Impulsivity, Emotional Dysregulation and Executive Function Deficits Could Be Associated with Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Eating Disorders

Background: Empirical data suggests a high comorbid occurrence of eating disorders (EDs) and substance use disorders (SUDs), as well as neurological and psychological shared characteristics. However, no prior study has identified the neuropsychological features of this subgroup. This study examines...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Lozano Madrid, María|||0000-0003-3833-317X, Clark Bryan, Danielle|||0000-0002-6422-7306, Granero, Roser|||0000-0001-6308-3198, Sánchez, Isabel|||0000-0001-5874-8204, Riesco, Nadine|||0000-0002-6336-4907, Mallorquí-Bagué, Núria|||0000-0003-1434-3162, Jiménez-Murcia, Susana|||0000-0002-3596-8033, Treasure, Janet|||0000-0003-0871-4596, Fernández-Aranda, Fernando|||0000-0002-2968-9898
Format: article
Publication Date:2020
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:252696
Online Access:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/252696
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.3390/jcm9061936
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Eating disorder
Alcohol and/or drug abuse
Substance use disorder
Executive functions
Impulsivity
Emotional dysregulation
Description
Summary:Background: Empirical data suggests a high comorbid occurrence of eating disorders (EDs) and substance use disorders (SUDs), as well as neurological and psychological shared characteristics. However, no prior study has identified the neuropsychological features of this subgroup. This study examines the prevalence of alcohol and/or drug abuse (A/DA) symptoms in ED patients. It also compares the clinical features and neuropsychological performance of ED patients with and without A/DA symptoms. Methods: 145 participants (74.5% females) with various forms of diagnosed EDs underwent a comprehensive clinical (TCI-R, SCL-90-R and EDI-2) and neuropsychological assessment (Stroop, WCST and IGT). Results: Approximately 19% of ED patients (across ED subtypes) had A/DA symptoms. Those with A/DA symptoms showed more impulsive behaviours and higher levels of interoceptive awareness (EDI-2), somatisation (SCL-90-R) and novelty seeking (TCI-R). This group also had a lower score in the Stroop-words measure, made more perseverative errors in the WCST and showed a weaker learning trajectory in the IGT. Conclusions: ED patients with A/DA symptoms display a specific phenotype characterised by greater impulsive personality, emotional dysregulation and problems with executive control. Patients with these temperamental traits may be at high risk of developing a SUD.

Similar Items