The Handbook of the Neurobiology of Eating Disorders

by Christina E. Wierenga (ed.), Joanna E. Steinglass (ed.) Eating disorders are associated with dangerous and costly medical morbidity, high rates of comorbid psychopathology, significant psychosocial impairment, substantial economic burden, and the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. These serious disorders have a long history in psychological research, yet advances in neurobiology are relatively new. The Handbook of the Neurobiology of Eating Disorders provides readers with a useful and accessible reference that summarizes and highlights critical findings in eating disorders to provide foundational knowledge of biological and brain function in eating disorders, how this relates to symptom expression and maintenance, and how this can inform future research and treatment development efforts needed to improve efficacy. The book aims not only to assemble scientific information from a range of areas of neurobiology of eating disorders but also to promote discourse and encourage integration of perspectives. By highlighting the controversies in the field, the book clarifies the distinctions between what is known from the data and what is not yet known, to drive further discovery toward the common goal of improving understanding and treatment of eating disorders.