tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post4152867087248265710..comments2024-03-23T08:25:22.526-04:00Comments on ED Bites: "The effects of undernutrition..."Carrie Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02569839838912988783noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-4662697531652465812009-12-19T21:03:40.736-05:002009-12-19T21:03:40.736-05:00One part I don't understand about this first s...One part I don't understand about this first study is -- if there had been a correlation between undernutrition and social anxiety wouldn't there have also been a correlaiton between current BMI and social anxiety/phobia? Undernutrition doesn't mean a low BMI, but a low BMI is usually accompanied by undernutrition. . . <br /><br />From my understanding of what you said, the researchers found a correlation between the entire clinical picture of AN and social anxiety. Could it be that people with social anxiety are more likely to be predispoed to AN or vice versa?<br /><br />A:)A:)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-45184229271032686532009-12-19T14:36:49.684-05:002009-12-19T14:36:49.684-05:00Lol - I'd enjoy some nerdy debate Carrie; I am...Lol - I'd enjoy some nerdy debate Carrie; I am happily geeky! Oh, and I'd have to warn you that I'd harp on for hours about my cats :)<br /><br />I imagine that the IoP group will follow these patients up longitudinally, but were keen, meanwhile, to get the initial cross-sectional data published ASAP. <br /><br />I agree with your remark about OCD and AN. Personally I feel that both ASD and OCD contributed to my AN. In fact, I seem to have all the traits that increase vulnerability to obsessive and ritualistic behaviours, including AN... <br /><br />With regard to your comment about eToM and risk of relapse: Personally, difficulty understanding others, fear of change/unpredictability and fear of unfamiliar social situations has had a huge (negative) impact on my recovery from AN. AN kept me so busy (counting calories, exercising ritualistically etc.) that I didn't need to worry whether or I 'fitted in' (to society). Without AN I felt 'lost' in the world, so I somehow developed a collection of alternative obsessive and repetitive behaviours...<br /><br />Nowadays my struggles don't concern my weight or calorie counting; although I am still slightly underweight, I fit very few of the criteria for AN. However, I do struggle hugely with anxiety - and I have many repetitive behaviours and obsessions. I am very fortunate to have lovely parents amd some wonderful, close friends who find my quirks amusing...<br /><br />Has you kitty settled in to your new home?Cathy (UK)http://www.youtube.com/user/misstiggykinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-26162132664066851292009-12-19T13:07:20.840-05:002009-12-19T13:07:20.840-05:00Cathy,
I agree with your last paragraph whole-hea...Cathy,<br /><br />I agree with your last paragraph whole-heartedly. I see a link between AN and OCD as well; that doesn't mean everyone with OCD has an eating disorder, nor that everyone with an eating disorder also has OCD. But I'm guessing there's still some overlap in neural circuitry.<br /><br />Social situations are not my strong point, perhaps because I'm over-analyzing everyone's reactions. I have always felt more comfortable with teachers, professors, etc, than people my own age (until my mid-20s).<br /><br />You're right about the cross-section vs. longitudinal study, in that repeating the measurements on the acutely ill AN patients after weight restoration would have been more valuable. However, this is probably a good study to apply for funding for a longitudinal study. What I think would be interesting to see is if there are any differences in these eToM tasks between those who are able to maintain their weight and those who slip backwards. I would expect there would be a difference based on nutritional status, given this study, but it would be interesting to see if there are any predictive factors during acute illness that could possibly be targeted with therapy to improve outcome.<br /><br />I'm going to go to the UK to visit you sometime, and we are going to have one giant nerd-fest! :)Carrie Arnoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02569839838912988783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561748834204284315.post-4146679290136323222009-12-19T04:30:34.934-05:002009-12-19T04:30:34.934-05:00Unfortunately I wasn't able to download the fu...Unfortunately I wasn't able to download the full paper (Oldershaw et al. 2009) from PubMed; I have only read the Abstract. I note from the Abstract that the study was cross-sectional; i.e. comparing ill and (weight) recovered anorexic patients with healthy controls. I'd be interested to see the results of a longitudinal study with repeated measures on the same participants in response to intervention (re-feeding).<br /><br />The autism spectrum is very large and includes a variety of components apart from ToM, which is why many researchers focus on autistic traits rather than autism per se. The available evidence suggests that some (not all) people with anorexia nervosa (AN) or a history of the illness possess a varying number of autistic traits. Perhaps the more traits they possess, the harder full recovery actually is? <br /><br />From a personal perspective, I do have an ASD. It's relatively mild, but it certainly made my childhood difficult because I was socially 'retarded' relative to other kids of the same age - yet academically advanced. I did have close friends, but it took me a long time to 'work people out'. Similarly, they struggled to understand me and my quirks (including poor eye contact). Many didn't try and I was bullied as a kid. My ASD was a big factor in the development of my AN because I became very anxious at puberty when my body changed, alongside the 'social rules'. I effectively withdrew into AN to escape from the world and to create my own, highly controlled world (not that this was a conscious 'choice'). <br /><br />Gillberg et al. have shown that people with longstanding AN often had childhood social difficulties and repetitive behaviours - and many more autistic traits than people who have a more transient form of AN. They are also less responsive to (e.g.) family therapy. <br /><br />I imagine that research in this field will conclude that autistic traits can contribute to the development and maintenance of AN, and that starvation enhances these traits, but only a small number of people with AN actually qualify for a diagnosis of ASD.Cathy (UK)http://www.youtube.com/user/misstiggykinsnoreply@blogger.com