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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and set-shifting in currently ill and recovered anorexia nervosa (AN) patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2008

M. Nakazato ,
K. Tchanturia ,
U. Schmidt ,
I. C. Campbell ,
J. Treasure ,
D. A. Collier ,
K. Hashimoto  and
M. Iyo
M. Nakazato*
Affiliation:
Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, UK Department of Child Psychiatry, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan
K. Tchanturia
Affiliation:
Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, UK
U. Schmidt
Affiliation:
Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, UK
I. C. Campbell
Affiliation:
Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, UK
J. Treasure
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine, Eating Disorders Research Unit, Department of Academic Psychiatry, King's College, Guy's Hospital,London, UK
D. A. Collier
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine and Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, UK
K. Hashimoto
Affiliation:
Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Centre for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan
M. Iyo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr M. Nakazato, Section of Eating Disorders, PO59, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, UK. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Studies of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) have shown that they do not perform well in set-shifting tasks but little is known about the neurobiological correlates of this aspect of executive function. The aim of this study was to measure serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and to establish whether set-shifting difficulties are present in people with current AN and in those recovered from AN, and whether serum BDNF concentrations are correlated with set-shifting ability.

Method

Serum BDNF concentrations were measured in 29 women with current AN (AN group), 18 women who had recovered from AN (ANRec group) and 28 age-matched healthy controls (HC group). Set-shifting was measured using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Eating-related psychopathology and depressive, anxiety and obsessive–compulsive symptomatology were evaluated using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Maudsley Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) respectively.

Results

Serum BDNF concentrations (mean±s.d.) were significantly lower in the AN group (11.7±4.9 ng/ml) compared to the HC group (15.1±5.5 ng/ml, p=0.04) and also compared to the ANRec group (17.6±4.8 ng/ml, p=0.001). The AN group made significantly more errors (total and perseverative) in the WCST relative to the HC group. There was no significant correlation between serum BDNF concentrations and performance on the WCST.

Conclusions

Serum BDNF may be a biological marker for eating-related psychopathology and of recovery in AN. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore possible associations between serum BDNF concentrations, illness and recovery and neuropsychological traits.

Keywords

Anorexia nervosabrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)eating disorderrecoveryset-shifting
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 6 , June 2009 , pp. 1029 - 1035
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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