Cognitive Neuroscience of Anorexia Nervosa

描述（由申请人提供）：神经性厌食症（AN）是一种严重的精神疾病，其特征是对变胖的持续而非理性的担忧，以及对体型和体重的极度扭曲。AN患者的饮食相关思想和行为是重复的、刻板的，即使在体重正常化后也难以改变。这些思维和行为模式的持续可能与这种疾病的高复发率有关。这项以患者为导向的指导研究职业发展奖（MPORCDA）的目的是开发和执行一个研究ann神经认知过程的项目，重点是内隐学习。广泛的目的是探索AN个体是否有内隐学习障碍，这可能构成AN发展及其持续的脆弱性。该奖项支持的研究将检验以下具体假设：1)AN患者内隐学习有缺陷，当突发事件发生变化时，在转移反应方面尤其受损；2)即使在短期体重恢复后，这些干扰仍然存在，尽管程度较轻；3)内隐学习任务表现与临床课程相关；3)内隐学习异常与神经回路异常相关，与强迫症相似；4)体重恢复患者认知缺陷的改善与临床病程的改善相关。更全面地了解AN的紊乱思维和行为特征的显著持久性的基础，应该为开发更有效的治疗方法提供基础。在B. Timothy Walsh博士（神经性厌食症的临床研究培训和专业知识）、Yaakov Stern博士（认知神经科学培训）和Bradley Peterson博士（功能神经影像学培训）的强大指导下，MPORCDA将为首席研究员提供技能和进一步的研究经验，将转化认知神经科学的进展应用于AN的研究。该奖项的长期目标是使候选人成为一名专家和独立的研究人员，专注于饮食失调的发展和持续机制，特别适用于神经性厌食症。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric illness characterized by a relentless but irrational concern about becoming fat, and extreme distortions in the perception of body shape and weight. The eating-related thoughts and behaviors of individuals with AN are repetitive, stereotyped, and extremely resistent to change, even after weight normalization. The persistence of these patterns of thought and behavior are likely related to the high relapse rate seen in this illness. The purpose of this Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (MPORCDA) is to develop and execute a program of research investigating neurocognitive processes in AN, focusing on implicit learning. The broad aim is to explore whether individuals with AN have a disturbance in implicit learning that may constitute a vulnerability to the development of AN and its persistence. The research supported by this award will examine the specific hypothesis that 1) patients with AN have a deficit in implicit learning and are particularly impaired at shifting responses when contingencies change; 2) these disturbances persist, albeit to a lesser degree, even after short-term weight recovery; 3) performance on implicit learning tasks correlates with clinical course; 3) abnormalities in implicit learning are correlated with neural circuitry abnormalities, similar to those seen in OCD; 4) improvement in cognitive deficits in weight restored patients is associated with improved clinical course. A fuller understanding of the basis of the remarkable persistence of the disordered thought and behavior characteristics of AN should provide a foundation for the development of more effective treatments. Under the strong mentorship of Dr. B. Timothy Walsh (for clinical research training and expertise in Anorexia Nervosa), Dr. Yaakov Stern (for training in cognitive neuroscience), and Dr. Bradley Peterson (for training in functional neuroimaging) this MPORCDA will provide the principal investigator with the skills and further research experience to apply advances in translational cognitive neuroscience to the study of AN. The long- term goal of this award is for the candidate to become an expert and independent researcher focusing on mechanisms underlying the development and persistence of eating disorders, with special application to anorexia nervosa.