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Evaluating the role of autistic traits and sensory sensitivity in eating disorders and autistic-like eating behaviours

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

G. Ingrosso ,
V. Nistico’ ,
F. Lombardi ,
B. Morlacchi ,
A. C. Cigognini ,
R. Faggioli ,
A. Mottaran ,
M. Tramontano ,
L. Ranzini  and
C. A. Redaelli
...Show all authors
G. Ingrosso*
Affiliation:
1Health Science Department, University of Milan
V. Nistico’
Affiliation:
1Health Science Department, University of Milan 2Department of Psychology, University of Milan Bicocca 3Aldo Ravelli Research Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, University of Milan
F. Lombardi
Affiliation:
1Health Science Department, University of Milan
B. Morlacchi
Affiliation:
1Health Science Department, University of Milan
A. C. Cigognini
Affiliation:
1Health Science Department, University of Milan
R. Faggioli
Affiliation:
4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo
A. Mottaran
Affiliation:
4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo 5NutriMente Onlus, Milan, Italy
M. Tramontano
Affiliation:
4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo 5NutriMente Onlus, Milan, Italy
L. Ranzini
Affiliation:
4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo 5NutriMente Onlus, Milan, Italy
C. A. Redaelli
Affiliation:
4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo 5NutriMente Onlus, Milan, Italy
S. Anselmetti
Affiliation:
4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo 5NutriMente Onlus, Milan, Italy
S. Bertelli
Affiliation:
4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo 5NutriMente Onlus, Milan, Italy
O. Gambini
Affiliation:
1Health Science Department, University of Milan 3Aldo Ravelli Research Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, University of Milan 4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo
B. Demartini
Affiliation:
3Aldo Ravelli Research Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, University of Milan 4UO Psichiatria 51 e 52, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Presidio San Paolo
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

In recent decades, there has been extensive research on the association between Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Eating Disorders (ED), as well as the existence of sensory sensitivity alterations in both diagnostic groups.

Objectives

The present study aimed to examine the presence of autistic traits in a sample of adult women diagnosed with different ED, and the concurrent role of autistic traits and sensory sensitivity in both their eating disorder symptomatology and their autism-related eating behaviours.

Methods

Seventy-five women with different ED completed the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), the Autism Quotient (AQ), the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R), the Sensory Perception Quotient - Short Form 35 item (SPQ-SF35) and the Swedish Eating Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorders (SWEAA), which investigates specific eating behaviour related to autism.

Results

12% of the sample scored above the cut-off at both the AQ and the RAADS-R, while 68% scored above the cut-off at the RAADS-R only. We found an association between: i) hypersensitivity in the taste domain and ED severity and autistic-like eating behaviours; ii) hypersensitivity in the vision domain and autistic-like eating behaviours; iii) higher autistic traits and ED severity and autistic-like eating behaviours.

Conclusions

This study confirms the presence of autistic traits in patients with ED and underscores the significance of conducting additional systematical investigations on this topic across all diagnostic categories of ED. It is becoming progressively evident that identifying and measuring the levels of autistic traits in patients with ASD is crucial not only for a better understanding of the causes of these disorders, but also because it would help to tailor specific therapeutic interventions, especially considering the cognitive flexibility issues presented by these patients and the socio-emotional challenges they face. Additionally, this study has laid the foundation for further insights into the relationship between sensory sensitivity and dysfunctional eating behaviours typical of ED and ASD.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S191 - S192
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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