Mount Sinai study links bulimia nervosa to brain structure differences

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the ENIGMA consortium has identified widespread structural differences in the brains of individuals with bulimia nervosa.

By analyzing MRI scans from 369 female participants with the disorder and 417 without, researchers found that those with bulimia exhibited lower volume in the nucleus accumbens, a region responsible for reward and motivation. Additionally, scans showed a lower surface area in parts of the temporal cortex, which handles sensory and social processing.

The research highlights that the frequency of binge eating is linked to more extensive structural differences across brain regions governing cognitive control, emotion regulation, and bodily awareness. Notably, the frequency of compensatory behaviors—the standard metric currently used to determine the severity of the disorder—was not associated with these specific brain structure variations.