Die Veränderung neuroendokrinologischer Parameter und neuropsychologischer Funktionen bei adoleszenten Patientinnen mit Anorexia nervosa vor und nach Gewichtsrehabilitation im Vergleich zu gesunden Kontrollprobandinnen
The present study investigates a possible correlation between neuroendocrinological parameters and neuropsychological functions in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa before and after weight recovery. Studies with adult patients suffering from eating disorder point to an impairment in executive functions, sustained attention and cognitive flexibility as well as in learning and memory performance. Thirty female subjects meeting the criteria of anorexia nervosa and twenty-seven healthy, normal-weighted control subjects were included in the study, with all subjects ranging in age from twelve to seventeen years. The two groups did not show any differences regarding their intellectual capability. Anorexic patients were examined during the phase of acute starvation as well as after weight recovery. All subjects participated in several neuropsychological tests and underwent blood analysis for a determination of a range of endocrinological parameters. No impairments in sustained attention or cognitive flexibility could be observed during the phase of acute starvation. It is possible that deficits in these fields occur only after a longer duration of illness. Significant impairments were found in complex learning and memory tasks. After weight recovery, the subjects showed improvement in several cognitive aspects. An assessment of the influence of neuroendocrinological parameters on neuropsychological functions resulted in a significant positive correlation between estrogen levels and the verbal learning capacity of subjects. The soluble leptin receptor could be identified as an important neurobiological parameter for complex functions of learning and memory both in the acute stage of the illness and after weight rehabilitation. A possible explanation for this might be the influence of leptin on hippocampal brain structures, these being significant for complex learning and memory performances. The results support the assumption of a correlation between neuroendocrinological parameters and neuropsychological functions in anorexia nervosa and provide promising indications for further research in this field.
info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/610, Anorexia nervosa, Leptine, Estradiol, Aufmerksamkeit, Intentionales Lernen, Explizites Gedächtnis, Medizin, Leptinrezeptor, set shifting
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