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. 2016 Sep 21:12:2419-2423.
doi: 10.2147/NDT.S113586. eCollection 2016.

Increased frontal electroencephalogram theta amplitude in patients with anorexia nervosa compared to healthy controls

Knut A Hestad  1 , Siri Weider  2 , Kristian Bernhard Nilsen  3 , Marit Sæbø Indredavik  4 , Trond Sand  5
Affiliations

Increased frontal electroencephalogram theta amplitude in patients with anorexia nervosa compared to healthy controls

Knut A Hestad et al. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. .

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a blind study of quantitative electroencephalogram-band amplitudes in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with AN and 24 controls were examined with eyes-closed 16-channel electroencephalogram. Main variables were absolute alpha, theta, and delta amplitudes in frontal, temporal, and posterior regions.

Results: There were no significant differences between the AN patients and controls regarding absolute regional band amplitudes in μV. Borderline significance was found for anterior theta (P=0.051). Significantly increased left and right frontal electrode theta amplitude was found in AN patients (F3, P=0.014; F4, P=0.038) compared to controls. Significant differences were also observed for secondary variables: lower values for relative parietooccipital delta and frontocentral alpha activity among AN patients than among controls.

Conclusion: We observed slight excess frontal theta and lower relative alpha and delta amplitudes among AN patients than among controls. This pattern is possibly related to a slight frontal lobe dysfunction in AN, or it may reflect increased attention/vigilance or another state-related change in patients with AN compared to healthy controls.

Keywords: EEG; alpha; anorexia; delta; eating disorders; frontal theta.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Frontal theta amplitude at F3 (left box) and F4 (right box) in anorexia and control subjects. Notes: Differences were significant in the left (F3; P=0.014) and right (F4; P=0.038) frontal areas. *Outlier. Abbreviations: AN, anorexia nervosa group; CO, healthy control group.
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