• April 25, 2024

A study of Autism Research Center, University of Cambridge , suggests that anorexia and autism share similar characteristics, which could be very useful in the treatment to overcome the eating disorder.

To detect it, Simon Baron-Cohen, director of research , analyzed the cases of 66 adolescents with anorexia, who presented autistic traits such as low typical empathy and an interest in the systems (body weight, shape and food intake)

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That is, young women with anorexia have a greater interest in the repetition of patterns and systems based on predictable rules than those who do not suffer from this disorder.

Autism and anorexia share rigid behaviors and attitudes, people tend to be centered on themselves and focus on the details.

Autism, poorly diagnosed in women

For his part, the doctor Bonnie Auyeung, part of the research team, ensures that autism is diagnosed more often in men.

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So this research suggests that the proportion of women with the disease may be misdiagnosed.

A new hope

The doctor Tony Jaffa, co-director of the study published in the magazine Molecular Autism , mentions that recognizing that some patients with anorexia may have a high number of autistic traits gives new possibilities for intervention and management.

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For example, you could change the interest beyond weight and diet to a different topic, but equally systematic to be useful. In addition to recognizing that some patients may need help with social skills, communication and adaptation to change.

Video Medicine: 'I'm scared of my own autistic child' - BBC News (April 2024).