Maintenance treatment for anorexia nervosa: a comparison of cognitive behavior therapy and treatment as usual.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare two maintenance treatment conditions for weight-restored anorexia nervosa (AN): individual cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and maintenance treatment as usual (MTAU).

Method: This study was a nonrandomized clinical trial. The participants were 88 patients with AN who had achieved a minimum body mass index (BMI) of 19.

Illness intrusiveness in anorexia nervosa.

Objective: "Illness intrusiveness" refers to illness-induced lifestyle disruptions. The primary aim of the current study was to compare the level of illness intrusiveness in anorexia nervosa (AN) to that reported in a variety of other chronic medical and psychiatric conditions. A secondary aim was to compare the two subtypes of AN (binge/purge vs.

Readiness to change mediates the impact of eating disorder symptomatology on treatment outcome in anorexia nervosa.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine if readiness to change eating and weight was predictive of anorexia nervosa (AN) inpatient treatment outcome, and whether it mediates the relationships between AN treatment outcome and other known predictors of outcome.

Method: Participants were 127 patients with AN who were consecutively admitted to an intensive in-patient treatment program. They completed the Eating Disorder Inventory at admission and a measure of readiness to change after 4 weeks of treatment.

The impact of childhood sexual abuse in anorexia nervosa.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on clinical characteristics and premature termination of treatment in anorexia nervosa (AN).

Method: The participants were 77 consecutive patients with AN admitted to an inpatient eating disorders unit. The patients were assessed in terms of eating disorder symptoms, general psychopathology, and CSA history at admission to hospital.

Decision-making deficits and overeating: a risk model for obesity.

Objective: To demonstrate that human overeating is not just a passive response to salient environmental triggers and powerful physiological drives; it is also about making choices. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex has been strongly implicated in the neural circuitry necessary for making advantageous decisions when various options for action are available. Decision-making deficits have been found in patients with ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions and in those with substance dependence--impairments that reflect an inability to advantageously assess future consequences.