Andrea Phillipou1,2,3,4, Larry A Abel5, Caroline Gurvich6, David J Castle2,3, Susan L Rossell1,2. 1. Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. 2. Department of Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. 3. Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. 4. Department of Mental Health, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia. 5. Optometry, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Australia. 6. Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University & The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Differences in saccadic eye movements are widely reported in mental illnesses, and can indirectly inform our understanding of neurobiological and cognitive underpinnings of psychiatric conditions, including anorexia nervosa (AN). Preliminary research has suggested that individuals with AN may show specific eye movement abnormalities; whether these deficits are representative of state or trait effects is, however, unclear. The aim of this study was to identify whether there are demonstrable differences in performance on saccadic eye movement tasks in individuals with current AN (c-AN), those who are weight-restored from AN (wr-AN), biological sisters of individuals with AN (AN-sis), and healthy controls (HC). METHODS: Eighty participants took part in the study (n = 20/group). A set of saccadic eye movement tasks was administered, including prosaccade, antisaccade, memory-guided saccade, and visual scanpath tasks. RESULTS: The c-AN group showed an increased rate of inhibitory errors to 10° targets on the memory-guided saccade task. DISCUSSION: The results are discussed in terms of the potential role of the superior colliculus in AN, and that the findings may reflect a state measure of AN.
OBJECTIVE: Differences in saccadic eye movements are widely reported in mental illnesses, and can indirectly inform our understanding of neurobiological and cognitive underpinnings of psychiatric conditions, including anorexia nervosa (AN). Preliminary research has suggested that individuals with AN may show specific eye movement abnormalities; whether these deficits are representative of state or trait effects is, however, unclear. The aim of this study was to identify whether there are demonstrable differences in performance on saccadic eye movement tasks in individuals with current AN (c-AN), those who are weight-restored from AN (wr-AN), biological sisters of individuals with AN (AN-sis), and healthy controls (HC). METHODS: Eighty participants took part in the study (n = 20/group). A set of saccadic eye movement tasks was administered, including prosaccade, antisaccade, memory-guided saccade, and visual scanpath tasks. RESULTS: The c-AN group showed an increased rate of inhibitory errors to 10° targets on the memory-guided saccade task. DISCUSSION: The results are discussed in terms of the potential role of the superior colliculus in AN, and that the findings may reflect a state measure of AN.