SEROTONIN, MOOD AND COGNITION IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA

这个子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和调查员(PI)可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可能会出现在其他CRISE条目中。列出的机构是针对中心的，而不一定是针对调查员的机构。在这项研究中，我们希望了解更多关于5-羟色胺，一种大脑化学物质，如何参与神经性厌食症的情绪和认知。神经性厌食症(AN)是一种精神障碍，与变胖的强烈恐惧和拒绝保持健康的最低体重有关。有证据表明，在出现这种疾病之前，患有厌食症的女性可能比健康女性有更高的血清素水平。据认为，慢性升高的5-羟色胺可能导致患者焦虑程度升高。高水平的5-羟色胺也可能与身体感知扭曲有关，这种扭曲是这种疾病的特征，也是食物摄入行为的异常。例如，限制食物摄入量会导致血浆中5-羟色胺前体的水平降低，5-羟色胺是一种基本的氨基酸色氨酸。据报道，一项研究表明，通过饮食控制降低色氨酸水平可以减少厌食症女性的焦虑，但在对照组女性中没有类似的效果(Kaye，2003)。我们计划使用比Kaye等人报道的更全面的设计来评估患者和健康对照组中5-羟色胺系统的反应性。(2003)。我们希望这项研究将帮助我们更全面地了解厌食症如何影响神经生物学系统；我们也希望了解更多关于5-羟色胺升高的后果。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. In this study, we hope to learn more about how serotonin, a brain chemical, is involved in mood and cognition in anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder associated with an intense fear of becoming fat and refusal to maintain a healthy minimum weight. There is evidence to suggest that before developing the disorder, women with anorexia may have higher levels of serotonin compared to healthy women. It is thought that chronically elevated serotonin may contribute to a heightened level of anxiety in AN sufferers. High levels of serotonin might also be related to the body perception distortions that characterize the disorder as well as abnormalities in food intake behaviors. For example, restricting food intake results in lower plasma levels of the precursor to serotonin, the essential amino acid tryptophan. One study has been reported to suggest that lowering tryptophan levels through a dietary manipulation reduces anxiety in anorexic women without a similar effect in control women (Kaye, 2003). We plan to assess the reactivity of the serotonin system in AN sufferers versus healthy controls using a more comprehensive design than that reported by Kaye et al. (2003). We hope that this study will help us to understand how neurobiological systems are impacted by anorexia more fully; we also hope to learn more about consequences of elevated serotonin.