anorexia- neural explanation Flashcards
what 3 things may there be an imbalance of
leptin
serotonin
dopamine
what are other biological issues that could enhance vulnerability
birth complications and premature birth
poor maternal nutrition (during pregnancy)
why is this a double disadvantage (assuming mother has AN)
Double disadvantage: You both inherit an AN mother’s genes, then she restricts food during pregnancy – so your genetics are triggered
not a flashcard:
all of these things (in 1,2 and 3) lead to AN
whats the limbic system (for your understanding and to use)
involved in generating and processing emotional responses
who studied this
lipsman (2015)
what did he conclude
AN correlates to dysfunction in parts of limbic system
Lead to deficits in emotional processing
Creates the pathological thoughts/behaviors associated with AN
These neural abnormalities can help account for the extreme anxiety around food, distorted reward processing, and persistent fear of gaining weight that characterize the disorder.
who studied the effects of dopamine and serotonin
kaye (2005)
what did kaye say about dopamine
Dopamine: overactivity in dopamine receptors in basal ganglia
If increased, it alters the way people interpret rewards
so an increase in dopamine in AN patients causes them to find it difficult to associate good feelings with food, which is something most find pleasurable.
these high levels also increase anxiety
what does kaye say about serotonin (similar)
disruption of serotonin levels may lead to increased anxiety, which can then trigger the eatingdisorder
what is a strength of this explanation
Identifying neural mechanisms opens the door for biologically-based interventions, such as medications targeting neurotransmitter imbalances or brain stimulation therapies- Recovered patients show a reduction in serotonin function.
whats a weakness
There are questions about whether biological explanations can accurately show a cause-and-effect relationship.
Altered neurotransmitter function may be due to the disorder rather than the cause
Just because recovered patients show reductions in serotonin and dopamine function post-recovery this does not mean that this was the original cause of the disorder.
