Progressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa: a tyrosine case study example
Abstract Anorexia nervosa is a severe and complex illness associated with a lack of efficacious treatment. The effects of nutrition on the brain and behaviour is of particular interest, though an area of limited research. Tyrosine, a non-essential amino acid, is a precursor to the catecholamines dop...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Eating Disorders |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00439-z |
| _version_ | 1797704941713752064 |
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| author | Melissa Hart David Sibbritt Lauren T. Williams Kenneth P. Nunn Bridget Wilcken |
| author_facet | Melissa Hart David Sibbritt Lauren T. Williams Kenneth P. Nunn Bridget Wilcken |
| author_sort | Melissa Hart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Anorexia nervosa is a severe and complex illness associated with a lack of efficacious treatment. The effects of nutrition on the brain and behaviour is of particular interest, though an area of limited research. Tyrosine, a non-essential amino acid, is a precursor to the catecholamines dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline. Ongoing tyrosine administration has been proposed as an adjunct treatment through increasing blood tyrosine sufficiently to facilitate brain catecholamine synthesis. The effects of tyrosine supplementation in adolescents with anorexia nervosa remain to be tested. This study had approval from the Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (06/05/24/3.06). We aimed to explore the pharmacokinetics of tyrosine loading in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (n = 2) and healthy peers (n = 2). The first stage of the study explored the pharmacological response to a single, oral tyrosine load in adolescents (aged 12–15 years) with anorexia nervosa and healthy peers. Participants with anorexia nervosa then continued tyrosine twice daily for 12 weeks. There were no measured side effects. Peak tyrosine levels occurred at approximately two to three hours and approached baseline levels by eight hours. Variation in blood tyrosine response was observed and warrants further exploration, along with potential effects of continued tyrosine administration in anorexia nervosa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:27:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-985d24f365394054af37036bd51a3170 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-2974 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:27:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Eating Disorders |
| spelling | doaj.art-985d24f365394054af37036bd51a31702023-09-03T07:09:24ZengBMCJournal of Eating Disorders2050-29742021-07-01911310.1186/s40337-021-00439-zProgressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa: a tyrosine case study exampleMelissa Hart0David Sibbritt1Lauren T. Williams2Kenneth P. Nunn3Bridget Wilcken4University of NewcastleUniversity of TechnologyUniversity of NewcastleUniversity of SydneyUniversity of SydneyAbstract Anorexia nervosa is a severe and complex illness associated with a lack of efficacious treatment. The effects of nutrition on the brain and behaviour is of particular interest, though an area of limited research. Tyrosine, a non-essential amino acid, is a precursor to the catecholamines dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline. Ongoing tyrosine administration has been proposed as an adjunct treatment through increasing blood tyrosine sufficiently to facilitate brain catecholamine synthesis. The effects of tyrosine supplementation in adolescents with anorexia nervosa remain to be tested. This study had approval from the Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (06/05/24/3.06). We aimed to explore the pharmacokinetics of tyrosine loading in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (n = 2) and healthy peers (n = 2). The first stage of the study explored the pharmacological response to a single, oral tyrosine load in adolescents (aged 12–15 years) with anorexia nervosa and healthy peers. Participants with anorexia nervosa then continued tyrosine twice daily for 12 weeks. There were no measured side effects. Peak tyrosine levels occurred at approximately two to three hours and approached baseline levels by eight hours. Variation in blood tyrosine response was observed and warrants further exploration, along with potential effects of continued tyrosine administration in anorexia nervosa.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00439-zAnorexia nervosaNoradrenalinePharmacologyTyrosine, case study |
| spellingShingle | Melissa Hart David Sibbritt Lauren T. Williams Kenneth P. Nunn Bridget Wilcken Progressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa: a tyrosine case study example Journal of Eating Disorders Anorexia nervosa Noradrenaline Pharmacology Tyrosine, case study |
| title | Progressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa: a tyrosine case study example |
| title_full | Progressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa: a tyrosine case study example |
| title_fullStr | Progressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa: a tyrosine case study example |
| title_full_unstemmed | Progressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa: a tyrosine case study example |
| title_short | Progressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa: a tyrosine case study example |
| title_sort | progressing our understanding of the impacts of nutrition on the brain and behaviour in anorexia nervosa a tyrosine case study example |
| topic | Anorexia nervosa Noradrenaline Pharmacology Tyrosine, case study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00439-z |
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