AUTHOR=Nickel Kathrin , Tebartz van Elst Ludger , Holovics Lukas , Feige Bernd , Glauche Volkmar , Fortenbacher Tina , Endres Dominique , Zeeck Almut , Tüscher Oliver , Joos Andreas , Maier Simon 

TITLE=White Matter Abnormalities in the Corpus Callosum in Acute and Recovered Anorexia Nervosa Patients—A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00490

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00490

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> Severe malnutrition in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) as well as possible trait-related aberrations lead to pronounced structural brain changes whose reversibility after recovery is currently unclear. Previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies investigating white matter (WM) microstructure alterations in AN are inconsistent.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In this so far largest DTI study in adults, we investigated 33 AN patients, 20 recovered (REC), and 33 healthy women. DTI data were processed using the “DTI and Fiber tools,” and the Computational Anatomy Toolbox. WM integrity, both in terms of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), was assessed.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> We found a significant FA decrease in the corpus callosum (body) and an MD decrease in the posterior thalamic radiation in the AN group. The REC group displayed FA decrease in the corpus callosum in comparison to HC, whereas there were no MD differences between the REC and HC groups.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Despite prolonged restoration of weight in the REC group, no significant regeneration of WM integrity in terms of FA could be observed. Transient changes in MD likely represent a reversible consequence of the acute state of starvation or result from dehydration. Reduction of FA either may be due to WM damage resulting from malnutrition or may be considered a pre-morbid marker.</p>