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Do autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa have some eating disturbances in common?

Karjalainen, Louise ; Råstam, Maria LU orcid ; Paulson-Karlsson, Gunilla and Wentz, Elisabet LU (2019) In European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 28(1). p.69-78
Abstract

A possible overlap between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anorexia nervosa (AN), in terms of both behavioural and cognitive features, has led to new areas of research. The aim of the present study was to examine the occurrence of eating behaviours frequently seen in ASD among adolescents and young adults with AN. The participants were females within the age range 15–25 years: 36 with current AN (32 were followed up after 1 year), 19 with ASD, and 30 healthy females. The participants completed the SWedish Eating Assessment for Autism spectrum disorders (SWEAA) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient tool (AQ). AN groups had significantly higher SWEAA scores than the healthy comparison group, also when patients had gained weight. Typical... (More)

A possible overlap between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anorexia nervosa (AN), in terms of both behavioural and cognitive features, has led to new areas of research. The aim of the present study was to examine the occurrence of eating behaviours frequently seen in ASD among adolescents and young adults with AN. The participants were females within the age range 15–25 years: 36 with current AN (32 were followed up after 1 year), 19 with ASD, and 30 healthy females. The participants completed the SWedish Eating Assessment for Autism spectrum disorders (SWEAA) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient tool (AQ). AN groups had significantly higher SWEAA scores than the healthy comparison group, also when patients had gained weight. Typical autistic eating behaviours, such as selective eating, were more common in the AN groups than in the ASD group. This is the first time that SWEAA has been implemented in an AN population. Eating behaviours frequently seen in ASD seem to be frequent in AN and some remain also after weight gain.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Anorexia nervosa, AQ, Autism spectrum disorder, Eating behaviours, Eating disorders, SWEAA
in
European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
volume
28
issue
1
pages
10 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:29974245
  • scopus:85049565631
ISSN
1018-8827
DOI
10.1007/s00787-018-1188-y
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
390d7d29-47ad-4ac1-a8d2-c7961c14cda8
date added to LUP
2018-07-23 09:46:08
date last changed
2024-06-25 19:44:30
@article{390d7d29-47ad-4ac1-a8d2-c7961c14cda8,
  abstract     = {{<p>A possible overlap between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anorexia nervosa (AN), in terms of both behavioural and cognitive features, has led to new areas of research. The aim of the present study was to examine the occurrence of eating behaviours frequently seen in ASD among adolescents and young adults with AN. The participants were females within the age range 15–25 years: 36 with current AN (32 were followed up after 1 year), 19 with ASD, and 30 healthy females. The participants completed the SWedish Eating Assessment for Autism spectrum disorders (SWEAA) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient tool (AQ). AN groups had significantly higher SWEAA scores than the healthy comparison group, also when patients had gained weight. Typical autistic eating behaviours, such as selective eating, were more common in the AN groups than in the ASD group. This is the first time that SWEAA has been implemented in an AN population. Eating behaviours frequently seen in ASD seem to be frequent in AN and some remain also after weight gain.</p>}},
  author       = {{Karjalainen, Louise and Råstam, Maria and Paulson-Karlsson, Gunilla and Wentz, Elisabet}},
  issn         = {{1018-8827}},
  keywords     = {{Anorexia nervosa; AQ; Autism spectrum disorder; Eating behaviours; Eating disorders; SWEAA}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{69--78}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{Do autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa have some eating disturbances in common?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1188-y}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00787-018-1188-y}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}