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Impulsivity in women with eating disorders: Problem of response inhibition, planning, or attention?
Author(s) -
Rosval Lindsay,
Steiger Howard,
Bruce Kenneth,
Israël Mimi,
Richardson Jodie,
Aubut Melanie
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.20296
Subject(s) - impulsivity , psychology , eating disorders , bulimia nervosa , anorexia nervosa , binge eating , response inhibition , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , cognition
Objective: Impulsivity is generally believed to be more characteristic of individuals with “bulimic” than with “restrictive” eating disorders (EDs). However, studies have not exhaustively explored the association between EDs and various component dimensions of the impulsivity construct. Method: We conducted a multidimensional assessment of impulsivity in 84 women with bulimia nervosa (BN), 37 with anorexia nervosa (AN: 19 “restricters” and 18 “bingers–purgers”), and 61 normal‐control participants. To assess multiple components of impulsivity, participants completed a battery of self‐report questionnaires and a performance test. Results: Compared with normal‐control participants, all ED groups showed attentional problems. However, only women suffering BN or AN‐binge purge subtype showed elevations on motoric forms of impulsivity, whereas women with BN were the only group to report tendencies toward reckless behavior. Conclusion: These findings suggest that binge‐eating behavior coincides with problems of response inhibition, whereas a risk‐taking attitude may be a unique characteristic of individuals with BN. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.