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Aims: The review aimed to summarise and discuss findings focused on therapeutic probiotic and prebiotic interventions in eating disorders (ED). Methods: Using PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science all published studies were retrieved until February 2023, following PRISMA guidelines. From the 111 initial studies, 5 met the inclusion criteria for this review. Results: All studies included in this narrative review were focused on anorexia nervosa (AN). Three longitudinal, randomised, controlled trials aimed to evaluate interventions with probiotics (Lactobacillus reuteri, yoghurt with Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus) in children and adolescents. These studies primarily emphasised medical outcomes and anthropometric measures following the administration of probiotics. However, the findings yielded mixed results in terms of short‐term weight gain or alterations in specific immunological parameters. With a lower level of evidence, supplementation with synbiotics (probiotic + prebiotic) has been associated with improvements in microbiota diversity and attenuation of inflammatory responses. Conclusions: Research on probiotics and prebiotics in ED is limited, primarily focussing on anorexia nervosa (AN). Their use in AN regarding medical and anthropometric outcomes needs further confirmation and future research should be warranted to assess their impact on psychological and ED symptomatology, where there is a notable gap in the existing literature. Highlights: Research based on probiotic and prebiotic therapeutic interventions in eating disorders (ED) is still scarce.Available evidence comes particularly from randomised controlled trials in anorexia nervosa (AN), evaluating the effects of probiotics on medical outcomes and anthropometric measures.Future studies should explore the impact of probiotic and prebiotic interventions specifically on eating psychopathology in AN and other ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the present study was to test the usefulness of an add‐on serious video game approach (i.e., Playmancer) to treatment as usual (TAU) on reducing impulsive behaviours and psychopathology in individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder (ED). Method: Thirty‐seven patients diagnosed with an ED according to the DSM‐5 were included in the present randomized clinical trial (RCT; study record 35,405 in ClinicalTrials.gov) and were randomly assigned to either the TAU or TAU + Playmancer group. All participants completed a clinical interview. Impulsivity (UPPS‐P self reported questionnaire and Stroop task) and general psychopathology (SCL‐90‐R) measures were assessed at: baseline, 4 weeks into treatment, at the end of TAU (after 16 weeks), and follow‐up (2 years). In addition, patients in the experimental group underwent a total of nine sessions with Playmancer over the span of 3 weeks. Results: Patients in both treatment groups (TAU + Playmancer or TAU) improved on Stroop task performance and psychological distress. Additionally, patients in TAU‐Playmancer improved on the impulsive trait domain of lack of perseverance. No statistical differences were found regarding treatment outcomes (i.e., treatment adherence and remission of eating symptomatology) when comparing the two treatment groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the impulsivity associated with EDs should be addressed and could be modified, as some facets of trait impulsivity improved after Playmancer add‐on treatment. Yet, there were no significant differences in treatment outcomes when comparing the two groups and further research needs to be conducted. Highlights: Certain eating disorders (EDs) are characterised by high levels of impulsivity.Serious video games may enhance standard treatments (such as cognitive‐behavioural therapy).Playmancer sessions, along with standard treatment, are useful in reducing certain impulsive traits in patients with EDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The regulation of negative emotions entails the modulation of subcortical regions, such as the amygdala, by prefrontal regions. There is preliminary evidence suggesting that individuals at higher weight may present with hypoactivity in prefrontal regulatory systems during emotional regulation, although the directionality of these pathways has not been tested. In this study, we compared fronto‐amygdalar effective connectivity during cognitive reappraisal as a function of BMI in 48 adult women with obesity and 54 control participants. Methods: Dynamic causal modeling and parametric empirical Bayes were used to map effective connectivity between the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the amygdala. Results: Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale scores were higher in the obesity group compared with control participants (p < 0.001). A top‐down cortical model best explained our functional magnetic resonance imaging data (posterior probability = 86%). Participants at higher BMI were less effective at inhibiting activity in the amygdala via the orbitofrontal cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex during reappraisal compared with those at lower BMI. In contrast, increased excitatory modulation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex‐to‐amygdalar connectivity was found in participants at lower BMI. Conclusions: These findings support a framework involving alterations in fronto‐amygdalar connectivity contributing to difficulties in regulating negative affect in individuals at higher weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study assessed gender‐related differences in executive functions (decision‐making, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility), personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in binge‐spectrum eating disorders (EDs). Secondly, we aimed to separately explore the predictive value of gender and executive functions in treatment outcome. Method: A battery of self‐reported and neurocognitive measures were answered by a sample of 85 patients (64 females) diagnosed with a binge‐spectrum ED (41 BN; 44 binge eating disorder). Results: Data showed gender‐related differences in executive functioning, displaying women lower inhibitory control and lower cognitive flexibility than men. Regarding personality traits and psychopathology symptoms, women presented higher reward dependence and cooperativeness, as well as more drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, bulimia, and somatisation symptoms than men. Finally, worse executive functioning, particularly having lower ability in concept formation seems to predict worse treatment outcomes and dropout in these patients. Conclusions: We described gender specific neuropsychological, personality and psychopathological impairments in patients with binge‐spectrum EDs. Moreover, difficulties in executive functioning might have an impact on treatment response, since patients with a lower ability in concept formation are less likely to benefit from treatment. The present results can help improving current treatment approaches by tackling gender and individual differences. Highlights: This is the first study assessing gender and executive functions as therapy response predictors in patients suffering from binge‐spectrum eating disorders (EDs).This study is also pioneer in the study of gender‐related differences in executive functioning, clinical and personality traits.Women with binge‐spectrum EDs present more neuropsychological deficits and psychopathological symptoms than men.binge‐spectrum ED patients with higher deficits in executive functioning display poorer therapy response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Food addiction (FA) construct was introduced to reflect abnormal eating patterns that resemble behavioural ones found in substance use disorders. FA has been barely explored in anorexia nervosa (AN). This study evaluated FA occurrence and associated factors in a sample of patients with AN, distinguishing between restrictive and binge–purging subtypes and focussing on the influence of FA in the crossover diagnosis between them. Method: A sample of 116 patients with AN admitted for treatment seeking at an Bellvitge Hospital Eating Disorders Unit were included (72 restrictive [AN‐R]; 44 binge‐purge AN [AN‐BP]), and eating‐related, personality and psychopathological variables were assessed. Most participants were women (92.2%), mean age 27.1 years old (SD = 10.5). Results: FA was more prevalent in patients with AN‐BP compared to the AN‐R group (75.0% and 54.2%, respectively). The patients with AN‐R FA+, presented more similar ED symptomatology, general psychopathology and personality traits, with the AN‐BP patients, than with the AN‐R FA‐. Conclusions: Patients with AN‐R FA+, exhibit more similarities with the AN‐BP subgroup than with the AN‐R FA‐. Thus, it is possible to hypothesise that the presence of FA might be an indicator of the possible crossover from AN‐R to AN‐BP. Highlights: Patients with anorexia nervosa – restrictive subtype (AN‐R) and patients with anorexia nervosa – bulimic‐purgative subtype (AN‐BP) present a prevalence of food addiction (FA) of 54% and 75%, respectively.Patients with AN‐R FA+ have more clinical and personality similarities with AN‐BP than with AN‐R FA−.The presence of FA could be associated with the possible crossover from AN‐R to AN‐BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aims were to explore if bulimic spectrum disorders (BSD) patients, who also present comorbid compulsive buying (CB), could represent a specific subtype considering its neuropsychological performance; to present a descriptive analysis of different clinical features; and to explore how these variables could influence treatment outcome. It was hypothesised that the comorbid group will present worse neuropsychological performance that will lead to a worse treatment outcome. Method: The study has a longitudinal design. Women (N = 75) diagnosed with BSD, BSD + CB and Healthy Controls (HC); completed an evaluation of: cognitive flexibility, decision making, eating disorder (ED) symptomatology, psychopathological state and personality traits. Results: BSD + CB was the group with the most severe clinical profile, worst treatment outcome and higher neuropsychological impairment, than other groups. Path‐analysis evidenced that deficits in decision making were associated with bad treatment outcome, while deficits in flexibility with the presence of the comorbidity. Self‐directedness and novelty seeking were associated with the neuropsychological performance and the comorbidity. Conclusion: BSD + CB exhibit a worse clinical and neuropsychological profile that seems to be related with the treatment outcome, which should be taken into account for the establishment of specific treatment approaches. Highlights: Bulimic spectrum disorders comorbid with compulsive buying present with the most severe clinical profile and the worst treatment outcomeThe comorbid group exhibit more neuropsychological deficits than the non‐comorbid one and the healthy controlsDeficits in decision making were directly and positively associated with bad treatment outcome, while deficits in flexibility with the comorbid presence of the disordersPersonality traits were associated with the neuropsychological performance and the comorbidity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There are no generally accepted definitions or markers of treatment nonresponse in eating disorders (EDs). The aim of this paper was to examine how the duration of illness and other potential prognostic markers impacted on nonresponse and drop‐out from treatment across different EDs subtypes. Methods: A total sample of 1199 consecutively treated patients with EDs, according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition criteria, participated in this study. Kaplan–Meier curves were calculated for each ED diagnosis in which the probability of recovery was plotted against the duration of illness. Results: Full remission was more likely for people with binge eating disorder (BED; 47.4%) and anorexia nervosa (AN; 43.9%) compared to bulimia nervosa (BN; 25.2%) and other specified feeding and EDs (OSFED; 23.2%). The cut‐off points for the duration of the illness related with high likelihoods of poor response was 6–8 years among OSFED, 12–14 years among AN and BN and 20–21 years among BED. Other variables predicting nonresponse included dysfunctional personality traits. Conclusions: Nonresponse to treatment is associated with duration of illness which is in turn associated with poor response to previous treatment. However, there was no evidence for staging the illness using specific duration of illness criteria. Nevertheless, the shorter temporal trajectory for OSFED suggests that early interventions may be of importance for this group. Highlights: Almost a half of people with anorexia nervosa (AN) and binge eating disorder (BED) had a good response to treatment, whereas for bulimia nervosa (BN) and other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED) only a quarter attained this outcome. Approximately a third of cases dropped out of treatment prematurely (highest for OSFED).The outcome of all EDs, except BED, is associated with duration of illness and number of previous treatment attempts. Optimising the treatment response early in the course of illness (particularly in the group with milder ED symptoms [OSFED]), may prevent the illness from taking a chronic course. However, there are no clear criteria for staging the illness using duration of illness as a marker.Treatments that target traits, such as persistence and harm avoidance, may improve the outcome of AN, and self‐directedness and reward dependence may improve the outcome of BN and BED, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the level of deterioration in functioning of ED patients during confinement, due to COVID‐19, and examine potential contributing factors (coping strategies, anxiety‐depressive symptomatology and personality traits). Methods: A total of 74 ED patients in treatment before the COVID‐19 outbreak, contributed to this study. Baseline pre‐treatment evaluation included the SCL‐90R, TCI‐R, EDI‐2 and Y‐FAS 2.0 questionnaires for general psychopathology, personality and ED severity indexes. ED symptoms, coping strategies, socio‐demographic data and COVID‐19 concerns were collected by clinicians through a semi‐structured telephone survey during lockdown. Results: A deterioration in ED symptoms and general psychopathology (anxiety and depression), during lockdown, was associated with low self‐directedness. Higher ED symptomatology during confinement was associated with less‐adaptive coping strategies to deal with lockdown situation leading to an increase in weight. Conclusions: These specific vulnerability factors to further confinement or stressful situations may help design personalized preventive and therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the natural grouping of Purging Disorder (PD) patients based on purging symptomatology and to evaluate the derived classes (a) against each other and (b) to a control group on a range of clinical and psychological measures. Method: Participants included 223 PD women consecutively admitted to a tertiary ED treatment centre and 822 controls. Purging behaviours (self‐induced vomiting, laxative and diuretic use) were used as indicators, while the EDI‐2 (ED symptoms), the SCL‐90‐R (general psychopathology), and the TCI‐R (personality traits) were used as validators. Results: Three distinct PD clusters emerged: Cluster 1 (only self‐induced vomiting), Cluster 2 (self‐induced vomiting and laxative use) and Cluster 3 (all purging methods). Significant differences between Cluster 1 and Cluster 3 were found for the EDI‐2 drive for thinness and perfectionism subscales, and the TCI‐persistence scale. All clusters differed significantly from the controls on all the EDI‐2 and the SCL‐90‐R scales, but findings for the TCI‐R scales were less consistent. Conclusions: This study adds to a growing literature on the validity and distinctiveness of PD and provides evidence of dimensional symptom differences amongst PD clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Impulsivity and difficulties in regulating emotions are considered to be transdiagnostic characteristics of patients with eating disorders (EDs). The study aimed to investigate trait impulsivity and inhibitory components of impulsivity, related or unrelated to emotions in patients with EDs. Method: A total of 17 patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), 16 patients with bulimic‐spectrum EDs (BSD) and 20 healthy control (HC) participants completed an impulsivity scale (UPPS‐P) before performing an emotional inhibitory control task during electroencephalography (EEG) acquisition. Results: Higher trait impulsivity in EDs than HC (with higher scores among BSD patients) was observed. However, no differences in behavioural measures or neural indexes [event‐related potential (ERP)] of emotional and non‐emotional inhibitory control were observed between patients and HC. Conclusion: The present results highlighted negative urgency, an impulsive personality trait related to emotions, as a common feature of AN and BSD. Lack of perseverance, a trait which is less related to emotions, specifically characterises patients with BSD. On the other hand, behavioural and ERP data did not show altered inhibitory control in EDs, for either general or emotional‐related response inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study aimed to examine whether food addiction (FA) was associated with greater severity in both binge eating disorders (BED) and bulimia nervosa and, therefore, to determine if FA was predictive of treatment outcome. Method: Seventy‐one adult patients with bulimia nervosa and BED (42 and 29, respectively) participated in the study. FA was assessed by means of the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Results: The results confirmed a high prevalence of FA in patients with binge disorders (around 87%) and also its association with a greater severity of the disorder (i.e., related to an increased eating psychopathology and greater frequency of binge eating episodes). Although FA did not appear as a predictor of treatment outcome in general terms, when the diagnostic subtypes were considered separately, FA was associated with poor prognosis in the BED group. In this vein, FA appeared as a mediator in the relationship between ED severity and treatment outcome. Discussions: Our findings suggest that FA may act as an indicator of ED severity, and it would be a predictor of treatment outcome in BED but not in BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Evidence suggests that food addiction (FA) is prevalent among individuals with obesity seeking bariatric surgery (BS), but there is no evidence about whether FA is a predictor of weight loss (WL). We aimed to analyse the prevalence of FA in patients with obesity seeking BS and to examine whether FA could predict WL following dietary intervention before surgery. Method: The study included 110 patients with obesity who underwent a dietetic intervention. Assessment included endocrinological variables, a semistructured interview to rule out mental disorders, and Yale Food Addiction Scale version 2.0 (YFAS 2.0). Results: In our sample, the prevalence of FA was 26.4%. Those who met YFAS 2.0 criteria showed less WL after dietetic intervention and regain weight during dietary intervention. Conclusions: FA appears to be prevalent in obesity. Our findings confirmed a lower WL throughout dietary intervention before surgery in patients who fulfilled baseline criteria for FA. Future interventions should include multidisciplinary intervention to maximize WL before and after BS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examined the association between lifetime nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI), emotion regulation, and food addiction (FA) in women (n = 220) with eating disorders (ED) compared with (n = 121) healthy controls (HC). Method: Participants were assessed via face‐to‐face interviews for ED diagnosis and lifetime NSSI. FA was assessed with Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 and emotion regulation using the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Results: The prevalence of FA was significantly higher among women with an ED when compared with HC (75.9% vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001). Similarly, subjects presenting FA showed a high prevalence of lifetime NSSI, in both ED and HC (40.7% and 60.0%, respectively). Our predictive model revealed FA and DERS total scores as indicators of the presence of lifetime NSSI independent of group assignment, ED diagnosis, and age. Conclusions: These findings suggest a shared aetiology between ED, NSSI, and FA, explained possibly in part by emotion‐regulation deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with obesity (OB) often report suffering from addiction‐like symptoms. As in addictions, deficits in executive function domains, such as decision‐making and sustained attention, are found in OB. No study to date has examined the associations between food addiction, OB, and neuropsychological performance. Method: Thirty‐three adult women with OB and 36 healthy weight controls completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0, a validated instrument used to assess food‐related addictive behaviours. Additionally, participants completed computerized versions of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Conners' Continuous Performance Test, second edition (CPT‐II) to examine decision‐making and attentional control, respectively. Results: Food addiction criteria were met in 24.2% of the participants with OB and in 2.8% of the control group. In the OB group, food addiction severity levels were negatively correlated with overall scores on the IGT. Participants with OB meeting criteria for food addiction committed more omissions and perseveration errors on the CPT‐II compared with those without food addiction. Conclusions: Our results point to an association between food addiction severity levels and impairments in decision‐making and attentional capacity in individuals with OB. Given the heterogeneity found in OB, it stands to reason that this subset of patients with food addiction could potentially benefit from interventions targeting neuropsychological deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to validate a Spanish version of the Caregiver Skills scale (CASK) in a sample of eating disorder (ED) caregivers. A further aim was to examine the concordance/discrepancy between them (namely, between the mothers and fathers of ED patients). Method: Two hundred sixty‐five ED caregivers were recruited from ED centers in Catalonia, Spain. Confirmatory factor analyses was used to test the factorial structure of the CASK scale. Cronbach's α was used to measure internal consistency of the CASK scales. A comparison of the CASK measures between respondents (mothers and fathers) was conducted using generalized estimating equations. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis of the Spanish version of the CASK corroborated the strong factorial validity of the 6 factors of the original CASK questionnaire. Mothers and fathers did not differ significantly on CASK overall and subscale scores. There was however less concordance between parents on the bigger picture (ICC = 0.28) and biting your tongue (ICC = 0.08) subscales. Conclusions: The CASK is a valid tool to assess ED‐related attitudes in Spanish‐speaking caregivers. Furthermore, caregivers and patients alike could stand to benefit from interventions focused on improving areas such as ED beliefs, effective communication, quality of life, and emotional distancing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence points to eating disorder patients displaying altered rates of delay discounting (one's degree of preference for immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards). Anorexia nervosa (AN) patients are believed to have an increased capacity to delay reward, which reflects their ability to override the drive to eat. Contrarily, binge eating disorder (BED) patients are associated with a reduced predisposition to delay gratification. Here, we investigated monetary delay discounting and impulsivity in 80 adult women with EDs (56 AN and 24 BED), diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria, and 80 healthy controls. AN-restrictive (AN-R) subtype patients showed less steep discounting rates than BED and AN-bingeing/purging subtype patients. Compared with healthy controls and AN-R patients, BED and AN-bingeing/purging patients presented higher delay discounting and positive and negative urgency levels. Our findings suggest that restriction in AN-R patients is associated with disproportionate self-control, whereas bingeing behaviours could be more driven by emotional states and impulsivity traits. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the empirical trajectories of body mass index (BMI) 1 year following bariatric surgery (BS) and to identify the risk factors for each trajectory. The study included 115 patients with severe obesity who underwent BS. Assessment included metabolic variables, psychopathological and personality measures. Growth mixture modelling identified four separated trajectories for the percentage of total weight loss course shape (namely, T1 'good-fast', T2 'good', T3 'low' and T4 'low-slow'). After adjusting for BS subtype and metabolic baseline state, T1 and T2 registered less eating and general psychopathology. T1 was characterized by the lowest scores in novelty seeking and self-transcendence, whereas T4 was defined by the highest scores in novelty seeking and the lowest scores in persistence. Our findings suggest that psychological state prior to BS is predictive of BMI trajectories during the 12 months following BS. These results could be useful in developing more efficient interventions for these patients. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared treatment outcomes between men and women with eating disorders (EDs) and analysed clinical predictors of treatment outcome. Our sample consisted of 131 male and 131 female ED patients who underwent cognitive behavioural therapy treatment. ED severity, personality and psychopathology were assessed using standard instruments. We found that the risk of dropout was higher for men with bulimia nervosa (BN) than for women with BN and that men with BN and other specified feeding and EDs were more likely to obtain full remission in comparison with their female counterparts. Predictive models of treatment outcome indicated that higher scores in novelty seeking were a shared factor associated with higher risk of dropout and not obtaining full remission for both men and women with ED. However, only in men, younger age and lower scores in reward dependence predicted higher dropout. Contrastingly, higher persistence scores were predictors of full remission. This study reinforces the effectiveness of using outpatient cognitive behavioural therapy as treatment as usual for men with ED. Nonetheless, placing greater emphasis on strategies targeting gender-specific issues could enhance outcomes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the relationship between plasma orexin-A and sleep in obesity. Concentrations of orexin-A and sleep were evaluated in 26 obese, 40 morbid obese and 32 healthy-weight participants. The sleep monitor Actiwatch AW7 and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to evaluate sleep. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised was administered to assess symptoms of psychopathology. A higher weight status was associated with elevated orexin-A levels ( p = .050), greater depression, anxiety and somatization symptoms (all: p < .001), and impoverished self-reported sleep quality ( p < .001). A quadratic trend was found in objective sleep time, being longest in the obese group ( p = .031). Structural equation modelling showed plasma orexin-A to be related to poor total sleep quality, which in turn was associated with elevated body mass index. Our data confirm an interaction between elevated plasma orexin-A concentrations and poor sleep that contributes to fluctuations in body mass index. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food addiction (FA) has been examined in different populations. Although high FA levels are associated with greater eating disorder severity, few studies have addressed how FA relates to treatment outcome. Goals The study aims (1) to determine whether a brief intervention for bulimia nervosa (BN) reduces FA diagnosis or severity compared with baseline and (2) to determine if FA is predictive of treatment outcome. Method Sixty-six female BN patients participated in the study. The Yale Food Addiction Scale was administered at two time points: prior to and following a 6-week intervention. The number of weekly binging/purging episodes, dropout and abstinence from bulimic behaviour were used as primary outcome measures. Results This brief intervention reduced FA severity and FA diagnosis in the 55 patients who completed treatment. FA severity was a short-term predictor of abstinence from binging/purging episodes after treatment ( p = .018). Conclusions Food addiction appears to be prevalent in BN although FA severity can improve following a short-term intervention. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial expressions are critical in forming social bonds and in signalling one's emotional state to others. In eating disorder patients, impairments in facial emotion recognition have been associated with eating psychopathology severity. Little research however has been carried out on how bulimic spectrum disorder (BSD) patients spontaneously express emotions. Our aim was to investigate emotion expression in BSD patients and to explore the influence of personality traits. Our study comprised 28 BSD women and 15 healthy controls. Facial expressions were recorded while participants played a serious video game. Expressions of anger and joy were used as outcome measures. Overall, BSD participants displayed less facial expressiveness than controls. Among BSD women, expressions of joy were positively associated with reward dependence, novelty seeking and self-directedness, whereas expressions of anger were associated with lower self-directedness. Our findings suggest that specific personality traits are associated with altered emotion facial expression in patients with BSD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bariatric surgery (BS) has proven to be the most effective treatment for weight loss and for improving comorbidities in severe obesity. A comprehensive psychological assessment prior to surgery is proposed to prepare patients for a successful post-surgical outcome. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to assess psychological and personality predictors of BS outcome. The sample comprised 139 severely obese patients who underwent BS. Assessment measures included the Eating Disorders Inventory-2, the Symptom Checklist-Revised and the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised. Our results show that favourable BS outcome, after 2 years follow up, was associated with younger age, less depression, moderate anxiety symptoms and high cooperativeness levels. Likewise, metabolic improvements were found to be linked to younger age and certain psychopathological factors. In conclusion, our findings suggest that age, baseline body mass index, psychopathological indexes and personality traits predict successful BS outcome. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The objective of the study was to analyse shared commonalities and differences between bulimia nervosa (BN) and certain impulse-related disorders, namely compulsive buying (CB) and gambling disorder (GD), with respect to general psychopathology and personality traits. Methods A total of 188 female patients [50 BN without comorbid CB (BN−CB), 49 BN with comorbid CB (BN+CB), 53 GD and 36 CB] and 50 comparison non-psychiatric women participated in the current study. All patients were diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth revised edition, the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised, and other clinical indices. Results A positive-growing trend was observed in psychopathology and personality traits across the four clinical groups. Comorbid BN with CB was associated with highest eating psychopathology and social anxiety. On Novelty Seeking, the CB, GD and BN+CB were similar to each other, whereas BN−CB presented a distinct profile. Moreover, the BN+CB group displayed more dysfunctional personality traits and higher general psychopathology. The clinical groups demonstrated overall higher levels of psychopathology compared with the control group. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate that disorders with impulsive traits (CB, GD, BN+CB and BN−CB) follow a linear trend in general psychopathology and specific personality traits, but differ along specific personality and psychopathological dimensions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the association between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and impulsivity in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients by means of self-report and behavioural tasks. In total, 60 female AN patients were included in the study, filled out the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) and performed three performance-based tasks to assess different facets of impulsivity. Overall, 30% of the AN patients engaged in at least one form of NSSI during their lifetime. AN patients with and without NSSI did not significantly differ on the BIS-11 impulsiveness scale. On the performance-based measures, few differences emerged between AN patients with and without NSSI. Patients with NSSI showed more perseverations and perseveration errors ( p < .05). The associations between self-report and performance-based measures were rather low, except for the association between the BIS-11 and Wisconsin Card Sorting Task perseveration responses and errors (correlations | r| range between .32 and .42). The implications for theory and treatment of AN patients with and without NSSI will be discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the concept of 'food addiction' (FA) has raised growing interest because of evidence for similarities between substance dependence and excessive food intake, there is a lack of studies that explore this construct among the wide spectrum of eating disorders (EDs). Besides providing validation scores of a Spanish version of the Yale FA Scale (YFAS-S), this study examined the prevalence of 'FA' among ED subtypes compared with healthy-eating controls (HCs) and the association between 'FA' scores, eating symptomatology and general psychopathology. A sample of 125 adult women with ED, diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 criteria, and 82 healthy-eating women participated in the study. All participants were assessed with the YFAS-S, the ED Inventory-2 and the Symptom Checklist-Revised. Results showed that the internal structure of the one-dimensional solution for the YFAS-S was very good ( α = 0.95). The YFAS-S has a good discriminative capacity to differentiate between ED and controls (specificity = 97.6% and sensitivity (Se) = 72.8%; area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.90) and a good Se to screen for specific ED subtypes. YFAS-S scores were associated with higher levels of negative affect and depression, higher general psychopathology, more severe eating pathology and greater body mass index. When comparing the prevalence of 'FA' between ED subtypes, the lowest prevalence of 'FA', measured with the YFAS-S, was for the anorexia nervosa (AN) restrictive subtype with 50%, and the highest was for the AN binge-purging subtype (85.7%), followed by bulimia nervosa (81.5%) and binge eating disorder (76.9%). In conclusion, higher YFAS-S scores are associated with bingeing ED-subtype patients and with more eating severity and psychopathology. Although the 'FA' construct is able to differentiate between ED and HC, it needs to be further explored. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To describe the current situation of gambling in Spain, sketching its history and discussing the regulations and legislation currently in force within the framework of the European Union ( EU), and to review the epidemiology of gambling in Spain, the self-help groups and professional treatments available, and their potential effectiveness. Methods A systematic computerized search was performed in three databases ( EMBASE, PubMed and PsychINFO, including articles and chapters) and the reference lists from previous reviews to obtain some of the most relevant studies published up to now on the topic of pathologic gambling in Spain. Results Similar to other EU countries, Spain has a high prevalence of pathologic gambling, focused on specific culturally bounded types of gambling. Expenditure in online gaming has risen significantly in the last few years, prompting the Spanish government to draft new legislation to regulate gaming. Conclusions The gaming industry is expected to be one of the fastest growing sectors in Spain in the coming years owing to the rise of new technologies and the development of online gaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. We studied the prevalences of video game use (VGU) and addiction (VGA) in gambling disorder (GD) patients and compared them with subjects with non-video game use (non-VGU) in relation to their gambling behavior, psychopathology, and personality characteristics. Method. A sample of 193 GD patients (121 non-VGU, 43 VGU, and 29 VGA) consecutively admitted to our pathological gambling unit participated in the study. Assessment. Measures included the video game dependency test (VDT), symptom checklist-90-revised, and the temperament and character inventory-revised, as well as a number of other GD indices. Results. In GD, the observed prevalence of VG (use or addiction) was 37.3% (95%CI:30.7% ÷ 44.3),VGU 22.3% (95%CI:17.0% ÷ 28.7), and VGA 15% (95%CI:10.7% ÷ 20.7). Orthogonal polynomial contrast into logistic regression showed positive linear trends for VG level and GD severity and other measures of general psychopathology. After structural equation modeling, higher VG total scores were associated with younger age, general psychopathology, and specific personality traits, but not with GDseverity. Patients'sex and age were involved in the mediational pathways between personality traits and VG impairment. Conclusions. GD patients with VG are younger and present more dysfunctional personality traits, and more general psychopathology. The presence of VG did not affect the severity of GD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goals This study aimed to analyse the association, commonalities and differences between obesity and eating disorders (ED). Method A total of 150 female patients [50 obese with bulimia nervosa (OB + BN), 50 obese with binge eating disorders (OB + BED), 50 obese without eating disorders (OB)] and 50 female healthy-eating/weight control (CG) volunteers participated in this study. Assessment All participants were assessed by the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2), the Symptom Checklist-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised. Results In general, all the groups differed significantly and showed linear trends (OB + BN > OB + BED > OB > CG) on general and eating psychopathology (SCL-90-R and EDI-2). Regarding personality traits, statistically significant differences across all four groups were found on Harm Avoidance and Self-Directedness. Whereas some symptoms were shared in extreme weight conditions, others were specifically related to ED. Conclusions The presence of binge and purge symptomatology in obese patients is clinically relevant. These findings help to understand the relationship between Obesity and ED. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FNDC5/irisin has been recently postulated as beneficial in the treatment of obesity and diabetes because it is induced in muscle by exercise, increasing energy expenditure. However, recent reports have shown that WAT also secretes irisin and that circulating irisin is elevated in obese subjects. The aim of this study was to evaluate irisin levels in conditions of extreme BMI and its correlation with basal metabolism and daily activity. The study involved 145 female patients, including 96 with extreme BMIs (30 anorexic (AN) and 66 obese (OB)) and 49 healthy normal weight (NW). The plasma irisin levels were significantly elevated in the OB patients compared with the AN and NW patients. Irisin also correlated positively with body weight, BMI, and fat mass. The OB patients exhibited the highest REE and higher daily physical activity compared with the AN patients but lower activity compared with the NW patients. The irisin levels were inversely correlated with daily physical activity and directly correlated with REE. Fat mass contributed to most of the variability of the irisin plasma levels independently of the other studied parameters. Conclusion. Irisin levels are influenced by energy expenditure independently of daily physical activity but fat mass is the main contributing factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Starvation-induced depletion of fat stores in anorexia nervosa (AN) is known to be accompanied by alterations in some circulating adipocytokines. We analyzed a panel of circulating adipocytokines in women with AN compared with normal-weight controls and their relation with the disease duration and weight restoration. Method We analyzed circulating adipocytokine levels in 28 patients with AN and in 33 normal-weight controls who were eating healthily. We determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay the circulating levels of total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin, lipocalin-2 (LCN2), leptin, tumor necrosis factor receptor-II (TNFRII), interleukin-6 (IL6), adipocyte fatty acid binding protein-4 (FABP4), ghrelin, and resistin. Results The two circulating forms of adiponectin are higher in AN women compared with controls. Both total and HMW adiponectin related negatively to the duration of the disease ( r = −0.372, p = 0.033; r = −0.450, p = 0.038, respectively). Furthermore, the lipid binding-proteins LCN2 and FABP4 are lower in AN compared to the control group. Finally, leptin levels are lower in AN against controls and correlated positively with disease duration ( r = 0.537, p = 0.007). Resistin, ghrelin, TNFRII, and IL6 have similar values in both groups, although TNFRII and ghrelin related negatively to body mass index variation at the end of treatment ( r = −0.456, p = 0.039; r = −0.536, p = 0.015, respectively). Discussion These results suggest there is a need to investigate if changes in adipocytokine levels could serve as weight restoration biomarkers. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the specific role of these molecules in the timing of weight restoration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2013; 46:855-861) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although standard psychological treatments have been successful in treating several core features in eating disorders (ED), other characteristics such as emotional regulation or impulsivity appear to be more resistant to change. There is a growing body of evidence to support the efficacy of cognitive remediation for cognitive and emotional difficulties in ED. Playmancer/ Islands is a video game (VG) designed to specifically treat mental disorders, characterized by problems in impulse control. The objective of the game is to increase self-control over emotions, decision making and behaviours. The aim of this study is to describe the results from a consecutive series of nine bulimia nervosa patients who were treated with the VG in addition to cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). The outcomes included clinical and psychopathological questionnaires, and physiological measures were obtained during the VG. Emotional regulation improved, heart rate variability increased, and respiratory rate and impulsivity measures reduced after the treatment. These findings suggest that VG training may enhance treatment for ED. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A variety of cognitive and emotional processes influence the decision-making deficits observed in pathological gambling (PG). This study investigated the role of immediate/delayed sensitivity to reward and punishment, executive functions, impulsivity and explicit knowledge in relation to decision-making performance on the original Iowa Gambling Task (IGT-ABCD) and a variant (IGT-EFGH). Methods We assessed 131 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of PG by using executive functioning and decision-making tasks, self-report measures of impulsivity and explicit knowledge. Results The majority of pathological gamblers (PGs) showed deficits in decision-making, characterized mainly by myopia for the future. Decisions made under risk showed different predictors. Performance on the IGT-ABCD for decisions made under risk was predicted by medium and high levels of explicit knowledge of the task, as well as by scores on the Disorderliness subscale and the degree of Stroop interference. By contrast, IGT-EFGH results were only associated with self-report impulsivity measures. Conclusions Decision making in PG involves distinct patterns of deficits, and the predictors differ depending on the reinforcement schedule. Decisions made under risk on the IGT-ABCD are associated with explicit knowledge, executive functions and impulsivity traits related to conscious awareness and control processes. On the IGT-EFGH, however, only impulsivity traits predict decision making. (Am J Addict 2013;22:492-499) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several aspects of social and emotional functioning are abnormal in people with eating disorders. The aim of the present study was to measure facial emotional expression in patients with eating disorders and healthy controls whilst playing a therapeutic video game (Playmancer) designed to train individuals in emotional regulation. Participants were 23 ED patients (11 AN, 12 BN) and 11 HCs. ED patients self reported more anger at baseline but expressed less facial expression of anger during the Playmancer game. The discrepancy between self-report and non-verbal expression may lead to problems in social communication. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The goals of this study were to evaluate changes in personality traits in outpatients with bulimia nervosa and specific clinical predictors of such personality changes, after cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). Method The sample comprised 100 purging bulimia nervosa outpatients (DSM-IV-TR). Assessment measures included the Eating Disorders Inventory-2, Symptom Check List Revised and Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised, as well as other clinical and psychopathological indices. All measures were administered before and after 22 weeks of group CBT. Results The temperament traits of Harm Avoidance and Reward Dependence and the character traits of Self-Directedness and Self-Transcendence changed after CBT. Pre-post CBT reduction in Eating Disorders Inventory-2 total score predicted the decrease and increase in Harm Avoidance and Self-Directedness, respectively. Conclusions Results suggest that group CBT in outpatient women settings influence changes in some personality traits, which appear mainly related to an overall improvement in eating pathology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated the prevalence and comorbidity of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in male eating disorder (ED) patients. In total, 130 male ED patients completed a list of 10 impulse-control problems (including NSSI), the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised and the Temperament and Character Inventory. Overall, 21% of the male ED patients ( n = 27) engaged in at least one type of NSSI, and we did not find significant differences between the ED subtypes. Self-injurious male ED patients showed significantly more severe ED symptoms and more affective, interpersonal and impulse-control problems than ED patients without NSSI. As previously described in female ED, our data confirm the affect regulation and impulse regulation functions of NSSI in male ED patients. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To compare the importance given to self/other standards by eating disorder (ED) patients and healthy controls. Methods A total of 392 individuals (240 consecutively referred and 152 healthy controls) took part in this study. All subjects were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria and were female patients. Participants completed the Family Style, Self-Expectations and Emotional related subscales of the Cross-Cultural Questionnaire. Results Three domains (namely, family standards, self-achievement and physical appearance) were associated with ED. Family standards scores discriminated for the presence of an ED (area under receiver operating characteristic curve equals 0.89), the main predictors being a higher level of importance of physical appearance ( p < .001), family standards ( p = .029) and conflicts with parents about physical appearance ( p < .001). Higher self-standards, in physical appearance, were more relevant in bulimia nervosa and ED not otherwise specified, whereas higher family standards were more associated with anorexia nervosa. Conclusions High self-standards and social standards are common features in ED. The parallelism that ED may establish between reaching them and their life success may have a crucial role as a developing and maintaining factor in ED. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aims of our study were to examine the lifetime prevalence of obesity rate in eating disorders (ED) subtypes and to examine whether there have been temporal changes among the last 10 years and to explore clinical differences between ED with and without lifetime obesity. Methods: Participants were 1383 ED female patients (DSM-IV criteria) consecutively admitted, between 2001 and 2010, to Bellvitge University Hospital. They were assessed by means of the Eating Disorders Inventory-2, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, the Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh and the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised. Results: The prevalence of lifetime obesity in ED cases was 28.8% (ranging from 5% in anorexia nervosa to 87% in binge-eating disorders). Over the last 10 years, there has been a threefold increase in lifetime obesity in ED patients ( p < .001). People with an ED and obesity had higher levels of childhood and family obesity ( p < .001), a later age of onset and longer ED duration; and had higher levels of eating, general and personality symptomatology. Conclusions: Over the last 10 years, the prevalence of obesity associated with disorders characterized by the presence of binge episodes, namely bulimic disorders, is increasing, and this is linked with greater clinical severity and a poorer prognosis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Decision making is impaired in female patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), but it is unclear if the same impairment is present in male patients with AN. Method Decision making was assessed in 48 AN individuals (19 male and 29 female patients) and 61 healthy controls (20 male and 41 female patients) using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Results Both male and female patients with AN performed significantly worse than healthy controls on the IGT. No gender differences in IGT performance were found across groups. Male patients had higher impulsivity scores, but impulsivity had not predicted poor decision-making performance. Discussion Impaired decision making is present in male and female patients with AN. These data suggest that male patients with AN are very similar to female patients in decision making, and as a result, treatment approaches that seek to improve this ability should be similar in both genders. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine if male and female eating disorders differ in clinics, psychopathology and personality traits when compared with a healthy group. Methods Sixty male and 60 female eating disorder individuals (16% anorexia nervosa, 42% bulimia nervosa and 42% eating disorder not otherwise specified), matched for age and diagnostic, were compared with 120 healthy-eating participants (60 male and 60 female participants). All were diagnosed according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Assessment measures included Eating Disorder Inventory-2, Symptom Checklist-Revised and Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised, as well as other clinical and psychopathological indices. Results Male eating disorder participants reported significant lower laxative abuse ( p = 0.020) and significant higher vomiting episodes ( p = 0.019) than female eating disorder participants. Differences on drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction and some Symptom Checklist-Revised scales were found across genders in eating disorder participants. Male eating disorder participants scored significantly lower than female participants with eating disorders on harm avoidance, reward dependence and cooperativeness. Conclusions Although eating disorder clinical features were similar across genders, male eating disorder participants had less body image concern and general psychopathology than female eating disorder participants. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuroimaging and neuropsychological data from patients with an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) indicate the dysfunction of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Olfactory processing has been associated with OFC function, although results from OCD studies regarding this sensory modality have been inconclusive. No previous study has analyzed both odor discrimination and identification capacity in OCD patients using 'Sniffin' Sticks' tests. The aim of our study was to assess odor threshold, identification, discrimination, and nonverbal memory in OCD patients, in order to determine whether these functions were affected. Methods: Olfactory function was measured in 29 OCD patients and 29 healthy volunteers (HV) using the 'Sniffin' Sticks' test and their nonverbal memory was scored with the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test. Results: OCD patients showed significant impairment in their odor performance and in their execution of the nonverbal memory task compared to HV. No statistical associations were found between the deficits in the two areas. The severity of depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms did correlate with olfactory identification. Conclusion: Our findings support the hypothesis that olfactory and memory dysfunctions in OCD reflect different neurobiological alterations of the disorder, and point to the modulation effect of depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms on odor performance. Depression and Anxiety, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore similarities and differences in clinical and personality variables across three groups: binge eating disorder (BED), bulimia nervosa-purging type (BN-P), and bulimia nervosa-non purging type (BN-NP). Method The participants were 102 female eating disorders patients (34 BED, 34 BN-P, and 34 BN-NP) consecutively admitted to the eating disorders unit, at the University Hospital of Bellvitge, and diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria. Results BED patients were older, and more likely to have personal and family history of obesity. A gradient in psychopathological scores emerged with BN-P patients having higher pathological scores on the SCL-90-R, followed by BN-NP and BED patients. No statistically significant differences were observed in personality traits. Discussion Our data supported that eating disorders (namely BED, BN-NP, and BN-P) followed a linear trend in general psychopathology. Whereas personality may represent a shared vulnerability factor, differences in clinical severity suggest there to be a continuum with BN-P being the most severe and BED being the least severe. © 2010 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The present study analyses the internal factor structure of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) Scale in pathological gambling (PG). The scale's association with the clinical profile of patients is also evaluated. Method. The factor analysis was based on a sample of 531 men with a DSM-IV diagnosis of pathological gambling. The statistical analysis included confirmatory factor analysis and linear correlation. Results. The analyses confirmed the internal structure obtained for the URICA. The internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha between .74 and .85). The association between URICA scores and the socio-demographic and clinical profile of patients ranged between moderate and weak ( R coefficients below .30). Lower motivation was present in 28.4% of cases and it was associated with shorter duration of the disorder, lower severity of the PG symptoms, and high psychopathology. Conclusions. The results support the validity and reliability of the URICA in a Spanish clinical population of pathological gamblers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental stressors are considered to play an important role in the triggering of mental disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although there is extensive literature on traumatic life events, little is known about the role of nontraumatic but nonetheless stressful life events (SLEs) in OCD. The aim of this study was to establish whether OCD preceded by an SLE presents a different clinical pattern compared to non-SLE-preceded OCD. Methods: We interviewed 412 OCD patients to assess both SLEs at onset of OCD and other clinical variables, including OCD symptom dimensions. Logistic regression was then applied to explore the relationship between clinical variables and OCD preceded by an SLE. Results: The SLE-preceded OCD group showed a later onset of the disorder (OR = 1.04, P = .015), a history of complicated birth (OR = 5.54, P<.001), less family history of OCD (OR = 0.42, P = .014), and the presence of contamination/cleaning symptoms (OR = 1.99, P = .01). Conclusions: Patients with OCD onset close to an SLE and those without an SLE close to OCD onset show a distinct clinical pattern. Depression and Anxiety, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess lifetime substance abuse, family history of alcohol abuse/dependence, and novelty seeking in three different eating disorder groups (anorexia nervosa–restrictive; anorexia nervosa–binge eating/purging; anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa). Method: A total sample of 371 eating disorder patients participated in the current study. Assessment measures included the prevalence of substance abuse and family history of alcohol abuse/dependence as well as the novelty-seeking subscale of the Temperament and Character Inventory–Revised. Results: Significant differences across groups were detected for lifetime substance abuse, with anorexia nervosa–restrictive individuals exhibiting a significant lower prevalence than the anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa–binge eating/ purging patients ( P < 0.01). For family history of alcohol abuse/dependence the same pattern was observed ( P = 0.04). Novelty seeking was associated with substance abuse ( P = 0.002), with the anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa group exhibiting significantly higher scores on the novelty-seeking scale than the other two groups ( P < 0.001). But family history of alcohol abuse/dependence was not related to novelty seeking ( P = 0.092). Conclusion: Lifetime substance abuse appears to be more prevalent in anorexia nervosa patients with bulimic features. Higher novelty-seeking scores may be associated with diagnosis cross-over. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare the effectiveness of two forms of cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT; group and individual) in a sample of patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) at 6-month and 12-month follow up. Method: Thirty-eight subjects meeting DSM-IV-TR OCD criteria completed 20 sessions of individual and group CBT. They were assessed using the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scales at baseline, after treatment and at 6-month and 12-month follow up. Results: The clinical improvement obtained at the end of the treatment was maintained at 6-month and 12-month follow up. The clinical outcome of the individual treatment (IT) and the group treatment (GT) was the same. The dropout rates were significantly higher in women than in men, but were similar for IT and GT. Conclusions: CBT was effective in a sample of OCD patients. Individual and group CBT had similar results at 6-month and 12-month follow up. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine whether anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) share clinical and psychopathological traits. The sample consisted of 90 female patients (30 OCD; 30 AN; 30 BN), who had been consecutively referred to the Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge, Barcelona. All subjects met DSM-IV criteria for those pathologies. The assessment consisted of the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), Questionnaire of obsessive traits and personality by Vallejo, Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40), Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).ancova tests (adjusted for age and body mass index) and multiple linear regression models based on obsessive-compulsiveness, obsessive personality traits and perfectionism, as independent variables, were applied to determine the best predictors of eating disorder severity. Onancova several significant differences were found between obsessive-compulsive and eating-disordered patients (MOCI, P < 0.001; EAT, P < 0.001; EDI, P < 0.001), whereas some obsessive personality traits were not eating disorder specific. A total of 16.7% OCD patients presented a comorbid eating disorder, whereas 3.3% eating disorders patients had an OCD diagnosis. In the eating disorder group, the presence of OC symptomatology was positively associated ( r = 0.57, P < 0.001) with the severity of the eating disorder. The results were maintained after adjusting for comorbidity. Although some obsessive-compulsive and eating disorder patients share common traits (e.g. some personality traits especially between OCD and AN), both disorders seem to be clinically and psychopathologically different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Blindness has rarely been described in the eating disorder (ED) literature. In case reports in which this condition has been reported before an ED, it was concluded that visual body image was not essential for the development of the ED. This is the first report in which bulimia nervosa (BN) and its treatment in a blind woman were described. Method We report a single diagnosed and treated case of BN in a blind, 47-year-old Spanish woman. This case presented as its main characteristics the late onset of the ED, restrictive dieting, binging, and consequent purging behavior characterized by vomiting and great difficulties of coping with stress. From the beginning, the woman's body image was not essential. The treatment consisted of 21 individual outpatient sessions, which followed a non–symptom-oriented cognitive-behavioral approach, in which problem solving and stress management strategies were employed. Results Before, after the treatment, and at the 6-month and 1-year follow-up, the clinical evolution of the patient was assessed. Conclusion Although a few descriptions of single case reports on blindness in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) have already been reported in the literature, to the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case in which this condition and its treatment have specifically been reported in an individual with BN. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Int J Eat Disord, 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Method Results Conclusions Despite an increase in eating disorder (ED) cases during the COVID‐19 pandemic, there are limited longitudinal studies exploring treatment outcomes. The aims of the present study were: (1) to compare the clinical features of patients with EDs whose onset was during the COVID‐19 lockdown (pandemic cohort) against patients with EDs whose onset was prior to the pandemic (pre‐pandemic cohort) and, (2) to compare therapy responses between the cohorts.The sample consisted of 115 adult women with an ED. N = 37 new ED cases (pandemic cohort) were diagnosed and included in the study during the pandemic (May 2020–May 2021); these patients did not have any previous history of an ED. We also included N = 78 ED cases (pre‐pandemic cohort) diagnosed prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic breakout (prior to March 2020). All ED subtypes were considered in both groups and several clinical variables were assessed.At baseline, pandemic cohort reported lower levels of impulsivity and higher emotional regulation capacities than the pre‐pandemic cohort; however, no differences were found in aspects of general psychopathology and ED related severity. Following treatment, the pandemic cohort showed higher rates of good outcome and lower rates of dropouts than the pre‐pandemic cohort.Although both cohorts showed similar ED‐related symptoms and general psychopathology scores, treatment outcomes were more favourable in the pandemic cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]