title: Empathy, systemizing, and autistic traits in anorexia nervosa: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This pilot study examined whether patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) would display an empathizing-systemizing psychometric profile similar to that found in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and whether people with AN would score highly on a measure of autistic traits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-report measures of empathy, systemizing, and autistic traits were administered to 22 female AN patients and 45 female healthy controls (HC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  AN patients and HCs did not differ significantly in their self-reported empathy and systemizing. AN patients scored significantly higher than HCs on the autism-spectrum quotient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Replication of these findings is required with larger samples and more sensitive measures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Section of Eating Disorders, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hambrook
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tchanturia
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treasure
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D035061:Control Groups; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004328:Drive; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires