Eating - biological explanations of eating disorders

Question 1

Holland

Answer 1

34 twin pairs and 1 triplet - longitudinal - MZ 56% concordance, DZ 7% concordance

Question 2

Anand and Brobeck

Answer 2

lesioned the hypothalamus in rats - found that rats no longer ate and starved themselves

Question 3

Anorectics do still feel..

Answer 3

hunger

Question 4

Typical age of onset

Answer 4

between 13 and 18 - coincides with a time when hormones disturb serotonin systems

Question 5

Bailer et al

Answer 5

PET scan study - used a chemical tracer which combines with serotonin receptors is injected - found highest levels of serotonin activity in those that showed the most anxiety

Question 6

Kaye

Answer 6

experimental study on ill anorectics, recovering AN and healthy controls - given acute tryptophan depletion on one day and another given a placebo procedure - significant reduction in anxiety levels in ill AN and recovered AN

Question 7

Kaye

Answer 7

used a PET scan to measure dopamine activity in basal ganglia of women recovering from anorexia and healthy women - activity was significantly higher in recovering anorectics