Abstract
The pathological eating behaviour of patients with anorexia nervosa reflects a deficit in planning real-life strategies that can be observed in an experimental setting through the Gambling Task, a tool designed to detect and measure decision-making abilities. We examined the role of Gambling Task performance as a predictor of treatment outcome in anorectic patients, and we evaluated changes in decision-making after clinical improvement. Performance on the Gambling Task was evaluated, and a clinical-nutritional assessment of 38 anorectic patients was carried out before and after a cognitive-behavioural and drug treatment program. Task performance of anorectic patients was compared with that of 30 healthy control participants. Patients who had a better decision-making profile at baseline showed significantly greater improvement in nutritional status. The decision-making deficiency of some anorectic patients is probably linked to those individual features that contribute to the phenomenological expression of the disorder and to its different treatment outcomes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 179-187 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Psychiatry Research |
Volume | 145 |
Issue number | 2-3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 7 2006 |
Keywords
- Anorexia nervosa
- Decision-making
- Eating disorders
- Executive function
- Gambling task
- Treatment predictors
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry
- Psychology(all)