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Anorexia nervosa: Directions for future research
Author(s) -
C. L. Bolis,
Georges Abraham,
Shukuro Araki,
Frăncesca Brambilla,
Timothy D. Brewerton,
Regina C. Casper,
Katherine A. Halmi,
K. Herholz,
Walter H. Kaye,
T. Kuboki,
Júlio Licinio,
Pierre J. Magistretti,
Elsa Muller,
André Brooking Negrão,
PA Ndiaye,
Karl M. Pirke,
Hiroyuki Suematsu,
Philippe Thomas,
T. Wakeling,
Dun-jin Zhou
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(199504)17:3<235::aid-eat2260170304>3.0.co;2-2
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , psychology , psychosocial , medicine , endocrinology , psychiatry , eating disorders
On September 27–29, 1993, the Study Group on Anorexia Nervosa (AN): Basic Mechanisms, Clinical Approaches and Treatment met in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss recent progress in research on anorexia nervosa, and to identify directions for future studies. Anorexia nervosa is a disorder of unknown etiology, without a specific curative treatment, affecting mostly individuals in adolescence and early adulthood, with significant morbidity and mortality, and having a major impact on psychosocial and vocational development. In anorexia nervosa there are severe disturbances in virtually every endocrine system, such as the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis, the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal (HPG) axis, the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid (HPT) axis, the growth hormone (GH)/somatomedin C (IGF‐1) system, and the central and peripheral arginine vasopressin (AVP) systems. Furthermore, classical neurotransmitter systems, such as the cholinergic noradrenergic, and serotonergic systems, are abnormally regulated in anorexia nervosa. New research data is also emerging on the abnormal regulation of immune function in this disorder. The Study Group concluded that even though several biological systems are abnormally regulated in anorexia nervosa, there is no biological test which is specific enough to make the diagnosis of the disorder. New directions for research in anorexia nervosa are identified and discussed in this report. Finally, the Study Group proposed future meetings to bring together clinical and pre‐clinical (pharmacological, biochemical, and molecular) scientists studying topics, such as neuroendocrine function, which are important in the biology of anorexia nervosa. © 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.