Systematic reduction of gray matter volume in anorexia nervosa, but relative enlargement with clinical symptoms in the prefrontal and posterior insular cortices: a multicenter neuroimaging study

Summary

　A multicenter study of National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tohoku University, Chiba University, Kyoto University, Kyushu University and University of Occupational and Environmental Health has advanced to identify brain morphological abnormalities in anorexia nervosa (AN) and the association with severity of AN by brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to conduct exploratory analysis of the whole brain with a large sample size. 
　GMV reduction were observed in the AN brain, including the bilateral cerebellum, middle and posterior cingulate gyrus, supplementary motor cortex, precentral gyrus medial segment, and thalamus. In addition, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and posterior insula volumes showed positive correlations with severity of symptoms. 
　The findings provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis of AN and have potential for the development of brain imaging biomarkers of AN.

【Information on the outcome】
https://www.ncnp.go.jp/topics/2024/20240122p.html  (国立精神・神経医療研究センター）
https://www.amed.go.jp/news/seika/2024_seika_index.html  (AMED）
 

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