Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40289637›Full record

ArticlePsychological medicine2025

Neuroanatomical associations with autistic characteristics in those with acute anorexia nervosa and weight-restored individuals.

Michelle Sader, Daniel Halls, Jess Kerr-Gaffney, Gordon D Waiter, Karri Gillespie-Smith, Fiona Duffy, Kate Tchanturia

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychological medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Michelle SaderSchool of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8068-7337
Daniel HallsDepartment of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5372-3179
Jess Kerr-GaffneyEating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5834-8307
Gordon D WaiterSchool of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5313-9845
Karri Gillespie-SmithEating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3059-7632
Fiona DuffyEating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9162-9722
Kate TchanturiaEating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8988-3265

Funding

MRF_ MR/X03058X/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Common neuroanatomical regions are associated with both states of anorexia nervosa (AN) and autistic characteristics, but restoration of body mass index (BMI) has been associated with decreased presentation of autistic characteristics in some individuals with AN. This study aims to examine neuroanatomical correlates associated with autistic characteristics in those with acute anorexia nervosa (ac-AN) and those previously diagnosed with AN but whose weight has been restored (WR). In total, 183 individuals (healthy controls [HCs] = 67; n[ac-AN] = 68; n[WR] = 48) from the Brain imaging of Emotion And Cognition of adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (BEACON) study were included, with autistic characteristics determined in both ac-AN and WR individuals (n = 116). To further examine BMI, ac-AN and WR group associations were compared. Random forest regression (RFR) models examined whether autistic characteristics and morphology of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were able to predict future levels of social anhedonia and alexithymia. Group-wise differences were identified within the volume and surface area of the MFG and OFC, which were unrelated to BMI. Autistic characteristics were inversely associated with MFG and ACC volume, with differences in associations between ac-AN and WR groups seen in the surface area of the MFG. RFR models identified moderate-to-weak performance and found that autistic characteristics were not important predictive features in a priori and exploratory models. Findings suggest that the presence of autistic characteristics in those with ac-AN are associated with the volume of the MFG and are unrelated to BMI restoration.

Indexed as

Affective SymptomsAnhedoniaAnorexia NervosaGyrus CinguliPrefrontal CortexAdolescentBody Mass IndexFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleYoung Adultanorexia nervosaautismbody mass indexmagnetic resonance imaging

Identifiers

PMID40289637
PMCPMC12094641

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