All that glisters is not an endophenotype: rethinking endophenotypes in anorexia nervosa

Excerpt

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental health disorder with devastating consequences for sufferers and their families [1]. AN has a peak of onset in early adolescence [2], an age of many developmental changes. AN with pre-pubertal onset (EO-AN) is relatively rare; however, the evidence is mixed on whether outcomes are worse or better compared to AN with onset after puberty. For many individuals, AN becomes a chronic disorder, with impact on the individual's social, physical and psychological functioning. The last 10 years have seen many novel investigations focusing on the neurobiology of AN. Cognitive characteristics of patients with AN have received much attention, parallel to a surge of interest in psychiatry for measurable biological processes or phenotypes that might be more biologically informed than current diagnostic categories. …