Report of the National Institutes of Health workshop on overcoming barriers to treatment research in anorexia nervosa

Abstract

It is crucial that treatment research in this area be prioritized.

Predictive factors of length of inpatient treatment in anorexia nervosa

“…Drop-out and discharges before completing the program were not considered. Our research finding that a longer duration of anorexia leads to a longer LOS lends support to Agras's theory [1]. Identifying patients with a long history of illness at admission will enable clinicians to prepare the patient and her family for the length of treatment.…”

“…A longer illness is likely to be more psychopathologically complicated and will thus be less sensitive to therapeutic intervention [1]. Such patients also are more likely to have a longer history of ineffective treatment attempts.…”

Anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorders: Guided investigation of social cognitive endophenotypes.

“…Although guiding epidemiologic data are currently lacking, there has been increasing concern regarding several notable trends: (a) an upsurge of AN in both younger and older ages than has been previously reported Johnson, Cohen, Kasen, & Brook, 2006;Marcus & Kalarchian, 2003), (b) increased incidence in minority groups hitherto thought protected (Decaluwe, Braet, & Fairburn, 2003;Tanofsky-Kraff et al, 2003), and (c) recent published reports of extensive illness burden among family members Treasure, Whitaker, Whitney, & Schmidt, 2005;Whitney & Eisler, 2005). Such patterns highlight the broad impact of these illnesses and underscore the urgency of alternative approaches to illness management.While advances have been made in the treatment of adolescents with a relatively short duration of illness (Lock & le Grange, 2005), progress in the treatment of adults with AN remains limited, at best (W. S. Agras et al, 2004;Kaplan, 2002). Of note, a report issued by the National Institute of Mental Health (W. S. Agras et al, 2004) emphasized the absence of innovative treatment approaches over the past several decades.…”

“…Of note, a report issued by the National Institute of Mental Health (W. S. Agras et al, 2004) emphasized the absence of innovative treatment approaches over the past several decades. This conclusion was recently echoed in an evidence-based review calling for novel intervention strategies that target core biological and cognitive features yet remain acceptable to patients (Berkman et al, 2006).…”

Tratamento dos transtornos alimentares: perfil dos pacientes e desfecho do seguimento

“…Ribeiro et al 17 citam um estudo em que Nemiah identificou na sua amostra 70% de cura ou melhora clínica dos seus casos, 22% de cronicidade, o que não é muito diferente no estudo de Agras et al 34 , em que 20% tornaram-se crônicos e, ainda, 8% de casos de mortalidade. Este último item bem maior do que o encontrado nesta casuística (1,08% 34 , encontraram 26% de desistência do tratamento, enquanto que Bacaltchuk e Hay 45 identificaram, em estudo de revisão, que a taxa de abandono em curto prazo foi de 30%, taxa relativamente alta por ser um estudo de curto prazo, ressaltando que a presente pesquisa foi realizada ao longo de …”