TY - JOUR
T1 - Hippocampal volume, function and related molecular activity in anorexia nervosa
T2 - a scoping review
AU - Keeler, Johanna
AU - Patsalos, Olivia
AU - Thuret, Sandrine
AU - Ehrlich, Stefan
AU - Tchanturia, Kate
AU - Himmerich, Hubertus
AU - Treasure, Janet
PY - 2020/11/25
Y1 - 2020/11/25
N2 - Introduction: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious and persistent eating disorder, characterized by severe dietary restriction and weight loss, with a third of patients developing a severe-enduring form. The factors contributing to this progression are poorly understood, although there is evidence for impairments in neural structures such as the hippocampus, an area particularly affected by malnutrition and chronic stress. Areas covered: This study aimed to map the evidence for alterations in hippocampal volume, function, and related molecular activity in anorexia nervosa. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched for studies related to hippocampal function and integrity using a range of methodologies, such as neuropsychological paradigms, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, and analysis of blood components. Expert opinion: Thirty-nine studies were included in this review. The majority were neuroimaging studies, which found hippocampus-specific volumetric and functional impairments. Neuropsychological studies showed evidence for a specific memory and learning impairments. There was some evidence for molecular abnormalities (e.g. cortisol), although these were few studies. Taken together, our review suggests that the hippocampus might be a particular region of interest when considering neurobiological approaches to understanding AN. These findings warrant further investigation and may lead to novel treatment approaches.
AB - Introduction: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious and persistent eating disorder, characterized by severe dietary restriction and weight loss, with a third of patients developing a severe-enduring form. The factors contributing to this progression are poorly understood, although there is evidence for impairments in neural structures such as the hippocampus, an area particularly affected by malnutrition and chronic stress. Areas covered: This study aimed to map the evidence for alterations in hippocampal volume, function, and related molecular activity in anorexia nervosa. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched for studies related to hippocampal function and integrity using a range of methodologies, such as neuropsychological paradigms, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, and analysis of blood components. Expert opinion: Thirty-nine studies were included in this review. The majority were neuroimaging studies, which found hippocampus-specific volumetric and functional impairments. Neuropsychological studies showed evidence for a specific memory and learning impairments. There was some evidence for molecular abnormalities (e.g. cortisol), although these were few studies. Taken together, our review suggests that the hippocampus might be a particular region of interest when considering neurobiological approaches to understanding AN. These findings warrant further investigation and may lead to novel treatment approaches.
KW - Anorexia nervosa
KW - hippocampal function
KW - hippocampus
KW - scoping review
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096615050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17512433.2020.1850256
DO - 10.1080/17512433.2020.1850256
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33176113
SN - 1751-2433
SP - 1367
EP - 1387
JO - Expert review of clinical pharmacology
JF - Expert review of clinical pharmacology
ER -
