A group of researchers based in New York may have found a significant link between the activities of two regions in the human brain that play an important role in the decision-making process among individuals who have anorexia nervosa.
Individuals with this psychological illness suffer from extreme fear of weight gain. Scientists are familiar with the habits that characterise this disorder but, until recently, know very little about the how and why of an anorexic person's food choices.
According to the study, which was published in Nature Neuroscience, where the activity in these two regions of the brain would likely work together to reward a healthy person for choosing rich foods that are high in taste and fat, the reward for the anorexic individual is in the choice of food that are very low in fat.
MSN reports that research revealed that attached to this choice among anorexic people more activity is found in the area of the brain related to habitual behaviour. This suggests that an individual who has the anorexia nervosa disorder will 'choose' based on ingrained habits rather than from a balanced choice.
The opposite is observed among healthy individuals. In previous research, this brain region called the dorsal striatum has been linked with behaviour that is maladaptive.
The study worked with two groups of women, where 21 were individuals who have anorexia nervosa and were recently hospitalised for the illness, while the other 21 were categorically healthy individuals. All were from 16 to 39 in age. After an initial day where all participants were given a standardised meal, they were allowed to choose their meals in the following day. The participants were given an MRI scan during the food choice portion to determine brain activity during the selection process.
High levels of activity flowed between the dorsal striatum and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in both groups, with high activity levels on the choice of high-fat food by the healthy group matched by high levels of activity on the choice of low-fat food by the anorexia group. Noticeably, however, the latter group had more activity in the dorsal striatum.
Treatment of anorexia nervosa often entails treatment of the individual's restricted eating habits. Unless this habit is broken, the individual may relapse into unhealthy eating patterns. Neurological research into the reasons behind these habits may open the doors to treating this disorder.
See Also:
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