Stress and eating disorder behavior in anorexia nervosa as a function of menstrual cycle status.

Objective: Fluctuations in ovarian hormones during the menstrual cycle and psychosocial stress contribute to eating disorder (ED) behavior.

Method: Using ecological momentary assessment techniques, this study examined relationships between stress and binge eating, self-induced vomiting, and dietary restriction based on menstrual cycle status in anorexia nervosa (AN). One hundred nine females with full and subthreshold AN (17-45 years old) recorded ED behavior and stress ratings over 2 weeks.

Altered implicit category learning in anorexia nervosa.

Objective: Recent research has identified specific cognitive deficits in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), including impairment in executive functioning and attention. Another such cognitive process, implicit category learning has been less studied in AN. This study examined whether implicit category learning is impaired in AN.

Altered fimbria-fornix white matter integrity in anorexia nervosa predicts harm avoidance.

The eating disorder anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with high anxiety. The brain mechanisms that drive those behaviors are unknown. In this study we wanted to test whether brain white matter (WM) integrity is altered in AN, and related to heightened anxiety.

Heightened fear of uncertainty in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.

Objective: To test whether intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is related to eating disorder (ED) pathology.

Method: Thirty individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), 19 with bulimia nervosa (BN), and 28 healthy control women (CW) completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS).

Results: AN and BN groups showed higher IU compared with CW.

Heightened sensitivity to reward and punishment in anorexia nervosa.

Objective: The objective of this study is to test whether females with anorexia nervosa (AN) have increased sensitivity to punishing or rewarding stimuli, behaviors that could drive high self-control and anxious, avoidant behaviors.

Method: Sixty-four females completed the study: 33 control females (CFs, mean age 19.7 years) and 31 females with AN (mean age 19.

Body-image perception and dissatisfaction throughout phases of the female menstrual cycle.

This pilot study investigated the association between the menstrual cycle and participants' body-size perception, judgments of ideal body size, detection of changes in body size, and body dissatisfaction. Thirty participants (M age=23.3 yr.

Development and validation of a new figural drawing scale for body-image assessment: the BIAS-BD.

This study describes the development and validation of a new and improved body-image assessment tool, the BIAS-BD, based on known body dimensions. The scale's construction consisted of 17 male and 17 female contour-line drawings that used known anthropometric body dimensions of shoulder, chest, waist, hip breadth, thigh breadth, and upper leg breadth. The figural drawings correspond to a series of body weights ranging from 60% below the known average to 140% above average.