Method for the detection and/or diagnosis of eating disorders and malnutrition using X-ray diffraction
Alternatives described herein relate to methods for detecting, identifying, and/or diagnosing eating disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and/or malnutrition, including conditions such as bulimia nervosa and/or anorexia nervosa, by using X-ray diffraction on a sample of a tested subject's hair. In some alternatives, once an eating disorder, nutritional deficiency, or malnutrition is detected, identified, or diagnosed using the X-ray diffraction approaches set forth herein, a subject identified as having an eating disorder, nutritional deficiency, or malnutrition is provided counseling for the disorder and/or a medicament to treat, inhibit, or ameliorate said eating disorder or malnutrition, including Prozac, ami trip tyline, fluoxe tine, imipramine, Nardil, Tofranil, desipramine, Sarafem, Norpramin, and/or phenelzine.
1. A method for identifying or detecting the presence of an eating disorder, malnutrition, or a nutritional deficiency in a subject, comprising:
measuring an X-ray diffraction pattern of a hair sample from a subject; and
identifying a high intensity ring in the diffraction pattern at 40-50 Angstroms;
wherein the high intensity ring at 40-50 Angstroms is indicative of an eating disorder, malnutrition, or a nutritional deficiency in said subject.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the eating disorder is bulimia or anorexia.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing said subject having an eating disorder, malnutrition, or a nutritional deficiency, counseling for the malnutrition or eating disorder.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hair sample is taken from the scalp, pubic area, arm, arm pit, leg, face, trunk, or other body part of said subject.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the X-ray diffraction pattern comprises a fiber X-ray diffraction analysis.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray diffraction pattern produced by the hair from the subject being tested is indicative of an eating disorder, malnutrition, or a nutritional deficiency as a result of a change in the substructure of the hair in the subject having the eating disorder or malnutrition, as compared to the hair of a control subject.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the X-ray diffraction pattern comprises exposing the hair sample to X-rays while undergoing a 360 degree rotation or a still image over a period from 5 seconds to 90 minutes.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray diffraction pattern is analyzed by a qualitative analysis of the X-ray diffraction pattern, a quantitative analysis of the X-ray diffraction pattern, or by an algorithm-based analysis of the X-ray diffraction pattern.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hair sample is exposed to X-rays at wavelengths of 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, or 0.25 nM.