Anorexia Nervosa: Pathogenesis and Risk Factors Biological Risk Factors • Gender: F > M • Genetics: concordance rates higher in monozygotic twins vs dizygotic • Neurobiology: disruptions in neurotransmitter systems related to reward and appetite (dopamine) and mood and obsessiveness (serotonin) and abnormal functioning of the anterior insula which is thought to integrate sensory aspects of feeding and the dorsal striatum which is involved in habitual behaviors Psychosocial Stressors/Risk Factors • Transition to adolescence: pubertal changes in physical appearance; identity development; change in social roles and relationships • External stressors: e.g. major/stressful life change, lack of control, history of sexual abuse, familial dysfunction • Temperament: childhood anxiety disorders or obsessive traits Environmental Risk Factors • Promotion of the thin ideal (concept of ideal female body as having a small waist and very little body fat) as the definition of femininity and measure of self worth - varies across cultures and can be of higher value in particular occupations (ex. professional athletics) #AnorexiaNervosa #pathophysiology #diagnosis #signs #symptoms #psychiatry #RiskFactors
