from Section VI - Eating Disorders
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2011
Introduction
The conceptual framework of the pathophysiology and etiology of the eating disorders (EDs) anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) as well as the emerging ED binge eating disorder (BED), has undergone significant changes in the past few decades. Brain imaging techniques now give us the opportunity to assess regional brain activity and neuroreceptor function in-vivo in humans, and thus may help us understand how neuronal circuits are related to behavior and pathophysiology.
A host of neuroimaging tools is now available for ED research. Structural imaging techniques such as computer tomography (CT) and radiation-free magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide information on gross structural abnormalities. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can detect brain chemicals containing choline, aspartate and others, which are involved in brain neurotransmission. Positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are used to assess brain activity thought to be associated with changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). In addition, neurotransmitter receptor function and regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCGM) can be assessed with PET and SPECT and radioligands. Electroencephalography (EEG) and evoked potentials (EPs) record neuronal electrical activity, and quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) employs spectral analysis of EEG data from multiple-electrode, whole-head recordings and provides better spatial resolution compared to the traditional EEG. Recent advances in the field of brain research using neuroscience-based imaging paradigms have made great progress with respect to emotional and cognitive processes that may be altered in psychiatric illness.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.