Are low body weight and psychological symptoms associated with cognitive function in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa?

Abstract

IntroductionDespite an increasing focus on cognitive functions in eating disorders, only limited and contradictory knowledge regarding the relationship between cognitive functions and anorexia nervosa symptomatology currently exist.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between cognitive functions and anorexia nervosa symptomatology in children and adolescents.MethodEating disorder symptoms and cognitive functions were examined in this cross-sectional, multi-centre study. Diagnostic scores i.e. BMI, psychological symptoms, and global EDE-16 were stratified on cognitive function. Children and adolescents suffering from severe recent-onset anorexia nervosa (n = 94) and healthy controls (n = 94), between the age 10.6 and 17.9 years (mean age 14.9 years, SD 1.8), participated in the study. The patients were divided into two groups, respectively above and below the median of cognitive functions.ResultsThe study findings revealed that Global EDE score significantly increased with age (P = 0.002, CI 0.08–0.36). Besides this, no significant associations between low body weight or psychological symptoms and cognitive functions were found. However, a large variability in cognitive functions was found on all measure in patients with anorexia nervosa than healthy controls.ConclusionWhile age seems to be significantly correlated to symptom burden the study results indicate that patients with anorexia nervosa is a much more heterogeneous group with regard to cognition than healthy controls. However, cognitive functions and anorexia nervosa symptomatology does not appear to be associated.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.