The predictive role of frontoparietal network in clinical symptoms and treatment response in anorexia nervosa

Abstract Objective Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been characterized as an over-control disorder with increased resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in the frontoparietal control network (FPCN). However, there has been limited exploration of neuroimaging biomarkers for predicting treatment response in AN. The study aimed to investigate the role of FPCN in predicting clinical symptoms and treatment response in AN patients. Method Seventy-nine female AN patients who had not received prior treatment and forty matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for this study. All participants completed the Questionnaire Version of the Eating Disorders Examination (version 6.0) to assess the severity of AN. Additionally, RSFC data were obtained from all participants at baseline. AN patients then underwent outpatient treatment for four and twelve weeks, during which time their clinical symptoms were evaluated using the same measures as at baseline. Results After controlling for depression and anxiety symptoms, the AN group still exhibited increased RSFC in the right posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and dlPFC compared to HCs. Moreover, RSFC in the PPC to inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was found to be an important predictor or tend to be an important predictor for the clinical symptoms after controlling for age, and treatment response of AN after controlling for age, age of onset and BMI. Conclusion Alterations in RSFC of FPCN may provide a possible neural marker to assist in predicting clinical symptoms and treatment response in AN patients, providing new insight into the pathogenesis of AN and allowing for early prevention and treatment.