Measuring state trait properties of detail processing and global integration ability in eating disorders

Abstract

Objectives. Women with eating disorders (EDs) are reported to have strengths in local or detailed information processing and difficulties with coherence or global processing/integration. Methods. This study aimed to replicate these findings and additionally explore a global integration task which has not previously been reported for an ED group, the Fragmented Pictures Task (FPT). Two hundred and twenty-two women (50 with anorexia nervosa (AN), 48 with bulimia nervosa (BN), 35 recovered from AN and 89 controls (HC)) completed the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Task (RCFT) to measure global/local processing strategies, the Group Embedded Figures Task (GEFT) to measure local processing and the FPT to measure global integration. Results. Superior detail processing skills (GEFT) and a tendency to utilise detail processing strategies (RCFT) were associated with having AN, BN and being in recovery from AN. Global integration difficulties (FPT) were only observed in acute AN, whereas participants in the BN and recovered group performed similarly to HCs. Conclusions. People currently ill with, and recovered from EDs are skilled at detail processing. The acute phase of AN is associated with difficulties in global integration.

Key words::

• Eating disorders
• anorexia nervosa
• bulimia nervosa
• central coherence
• neuropsychology

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by a Nina Jackson Research into Eating Disorders Studentship in collaboration with the Psychiatry Research Trust registered charity no. 284286) awarded to Amy Harrison. The research was also supported by a Department of Health NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research entitled ARIADNE (Applied Research into Anorexia Nervosa and Not Otherwise Specified Eating Disorders) Reference number RP-PG-0606-1043.

The authors acknowledge training/support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Specialist Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health award to the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London. The views expressed in this paper do not reflect the views of the NIHR.

Thanks to Elizabeth Wear-Nightingale for assisting with data entry and Dr Carolina Lopez, Dr Marion Roberts and Elizabeth Goddard for assisting with measuring inter-rater reliability.

Statement of Interest

None to declare