SEROTONIN, MOOD AND COGNITION IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 在这项研究中，我们希望更多地了解血清素，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）是一种精神疾病，与对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，在患上厌食症之前，与健康女性相比，厌食症女性的血清素水平可能更高。 据认为，长期升高的血清素可能导致AN患者的焦虑水平升高。高水平的5-羟色胺也可能与身体感知扭曲有关，这种扭曲是疾病的特征，也是食物摄入行为异常的特征。例如，限制食物摄入会导致血清素前体（必需氨基酸色氨酸）的血浆水平降低。一项研究表明，通过饮食控制降低色氨酸水平可以减轻肥胖妇女的焦虑，但对对照妇女没有类似的效果（Kaye，2003）。 我们计划使用比Kaye et al.（2003）报道的更全面的设计来评估AN患者与健康对照组血清素系统的反应性。我们希望这项研究将有助于我们更全面地了解神经生物学系统如何受到厌食症的影响;我们也希望更多地了解血清素升高的后果。

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.