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Cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2004

KATE TCHANTURIA
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine, Eating Disorders Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
MARIJA BRECELJ ANDERLUH
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine, Eating Disorders Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
ROBIN G. MORRIS
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
SOPHIA RABE-HESKETH
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics and Computing, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
DAVID A. COLLIER
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine and Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
PATRICIA SANCHEZ
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine, Eating Disorders Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
JANET L. TREASURE
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine, Eating Disorders Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, De Crespigny Park, London, UK

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine if there are differences in cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Fifty-three patients with an eating disorder (34 with anorexia nervosa and 19 with bulimia nervosa) and 35 healthy controls participated in the study. A battery of neuropsychological tests for cognitive flexibility was used, including Trail Making B, the Brixton Test, Verbal Fluency, the Haptic Illusion Test, a cognitive shifting task (CatBat) and a picture set test. Using exploratory factor analysis, four factors were obtained: 1: Simple Alternation; 2: Mental Flexibility; 3: Perseveration; and 4: Perceptual Shift. Patients with anorexia nervosa had abnormal scores on Factors 1 and 4. Patients with bulimia nervosa showed a different pattern, with significant impairments in Factors 2 and 4. These findings suggest that differential neuropsychological disturbance in the domain of mental flexibility/rigidity may underlie the spectrum of eating disorders. (JINS, 2004, 10, 513–520.)

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2004 The International Neuropsychological Society

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