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Objective: Autistic traits are associated with a burdensome clinical presentation of anorexia nervosa (AN), as is AN with concurrent depression. The aim of the present study was to explore the intertwined association between complex psychopathology combining autistic traits, subthreshold bipolarity, and mixed depression among people with AN. Method: Sixty patients with AN and concurrent major depressive episode (mean age, 22.2±7 years) were cross-sectionally assessed using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient test (AQ-test), the Hamilton depression scales for depression and anxiety, the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), the Hypomania-Checklist-32 (HCL-32), second revision (for subthreshold bipolarity), the Brown Assessment and Beliefs Scale (BABS), the Yale-Brown-Cornell Eating Disorders Scale (YBC-EDS), and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Cases were split into two groups depending on body mass index (BMI): severe AN (AN+) if BMI < 16, not severe (AN-) if BMI ≥ 16. Results: The “subthreshold bipolarity with prominent autistic traits” pattern correctly classified 83.6% of AN patients (AN+ = 78.1%; AN- = 91.3%, Exp(B) = 1.391). AN+ cases showed higher rates of positive scores for YMRS items 2 (increased motor activity-energy) and 5 (irritability) compared to AN- cases. Conclusions: In our sample, depressed patients with severe AN had more pronounced autistic traits and subtly mixed bipolarity. Further studies with larger samples and prospective follow-up of treatment outcomes are warranted to replicate these findings.

Protein energy malnutrition due to anorexia nervosa, either restrictive or bulimic, requires an integrated medical psychiatric intervention to be treated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this integrated treatment in severely malnourished anorectic patients requiring to be hospitalized in Psychiatry Unit. Fifteen patients (14 females, 1 male, mean age 19.6 +/- 4.7 years, body mass index 14.0 +/- 1.9 kg/m2) 13 of whom affected by restrictive anorexia nervosa and 2 by bulimic anorexia nervosa, have been hospitalized in the Psychiatry Unit of the Federico II University Hospital, Naples from September 2000 to July 2003, always without requiring compulsory sanitary treatment. Hospitalization was due to failure of the outpatient treatment in all of them, complicated by uncontrolled weight loss in 7, hydroelectrolytic unbalance in 2, edema in 1 patient. All were hypotensive and 4 had marked bradycardia. Forced nutrition was never necessary. Enteral nutrition by nasogastric tube was prescribed in 4 patients, oral nutrition supplements with diet in 4 and only diet in the remaining 7. All patients received vitamin and mineral supplements, if necessary parenterally. A mild body weight increase and satisfactory normalization of biochemical parameters was obtained in all patients during hospitalization. Thereafter they were enrolled in an outpatient integrated medical/psychiatric protocol, including group therapy. Only in 1 case, a few months later, a second hospitalization was necessary. In conclusion, integrated medical psychiatric treatment represents an effective intervention also in severely malnourished anorectic patient requiring hospitalization.

Eye blink rate, a peripheral measure of central dopaminergic activity, has been investigated in 20 female anorexic "restricting-type" patients and 16 healthy female subjects. A significantly increased blink rate was found in the anorexic patients. A significant positive correlation between blink rate and duration of illness was also found.