Brain structure alterations associated with weight changes in young females with anorexia nervosa: a case series

Abstract

Structural brain changes associated with starvation and clinical measurements were explored in four females with anorexia nervosa with different clinical course, at baseline and 1-year follow-up, after receiving intensive inpatient treatment at a specialized eating disorder unit. Global volume alterations were associated with weight changes. Regional volume alterations were also associated with weight changes, with the largest changes occurring in the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, pallidum, and putamen. Largest changes in cortical thickness occurred in the frontal and temporal lobes. The results are preliminary; however, they show that fluctuations in weight are associated with brain volume alterations, especially gray matter. We suggest that these parts of the brain are vulnerable to starvation and malnutrition, and could be a part of the pathophysiology of AN.

Keywords:

• eating disorders
• anorexia nervosa
• weight changes
• neuroimaging
• magnetic resonance imaging

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Eva Hilland for helpful work with imaging analyses.