title: Memory impairment is associated with the loss of regular oestrous cycle and plasma oestradiol levels in an activity-based anorexia animal model.
abstract: Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) suffer from neuropsychological deficits including memory impairments. Memory partially depends on 17β-oestradiol (E2), which is reduced in patients with AN. We assessed whether memory functions correlate with E2 plasma levels in the activity-based anorexia (ABA) rat model.
  
  
  
  Nine 4-week-old female Wistar rats were sacrificed directly after weight loss of 20-25% (acute starvation), whereas 17 animals had additional 2-week weight-holding (chronic starvation). E2 serum levels and novel object recognition tasks were tested before and after starvation and compared with 21 normally fed controls.
  
  
  
  Starvation disrupted menstrual cycle and impaired memory function, which became statistically significant in the chronic state (oestrous cycle (P < 0.001), E2 levels (P = 0.011) and object recognition memory (P = 0.042) compared to controls). E2 reduction also correlated with the loss of memory in the chronic condition (r = 0.633, P = 0.020).
  
  
  
  Our results demonstrate that starvation reduces the E2 levels which are associated with memory deficits in ABA rats. These effects might explain reduced memory capacity in patients with AN as a consequence of E2 deficiency and the potentially limited effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the starved state. Future studies should examine whether E2 substitution could prevent cognitive deficits and aid in earlier readiness for therapy.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;|b Institute of Neuroanatomy , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paulukat
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Neuroanatomy , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frintrop
authors.affiliation: a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;|b Institute of Neuroanatomy , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liesbrock
authors.affiliation: c Department of Medical Statistics , University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heussen
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Neuroanatomy , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johann
authors.affiliation: d Department of Animal Physiology , Philipps-University Marburg , Marburg , Germany ;
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Exner
authors.affiliation: e Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus , University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht , the Netherlands ;
authors.forename: Martien J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kas
authors.affiliation: f Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Experimental Surgery , University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tolba
authors.affiliation: g Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine , University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neulen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.affiliation: a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herpertz-Dahlmann
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Neuroanatomy , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Cordian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany ;
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001835:Body Weight; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: Adolescent; anorexia nervosa; behaviour; eating disorders; neuropsychiatry