title: Decision-making functioning as a predictor of treatment outcome in anorexia nervosa.
abstract: The pathological eating behaviour of patients with anorexia nervosa reflects a deficit in planning real-life strategies that can be observed in an experimental setting through the Gambling Task, a tool designed to detect and measure decision-making abilities. We examined the role of Gambling Task performance as a predictor of treatment outcome in anorectic patients, and we evaluated changes in decision-making after clinical improvement. Performance on the Gambling Task was evaluated, and a clinical-nutritional assessment of 38 anorectic patients was carried out before and after a cognitive-behavioural and drug treatment program. Task performance of anorectic patients was compared with that of 30 healthy control participants. Patients who had a better decision-making profile at baseline showed significantly greater improvement in nutritional status. The decision-making deficiency of some anorectic patients is probably linked to those individual features that contribute to the phenomenological expression of the disorder and to its different treatment outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, School of Psychology, 20 Via Stamira d'Ancona, 20127 Milan, Italy. cavedini.paolo@hsr.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavedini
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zorzi
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gorini
authors.forename: Clementina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baraldi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ubbiali
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bellodi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003657:Decision Making; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors