Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Department of Mental Health, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2022 Aug;56(8):985-993. doi: 10.1177/00048674211047189. Epub 2021 Sep 18.
Recent research has suggested that a type of atypical eye movement, called square wave jerks, together with anxiety, may distinguish individuals with anorexia nervosa from those without anorexia nervosa and may represent a biomarker and endophenotype for the illness. The aim of this study was to identify the presence of this proposed marker in individuals currently with anorexia nervosa relative to healthy controls, and to identify the state independence and heritability of this putative marker by exploring whether it also exists in individuals who are weight-restored from anorexia nervosa and first-degree relatives (i.e. sisters of people with anorexia nervosa).
Data from 80 female participants (20/group: current anorexia nervosa, weight-restored from anorexia nervosa, sisters of people with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls) were analysed. Square wave jerk rate was acquired during a fixation task, and anxiety was measured with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory.
Current anorexia nervosa, weight-restored from anorexia nervosa and sisters of people with anorexia nervosa groups made significantly more square wave jerks than healthy controls, but did not differ from one another. Square wave jerk rate and anxiety were found to discriminate groups with exceptionally high accuracy (current anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 92.5%; weight-restored from anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 77.5%; sisters of people with anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 77.5%; < .001).
The combination of square wave jerk rate and anxiety was found to be a promising two-element marker for anorexia nervosa, and has the potential to be used as a biomarker or endophenotype to identify people at risk of anorexia nervosa and inform future treatments.
最近的研究表明，一种非典型的眼球运动，称为“方形波急跳”，与焦虑一起，可能将神经性厌食症患者与非神经性厌食症患者区分开来，并且可能代表该疾病的生物标志物和内表型。本研究的目的是确定目前患有神经性厌食症的个体相对于健康对照组是否存在这种被提议的标志物，并通过探索它是否也存在于从神经性厌食症中恢复体重的个体和一级亲属（即神经性厌食症患者的姐妹）中，来确定这种假定标志物的状态独立性和遗传性。
分析了 80 名女性参与者（每组 20 人：当前神经性厌食症、从神经性厌食症中恢复体重、神经性厌食症患者的姐妹和健康对照组）的数据。在注视任务期间获得方形波急跳率，并用状态特质焦虑量表测量焦虑。
当前神经性厌食症、从神经性厌食症中恢复体重和神经性厌食症患者姐妹组比健康对照组做出的方形波急跳明显更多，但彼此之间没有差异。方形波急跳率和焦虑被发现具有极高的区分组别的准确性（当前神经性厌食症与健康对照组相比=92.5%；从神经性厌食症中恢复体重与健康对照组相比=77.5%；神经性厌食症患者的姐妹与健康对照组相比=77.5%；<.001）。
方形波急跳率和焦虑的组合被发现是神经性厌食症的一种有前途的二元标志物，有可能被用作生物标志物或内表型来识别有患神经性厌食症风险的人，并为未来的治疗提供信息。
