Autism and Anorexia Nervosa: Two Facets of the Same Disease?

The discussion as to the primacy of genetic vs. environmental factors has
shifted with the concept of ‘gene expression’ being shown as increasing our
understanding of the origin of pathological conditions and personality traits. This
means the acceptance of gene expression occurring during the primal period as well.
The questions are now focused on the timing and the critical periods for genesenvironment interaction. Autism and anorexia nervosa, two conditions that are to a
great extent determined during the perinatal period. Conclusions from a review of the
relevant literature are that anorexia nervosa might be considered a female variant of
the autistic spectrum.
KEY WORDS: Autism, anorexia nervosa, gene expression, oxytocin