Executive functions in binge spectrum eating disorders with comorbid compulsive buying

Abstract

Altres ajuts: The authors would like to thank CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya for institutional support.This manuscript and research was supported by grants from (...) the Delegación del Gobierno para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (2017I067), the PERIS-SLT006/17/00246 grant, funded by the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya by the call 'Acció instrumental de programes de recerca orientats en l'àmbit de la recerca i la innovació en salut', and co-funded by FEDER funds/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), a way to build Europe. CIBERObn is an initiative of ISCIII. Lucero Munguía is supported by a postdoctoral Grant of the Mexican Institution Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología-CONACYT (Science and Technology National Counsel). María Lozano-Madrid is supported by a predoctoral grant of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (FPU15/02911). Bernat Mora-Maltas is supported by a PRIME (Prevention and Remediation of Insulin Multimorbidity in Europe) project (ref. 847879).

OBJECTIVE: The aims were to explore if bulimic spectrum disorders (BSD) patients, who also present comorbid compulsive buying (CB), could represent a specific subtype considering its neuropsychological performance; to present a descriptive analysis of different clinical features; and to explore how these variables could influence treatment outcome. It was hypothesised that the comorbid group will present worse neuropsychological performance that will lead to a worse treatment outcome. METHOD: The study has a longitudinal design. Women (N = 75) diagnosed with BSD, BSD + CB and Healthy Controls (HC); completed an evaluation of: cognitive flexibility, decision making, eating disorder (ED) symptomatology, psychopathological state and personality traits. RESULTS: BSD + CB was the group with the most severe clinical profile, worst treatment outcome and higher neuropsychological impairment, than other groups. Path-analysis evidenced that deficits in decision making were associated with bad treatment outcome, while deficits in flexibility with the presence of the comorbidity. Self-directedness and novelty seeking were associated with the neuropsychological performance and the comorbidity. CONCLUSION: BSD + CB exhibit a worse clinical and neuropsychological profile that seems to be related with the treatment outcome, which should be taken into account for the establishment of specific treatment approaches.