title: Altered brain activity in women recovered from bulimic-type eating disorders after a glucose challenge: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is not known whether individuals with bulimic-type eating disorders have a dysregulation of brain pathways that modulate appetite. Taste plays a role in the regulation of appetite and the purpose of the current study was to determine whether bulimic women have alterations in the physiologic response to the blind administration of glucose.
  
  
  METHODS
  To avoid the confounding effects of a current eating disorder, and to assess possibly trait-related disturbances, we studied 10 subjects recovered (> or = 1 year) from a bulimic-type eating disorder and 6 control women. Subjects were administered a solution of glucose or artificial saliva (control solution) in alternating blocks during a functional magnet resonance imaging scan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals who recovered from a bulimic-type eating disorder had significantly lower activation in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; Montreal Neurological Institute [MNI] coordinates x = 8, y = 22, z = 28; cluster size = 18 voxels, T = 5.11, Z-score = 3.78) and in the left cuneus (occipital cortex; MNI coordinates x = -12, y = -78, z = 10; cluster size = 21 voxels, T = 4.27, Z-score = 3.36), when glucose was compared with artificial saliva.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ACC plays a role in the anticipation of reward. Individuals with bulimic-type eating disorders may have a reduced reward response to nutrients, and thus may be vulnerable to overeating. However, this is a small sample and the current study will need replication in a larger sample size with investigation of additional regions of interest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Guido K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Achenbach
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McConaha
authors.forename: Kellie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skovira
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aizenstein
authors.forename: Cameron S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Walter H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kaye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D003289:Convalescence; D005947:Glucose / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose