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Cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2004

KATE TCHANTURIA ,
MARIJA BRECELJ ANDERLUH ,
ROBIN G. MORRIS ,
SOPHIA RABE-HESKETH ,
DAVID A. COLLIER ,
PATRICIA SANCHEZ  and
JANET L. TREASURE
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
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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.)

Keywords

AnorexiaBulimiaSet-shiftingCognitionMental flexibility
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , July 2004 , pp. 513 - 520
Copyright
2004 The International Neuropsychological Society

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