Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2025

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
Published on: December 7, 2018
The Cognitive Profile in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa and the Relationship With Autism and ADHD: A Pilot Study
Sandra Rydberg Dobrescu1,2, Karin Dahlin2,3, Louise Karjalainen3
1Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Objective:
We aimed to examine the cognitive profile in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and its association with traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. In addition, resemblance in the cognitive profile between youths with AN and their parents was explored.
Methods:
Adolescent females with acute AN (n = 20) and a healthy comparison group (n = 28) completed neuropsychological tasks of set-shifting (Trail making test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) and central coherence (Rey Complex Figures Task, Group Embedded Figures Test, object assembly subtest). In the AN group, mothers and fathers (n = 31) also completed the neuropsychological tasks. Traits of ASD and ADHD were assessed. The AN group was reassessed after weight gain.
Results:
Weight-restored AN adolescents scored higher on the Group Embedded Figures Test than a comparison group (p < 0.001). No other set-shifting and central coherence differences were found across groups. A father-child correlation emerged in the object assembly subtest (r = 0.53, p = 0.035). ASD and ADHD traits were common in the AN group and not only related to starvation. No associations were found between neuropsychological deficits and traits of ASD and ADHD.
Conclusions:
Scant support was found for weaker central coherence in weight-recovered adolescents with AN. Set-shifting impairments could not be observed in young females with acute AN or after weight recovery.
Related Concept Videos
Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...

