ANOREXIA-NERVOSA - DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE-RESEARCH

On September 27-29, 1993, the Study Group on Anorexia Nervosa (AN): Ba sic Mechanisms, Clinical Approaches and Treatment met in Geneva, Switz erland to discuss recent progress in research on anorexia nervosa, and to identify directions for future studies. Anorexia nervosa is a diso rder of unknown etiology, without a specific curative treatment, affec ting mostly individuals in adolescence and early adulthood, with signi ficant morbidity and mortality and having a major impact on psychosoci al and vocational development. In anorexia nervosa there are severe di sturbances in virtually every endocrine system, such as the hypothalam ic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the hypothalamic-pituitary-gondal (HP G) axis, the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, the growth hor mone (GH)/somatomedin C (IGF-1) system, and the central and peripheral arginine vasopressin (AVP) systems. Furthermore, classical neurotrans mitter systems, such as the cholinergic noradrenergic, and serotonergi c systems, are abnormally regulated in anorexia nervosa. New research data is also emerging on the abnormal regulation of immune function in this disorder. The Study Group concluded that even though several bio logical systems are abnormally regulated in anorexia nervosa, there is no biological test which is specific enough to make the diagnosis of the disorder. New directions for research in anorexia nervosa are iden tified and discussed in this report. Finally, the Study Group proposed future meetings to bring together clinical and pre-clinical (pharmaco logical, biochemical, and molecular) scientists studying topics, such as neuroendocrine function, which are important in the biology of anor exia nervosa. (C) 1995 by John Wiley and Sons, Inc.