The Anorexic Brain

Rosen (2013) reports that anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder where a person limits the intake of calories consumed, may not be the individual’s fault. A recent study done by Walter Kaye shows signs that the real reason behind anorexia is not self- enforced, but caused by an odd wiring in the brain. After taking scans of healthy and anorexia affected human brains, Kaye came to the realization that the scans did not match. Studies have shown that the human brain may be able to change how the prefrontal cortex, the self-control center of the brain, works, along with several other sections. Sections of the brain that have been rewired may allow an anorexic person to more easily withstand pain, including gnawing hunger.
Scientists also found that most anorexics developed a strong focus and concentration when working, even at an early age. Last year, Samantha Brooks, an experimental neuropsychologist, conducted a study that showed people who suffer from anorexia have a stronger working memory. This means that they are able to set a strong rule and obey it better than most healthy people. James Lock also conducted an experiment to support this hypothesis that involved having to push a button. In the results, people suffering from bulimia had to work harder to control themselves while involved in the study. Dopamine seems to be another issue in anorexics because they just do not react the normal way a healthy human would. Ursula Bailer administered a drug that that activates the release of dopamine to both healthy people and anorexics, and while healthy people felt lifted in spirit, anorexics felt anxious. In conclusion,
The data from these experiments may help lead to new ways to treat anorexia. Tests can be done, such as seeing how a low amount of calories consumed affects a teenager compared to how a healthy intake of calories consumed affects a different teenager. The experimenter can design a simple experiment that will test how the teenagers are able