Attitudes towards change mediate the effect of dissociation on psychopathological outcome in the treatment of eating disorders.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine whether dissociation and attitudes towards change were associated with the psychopathology in patients with eating disorders (EDs) at 1-year follow-up.

Method: The study included 110 females with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (48 and 62 respectively). At the beginning of the study and 1 year later, they were assessed by means of the following questionnaires: Dissociative Experiences Scale, Attitudes Towards Change (ACTA), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Eating Attitude Test, Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ).

Towards a future molecular diagnosis of autism: Recent advances in biomarkers research from saliva samples.

Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis is currently based on clinical observations and behavioral evaluations exclusively, without any biological determination. Molecular biomarkers are usually obtained from biological fluids, such as blood or urine, generally through invasive and uncomfortable procedures. Patients with autism are characterized by sensory reactivity and behavioral difficulties which make sample collection problematic.