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Selective Processing of Food– and Body–Related Information and Autonomic Arousal in Patients with Eating Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Conxa Perpiña ,
Thierry Leonard ,
Janet Treasure ,
Alyson Bond  and
Rosa Baños
Conxa Perpiña*
Affiliation:
University of Valencia
Thierry Leonard
Affiliation:
Hospital Center Saint-Anne of Paris
Janet Treasure
Affiliation:
University of London
Alyson Bond
Affiliation:
University of London
Rosa Baños
Affiliation:
University of Valencia
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr. Conxa Perpiñá, Departamento de Personalidad. Facultad de Psicología. Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21. 46010 – Valencia (Spain). E-mail: perpinya@uv.es
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Abstract

Both attentional bias (using the modified Stroop Task) and autonomic reactivity (skin conductance level) to food- and body-related information were assessed in 25 patients with eating disorders (15 patients with anorexia, 10 patients with bulimia) and 18 women controls. Patients with anorexia showed the greatest interference in color-naming food-related words. However, on this occasion there were no differences in body condition, probably because of heterogeneity of clinical samples and because the control group were staff members, so the target information was very familiar to them. The groups differed in their autonomic reactivity while performing the Stroop, the patients with anorexia responded with higher skin conductance (p < .036). The discussion focuses on the differential profiles shown by samples and on the relationship between cognitive biases and autonomic arousal reactivity.

Se evaluó el sesgo atencional (Tarea de Stroop Modificado) y la reactividad autonómica (Nivel de conductancia de la piel) a la información relacionada con comida y cuerpo en 25 pacientes con trastornos alimentarios (15 anoréxicas y 10 bulímicas) y en 18 mujeres normales. Las anoréxicas mostraron la mayor interferencia al nombrar el color de las palabras relacionadas con la comida, aunque las diferencias no resultaron significativas en cuanto a las palabras relacionadas con el cuerpo. Probablemente este resultado puede deberse tanto a la heterogeneidad de las muestras clínicas como a que el grupo control estaba compuesto por personal del hospital, por lo que la información presentada era igualmente familiar para todos ellos. Los grupos se mostraron diferentes en su reactividad autonómica mientras realizaban la tarea Stroop, siendo las anoréxicas las que mostraron una mayor activación (p < .036). Se analizan los perfiles diferenciales exhibidos por las distintas muestras, así como la relación entre sesgos cognitivos y reactividad autonómica.

Keywords

eating disordersattentional biasautonomic arousalStroop taskTrastornos alimentariossesgos atencionalesactivación autonómicatarea Stroop
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 1 , May 1998 , pp. 3 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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