Biological Explanations for Anorexia Nervosa Psychology
Biological explanations for anorexia nervosa
Biological explanations for anorexia nervosa include neural explanations and evolutionary explanations.
1st BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION - Neurotransmitters
-Serotonin
Disturbances in the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin appear to be a characteristic of individuals with eating disorders. Kaye 2005 found a reduction in the levels of the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA in people with eating disorders. This suggests that brain serotonin pathways are underactive. Using PET scans it has been shown that there are fewer serotonin receptors in the brains of those with eating disorders. The brain serotonin system has been implicated in personality traits linked with eating disorders such as obsessionality, perfectionism, anxiety & depression. A reduction in receptors suggests a dysfunction of the serotonin system.
Serotonin is also part of the neurotransmitter system of the hypothalamus that controls feeding behaviour. This neurotransmitter system of the hypothalamus is implicated in the cause of eating disorders. There is research supporting the role of serotonin in anorexia which was undertaken by Bailer et al 2007. Serotonin activity was compared in women recovering from restricting type anorexia & binge eating/ purging type with healthy controls. They found significantly higher serotonin activity in the women recovering from the binge-eating/purging type. In addition they found the highest levels of serotonin activity in women who showed the most anxiety, suggesting that persistent disruption of serotonin levels may lead to increased anxiety, which may trigger anorexia.
Gender bias
It is however highly gender bias that alike this research most studies of eating disorders have concentrated on the study of women, but according to recent statistics, 25% of adults with eating disorders are men. Meaning that findings cannot be generalized to males and are therefore unable explain anorexia in males.
-Dopamine
Recent
Biological explanations for anorexia nervosa include neural explanations and evolutionary explanations.
1st BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION - Neurotransmitters
-Serotonin
Disturbances in the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin appear to be a characteristic of individuals with eating disorders. Kaye 2005 found a reduction in the levels of the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA in people with eating disorders. This suggests that brain serotonin pathways are underactive. Using PET scans it has been shown that there are fewer serotonin receptors in the brains of those with eating disorders. The brain serotonin system has been implicated in personality traits linked with eating disorders such as obsessionality, perfectionism, anxiety & depression. A reduction in receptors suggests a dysfunction of the serotonin system.
Serotonin is also part of the neurotransmitter system of the hypothalamus that controls feeding behaviour. This neurotransmitter system of the hypothalamus is implicated in the cause of eating disorders. There is research supporting the role of serotonin in anorexia which was undertaken by Bailer et al 2007. Serotonin activity was compared in women recovering from restricting type anorexia & binge eating/ purging type with healthy controls. They found significantly higher serotonin activity in the women recovering from the binge-eating/purging type. In addition they found the highest levels of serotonin activity in women who showed the most anxiety, suggesting that persistent disruption of serotonin levels may lead to increased anxiety, which may trigger anorexia.
Gender bias
It is however highly gender bias that alike this research most studies of eating disorders have concentrated on the study of women, but according to recent statistics, 25% of adults with eating disorders are men. Meaning that findings cannot be generalized to males and are therefore unable explain anorexia in males.
-Dopamine
Recent