There are still many things that are unknown about the development of anorexia in people, such as why some people are more likely to suffer from it and others are not. A new study carried out by the University of Bath (United Kingdom) has contributed its grain of sand by discovering that patients with this eating behavior disorder have changes in their brain structure.
Although the biological factors of anorexia are well understood, this study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry is the clearest in showing the relationship between structural changes in the brain and eating disorders. To do this, more than 2,000 brain scans of people with anorexia, recovering patients and scans of people without this disorder were analyzed.
The results showed that patients with anorexia had significantly reduced three brain values: cortical thickness, subcortical volumes, and cortical surface area. All this implies the reduction of the size of the most important organ, since these changes cause the loss of cells and brain connections between them.
A brain problem that can be reversed
Specifically, the study researchers found that the loss in size and changes in the shape of the brain of people with anorexia was two to four times higher than in patients with depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Brain changes in recovering people were less noticeable, so the brain may have the ability to regenerate
In people undergoing therapy and recovery from anorexia nervosa, brain structure changes were less severe, so this could indicate that the situation can be reversed and the brain can be repaired with early and appropriate treatment and support.
“We found that the large reductions in brain structure that we observed in patients were less noticeable in patients who were already on the road to recovery. This is a good sign, because it indicates that these changes may not be permanent. With proper treatment, the brain could recover”, stressed Dr. Esther Walton, lead author of the study.
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