title: Decision making, central coherence and set-shifting: a comparison between Binge Eating Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa and Healthy Controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have investigated the cognitive profile in patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN); on the contrary few studies have evaluated it in patients with Binge Eating Disorder (BED). The purpose of this study was to compare decision making, central coherence and set-shifting between BED and AN patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A battery of neuropsychological tests including the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Trial Making Task (TMT) and the Hayling Sentence Completion Task (HSCT) were administered in a sample of 135 women (45 AN, 45 BED, 45 Healthy Controls [HC]). Furthermore, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered to evaluate depressive symptoms. Years of education, age, Body Mass Index (BMI) and depression severity were considered as covariates in statistical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BED and AN patients showed high rates of cognitive impairment compared to HC on the domains investigated; furthermore, the cognitive profile of BED patients was characterised by poorer decision making and cognitive flexibility compared to patients with AN. Cognitive performance was strongly associated with depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present sample, two different neurocognitive profiles emerged: a strong cognitive rigidity and a central coherence based on the details was predominant in patients with AN, while a lack of attention and difficulty in adapting to changes in a new situation seemed to better describe patients with BED. The knowledge of the different cognitive profiles of EDs patients may be important for the planning their psychotherapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Psychiatry. Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. matteo.aloi@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aloi
authors.affiliation: Chair of Psychiatry. Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. marianna.rania@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rania
authors.affiliation: Chair of Psychiatry. Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. mariaritacaroleo.82@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caroleo
authors.affiliation: Chair of Psychiatry. Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. bruni_antonella@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.affiliation: Chair of Psychiatry. Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. anto.palm@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Education of Calabria Region, Catanzaro, Italy. m.cauteruccio@regcal.it.
authors.forename: Maria Antonella
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cauteruccio
authors.affiliation: Chair of Psychiatry. Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. defazio@unicz.it.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Fazio
authors.affiliation: Chair of Psychiatry. Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. segura@unicz.it.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Segura-García
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D012718:Set, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult