UNLABELLED Gastrointestinal motor function in patients with primary anorexia nervosa has rarely been investigated. We studied oesophageal motor activity in 30 consecutive patients meeting standard diagnostic criteria for primary anorexia nervosa (Feighner et al; DSM III). Seven were found to suffer from achalasia instead of primary anorexia nervosa, one from diffuse oesophageal spasm and one fr...

It is now common to view anorexia nervosa as a multi-determined syndrome in which physical, psychological, family and sociocultural factors interact to produce the illness. Such a compromise position is difficult to refute. However, the components of this complex model neither explain nor account for the epidemiological and clinical features of the condition. A popular cultural thesis is that t...

Preadipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1) is a member of epidermal growth-factor like family of proteins that regulates adipocyte and osteoblast differentiation. Experimental studies suggest that circulating Pref-1 levels may be also involved in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis. We hypothesized that alterations in Pref-1 levels may contribute to the ethiopathogenesis o...

BACKGROUND There may be a link between anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorders. The aims of this study were to examine whether adolescents with anorexia nervosa have autism spectrum and/or obsessive-compulsive traits, how many would meet diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder, and whether these traits are shared by parents. METHODS A total of 150 adolescents receiving outpati...

The spread of anorexia nervosa, especially in Western developed countries, is reaching alarming proportions. According to the International Classification of Diseases, the central feature of anorexia nervosa is "deliberate weight loss". This means that anorexia nervosa is a progressive pursuit of lightness. Moving from this observation, I ask why so many people want to lose weight, why some wou...

BACKGROUND Mental capacity to consent to treatment in anorexia nervosa is a neglected area in clinical decision-making. AIMS To examine clinical and neuropsychological parameters associated with diminished mental capacity in anorexia nervosa. METHOD An explorative study was conducted in 70 adult female patients with severe anorexia nervosa. Mental capacity to consent to treatment was assess...

This chapter describes the major eating disorders encountered during adolescence including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). The latter group accounts for most adolescents seeking treatment for an eating disorder and refers to those patients not meeting full Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) crit...

Anorexia nervosa is a rare psychiatric disorder and epidemiological studies have shown a female to male ratio of 10:1, suggesting it is a disorder predominantly seen among females. The prevalence of anorexia nervosa comorbid with other psychiatric disorders has been reported to be quite high. Whereas depression and anxiety disorders are the most common comorbid diagnoses in anorexic patients, t...

Although schizophrenia and anorexia nervosa are seemingly very distinct psychiatric disorders, their symptoms are connected by various types of relationships. The present article reviews the literature and recapitulates the views of various authors on the links between these two disorders. Symptoms of anorexia may 1) precede the onset of psychosis; 2) evolve in its active phase or more rarely m...

We present a review of the Junior MARSIPAN (Management of Really Sick Patients with Anorexia Nervosa) guideline, which provides paediatricians with a framework for managing Anorexia Nervosa in the inpatient setting.