# Nutritional deficiency and dopamine: A neurodevelopmental study of starvation effects in adolescent anorexia nervosa

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC · 2022 · $767,846

## Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe and potentially life-threating condition that typically emerges in the
teenage years. While AN is a complex disorder with myriad symptoms, caloric restriction is the central
behavioral disturbance, and is characterized by a specific restriction of dietary fat. Converging data indicate
that AN is associated with disturbances in the dopamine system. The dopamine system develops considerably
during adolescence, and adequate nutrition plays a role in healthy brain development. Yet the effects of dietary
restriction and the associated starved state that is an inherent feature of AN is poorly understood. Individuals
with AN typically initiate dietary restrictions that accelerate, with mounting caloric reductions and weight loss
and associated symptoms including anxiety and depression. This cascading pattern most commonly unfolds
during adolescence and can lead to life-long struggles with eating, body image, and mood disturbance, if not
unremitting AN. The restrictive eating pattern leads to decreased availability of many nutrients, some of which
are particularly important in adolescent brain development. Here, we focus on polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs)
and tyrosine which are specifically known to be critical for the functioning and development of the dopamine
system.
 Our proposal aims to test the overarching hypothesis that among teens who develop AN, dietary restriction
which is intrinsic to illness negatively impacts the dopamine (DA) system during a critical window of brain
development, with enduring effects. We predict that these nutritional deficits will be associated with structural
and functional disturbances in the DA system (baseline MRI scans with tractography, neuromelanin-MRI, and
prediction error-fMRI). We predict that these nutritional deficits have enduring effects on the DA system even
when weight restoration is successful, as evidenced by repeat MRI at 1 year. To assess the impact of being
underweight, we will include individuals with atypical AN, who show all clinical features of AN but are not
underweight, and 1-year longitudinal assessments will measure the enduring impact of these nutritional
deficits.
 The proposed research has direct translational therapeutic implications – such as augmenting current
treatments (including refeeding) with nutrient supplementation, thereby protecting the developing brain and
curtailing the long-term negative sequelae of adolescent AN. With extant knowledge, such trials would be
premature as the specific nutrients underlying AN-related starvation effects on brain development are
unknown. We aim to close this gap by examining whether PUFAs and tyrosine mediate abnormalities in the DA
system in adolescents with AN and atypical AN.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10534437
- **Project number:** 1R01MH131231-01
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC
- **Principal Investigator:** Jonathan E Posner
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $767,846
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-19 → 2030-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10534437

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10534437, Nutritional deficiency and dopamine: A neurodevelopmental study of starvation effects in adolescent anorexia nervosa (1R01MH131231-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10534437. Licensed CC0.

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