These changes may contribute to impaired post-ingestive satiety responses, preoccupation with food, and large size of binge meals. Pharmacological treatment of bulimia nervosa with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and related antidepressant medications is thought to decrease the frequency of binge eating episodes by augmenting responsiveness in CNS serotonergic pathways modulating food intake, mood, and impulsivity. The possible influence of dieting on CNS serotonin regulation is also of interest, given that dieting is a common precursor to the onset of symptoms for many patients with eating disorders. Previous studies in healthy volunteers suggest that dieting decreases CNS serotonin synthesis through a reduction in availability of the essential amino acid tryptophan. On-going laboratory studies are evaluating eating behavior at baseline and in response to serotonergic medications in patients with eating disorders, with comparative studies in healthy volunteers.
Additional variables being evaluated include symptom severity, mood, and dieting behaviors.
Dept. of Psychiatry and General Clinical Research Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Training opportunities may be available on an individualized basis. Elevated sweet taste pleasantness ratings in bulimia nervosa. Physiol Behav . Comparison of the effects of amino acid mixture and placebo on plasma tryptophan to large neutral amino acid ratio.