Theory of mind and central coherence in eating disorders: Two sides of the same coin?

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate central coherence and theory of mind (ToM) and explore the relationships between these domains in patients with eating disorders (ED). ToM and central coherence were assessed in 72 women [24 with anorexia nervosa (AN), 24 with bulimia nervosa (BN) and 2...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatry research 2013-12, Vol.210 (3), p.1116-1122
Main Authors: Tapajóz P. de Sampaio, Fernanda, Soneira, Sebastian, Aulicino, Alfredo, Martese, Graciela, Iturry, Monica, Allegri, Ricardo Francisco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Anorexia
Anorexia Nervosa - psychology
Anxiety - psychology
Argentina
Biological and medical sciences
Bulimia
Bulimia Nervosa - psychology
Case-Control Studies
Central coherence
Depression - psychology
Eating behavior disorders
Feeding and Eating Disorders - diagnosis
Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology
Female
Humans
Medical sciences
Neuropsychological Tests
Neuropsychology
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Reading
Sense of Coherence
Surveys and Questionnaires
Theory of mind
Theory of Mind - physiology
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Summary:Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate central coherence and theory of mind (ToM) and explore the relationships between these domains in patients with eating disorders (ED). ToM and central coherence were assessed in 72 women [24 with anorexia nervosa (AN), 24 with bulimia nervosa (BN) and 24 healthy controls (HC)]. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RME) and the Faux Pas Test (FPT) to measure ToM, and the copy strategy of the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test to assess central coherence were used. It was observed that patients with ED had a decrease in central coherence skills compared with the control group; that patients with anorexia had a poor performance on RME ToM task compared with BN patients and HCs, and also that these measures were related in both clinical groups. The statistically significant correlation between them suggests that the central coherence and ToM measures might involve common cognitive processes. These results provide a better understanding of the nature of the socio-cognitive deficits observed in patients with eating disorders.
ISSN:0165-1781
1872-7123
DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.08.051