Psychopathological alterations and neuroimaging findings with discriminant value in eating behavior disorders.

Introduction: The difficulties encountered in regards to defining the diagnosis of patients with an Eating Behavior Disorder (EBD) have favored the use of multidimensional models. This study has aimed to identify which psychopathological and neurobiological variables could have a discriminating capacity regarding the different EBD diagnostic subtypes.

Methods: A total of 42 patients with an EBD diagnosis (11 Restrictive Anorexia (R-AN), 10 Purgative Anorexia (P-AN), 7 Non-purgative Bulimia (NP-BN), 14 Purgative Bulimia (P-BN)), according to DSM-IV criteria, were selected from those who came for treatment in the Ciudad Real General Hospital Eating Disorder Unit.

Changes in regional cerebral blood flow after body image exposure in eating disorders.

Relationships of 'perceptual distortion' and 'cognitive evaluation' components of body image disturbances to brain activity were investigated. Changes in regional cerebral blood (rCBF) of nine patients with anorexia nervosa restrictive type (AN), 13 patients with bulimia nervosa purging type (BN) and 12 controls following three experiments with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were compared: at rest, following a landscape video presentation (neutral stimulus), and after their filmed body image (positive stimulus) exposure. Body distortion was measured with the Silhouette test and body dissatisfaction with the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ).

Regional cerebral blood flow patterns of change following the own body image exposure in eating disorders: a longitudinal study.

Objective: The aim of the present study is to see if the changes in the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) experienced by restrictive anorexia nervosa (AR) and bulimia nervosa (BN) patients, following the exposure to their own body image, persist at follow-up.

Methods: Three single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were performed on nine patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of AR, 13 with BP, and 12 controls: at rest, following a neutral stimulus, and after exposure to their previously filmed whole body image. Body dissatisfaction was measured by means of the Body Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (BSQ).