Neural Substrates of Antisocial Behavior in Anorexia Nervosa

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K17088
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52030:Psychiatry-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Isobe Masanori 京都大学, 医学研究科, 助教 (10777981)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 神経性やせ症 / 反社会的行動 / MRI / 前頭極 / 行動変容困難

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study revealed that patients with anorexia nervosa have difficulties with behavioral alteration, that they tend to preserve their behavior following failure and receiving undesirable consequences, and that the behavioral characteristics of the patient group correlate with the severity of food restriction. In addition, psychological test results indicated that the patients had low sensitivity to punishment, and functional brain MRI results indicated that the patients had low idea fluency, which underlies behavioral change, and that functional connectivity in the frontal pole contributed to this.

Free Research Field

精神医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

神経性やせ症患者に多くみられる万引き行為の背景にある要因を明らかにし、再犯抑止のための治療ターゲットを確立することを目的とするもので、将来的には新規介入方法の開発を目指す。本研究の知見から、AN患者における行動変容困難の背景に前頭極の寄与が明らかとなり、これによって食行動や社会的問題行動の変容が困難な患者に対する経頭蓋的反復磁気刺激法 (rTMS)等を用いた治療的介入の開発につながると期待される。