Story at a glance
- Data for the study was drawn from 2,000 preexisting brain scans for people with and without anorexia.
- The study found that people suffering from the eating disorder anorexia show a reduction in brain size greater than those who struggle with other mental health conditions.
- Scans for those recovering from the eating disorder showed less reduction, leading researchers to theorize early treatment might enable the brain to repair itself.
People suffering from the eating disorder anorexia show a reduction in brain size greater than those who struggle with other mental health conditions, according to a new major study.
The study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, reveals people experiencing anorexia have “sizeable reductions” in three critical measures of the brain: Cortical thickness, subcortical volumes and cortical surface area.
Anorexia nervosa is a condition where people avoid food, severely restrict food or eat very small quantities of only certain foods. The disorder can be fatal, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Data for the study, which researchers say is the largest to date, was drawn from 2,000 preexisting brain scans for people with and without anorexia. Scans for those recovering from the eating disorder showed less reduction, leading researchers to theorize early treatment might enable the brain to repair itself.
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“For this study, we worked intensively over several years with research teams across the world. Being able to combine thousands of brain scans from people with anorexia allowed us to study the brain changes that might characterize this disorder in much greater detail,” lead author Esther Walton of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath said in a news release.
“We found that the large reductions in brain structure, which we observed in patients, were less noticeable in patients already on the path to recovery. This is a good sign, because it indicates that these changes might not be permanent. With the right treatment, the brain might be able to bounce back.”
The research team, made up of an international conglomerate of scientists, concluded that the positive results seen in patients recovering from the disorder may serve as a “wakeup call.”
“The brain changes in anorexia were more severe than in any other psychiatric condition we have studied. Effects of treatments and interventions can now be evaluated, using these new brain maps as a reference,” said Paul Thompson, a professor of neurology and lead scientist for the ENIGMA Consortium.
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