BJP Evidence-Based Mental Health
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Psychiatric Bulletin Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

The British Journal of Psychiatry (1967) 113: 257-263. doi: 10.1192/bjp.113.496.257
© 1967 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by SILVERSTONE, J. T.
Right arrow Articles by RUSSELL, G. F. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by SILVERSTONE, J. T.
Right arrow Articles by RUSSELL, G. F. M.

Gastric "Hunger" Contractions in Anorexia Nervosa

J. TREVOR SILVERSTONE M.A., B.M., B.Ch., M.R.C.P., D.P.M.1 and G. F. M. RUSSELL M.D., M.R.C.P., M.R.C.P.E., D.P.M.2

1 Senior Lecturer, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London
2 Senior Lecturer, Institute of Psychiatry, The Maudsley Hospital, London

Gastric contractions were recorded in ten normal female subjects, and in seven female patients and one male patient with anorexia nervosa. The patients were all severely emaciated. The nature of the feeding disorder varied a great deal: true loss of appetite was present in only three of the eight patients.

The motility of the stomach was recorded by means of an open-ended polythene tube filled with water and connected to a recording system. Most recordings lasted four hours.

There was no significant difference between the normal subjects and the anorexia nervosa patients as regards their overall gastric motility and the occurrence of so-called hunger contractions. True loss of appetite was not accompained by cessation of gastric activity. Some patients recognized the contractions but did not interpret them as sensations of hunger.

Five patients with anorexia nervosa were retested after they had been treated and had gained weight. There resulted only a slight decrease in gastric activity which was not significant.

Submitted on June 25, 1966




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Clin Child Psychol PsychiatryHome page
I. Orbach
The Role of the Body Experience in Self-Destruction
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, October 1, 1996; 1(4): 607 - 619.
[Abstract]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Psychiatric Bulletin Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals
Copyright © 1967 The Royal College of Psychiatrists.