Neural correlates and sex hormonal associations of impaired feedback-learning in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa - a longitudinal fMRI study

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a somato-psychiatric disease that mostly begins in adolescence, involving endocrine changes including amenorrhea. It is difficult to treat as most patients have difficulties embracing change and thus, the disease often takes a chronic course. Underlying pathomechanisms including moderate neuropsychological deficits of learning and memory remain insufficiently understood. As learning and memory have been shown to be estradiol-dependent in healthy controls (HC), we conducted this assessment to investigate the impact of reduced estradiol in patients on verbal learning, memory and the underlying brain-alterations.