Relationships between Platelet MAO-B Activity and Personality Styles in Acute and Weight-Recovered Young Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Objective:

Previous studies have shown relationships between personality styles and markers of serotonergic functioning, but data on patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) are scarce.

Methods:

The personality styles and disorder inventory was administered to 47 acute patients with anorexia nervosa (acAN), 27 weight-recovered patients (recAN) and 72 healthy controls (HC) aged between 14 and 21 years. Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO-B) activity was assayed with [¹⁴C]-β-phenylethylamine as substrate.

Results:

AcAN had significant elevated scores on 9 of the 14 personality style subscales when compared to HC, whereas recAN were largely normal. Platelet MAO-B activity and “ambitious/narcissistic” scores correlated negatively in acAN. In recAN we found positive correlations between MAO-B and personality subscores.

Conclusions:

The inverse relationship between a cluster B personality style and MAO-B activity in acAN is in accordance with studies in other patient populations. In contrast, positive associations between problematic personality styles and MAO-B activity in recAN combined with the overall decreased MAO-B activity in this group adds to the existing evidence suggesting a general dysfunction of the serotonergic system as a trait marker for AN.

Key words

anorexia nervosa - personality styles - personality disorders - platelet monoamine oxidase activity - psychopathology

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