---
title: Are brain chemistry changes linked to missing periods in women with eating disorders?
description: The study found that women with bulimia who stop bingeing have changes in a brain chemical called noradrenaline, and those who stopped menstruating showed the
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/disturbances-of-noradrenergic-systems-in-normal-weight-bulimia-relationship-to-1990/
---

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- Are brain chemistry changes linked to missing periods in women with eating disorders?

Case-control study, 1990

# Are brain chemistry changes linked to missing periods in women with eating disorders?

The study found that women with bulimia who stop bingeing have changes in a brain chemical called noradrenaline, and those who stopped menstruating showed the lowest levels. However, this is a very small study that does not prove whether the chemistry change causes period loss.

 Early or limited evidence

Women with normal-weight bulimia compared to healthy controls (exact sample sizes not stated)

## What they did

A case-control study measuring a brain chemical (noradrenaline) in women with normal-weight bulimia at three time points: while bingeing, when admitted to hospital, and after 30 days of stopping bingeing. They compared results to healthy women eating normally.

## What they found

When women with bulimia were bingeing, their noradrenaline levels spiked much higher than in healthy controls eating a large meal. After 30 days of stopping bingeing, the bulimic women had lower noradrenaline than both their admission levels and the healthy controls. Women who had stopped menstruating showed the lowest noradrenaline in both states.

## What it means for you

This suggests diet and stopping bingeing affect a brain chemical that might be connected to disrupted periods. But the study is too small to know whether the chemistry change causes the period loss. Also, this research is about eating disorders, not PMS or PMDD.

30

Days of hospitalization before repeat measurements

## About the study

Original title Disturbances of noradrenergic systems in normal weight bulimia: relationship to diet and menses Authors Kaye WH, Gwirtsman HE, George DT et al. Journal Biological psychiatry Year 1990 Study design Case-control study What was tested None - this is an observational study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(90)90015-t](https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(90)90015-t)

## Topics

[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Eating disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-eating-disorders/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)

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