Pruccoli Jacopo, Solari Altea, Terenzi Letizia, Malaspina Elisabetta, Angotti Marida, Pignataro Veronica, Gualandi Paola, Sacrato Leonardo, Cordelli Duccio Maria, Franzoni Emilio, Parmeggiani Antonia
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Ital J Pediatr. 2021 Mar 9;47(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s13052-021-01006-7.
Potential overlaps exist between psychopathological features of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The impact of malnutrition on autistic traits in patients with AN should be considered. This study investigates possible associations among the psychopathology of Eating Disorders (EDs), ASD traits and BMI in a group of young patients with AN, using the EDI-3 (Eating Disorder Inventory-3) test and gold-standard measures for ASD.
Prospective study involving 23 inpatients admitted to an Italian Centre for paediatric ED. ASD traits and ED psychopathology were assessed administering the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2), AQ (Autism Quotient) and EDI-3 tests. Both present and past autistic traits were investigated using different versions of AQ. Correlations were adjusted for BMI, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) comorbidity and concurrent antipsychotic treatments.
An ASD diagnosis was possible in 22% of patients. Significant correlations were documented between ASD traits and ED psychopathology: AQ total-Interpersonal problems (IPC) (p = 0.041); AQ total-Global psychological maladjustment (GMPC) (p = 0.027); AQ social skills-Ineffectiveness (IC) (p = 0.018); AQ social skills-IPC (p = 0.019); AQ social skills-Affective problems (APC) (p = 0.025); AQ social skills-GMPC (p = 0.007); AQ attention switching-IPC (p = 0.020); ADOS-2 imagination-IC (p = 0.035). These correlations were independent of BMI, OCD and antipsychotic treatments.
ASD traits presented high prevalence in a group of young inpatients with AN. These traits were significantly correlated to 4 specific EDI-3 subscales and independent of BMI. This is the first study to investigate the relationship between ASD traits as measured with gold-standard measures, EDI-3 scores, and BMI.
神经性厌食症（AN）的精神病理学特征与自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）之间可能存在重叠。应考虑营养不良对AN患者自闭症特征的影响。本研究使用饮食失调问卷-3（EDI-3）测试和ASD的金标准测量方法，调查一组患有AN的年轻患者中饮食失调（ED）的精神病理学、ASD特征和体重指数（BMI）之间可能存在的关联。
前瞻性研究，纳入了23名入住意大利儿科ED中心的住院患者。通过自闭症诊断观察量表第二版（ADOS-2）、自闭症商数（AQ）和EDI-3测试对ASD特征和ED精神病理学进行评估。使用不同版本的AQ对当前和过去的自闭症特征进行调查。对相关性进行了BMI、强迫症（OCD）共病和同时进行的抗精神病药物治疗的校正。
22%的患者可能被诊断为ASD。记录到ASD特征与ED精神病理学之间存在显著相关性：AQ总分-人际问题（IPC）（p = 0.041）；AQ总分-整体心理失调（GMPC）（p = 0.027）；AQ社交技能-无效性（IC）（p = 0.018）；AQ社交技能-IPC（p = 0.019）；AQ社交技能-情感问题（APC）（p = 0.025）；AQ社交技能-GMPC（p = 0.007）；AQ注意力转换-IPC（p = 0.020）；ADOS-2想象力-IC（p = 0.035）。这些相关性独立于BMI、OCD和抗精神病药物治疗。
ASD特征在一组患有AN的年轻住院患者中具有较高的患病率。这些特征与EDI-3的4个特定子量表显著相关，且独立于BMI。这是第一项研究用金标准测量方法测得的ASD特征、EDI-3分数和BMI之间关系的研究。
