Structural and Functional Neural Correlates of Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

The findings from neuroscience have shaped our understanding in the past decade regarding the way we perceive psychiatric illness. In addition to the more conventional theories that are based solely on the psychological and sociocultural factors to explain psychiatric disorders, there is growing evidence supporting a multifactorial etiology with genetic and neurological components. Anorexia nervosa, a life-threatening psychiatric disorder with relentless restrictive eating resulting in extremely low body weight, is one such illness that may be categorized as a brain disorder based on the recent findings. Although inconsistencies exist, several studies investigated the structural and the neurochemical alterations in the brain as well as the functional significance and the cognitive manifestations of these abnormalities in anorexia nervosa patient. This review aims to summarize the current literature on the neural aberrations and several treatment approaches targeting these abnormalities in anorexia nervosa. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]