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Multivariate patterns linking brain microstructure to temperament and behavior in adolescent eating disorders.
Carolina Makowski1,2, Golia Shafiei3, Megan Martinho4
1Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
|December 9, 2024
Summary
Neuroimaging reveals distinct brain-behavior patterns in eating disorders (EDs). An
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Eating disorders (EDs) exhibit significant heterogeneity in behaviors, traits, and cognition, complicating neurobiological investigations.
- Previous neuroimaging studies often focused on limited brain regions or specific ED symptoms, potentially missing broader brain-behavior relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To utilize multivariate methods for mapping whole-brain microstructural and morphometric patterns to diverse behavioral domains in adolescent ED patients.
- To identify neurobiological correlates of ED symptomatology and behavioral profiles using advanced imaging analysis.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion-weighted imaging analyzed with restriction spectrum imaging in 91 adolescent ED patients and 48 healthy controls.
- Partial least squares analysis applied to map 38 behavioral measures to white matter tract and subcortical structure diffusion across 65 regions of interest.
Main Results:
- A significant latent variable explained 46.9% of the covariance between brain microstructure and behavior.
- An 'undercontrolled' behavioral profile (emotional dysregulation, novelty seeking, low effortful control/interoceptive awareness) correlated with increased restricted diffusion in frontal, limbic, and thalamic white matter tracts.
- Patients with binge-purge ED symptoms showed higher scores for this brain-behavior profile compared to those with restrictive ED symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Multivariate modeling effectively captures complex brain-behavior relationships in eating disorders.
- Findings support a neurobiologically-informed model for potential clinical subtyping and prediction in EDs.
- The study highlights the link between specific white matter alterations and 'undercontrolled' behavioral profiles in ED patients.
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