Neurobiological signature of intimacy in anorexia nervosa

Simon Maier; Julia Spiegelberg; Linda van Zutphen; Almut Zeeck; Ludger Tebartz van Elst; Armin Hartmann; Lukas Holovics; Elke Reinert; Angelika Sandholz; Claas Lahmann; Katharina Domschke; Volkmar Glauche; Oliver Tuescher; Andreas A. B. Joos

doi:10.1002/erv.2663

Neurobiological signature of intimacy in anorexia nervosa

Simon Maier, Julia Spiegelberg, Linda van Zutphen, Almut Zeeck, Ludger Tebartz van Elst, Armin Hartmann, Lukas Holovics, Elke Reinert, Angelika Sandholz, Claas Lahmann, Katharina Domschke, Volkmar Glauche, Oliver Tuescher, Andreas A. B. Joos^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Background Intimacy and psychosexual development represent core problems of anorexia nervosa (AN). Experiential and neurobiological evidence however is scarce. Material and methods Thirty-one female AN patients were compared with 35 non-patients (NP) and 22 recovered participants (REC) by using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants viewed pictures of couples in intimate relationships and control stimuli. Results AN patients experienced intimate stimuli with lower valence and dominance. AN showed decreased activation of parietal cortices. NP decreased the prefrontal cortex response, which AN patients did not. REC participants did not differ from NP on a behavioural level, though with regard to the neural signature. Discussion Parietal cortices are related to processing of erotic themes, which seems to be deficient in AN. Dysfunction of prefrontal cortices likely mirrors dysfunctional control in AN. The neural signature does not seem to be state-related considering results of REC.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	315-322
Number of pages	8
Journal	European Eating Disorders Review
Volume	27
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2663
Publication status	Published - May 2019

Keywords

anorexia nervosa
functional magnetic resonance imaging
intimacy
ATTACHMENT REPRESENTATION
PICTURE STIMULI
ROMANTIC LOVE
WOMEN
ACTIVATION
ENVIRONMENT
SEXUALITY
FEMALES
AROUSAL
ABUSE

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10.1002/erv.2663

Cite this

@article{1d0ae284eae94bf89b5079669f014ddb,

title = "Neurobiological signature of intimacy in anorexia nervosa",

abstract = "Background Intimacy and psychosexual development represent core problems of anorexia nervosa (AN). Experiential and neurobiological evidence however is scarce. Material and methods Thirty-one female AN patients were compared with 35 non-patients (NP) and 22 recovered participants (REC) by using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants viewed pictures of couples in intimate relationships and control stimuli. Results AN patients experienced intimate stimuli with lower valence and dominance. AN showed decreased activation of parietal cortices. NP decreased the prefrontal cortex response, which AN patients did not. REC participants did not differ from NP on a behavioural level, though with regard to the neural signature. Discussion Parietal cortices are related to processing of erotic themes, which seems to be deficient in AN. Dysfunction of prefrontal cortices likely mirrors dysfunctional control in AN. The neural signature does not seem to be state-related considering results of REC.",

keywords = "anorexia nervosa, functional magnetic resonance imaging, intimacy, ATTACHMENT REPRESENTATION, PICTURE STIMULI, ROMANTIC LOVE, WOMEN, ACTIVATION, ENVIRONMENT, SEXUALITY, FEMALES, AROUSAL, ABUSE",

author = "Simon Maier and Julia Spiegelberg and {van Zutphen}, Linda and Almut Zeeck and {van Elst}, {Ludger Tebartz} and Armin Hartmann and Lukas Holovics and Elke Reinert and Angelika Sandholz and Claas Lahmann and Katharina Domschke and Volkmar Glauche and Oliver Tuescher and Joos, {Andreas A. B.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG Ref: JO 744/2‐1). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.",

year = "2019",

month = may,

doi = "10.1002/erv.2663",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

pages = "315--322",

journal = "European Eating Disorders Review",

issn = "1072-4133",

publisher = "Wiley",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Neurobiological signature of intimacy in anorexia nervosa

AU - Maier, Simon

AU - Spiegelberg, Julia

AU - van Zutphen, Linda

AU - Zeeck, Almut

AU - van Elst, Ludger Tebartz

AU - Hartmann, Armin

AU - Holovics, Lukas

AU - Reinert, Elke

AU - Sandholz, Angelika

AU - Lahmann, Claas

AU - Domschke, Katharina

AU - Glauche, Volkmar

AU - Tuescher, Oliver

AU - Joos, Andreas A. B.

PY - 2019/5

Y1 - 2019/5

N2 - Background Intimacy and psychosexual development represent core problems of anorexia nervosa (AN). Experiential and neurobiological evidence however is scarce. Material and methods Thirty-one female AN patients were compared with 35 non-patients (NP) and 22 recovered participants (REC) by using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants viewed pictures of couples in intimate relationships and control stimuli. Results AN patients experienced intimate stimuli with lower valence and dominance. AN showed decreased activation of parietal cortices. NP decreased the prefrontal cortex response, which AN patients did not. REC participants did not differ from NP on a behavioural level, though with regard to the neural signature. Discussion Parietal cortices are related to processing of erotic themes, which seems to be deficient in AN. Dysfunction of prefrontal cortices likely mirrors dysfunctional control in AN. The neural signature does not seem to be state-related considering results of REC.

AB - Background Intimacy and psychosexual development represent core problems of anorexia nervosa (AN). Experiential and neurobiological evidence however is scarce. Material and methods Thirty-one female AN patients were compared with 35 non-patients (NP) and 22 recovered participants (REC) by using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants viewed pictures of couples in intimate relationships and control stimuli. Results AN patients experienced intimate stimuli with lower valence and dominance. AN showed decreased activation of parietal cortices. NP decreased the prefrontal cortex response, which AN patients did not. REC participants did not differ from NP on a behavioural level, though with regard to the neural signature. Discussion Parietal cortices are related to processing of erotic themes, which seems to be deficient in AN. Dysfunction of prefrontal cortices likely mirrors dysfunctional control in AN. The neural signature does not seem to be state-related considering results of REC.

KW - anorexia nervosa

KW - functional magnetic resonance imaging

KW - intimacy

KW - ATTACHMENT REPRESENTATION

KW - PICTURE STIMULI

KW - ROMANTIC LOVE

KW - WOMEN

KW - ACTIVATION

KW - ENVIRONMENT

KW - SEXUALITY

KW - FEMALES

KW - AROUSAL

KW - ABUSE

U2 - 10.1002/erv.2663

DO - 10.1002/erv.2663

M3 - Article

C2 - 30666763

SN - 1072-4133

VL - 27

SP - 315

EP - 322

JO - European Eating Disorders Review

JF - European Eating Disorders Review

IS - 3

ER -