Eating disorders in school-aged children represent a significant medical and social problem due to their close association with neuropsychiatric dysfunctions and long-term consequences for physical and mental development. Increasing evidence indicates that serotonergic neurotransmission plays a key role in the regulation of appetite, emotional stability, cognitive functions, and stress responsiveness. Disruption of serotonin metabolism, receptor sensitivity, and synaptic signaling may contribute to the development and persistence of maladaptive eating behaviors in childhood. This abstract highlights the serotonergic mechanisms underlying central nervous system dysfunction in children with eating disorders. Alterations in central serotonin levels are associated with impaired hypothalamic regulation of hunger and satiety, dysregulation of limbic structures involved in anxiety and mood control, and reduced cortical modulation of impulse control and decision-making. Neurochemical imbalance within serotonergic pathways may lead to heightened anxiety, obsessive behaviors, emotional lability, and disturbed reward processing, which together form a neurobiological basis for restrictive, compulsive, or dysregulated eating patterns.

Understanding serotonergic dysfunction in the context of eating disorders provides important insights into the pathogenesis of these conditions and supports the development of targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Early identification of serotonergic imbalance may improve prognostic assessment and enable personalized interventions aimed at restoring neurochemical homeostasis, optimizing cognitive-emotional regulation, and improving long-term outcomes in school-aged children with eating disorders.

Serotonin, nervous system, eating disorders

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