Áreas neurofuncionales relacionadas con la apetencia a los alimentos en la Anorexia Nervosa

• Published in: International journal of psychological research 2012, Vol.5 (2), p.91-97
• Main Authors: Caballero Romo, Alejandro, Cervantes Navarrete, Juan José, González Olvera, Jorge J, Martínez Gudiño, Maria de Lourdes, Alcauter Solórzano, Sarael, Miguel Bueno, Carlos, Carrillo Mezo, Roger
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Subjects: Anorexia Nervosa; Apetencia; Apetito; appetite; food appetency; Neuroimagen; neuroimaging
• ISSN: 2011-7922; 2011-2084; 2011-7922

In Anorexia Nervosa the observable phenomenon is the suppression of appetite. Little is known about the biological and psychological (top-down) bases that maintain this pathological state. However, Anorexia Nervosa is a biological, psychological and social model where the main behavioral characteristic is the inhibition of eating behavior; not by bottom-up but top-down regulation. Objective: To explore the areas of the brain associated with food appetency through functional magnetic resonance in women with anorexia nervosa. Methods: The subjects include 5 female with Restrictive type of Anorexia Nervosa and five controls female with similar in age and low weigh. The subjects were within the MRI scanner and while took fMRI they saw food images that would generate appetite. The subjects were in fasting state and mentally prepare by instruction “imagine you are eating the food presented in the following images”. Results: Compared differences in the activation between subjects four regions were found significant: the anterior cingulate, left front medial region and the left and right midbrain. Conclusions: The patients with Anorexia Nervosa present different activated cerebral areas to those of the controls during the visual exposition to food in hungry state and with evoke cognitions associated with eat food; those regions may be implicated in reward and self-control. En la Anorexia Nervosa se observa un fenómeno que es la supresión del apetito. Poco se conoce sobre los factores biológicos y psicológicos (top-down) que mantienen este estado patológico. De cualquier modo la Anorexia Nervosa es un modelo biológico, psicológico y social de donde la principal característica conductual es la inhibición de la conducta alimentaria. Objetivo: Explorar las áreas cerebrales asociadas a la apetencia de los alimentos mediante la Resonancia Magnética Funcional en mujeres con Anorexia Nervosa. Métodos: Los sujetos fueron cinco mujeres con Anorexia Nervosa Restrictiva y cinco mujeres controles de similar edad y de bajo peso. Los sujetos fueron introducidos al resonador magnético mientras observan imágenes evocadoras de apetencia, en estado de ayuno y bajo la instrucción de imaginar que estaban comiendo lo que se les presentaba. Resultados: Al comparar las diferencias en las áreas de activación entre los sujetos cuatro regiones difirieron significativamente el cingulo anterior, la región frontal medial izquierda y derecha e izquierda del mesencéfalo Conclusiones: Las pacient