Regional cerebral glucose metabolism in bulimia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' purpose in this study was to further delineate the character of cerebral metabolism in bulimia nervosa and to determine if functional links could be made between regional cerebral metabolism and the symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bulimia nervosa.


METHODS
Regional cerebral glucose metabolism was measured by using positron emission tomography in 11 inpatients with bulimia nervosa and 18 normal comparison subjects matched in sex (all were women), age, and educational level. The bulimic patients were also tested for symptoms of major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.


RESULTS
The patients with bulimia showed a correlation between lower left anterolateral prefrontal regional cerebral glucose metabolism and greater depressive symptoms. However, the orbitofrontal regional cerebral glucose metabolism of patients with bulimia was not greater than that of comparison subjects, nor was higher orbitofrontal metabolism correlated with greater obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings lead to the conclusion that left anterior lateral prefrontal cortex hypometabolism varies with the depressive symptoms observed in bulimia but that temporal lobe hypermetabolism and asymmetries appear to be independent of the mood state.
Andreason
P J
PJ
Section on Clinical Brain Imaging, NIMH, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Altemus
M
M
Zametkin
A J
AJ
King
A C
AC
Lucinio
J
J
Cohen
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose