Eating Disorders and the Brain (ePub)

Why is the brain important in eating disorders? This
ground-breaking new book describes how increasingly sophisticated
neuroscientific approaches are revealing much about the role of the
brain in eating disorders. Even more importantly, it
discusses how underlying brain abnormalities and dysfunction may
contribute to the development and help in the treatment of these
serious disorders.

* Neuropsychological studies show impairments in specific
cognitive functions, especially executive and visuo-spatial
skills.

* Neuroimaging studies show structural and functional
abnormalities, including cortical atrophy and neural circuit
abnormalities, the latter appearing to be playing a major part in
the development of anorexia nervosa.

* Neurochemistry studies show dysregulation within
neurotransmitter systems, with effects upon the modulation of
feeding, mood, anxiety, neuroendocrine control, metabolic rate,
sympathetic tone and temperature.

The first chapter, by an eating disorders clinician, explains
the importance of a neuroscience perspective for clinicians. This
is followed by an overview of the common eating disorders, then
chapters on what we know of them from studies of neuroimaging,
neuropsychology and neurochemistry. The mysterious phenomenon of
body image disturbance is then described and explained from a
neuroscience perspective. The next two chapters focus on
neuroscience models of eating disorders, the first offering an
overview and the second a new and comprehensive explanatory model
of anorexia nervosa. The following two chapters offer a clinical
perspective, with attention on the implications of a neuroscience
perspective for patients and their families, the second providing
details of clinical applications of neuroscience understanding. The
final chapter looks to the future.

This book succinctly reviews current knowledge about all these
aspects of eating disorder neuroscience and explores the
implications for treatment. It will be of great interest to
all clinicians (psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, dieticians,
paediatricians, physicians, physiotherapists) working in eating
disorders, as well as to neuroscience researchers.