title: Psychopathological and nutritional correlates of plasma homovanillic acid in adolescents with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: Dopaminergic abnormalities have been described in anorexia nervosa but studies about plasma level of homovanillic acid (pHVA) have yielded conflicting results probably due to the small number and the heterogeneity of patients. Plasma HVA, nutritional and hormonal parameters and several scales - the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Leyton Obsessional Inventory-child version (LOI-C) and the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) - were assessed in 44 adolescent anorexia nervosa patients (mean age 14.7 years, SD 1.7) consecutively admitted to an Eating Disorder Unit. They were evaluated at admission, at discharge and, in 34 cases, after 9 months of follow-up. pHVA was also assessed in 16 control adolescents. Patients had significantly higher pHVA than controls (p = .002). About 31% of patients had a very high level of pHVA, a significantly higher (p = .006) mean score in the BDI and a non significantly higher mean score in the EAT. After weight recovery some laboratory parameters improved as well as the EAT (p = .019), the BDI (p = 001) and the Interference score of the LOI-C (p = .004). Moreover, pHVA decreased significantly (p=.036). At follow-up, patients with normal weight had lower (p = .037) pHVA than patients with low weight. The conclusion would be that there is a dopaminergic dysfunction in anorexic patients, specially in a subgroup with high depressive and anorexic symptomatology. With weight recovery and psychopathological improvement, pHVA tends to normalization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute Clinic of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic University, Barcelano, Spain. jcastro@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castro-Fornieles
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deulofeu
authors.forename: Immaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baeza
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Casulà
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saura
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lázaro
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D006719:Homovanillic Acid; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors