Related Experiment Videos
Cognitive impairment in anorexia nervosa is not due to depressed mood
Bradley D McDowell1, David J Moser, Karin Ferneyhough
1Department of Psychiatry, 1-287 Medical Education Building, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000, USA. bradley-mcdowell@uiowa.edu
Objective:
Previous research has revealed cognitive deficits in patients with anorexia nervosa. It is unclear whether these deficits are linked to co-morbid depression in this population. We examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning.
Method:
A large sample of subjects (N = 98) was examined using a common measure of cognitive ability and two measures of depression.
Results:
We confirmed that there is no relationship between depression and cognitive ability in this group.
Discussion:
This suggests that alternative explanations be explored for cognitive deficits in patients with anorexia nervosa.