COMBINED COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL, PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL AND NUTRITIONAL THERAPY IN BULIMIA-NERVOSA

Fifteen women with bulimia nervosa were treated with a 4-month course of combined cognitive-behavioral nutritional and antidepressant therap y (5 with amineptine and 10 with fluvoxamine). Patients were monitored before and after 1, 2 and 4 months of therapy for body mass index (BM I), for eating disorder symptoms by the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI ) and the Bulimic Investigation Test (BITE), and for depression and an xiety by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and for Anxiety (HRS -D and -A). BITE symptoms and gravity improved significantly and equal ly in the two groups during the 4 months of therapy. Global EDI scores , depression and anxiety decreased, but not significantly. BMI was nor mal before therapy and did not change during treatment.