Lundin Remnélius Karl, Bölte Sven
Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Stockholm, Sweden.
Region Stockholm, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden.
Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Feb;58(2):308-310. doi: 10.1002/eat.24332. Epub 2024 Nov 23.
The recent systematic review and meta-analysis by Inal-Kaleli et al. is situated within a growing area of research, investigating the relationship between anorexia nervosa and autistic characteristics. Their synthesis of research within the topic finds support for elevated autistic characteristics and autism in individuals with anorexia nervosa and a small but significant correlation between autistic traits and level of eating disorder symptoms. In this commentary, we discuss the findings of Inal-Kaleli and colleagues and propose further research to generate insights into the nature of this link. We focus on the potential origins of the observed relationship, specific mechanisms, and manifestation of anorexia nervosa in autistic populations, and the influence of sex and gender on the intersection of eating disorders and autism. By addressing these largely unexplored research avenues, future investigations can go beyond the phenotypic correlations and facilitate the development of prevention and intervention suited for individuals experiencing both disordered eating and elevated autistic traits.
伊纳尔 - 卡莱利等人最近进行的系统评价和荟萃分析处于一个不断发展的研究领域，该领域旨在研究神经性厌食症与自闭症特征之间的关系。他们对该主题内研究的综合分析发现，神经性厌食症患者的自闭症特征和自闭症发生率有所升高，并且自闭症特质与饮食失调症状水平之间存在小但显著的相关性。在这篇评论中，我们讨论了伊纳尔 - 卡莱利及其同事的研究结果，并提出进一步的研究建议，以深入了解这种联系的本质。我们关注观察到的这种关系的潜在起源、具体机制、自闭症人群中神经性厌食症的表现，以及性别对饮食失调与自闭症交叉领域的影响。通过探索这些大多未被研究的途径，未来的调查可以超越表型相关性，并促进适合同时经历饮食失调和自闭症特质升高的个体的预防和干预措施的发展。
