Brain Function of Eating Disorder

• Published in: The Japanese Journal of Eating Disorders Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 28 - 34
• Main Authors: Sato, Yasuhiro, Fukudo, Shin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Society for Eating Disorders 05.10.2023
• Subjects: cognitive control system; eating disorders; functional neuroimaging; reward system
• ISSN: 2436-0139
• DOI: 10.50983/jjed.3.1_28

Research attempts at elucidating the pathophysiology of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have been progressing through brain functional imaging studies. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex serves as the center for the cognitive control system, aggregating spatial information and hippocampal memory information to plan rational behavior. The orbitofrontal cortex forms the reward system, evaluating the value of recognized objects based on information from the amygdala’s emotional signals. Several reports have indicated hyperactivity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during various tasks in patients with anorexia nervosa, suggesting that excessive cognitive control may give rise to rigid behaviors. In the case of the orbitofrontal cortex, increased activation concerning food has been observed. Additionally, functional abnormalities in the insular cortex, which connects interoceptive sensations, emotions, the cognitive control system, and the reward system, as well as abnormalities in the medial prefrontal cortex associated with introspection, have also been identified. However, previous research suffered from limited sample sizes, which posed constraints on reliability and reproducibility. Therefore, collaborative multi-center research efforts for unraveling the neural basis of eating disorders are currently underway in Japan.