Molecular neuroanatomy of anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa is a complex eating disorder with genetic, metabolic, and psychosocial underpinnings. Using genome-wide methods, recent studies have associated many genes with the disorder. We characterized these genes by projecting them into reference transcriptomic atlases of the prenatal and adult human brain to determine where these genes are expressed in fine detail.

Genetic association of recovery from eating disorders: the role of GABA receptor SNPs.

Follow-up studies of eating disorders (EDs) suggest outcomes ranging from recovery to chronic illness or death, but predictors of outcome have not been consistently identified. We tested 5151 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in approximately 350 candidate genes for association with recovery from ED in 1878 women. Initial analyses focused on a strictly defined discovery cohort of women who were over age 25 years, carried a lifetime diagnosis of an ED, and for whom data were available regarding the presence (n=361 ongoing symptoms in the past year, ie, 'ill') or absence (n=115 no symptoms in the past year, ie, 'recovered') of ED symptoms.

Amphetamine induced dopamine release increases anxiety in individuals recovered from anorexia nervosa.

Objective: Genetic, pharmacologic, and physiological data suggest that individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) have altered striatal dopamine (DA) function.

Method: We used an amphetamine challenge and positron emission tomography [(11) C]raclopride paradigm to explore DA striatal transmission in 10 recovered (REC) AN compared with 9 control women (CW).

Results: REC AN and CW were similar for baseline, postamphetamine [(11) C]raclopride binding potential (BP(ND) ) and change (Δ) in BP(ND) for all regions.

Differential weight restoration on olanzapine versus fluoxetine in identical twins with anorexia nervosa.

Objective: No studies have compared the response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and atypical antipsychotics in anorexia nervosa. This case study examines such a comparison.

Method: This report describes a case of 12-year-old identical twins with anorexia nervosa, one of whom was treated with olanzapine and the other with fluoxetine, while undergoing family therapy.

Aripiprazole in anorexia nervosa and low-weight bulimia nervosa: case reports.

Objective: There has been much interest in the use of atypical antipsychotics in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, newer, more weight-neutral medications have not been studied in AN, and there are no reports of the use of antipsychotics in bulimia nervosa (BN).

Method: We report on the treatment of eight patients (five with AN and three with BN) with aripiprazole for time periods of four months to more than three years.

5-HT1A receptor activation is necessary for 5-MeODMT-dependent potentiation of feeding inhibition.

We propose a translational approach to the study of anorexia nervosa (AN) based on our human subject studies where there are characteristic elevations in 5-HT(1A) receptor binding, associated harm avoidance behaviors, reduced impulsivity, and comorbid anxiety disorders. Towards this goal, the hyponeophagia assay was implemented whereby food-deprived mice show increased latency to begin feeding in a novel, anxiogenic environment. The non-selective serotonin agonist, 5-MeODMT, potentiates feeding inhibition compared to the inhibition generated by the anxiogenic environment in a drug-by-environment interaction.