Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behavior
ObjectiveAnorexia nervosa (AN) is commonly associated with depression, anxiety, and deficits in socioemotional functioning. Basal levels of oxytocin, a neurohormone with antidepressant, anxiolytic, and prosocial properties, are low in women with AN. However, the relationship between oxytocin and psy...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.1049541/full |
| _version_ | 1828048925245833216 |
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| author | Franziska Plessow Francesca Galbiati Kamryn T. Eddy Madhusmita Misra Madhusmita Misra Karen K. Miller Anne Klibanski Anna Aulinas Elizabeth A. Lawson |
| author_facet | Franziska Plessow Francesca Galbiati Kamryn T. Eddy Madhusmita Misra Madhusmita Misra Karen K. Miller Anne Klibanski Anna Aulinas Elizabeth A. Lawson |
| author_sort | Franziska Plessow |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectiveAnorexia nervosa (AN) is commonly associated with depression, anxiety, and deficits in socioemotional functioning. Basal levels of oxytocin, a neurohormone with antidepressant, anxiolytic, and prosocial properties, are low in women with AN. However, the relationship between oxytocin and psychopathology of AN/atypical AN has not been examined in individuals with primarily food restriction (AN/AtypAN-R) or those with restriction plus binge/purge behaviors (AN/AtypAN-BP) alone, which is important to further elucidate the neurobiology of different AN presentations. We investigated whether oxytocin levels are related to eating, affective, and socioemotional psychopathology in women with AN/AtypAN-R and separately AN/AtypAN-BP.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study of 53 women with low-weight AN or atypical AN based on DSM-5 (AN/AtypAN-R: n=21, AN/AtypAN-BP: n=32), we obtained fasting serum oxytocin levels and self-report measures of psychopathology, including the Eating Disorder Examination–Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Beck Depression Inventory-IA (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20).ResultsIn individuals with AN/AtypAN-R, oxytocin levels were negatively associated with eating psychopathology (EDE-Q Global Score: r=-0.49, p=0.024), depressive and anxiety symptoms (BDI Total Score: r=-0.55, p=0.009; STAI Trait Score: r=-0.63, p=0.002), and socioemotional symptoms (TAS-20 Difficulty Identifying Feelings Score: r=-0.49, p=0.023). In contrast, in those with AN/AtypAN-BP oxytocin levels were negatively associated with depressive symptoms only (BDI Total Score: r=-0.52, p=0.049).ConclusionsThese findings support the notion that AN/AtypAN-R and AN/AtypAN-BP might have divergent underlying neurobiology. Understanding these differences is crucial to develop targeted treatments for a population with high levels of chronicity, for which no specific pharmacological treatments are currently available.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT01121211. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T19:04:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b6446f3bd9b4fa49cdd2f1a2a7a244a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2392 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T19:04:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b6446f3bd9b4fa49cdd2f1a2a7a244a2023-01-31T05:12:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Endocrinology1664-23922023-01-011310.3389/fendo.2022.10495411049541Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behaviorFranziska Plessow0Francesca Galbiati1Kamryn T. Eddy2Madhusmita Misra3Madhusmita Misra4Karen K. Miller5Anne Klibanski6Anna Aulinas7Elizabeth A. Lawson8Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesNeuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesEating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesNeuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDivision of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesNeuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesNeuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesNeuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesNeuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesObjectiveAnorexia nervosa (AN) is commonly associated with depression, anxiety, and deficits in socioemotional functioning. Basal levels of oxytocin, a neurohormone with antidepressant, anxiolytic, and prosocial properties, are low in women with AN. However, the relationship between oxytocin and psychopathology of AN/atypical AN has not been examined in individuals with primarily food restriction (AN/AtypAN-R) or those with restriction plus binge/purge behaviors (AN/AtypAN-BP) alone, which is important to further elucidate the neurobiology of different AN presentations. We investigated whether oxytocin levels are related to eating, affective, and socioemotional psychopathology in women with AN/AtypAN-R and separately AN/AtypAN-BP.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study of 53 women with low-weight AN or atypical AN based on DSM-5 (AN/AtypAN-R: n=21, AN/AtypAN-BP: n=32), we obtained fasting serum oxytocin levels and self-report measures of psychopathology, including the Eating Disorder Examination–Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Beck Depression Inventory-IA (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20).ResultsIn individuals with AN/AtypAN-R, oxytocin levels were negatively associated with eating psychopathology (EDE-Q Global Score: r=-0.49, p=0.024), depressive and anxiety symptoms (BDI Total Score: r=-0.55, p=0.009; STAI Trait Score: r=-0.63, p=0.002), and socioemotional symptoms (TAS-20 Difficulty Identifying Feelings Score: r=-0.49, p=0.023). In contrast, in those with AN/AtypAN-BP oxytocin levels were negatively associated with depressive symptoms only (BDI Total Score: r=-0.52, p=0.049).ConclusionsThese findings support the notion that AN/AtypAN-R and AN/AtypAN-BP might have divergent underlying neurobiology. Understanding these differences is crucial to develop targeted treatments for a population with high levels of chronicity, for which no specific pharmacological treatments are currently available.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT01121211.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.1049541/fullanorexia nervosabinge/purge behaviordietary restrictionoxytocinpsychopathology |
| spellingShingle | Franziska Plessow Francesca Galbiati Kamryn T. Eddy Madhusmita Misra Madhusmita Misra Karen K. Miller Anne Klibanski Anna Aulinas Elizabeth A. Lawson Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behavior Frontiers in Endocrinology anorexia nervosa binge/purge behavior dietary restriction oxytocin psychopathology |
| title | Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behavior |
| title_full | Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behavior |
| title_fullStr | Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behavior |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behavior |
| title_short | Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behavior |
| title_sort | low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge purge eating behavior |
| topic | anorexia nervosa binge/purge behavior dietary restriction oxytocin psychopathology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.1049541/full |
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