Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh Research Articles

Self-Induced Vomiting and Other Impulsive Behaviors in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Cross-sectional Descriptive Study

Objective To determine the prevalence of self-induced vomiting (SIV) in a sample of patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), and to explore whether such behavior is associated with a comorbid eating disorder psychopathology and other clinical symptomatology, such as impulsivity. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out at the Alcohol Rehabilitation Unit at Stikland Psychiatric Hospital, South Africa. All consecutive inpatient admissions between April and June 2017 were invited to participate in an hour-long data interview. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) were used to collect data from 104 adults. Results: A total of 29% of patients with AUD reported SIV. The main reason stated for SIV was to prevent hangover (66%). There were no significant differences in BITE and BIS110 scores between participants who reported SIV and those who did not. Conclusions: Almost a third of patients with AUD reported SIV. BITE scores indicated no relationship between eating disorders and alcohol-related SIV in this sample. Our findings also did not support an etiological role for impulsivity in alcohol-related SIV.

Attitudes towards change mediate the effect of dissociation on psychopathological outcome in the treatment of eating disorders.

The study aimed to examine whether dissociation and attitudes towards change were associated with the psychopathology in patients with eating disorders (EDs) at 1-year follow-up. The study included 110 females with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (48 and 62 respectively). At the beginning of the study and 1 year later, they were assessed by means of the following questionnaires: Dissociative Experiences Scale, Attitudes Towards Change (ACTA), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Eating Attitude Test, Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). No statistically significant differences were found between both diagnostic groups regarding dissociation scores. The ACTA at baseline, specifically for patients in the contemplation stage, mediate the effect of dissociation on the psychopathological outcome. These findings suggest that dissociation might be a transdiagnostic feature related to the EDs outcome. The psychotherapeutic framework must take it into account, particularly in patients in the contemplation stage.

Risk Behaviors for Eating Disorders Among Brazilian Female Adolescents

Background:Eating disorders are complex conditions that cause serious emotional and physical problems.Aim:The aim of the study was to evaluate the behavioral risk for eating disorders in Brazilian female adolescents and their association with dental caries and erosion.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study included 200 students from public and private schools aged 15-18 years divided into two groups according to behavioral risk:Group 1 -adolescents without risk andGroup 2 -adolescents at risk / disorder situation. Sociodemographic information (age and type of school), use of dental services, eating habits, and Body Mass Index (BMI) was obtained. The Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh (BITE) was used to identify behavioral risk. Caries experience was assessed using the DMFT index, while dental erosion was evaluated using the O'Sullivan index. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with a significance level of 5%.Results:The highest overweight and obesity percentages were verified among adolescents at risk / disorder, respectively, 33% and 16%. There was a statistically significant association between behavioral risk and variables standard dietary pattern (p<0.001), strict diet (p<0.001), fasting for 24 hours (p<0.001), self-induced vomiting (p<0.001), and BMI (p<0.001). There was also a statistically significant difference between behavioral risk and the presence of dental caries (p<0.05) and erosion (p<0.001).Conclusion:Behavioral risk for eating disorders in female adolescents was associated with standard dietary patterns, strict diet and, self-induced vomiting. Adolescents at risk / eating disorders for bulimia were related to dental caries and erosion.

Association between eating disorders, suicide and depressive symptoms in undergraduate students of health-related courses

ABSTRACTObjective:To identify symptoms of eating disorders and potential associations with risk of suicide and depressive symptoms in undergraduate students of health-related courses.Methods:A cross-sectional study involving 271 students. The following instruments were used to identify symptoms of eating disorders: Eating Attitudes Test-26 and Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were used to screen for depressive symptoms and risk of suicide, respectively. Participants answered a questionnaire aimed to collect biodemographic data for economic classification of the sample.Results:Symptoms of eating disorders and bulimia nervosa were detected in 7.4% and 29.1% of students, respectively. Approximately 17.3% of students had symptoms of major depression, and 13.6% were at risk of suicide to some extent; risk of suicide was thought to be low in 7.4%, moderate in 0.7% and high in 5.5% of students in this subset. The risk of eating disorder development was correlated with the risk of suicide (p<0.001).Conclusion:Undergraduate students at risk of developing eating disorders, or with symptoms suggestive of depression, are more prone to commit suicide.

Efficacy of a mindful-eating programme to reduce emotional eating in patients suffering from overweight or obesity in primary care settings: a cluster-randomised trial protocol

IntroductionLittle is known about the applicability of mindfulness-based interventions in Spanish adults with overweight/obesity. The objective of the present study protocol is to describe the methods that will be used...

RISK BEHAVIOR FOR BULIMIA AMONG ADOLESCENTS.

ABSTRACTObjective: To analyze the risk behavior for bulimia among female adolescents from public and private high schools.Methods: A cross-sectional study with a random sample of 850 female students aged 15-18 years was carried out in a city in northeastern Brazil, using the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh (BITE) to assess the risk behavior for bulimia. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and the Pearson’s chi-square , Fisher’s exact and robust Poisson regression tests, adopting the significance level of 5%.Results: Less than half of the sample (42.0%) showed standards of dietary risk and weight control practices; in 1.4% of the sample, bulimia signs were already installed. Fear of gaining weight was reported by 62.8% of the subjects. Risk practices were lower among students from public schools; (Odds Ratio - OR - 0.82; confidence interval of 95% - 95%CI - 0.69-0.97). Among restrictive practices, fasting for a whole day was the most applied (29.9% of the students). Among individuals who were at risk situation, almost half believed to have normal eating habits (prevalence ratio - PR - 0.42; 95%CI 0.36-0.49). Individuals who consider their eating habits normal, who are afraid of gaining weight, those who seek emotional comfort in food and follow strict diets had higher risk for bulimia (p<0.05).Conclusions: The number of female adolescent students with risk behavior practices for bulimia is high, and the frequency of those unaware of this situation is also very high. Risk situations emerge as a collective health problem, and individuals from private schools were more likely to be in this situation.

Disordered eating behaviors and energy and nutrient intake in a regional sample of Brazilian adolescents from public schools.

To estimate the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors and the association with energy and nutrient intake and nutritional status in adolescents. A school-based cross-sectional study was performed involving a probabilistic sample of 487 teenagers (aged 15-19years) from public schools in the Metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Eating Attitude Test and the Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh questionnaires were applied to identify abnormal eating patterns and unusual dietary patterns, respectively. Nutritional status was defined by sex- and age-specific body mass index cutoffs. Energy and nutrient intake were assessed by a 3-day food record. The association between variables was assessed by the prevalence ratio and 95% confidence intervals, Pearson's Chi-square test, and linear regression. The prevalence of abnormal eating patterns was 7.4% and that of unusual dietary patterns was 18.9%. Vitamin C intake was higher among girls with abnormal dietary patterns, with a consequent lower frequency of vitamin C deficiency when compared to those with normal dietary patterns. Calcium intake was lower in boys with unusual dietary pattern than in those without this behavior. Excess weight was associated with the presence of unusual dietary pattern in girls (PR: 2.4, 95% CI 1.6-3.5). The prevalence of disordered eating behaviors was high, mainly in those who were overweight. It was associated with lower calcium intake in boys and with higher Vitamin C intake in girls. Level V, descriptive studies.

ESTADO NUTRICIONAL E TRANSTORNOS DO COMPORTAMENTO ALIMENTAR ENTRE ESTUDANTES DO CURSO DE GRADUAÇÃO EM NUTRIÇÃO NO INSTITUTO FEDERAL DE EDUCAÇÃO, CIÊNCIAS E TECNOLOGIA , CEARÁ, BRASIL

Transtornos alimentares tendem a ocorrer entre mulheres jovens, colocando universitárias como grupo de risco. Este estudo objetivou avaliar o estado nutricional agregado à percepção da imagem corporal e ao comportamento alimentar de estudantes do sexo feminino do curso de Nutrição. Trata-se de estudo transversal, do tipo descritivo e analítico, com amostra aleatória representativa, que utilizou o índice de massa corporal (IMC) autorreferido; o Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ); o Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburg (BITE); e o Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Foram empregadas análises descritivas de média ± desvio padrão (DP) e frequências simples e relativas. Para a análise de diferenças estatísticas, utilizou-se a análise de variância (Anova), e o nível de significância entre os grupos foi determinado pelo teste de Turkey, com nível de significância p&lt;0,05. As médias ± DP de idade e IMC foram 23 ± 4 anos e 23,39 ± 4,01, respectivamente. As prevalências foram: 46,14% apresentaram distorção da imagem corporal pelo BSQ; 9,62% tiveram risco de desenvolver distúrbios alimentares pelo EAT-26; e 15,38% expressaram comportamento alimentar anormal. Na população estudada, há grande preocupação com o corpo, o que demonstra influência da pressão sociocultural nesse grupo.DOI: 10.12957/demetra.2018.30654

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and psychological comorbidity in eating disorder patients.

There is some evidence that eating disorders (ED) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share common clinical features and that ADHD might contribute to the severity of eating disorders. A greater understanding of how the presence of comorbid ADHD may affect the psychopathological framework of eating disorder seems of primary importance. The aim of our study was to evaluate rates of ADHD in three ED subgroups of inpatients: anorexia nervosa restricting type (AN-R), anorexia nervosa binge-eating/purging type (AN-BP) and bulimia nervosa (BN). The secondary aim was the evaluation of the associated psychological characteristics. The sample consisted of 73 females inpatients (mean age 28.07±7.30), all with longstanding histories of eating disorder (ED). The presence of a diagnosis of ADHD was evaluated in a clinical interview based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. The following psychometric instruments were used: the eating attitude test (EAT-40), the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2), the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (BADDS), the Hamilton scales for Anxiety (HAM-A) and Depression (HAM-D), and the Barrat Impulsivity Scale (BIS-10). Among the three ED subgroups, 13 patients reported comorbidity with ADHD; three in the AN-R subtype, nine in the AN-BP and one in the BN. The remaining 60 patients (n=34 AN-R; n=19 AN-BP; n=7 BN) presented only a diagnosis of ED. The EAT (p=0.04) and HAM-A (p=0.02) mean scores were significantly higher in patients with comorbid ADHD. In our study the comorbidity between ADHD and ED appeared to be frequent, particularly among patients with AN-BP. ED inpatients with higher level of anxiety and more abnormal eating attitudes and bulimic symptoms should be assessed for potentially associated ADHD.

Risk behaviors related to eating disorders in adolescents and its association with dental erosion

Abstract Introduction The overvaluation of thinness as a standard of beauty has contributed to the development of eating disorders and has mainly affected adolescents and young adults. Objective To evaluate the prevalence of risk behaviors for eating disorders and their association with dental erosion in adolescents. Material and method This is a cross-sectional observational epidemiological study. The sample consisted of 278 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, enrolled in a State School in Campinas - SP. Two questionnaires were used for the data collection on eating disorders: Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh and Eating Attitudes Test -26. The presence of erosion was evaluated by calibrated examiners. Result The mean age of the sample was 14.8 years. The prevalence of mean risk for bulimia in the sample was 43.2% (95% CI: 37.3%-49.0%) and the prevalence of adolescents with a probability of developing bulimia was 53.2% (95% CI: 47.4%-59.1%). Of the total, 11.9% (95% CI: 8.1%-15.7%) showed results suggestive of anorexia. Among women, 66.9% were classified as probability developing bulimia, whereas in men the prevalence was 39.0%. As for dental erosion, only 1.1% of the sample presented erosion. Conclusion The study pointed to large number of adolescents with risk behaviors for eating disorders but no association was found with dental erosion due to low prevalence.

Fast screening of eating disorders among patients with bipolar disorder: Validation of the French version of BEDS questionnaire

IntroductionThe prevalence and morbidity of eating disorders (ED) is high in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Simple tools are necessary to easily and rapidly screen for ED in bipolar patients. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to validate the French version of Bipolar Eating Disorder Scale (BEDS-F). MethodED and BD diagnoses were established with a structured-interview in 80 patients according to the DSM-IV criteria. The BEDS was translated into French using appropriate methods. Patients were administered the following scales: BEDS-F, SCOFF, Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE) and Eating Disorder Inventory-two (EDI-2). ResultsBEDS-F score were significantly higher in bipolar patients with ED. The BEDS-F showed high feasibility (no omission response), excellent discriminating abilities (ROC AUC=0.97) with a sensibility of 98% and specificity of 85% for BEDS≥11, high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient=0.86) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.99). No floor/ceiling effect was observed. The BEDS-F sensitivity was equivalent to that of the BITE and EDI-2 subscale B. The BEDS-F specificity was slightly lower than that of the EDI-2 subscale B, but equivalent to that of BITE. ConclusionThe BEDS-F is a valid scale for fast ED screening in patients with bipolar disorder, and easier to administer than other currently used scales.

Risk of Suicide in Adolescents with Symptoms of Eating Disorders and Depression

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the risk of suicide in adolescents with symptoms of eating disorders and depression. Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted with 1379 students of public schools aged 10 to 17 years. The following evaluation tools were employed: A socio-demographic questionnaire, Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh (BITE), Children’s depression inventory (CDI) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I. – Brazilian version 5.0.0). Data analysis involved one-dimensional and two-dimensional tables with absolute and relative frequencies as well as the calculation of odds ratios (OR) and respective 95% confidence intervals associated with the levels described using Pearson’s chi-square test. In the multivariate analysis, a binary logistic regression model was adjusted, including variables with a p-value <0.05 in the binary analysis as possible explanatory variables. Results: Through the ORs, it was estimated that the probability of an adolescent in the population analysed of being at risk of suicide was higher when the adolescent was older than 11 years, of the female gender, had symptoms of an eating disorder and had depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The risk of suicide is not restricted to clinical samples of adolescents with eating disorders, but can also be detected in non-clinical samples. Moreover, the risk is higher among adolescents with symptoms of both eating disorders and depression.

Relationship between Risk Behavior for Eating Disorders and Dental Caries and Dental Erosion.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is an association between risk behavior for eating disorders (EDs) and dental erosion and caries. A controlled cross-sectional study was conducted in Brazil, involving 850 randomly selected female adolescents. After evaluating risk behavior for eating disorders through the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh, 12 adolescents were identified with severe risk behavior for EDs and matched to 48 adolescents without such risk. Dental examinations, anthropometric measurements, and eating habits and oral hygiene were performed. Adolescents with high severity eating disorder condition were not more likely to show dental caries (p = 0.329; OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 0.35–13.72) or dental erosion (p = 0.590; OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 0.56–9.70). Adolescents with high body mass index (BMI) were five times more likely to have high severity eating disorder condition (p = 0.031; OR = 5.1; 95% CI: 1.61–23.07). Therefore, high severity risk behavior for EDs was not significantly associated with dental caries and dental erosion. However, high BMI was a risk factor for developing eating disorders and should be an alert for individuals with this condition.

Diyabetik ve Hipertansif Hastalarda Yeme Bozukluklarının Karşılaştırılması

Objective: Patients with diabetes and hypertension must organize to follow a consistent diet and regulate their eating habits. Their minds busy with the diet lists, the foods that are forbidden, limited eating and weight control. The aim of this study is to compare and eating behaviors and psychological conditions of these patients. Material and Methods: 137 diabetic and 86 hypertensive patients presenting to Health Care Centers were included in the study. Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used in the study. Results: Mean age of the diabetic and hypertensive patients were 56.1±11.5 years and 53.8±13.1 years respectively. There were no statistically differences between two groups with respect to age, height, weight, highest weight and body mass index (BMI). There were no statistical differences between diabetic and hypertensive groups in terms of average BITE, EAT and GHQ score. According to Garner's cutoff value, we demonstrated that 19.7% of diabetic patients and 24.4% of hypertensive patients had disordered eating behavior. There were no statistical differences between two groups in terms of disordered eating behavior (P=0.64). When two groups were compared according to sex, there were no significant differences between average BITE, EAT and GHQ scores, between diabetic and hypertensive men, and between diabetic and hypertensive women. Conlusion: In our study, approximately one-fifth of the patients had disordered eating behaviour. The frequency of disordered eating behaviour were similar between two groups of patients. Patients with eating disorders should be guided towards nutritional health. Clinician should be careful about the eating disorders that may arise in these patients.

Overweight and Body Image Perception in Adolescents with Triage of Eating Disorders.

Purpose To verify the influence of overweight and alteration in the perception of the corporal image during the triage of eating disorders. Method A food disorder triage was performed in adolescents with 10 to 19 years of age using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT), and Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE), as well as a nutritional status evaluation. The perception of body image was evaluated in a subsample of adolescents with 10 to 14 years of age, using the Brazilian Silhouette Scale. The project was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Results The prevalence of eating disorder triage was 11.4% (n = 242) for the 2,123 adolescents evaluated. Overweight was present in 21.1% (n = 447) of the students, being more prevalent in the early adolescence phase, which presented levels of distortion of 56.9% (n = 740) and dissatisfaction of 79.3% (n = 1031). Body dissatisfaction was considered as a risk factor, increasing by more than 13 times the chance of TA screening. Conclusion Overweight was correlated with the ED triage and body dissatisfaction was considered as a risk factor, increasing the chances of these disorders by more than 13 times.

Frequency of pain and eating disorders among professional and amateur dancers.

The pursuit of perfection can cause anxiety and lead dancers to exceed their physical limits. The aim here was to evaluate the prevalence of pain symptoms and eating disorders among professional and amateur dancers. Observational cross-sectional study; Curitiba, PR, Brazil. Data on 150 professional and non-professional practitioners of ballet, jazz and street dance were collected through specific questionnaires: Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-T-6 (STAI-T-6). Pain was observed in 58.6% of the sample, equally between professionals and amateurs (P = 0.19). Ballet dancers had more lower-limb pain than the other groups (P = 0.05). EAT-26 showed a tendency towards more eating disorders among the amateurs (P = 0.06). Higher risk of eating disorders was found among ballet dancers (P = 0.004) and jazz practitioners (P = 0.02) than among street dancers. Amateurs had more symptoms on the BITE scale (P < 0.0001), more pain (P = 0.002) and higher anxiety (P < 0.0001). Eating disorders were more common among females (P = 0.01) and singles (P = 0.02). Professionals were more satisfied with their own body image than amateurs (P < 0.001). Pain symptoms were found in almost half of the sample, equally among professionals and amateurs as well as between the three dance styles. Female and singles had more eating disorders. Those with eating disorders had higher levels of pain and anxiety.

Association Between Nutritional Status and Dental Caries in Brazilian Teenagers with and without Risk for Eating Disorders

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and dental caries in Brazilian female adolescents with and without behavioral risk for eating disorders. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 60 girls, 15 to18 years old, randomly selected from public and private schools. Risk behavior for eating disorder was assessed by the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh, anthropometric measurements were taken to calculate the body mass index, dental examinations were performed to verify the caries experience and a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data was applied. Data were analyzed descriptively and analytically using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 18.0 software. The level of statistical significance was set at 5%, with a 95% confidence interval. Results: Most of the girls studied in public school (75,0%), had no partner (95,0%) and had a monthly family income above the minimum wage (63,3%). The prevalence of dental caries was high (86.7%). The most used practice for weight loss was the act of purge (18.3%). There was no statistically significant association between dental caries and Body Mass Index (p=0,655), however, it was observed that adolescents with high Body Mass Index had a higher risk for Eating Disorders (p<0,05). Conclusion: The nutritional status was not associated with dental caries, however the monitoring of girls with high Body Mass Indexis important due to the increased risk of eating disorders.

Hipertansif Hastalarda Diyet Uygulamaları ve Yeme Bozuklukları Arasındaki İlişki

Objective: Many studies on prevention and treatment of hypertension show that some special nutrition and diets are effective on blood pressure. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the dietary applications in hypertension patients are correlated with eating disorders or not. Materialand Methods: The study was conduced in eight different centers among Family Health Centers in Sakarya. The test group consisted of 86 hypertensive patients and the control group consisted of 162 persons. Abnormal eating behaviours, inappropriate weight control methods and psychological status of the patients were assessed through three questionnaires: Eating Attitudes test-26 (EAT); Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE) and General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Results: The characteristics of the test group and the control group were similar with regard to age, sex and height. Body mass indeks (BMI) and weight of the test group was significantly higher than the control group. Test group had higher EAT score (21.82±12.53 vs 18.85±9.65, p=0.04), BITE score (9.68±2.95 vs 8.75±3.00, p=0.02) than the control group. GHQ-12 of the test group was significantly higher than the control group (11.86±7.10 vs 10.02±6.35, p=0.04). When we compare the two groups in terms of gender, BITE scores of females in the test group were significantly higher than the females in the control group (9.92±2.9 vs 8.86±3.071, p=0.03), whereas GHQ scores of males in the test group were significantly higher than males in the the control group (11.73±7.35 vs 8.47±5.71, p=0.03). There was positive correlation between BMI and BITE scores in test group (r= 0.242 p=0.025). Concluson: Eating disorders and psychiatric complications may develop among patients with hypertension. Hence, a diagnosis hypertension should lead to a heightened level of diagnostic suspicion for eating and psychiatric disorders.

Comparison in decision-making between bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and healthy women: influence of mood status and pathological eating concerns

BackgroundDecision-making is reported to be impaired in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), but the influence of mood status, pathophysiological eating, and weight concerns on the performance of decision-making ability between AN and BN is still unclear. The aims of this study were to investigate differential impairments in the decision-making process between AN, BN, and healthy controls (HC), and secondly, to explore the role of mood status, such as anxiety, depression, pathological eating, and weight concerns, in decision-making ability.MethodsPatients suffering from AN (n = 22), BN (n = 36) and age-matched HC (n = 51) were assessed for their decision-making abilities using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Self-reported questionnaires including the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), the Bulimia Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), the Eating Disorders Inventory, the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory measuring obsessive-compulsive traits, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale were used to assess pathological eating concerns and attitude to feelings.ResultsSignificant differences in IGT performance were observed between BN and HC. Significant negative correlation was found between IGT performance and the BITE symptom subscale in AN. In BN, there was a negative correlation between the EDE-Q weight concerns subscale and IGT performance. It was also found that increased anxiety, depression, and eating/weight concerns predicted poorer decision-making.ConclusionDifferent patterns of association between pathological eating concerns/behaviors and performances in decision-making ability were found between AN, BN, and HC. Anxiety, depressive mood status, and eating/weight concerns were related to decision-making ability.

New data on psychological traits and sleep profiles of patients affected by nocturnal eating

ObjectiveNocturnal eating behavior is shared by patients affected by a parasomnia, sleep-related eating disorder (SRED), and several eating disorders such as night eating syndrome (NES) and binge-eating disorder (BED); however, the differential clinical features of these patients have been poorly studied, with persisting difficulties in defining the borders between these pathologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate polysomnographic and personality characteristics of nocturnal eaters to further differentiate the syndromes. MethodsDuring a period of six months, consecutive patients complaining of nocturnal eating were asked to participate to the study. Twenty-four patients who were found to eat during the polysomnographic recording (PSG) study, and gender-matched control subjects were included. All subjects underwent a full-night video-PSG study and a psychometric assessment including the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2), the self-rating Bulimic Investigatory Test–Edinburgh (BITE), the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS). ResultsNocturnal eaters showed a mild reduction in sleep efficiency and duration due to a moderate sleep fragmentation, whereas the percentage of each sleep stage was not significantly affected. Nocturnal eaters scored higher at many subscales of the EDI-2, at the BITE symptoms subscale, and at the BIS attentional impulsivity subscale. ConclusionThe psychological characteristics found in our patients with NES seem to be typical for patients affected by eating disorders, and support the hypothesis that the nocturnal behavior of these individuals is due to an eating disorder; however, specific traits also allow differentiation of NES from BED.