Unit:
Specialty Strategies in Development of Adolescents' HealthLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Katerina Kourtesi
Supervisors info:
Αρτεμισία Τσίτσικα, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Θεοδώρα Ψαλτοπούλου, Καθηγήτρια,Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Φραγκίσκος Γονιδάκης, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Μεταβολές στη δομή και τη λειτουργία του εγκεφάλου εφήβων και νεαρών ενηλίκων με ψυχογενή ανορεξία, όπως αυτές αναδεικνύονται απεικονιστικά: συστηματική ανασκόπηση Η αναστρεψιμότητα των μεταβολών μετά τη θεραπεία: συστηματική ανασκόπηση
Translated title:
Structural and functional changes in patients' brains in adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa: a systematic review Reversibility of changes after treatment: a systematic review
Summary:
Importance
Anorexia nervosa is recognized as an important cause of morbidity a psychiatric disease with a severe impact on the body and brain of young patients. However, changes in patients' brains remain uncertain.
Objective
To evaluate how treatment and weight recovery affect the brain structures of young patients with anorexia nervosa.
Data Sources
PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane from database inception to January 2020.
Study Selection
Prospective studies examining the neuroimaging changes in adolescents and young adults up to 24 years of age with anorexia nervosa before and after weight gain or weight normalisation.
Data Extraction and Synthesis
Screening, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment were performed by at least 2 researchers independently, following the PRISMA guidelines.
Main Outcomes
Most findings appear to quickly reverse after weight gain.
Results
Twelve studies published in thirteen articles (238 participants with anorexia nervosa) were included. MRI studies indicate reversibility of volumetric lesions soon after treatment, although gray matter volume deficits persist after weight gain, suggesting the existence of an irreversible element. Studies using DTI show that remodeling also occurs at the level of nerve fiber organization. The main finding of SPECT studies is the increase in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in certain areas of the brain after treatment.
Conclusions and Relevance
Treatment of anorexia nervosa, restores most of the patient's brain lesions, although definite conclusions could not be drawn due to scarce data from longitudinal studies. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these findings could have important preventive potential.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Neuroimaging, Brain, Adolescents, Young adults, Anorexia nervosa, Reversibility, Systematic review
Number of references:
125
