Emotional Theory of Mind and Emotional Awareness in Recovered Anorexia Nervosa Patients

Abstract

These findings indicate almost complete normalization of emotion recognition ability as well as the restoration of eToM in recovered patients, despite the observation of difficulties in both domains in currently ill patients. Findings suggest that similarities between AN and ASD in poor eToM are restricted to the currently ill AN state and such difficulties in AN may be a factor of starvation.

The Concept of Body Image Disturbance in Anorexia Nervosa: An Empirical Inquiry Utilizing Patients' Subjective Experiences

“…Some of these difficulties seem to be trait-like and are thus viewed as predisposing factors. One exception is the observed difficulties in Theory of Mind (ToM) which ameliorate following recovery Oldershaw, Hambrook, Tchanturia, Treasure, & Schmidt, 2010).…”

The set-shifting profiles of anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorder using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…childhood and adulthood, will be essential to understanding the extent to which these traits may be shared mechanisms in both AN and ASD. Interest in the potential relationship between AN and ASD has led to examination of cognitive traits, believed to underpin ASD in AN. While some traits associated with ASD, such as emotional theory of mind, have been found to reduce in recovered AN groups (Oldershaw et al 2010), other traits including difficulties with set-shifting, or flexible thinking, appear to persist after weight gain (Tchanturia et al 2004;Gillberg et al 2010;Danner et al 2012;Lindner et al 2014). Recent reports suggest that set-shifting inefficiencies are present in children with AN who have had a relatively short duration of illness (Lang et al 2015a) and relatives with AN (Holliday et al 2005;Roberts et al 2010;Lang et al 2015b).…”

Alexithymia, empathy, emotion identification and social inference in anorexia nervosa: A case-control study

“…These factors are likely not disorder-specific for AN (for instance, a possible overlapping between AN and autism spectrum disorders has been suggested), nonetheless in people with AN they may interfere with the healing process (Oldershaw, Hambrook, Tchanturia, Treasure, Schmidt, 2010). For instance, a 3-year longitudinal study (Speranza, Loas, Wallier, Corcos, 2007), found the Difficulty Identifying Feelings factor of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale significantly predicted treatment outcome, independent of depressive symptoms and ED severity.…”