title: Anorexia Nervosa during Adolescence Is Associated with Decreased Gray Matter Volume in the Inferior Frontal Gyrus.
abstract: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterized by the relentless pursuit to lose weight, mostly through self-starvation, and a distorted body image. AN tends to begin during adolescence among women. However, the underlying neural mechanisms related to AN remain unclear. Using voxel-based morphometry based on magnetic resonance imaging scans, we investigated whether the presence of AN was associated with discernible changes in brain morphology. Participants were 20 un-medicated, right-handed patients with early-onset AN and 14 healthy control subjects. Group differences in gray matter volume (GMV) were assessed using high-resolution, T1-weighted, volumetric magnetic resonance imaging datasets (3T Trio scanner; Siemens AG) and analyzed after controlling for age and total GMV, which was decreased in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (left IFG: FWE corrected, p < 0.05; right IFG: uncorrected, p < 0.05) of patients with AN. The GMV in the bilateral IFG correlated significantly with current age (left IFG: r = -.481, p < .05; right IFG: r = -.601, p < .01) and was limited to the AN group. We speculate that decreased IFG volume might lead to deficits in executive functioning or inhibitory control within neural reward systems. Precocious or unbalanced neurological trimming within this particular region might be an important factor for the pathogenesis of AN onset.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan; Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi X
authors.initials: TX
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan; Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
authors.forename: Chiho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yatsuga
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan; Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomoda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D011859:Radiography