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Dieticians warned about bulimia's potential affect on brain function

Tuesday 12th July 2011

Professionals in specialist dieticians jobs have been warned that the eating disorder bulimia could alter the brain function of sufferers.

Researchers at the University of Colorado linked overeating and purging symptoms to a weaker neurological response to dopamine, a brain chemical and neurotransmitter that regulates learning and motivation.

Women with the condition examined in the study were found to have weakened response in regions of the brain that are part of reward circuitry, with researchers suggesting that it was not clear whether this brain reward system returned to normal when bulimics recovered.

Lead researcher Guido Frank explained: "We found reduced activation in this network in the bulimic women, and the more often an individual had binge/purge episodes the less responsive was their brain."

Earlier this month, research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggested that patients with bulimia and anorexia have an elevated rate of death compared to those without an eating disorder.

Written by Alex Franklin Stortford