Melbourne researchers have discovered a new bio-marker that could be used to help diagnose anorexia with 95 percent accuracy. Researchers from Swinburne University, The University of Melbourne and St. Vincent's Hospital found that people with anorexia displayed eye movements called square wave jerks, also known as saccadic intrusion, which only a small number of healthy individuals have.
Researchers investigated whether individuals with anorexia and healthy control individuals differed in the rate of square wave jerks. The square wave jerks were observed during an attempted fixation task during which participants were instructed to fixate on a white cross against a black background for five minutes. It was seen that participants with anorexia produced a significantly greater number of square wave jerks during the task than healthy individuals.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder most commonly found among teenage girls. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a very low body weight, generally defined as 15% below the Body Mass Index.
Professor Susan Rossell from Swinburne's Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre said, "The findings needed to be replicated and expanded, but indicated a neurotransmitter, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that contributes to motor control, vision and other cortical functions might be involved in the impaired eye movements."
Source: Medindia
Decreased Appetite Symptom Evaluation
A loss of appetite deprives an individual of essential nutrients and results in weight loss.
 Orthorexia NervosaAre you a Health Food Junkie? Are you obsessed with what you eat all the time? You may be a victim of a condition called Orthorexia Nervosa. | Advertisement
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Indigestion
Indigestion or dyspepsia is referred to nonspecific symptoms or discomfort that causes persistent pain or fullness in the upper abdomen, soon after the meal starts.
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