Chen Yan, Guo Lei, Wu Mengting, Zhang Lei, He Qianqian, Zheng Yuchen, Wu Lin, Zheng Hui, Chen Jue
Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Military Medical Psychology School, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2022 May 18;13:899757. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.899757. eCollection 2022.
Bulimia nervosa (BN) is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food without control. Studies have found positive correlations of BN symptoms with impulsive traits and negative affect. However, the network relationship supporting BN symptoms is unclear.
The study participants included female BN patients (146) and healthy controls (HCs, 146). The participants were matched for age. All participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory. We characterized the centrality parameters of BN, impulsiveness, and anxiety and depression symptoms of BN patients compared with HCs.
Among all symptoms in the constructed BN group network, Shape dissatisfaction had the highest strength. In the BN group network, three clusters of symptoms ("ED-specific symptoms," "impulsivity," and "anxiety and depression") were linked to each other by several symptoms. Compared to the HC network, impulsiveness was strongly associated with Concerns about Others Seeing One Eat in the BN network.
This study shows that ED-specific symptoms, i.e., Shape dissatisfaction, play a key role in BN. The cognition of "shape dissatisfaction" is a basis, and impulsivity and emotional symptoms are maintaining factors that may lead to BN development.
神经性贪食症（BN）的特征是反复出现无节制地大量进食发作。研究发现BN症状与冲动特质和消极情绪呈正相关。然而，支持BN症状的网络关系尚不清楚。
研究参与者包括女性BN患者（146例）和健康对照者（HCs，146例）。参与者按年龄匹配。所有参与者均完成了饮食失调检查问卷6.0、巴拉特冲动性量表-11、贝克焦虑量表和贝克抑郁量表。我们比较了BN患者与HCs的BN、冲动性以及焦虑和抑郁症状的中心性参数。
在构建的BN组网络中的所有症状中，体型不满的强度最高。在BN组网络中，三组症状（“特定于进食障碍的症状”、“冲动性”和“焦虑和抑郁”）通过几种症状相互关联。与HC网络相比，在BN网络中，冲动性与担心他人看到自己进食密切相关。
本研究表明，特定于进食障碍的症状，即体型不满，在BN中起关键作用。对“体型不满”的认知是一个基础，而冲动性和情绪症状是可能导致BN发展的维持因素。
