Abstract
Background
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been suggested to be overrepresented in anorexia nervosa. This study aimed to explore the comorbidity of ASD and other childhood onset neuropsychiatric disorders (COND) [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and tic disorders] in a group of severe eating disorder (ED) patients.
Method
Thirty female ED patients from a specialist hospital clinic were examined on measures tapping into COND and personality disorders.
Results
In our group of longstanding ED, 53% had at least one COND diagnosis; 23% had ASD, 17% had AD/HD, and 27% had a tic disorder.
Conclusions
These preliminary data suggest that COND may be common in patients with severe ED and should be kept in mind when treating these patients.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- AD/HD:
-
attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- AN:
-
anorexia nervosa
- BN:
-
bulimia nervosa
- COND:
-
childhood onset neuropsychiatric disorders
- ED:
-
eating disorder
- PD:
-
personality disorder
- TD:
-
Tourette’s disorder
References
American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (4th edn) (DSM-IV). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association
Anckarsäter H, Stahlberg O, Larson T, Hakansson C, Jutblad S-B, Niklasson L, Nydén A, Wentz E, Westergren S, Cloninger C R, Gillberg C, Rastam M (2005) The impact of ADHD and autism spectrum disorders on temperament, character and personality development. American Journal of Psychiatry. Accepted for publication
Biederman J, Newcorn J, Sprich S (1991) Comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with conduct, depressive, anxiety, and other disorders. Am J Psychiatry 148:564–577
Burd L, Kerbeshian J, Wikenheiser M, Fisher W (1986) Prevalence of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome in North Dakota adults. Am J Psychiatry 143:787–788
Demitrack MA, Putnam FW, Brewerton TD, Brandt HA, Gold PW (1990) Relation of clinical variables to dissociative phenomena in eating disorders. Am J Psychiatry 147:1184–1188
DuPaul GJ, Power TJ, Anastopoulus AD, Reid R (1998) ADHD Rating Scale-IV: Checklists, norms, and clinical interpretation. Guilford, New York
First MB, Spitzer RL, Gibbon M, Williams JBW (1997a) Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-Patient Edition (SCID-I/P,Version 2.0, 4/97 revision). Biometrics Research Department, New York
First MB, Gibbon M, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW, Benjamin L (1997b) Structured Clinical Interview for DSMIV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCIDII). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association
Gillberg C (1983) Neuropsychiatric aspects of perceptual, motor and attentional deficits in Swedish primary school-children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 24:377–403
Gillberg C (1985) Autism and anorexia nervosa: Related conditions? Nordisk Psykiatrisk Tidskrift 39:307–312
Gillberg C (1995) The long-term outcome of childhood empathy disorders. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 5:52–56
Gillberg C, Gillberg IC, Råstam M, Wentz E (2001) The Asperger Syndrome (and high functioning autism) Diagnostic Interview (ASDI): a preliminary study of a new structured clinical interview. Autism 5:57–66
Gillberg IC, Gillberg C (1989) Asperger syndrome. Some epidemiological considerations: a research note. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 30:631–638
Gillberg IC, Råstam M, Gillberg C (1994) Anorexia nervosa outcome: Six-year controlled longitudinal study of 51 cases including a population cohort. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 33:729–739
Howlin P, Udwin O (2002) Outcomes in neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders. Cambridge University Press, New York
Kadesjö B, Gillberg C (1998) Attention deficits and clumsiness in Swedish 7-year-old children. Dev Med Child Neurol 40:796–804
Kadesjö B, Gillberg C, Hagberg B (1999) Brief report: autism and Asperger syndrome in seven-year-old children: a total population study. J Autism Dev Disord 29:327–331
Kadesjö B, Gillberg C (2000) Tourette’s disorder: epidemiology and comorbidity in primary school children. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 39:548–555
Kessler RC (2005) Prevalence of adult ADHD in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Psychol Med (in press)
Lacey JH, Evans CDH (1986) The impulsivist: a multi-impulsive personality disorder. British Journal of Addiction 81:641–649
Leckman JF, Towbin KE, Ort SI, Cohen DJ (1988) Clinical assessment of the tic disorder severity. In: Cohen DJ, Bruun RD, Leckman JF (eds) Tourette’s syndrome and Tic Disorders. Wiley, New York, pp 55–78
Leekam SR, Libby SJ, Wing L, Gould J, Taylor C (2002) The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders: algorithms for ICD-10 childhood autism and Wing and Gould autistic spectrum disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 43:327–342
Milberger S, Biederman J, Faraone SV, Murphy J, Tsuang MT (1995) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and comorbid disorders: issues of overlapping symptoms. Am J Psychiatry 152:1793–1799
Nagata T, Kawarada Y, Kiriike N, Iketani T (2000) Multi-impulsivity of Japanese patients with eating disorders: primary and secondary impulsivity. Psychiatry Res 94:239–250
Piran N, Lerner P, Garfinkel PE, Kennedy S H, Brouillette C (1988) Personality disorders in anorexic patients. Int J Eating Disord 7:589–599
Rasmussen, P, Gillberg C (2000) Natural outcome of ADHD with developmental co-ordination disorder at age 22 years: A controlled, longitudinal, community-based study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 39:1424–1431
Råstam M, Gillberg C, Garton M (1989) Anorexia nervosa in a Swedish urban region. A population-based study. Br J Psychiatry 155:642–646
Råstam M (1992) Anorexia nervosa in 51 Swedish children and adolescents. Premorbid problems and comorbidity. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 31:819–829
Schweickert LA, Strober M, Moskowitz A (1997) Efficacy of methylphenidate in bulimia nervosa comorbid with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A case report. Int J Eating Disord 21:299–301
Sokol MS, Gray NS, Goldstein A, Kaye WH (1999) Methylphenidate treatment for bulimia nervosa associated with a cluster B personality disorder. Int J Eating Disord 25:233–237
Waller G (1994) Borderline personality disorder and perceived family dysfunction in eating disorders. J Nerv Ment Dis 182:541–546
Wentz Nilsson E, Gillberg C, Gillberg IC, Råstam M (1999) Ten-year follow-up of adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa: Personality disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38:1389–1395
Wentz E, Gillberg C, Gillberg IC, Råstam M (2001) Ten-year follow-up of adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa: psychiatric disorders and overall functioning scales. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 42:613–622
Wing L, Leekam SR, Libby SJ, Gould J, Larcombe M (2002) The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders: background, inter-rater reliability and clinical use. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 43:307–325
Wolff S, Townshend R, McGuire RJ, Weeks DJ (1991) “Schizoid” personality in childhood and adult life II: adult adjustment and the continuity with schizotypal personality disorder. Br J Psychiatry 159:620–629
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wentz, E., Lacey, J.H., Waller, G. et al. Childhood onset neuropsychiatric disorders in adult eating disorder patients. Europ.Child & Adolescent Psych 14, 431–437 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0494-3
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0494-3