Recent Advances in Neuroimaging Studies in Adolescents and Young Adults With Eating Disorders

Abstract

Brain imaging research in adolescents and young adults with eating disorders has shown a steep increase over the past 5 years. Findings include alterations in cortical and subcortical circuits in patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa noted during reward processing, decision-making, body perception, and emotion and social stimulus processing. Those cortical and subcortical brain structures and functional circuits may be mechanistically involved in eating disorder behaviors. Although studies in youth with binge eating or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder are largely still lacking, there is promise that studies that cut across diagnoses will identify neurobiologic circuits that can become targets for intervention.