The relationship between attention and avoidance coping in anorexia nervosa: functional magnetic resonance imaging study

• Published in: BJPsych open Vol. 7; no. 4; p. e130
• Main Authors: Noda, Tomomi, Isobe, Masanori, Ueda, Keita, Aso, Toshihiko, Murao, Ema, Kawabata, Michiko, Noma, Shun'ichi, Murai, Toshiya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.07.2021
• Subjects: Age; Anorexia; Anorexia nervosa; attention; Avoidance behavior; Cognitive ability; Coping; functional magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Planning; Questionnaires; Scanners; self-referential processing; Software; United Kingdom > UK; attention; Anorexia nervosa; self-referential processing; coping; functional magnetic resonance imaging
• ISSN: 2056-4724; 2056-4724
• DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2021.963

BackgroundNumerous studies have demonstrated attentional control difficulties and high avoidance coping in patients with anorexia nervosa. Attention is a critical coping resource because it enables individuals to demonstrate self-control and complete goal-directed behaviours.AimsWe aimed to examine whether attentional control difficulty is related to high avoidance coping, and investigate the neural underpinnings of attentional control difficulties in individuals with anorexia nervosa.MethodTwenty-three patients with anorexia nervosa and 17 healthy controls completed questionnaires that assessed attention and coping, and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a go/no-go task.ResultsPatients with anorexia nervosa showed weaker attentional control, higher omission error rates and higher avoidance coping compared with healthy controls. Attentional control difficulty was associated with higher avoidance coping in both groups. Functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis showed less deactivation in regions representing internal mental processing, such as the praecuneus, cuneus and left lingual gyrus, during the no-go condition. Moreover, weakened deactivation of the left lingual gyrus was associated with higher commission error rate in the anorexia nervosa group.ConclusionsOur results suggest that patients with anorexia nervosa may have difficulty in maintaining attention to external ongoing events because of disturbance from internal self-related thought, and support the notion that attentional control difficulties underlie the frequent use of avoidance coping in anorexia nervosa.