Large multisite study finds structural brain differences in bulimia nervosa

This ENIGMA Eating Disorders Working Group case-control study pooled MRI data from 369 individuals with bulimia nervosa and 417 healthy controls across 17 cohorts. The study reported lower nucleus accumbens volume and reduced cortical surface area in superior temporal and transverse temporal regions in the bulimia nervosa group, with most differences persisting after accounting for BMI, illness duration, depressive symptoms, medication use, and purging; binge-eating frequency was also associated with lower surface area in several frontal, temporal, and cingulate regions. The authors state these findings implicate reward, cognitive control, interoceptive, and social cognition circuits in the pathophysiology of bulimia nervosa, a disorder whose neurobiology has been poorly characterized.

Most relevant for: Clinicians involved in the evaluation and management of patients with bulimia nervosa, particularly adolescent and adult female populations studied here.

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