Author: Barbarich-Marsteller, Nicole C.

Source: Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, Volume 7, Number 1, March 2007 , pp. 35-43(9)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by severe dietary restriction and lifethreatening weight loss. The onset of the disorder typically occurs during adolescence with 90-95% of all cases occurring in females. Often characterized by a chronic and relapsing course, anorexia nervosa has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder. Although the etiology is unknown, a complex interplay of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental variables appear to factor into the development of the disorder. Accumulating evidence supports altered serotonin 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HTT receptor binding in anorexia nervosa, with more recent studies examining dopamine D2/D3 receptor binding. Despite this increasing knowledge of neurotransmitter alterations, there are few effective treatment strategies, with pharmacological treatments having minimal efficacy during the acute phase of illness. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide an overview of neurochemical alterations during the ill state and following long-term recovery. This will be followed by a review of pharmacological treatment studies of anorexia nervosa that will focus on the limited efficacy of SSRIs and more promising findings from atypical antipsychotics. Given the combination of receptors targeted by newer generation atypical antipsychotics, these drugs may provide a more efficient means for modulating the neurobiological disturbances seen in anorexia nervosa.

Keywords: Serotonin 5-HT; positron emission tomography (PET); Dopamine receptor; Antipsychotics; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152407780059204

Affiliations: 1: Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 98, New York,NY 10032, USA.

Publication date: 2007-03-01

More about this publication?

• Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry aims to cover all the latest and outstanding developments in medicinal chemistry and rational drug design for the discovery of new central nervous system agents. Each issue of the journal will contain a series of timely in-depth reviews written by leaders in the field covering a range of current topics in central nervous system medicinal chemistry.
  
  Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry is an essential journal for every medicinal chemist who wishes to be kept informed and up-to-date with the latest and most important developments in central nervous system drug discovery.

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