Autistic traits in patients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder: A pilot study

Abstract

IntroductionPrevious data showed higher autistic traits in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) compared to healthy controls (CTL). It is not known, however, whether this characteristic is shared by other feeding and eating disorders (FEDs) or it is uniquely associated to AN.ObjectivesTo compare autistic traits among individuals with AN, bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED) and CTL and to investigate which specific dimensions differentiate one group from another.MethodsA total of 241 FED patients (53 AN, 41 BN, 42 BED) and 105 CTL were administered the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ), the adult autism subthreshold spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), the Ritvo autism and Asperger diagnostic scale 14-item (RAADS-14 Screen).ResultsFED subjects reported higher AQ, AdAS spectrum and RAADS-14 total and subscales scores compared to CTL (all P < .001). No differences were found amongst AN, BN and BED subjects in questionnaires’ total scores. BN group scored higher than AN in the hyper-/hyporeactivity to sensory input domain of the AdAS spectrum (P < .001); AN group scored higher than BED in the attention switching domain of the AQ (P < .001), and BED group scored lower than both AN and BN in the mentalizing deficit domain of the RAADS-14 (all P < .001).ConclusionsWe reported for the first time that not only AN but also BN and BED patients show greater autistic traits compared to CTL. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this preliminary report and to elucidate whether autistic traits either precede, co-occur or follow FEDs.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.