title: Cognitive performance in children with acute early-onset anorexia nervosa.
abstract: When anorexia nervosa (AN) occurs in children below the age of 14 years, it is referred to as early-onset AN (EO-AN). Over the last years, there has been an increased focus on the role of cognitive functioning in the development and maintenance of AN. Adults with AN show inefficiencies in cognitive functions such as flexibility and central coherence. Systematic neuropsychological examinations of patients with EO-AN are missing. Thirty children with EO-AN and 30 adolescents with AN, as well as 60 healthy controls (HC) underwent an extensive neuropsychological examination. ANOVAs with post hoc tests and explorative regression analyses were conducted. Patients with EO-AN (mean age = 2.17 ± 1.57 years) showed no significant differences in flexibility, inhibition, planning, central coherence, visuospatial short- and long-term memory or recognition in comparison to HC (mean age = 11.62 ± 1.29 years). Performance of adolescents with AN (mean age = 15.93 ± 0.70 years) was not significantly different compared to HC (mean age = 16.20 ± 1.26 years). Explorative regression analyses revealed a significant interaction of age and group for flexibility (adjusted R2= 0.30, F = 17.85, p = 0.013, ηp2= 0.32). Contrary to expectations, the current study could not confirm the presence of inefficient cognitive processing in children with EO-AN compared to HC. Nonetheless, the expected age-related improvement of flexibility might be disrupted in children and adolescents with AN. Longitudinal neuropsychological examinations are necessary to provide more information about the role of cognitive functioning in the development and maintenance of AN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. betteke.van-noort@charite.de.
authors.forename: Betteke Maria
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: van Noort
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Eating Disorder Services and Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus , Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lehmkuhl
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kappel
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Adolescents; Children; Cognitive functions; Early-onset anorexia nervosa; Eating disorders; Neuropsychology