Original articleIncreased Dopamine D2/D3 Receptor Binding After Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa Measured by Positron Emission Tomography and [11C]Raclopride
Section snippets
Methods and Materials
Ten subjects who were recovered from AN (3 pure restricting-type [AN-R], 1 restricting-purge-type [AN-P], and 6 binge-purge-type AN [AN-BP]) were compared with 12 CW. Subjects were previously treated in the eating disorders treatment program at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or were recruited through advertisements. To be considered “recovered,” for at least one year before the study, subjects had to 1) maintain a weight above 85% average body weight (
Results
Subject groups were of similar age (CW 27 ± 6 years, REC AN 24 ± 5 years, p = .2) and body mass index (CW 23 ± 2, REC AN 22 ± 3, p = .3). The mean age of onset of AN was 15 ± 2 years, and REC AN subjects had been recovered for between 12 and 66 months. Compared with CW, REC AN scored higher on EDI-2 drive for thinness-worst ever (REC AN 19.7 ± 2, CW .3 ± 1, p < .001) and worst ever Perfectionism (REC AN 108 ± 13, CW 53 ± 11, p < .001). Current measures of Harm Avoidance (REC AN 13 ± 9, CW 9 ±
Discussion
This is the first study to investigate D2/D3 receptors in AN in vivo with PET. A mixed group of REC AN-R and REC AN-BP women had increased [11C]raclopride BP in the antero-ventral striatum. Because PET measures of [11C]raclopride binding are sensitive to endogenous DA concentrations (Drevets et al 2001), this difference could be accounted for either by a reduction in the intrasynaptic DA concentration or by an elevation of the density and/or affinity of the D2/D3 receptors in this region.
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