Simone Daugaard Hemmingsen1,2,3,4,5, Rikke Wesselhoeft6,7, Mia Beck Lichtenstein8, Jan Magnus Sjögren9,10, René Klinkby Støving1,2,3,4,5. 1. Centre for Eating Disorder, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. 2. Research Unit for Medical Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. 3. Research Unit, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 4. Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 5. Open Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense, Denmark. 6. Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 7. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Aabenraa, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 8. Centre for Telepsychiatry, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 9. Eating Disorder Unit, Mental Health Centre Ballerup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Ballerup, Denmark. 10. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with cognitive impairment. While re-nutrition is one of the main treatment targets, the effect on cognitive impairments is unclear. The aim of this review was to examine whether cognitive functions improve after weight gain in patients with AN. METHOD: A systematic review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement guidelines (PROSPERO CRD42019081993). Literature searches were conducted May 20th , 2019 in PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Cochrane Library. Pairs of reviewers screened reports independently based on titles/abstracts (N = 6539) and full texts (N = 378). Furthermore, they assessed the quality of reports, including whether practice effects were accounted for. RESULTS: Twenty-four longitudinal reports were included featuring 757 patients and 419 healthy controls. Six studies examined children and adolescents. Four out of four studies found processing speed to improve above and beyond what could be assigned to practice effects and three out of four studies found that cognitive flexibility was unaffected after weight gain in children and adolescents. Results from studies of adults were inconclusive. DISCUSSION: The literature on cognitive change in patients with AN following weight gain is sparse. Preliminary conclusions can be made only for children and adolescents, where weight gain appeared to be associated with improved processing speed.
OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with cognitive impairment. While re-nutrition is one of the main treatment targets, the effect on cognitive impairments is unclear. The aim of this review was to examine whether cognitive functions improve after weight gain in patients with AN. METHOD: A systematic review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement guidelines (PROSPERO CRD42019081993). Literature searches were conducted May 20th , 2019 in PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Cochrane Library. Pairs of reviewers screened reports independently based on titles/abstracts (N = 6539) and full texts (N = 378). Furthermore, they assessed the quality of reports, including whether practice effects were accounted for. RESULTS: Twenty-four longitudinal reports were included featuring 757 patients and 419 healthy controls. Six studies examined children and adolescents. Four out of four studies found processing speed to improve above and beyond what could be assigned to practice effects and three out of four studies found that cognitive flexibility was unaffected after weight gain in children and adolescents. Results from studies of adults were inconclusive. DISCUSSION: The literature on cognitive change in patients with AN following weight gain is sparse. Preliminary conclusions can be made only for children and adolescents, where weight gain appeared to be associated with improved processing speed.