Autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa: an Italian prospective study.

Background: Potential overlaps exist between psychopathological features of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The impact of malnutrition on autistic traits in patients with AN should be considered. This study investigates possible associations among the psychopathology of Eating Disorders (EDs), ASD traits and BMI in a group of young patients with AN, using the EDI-3 (Eating Disorder Inventory-3) test and gold-standard measures for ASD.