Dk. Katzman et al., CEREBRAL GRAY-MATTER AND WHITE-MATTER VOLUME DEFICITS IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS WITH ANOREXIA-NERVOSA, The Journal of pediatrics, 129(6), 1996, pp. 794-803
Objectives: This study was undertaken to determine whether the increas
ed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes found in anorexia nervosa (AN) ar
e the result of differences in gray matter or white matter volumes or
both. Methods: Thirteen adolescent girls with AN who were receiving in
patient care at a tertiary-care university children's hospital and eig
ht healthy female control subjects were studied by using magnetic reso
nance imaging. Images were processed by means of software developed to
classify all pixels as either CSF, gray matter, or white matter. Pixe
ls of each class were then summed across all sections. Results: The AN
group Rad larger total CSF volumes in association with deficits in bo
th total gray matter and total white matter volumes. Lowest reported b
ody mass index was inversely correlated with fetal CSF volume and posi
tively correlated with total gray matter volume. Urinary free cortisol
levels were positively correlated with total CSF volume and inversely
correlated with central gray matter volume. Conclusions: These findin
gs add support to the view that the brain abnormalities found in AN ar
e in large part the result of the effects of the illness. The extent t
o which these differences in gray matter and white matter volumes are
reversible with recovery remains to be established.