Multimodal investigations of structural and functional brain alterations in anorexia and bulimia nervosa and their relationships to psychopathology
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
- King's College London (KCL)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- University of Oxford
- University College London
- Universitätsmedizin Mannheim
- Trinity College Dublin
- University of Mannheim
- Heidelberg University
- NeuroSpin
- Université Paris-Saclay
- University of Vermont
- University of Nottingham
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Université Paris Cité
- École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay
- Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris
- Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital
- Centre Borelli
- EPS Barthélémy Durand
- University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives
- Université de Bordeaux
- University Medical Center Göttingen
- University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf
- University of Southampton
- Fudan University
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Neurobiological understanding of eating disorders (EDs) is limited. This study presents the first comparative multimodal magnetic resonance imaging assessments of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and uncovers neurobiological differences associated with these disorders.
METHODS: This case-control study included 57 healthy female control participants and 130 female participants with EDs (bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa subtypes). Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging assessed gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness, and task-based activities related to reward processing, socioemotional functioning, and response inhibition. Whole-brain group differences were correlated with ED psychopathology.
RESULTS: Significant structural differences were observed in the ED group compared with healthy control participants, including reduced GMV in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex and lower cortical thickness in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus and precuneus after adjusting for body mass index. Specific structural alterations were only evident in anorexia nervosa subgroups. GMV reductions in the orbitofrontal cortex were linked to impulsivity, while lower cortical thickness in the frontal gyrus correlated with cognitive restraint in eating, suggesting that these regions may play key roles in ED psychopathology. Functional magnetic resonance imaging also revealed notable differences. During reward anticipation, participants with EDs exhibited deactivations in the cerebellum and right superior frontal gyrus together with reduced activation in the left lingual gyrus. These functional changes were associated with heightened neuroticism. Mediation analyses suggested that starvation-related GMV reductions in EDs disrupt reward-related brain function, increase neuroticism, and reinforce cognitive restraint, likely contributing to the persistence of ED symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings illuminate key neurobehavioral mechanisms that underlie EDs and point to potential brain-based targets for developing specialized treatment.
Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Number of pages | 45 |
Journal | Biological psychiatry |
Volume | 2024 |
Issue number | 11 |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 23 Nov 2024 |
Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
ORCID | /0000-0001-5615-3645/work/175742223 |
---|---|
ORCID | /0000-0001-5398-5569/work/175768378 |
unpaywall | 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.11.008 |
Scopus | 85218089910 |