scholarly journals The anticipation and perception of affective touch in women with and recovered from Anorexia Nervosa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Crucianelli ◽  
Benedetta Demartini ◽  
Diana Goeta ◽  
Veronica Nisticò ◽  
Alkistis Saramandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Ct Afferents ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Successful Recovery ◽  
Secondary Result ◽  
Ct System ◽  
Tactile System

AbstractDisruptions in reward processing and anhedonia have long being considered as possible contributors to the aetiology and maintenance of Anorexia nervosa (AN). Recently, interoceptive deficits have also been observed in AN, including reduced tactile pleasure. However, the extent to which this tactile anhedonia is specifically liked to an impairment in a specialized, interoceptive C tactile system originating at the periphery, or a more top-down mechanism in the processing of pleasant tactile stimuli remains debated. Here, we investigated two related hypotheses. First, we examined whether the differences, between patients with AN and healthy controls in the perception of pleasantness of touch stimuli delivered in a CT-optimal manner versus a CT non-optimal manner would also be observed in patients recovered from AN. This is important as tactile anhedonia in acute patients may be the secondary result of prolonged malnutrition, rather than a deficit that contributed to the development of the disorder. Second, we examined whether these three groups would also differ in their top-down, anticipatory beliefs about the perceived pleasantness of different materials touching the skin, and to what degree such top-down beliefs and related impairments in alexithymia and interoceptive sensibility would explain any differences in perceived tactile plesantness. To this end, we measured the anticipated pleasantness of various materials touching the skin and the perceived pleasantness of light, dynamic stroking touches applied to the forearm of 27 women with AN, 24 women who have recovered and 30 healthy controls using C Tactile (CT) afferents-optimal (slow) and non-optimal (fast) velocities. Our results showed that both clinical groups anticipated tactile experiences and rated delivered tactile stimuli as less pleasant than healthy controls, but the latter difference was not related to the CT optimality of the stimulation. Instead, differences in how CT optimal touch were perceived were predicted by differences in top-down beliefs, alexithymia and interoceptive sensibility. Thus, this study concludes that tactile anhedonia in AN is not the secondary result of malnutrition but persists as a trait even after otherwise successful recovery of AN and also it not linked to a bottom-up interoceptive deficit in the CT system, but rather to a learned, defective top-down anticipation of pleasant tactile experiences.

scholarly journals Affective Touch Dimensions: From Sensitivity to Metacognition

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana von Mohr ◽  
Louise P. Kirsch ◽  
Joey K. Loh ◽  
Aikaterini Fotopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Signal Detection ◽  
Response Bias ◽  
Signal Detection Theory ◽  
Affective Touch ◽  
Social Touch ◽  
Ct Afferents ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ct System ◽  
First Time

AbstractTouch can give rise to different sensations including sensory, emotional and social aspects. Tactile pleasure typically associated with caress-like skin stroking of slow velocities (1-10 cm/s) has been hypothesised to relate to an unmyelinated, slow-conducting C-tactile afferent system (CT system), developed to distinguish affective touch from the ‘‘noise’’ of other tactile information on hairy skin (the so-called ‘social touch hypothesis’). However, to date, there is no psychometric examination of the discriminative and metacognitive processes that contribute to accurate awareness of pleasant touch stimuli. Over two studies (total N= 194), we combined for the first time CT stimulation with signal detection theory and metacognitive measurements to assess the social touch hypothesis on the role of the CT system in affective touch discrimination. Participants’ ability to accurately discriminate pleasantness of tactile stimuli of different velocities, as well as their response bias, was assessed using a force-choice task (high versus low pleasantness response) on two different skin sites: forearm (CT-skin) and palm (non-CT skin). We also examined whether such detection accuracy was related to the confidence in their decision (metacognitive sensitivity). Consistently with the social touch hypothesis, we found higher sensitivity d’ on the forearm versus the palm, indicating that people are better at discriminating between stimuli of high and low tactile pleasantness on a skin site that contains CT afferents. Strikingly, we also found more negative response bias on the forearm versus the palm, indicating a tendency to experience all stimuli on CT-skin as ‘high-pleasant’, with such effects depending on order, likely to be explained by prior touch exposure. Finally, we found that people have greater confidence in their ability to discriminate between affective touch stimuli on CT innervated skin than on non-CT skin, possibly relating to the domain specificity of CT touch hence suggesting a domain-specific, metacognitive hypothesis that can be explored in future studies as an extension of the social touch hypothesis.HighlightsTouch mediated by C-tactile (CT) afferents on hairy skin elicits pleasant sensationsWe combine for the first time CT stimulation with signal detection theoryBetter accuracy to detect pleasantness of tactile stimuli at CT optimal speeds on CT skinHigher confidence in ability to accurately distinguish affective touch on CT skin

scholarly journals Neural Processing of Disorder-Related Stimuli in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa: A Narrative Review of Brain Imaging Studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe J. Simon ◽  
Marion A. Stopyra ◽  
Hans-Christoph Friederich
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Stimulus Category ◽  
Neural Processing ◽  
Food Cues ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Restrictive Eating ◽  
Thought Patterns ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Visual Food Cues

Abnormalities and alterations in brain function are commonly associated with the etiology and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). Different symptom categories of AN have been correlated with distinct neurobiological patterns in previous studies. The aim of this literature review is to provide a narrative overview of the investigations into neural correlates of disorder-specific stimuli in patients with AN. Although findings vary across studies, a summary of neuroimaging results according to stimulus category allows us to account for methodological differences in experimental paradigms. Based on the available evidence, the following conclusions can be made: (a) the neural processing of visual food cues is characterized by increased top-down control, which enables restrictive eating, (b) increased emotional and reward processing during gustatory stimulation triggers disorder-specific thought patterns, (c) hunger ceases to motivate food foraging but instead reinforces disorder-related behaviors, (d) body image processing is related to increased emotional and hedonic reactions, (e) emotional stimuli provoke increased saliency associated with decreased top-down control and (f) neural hypersensitivity during interoceptive processing reinforces avoidance behavior. Taken together, studies that investigated symptom-specific neural processing have contributed to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of AN.

scholarly journals Oxidative status in plasma, urine and saliva of girls with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Gaál Kovalčíková ◽  
Ľubica Tichá ◽  
Katarína Šebeková ◽  
Peter Celec ◽  
Alžbeta Čagalová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Redox Homeostasis ◽  
Oxidative Status ◽  
Carbonyl Stress ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Psychosomatic Disorder ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Markers Of Oxidative Stress

Abstract Background Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychosomatic disorder with unclear pathomechanisms. Metabolic dysregulation is associated with disruption of redox homeostasis that might play a pivotal role in the development of AN. The aim of our study was to assess oxidative status and carbonyl stress in plasma, urine and saliva of patients with AN and healthy controls. Methods Plasma, spot urine, and saliva were collected from 111 girls with AN (aged from 10 to 18 years) and from 29 age-matched controls. Markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status were measured using spectrophotometric and fluorometric methods. Results Plasma advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were significantly higher in patients with AN than in healthy controls (by 96, and 82%, respectively). Accordingly, urinary concentrations of AOPP and fructosamines and salivary concentrations of AGEs were higher in girls with AN compared with controls (by 250, and 41% in urine; by 92% in saliva, respectively). Concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in saliva were 3-times higher in the patients with AN than in the controls. Overall antioxidants were lower in plasma of girls with AN compared to the controls, as shown by total antioxidant capacity and ratio of reduced and oxidized glutathione (by 43, and 31%, respectively). Conclusions This is the first study assessing wide range of markers of oxidative status in plasma, urine and saliva of the patients with AN. We showed that both, higher levels of markers of oxidative stress and lower antioxidants play a role in redox disruption. Restoration of redox homeostasis might be of the clinical relevance

scholarly journals Overcoming limitations of self-report: an assessment of fear of weight gain in anorexia nervosa and healthy controls using implicit association tests

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiana Borgers ◽  
Nathalie Krüger ◽  
Silja Vocks ◽  
Jennifer J. Thomas ◽  
Franziska Plessow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Implicit Association ◽  
Association Tests ◽  
Implicit Assessment ◽  
Fear Of Weight Gain

Abstract Background Fear of weight gain is a characteristic feature of anorexia nervosa (AN), and reducing this fear is often a main target of treatment. However, research shows that 20% of individuals with AN do not report fear of weight gain. Studies are needed that evaluate the centrality of fear of weight gain for AN with a method less susceptible to deception than self-report. Methods We approximated implicit fear of weight gain by measuring implicit drive for thinness using implicit association tests (IATs). We asked 64 participants (35 AN, 29 healthy controls [HCs]) to categorize statements as pro-dieting vs. non-dieting and true vs. false in a questionnaire-based IAT, and pictures of underweight vs. normal-weight models and positive vs. negative words in a picture-based IAT using two response keys. We tested for associations between implicit drive for thinness and explicitly reported psychopathology within AN as well as group differences between AN and HC groups. Results Correlation analyses within the AN group showed that higher implicit drive for thinness was associated with more pronounced eating disorder-specific psychopathology. Furthermore, the AN group showed a stronger implicit drive for thinness than HCs in both IATs. Conclusion The results highlight the relevance of considering fear of weight gain as a continuous construct. Our implicit assessment captures various degrees of fear of weight gain in AN, which might allow for more individually tailored interventions in the future.

scholarly journals Adapting a neuroscience-informed intervention to alter reward mechanisms of anorexia nervosa: a novel direction for future research

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann F. Haynos ◽  
Lisa M. Anderson ◽  
Autumn J. Askew ◽  
Michelle G. Craske ◽  
Carol B. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Restrictive Eating ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Mood And Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Reward Responsivity ◽  
Eating Disorder Behaviors

AbstractAccumulating psychobiological data implicate reward disturbances in the persistence of anorexia nervosa (AN). Evidence suggests that individuals with AN demonstrate decision-making deficits similar to those with mood and anxiety disorders that cause them to under-respond to many conventionally rewarding experiences (e.g., eating, interacting socially). In contrast, unlike individuals with other psychiatric disorders, individuals with AN simultaneously over-respond to rewards associated with eating-disorder behaviors (e.g., restrictive eating, exercising). This pattern of reward processing likely perpetuates eating-disorder symptoms, as the rewards derived from eating-disorder behaviors provide temporary relief from the anhedonia associated with limited responsivity to other rewards. Positive Affect Treatment (PAT) is a cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to target reward deficits that contribute to anhedonia in mood and anxiety disorders, including problems with reward anticipation, experiencing, and learning. PAT has been found to promote reward responsivity and clinical improvement in mood and anxiety disorders. This manuscript will: (1) present empirical evidence supporting the promise of PAT as an intervention for AN; (2) highlight nuances in the maintaining processes of AN that necessitate adaptations of PAT for this population; and (3) suggest future directions in research on PAT and other reward-based treatments that aim to enhance clinical outcomes for AN.

Reward processing in anorexia nervosa

2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 567-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Keating ◽  
Alan J. Tilbrook ◽  
Susan L. Rossell ◽  
Peter G. Enticott ◽  
Paul B. Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Reward Processing

scholarly journals Antimicrobial peptides in patients with anorexia nervosa: comparison with healthy controls and the impact of weight gain

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Christin Bendix ◽  
Michael Stephan ◽  
Mariel Nöhre ◽  
Wally Wünsch-Leiteritz ◽  
Hagen Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Clinical Observations ◽  
The Impact

AbstractClinical observations show that patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) are surprisingly free from infectious diseases. There is evidence from studies in Drosophila melanogaster that starvation leads to an increased expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are part of the innate immune system and protect human surfaces from colonization with pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi. We compared the expression of AMPs between patients with AN and healthy controls (HC) and investigated the influence of weight gain. Using a standardized skin rinsing method, quantitative determination of the AMPs psoriasin and RNase 7 was carried out by ELISA. Even though non-significant, effect sizes revealed slightly higher AMP concentrations in HC. After a mean weight gain of 2.0 body mass index points, the concentration of psoriasin on the forehead of patients with AN increased significantly. We could not confirm our hypotheses of higher AMP concentrations in patients with AN that decrease after weight gain. On the contrary, weight gain seems to be associated with increasing AMP concentrations.

Identifying neuroanatomical signatures of anorexia nervosa: a multivariate machine learning approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (13) ◽  
pp. 2805-2812 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Lavagnino ◽  
F. Amianto ◽  
B. Mwangi ◽  
F. D'Agata ◽  
A. Spalatro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Predictive Accuracy ◽  
Third Ventricle ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Individual Subject ◽  
Machine Learning Approach ◽  
Scan Data ◽  
Selection Operator

BackgroundThere are currently no neuroanatomical biomarkers of anorexia nervosa (AN) available to make clinical inferences at an individual subject level. We present results of a multivariate machine learning (ML) approach utilizing structural neuroanatomical scan data to differentiate AN patients from matched healthy controls at an individual subject level.MethodStructural neuroimaging scans were acquired from 15 female patients with AN (age = 20, s.d. = 4 years) and 15 demographically matched female controls (age = 22, s.d. = 3 years). Neuroanatomical volumes were extracted using the FreeSurfer software and input into the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) multivariate ML algorithm. LASSO was ‘trained’ to identify ‘novel’ individual subjects as either AN patients or healthy controls. Furthermore, the model estimated the probability that an individual subject belonged to the AN group based on an individual scan.ResultsThe model correctly predicted 25 out of 30 subjects, translating into 83.3% accuracy (sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 80.0%) (p < 0.001; χ2 test). Six neuroanatomical regions (cerebellum white matter, choroid plexus, putamen, accumbens, the diencephalon and the third ventricle) were found to be relevant in distinguishing individual AN patients from healthy controls. The predicted probabilities showed a linear relationship with drive for thinness clinical scores (r = 0.52, p < 0.005) and with body mass index (BMI) (r = −0.45, p = 0.01).ConclusionsThe model achieved a good predictive accuracy and drive for thinness showed a strong neuroanatomical signature. These results indicate that neuroimaging scans coupled with ML techniques have the potential to provide information at an individual subject level that might be relevant to clinical outcomes.

P.334 An event-related potential study of reward processing in subjects with schizophrenia and healthy controls

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. S72-S73
Author(s):  
Ö. Akgül ◽  
E. Fide ◽  
F. Özel ◽  
K. Alptekin ◽  
G. Yener ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reward Processing ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Potential Study

How adolescents with anorexia nervosa and their parents perceive family functioning?

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiorenzo Laghi ◽  
Sara Pompili ◽  
Valeria Zanna ◽  
Maria Chiara Castiglioni ◽  
Michela Criscuolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Family Functioning ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Family Communication ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Family Satisfaction ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Family Adaptability

This study aims at examining whether adolescent girls diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and their parents differ in perceiving the different aspects of family functioning. Moreover, the discrepancy between adolescent girls and healthy controls on Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales dimensions, family communication, and family satisfaction is investigated. The study includes 36 female anorexia patients and their parents and 36 healthy controls. The results showed a different view between mothers and their daughters with regard to the dimension of rigidity. In addition, girls with anorexia nervosa were less satisfied about family environment and rated their families as less communicative, flexible, cohesive, and more disengaged, compared to controls.

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