Increased resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network in recovered anorexia nervosa

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Previous studies show abnormal brain activity in recovered anorexia nervosa (AN) patients during tasks.
• This persistent abnormal activity may represent the neurobiology of AN and serve as a neural biomarker.
• No prior research examined resting-state functional connectivity changes in recovered AN without task-induced activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity in nonmedicated women recovered from AN.
• To identify potential neural markers of AN vulnerability in resting brain networks.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to scan 16 recovered AN participants and 15 healthy controls.
• Independent component analysis (ICA) identified resting-state functional networks.
• Dual regression analysis assessed temporal correlations within these networks.

Main Results:

• Recovered AN participants exhibited increased temporal coherence (connectivity) in the default mode network (DMN).
• This increased DMN connectivity was observed between the DMN and the precuneus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex/inferior frontal gyrus.
• These findings were significant compared to healthy control participants.

Conclusions:

• Dysfunction in resting-state functional connectivity, particularly in self-referential processing and cognitive control regions, may be a vulnerability marker for AN.
• Altered DMN connectivity during rest could play a role in the neurobiology of AN.
• Resting-state fMRI may offer insights into the neural underpinnings of AN susceptibility.