Theory of mind and the brain in anorexia nervosa: relation to treatment outcome. 


Author: Schulte-Rüther M, Mainz V, Fink GR, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Konrad K.

Affiliation: University Hospital Aachen (UKA) and the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3) at the Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany. mschulte@ukaachen.de 
Conference/Journal: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.
Date published: 2012 Aug
Other:
 Volume ID: 51   ,  Issue ID: 8   ,  Pages: 832-841.e11   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2012.06.007   ,  Word Count: 165  
    OBJECTIVE:

Converging evidence suggests deficits in theory-of-mind (ToM) processing in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study aimed at elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying ToM-deficits in AN.

METHOD:

A total of 19 adolescent patients with AN and 21 age-matched controls were investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging during performance of a ToM-task at two time points (in-patients: admission to hospital and discharge after weight recovery). Clinical outcomes in patients were determined 1 year after admission.

RESULTS:

Irrespective of the time point, AN patients showed reduced activation in middle and anterior temporal cortex and in the medial prefrontal cortex. Hypoactivation in the medial prefrontal cortex at admission to hospital (T1) was correlated with clinical outcome at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS:

Hypoactivation in the brain network supporting theory of mind may be associated with a social-cognitive endophenotype reflecting impairments of social functioning in anorexia nervosa which is predictive for a poor outcome at 1-year follow-up.

Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PMID: 22840554