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NCT Number: NCT04564170

Eating Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders

This is an observational study where patients with eating disorders (ED) are compared with healthy controls without eating disorder (HC) regarding eating disorders features and autism spectrum features. Also patients will be reassessed after 5 years.

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Key information

Conditions

Eating Disorders Autism Spectrum Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Feeding and Eating Disorders Mental Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Cristina Carmona

Barcelona, 08041, Spain

About this study

The first author who suggested that eating disorders (EAD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) share common features was Christopher Gilberg in 1980. Currently it is known that patients with ED have social impairment, which is also a risk marker to develop ED, eating disturbances are overrepresented in ASD, ED and ASD have common behavioural features such as rigidity, perfectionism, and harm avoidance; and common cognitive profiles such as inflexibility, high attention to detail, high scores in systemizing profiles and poor results in advanced theory of mind tests. This relationship is also supported by similar neural phenotypes such as atypical structure and function in social brain regions found in both disorders.

The aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between ED and ASD traits in a sample of Spanish participants diagnosed with AN, bulimia nervosa (BN), binge-eating disorder (BED) and other eating disorders (OED). Specifically, the investigators aim to explore possible differences within the different ED and its particular transdiagnostic features in association with autistic traits.

The sample will consist of 90 patients with ED and 45 healthy controls (HC) without any current or lifetime history of mental disorder, both groups will be compared regarding ED and ASD features. Also patients will be reassessed in a 5 year follow up.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Being Diagnosed with ED

Exclusion criteria

  • language or intellectual impairment

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Autism Spectrum Quotient

    Time frame: one year

    A self report measure of autism traits. Its values range from 0 to 50. Higher scores mean higher autistic traits.

  2. Eating Disorders Inventory

    Time frame: one year

    A self report measure of Eating Disorders characteristics. Its values range from 0 to 192, higher values mean higher eating disorders symptomatology.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh

    Time frame: one year

    A self report measure of bulimic symptoms where higher scores mean more bulimic symptomatology. Scores range from 0 and 78.

  2. Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire

    Time frame: one year

    The Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q) is a self-report measure designed to enable investigators to easily obtain sensitive measures of the degree of enjoyment and satisfaction experienced by subjects in various areas of daily functioning. Its values range from 93 to 465. Higher values mean higher quality of life.

  3. Beck Depression Inventory

    Time frame: one year

    a self report measure of depression symptomatology. Scores rang form 0 to 63, higher scores mean more depressive symptomatology.

  4. Scale Unawareness of Mental Disorders.

    Time frame: one year

    A scale to asess awareness of mental disorders where higher punctuation mean higher levels of unawareness of the disorder. Scores range from 20 to 100.

  5. Body Shape Questionnaire

    Time frame: one year

    A a self-report measure of the body shape preoccupations typical of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Higher scores mean higher concern with shape. Score range from 34 to 204.

  6. Rosenberg Self -Esteem Scale

    Time frame: one year

    A self report measure of self esteem. Its scores range from 10 to 40 where higher scores mean higher self -esteem

  7. State Trait Anxiety Inventory

    Time frame: one year

    A self report measure of anxiety symptomatology. It has two scores one for state of anxiety and another for trait of anxiety, each subscale values range from 0 to 60, higher scores mean higher state or trait of anxiety.

  8. Inventory of interpersonal problems personality disorder

    Time frame: one year

    A self report measure which is used to identify problems associated with particular personality disorders. Its values range from 0 to 256, higher scores mean higher interpersonal problems.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Fundació Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Characterization and Relationship Between Eating Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2024
First posted
Sep 25, 2020
Registry last updated
Feb 27, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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