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Investigation of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Autistic Traits in an Adolescent Sample with Anorexia Nervosa

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Abstract

This study aimed to examine the presence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a sample of female adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) during the acute phase of illness. We also compare the level of autistic traits, social perception skills and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in four groups: AN, ASD, and two gender- and age-matched control groups. Of the 30 AN participants, only three scored above the conventional ADOS-2 threshold for ASD. The AN participants were similar to their controls on autistic trait measures, and to the ASD group on obsessive–compulsive measures, and on theory of mind ability and affect recognition measures. Further longitudinal studies are needed in order to determine the association between these conditions.

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Author Contribution

VP designed, conducted, supervised the study and wrote the manuscript, LS interpreted the data, corrected drafts, and helped in the writing process, LDP, LMF, VZ, and MCC helped in the recruitment and in the data collection process, SG performed the analysis, interpreted the data and helped with the revisions of the manuscript; SV assisted in the write up of the study; LM designed and supervised the project, and revised the draft of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of pediatrics, The Marcus Autism Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 1920 Briarcliff Road, NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA

    Valentina Postorino, Lawrence Scahill & Scott Gillespie

  2. Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, I.R.C.C.S. Children’s Hospital Bambino Gesù, Piazza S. Onofrio 4, 00165, Rome, Italy

    Valentina Postorino, Lavinia De Peppo, Laura Maria Fatta, Valeria Zanna, Maria Chiara Castiglioni, Stefano Vicari & Luigi Mazzone

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze Umane, L.U.M.S.A., Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta, Piazza delle Vaschette 101, 00193, Rome, Italy

    Lavinia De Peppo

  4. Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Research Coordination and Support Service, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Laura Maria Fatta

  5. Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Viale Oxford 81, 00133, Rome, Italy

    Luigi Mazzone

Authors
  1. Valentina Postorino
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  2. Lawrence Scahill
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  3. Lavinia De Peppo
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  4. Laura Maria Fatta
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  5. Valeria Zanna
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  6. Maria Chiara Castiglioni
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  7. Scott Gillespie
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  8. Stefano Vicari
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  9. Luigi Mazzone
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Correspondence to Valentina Postorino.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Postorino, V., Scahill, L., De Peppo, L. et al. Investigation of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Autistic Traits in an Adolescent Sample with Anorexia Nervosa. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 1051–1061 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-3023-y

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