Metabolic state and value-based decision-making in acute and recovered female patients with anorexia nervosa

Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience : JPN
Fabio BernardoniStefan Ehrlich

Abstract

Patients with anorexia nervosa forgo eating despite emaciation and severe health consequences. Such dysfunctional decision-making might be explained by an excessive level of self-control, alterations in homeostatic and hedonic regulation, or an interplay between these processes. We aimed to understand value-based decision-making in anorexia nervosa and its association with the gut hormone ghrelin. Besides its homeostatic function, ghrelin has been implicated in the hedonic regulation of appetite and reward via the modulation of phasic dopamine signalling. In a cross-sectional design, we studied acutely underweight (n = 94) and recovered (n = 37) patients with anorexia nervosa of the restrictive subtype, as well as healthy control participants (n = 119). We assessed plasma concentrations of desacyl ghrelin and parameters of delay discounting, probability discounting for gains and losses, and loss aversion. Recovered patients displayed higher risk aversion for gains, but we observed no group differences for the remaining decision-making parameters. Desacyl ghrelin was higher in acutely underweight and recovered participants with anorexia nervosa relative to healthy controls. Moreover, we found a significant group × desacyl ghreli...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 28, 2021·Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry·Sarah L Brassard, Iris M Balodis
Jul 21, 2021·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Jane Feinmann

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Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric condition characterized by severe weight loss and secondary problems associated with malnutrition. Here is the latest research on AN.