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Anorexia nervosa: a rogue hibernation?
Barbara Scolnick1, David I Mostofsky1
1Department of Psychology, Boston University, United States.
Medical Hypotheses
|December 31, 2013
Summary
Anorexia nervosa may stem from an ancient famine-avoidance pathway becoming overactive due to disrupted internal body clocks. This research explores a novel hypothesis linking anorexia nervosa to circadian rhythm misalignment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Anorexia nervosa is a complex eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive exercise.
- The "flee famine" theory suggests anorexia nervosa activates an ancient survival pathway.
- This pathway may have been adaptive during human evolutionary history.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a speculative analysis of anorexia nervosa based on the "flee famine" theory.
- To propose that circadian/circannual oscillation misalignment triggers the "flee famine" pathway.
- To draw an analogy between anorexia nervosa and the hibernation cycles regulated by these oscillations.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis integrating evolutionary biology and chronobiology.
- Drawing parallels between the physiological mechanisms of hibernation and anorexia nervosa.
- Proposing hypotheses for empirical testing.
Main Results:
- The study hypothesizes that anorexia nervosa results from a "faulty famine signal" caused by misaligned circadian/circannual rhythms.
- This misalignment may inappropriately activate the ancient "flee famine" response.
- An analogy is drawn between the cyclical nature of hibernation and anorexia nervosa.
Conclusions:
- Anorexia nervosa may be linked to an evolutionary mismatch involving circadian rhythms.
- Targeting these misaligned internal biological rhythms could offer new therapeutic avenues.
- Further research is needed to validate the proposed hypothesis and explore treatment strategies.
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