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Computerized assessment of body image in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: comparison with standardized body image assessment tool

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Abstract

Body image disturbances are a prominent feature of eating disorders (EDs). Our aim was to test and evaluate a computerized assessment of body image (CABI), to compare the body image disturbances in different ED types, and to assess the factors affecting body image. The body image of 22 individuals undergoing inpatient treatment with restricting anorexia nervosa (AN-R), 22 with binge/purge AN (AN-B/P), 20 with bulimia nervosa (BN), and 41 healthy controls was assessed using the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS), the CABI, which simulated the participants’ self-image in different levels of weight changes, and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2-Body Dissatisfaction (EDI-2-BD) scale. Severity of depression and anxiety was also assessed. Significant differences were found among the three scales assessing body image, although most of their dimensions differentiated between patients with EDs and controls. Our findings support the use of the CABI in the comparison of body image disturbances in patients with EDs vs. controls. Moreover, the use of different assessment tools allows for a better understanding of the differences in body image disturbances in different ED types.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Edith Mitrani and Dr. Amit Yaroslavsky from the Adolescent and Adult Inpatient ED Departments at the Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, for their valuable comments.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Psychiatry, The Chaim Sheba, Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel

      Asaf Caspi, Revital Amiaz & Efrat Czerniak

    2. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

      Asaf Caspi, Revital Amiaz, Efrat Czerniak & Daniel Stein

    3. Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University at Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

      Noa Davidson

    4. The Eating Disorders Department, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel

      Eitan Gur

    5. Electrical Engineering-Systems Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

      Nahum Kiryati, Daniel Harari & Miriam Furst

    6. The Pediatric Psychosomatic Department, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel

      Daniel Stein

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    1. Asaf Caspi
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    Correspondence to Revital Amiaz.

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    Asaf Caspi and Revital Amiaz equally contributed to this work.

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    Caspi, A., Amiaz, R., Davidson, N. et al. Computerized assessment of body image in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: comparison with standardized body image assessment tool. Arch Womens Ment Health 20, 139–147 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-016-0687-4

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-016-0687-4

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