness expectancies) and personality traits (negative emotionality, perfectionism, negative urgency) attained 'risk status' for eating disorders and/or disordered eating symptoms. Other factors were identified as correlates of eating pathology or were not classified given limited data. Effect sizes for risk factors and correlates were generally small-to-moderate in magnitude. CONCLUSIONS Multiple biopsychosocial influences are implicated in eating disorders and/or disordered eating symptoms and several can now be considered established risk factors. Data suggest that psychological and environmental factors interact with and influence the expression of genetic risk to cause eating pathology. Additional studies that examine risk variables across multiple levels of analysis and that consider specific transactional processes amongst variables are needed to further elucidate the intersection of sociocultural, psychological, and biological influences on eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah E Racine
- Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Bailer UF, Frank GK, Price JC, Meltzer CC, Becker C, Mathis CA, Wagner A, Barbarich-Marsteller NC, Bloss CS, Putnam K, Schork NJ, Gamst A, Kaye WH. Interaction between serotonin transporter and dopamine D2/D3 receptor radioligand measures is associated with harm avoidant symptoms in anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Psychiatry Res 2013; 211:160-8. [PMID: 23154100 PMCID: PMC3880148 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) have alterations of measures of serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) function, which persist after long-term recovery and are associated with elevated harm avoidance (HA), a measure of anxiety and behavioral inhibition. Based on theories that 5-HT is an aversive motivational system that may oppose a DA-related appetitive system, we explored interactions of positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand measures that reflect portions of these systems. Twenty-seven individuals recovered (REC) from eating disorders (EDs) (7 AN-BN, 11 AN, 9 BN) and nine control women (CW) were analyzed for correlations between [(11)C]McN5652 and [(11)C]raclopride binding. There was a significant positive correlation between [(11)C]McN5652 binding potential (BP(non displaceable(ND))) and [(11)C]Raclopride BP(ND) for the dorsal caudate, antero-ventral striatum (AVS), middle caudate, and ventral and dorsal putamen. No significant correlations were found in CW. [(11)C]Raclopride BP(ND), but not [(11)C]McN5652 BP(ND), was significantly related to HA in REC EDs. A linear regression analysis showed that the interaction between [(11)C]McN5652 BP(ND) and [(11)C]raclopride BP(ND) in the dorsal putamen significantly predicted HA. This is the first study using PET and the radioligands [(11)C]McN5652 and [(11)C]raclopride to show a direct relationship between 5-HT transporter and striatal DA D2/D3 receptor binding in humans, supporting the possibility that 5-HT and DA interactions contribute to HA behaviors in EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula F. Bailer
- University of California San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, La Jolla, CA,Medical University of Vienna, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of Biological Psychiatry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guido K. Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA,Department of Neuroscience, University of Colorado Denver; Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Julie C. Price
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Carolyn C. Meltzer
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA,University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA,Emory School of Medicine, Departments of Radiology, Neurology, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Carl Becker
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Chester A. Mathis
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Angela Wagner
- University of California San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, La Jolla, CA
| | | | - Cinnamon S. Bloss
- Scripps Genomic Medicine, Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), and Scripps Health, La Jolla, CA
| | - Karen Putnam
- Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Cincinnati, School of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Nicholas J. Schork
- Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Cincinnati, School of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Anthony Gamst
- University of California San Diego, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, La Jolla, CA
| | - Walter H. Kaye
- University of California San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, La Jolla, CA,Corresponding author: Walter H. Kaye, M.D., University of California, San Diego, UCSD Department of Psychiatry, 8950 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite C – 207, La Jolla, California 92037, Tel. (858) 534 3951, FAX: (858) 534 6727,
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Sigurdh J, Allard P, Spigset O, Hägglöf B. Platelet serotonin transporter and 5-HT2Areceptor binding in adolescents with eating disorders. Int J Neurosci 2013; 123:333-8. [DOI: 10.3109/00207454.2012.761215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Frank GK, Kaye WH. Current status of functional imaging in eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord 2012; 45:723-36. [PMID: 22532388 PMCID: PMC3872533 DOI: 10.1002/eat.22016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Eating Disorders are complex psychiatric problems that involve biologic and psychological factors. Brain imaging studies provide insights about how functionally connected brain networks may contribute to disturbed eating behavior, resulting in food refusal and altered body weight, but also body preoccupations and heightened anxiety. In this article, we review the current state of brain imaging in eating disorders, and how such techniques may help identify pathways that could be important in the treatment of those often detrimental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K.W. Frank
- University of Colorado Denver, Departments of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Aurora CO
| | - Walter H. Kaye
- University of California San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, La Jolla CA
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Castellini G, Ricca V, Lelli L, Bagnoli S, Lucenteforte E, Faravelli C, Sorbi S, Nacmias B. Association between serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and eating disorders outcome: a 6-year follow-up study. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2012; 159B:491-500. [PMID: 22488946 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2011] [Accepted: 03/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Eating disorder patients show different long-term outcomes, and trait-related alterations of serotonergic function, which might be related with the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene. We studied the relationships between 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, eating specific and general psychopathology and the long-term outcome of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) patients. We evaluated the distribution of the functional 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in a series of 201 Italian, Caucasian, eating disorder patients (113 with AN and 88 with BN binge/purging (BP subtype) and in 150 Caucasian unrelated controls. Prior to starting an individual cognitive behavior therapy, a clinical assessment was performed by means of the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV axis I disorders and several self-report questionnaires. This assessment was repeated at the end of treatment, 3 years after the end of treatment and 3 years after the first follow-up. Diagnostic changes between AN and BN were frequent (28.3%), and the presence of depressive disorders was associated with a higher rate of diagnostic crossover during the follow-up period. The S-allele of the 5-HTTLPR genotype increases the risk susceptibility for both depressive comorbidity (OR = 4.23; 95% CI, 1.45-12.37) and diagnostic crossover during the follow-up period in AN patients (OR = 5.04; 95% CI, 1.69-14.98). Logistic regression analyses confirmed these findings, when the interaction between genotype and psychiatric comorbidity as predictors of diagnostic instability in AN patients were taken into account. No significant association was found between 5-HTTLPR genotype and recovery. The S-allele of the 5-HTTLPR genotype increases the risk for depressive disorders comorbidity, and moderates the long-term outcome of anorectic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Castellini
- Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, Florence, Italy
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Abstract
The high prevalence of substance abuse in individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) and the pervasive symptom substitution in many types of drug addiction suggest that a number of substances--including food--can impair an individual's self-control, even in the presence of negative consequences. Nonetheless, the neurobiological similarities between BN and drug addiction are not clearly established. This review explores how the specific eating patterns seen in BN (binge eating and purging, with intermittent dietary restriction) are particularly addictive and differentiate BN from other eating disorders and obesity. A number of peripheral and central biological aberrations seen in BN may result in altered reward sensitivity in these individuals, particularly through effects on the dopaminergic system. Neurobiological findings support the notion that BN is an addictive disorder, which has treatment implications for therapy and pharmacological manipulations.
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Pichika R, Buchsbaum MS, Bailer U, Hoh C, DeCastro A, Buchsbaum BR, Kaye W. Serotonin transporter binding after recovery from bulimia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 2012; 45:345-52. [PMID: 21671458 PMCID: PMC3175264 DOI: 10.1002/eat.20944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Physiological and pharmacological studies indicate that altered brain serotonin (5-HT) activity could contribute to a susceptibility to develop appetitive and behavioral alterations that are characteristic of bulimia nervosa (BN). METHOD Eight individuals recovered from BN (REC BN) and eight healthy control women were scanned with [11C]DASB and positron emission tomography imaging of the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT). Logan graphical analysis was applied, and parametric binding potential (BP(nondisplaceable (ND)) ) images were generated. Voxel-by-voxel t-tests and a region of interest (ROI) analysis were conducted. RESULTS REC BN had significantly lower [11C]DASB BP(ND) in midbrain, superior and inferior cingulate and significantly higher [11C]DASB BP(ND) in anterior cingulate and superior temporal gyrus in the voxel-based analysis. ROI analysis indicated lower [11C]DASB BP(ND) in midbrain (p = .07), containing the dorsal raphe, in REC BN, consistent with our earlier studies. DISCUSSION These preliminary findings of a small-scale study confirm and extend previous data suggesting that ill and recovered BN have altered 5-HTT measures, which potentially contribute to BN symptomatology and/or differential responses to medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama Pichika
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego
| | - Monte S. Buchsbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego
| | - Ursula Bailer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Carl Hoh
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego
| | - Alex DeCastro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego
| | | | - Walter Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
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Bailer UF, Bloss CS, Frank GK, Price JC, Meltzer CC, Mathis CA, Geyer MA, Wagner A, Becker CR, Schork NJ, Kaye WH. 5-HT₁A receptor binding is increased after recovery from bulimia nervosa compared to control women and is associated with behavioral inhibition in both groups. Int J Eat Disord 2011; 44:477-87. [PMID: 20872754 PMCID: PMC4286242 DOI: 10.1002/eat.20843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Because altered serotonin (5-HT) function appears to persist after recovery from bulimia nervosa (RBN), we investigated the 5-HT(1A) receptor, which could contribute to regulation of appetite, mood, impulse control, or the response to antidepressants. METHOD Thirteen RBN individuals were compared to 21 healthy control women (CW) using positron emission tomography and [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY100635 ([(11)C]WAY). RESULTS RBN had a 23-34% elevation of [(11)C]WAY binding potential (BP)(P) in subgenual cingulate, mesial temporal, and parietal regions after adjustments for multiple comparisons. For CW, [(11)C]WAY BP(P) was related negatively to novelty seeking, whereas for RBN, [(11)C]WAY BP(P) was related positively to harm avoidance and negatively related to sensation seeking. DISCUSSION Alterations of 5-HT(1A) receptor function may provide new insight into efficacy of 5-HT medication in BN, as well as symptoms such as the ability to inhibit or self-control the expression of behaviors related to stimulus seeking, aggression, and impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula F. Bailer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of Biological Psychiatry, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Cinnamon S. Bloss
- Scripps Genomic Medicine, Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), and Scripps Health, La Jolla, California
| | - Guido K. Frank
- University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Department of Psychiatry, The Children’s Hospital, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Julie C. Price
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Carolyn C. Meltzer
- Emory School of Medicine, Departments of Radiology, Neurology, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Chester A. Mathis
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mark A. Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Angela Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Carl R. Becker
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Nicholas J. Schork
- Scripps Genomic Medicine, Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), and Scripps Health, La Jolla, California
| | - Walter H. Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California,Correspondence to: Walter H. Kaye, MD, UCSD Department of Psychiatry University of California, San Diego, 8950 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite C - 207, La Jolla, California 92037.
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Paris J, Laporte L, Russell J, Ng Ying Kin N, Guttman H. Platelet [³H] paroxetine binding in female patients with borderline personality disorder and their sisters. Psychiatry Res 2011; 186:76-9. [PMID: 20832123 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2010.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2010] [Revised: 08/11/2010] [Accepted: 08/16/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Paroxetine binding could be a vulnerability marker for traits associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). To study this relationship, we examined [³H] paroxetine binding in female patients with BPD and their sisters. The sample consisted of 54 sibling pairs in which a proband met criteria for BPD. All subjects were given the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines, revised (DIB-R), the Diagnostic Assessment for Personality Pathology: Brief Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ), the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS), the Affective Lability Scale (ALS), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), and the Symptom Checklist-90, revised (SCL-90-R). All subjects had platelets assayed for [³H] paroxetine binding. There were no significant differences between probands and sisters, but both groups scored significantly lower than a previously studied control group on B(max). There were no differences on Kd. Neither B(max) nor K(d) was related to most trait or symptomatic measures. Paroxetine binding could reflect endophenotypes common to BPD probands and their first-degree relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Paris
- Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, Canada.
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Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are disorders characterized by aberrant patterns of feeding behavior, weight regulation, and disturbances in attitudes and perceptions toward body weight and shape. Several lines of evidence nominate disturbances of serotonin (5-HT) pathways as playing a role in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of AN and BN. For example, 5-HT pathways are known to contribute to the modulation of a range of behaviors commonly seen in individuals with AN and BN. New technology using brain imaging with radioligands offers the potential for understanding previously inaccessible brain 5-HT neurotransmitter function and its dynamic relationship with human behaviors. Recent studies using positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography with 5-HT-specific radioligands have consistently shown 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptor and 5-HT transporter alterations in AN and BN in cortical and limbic structures, which may be related to anxiety, behavioral inhibition, and body image distortions. These disturbances are present when subjects are ill and persist after recovery, suggesting that these may be traits that are independent of the state of the illness. Effective treatments for AN and BN have been elusive. A better understanding of neurobiology is likely to be important for developing specific and more powerful therapies for these often chronic and deadly disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula F Bailer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of Biological Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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Ehrlich S, Franke L, Scherag S, Burghardt R, Schott R, Schneider N, Brockhaus S, Hein J, Uebelhack R, Lehmkuhl U. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, platelet serotonin transporter activity and platelet serotonin content in underweight and weight-recovered females with anorexia nervosa. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2010; 260:483-90. [PMID: 19957188 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-009-0092-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2009] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) pathways play an important role in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa (AN). In this study, we investigated functional characteristics of the platelet 5-HT transporter and platelet 5-HT content in AN patients at various stages of their illness in comparison to healthy control woman (HCW) controlling for the 5-HTTLPR deletion/insertion polymorphism and other confounding variables. Fasting blood samples of 58 acutely underweight AN patients (acAN, BMI = 15.2 ± 1.4), 26 AN patients of the initial acAN sample after short-term/partial weight restoration (BMI = 17.3 ± 0.9), 36 weight-recovered AN patients (recAN, BMI = 20.7 ± 2.2) and 58 HCW (BMI = 21.6 ± 2.0) were assessed for kinetic characteristics of platelet 5-HT uptake (V (max), K (m)) and platelet 5-HT content. Plasma leptin served as an indicator of malnutrition. Mean V (max) and K (m) values were significantly higher in recAN subjects in comparison to HCW (2.05 ± 0.62 vs. 1.66 ± 0.40 nmol 5-HT/10(9) platelets min and 432 ± 215 vs. 315 ± 136 nmol, respectively) but there were no differences in platelet 5-HT content (464.8 ± 210.6 vs. 472.0 ± 162.2 ng 5-HT/10(9) platelets). 5-HT parameters in acAN patients and HCW were similar. 5-HTTLPR variants were not related to 5-HT platelet variables. In the longitudinal part of the study we found significantly increased 5-HT content but unchanged 5-HT uptake in AN patients after short-term/partial weight restoration. Our results highlight the importance of malnutrition for the interpretation of abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems in AN. Changes in platelet 5-HT transporter activity were related to the stage of the illness but not to 5-HTTLPR genotype. Increased V (max) and K (m) in recovered AN patients might mirror adaptive modulations of the 5-HT system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Ehrlich
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, CVK, Berlin, Germany.
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Brambilla F, Dalle Grave R, Calugi S, Marchesini G, Baroni S, Marazziti D. Effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy on Eating Disorders: neurotransmitter secretory response to treatment. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010; 35:729-37. [PMID: 19962832 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2009] [Revised: 10/25/2009] [Accepted: 10/25/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on central dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) secretion were studied in a group of 50 female inpatients, of which 14 suffered from anorexia nervosa restricted type (AN-R), 14 from anorexia nervosa bingeing-purging type (AN-BP), and 22 from bulimia nervosa (BN). The aim of the study was to see whether or not CBT modifies the secretion of central DA (blood homovanillic acid=HVA), NE (blood 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol=MHPG) and the 5-HT transporter (as evaluated by the platelet paroxetine binding=[(3)H]-Par-binding), if the physical and psychological effects of CBT correlate with changes of the neurotransmitter secretion; and if the biological effects of CBT are linked to specific psychopathological aspect of the disorders. The treatment lasted 20 weeks. Body-mass Index, bingeing and purging, specific AN-BN psychopathological (EDE 12-OD), depression (Beck Inventory), anxiety (STAY Form-Y-1), impulsiveness (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Biochemical Scale) and temperament (Temperament and Character Inventory, Cloninger Scale) were assessed at baseline and at the end of the treatment. CBT significantly improved the psychophysical aspects of the diseases. HVA and MHPG concentrations did not change. The [(3)H]-Par-binding parameters, the maximum binding capacity (B(max)) and dissociation constant (K(d)) values did not change in either AN-R or AN-BP patients, while the [(3)H]-Par B(max) (and not the K(d)) increased significantly in BN patients. Correlations emerged between basal and final [(3)H]-Par B(max) values and psychopathological scores, but not between CBT-induced differences between basal and final values. Our data suggest that only in BN CBT may act through changes in 5-HT system function.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Brambilla
- Center for Eating Disorders, Department of Mental Health, Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.
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16
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Steiger H, Bruce KR, Groleau P. Neural circuits, neurotransmitters, and behavior: serotonin and temperament in bulimic syndromes. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2010; 6:125-38. [PMID: 21107929 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2010_88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In bulimia nervosa (BN), and in related binge-purge syndromes, factors affecting central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) function appear to contribute not only to appetitive dysregulation but also to temperamental and personality manifestations. Drawing upon findings from neurobiological, molecular-genetic, and brain-imaging studies, we present an integrative model of the role of 5-HT function in bulimic syndromes. At the core of our model is a consideration of the ways in which diverse hereditary and environmental influences impact the action of the 5-HT system. We believe that our model helps account for heterogeneous traits seen in the bulimic population, for disproportionate representation of individuals displaying pathological personality traits and exposure to severe environmental stressors, and for interindividual variations as to treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Steiger
- Douglas University Institute, 6875 LaSalle Blvd, Montreal (Verdun), QC, Canada, H4H 1R3.
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17
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Steiger H, Richardson J, Schmitz N, Joober R, Israel M, Bruce KR, Gauvin L, Dandurand C, Anestin A. Association of trait-defined, eating-disorder sub-phenotypes with (biallelic and triallelic) 5HTTLPR variations. J Psychiatr Res 2009; 43:1086-94. [PMID: 19383563 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2009] [Revised: 03/12/2009] [Accepted: 03/17/2009] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Efforts to classify eating-disordered individuals based on concurrent personality traits have consistently converged on a typology encompassing "over-regulated", "dysregulated", and "low psychopathology" subgroups. In various populations, evidence has associated personality variations of an "over-regulated/dysregulated" type with differences on serotonin-system indices, and specifically, with different loadings of serotonin transporter promoter regulatory region polymorphism (5HTTLPR) genotypes and alleles. We explored the extent to which an empirical, trait-defined typology of eating-disordered individuals coincided systematically with variations in 5HTTLPR, assayed using biallelic and triallelic models. METHOD We tested 185 women with a DSM-IV eating disorder (108 with Bulimia Nervosa, 17 Anorexia Nervosa, and 60 an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) and 93 with no eating disorder on measures reflecting psychopathological traits and 5HTTLPR (biallelic and triallelic) genotypes and alleles. RESULTS The highest-function, triallelic (L(A)/L(A)) genotype occurred significantly more frequently among eating-disordered individuals than among controls. However, a more fine-grained analysis suggested that this association was attributable to the fact that, among eating-disordered participants, those displaying an "Inhibited/Compulsive" profile (derived using latent class analysis) were more likely than those of a "Dissocial/Impulsive" or a "Low Psychopathology" group to carry the triallelic 5HTTLPR gain-of-function L(A) allele and to be L(A)/L(A) homozygotes. DISCUSSION This study's empirically derived classes coincide with interpretable differences on genetic indices-associating an "Inhibited/Compulsive" group with 5HTTLPR gain-of-function genotypes (and alleles) that have elsewhere been linked to trait compulsivity. The findings, furthermore, suggest that 5HTTLPR, by influencing personality-trait manifestations may, in turn, influence eating-disorder risk and symptom expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Steiger
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas University Institute in Mental Health, Quebec, Canada.
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Klump KL, Bulik CM, Kaye WH, Treasure J, Tyson E. Academy for eating disorders position paper: eating disorders are serious mental illnesses. Int J Eat Disord 2009; 42:97-103. [PMID: 18951455 DOI: 10.1002/eat.20589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 267] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1116, USA.
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Mice overexpressing the 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter show no alterations in feeding behaviour and increased non-feeding responses to fenfluramine. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2008; 200:291-300. [PMID: 18560807 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1206-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2007] [Accepted: 05/14/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) is implicated in the regulation of appetite. Expression of the 5-HTT varies in the human population, and this variation may determine both individual differences in feeding and abnormal feeding behaviours such as eating disorders. OBJECTIVES The effects of 5-HTT expression on feeding and satiety were examined in a transgenic mouse model of 5-HTT overexpression. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured free-feeding food intake and observed the behavioural satiety sequence (BSS) after food deprivation in mice at baseline and after administration of the anorectic drug fenfluramine. RESULTS 5-HTT overexpressing mice were both lighter and shorter than their wildtype littermates. Despite this size difference, food intake by transgenic and wildtype mice did not differ. There was no effect of genotype on the BSS or on food intake during the test at baseline. Increasing doses of fenfluramine reduced food intake in a similar manner in both transgenic and wildtype mice. After 0.3 and 1 mg/kg fenfluramine, the temporal pattern of the BSS was the same for both groups, whereas 3 and 10 mg/kg fenfluramine disrupted the BSS. In transgenic mice, this disruption was evident at the 3 mg/kg dose, while in wildtypes, it emerged only at the 10-mg/kg dose. CONCLUSION These data suggest that overexpression of the 5-HTT does not lead to alterations in feeding or satiety in food-deprived mice but does increase the occurrence of other non-feeding behaviours in response to the 5-HT releasing agent fenfluramine.
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Akkermann K, Paaver M, Nordquist N, Oreland L, Harro J. Association of 5-HTT gene polymorphism, platelet MAO activity, and drive for thinness in a population-based sample of adolescent girls. Int J Eat Disord 2008; 41:399-404. [PMID: 18306344 DOI: 10.1002/eat.20516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several lines of evidence suggest that alterations in serotonergic activity contribute to the pathophysiology of abnormal eating behaviors. Since platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and the 5-HT transporter gene promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) have been associated with eating disorders, the knowledge from a population-based sample may provide useful information which changes in 5-HT function observed in eating disorders represent trait vs. state effects. METHOD The sample was based on both cohorts of the Estonian Children Personality, Behavior and Health Study (ECPBHS). The current study was conducted during the second follow-up where altogether 82% from the original sample was recruited. EDI-2 subscales--Drive for Thinness and Bulimia--were used to determine eating attitudes and behaviors. Platelet MAO activity was measured and the participants were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR. RESULTS Allelic variation of 5-HTTLPR or platelet MAO activity were not independently associated with drive for thinness or binge eating, but girls homozygous for the 5-HTTLPR long allele and with high platelet MAO activity, both considered indicators of a higher capacity 5-HT system, exhibited higher scores of drive for thinness. CONCLUSION The results suggest that drive for thinness is the highest in girls with the presence of two markers of higher serotonergic capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsti Akkermann
- Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia
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Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are related disorders of unknown etiology that most commonly begin during adolescence in women. AN and BN have unique and puzzling symptoms, such as restricted eating or binge-purge behaviors, body image distortions, denial of emaciation, and resistance to treatment. These are often chronic and relapsing disorders, and AN has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder. The lack of understanding of the pathogenesis of this illness has hindered the development of effective interventions, particularly for AN. Individuals with AN and BN are consistently characterized by perfectionism, obsessive-compulsiveness, and dysphoric mood. Individuals with AN tend to have high constraint, constriction of affect and emotional expressiveness, ahendonia and asceticism, whereas individuals with BN tend to be more impulsive and sensation seeking. Such symptoms often begin in childhood, before the onset of an eating disorder, and persist after recovery, suggesting they are traits that create a vulnerability for developing an ED. There is growing acknowledgement that neurobiological vulnerabilities make a substantial contribution to the pathogenesis of AN and BN. Considerable evidence suggests that altered brain serotonin (5-HT) function contributes to dysregulation of appetite, mood, and impulse control in AN and BN. Brain imaging studies, using 5-HT specific ligands, show that disturbances of 5-HT function occur when people are ill, and persist after recovery from AN and BN. It is possible that a trait-related disturbance of 5-HT neuronal modulation predates the onset of AN and contributes to premorbid symptoms of anxiety, obsessionality, and inhibition. This dysphoric temperament may involve an inherent dysregulation of emotional and reward pathways which also mediate the hedonic aspects of feeding, thus making these individuals vulnerable to disturbed appetitive behaviors. Restricting food intake may become powerfully reinforcing because it provides a temporary respite from dysphoric mood. Several factors may act on these vulnerabilities to cause AN to start in adolescence. First, puberty-related female gonadal steroids or age-related changes may exacerbate 5-HT dysregulation. Second, stress and/or cultural and societal pressures may contribute by increasing anxious and obsessional temperament. Individuals with AN may discover that reduced dietary intake, by reducing plasma tryptophan availability, is a means by which they can modulate brain 5-HT functional activity and anxious mood. People with AN enter a vicious cycle which accounts for the chronicity of this disorder because caloric restriction results in a brief respite from dysphoric mood. However, malnutrition and weight loss, in turn, produce alterations in many neuropeptides and monoamine function, perhaps in the service of conserving energy, but which also exaggerates dysphoric mood. In summary, this article reviews findings in brain chemistry and neuroimaging that shed new light on understanding the psychopathology of these difficult and frustrating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Kaye
- University of California, San Diego, 8950 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite C207, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
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Bailer UF, Frank GK, Henry SE, Price JC, Meltzer CC, Becker C, Ziolko SK, Mathis CA, Wagner A, Barbarich-Marsteller NC, Putnam K, Kaye WH. Serotonin transporter binding after recovery from eating disorders. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2007; 195:315-24. [PMID: 17690869 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0896-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2007] [Accepted: 07/05/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Several lines of evidence suggest that altered serotonin (5-HT) function persists after recovery from anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). OBJECTIVES We compared 11 subjects who recovered (>1 year normal weight, regular menstrual cycles, no binging or purging) from restricting-type AN (REC RAN), 7 who recovered from bulimia-type AN (REC BAN), 9 who recovered from BN (REC BN), and 10 healthy control women (CW). MATERIALS AND METHODS Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with [11C]McN5652 was used to assess the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT). For [11C]McN5652, distribution volume (DV) values were determined using a two-compartment, three-parameter tracer kinetic model, and specific binding was assessed using the binding potential (BP, BP=DVregion of interest/DVcerebellum-1). RESULTS After correction for multiple comparisons, the four groups showed significant (p<0.05) differences for [11C]McN5652 BP values for the dorsal raphe and antero-ventral striatum (AVS). Post-hoc analysis revealed that REC RAN had significantly increased [11C]McN5652 BP compared to REC BAN in these regions. CONCLUSIONS Divergent 5-HTT activity in subtypes of eating disorder subjects may provide important insights as to why these groups have differences in affective regulation and impulse control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula F Bailer
- Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Iroquois Building, Suite 600, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Steiger H, Bruce KR. Phenotypes, endophenotypes, and genotypes in bulimia spectrum eating disorders. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2007; 52:220-7. [PMID: 17500302 DOI: 10.1177/070674370705200403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To review the main phenomenological variants observed among bulimia spectrum syndromes and the factors believed to act etiologically for them and also to generate an etiologic model that accommodates known heterogeneities within the population suffering bulimic syndromes. METHOD Defining bulimic syndromes broadly, we address threshold and subthreshold forms of bulimia nervosa (BN) and also the provisional or newly proposed diagnoses of binge eating disorder (BED) and purging disorder (PD). We review evidence bearing on the validity of these diagnostic entities and on the place of sociocultural, family-developmental, neurobiological, and genetic factors in a multidimensional etiologic model for these classifications. RESULTS Available data validate certain bulimic phenotypes and subphenotypes that are characterized by such traits as impulsivity or affective instability. Findings associate subphenotypic, or trait-based, variations with putative endophenotypes, such as reduced serotonin transporter activity, and with candidate genotypes affecting the serotonin system; the data also indicate intriguing correspondences between gene environment interactions and subphenotypic variations along such dimensions as novelty seeking. CONCLUSIONS Bulimic syndromes sometimes reflect a primary disruption of controls over mood, impulses, and appetite in individuals showing marked psychopathology; at other times, they reflect a more circumscribed erosion of appetitive controls in relatively intact individuals, following prolonged dieting. We argue that dimensional perspectives involving careful attention to comorbid personality traits and symptoms are needed to accommodate existing heterogeneities within the population suffering from bulimia and to characterize the etiologic roles of familial-developmental, neurobiological, and genetic variables (and of interactions among these variables) in bulimic syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Steiger
- Psychiatry Department, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.
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Podar I, Jaanisk M, Allik J, Harro J. Psychological traits and platelet monoamine oxidase activity in eating disorder patients: their relationship and stability. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2007; 31:248-53. [PMID: 16901600 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2006.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Self-reported behavior and attitudes towards eating [Eating Disorder Inventory-2; Garner DM (1991). Eating Disorder Inventory-2: Professional Manual. Odessa, Fl.: Psychological Assessment Resources; Estonian version Podar I, Hannus A, Allik J (1999). Personality and Affectivity Characteristics Associated With Eating Disorders: a Comparison of Eating Disordered, Weight-Preoccupied, and Normal Samples. J Pers Assess; 73(1), 133-147] and the activity of platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) was studied in 11 patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), 43 patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) and a healthy control group (n=138). Nineteen patients filled in the EDI-2 questionnaire and donated blood samples three times with three month intervals in order to determine platelet MAO activity. Eating disordered (ED) patients scored higher on all EDI-2 subscales and had lower MAO activity compared to the control group. They also scored higher than the control group on the Neuroticism domain but lower on the Extraversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness domains of the NEO-PI-R questionnaire. The average stability of MAO on different occasions (r=.56) was slightly smaller than the stability of the EDI-2 scores (r=.70). The lack of correlations between personality dispositions and MAO activity indicates that they have independent influence on eating disorders. A possible relationship between neurochemical mechanisms and psychological symptoms of eating disordered behavior is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Podar
- Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tiigi 78, Tartu 50410, Estonia.
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25
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Steiger H, Gauvin L, Joober R, Israel M, Ng Ying Kin NMK, Bruce KR, Richardson J, Young SN, Hakim J. Intrafamilial correspondences on platelet [3H-]paroxetine-binding indices in bulimic probands and their unaffected first-degree relatives. Neuropsychopharmacology 2006; 31:1785-92. [PMID: 16407896 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Reduced brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine: 5-HT) transporter activity has been associated with susceptibility to various forms of psychopathology, including bulimia nervosa (BN) and related syndromes characterized by appetitive or behavioural dysregulation. We applied density (Bmax) of platelet [3H-]paroxetine binding as a proxy for central 5-HT reuptake activity in two groups of women (33 with BN-spectrum disorders and 19 with no apparent eating or psychiatric disorders), most of these individuals' mothers (31 and 18, respectively), and a small sampling of their sisters (seven and eight, respectively). Hierarchical linear modeling techniques were used to account for nesting of individuals within families and diagnostic groupings. Bulimic probands, their mothers, and their sisters all displayed significantly lower density (Bmax) of platelet-paroxetine binding than did 'control' probands, mothers, or sisters-even when relatives showing apparent eating or psychiatric disturbances were excluded. In addition, in bulimic probands and mothers, significant within-family correlations were obtained on Bmax. These findings imply a heritable trait (or endophenotype), linked to 5-HT activity, and carried by BN sufferers and their first-degree relatives (even when asymptomatic). We propose that, under conducive circumstances, such a trait may increase risk of binge-eating behavior, or associated symptoms of affective or behavioral dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Steiger
- Eating Disorders Program, Douglas Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Frank GK, Kaye WH. Positron emission tomography studies in eating disorders: multireceptor brain imaging, correlates with behavior and implications for pharmacotherapy. Nucl Med Biol 2005; 32:755-61. [PMID: 16243652 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2005.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2005] [Accepted: 06/06/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Modern imaging techniques that visualize disease-specific organ neurotransmitter or protein receptor sites are increasingly able to define pathological processes on a molecular level. One of those imaging modalities, positron emission tomography (PET), for the assessment of brain neuroreceptor binding has revolutionized the in vivo assessment of biologic markers that may be related to human behavior. Such studies may help identify chemical targets that may be directly related to psychiatric pathology and, thus, opportunities for pharmacological intervention. In this review, we describe results from PET studies in eating disorders (EDs). Eating disorders are frequently debilitating illnesses that are quite homogeneous in their presentation. Those studies that identified particular serotonin and dopamine receptor alterations can distinguish recovered ED subjects from controls as well as ED subgroups. Furthermore, correlations of receptor binding with behavioral constructs, such as harm avoidance or novelty seeking, could be found. These recognized receptors may now help us to move away from rather nonspecific treatment approaches in psychiatric research and clinic to the possibility of more syndrome- and symptom-specific treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K Frank
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Eating Disorders Research, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 92123, USA
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