背景:神经性厌食症(AN)是一种使人衰弱且潜在的慢性进食障碍,其特点是对食物的低享乐驱动力,这与奖励处理和多巴胺能活动的扰动有关。神经黑色素敏感的磁共振成像(MRI)是一种新兴的方法来索引中脑神经黑色素-多巴胺能合成的副产物。中脑神经黑色素的评估,以及它与精神病理学和奖励相关过程的关联,可以提供对AN中奖励电路功能的关键见解。
方法:本研究将神经黑色素敏感MRI纳入现有的AN患者食欲调节研究。具体来说,急性和体重不足的人(N=30),那些体重恢复的AN(N=30),年龄匹配的健康对照(N=30)将接受当前和以前的精神病理学的临床评估,除了结构性神经黑色素敏感MRI,弥散MRI,和功能性MRI(fMRI)在食欲调节。
结论:这项研究将是第一个在以多巴胺能活性改变为特征的AN-a疾病中询问中脑神经黑色素的研究。结果将有助于确定多巴胺中脑合成的异常在患有AN的患者中是否明显,并且与症状行为和体验愉悦和奖励的能力降低有关。
BACKGROUND: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a debilitating and potentially chronic eating disorder, characterized by low hedonic drive toward food, which has been linked with perturbations in both reward processing and dopaminergic activity.
Neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an emerging method to index midbrain
neuromelanin-a by-product of dopaminergic synthesis. The assessment of midbrain
neuromelanin, and its association with AN psychopathology and reward-related processes, may provide critical insights into reward circuit function in AN.
METHODS: This study will incorporate
neuromelanin-sensitive MRI into an existing study of appetitive conditioning in those with AN. Specifically, those with acute and underweight AN (N = 30), those with weight-restored AN (N = 30), and age-matched healthy controls (N = 30) will undergo clinical assessment of current and previous psychopathology, in addition to structural
neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, diffusion MRI, and functional MRI (fMRI) during appetitive conditioning.
CONCLUSIONS: This study will be among the first to interrogate midbrain
neuromelanin in AN-a disorder characterized by altered dopaminergic activity. Results will help establish whether abnormalities in the midbrain synthesis of dopamine are evident in those with AN and are associated with symptomatic behavior and reduced ability to experience pleasure and reward.