Normal brain tissue volumes after long-term recovery in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
BACKGROUND
Individuals who are ill with anorexia (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) often have increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes and decreased total gray and white matter volumes. It is unclear whether such disturbances persist after recovery from an eating disorder.


METHODS
Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 40 women who were long-term recovered (>1 year no binging, purging, or restricting behaviors, normal weight, and menstrual cycles, not on medication) from restricting or binge/purging type AN or BN and 31 healthy control women (CW). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used for data analysis.


RESULTS
Recovered AN and BN subgroups were similar to CW in terms of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume as well as total or regional gray or white matter volume.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that structural brain abnormalities are reversible in individuals with eating disorders after long-term recovery.
Wagner
Angela
A
Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Presbyterian University Hospital, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, USA.
Greer
Phil
P
Bailer
Ursula F
UF
Frank
Guido K
GK
Henry
Shannan E
SE
Putnam
Karen
K
Meltzer
Carolyn C
CC
Ziolko
Scott K
SK
Hoge
Jessica
J
McConaha
Claire
C
Kaye
Walter H
WH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology