Functionally, these neurons are either motor (conducting impulses that will cause activity such as the contraction of muscles) or association (conducting impulses and permitting 'communication' between neurons within the central nervous system).
The scant research that has been done on the causes of pica suggests that the disorder is a specific appetite caused by mineral deficiency in many cases, such as iron deficiency, which sometimes is a result of celiac disease or hookworm infection.
In other cases, an individual may not report the pica to a physician simply because of a lack of knowledge of pica's potential medical significance. Because the eating behaviors of pica are not usually detected or reported, it is the complications of the behavior that bring it to attention.n other cases, an individual may not report the pica to a physician simply because of a lack of knowledge of pica's potential medical significance. Because the eating behaviors of pica are not usually detected or reported, it is the complications of the behavior that bring it to attention.