Anorexia Nervosa and the Motivation to Restrict Food Intake : the Effects of Acute Dopamine Precursor Depletion "

Several behaviours associated with anorexia nervosa (AN) are hypothesised to be highly salient and rewarding for these people (e.g., food restriction, weight-loss, and driven exercise). Neurobiological and psychophysiological evidence support a role for altered dopaminergic reward processes in the aetiology of AN and in the valued nature of its symptomatology. More specifically, preliminary data support the hypothesis that, in people with AN, alterations in dopamine (DA) reward circuits result from the attribution of motivational salience to illness-related stimuli (e.g., thinness and exercise). Aberrant reward processing in AN may therefore represent an important developmental and maintaining factor to be targeted by treatments.