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Neuropsychological functioning pretreatment and posttreatment in an inpatient eating disorders program
Author(s) -
Moser David J.,
Benjamin Michelle L.,
Bayless John D.,
McDowell Bradley D.,
Paulsen Jane S.,
Bowers Wayne A.,
Arndt Stephan,
Andersen Arnold E.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.10108
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , neuropsychology , psychology , body mass index , neuropsychological test , eating disorders , psychomotor learning , beck depression inventory , bulimia nervosa , psychiatry , neuropsychological assessment , depression (economics) , clinical psychology , cognition , medicine , anxiety , economics , macroeconomics
Objective This study was conducted to determine whether neuropsychological dysfunction associated with anorexia nervosa resolves with inpatient treatment. Method Subjects were 28 women being treated for anorexia nervosa. Main study variables included body mass index (BMI), Beck Depression Inventory‐II, and neuropsychological test scores. Subjects were tested at admission and discharge. Results Neuropsychological functioning improved across the course of treatment, with significant changes on tests of memory and psychomotor speed. This improvement was not significantly associated with change in BMI or with the other variables that were studied. Discussion Patients with anorexia nervosa exhibit subtle neuropsychological dysfunction, which resolves at least partially during treatment. This improvement does not appear to be associated with an increase in BMI. However, it is possible that BMI is not a sufficiently sensitive indicator of nutritional status or that longer‐term follow‐up is necessary to reveal the nutrition‐cognition relationship that we were seeking. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 33: 64–70, 2003.