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Neurobiology of Anorexia Nervosa: Serotonin Dysfunctions Link Self-Starvation with Body Image Disturbances through an Impaired Body Memory

Overview of attention for article published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, November 2016
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  • In the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (90th percentile)
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (85th percentile)

Mentioned by

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1 news outlet
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9 X users
video
1 YouTube creator

Citations

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43 Dimensions

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144 Mendeley
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Title
Neurobiology of Anorexia Nervosa: Serotonin Dysfunctions Link Self-Starvation with Body Image Disturbances through an Impaired Body Memory
Published in
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, November 2016
DOI 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00600
Pubmed ID
Authors

Giuseppe Riva

Abstract

The etiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) is still unclear, despite that it is a critical and potentially mortal illness. A recent neurobiological model considers AN as the outcome of dysfunctions in the neuronal processes related to appetite and emotionality (Kaye et al., 2009, 2013). However, this model still is not able to answer a critical question: What is behind body image disturbances (BIDs) in AN? The article starts its analysis from reviewing some of the studies exploring the effects of the serotonin systems in memory (episodic, working, and spatial) and its dysfunctions. The review suggests that serotonin disturbances may: (a) facilitate the encoding of third person (allocentric) episodic memories; (b) facilitate the consolidation of emotional episodic memories (e.g., teasing), if preceded by repeated stress; (c) reduce voluntary inhibition of mnestic contents; (d) impair allocentric spatial memory. If we discuss these results within the interpretative frame suggested by the "Allocentric Lock Hypothesis" (Riva, 2012, 2014), we can hypothesize that altered serotoninergic activity in AN patients: (i) improves their ability to store and consolidate negative autobiographical memories, including those of their body, in allocentric perspective; (ii) impairs their ability to trigger voluntary inhibition of the previously stored negative memory of the body; (iii) impairs their capacity to retrieve/update allocentric information. Taken together, these points suggest a possible link between serotonin dysfunctions, memory impairments and BIDs: the impossibility of updating a disturbed body memory using real time experiential data-I'm locked to a wrong body stored in long term memory-pushes AN patients to control body weight and shape even when underweight.

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X Demographics

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 144 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Japan 1 <1%
Unknown 143 99%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Bachelor 29 20%
Student > Master 27 19%
Researcher 13 9%
Student > Ph. D. Student 9 6%
Student > Doctoral Student 8 6%
Other 18 13%
Unknown 40 28%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Psychology 44 31%
Medicine and Dentistry 19 13%
Neuroscience 13 9%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 5 3%
Nursing and Health Professions 4 3%
Other 14 10%
Unknown 45 31%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 18. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 17 February 2023.
All research outputs
#2,071,661
of 25,387,189 outputs
Outputs from Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
#950
of 7,671 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#39,800
of 427,217 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
#25
of 166 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,387,189 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 91st percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 7,671 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 14.9. This one has done well, scoring higher than 87% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 427,217 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 90% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 166 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 85% of its contemporaries.