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Altered brain activity in women recovered from bulimic‐type eating disorders after a glucose challenge: A pilot study
Author(s) -
Frank Guido K.,
Wagner Angela,
Achenbach Sarah,
McConaha Claire,
Skovira Kellie,
Aizenstein Howard,
Carter Cameron S.,
Kaye Walter H.
Publication year - 2006
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/eat.20210
Subject(s) - overeating , eating disorders , anterior cingulate cortex , psychology , bulimia nervosa , appetite , anorexia nervosa , cuneus , physiology , functional magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , psychiatry , precuneus , neuroscience , cognition , obesity
Objective It is not known whether individuals with bulimic‐type eating disorders have a dysregulation of brain pathways that modulate appetite. Taste plays a role in the regulation of appetite and the purpose of the current study was to determine whether bulimic women have alterations in the physiologic response to the blind administration of glucose. Method To avoid the confounding effects of a current eating disorder, and to assess possibly trait‐related disturbances, we studied 10 subjects recovered (≥1 year) from a bulimic‐type eating disorder and 6 control women. Subjects were administered a solution of glucose or artificial saliva (control solution) in alternating blocks during a functional magnet resonance imaging scan. Results Individuals who recovered from a bulimic‐type eating disorder had significantly lower activation in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; Montreal Neurological Institute [MNI] coordinates x = 8, y = 22, z = 28; cluster size = 18 voxels, T = 5.11, Z‐score = 3.78) and in the left cuneus (occipital cortex; MNI coordinates x = −12, y = −78, z = 10; cluster size = 21 voxels, T = 4.27, Z ‐score = 3.36), when glucose was compared with artificial saliva. Conclusion The ACC plays a role in the anticipation of reward. Individuals with bulimic‐type eating disorders may have a reduced reward response to nutrients, and thus may be vulnerable to overeating. However, this is a small sample and the current study will need replication in a larger sample size with investigation of additional regions of interest. © 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.