Abstract
BackgroundAnorexia nervosa (AN) has consistently been associated with reduced gray (GM) and white matter (WM) brain volumes. It is unclear whether GM alterations are present following recovery from AN, as previous findings are inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to determine if women recovered from AN exhibit reduced global or regional GM volumes.MethodsGlobal GM and WM, as well as regional GM volumes, were investigated in 22 women recovered from AN and 22 age-matched healthy controls using magnetic resonance imaging. Women were considered recovered if they had maintained a body mass index above 18.0 and had not engaged in binge eating, purging, or restrictive eating behaviors during the past year.ResultsThere were no significant differences between recovered AN women and healthy controls in terms of GM and WM volumes. There were also no significant differences between restricting and binging-purging AN subtypes. Lowest lifetime weight was positively correlated with regional GM volumes in the precuneus and insula.ConclusionsThe present study showed that regional GM and global GM and WM volumes were similar for women long-term recovered from AN and age-matched healthy controls. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which illness severity affect regional GM volumes.
Highlights
Anorexia nervosa (AN) has consistently been associated with reduced gray (GM) and white matter (WM) brain volumes
Participant characteristics recovered from AN (RAN) and control women were of similar age, but body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher for the controls
It is possible that certain subgroups of recovered AN patients, for instance those with a history of extreme emaciation or long illness duration, are characterized by persistent regional gray matter (GM) reductions following recovery. This could account for why the present study found significant associations between lowest lifetime weight and GM volumes in the RAN group, but no significant between-group differences in GM volume
Summary
Anorexia nervosa (AN) has consistently been associated with reduced gray (GM) and white matter (WM) brain volumes. It is unclear whether GM alterations are present following recovery from AN, as previous findings are inconsistent. Anorexia nervosa (AN) has consistently been associated with reduced global gray (GM) and white matter (WM) brain volumes, alongside enlarged cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cavities [1, 2]. The inconsistent findings regarding the presence of GM volume reduction in recovered patients may be due to heterogeneity in study design, for example, differences in the operationalization or duration of recovery, or variations in the length of follow-up interval in longitudinal studies.
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