Serotonin in Human Eating Disorders

The onset and progression of symptomatology in patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is complex. It is unlikely that dysregulation of a single neurotransmitter system would be sufficient to explain the pathophysiology of these disorders. The studies reviewed above provide preliminary ev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1990-01, Vol.600 (1), p.532-544
Main Authors: JIMERSON, DAVID C., LESEM, MICHAEL D., HEGG, ARLENE P., BREWERTON, TIMOTHY D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anorexia Nervosa - physiopathology
Bulimia - drug therapy
Bulimia - physiopathology
Feeding and Eating Disorders - physiopathology
Feeding Behavior
Fenfluramine - therapeutic use
Humans
Serotonin - physiology
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Summary:The onset and progression of symptomatology in patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is complex. It is unlikely that dysregulation of a single neurotransmitter system would be sufficient to explain the pathophysiology of these disorders. The studies reviewed above provide preliminary evidence that decreased central serotonin function may contribute to the onset or persistence of binge eating episodes in patients with bulimia nervosa, including low weight anorexic patients with bulimic symptoms. Future clinical studies will benefit from the availability of selective serotonin receptor agonists and antagonists. Longitudinal studies through progressive phases of treatment and clinical remission will be important to clarify the contribution of dietary and body weight changes to results of neurotransmitter studies with eating disorder patients.
ISSN:0077-8923
1749-6632
DOI:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1990.tb16908.x