Anorexia nervosa is primarily a disease of the mind. Doctors have known this for years. Now, improvements in MRI technology are helping doctors focus in on the biological – and possibly genetic – links to the disease.
“In one study, participants were given a taste of sugar. In healthy people, the insula and frontal cortex areas of the brain lit up, signaling ‘Wow, that tastes good.’ That pleasure light didn’t turn on in the anorexic’s brain. Dr. [Walter] Kaye says they may literally not recognize when they’re hungry or when something tastes good.” [Source: KABC-TV (L.A.)]
Not only is the MRI enabling doctors to study brain activity and genetic traits that may make a person pre-disposed to anorexia, it also allows them to develop new biological treatments, and not just psychological ones.
Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton