Westwood Heather, Mandy William, Tchanturia Kate
Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 103 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK.
Mol Autism. 2017 Mar 16;8:12. doi: 10.1186/s13229-017-0128-x. eCollection 2017.
Despite a suggested link between anorexia nervosa (AN) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), previous studies have used self-report or diagnostic criteria to assess for ASD in AN populations, rather than direct observation of symptom characteristic of ASD. The aim of this study was to use a standardised, clinical assessment of ASD, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (ADOS-2), to investigate the presence of autistic symptoms in a cross-sectional sample of women with AN.
Sixty women were recruited from inpatient or day-patient specialist eating disorder services. Each participant underwent the ADOS-2 assessment and completed a set of self-report questionnaires assessing eating disorder pathology and other psychiatric symptoms. IQ was also assessed.
Fourteen women (23.3%) scored above clinical cutoff for ASD on the ADOS-2. Only eight of these women displayed repetitive or restrictive behaviours, while all 14 had difficulties with social affect. Elevated ASD symptoms were associated with increased alexithymia and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but not specific eating disorder pathology.
ASD symptoms are over-represented in women with severe AN and appear to be associated with other psychiatric symptoms, which warrant further investigation and consideration in treatment.
尽管有研究表明神经性厌食症（AN）与自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）之间存在联系，但以往的研究多使用自我报告或诊断标准来评估AN患者群体中的ASD，而非直接观察ASD的症状特征。本研究旨在使用标准化的ASD临床评估工具——《自闭症诊断观察量表》第二版（ADOS-2），对AN女性横断面样本中的自闭症症状进行调查。
从住院或日间住院专科饮食失调服务机构招募了60名女性。每位参与者都接受了ADOS-2评估，并完成了一组自我报告问卷，以评估饮食失调病理和其他精神症状。同时也评估了智商。
14名女性（23.3%）在ADOS-2上的得分高于ASD临床临界值。这些女性中只有8人表现出重复或受限行为，而14人都存在社交情感方面的困难。ASD症状的升高与述情障碍和强迫症状的增加有关，但与特定的饮食失调病理无关。
严重AN女性中ASD症状的比例过高，且似乎与其他精神症状有关，这值得在治疗中进一步调查和考虑。
