Selective processing of eating and body words in restricting-type anorexics, binge-eating-type anorexics, bulimics, and control subjects

Abstract

A French adaptation of the Stroop colour-naming task was used to investigate selective processing of information related to eating and the body in 92 female subjects: 18 with restricting-type anorexia nervosa (RAs), 25 with binge-eating-type anorexia (BAs), 20 with bulimia nervosa (BNs), and 29 controls (Cs). All participants were significantly slower in colour-naming words related to eating and the body. This suggests that eating and body Stroop effects were not diagnostic category effects. Eating Stroop effect was significantly stronger in eating disordered patients than in Cs, but very similar in RAs, BAs, and BNs. It did not correlate with the body mass index nor with Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) scores. Body Stroop effect did not differ significantly between groups. However some of our results suggested a tendency for this effect to be higher in BNs, corroborating previous literature data. Body Stroop effect correlated with EDI score in RAs, and with the "body dissatisfaction" subscale score in BNs and BAs. It did not correlate with the body mass index. Further studies are currently being carried out to determine whether inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa induces significant changes in eating and/or body Stroop effect, and whether such changes might be predictive of clinical outcome.

Attentional biases and frontal functioning in anorexia nervosa

“…The EDI-2 Drive for Thinness did not correlate with the results of the Stroop test or the WCST. These results contrast, as in other studies (Leonard et al, 1997), with the hypothesis that a high score in the area of eating pathology may influence the process of selection of information connected with food or body size (Perpina et al, 1993).…”

“…These data seem to differ somewhat from those described in previous studies (Chesters et al, 1998;Cooper & Fairburn, 1994;Cooper & Todd, 1997;Green, McKenna, & De Silva, 1994;Perpina, Hemsley, Treasure, & De Silva, 1993), whereas they are in accord with data found by other authors (Ben-Tovim et al, 1989;BenTovim & Walker, 1991;Leonard, Divac, Bichindaritz, Rouer-Saporta, & Samuel-Lajeunesse, 1997). These authors observed that the Stroop effect in patients appears in some cases in response to the food stimulus words (eating) and in other cases in response to words regarding the body (body).…”

“…Moreover, the severity of the psychopathology and of eating attitudes (EDI-2) does not correlate with results obtained from neuropsychological tests, as seen in other studies (Ben-Tovim et al, 1989;Ben-Tovim & Walker, 1991;Leonard et al, 1997). The EDI-2 Drive for Thinness did not correlate with the results of the Stroop test or the WCST.…”

A systematic review of attentional biases in disorders involving binge eating

“…Further, all but one of the available effect sizes across both significant and non-significant findings (Black et al, 1997) indicated greater AB to food in women with BN. No differences were found in AB to food cues between women with BN vs. AN-B/P (Léonard et al, 1997) or between women with threshold vs. subthreshold BN (Lokken et al, 2006). …”

“…Among studies using the Stroop task with food-related cues, the majority of studies found no significant differences in AB between women with BN and healthy controls (Black, Wilson, Labouvie, & Heffernan, 1997; Davidson & Wright, 2002; Flynn & McNally, 1999; Johansson, Carlbring, Ghaderi, & Andersson, 2008; Lee, Namkoong, & Jung, 2017; Lovell, Williams, & Hill, 1997; Perpiñá, Hemsley, Treasure, & de Silva, 1993; Perpiña, Leonard, Treasure, Bond, & Banos, 1998; Ruiz, de Leon, & Diaz, 2008; Waller & Ruddock, 1995), and six studies indicated that women with BN had greater AB to food cues compared to healthy controls (Ben-Tovim & Walker, 1991; Ben-Tovim, Walker, Fok, & Yap, 1989; Cooper & Todd, 1997; Jones-Chesters, Monsell, & Cooper, 1998; Léonard, Divac, Bichindaritz, Rouer-Saporta, & Samuel-Lajeunesse, 1997; Lokken, Marx, & Ferraro, 2006). Further, all but one of the available effect sizes across both significant and non-significant findings (Black et al, 1997) indicated greater AB to food in women with BN.…”