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In humans, hunger is linked to negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, dysphoria, irritability) that are alleviated by engaging in the motivated behavior of eating. Conversely, in those with anorexia nervosa, the thought or action of eating produces these negative emotions, facilitating food refusal.
The present study utilized functional MRI to identify connectivity dysregulation between the insula and ventral caudal putamen in individuals with anorexia nervosa. A total of 26 females in remission from anorexia (mean age, 25.7 years) were compared with 22 matched female controls. Two scanning sessions were held for each participant: The first was after a 16-hour fast and the second was after a standardized meal. During each scan, a taste of sucrose…