Frontocingular Dysfunction in Bulimia Nervosa when Confronted with Disease-specific Stimuli

Objective Bulimia nervosa (BN) is characterized by dysregulation of impulse control, in other words, uncontrolled eating. Functional neuroimaging studies have been sparse and have used variable methodologies. Method Thirteen medication-free female BN patients and 13 female healthy controls were investigated by functional magnetic resonance imaging using a disease-specific food paradigm. Stimuli were rated after the scanning procedure. Results Bulimia nervosa patients showed increased fear ratings and a trend for increased disgust. Magnetic resonance imaging data of 10 BN patients could be analysed. Three BN patients had to be excluded from the analysis because of minimal blood oxygen level …