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Behavioral Neurobiology of Eating Disorders pp 59–79Cite as

Serotonin: Imaging Findings in Eating Disorders

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Part of the book series: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences ((CTBN,volume 6))

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are disorders characterized by aberrant patterns of feeding behavior, weight regulation, and disturbances in attitudes and perceptions toward body weight and shape. Several lines of evidence nominate disturbances of serotonin (5-HT) pathways as playing a role in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of AN and BN. For example, 5-HT pathways are known to contribute to the modulation of a range of behaviors commonly seen in individuals with AN and BN. New technology using brain imaging with radioligands offers the potential for understanding previously inaccessible brain 5-HT neurotransmitter function and its dynamic relationship with human behaviors. Recent studies using positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography with 5-HT-specific radioligands have consistently shown 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor and 5-HT transporter alterations in AN and BN in cortical and limbic structures, which may be related to anxiety, behavioral inhibition, and body image distortions. These disturbances are present when subjects are ill and persist after recovery, suggesting that these may be traits that are independent of the state of the illness. Effective treatments for AN and BN have been elusive. A better understanding of neurobiology is likely to be important for developing specific and more powerful therapies for these often chronic and deadly disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Ursula F. Bailer & Walter H. Kaye

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of Biological Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Ursula F. Bailer

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  1. Ursula F. Bailer
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  2. Walter H. Kaye
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Correspondence to Walter H. Kaye .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience, Dept. Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3508 AB, Netherlands

    Roger A.H. Adan

  2. Dept. Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla Drive 8950, La Jolla, 92037, California, USA

    Walter H. Kaye

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Bailer, U.F., Kaye, W.H. (2010). Serotonin: Imaging Findings in Eating Disorders. In: Adan, R., Kaye, W. (eds) Behavioral Neurobiology of Eating Disorders. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 6. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2010_78

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