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Habit learning and anorexia nervosa: A cognitive neuroscience hypothesis
Author(s) -
Steinglass Joanna,
Walsh B. Timothy
Publication year - 2006
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.20244
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , psychology , cognition , cognitive neuroscience , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , habit , neuroscience , psychotherapist , eating disorders , clinical psychology
Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by abnormal behaviors involving eating and weight that are impressively resistant to change. The persistence of these behaviors likely plays an important role in the high relapse rate after initial treatment. Persistent, stereotyped behaviors are also characteristic of obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD). This article presents a neurocognitive model of AN, based on comparisons with OCD. Method: This article reviews clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging findings in both OCD and AN relevant to a neurobiological understanding of a potential mechanism of the perpetuation of AN. Results: The identification of specific neurocognitive disturbances in individuals with OCD has led to a compelling hypothesis of the neural mechanisms mediating this disorder. Evidence suggests that similar disturbances, involving neural circuits between the cortex and the basal ganglia, may be present in individuals with AN. Conclusion: Research on such neurocognitive disturbances has the potential both to inform understanding of neural mechanisms underlying AN and to lead to advances in treatment. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Int J Eat Disord, 2006