Neural mechanisms supporting maladaptive food choices in anorexia nervosa

Nat Neurosci. 2015 Nov;18(11):1571-3. doi: 10.1038/nn.4136. Epub 2015 Oct 12.

Abstract

People routinely make poor choices, despite knowledge of negative consequences. The authors found that individuals with anorexia nervosa, who make maladaptive food choices to the point of starvation, engaged the dorsal striatum more than healthy controls when making choices about what to eat, and that activity in fronto-striatal circuits was correlated with their actual food consumption in a meal the next day.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Anorexia Nervosa / physiopathology*
  • Corpus Striatum / physiopathology*
  • Decision Making / physiology
  • Food Preferences*
  • Humans
  • Nerve Net / physiopathology*
  • Starvation / psychology*