Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Using the Activity-based Anorexia Rodent Model to Study the Neurobiological Basis of Anorexia Nervosa
Published on: October 22, 2015
Post-viral onset of anorexia nervosa
R J Park1, S M Lawrie, C P Freeman
1Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park.
Background:
The pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN) is controversial.
Method:
A retrospective case series was studied to investigate the post-viral onset of AN.
Results:
Four consecutive in-patients with severe restrictive AN spontaneously volunteered histories of 'glandular fever'-like illnesses immediately before the onset of their eating disorder. This association has not previously been described. Possible pathogenic pathways include both non-specific and specific viral disruptions in central homeostasis, particularly involving corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) regulation.
Conclusion:
Such mechanisms are speculative, but biologically and historically plausible.
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