Is anorexia nervosa a version of autism spectrum disorders?

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136 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: Similarities have been noted between cognitive profiles of anorexia nervosa (AN) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, there are no direct comparison studies. This study aimed to compare the cognitive profile of AN against published ASD data on tasks measuring empathy, executive function and central coherence.

Methods: Currently ill AN outpatients (na=40) were statistically compared against published ASD scores on Reading the Mind in the Eyes, Voice and Films tasks (assessing empathy), Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST) (assessing executive function) and Embedded Figures Task (EFT) (assessing detail focus aspect of central coherence).

Results: Cognitive profiles of the groups were statistically similar, except for differences in the relative patterns of empathy scores.

Conclusions: The cognitive profile in current AN resembles that of ASD with important clinical implications. Replication studies with planned comparisons, examination of the state-or trait-nature of AN profile and clarification of factors underpinning similarities are required in order to broaden understanding of both disorders.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)462-474
Number of pages13
JournalEuropean Eating Disorders Review
Volume19
Issue number6
Early online date30 Jan 2011
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2011

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