Connecting the Nodes of Altered Brain Network Organization in Eating Disorders

Two prevalent eating disorders (ED) in adolescence are anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). AN is primarily characterized by an extensive restriction of energy intake leading to significantly low body weight. In contrast, the cardinal symptom of BN is uncontrolled eating of an abnormally large amount of food, followed by compensatory behavior to avoid weight gain (eg, self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse). Despite these differences and the fact that individuals with BN are usually of normal weight, patients with both disorders have an abnormal preoccupation with body weight and shape1; often in the form of distressing ruminations2,3.

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - December 4, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Stefan Ehrlich, Joseph A. King, Ilka Boehm Tags: Editorial Source Type: research