Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39754276›Full record

ArticleJournal of eating disorders2025

Exploring the relationship between proactive inhibition and restrictive eating behaviours in severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN).

Savani Bartholdy, Bethan Dalton, Samantha J Rennalls, Maria Kekic, Jessica McClelland, Iain C Campbell, Owen G O'Daly, Ulrike Schmidt

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Article in Journal of eating disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Savani BartholdyCentre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Bethan DaltonCentre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Samantha J RennallsCentre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Maria KekicCentre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Jessica McClellandCentre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Iain C CampbellCentre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Owen G O'DalyCentre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Ulrike SchmidtCentre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. ulrike.schmidt@kcl.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a need for improved understanding of why 20-30% of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) develop a severe and enduring form of illness (SE-AN). Previously, we reported differences in proactive inhibition (a pre-emptive slowing of responses) in individuals with AN compared to healthy controls (after controlling for intolerance of uncertainty). The present study is a preliminary exploration of proactive inhibition in which we compared women with SE-AN with healthy comparison (HC) women and explored its association with restrictive/avoidant eating behaviours.

methodsThirty-four women with SE-AN (defined by >3 years of illness and a previous unsuccessful course of eating disorder treatment) and 30 HCs completed (a) a cued reaction time task, to assess proactive inhibition, and (b) questionnaires assessing restrictive/avoidant eating behaviours and intolerance of uncertainty.

resultsBoth SE-AN and HC participants showed slower reaction times under conditions of uncertainty, indicating proactive inhibition in both groups. There was a main effect of group, with SE-AN participants showing significantly slower reaction times compared to HC. There was no interaction between group and condition, suggesting that individuals with SE-AN did not differ in proactive inhibition compared to HCs. However, post-hoc analysis between-group tests for each trial type revealed that group differences were only present under conditions of uncertainty. Proactive inhibition was not significantly associated with self-reported restrictive/avoidant eating behaviours, including when taking intolerance of uncertainty into consideration.

conclusionsIt is unlikely that proactive inhibition contributes to avoidant and restrictive eating behaviours seen in SE-AN. Our findings suggest that the SE-AN group are relatively more cautious when responding under conditions of uncertainty. Longitudinal studies and between-group comparisons of individuals across different stages of illness will be required to elucidate the way in which proactive inhibition is specifically implicated in SE-AN, rather than in AN more generally.

Indexed as

Anorexia nervosaInhibitory controlIntolerance of uncertaintyProactive inhibitionRestrictive eating

Identifiers

PMID39754276
PMCPMC11699635

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.