Grey Matter Deficit in Long-Term Recovered Anorexia Nervosa Patients

Objective: Cerebral grey matter (GM) reduction has repeatedly been shown in anorexia nervosa (AN). Evidence concerning completeness of GM restitution in recovered patients is contradictory. Methods: Five long-term recovered patients with AN were compared to symptomatic subjects and healthy controls using voxel-based morphometry. Whole brain GM, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid fractions were studied. Additionally, voxels that had shown significant GM reductions in symptomatic patients were investigated. Results: Recovered subjects had been severely affected when symptomatic (mean body mass index: 12.1 kg/m(2)) and were in remission for a very long time period (>5 years). Whole brain tissue fractions did not differ from controls. Regional analysis showed persistent GM volume reduction, in particular of the precuneus. Conclusions: This study further supports the assumption that GM volume restitution is incomplete in subjects, who had previously been severely affected by anorexia nervosa. The meaning of GM reduction in long-term recovered AN patients, that is, its pathophysiological relevance, however, remains unclear. Furthermore, the precise aetiology of GM reduction remains an open question. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.