title: Impact of speed and magnitude of weight loss on the development of brain trophic changes in adolescents with anorexia nervosa: a case control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anorexia nervosa commonly arises during adolescence and is associated with more than one medical morbidity. Abnormalities in brain structure (defined as "pseudoatrophy") are common in adolescents with anorexia nervosa; however, their correlations with endocrinological profiles and clinical parameters are still unclear. In particular, no study has described the impact of BMI (body mass index) variations (speed and magnitude of weight loss) on cerebral trophism changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven adolescents with anorexia nervosa and 8 healthy controls underwent cerebral MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) examination to obtain global and partial volumes (gray matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid) and clinical evaluation. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare partial volumes and clinical variables between cases and controls. The Spearman non-parametric test was performed in order to explore correlations between the variables studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients diagnosed with AN showed significantly increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes and decreased total gray (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes. The degree of weight loss (deltaBMI) correlated inversely with the GM volume; the increase of CSF compartment correlated directly with the rapidity of weight loss (DeltaBMI/disease duration).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests a correlation between cerebral alterations in AN and the speed and magnitude of weight loss, and outlines its importance for the therapeutic treatment.
authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy. monica.bomba@gmail.com
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Bomba
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Riva
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Veggo
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Grimaldi
authors: Sabrina
authors: S
authors: Morzenti
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Neri
authors: Renata
authors: R
authors: Nacinovich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss