Hyperactivity in Anorexia Nervosa: Warming Up Not Just Burning-Off Calories

Abstract

Excessive physical activity is a common feature in Anorexia Nervosa (AN) that interferes with the recovery process. Animal models have demonstrated that ambient temperature modulates physical activity in semi-starved animals. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of ambient temperature on physical activity in AN patients in the acute phase of the illness. Thirty-seven patients with AN wore an accelerometer to measure physical activity within the first week of contacting a specialized eating disorder center. Standardized measures of anxiety, depression and eating disorder psychopathology were assessed. Corresponding daily values for ambient temperature were obtained from local meteorological stations. Ambient temperature was negatively correlated with physical activity (p = −.405) and was the only variable that accounted for a significant portion of the variance in physical activity (p = .034). Consistent with recent research with an analogous animal model of the disorder, our findings suggest that ambient temperature is a critical factor contributing to the expression of excessive physical activity levels in AN. Keeping patients warm may prove to be a beneficial treatment option for this symptom.

Treatment of anorexia nervosa: a multimethod investigation translating experimental neuroscience into clinical practice

“…central elements of ED psychopathology). Data thus support our hypotheses and previous findings 242 that the drive to exercise in AN is substantially motivated by concerns at the core of ED psychopathology (e.g. the cognitive issues related to losing/maintaining low weight).…”

“…241 Thus, PA may be a deliberate and controlled behaviour that is intended to promote weight loss. 242 The idea that high PA is driven by anxiety in AN is supported by the often reported comorbidity of the two, [243][244][245] and the fact that approximately 50% of AN patients also have a lifetime history of anxiety disorder. 2,246 In some AN patients, anxiety disorders are reported to predate the onset of the ED, 245,247 are associated with lower BMI 248 and poorer outcome.…”

The Association between Malnutrition and Psychological Distress in Patients with Advanced Head-and-Neck Cancer

“…For instance, cancer-related anorexia-characterized by marked loss of appetiteappears to be associated with impairment of the neurotransmitter serotonin, a biomarker for depression 21,22 , suggesting a link between cancer-related anorexia and depression 21,23 . A metabolic disturbance of serotonin in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is also associated with an increased susceptibility to social stressors and chronic diseases, including cancer 24 .…”

Gait-specific adaptation of locomotor activity in response to dietary restriction inCaenorhabditis elegans

“…This phenomenon was originally discussed in 1888 by Gull (Gull, 1888). However, it remains unclear whether the hyperactivity of these patients is just a strategy to lose weight or whether it is derived from an unconscious biological need to forage or even to regulate hypothermia (Hebebrand et al, 2003;Carrera et al, 2012). In summary, in response to food deprivation, either decreased or increased locomotor activity can occur depending on the species.…”