Basic HTML Version
Porto, Portugal | September 20-22, 2012
27
POSTER SESSION 1 ABSTRACTS
T5
THE COURSE OF ADOLESCENT EATING DISORDERS: A
POPULATION-BASED STUDY
Karina L Allen
1, 2
, Susan M Byrne
2
, Wendy H Oddy
1
, Ross D
Crosby
3, 4
1
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University
of Western Australia, Perth, Australia,
2
School of Psychology,
The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia,
3
De-
partment of Clinical Neuroscience, University of North Dakota
School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA,
4
Department of Biostatistics, Neuropsychiatric Research Insti-
tute, Fargo, ND, USA
Introduction:
This study aimed to describe the course of
eating disorders in a population-based sample of adoles-
cents followed from 14 to 17 years, and to identify prospec-
tive predictors of eating disorder persistence over this time
frame.
Methods
: Participants (N=1,100) were drawn from
the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study, an
ongoing population-based study. Eating disorder symptoms
were assessed with an adapted version of the Eating Disor-
der Examination-Questionnaire and diagnoses were made
according to
DSM-IV
criteria. Full and partial cases were both
considered.
Results:
Half of the participants with an eating
disorder at age 14 experienced diagnostic remission by age
17. Rule-breaking behaviour and attentional difficulties at
age 14 predicted eating disorder persistence to age 17, and
persistent eating disorder cases reported ongoing difficulties
with mood and general functioning. Remitting eating disorder
cases experienced significant reductions in eating and gener-
al psychopathology between ages 14 and 17, but continued
to report above-average difficulties in these areas at 17 years.
Conclusions:
New data are provided regarding the course of
adolescent eating disorders at a population level. Behavioural
and attentional difficulties may predict eating disorder per-
sistence in this age group, and adolescents who experience
persistent eating disorders are at risk for ongoing difficulties in
a range of other areas.
T6
CONCERN FOR APPROPRIATENESS MEDIATES THE
LINK BETWEEN DISORDERED EATING AND HYPNOTIZ-
ABILITY
Rachel Bachner-Melman
1,2
, Raz Levin
3,4
, Pesach Lichten-
berg
3,5
1
Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
Israel,
2
Adolescent Clinic, Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s
Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel,
3
Herzog Memorial Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel,
4
Neurobiology,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel,
5
Psy-
chiatry, Hadassah Medical School of the Hebrew University,
Jerusalem, Israel
Introduction: This study aimed to replicate a previously
observed link between disordered eating and hypnotizability,
and offer a possible explanation for it. We previously found
Concern for Appropriateness (Lennox and Wolfe, 1984) to
correlate with eating attitudes, and hypothesized that this
protective self-presentation style would influence not only
eating attitudes but also ‘appropriate’ behavior in the hypnotic
context. We therefore expected Concern for Appropriateness
to mediate the association between eating attitudes and
hypnotizability. Methods: 50 participants (33 women, 17 men)
between 15 and 30 years of age completed the Eating Atti-
tudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and the Concern for Appropriateness
Scale (CAS), and were administered the Stanford Hypnotic
Susceptibility Scale: Form C (SHSS:C). Results: As expect-
ed, EAT-26 scores correlated with SHSS:C scores (R=0.33,
p=0.01), as did CAS scores (R=0.43, p=0.001). Yet when both
EAT-26 and CAS were regressed simultaneously on SHSS:C
scores, the CAS but
not
the EAT-26 remained significant. The
Sobol Test of Mediation was significant (p=0.17). Conclusions:
Results provided support for our hypothesis; Concern for
Appropriateness was found to mediate the link between eat-
ing attitudes and hypnotizability. Individuals with problematic
eating attitudes may tend to be more hypnotizable than those
with normal eating attitudes at least in part because they tend
to be on the constant lookout for social cues that influence
their behavior.
T7
BODY DISSATISFACTION IN ADOLESCENT BOYS
Jessica H Baker
1
, Laura M Thornton
1
, Cristin Runfola
1
, Paul
Lichtenstein
2
, Cynthia M Bulik
1
1
University of North Carolia, Chapel Hill, NC, USA,
2
Karolinska
Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Introduction:
Body dissatisfaction is common among ado-
lescent girls and is a potent risk factor for an eating disorder.
Twin studies suggest body dissatisfaction in girls is moderate-
ly heritable. However, little is known about body dissatisfaction
in adolescent boys. We examined the heritability of muscle
and height dissatisfaction in a sample of adolescent boys.
Methods:
The sample included 370 16-17 year-old male
same-sex twins from the Swedish Twin Study of Child and
Adolescent Development. Height and muscle dissatisfaction
were assessed through self-report: “I’m happy with my height”
and “I’d like to be more muscular,” respectively. Items were
scored on a Likert scale ranging from always (6) to never (1).
Biometric twin modeling was applied to determine genetic and
environmental influences.
Results:
Mean muscle dissatis-
faction was 2.9 (SD 3.0); mean height dissatisfaction was 4.0
(SD = 1.4). Heritability was estimated at 47% for height dissat-
isfaction and 45% for muscle dissatisfaction with a majority of
the additional variance attributable to unique environmental
factors.
Conclusions:
Body dissatisfaction exists in adoles-
cent boys and, similar to reports addressing body dissatisfac-
tion in girls, is moderately heritable. Future research should
continue to explore aspects of body dissatisfaction that may
be more relevant to boys and address how such factors may
increase risk for an eating disorder.
T8
DEVELOPMENT OF A GO/NO-GO PARADIGM TO STUDY
EATING-SPECIFIC SELF-REGULATORY CONTROL AND
NEURAL ACTIVITY IN BULIMIA NERVOSA
Laura A. Berner, Meltem Izzetoglu, Hasan Ayaz, Patricia A.
Shewokis, Alyssa J. Matteucci, Michael R. Lowe
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
When engaging self-control in cognitive tasks, women with
bulimia nervosa (BN) show less activation in lateral prefrontal
cortex (PFC) than do healthy controls (HCs). This may un-
derlie binge eating in BN, but scanner constraints and motion
artifact sensitivity preclude direct fMRI testing of this relation
using realistic eating tasks. Functional near-infrared spectros-
copy (fNIR) permits portable neuroimaging that can overcome
these limitations. This fNIR pilot study aimed to replicate fMRI
studies of HCs using a standard go/no-go task and extend
these findings to a novel go/no-go task that requires inhibition
of prepotent, yogurt-shake sipping. Data collection is ongoing.
Eight HC women have completed both tasks. Consistent with
fMRI, activations associated with inhibition in the standard
task were observed in right middle frontal gyrus (MFG; Brod-
mann Area [BA] 10), superior frontal gyrus (BA 9), and inferior
frontal gyrus (IFG; BA 46), and left IFG (BA 45). In the sipping
task, similar right MFG (BA 10) and left IFG (BA 45) activation
was found, with additional activation observed in left MFG (BA
10). These preliminary findings support the validity of this par-
adigm for the measurement of neural activity during eating-re-
lated inhibitory control. Following further recruitment, analyses
will compare women with BN to HCs. This first integration of
neuroimaging with a cognitive task and eating could elucidate
PFC mechanisms involved in development and maintenance
of binge eating.
T9
TESTING PUTATIVE RISK FACTORS FOR ANOREXIA
NERVOSA USING MARKOV DECISION ANALYSIS
C Laird Birmingham
1,2
, Amy Harrington
1,2
1
Woodstone Residence, Galiano, BC, Canada,
2
University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
1. Purpose of the study. A decision analysis model can test
the likelihood of hypothesized causal factors for anorexia ner-
vosa if it correctly predicts the incidence and prevalence over
the life span. Putative, causal factors for anorexia nervosa
(AN) include: genetic, stressors, diet, media and societal pres-