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Posts

May 17, 2013

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7:30 PM | LabBook May 17, 2013
Angelina Jolie, big data, hypertension and more in this week's LabBook.
ScienceLife
Biology | Medicine

May 14, 2013

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4:43 PM | Rethinking treatment goals improves results for those with persistent anorexia
A clinical trial for patients with anorexia nervosa shows that patients are three times more likely to stick with treatment when they are involved in setting its goals.

Touyz S, Le Grange D, Lacey H, Hay P, Smith R, Maguire S, Bamford B, Pike KM & Crosby RD (2013). Treating severe and enduring anorexia nervosa: a randomized controlled trial., Psychological medicine, 1-11. PMID:

ScienceLife
Biology | Medicine
Citation

May 09, 2013

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6:24 PM | Dancing Your Way to Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa
The idea of including dance and movement in interventions for eating disorders may seem somewhat controversial; generally, exercise and physical activity are discouraged for individuals recovering from eating disorders. Including dance in therapeutic interventions might raise a few eyebrows given the links between appearance-oriented athletic endeavors such as ballet and gymnastics and the development of eating disorders. However, some therapists and scholars interested in alternative therapies […]
Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry

April 29, 2013

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3:57 AM | Factors Associated with Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa
Why do some people recover anorexia nervosa relatively quickly while others seem to struggle for years or decades? Does it depend on the person’s desire to get better? Their willpower? How much they are willing to fight? Is it just that some try harder than others? Some might say yes, but most will correctly realize that the picture is much, much more complex. We can spend hours talking about barriers to treatment, but in this post I want to talk about something slightly different, […]
Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry

April 26, 2013

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3:18 PM | Patient Perspectives on Anorexia, Treatment, and Therapeutic Alliance
Dear Science of Eating Disorders readers, please welcome Andrea, our newest contributor! Below is her introduction and first post. Hello SEDs readers, my name is Andrea and I’m excited to be contributing to the blog. I have an undergraduate degree in sociology and I am currently a Masters student studying family relations and human development. My research is looking at the experiences of young women in recovery from eating disorders, and uses qualitative methods including narrative […]
Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry

April 22, 2013

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7:51 PM | Family-Based Treatment for Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: Hype or Hope?
When it comes to eating disorder treatment, few (if any) approaches are as divisive as Family-Based Treatment, also known as the Maudsley Method (I’ll use the terms interchangeably) . When I first heard about Maudsley, sometime during my mid-teens, I thought it was scaaary. But, as I’ve learned more about it, I began to realize it is not as scary as I originally thought. As a side-note: I know many people reading this post will know more about Maudsley than I ever […]
Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry

March 25, 2013

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4:08 AM | Are There Any Meaningful Differences Between Subthreshold and Full Syndrome Anorexia Nervosa?
I see this on an daily basis: patients with subtreshold eating disorders feeling invalidated and “not sick enough.” They are struggling so much, but maybe they still have their periods, or maybe their weight isn’t quite low enough, and so they often (but not always, thankfully) get dismissed by doctors, other healthcare professionals, and insurance companies. Do you think you really need this treatment, maybe you can just focus on eating healthier? You know you are not fat, […]
Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry

March 13, 2013

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4:04 AM | Avoiding Refeeding Syndrome in Anorexia Nervosa
Refeeding syndrome (RS) is a rare but potentially fatal condition that can occur during refeeding of severely malnourished individuals (such as anorexia nervosa patients). After prolonged starvation, the body begins to use  fat and protein to produce energy because there are not enough carbohydrates. Upon refeeding, there’s a surge of insulin (because of the ingested carbohydrates) and a sudden shift from fat to carbohydrate metabolism. This sudden shift can lead to a whole set of […]
Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry

March 08, 2013

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4:49 PM | Deep Brain Stimulation for Severe Anorexia Nervosa
This week, a team of researchers from the University of Toronto published a paper in The Lancet describing the results of a small study using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treatment severe/chronic anorexia nervosa. Major news outlets, including the BBC, reported on the findings. A few people emailed and messaged me asking me to do a post about it (which is cool! I love it!). So here it is. DBS is a surgical procedure that involves implanting an electrode that delivers […]

Lipsman, N., Woodside, D., Giacobbe, P., Hamani, C., Carter, J., Norwood, S., Sutandar, K., Staab, R., Elias, G., Lyman, C. & Smith, G. (2013). Subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa: a phase 1 pilot trial, The Lancet, DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation
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4:49 PM | Deep Brain Stimulation for Severe Anorexia Nervosa
This week, a team of researchers from the University of Toronto published a paper in The Lancet describing the results of a small study using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treatment severe/chronic anorexia nervosa. Major news outlets, including the BBC, reported on the findings. A few people emailed and messaged me asking me to do a post about it (which is cool! I love it!). So here it is. DBS is a surgical procedure that involves implanting an electrode that delivers […]

Lipsman, N., Woodside, D., Giacobbe, P., Hamani, C., Carter, J., Norwood, S., Sutandar, K., Staab, R., Elias, G., Lyman, C. & Smith, G. (2013). Subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa: a phase 1 pilot trial, The Lancet, DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

March 06, 2013

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6:20 PM | Your Body’s Response to Chewing & Spitting: The Role of Ghrelin and Obestatin
Shelly’s follow-up post on chewing and spitting, an often overlooked symptom in eating disorders. In her first post, Shelly discussed the prevalence of chewing and spitting among eating disorder patients. In this post, Shelly discusses some of the physiological effects of chewing and spitting. Enjoy! – Tetyana Your body responds to food long before it reaches your stomach. The taste, smell, even the mere sight of food all act to trigger a physiological response, “priming” the […]

Monteleone, P., Serritella, C., Martiadis, V. & Maj, M. (2008). Deranged Secretion of Ghrelin and Obestatin in the Cephalic Phase of Vagal Stimulation in Women with Anorexia Nervosa, Biological Psychiatry, 64 (11) 1005-1008. DOI:

Méquinion, M., Langlet, F., Zgheib, S., Dickson, S., Dehouck, B., Chauveau, C. & Viltart, O. (2013). Ghrelin: Central and Peripheral Implications in Anorexia Nervosa, Frontiers in Endocrinology, 4 DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation
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5:20 PM | Your Body’s Response to Chewing & Spitting: The Role of Ghrelin and Obestatin
Shelly’s follow-up post on chewing and spitting, an often overlooked symptom in eating disorders. In her first post, Shelly discussed the prevalence of chewing and spitting among eating disorder patients. In this post, Shelly discusses some of the physiological effects of chewing and spitting. Enjoy! – Tetyana Your body responds to food long before it reaches your stomach. The taste, smell, even the mere sight of food all act to trigger a physiological response, “priming” the […]
Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry

March 04, 2013

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4:24 AM | Is Living in an Urban City a Risk Factor for Bulimia Nervosa?
The link between urban living and mental disorders such as schizophrenia and depression has been known for quite some time (Sundquist et al., 2004). In one study, Sundquist et al found that individuals living in a densely populated area had a 68-77% higher risk of developing psychosis and 12-22% higher risk of developing depression. The question then arises, do eating disorders follow a similar pattern? And if yes, what are some possible explanations? Certainly we know that both genetic and […]

VAN SON, G., VAN HOEKEN, D., BARTELDS, A., VAN FURTH, E. & HOEK, H. (2006). Urbanisation and the incidence of eating disorders, The British Journal of Psychiatry, 189 (6) 562-563. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation
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4:24 AM | Living in a Large City: A Risk Factor for Bulimia Nervosa?
The link between urban living and mental disorders such as schizophrenia and depression has been known for quite some time (Sundquist et al., 2004). In one study, Sundquist et al found that individuals living in a densely populated area had a 68-77% higher risk of developing psychosis and 12-22% higher risk of developing depression. The question then arises, do eating disorders follow a similar pattern? And if yes, what are some possible explanations? Certainly we know that both genetic and […]

VAN SON, G., VAN HOEKEN, D., BARTELDS, A., VAN FURTH, E. & HOEK, H. (2006). Urbanisation and the incidence of eating disorders, The British Journal of Psychiatry, 189 (6) 562-563. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

February 28, 2013

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9:26 PM | Framing Eating Disorders As “Brain Diseases” Might Lead to More Stigma
Many–myself included–assume that emphasizing the biological basis of mental disorders will reduce mental health stigma. The idea is that it will place less blame and personal responsibility on the affected individual. Still, when it comes to raising awareness and reducing stigma, we need to make sure that our assumptions hold up to the evidence, otherwise we run the risk of playing a game of broken telephone. Given that this is Eating Disorder Awareness Week in the United States, […]

Angermeyer, M., Mnich, E., Daubmann, A., Herich, L., Wegscheider, K., Kofahl, C. & Knesebeck, O. (2013). Biogenetic explanations and public acceptance of people with eating disorders, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

February 23, 2013

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2:28 AM | Chewing and Spitting: A Neglected Symptom in Eating Disorders?
Dear Science of Eating Disorders readers, please welcome Shelly, our newest contributor! Shelly is a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. You can find out more about Shelly on the ‘About Shelly‘ page. Check out her neuro(science) blog, Neurorexia and follow her on Twitter. Email shelly@scienceofeds.org to get in touch.  Just a note, do keep in mind that I (Tetyana) try to give as much freedom as possible to guest writers and contributors to write […]

Guarda, A., Coughlin, J., Cummings, M., Marinilli, A., Haug, N., Boucher, M. & Heinberg, L. (2004). Chewing and spitting in eating disorders and its relationship to binge eating, Eating Behaviors, 5 (3) 231-239. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

February 21, 2013

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2:16 AM | Lifetime Prevalence of Eating Disorders Among Eating Disorder Professionals
How many professionals that treat eating disorders have a personal history of struggling with an eating disorder? It is a crucial question to ask (and answer) because there are important implications for patient treatment and for the health of the afflicted professionals. It is true that many (or most?) individuals who go into mental health do so because of personal experiences–whether due to their own personal history or the experiences of a loved one–so it is useful to ask, just […]

BARBARICH, N. (2002). Lifetime Prevalence of Eating Disorders Among Professionals in the Field, Eating Disorders, 10 (4) 305-312. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

February 05, 2013

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4:56 AM | Is Anorexia Nervosa An Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorders (ADs) are common among patients with eating disorders. In one study of female inpatients, around 50-65% had a comorbid anxiety disorder (see my post here). Anxiety disorders in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) typically begin before the eating disorder and often persist after weight restoration and recovery (Bulik et al., 1997; Casper, 1990). Moreover, previous twin studies have suggested that there’s a “correlation between eating disorders and certain anxiety […]

Strober, M., Freeman, R., Lampert, C. & Diamond, J. (2007). The association of anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive personality disorder with anorexia nervosa: Evidence from a family study with discussion of nosological and neurodevelopmental implications, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40 (S3) DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation
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4:56 AM | Is Anorexia Nervosa An Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorders (ADs) are common among patients with eating disorders. In one study of female inpatients, around 50-65% had a comorbid anxiety disorder (see my post here). Anxiety disorders in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) typically begin before the eating disorder and often persist after weight restoration and recovery (Bulik et al., 1997; Casper, 1990). Moreover, previous twin studies have suggested that there’s a “correlation between eating disorders and certain anxiety […]

Strober, M., Freeman, R., Lampert, C. & Diamond, J. (2007). The association of anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive personality disorder with anorexia nervosa: Evidence from a family study with discussion of nosological and neurodevelopmental implications, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40 (S3) DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

January 30, 2013

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6:45 AM | What Really Goes On Inside Pro-Ana Communities? (Maybe They Are Not So Bad After All)
Ambivalence is a great word to describe how many eating disorder patients feel about recovery. Many people that follow my Science of Eating Disorders tumblr run thinspo blogs. But, they follow me, and many probably follow fyoured, which offers pro-recovery advice. Many people might want to recover someday, but they feel they can’t let go of the behaviours now. They are not denying their illness, or that recovery will happen, or that it really IS a disorder, but, right now, […]
Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry

January 27, 2013

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4:35 AM | Excessive Exercise in Eating Disorders
Excessive exercise (EE) is common among eating disorder patients. Indeed, in the study I’ll write about today, 39% of patients engaged in EE. Previous studies have tried to find psychopathological and personality correlates of EE but the results have been inconsistent. Some studies have suggested that impulsivity and addictiveness are highly correlated with EE whereas others found that anxious and depressive traits were more closely associated. In this multi-site study, […]

Shroff, H., Reba, L., Thornton, L., Tozzi, F., Klump, K., Berrettini, W., Brandt, H., Crawford, S., Crow, S., Fichter, M. & Goldman, D. (2006). Features associated with excessive exercise in women with eating disorders, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 39 (6) 454-461. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

January 26, 2013

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4:58 AM | Characteristics of Women with Midlife-Onset Eating Disorders
Since the late 1990′s, Remuda Ranch Program for Eating Disorders has experienced a 400% increase in patients 40 years of age and older, according to the authors of this paper. However, we don’t really know what the similarities and differences are between women who develop eating disorders in adolescence and those who develop their eating disorders in midlife (40-65 years of age). In this paper, Edward Cumella and Zina Kally present a summary of 50 women who first developed eating […]

Cumella, E. & Kally, Z. (2008). Profile of 50 Women with Midlife-Onset Eating Disorders, Eating Disorders, 16 (3) 193-203. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

January 15, 2013

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4:47 AM | Dopamine and Anorexia Nervosa: Tackling the Myths – Part IV (Treatment with Antipsychotics)
This is part IV in my mini-series on the role of dopamine in anorexia nervosa. In part I, I did a a little introduction on dopamine and dopamine signalling in the brain. In part II, I discussed preclinical studies using animal models to study the role of dopamine in AN. Finally, in part III, I talked about clinical studies using patients with AN to assess dopamine function. In this final post, I’ll review the evidence for using drugs that modulate the dopamine system in order to treat […]

Kontis, D. & Theochari, E. (2012). Dopamine in anorexia nervosa, Behavioural Pharmacology, 23 (5 and 6) 496-515. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

January 11, 2013

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4:58 AM | Dopamine and Anorexia Nervosa: Tackling the Myths – Part III (Clinical Studies)
This is part III of my series on the role of dopamine in anorexia nervosa. In my first post I did a little introduction on dopamine and dopaminergic signalling. In the second post I talked about preclinical studies that used animal models of anorexia nervosa. In this post I’ll briefly go over some of the research that has used patients with anorexia nervosa to understand the role of dopamine in this disorder. I’ve got to be honest here: I wish things were simpler. I wish the […]

Kontis, D. & Theochari, E. (2012). Dopamine in anorexia nervosa, Behavioural Pharmacology, 23 (5 and 6) 496-515. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

January 08, 2013

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3:34 AM | Dopamine and Anorexia Nervosa: Tackling the Myths – Part II (Contradictory Findings in Preclinical Studies)
This is part II in my series of posts on the role of dopamine in anorexia nervosa. (You can find the first part, which covers the basics of dopamine signalling, here.) In this post I’m going to discuss the findings from preclinical studies (studies in animal models). I don’t think I’ve talked about animal models of anorexia nervosa before on the blog, but believe or not, they exist. The most well-known one is called activity-based anorexia (ABA). ABA works like this: […]

Kontis, D. & Theochari, E. (2012). Dopamine in anorexia nervosa, Behavioural Pharmacology, 23 (5 and 6) 496-515. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

January 06, 2013

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12:59 AM | Dopamine and Anorexia Nervosa: Tackling the Myths – Part 1 (Intro)
There is this prevalent myth on tumblr eating disorder blogs that increased dopamine (DA) receptor activity or increased DA signalling causes anorexia nervosa. It has left me quite perplexed, as I have never come across a single paper that has shown increased DA activity causes anorexia nervosa. My research for this post also left me empty-handed. I have no idea where this myth comes from, but I thought I’d blog about what research on DA activity in anorexia has shown. This topic […]

Kontis, D. & Theochari, E. (2012). Dopamine in anorexia nervosa, Behavioural Pharmacology, 23 (5 and 6) 496-515. DOI:

Beaulieu, J. & Gainetdinov, R. (2011). The Physiology, Signaling, and Pharmacology of Dopamine Receptors, Pharmacological Reviews, 63 (1) 182-217. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

January 03, 2013

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3:44 AM | Self-Harm is Common Among Adolescents With Eating Disorders
Self-harm or non-suicidal self-injury (SI) are common among adolescents, particularly among adolescents with eating disorders. Previous studies have shown that SI seems to be associated with sexual trauma, mood disorders, and substance abuse. The present study aimed to find out whether (1) SI is associated with any specific eating disorder symptoms, such as bingeing, or purging, and (2) how often clinicians screen for SI behaviours (and whether particular patients are more likely to be screened […]

Peebles, R., Wilson, J. & Lock, J. (2011). Self-Injury in Adolescents With Eating Disorders: Correlates and Provider Bias, Journal of Adolescent Health, 48 (3) 310-313. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

December 31, 2012

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2:14 AM | Extreme Medical Negligence: Failure to Feed Patients with Anorexia Nervosa
They are crazy stories, really. It is hard to believe they are true. A 28-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa complained about weakness and nausea following the insertion of a feeding tube. Her gastroenterologist sent her to the emergency room (ER). The woman was in the emergency room for two days without receiving any food. She was discharged home after she was told her lab tests and X-rays came back normal.  Unfortunately, her X-rays weren’t normal. Her gastroenterologist […]

Powers, P. & Cloak, N. (2013). Failure to Feed Patients With Anorexia Nervosa and Other Perils and Perplexities in the Medical Care of Eating Disorder Patients, Eating Disorders, 21 (1) 81-89. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

December 20, 2012

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4:52 AM | Yoga in the Treatment of Eating Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Exercise can be great for your body and for your mental health. It is well accepted that exercise can decrease anxiety, increase concentration, and generally improve mood. But too much exercise can be harmful, especially during recovery from a restrictive eating disorder. So is there a way to reap the benefits of exercise without the risks? And if yes, can this exercise actually help in the recovery process? One form of exercise that has gained a lot of popularity is yoga. Initial studies on […]

Carei, T., Fyfe-Johnson, A., Breuner, C. & Brown, M. (2010). Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Yoga in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, Journal of Adolescent Health, 46 (4) 346-351. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation

December 16, 2012

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8:03 AM | Anorexia Nervosa: Can We Blame The SoB? (It’s Not What You Think.)
I bet you are thinking parents. Or media. Or thin models. Nope. The SoB I am talking about is the season of birth bias (when the SoB pattern in a specific group differs from that of the general population.) That SoB.  You might have heard that individuals born between the months of June – August (or sometimes March – August) have a higher chance of developing anorexia nervosa. But is it true? A lot of studies have been done to investigate the question of whether a season of […]

Waller G, Meyer C & van Hanswijck de Jonge L (2001). Early environmental influences on restrictive eating pathology among nonclinical females: the role of temperature at birth., The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30 (2) 204-8. PMID:

van Hanswijck de Jonge, L., Meyer, C., Smith, K. & Waller, G. (2001). Environmental temperature during pregnancy and eating attitudes during teenage years: A replication and extension study, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30 (4) 413-420. DOI:

Watkins, B., Willoughby, K., Waller, G., Serpell, L. & Lask, B. (2002). Pattern of birth in anorexia nervosa I: early-onset cases in the United Kingdom, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 32 (1) 11-17. DOI:

Willoughby, K., Watkins, B., Beumont, P., Maguire, S., Lask, B. & Waller, G. (2002). Pattern of birth in anorexia nervosa II: a comparison of early-onset cases in the southern and northern hemispheres, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 32 (1) 18-23. DOI:

Peñas-Lledó E & Waller G (2002). Pattern of birth and eating attitudes in young adults: failure to replicate in a warmer climate., The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 32 (3) 367-71. PMID:

Munn, M. & Klump, K. (2003). Season of birth and disordered eating in female college students, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 34 (3) 343-348. DOI:

Peñas-Lledó EM, Rodriguez Santos L, Vaz Leal FJ & Waller G (2003). Pattern of birth in restrictive and bulimic eating disorders., Eating behaviors, 3 (4) 325-8. PMID:

Winje, E., Willoughby, K. & Lask, B. (2008). Season of birth bias in eating disorders-Fact or fiction?, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 41 (6) 479-490. DOI:

Javaras, K., Austin, S. & Field, A. (2011). Season of birth and disordered eating in a population-based sample of young U.S. females, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 44 (7) 630-638. DOI:

Winje E, Torgalsbøen AK, Brunborg C & Lask B (2012). Season of birth bias and anorexia nervosa: Results from an international collaboration., The International Journal of Eating Disorders, PMID:

Brewerton, T., Dansky, B., O'Neil, P. & Kilpatrick, D. (2012). Seasonal patterns of birth for subjects with bulimia nervosa, binge eating, and purging: Results from the National Women's Study, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 45 (1) 131-134. DOI:

Science of Eating Disorders
Neuroscience | Psychiatry
Citation
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