Low oxytocin levels are broadly associated with more pronounced psychopathology in anorexia nervosa with primarily restricting but not binge/purge eating behavior.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Anorexia 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.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study of 53 wo

SUBMITTER: Plessow F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9927219 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature