OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to confirm that brain serotonin (5-HT) alterations are present in patients who have recovered from bulimia nervosa. Positron emission tomography imaging with [(18)F]altanserin was used to characterize binding of the 5-HT(2A) receptor, which might contribute to altered feeding, mood, or impulse control. METHOD: Nine women who had recovered from bulimia nervosa (they had no episodes of binge eating or purging, were at normal weight, and had regular menstrual cycles for more than 1 year) were compared with 12 female volunteers who had never had bulimia. RESULTS: The healthy volunteers, but not the women who had recovered from bulimia nervosa, had an age-related decline in 5-HT(2A) binding. Women who had recovered from bulimia nervosa had a reduction of medial orbital frontal cortex 5-HT(2A) binding. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of age-related changes in 5-HT activity is further evidence of 5-HT alterations in subjects who have recovered from bulimia nervosa. In addition, vulnerabilities for eating disorders, impulse dyscontrol, and mood disturbances may involve 5-HT and frontal lobe activity.
OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to confirm that brain serotonin (5-HT) alterations are present in patients who have recovered from bulimia nervosa. Positron emission tomography imaging with [(18)F]altanserin was used to characterize binding of the 5-HT(2A) receptor, which might contribute to altered feeding, mood, or impulse control. METHOD: Nine women who had recovered from bulimia nervosa (they had no episodes of binge eating or purging, were at normal weight, and had regular menstrual cycles for more than 1 year) were compared with 12 female volunteers who had never had bulimia. RESULTS: The healthy volunteers, but not the women who had recovered from bulimia nervosa, had an age-related decline in 5-HT(2A) binding. Women who had recovered from bulimia nervosa had a reduction of medial orbital frontal cortex 5-HT(2A) binding. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of age-related changes in 5-HT activity is further evidence of 5-HT alterations in subjects who have recovered from bulimia nervosa. In addition, vulnerabilities for eating disorders, impulse dyscontrol, and mood disturbances may involve 5-HT and frontal lobe activity.
Authors: Ursula F Bailer; Cinnamon S Bloss; Guido K Frank; Julie C Price; Carolyn C Meltzer; Chester A Mathis; Mark A Geyer; Angela Wagner; Carl R Becker; Nicholas J Schork; Walter H Kaye Journal: Int J Eat Disord Date: 2010-09-24 Impact factor: 4.861
Authors: Rama Pichika; Monte S Buchsbaum; Ursula Bailer; Carl Hoh; Alex Decastro; Bradley R Buchsbaum; Walter Kaye Journal: Int J Eat Disord Date: 2011-06-13 Impact factor: 4.861
Authors: Cynthia M Bulik; B Devlin; Silviu-Alin Bacanu; Laura Thornton; Kelly L Klump; Manfred M Fichter; Katherine A Halmi; Allan S Kaplan; Michael Strober; D Blake Woodside; Andrew W Bergen; J Kelly Ganjei; Scott Crow; James Mitchell; Alessandro Rotondo; Mauro Mauri; Giovanni Cassano; Pamela Keel; Wade H Berrettini; Walter H Kaye Journal: Am J Hum Genet Date: 2002-12-10 Impact factor: 11.025
Authors: Ursula F Bailer; Guido K Frank; Julie C Price; Carolyn C Meltzer; Carl Becker; Chester A Mathis; Angela Wagner; Nicole C Barbarich-Marsteller; Cinnamon S Bloss; Karen Putnam; Nicholas J Schork; Anthony Gamst; Walter H Kaye Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2012-11-13 Impact factor: 3.222