An investigation of habit learning in Anorexia Nervosa.

ABSTRACT: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a disorder characterised by compulsive behaviour, such as self-starvation and excessive exercise, which develop in the pursuit of weight-loss. Recent theory suggests that once established, compulsive weight-loss behaviours in AN may become habitual. In two parallel studies, we measured whether individuals with AN showed a bias toward habits using two outcome-devaluation tasks. In Study 1, 23 women with AN (restrictive and binge/purge subtypes), and 18 healthy controls (HC) completed the slips-of-action paradigm, designed to assess reward-based habits. In Study 2, 13 women with restrictive AN, 14 women recovered from restrictive AN, and 17 female HC participants completed the slips-of-action paradigm, and an avoidance paradigm, designed to assess aversive habits. AN

SUBMITTER: Godier LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5718042 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature