Resolution of eating disorders after right temporal lesions

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa, are complex psychiatric conditions.
• The neurobiological underpinnings of eating disorders are not fully understood.
• Temporal lobe involvement in psychiatric conditions is an area of ongoing research.

Observation:

• Two female patients with a history of eating disorders experienced resolution of their conditions.
• These resolutions coincided with the development of lesions in the right temporal lobe.
• One patient had bulimia nervosa and partial seizures originating from the occipital and right temporal regions.
• The second patient had anorexia nervosa that resolved after a head injury causing right-sided inferofrontal and temporal encephalomalacia.

Findings:

• Right temporal lobe lesions were associated with the remission of eating disorders in both cases.
• Improvements in mood and libido were also reported in both patients post-lesion.
• This suggests a potential role for the right temporal lobe in the pathophysiology and regulation of eating disorders, mood, and libido.

Implications:

• These findings may open new avenues for understanding the neural circuitry of eating disorders.
• Targeting the right temporal lobe could be a potential therapeutic strategy for eating disorders.
• Further research is warranted to explore the causal relationship and underlying mechanisms.