Eating behaviour - anorexia description

Question 1

Anand and Brobeck (role of hypothalamus)

Answer 1

• lesioned hypothalamus of rats
• starved themselves to death
• supports idea of hypothalamus having role in eating behaviour

Question 2

Kaye (serotonin)

Answer 2

• increased serotonin activity in areas of brain which regulate mood and cognitions such as anxiety and fear
• may predate onset of anorexia
• serotonin from tryptophan which is found in food; starvation reduces amount of tryptophan and therefore amount of serotnin, reducing anxiety levels

Question 3

Bailer (serotonin)

Answer 3

• PET scan study
• women recovering from anorexia
• highest levels of serotonin activity in those who showed most anxiety
• supports theory that increased serotonin levels lead to anxiety which may lead to eating less food

Question 4

Kaye (dopamine)

Answer 4

• PET scan
• compared dopamine activity in women recovering from anorexia and healthy women
• activity was significantly higher in the recovering anorexics
• suggests anorexics have overactivity of dopamine receptors, paired with fact that anorexics deny themselves pleasure