In Anorexia, the Brain Processes Body Signals Abnormally, Study Shows

A new study showed that interoception, the brain’s processing of body signals, differed in women with anorexia nervosa compared to healthy trails.

The study combined a test that measured the body’s response to an adrenaline-like medicine called isoproterenol, which briefly changes heartbeat and breathing sensations, and a type of brain scan called resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). The aim was to see if there were differences in the way the brain processes heartbeat and breathing signals.

23 women with anorexia nervosa (AN) who had gained back some weight and 23 healthy women of the same age and weight took part in the study. Each was given a brain scan before and after the isoproterenol infusion.

The researchers looked at how different parts of the brain were connected while the women were at rest.

The results showed that compared to the healthy women, the women with AN had fewer connections between parts of the brain that may be involved in the body’s response to things like anxiety and body image. The researchers also found that the weaker the connections between these parts of the brain, the more anxiety, depression and negative body image the women had.

Read the full results of the study here.