Assessing cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa using eye tracking: A registered report.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Cognitive flexibility is impaired in anorexia nervosa (AN).
• Individual differences in trait anxiety influence cognitive flexibility in the general population.
• Switching impairments in AN may differ based on response type (e.g., eye-movement vs. keypress).

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the role of trait anxiety and response type (saccadic vs. keypress) in determining cognitive flexibility performance in adults with AN.
• To compare cognitive flexibility task performance between AN participants and matched controls, controlling for trait anxiety and spatial working memory.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a mixed pro-anti-saccade paradigm to assess saccadic and keypress responses.
• Administering the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to measure trait anxiety.
• Assessing eating disorder symptoms and everyday life flexibility using validated questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Data controlling for trait anxiety and assessing task- and response-set flexibility can enhance understanding of AN cognitive performance.
• Trait anxiety and response modality (saccadic vs. keypress) are potential determinants of cognitive flexibility deficits in AN.

Conclusions:

• Clarifying the impact of trait anxiety on cognitive flexibility and response-set switching in AN is crucial.
• Findings can improve therapeutic approaches by linking cognitive flexibility to everyday life flexibility in AN.