Use of Latent Profile Analysis to Identify Eating Disorder Phenotypes in an Adult Australian Twin Cohort

Abstract

Lifetime weight ranges and the severity of eating disorder symptoms affected clustering more than the type of eating disorder symptom.

Genetic epidemiology, endophenotypes, and eating disorder classification

“…To achieve this, we take a ''cross-disorder'' approach and explore what endophenotypes might exist that cross the boundaries between currently conceptualized disorders. This approach is consistent with some observations including a latent profile analysis that suggested, from a general population perspective, there is no meaningful differentiation between clinically significant eating disorders, including EDNOS 33 and with unpublished data which show AN and BN spectrum disorders share 50% of their genetic risk factors (Wade, Treloar, Heath, Martin, unpublished manuscript). It is also noteworthy that this approach may identify trans-diagnostic endophenotypes that may identify meaningful biological bridges between entire classes of psychiatric illnesses (e.g.…”

“…[77][78][79] A composite measure of weight concern was elevated in women with AN compared to controls, as was dietary restraint for women who had either lifetime AN or BN. 33 Consistent with evidence supporting this variable as an endophenotype, a follow-up study of 108 infants at 8 years of age showed that maternal restraint predicted worries about being too fat in girls but not boys. 80 However, the composite measure of weight concern has been found to be influenced by environmental variance only, 81 while other studies suggest that measures of body dissatisfaction, weight preoccupation and drive for thinness are influenced by genetic factors in older adolescent female twins.…”

“…Moreover, the presence of constitutional thinness in women and men has been shown to be associated with decreased rather than increased odds of having disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. [31][32][33] Third, the ''risk'' of thinness was elevated in the relatives of constitutionally thin individuals (Hebebrand et al, unpublished data). In contrast, two studies have reported relatives of AN probands to be at no greater risk of thinness (Hebebrand et al, unpublished data), 25 while another found cotwins of twins with AN were at significantly higher risk for current low BMI.…”

“…Negative emotionality, whilst not a diagnostic endophenotype specific to eating disorders, may be a necessary but not sufficient inclusion to diagnostic criteria, especially as an indicator of the clinical severity of eating disorders. 33 Clearly, additional research using family designs and robust outcome variables is required to understand the relation between personality and eating disorders. 76 …”

Diagnostic Classification of Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents: How Does DSM-IV-TR Compare to Empirically-Derived Categories?

“…12 LPA has the advantage of allowing for the inclusion of continuous indicators while LCA is limited to categorical indicators. To date, this empirical classification research has been limited to adult samples, [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] with the exception of one recent report combining adolescents and young adults. 21 In adult samples, this research has demonstrated that LCA/LPA reliably identify clinically meaningful subgroups of individuals with eating disorders including those that resemble AN, BN, and one particular type of EDNOS characterized by binge eating without purging (binge eating disorder [BED]).…”