Combined cognitive-behavioral, psychopharmacological and nutritional therapy in eating disorders. 1. Anorexia nervosa--restricted type

• Published in: Neuropsychobiology Vol. 32; no. 2; p. 59
• Main Authors: Brambilla, F, Draisci, A, Peirone, A, Brunetta, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 1995
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anorexia Nervosa - drug therapy; Anorexia Nervosa - psychology; Anorexia Nervosa - therapy; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation - therapeutic use; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - therapeutic use; Anxiety - complications; Anxiety - drug therapy; Anxiety - psychology; Behavior Therapy; Body Weight - physiology; Cognitive Therapy; Combined Modality Therapy; Depression - complications; Depression - drug therapy; Depression - psychology; Feeding and Eating Disorders - drug therapy; Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology; Feeding and Eating Disorders - therapy; Female; Fluoxetine - therapeutic use; Humans; Nortriptyline - therapeutic use; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• ISSN: 0302-282X
• DOI: 10.1159/000119213

Twenty-two female patients with anorexia nervosa, restricted type, 14-35 years old, were treated with a 4-month course of combined cognitive-behavioral therapy, nutritional counselling and antidepressant drugs (nortriptyline for 7, fluoxetine for 15). Patients were monitored for body mass index (BMI), for eating disorder symptoms by the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and the Bulimic Investigation Test (BITE) and for depression and anxiety by the Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression and for Anxiety (HRS-D and -A). The scores were determined before and after 1, 2 and 4 months of therapy. BMI, depression, anxiety and EDI scores improved significantly and equally in both groups during the 4 months of therapy, while BITE scores did not change.