1. ¹Eating Disorders Program, Douglas Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2. ²Research Center, Douglas Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
3. ³Psychiatry Department, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Correspondence: Dr H Steiger, Eating Disorders Program, Douglas Hospital, 6875 LaSalle Blvd, Verdun, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada. Tel: +1 514 761 6131 ext. 2895; Fax: +1 514 888 4085; E-mail: stehow@douglas.mcgill.ca

Received 25 October 2004; Revised 5 January 2005; Accepted 7 January 2005; Published online 9 February 2005.

Abstract

Findings show brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) activity to be altered in individuals who have had bulimia nervosa (BN), even after substantial remission of symptoms. Such findings could reflect persistent sequelae due to BN, or a vulnerability 'trait' that exists independently of active eating-disorder manifestations. We compared women with full-blown BN (BN; n=22), BN in remission (BN-R; n=11), and no eating or psychiatric disturbances (n=22) on measures of platelet [³H]paroxetine binding, eating symptoms and psychopathology. The BN-R group showed normal-range scores on eating and psychopathological symptoms, but reductions in density (B_max) of binding sites for paroxetine similar to those obtained in the actively ill women. Both BN groups had substantially lower B_max than did healthy controls. Our results corroborate other findings indicating recovered BN patients to have anomalous 5-HT functioning. While such effects could represent a lasting 'injury' to the system, reported covariations between personality traits and 5-HT indices in BN encourage us to favor the argument that some alterations of 5-HT activity (in this case, consistent with reduced transporter activity) represent a 'trait' associated with the risk of developing BN and/or associated psychopathology.