Frontiers in Psychiatry (Apr 2021)

Clinical and Cognitive Functioning Changes After Partial Hospitalization in Patients With Anorexia Nervosa

  • Elena Tenconi,
  • Elena Tenconi,
  • Enrico Collantoni,
  • Valentina Meregalli,
  • Valentina Meregalli,
  • Elisa Bonello,
  • Tatiana Zanetti,
  • Angela Veronese,
  • Paolo Meneguzzo,
  • Angela Favaro,
  • Angela Favaro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.653506
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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Introduction: Anorexia nervosa is usually associated with emotional and cognitive difficulties. Little knowledge is available about the changes in cognitive functioning in patients undergoing treatments. The aim of the present study was to longitudinally assess the impact of partial hospitalization on clinical and cognitive functioning in anorexia nervosa.Materials and Methods: 56 women with anorexia nervosa according to DSM-5 criteria and 58 healthy women were enrolled in the study. At baseline, all participants underwent clinical, diagnostic and neuropsychological assessment (T0). Patients were also assessed at the end of the treatment program (T1; n = 56).Results: BMI improved significantly throughout treatment. At baseline, patients showed significantly poorer executive abilities and less specific autobiographical memory. After the day-hospital program, decision-making abilities improved significantly. Response to treatment was predicted by BMI at admission and duration of illness, but neuropsychological performance did not contribute to the prediction model.Discussion: Cognitive difficulties, mostly regarding executive functions, resulted differently affected by clinical improvement. In particular, while cognitive monitoring and cognitive inhibition appear to be mostly stable trait-like characteristics, decision-making is both more state-dependent and sensitive to clinical status. None of the cognitive variables added information about the response to day hospital treatment; patients with short duration of illness and a rapidly decreasing BMI would benefit more from intensive interventions than less “acute” patients. These observations, if confirmed by future studies, have important clinical implications in order to understand the impact of malnutrition on cognitive functioning and to provide individualized effective treatment for patients with anorexia nervosa.

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