EYE-MOVEMENT ABNORMALITIES IN ANOREXIA-NERVOSA

The aim of the present study is to investigate smooth pursuit eye move ment and saccadic performance in anorexia nervosa during a restored we ight period and to determine if functional links can be made between e ye movement performance and clinical features. SPEM parameters were re corded for 28 female anorectic out-patients (DSM IV), who had a body w eight loss of up to 20% of ideal body weight. Twenty-eight comparison subjects were also tested. Clinically, each patient was assessed using the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compuls ive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Structured Interview for Personality Disorders (SCID II), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Hamilt on Scale for Depression (HRSD). The anorectic patients performed sligh tly worse than the comparison subjects on a number of SPEM measures. N o relationship was found between SPEM impairment and a global severity index of psychopathology (SCL 90-R GSI) or depressive symptoms. Moreo ver, OCD symptoms and scores on some EDI scales (such as perfectionism ) appear related to the severity of the eye movement alterations. The evidence of SPEM abnormalities in a subgroup of anorectic patients dur ing the remitted state and the relationship of the abnormalities to ob sessive-compulsive symptoms are discussed. Results are in agreement wi th the hypothesis regarding the persistence of neurophysiological as w ell as psychopathological traits of disorder in anorectic patients. (C ) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.